Fallout Equestria: Uncertain Ties

Chapter Sixteen: Alliance

“It’s funny how much your opinion of someone changes when you actually talk to them.”

Pneumatic gears locked in place, leaving Misty Sparks alone in the Overmare’s office. Dim light from the atrium window cast an ominous glow behind Flare. Misty Sparks waited in a seat as Flare reviewed some reports, doing her best not to fidget. It was even harder to sit up straight. Every inch of her body crawled with the rewards of her mission; bruises, cuts, wounds, and sheer exhaustion. She struggled to keep her eyes open. Her gaze kept drifting to the door leading into their apartment. Her bed was so close, she could hear it calling.

Icy blue eyes glanced up at the little unicorn. “I'll be quick, I promise,” Flare reassured.

Misty Sparks gave a slow nod.

Five minutes later Flare signed something and then cleared her desk. “You were successful?”

“Yes. We found what we need for an engine.”

“And it appears you have made some allies. You're confident in all of them?”

Another drooping nod preceded Misty Sparks placing a token on the desk, something Lonestar had given her along the trip. It bore the same design as his cutie mark, a sheriff's star, as well as a pair of wings presumably representing Pecan Pie. “With this, we have proof of allyship with Lonestar Caravans. They have a few permanent shops in the area. With this, we would get a discounted price. I can only see this as a positive for us. We need good trade partners.”

“Comet?”

Taking a moment to decide the right word, Misty Sparks grimaced. She wished Skyfire or Grease were at her side, even Blaze, but Flare had ordered this to be private. The others needed healing and rest, and as much as she did the same it was the burden of leadership. Some things she had to do alone. “I trust him. We can consider this a probationary period, just like Skyfire had.”

“She was far less capable of razing our town,” Flare countered.

“The Enclave wasn't.”

Flare's nostrils flared. The calmness of earlier was steadily melting away. Misty Sparks braced herself. “He's a dragon, Misty. Even if he behaves himself, what of everypony else? Who will trust us with him living here?”

“Lonestar Caravans.”

“And our ponies? You saw how on edge the guards were! Most of our citizens faint at the sight of a radroach. An incident is inevitable. I doubt you didn’t consider this and more. Who’s idea was this? Skyfire?”

Misty Sparks pushed back. “I agreed to it. Blaze wanted this too! She of all ponies wanted to spare him!”

The noise Flare made was sharp enough Misty Sparks stiffened. Every hair was raised as if she anticipated full condemnation. “Of all the times for her to show mercy, she chose a dragon. There are so many reasons this will do nothing but harm, yet she got her way. What happened? How did she convince you?”

Misty Sparks looked away.

“What happened?” Repeated Flare, firmer this time. “Misty.”

A hoof tapped the blackened tip of her horn. “We fought. I… threatened her. Skyfire had to stop us. Had to stop me.”

“Pardon?”

Tears welled in lime eyes. Breath hitching, she fumbled out her response, “It was awful Mom. What we saw out there. I knew it would be bad, I did, but it was so much worse. They killed their own ponies, they mutilated the Lonestars, and they almost killed us so many times. Somepony exploded on me!”

Flare stared at her.

“And that's barely half of it! I almost got us killed. Me. I could barely keep us together, we fought, and I put my horn to Blaze's throat for finally showing some empathy! Yeah, he's a dragon but he really is innocent! He's been alone for years and wanted to die down there! We- I- We had to bring Comet. Skyfire's right, he deserves a chance! Blaze too, he can't just give up. We have to fight to live and show each other some kindness and maybe this was a mistake but I stand by it!”

She didn't realize the tears were flowing, stinging her eyes and darkening her soiled uniform. Her hooves trembled. Heartbeats drummed away in her ears and she struggled to catch her breath after screaming it all away. Flare came around her desk without a word and pulled her into a hug. Immediately Misty Sparks leaned into it, clinging to her mother as if she was a little foal again. “It was horrible-” she wailed.

“I'm sorry dear… We're done talking for the night, okay? Go get some sleep. I'll ask Melody to see you in the morning. Is that alright?”

Whimpering nods split the sobs just long enough before another wave crashed over her. Expression softening, Flare held her daughter close. “I'm overjoyed you came back,” she whispered. “I was terrified.” The reassurance only set Misty Sparks off into louder crying. Flare squeezed her tighter.

Soft hay was a simple, yet earnest relief to the exhausted dragon’s aching body. Freed of the wagon, he almost felt as light as a feather and as heavy as a stone. He fell into the hay bales without concern for how sturdy they were. Immediately they crumpled, turning formerly neat piles into scattered debris. Comet sighed as his eyes closed, ready to drift off to sleep in the strange barn. Unfortunately, Skyfire felt like chatting. “I can’t believe that went so well!” She exclaimed as she sorted out nearby tools. Despite her exhaustion, the promising resolution on the hill sent her nearly aflutter.

“It nice,” he sleepily grumbled.

“Yeah! Oh- don’t you want a blanket?”

He opened one eye. “No?”

“That’s comfortable?” She questioned further, pointing at the beige stalks pressing against his scales.

“Soft. Warm. Yes.”

A quirk came to Skyfire’s lips and she shook her head with enough energy her crimson mane bounced. “I suppose that’s a perk of being a dragon then. Most ponies would find that a bit itchy after a while. I could fetch you one to go over you.”

“More warm?”

“Much more warm.”

Comet licked his lips and gave a slow nod. “Please.”

Skyfire rummaged some quilts from a storage box and laid them across his back. They stuck up where they caught on his spines, tapering pyramids of smooth blue. To her impress, they were not damaged, only dirtied from his imprisonment. “I could see about getting you cleaned up tomorrow if you’d like.”

Steadily deepening breaths signaled his fast approach to sleep, yet still Skyfire did not notice. “Bath you offered?” He rasped, ear fins perking up.

“Yup!” Crimson feathers flapped rapidly as Skyfire finished laying the blankets across him. “Phew, we might need to make one just for you. Six of them barely cover you as is!”

“I big,” he mumbled, well aware of that fact. “You have water?”

“It’ll take a while to get enough for you. Probably just a soak rag to scrub your scales clean with than a proper sit.” Comet licked his lips again, more dramatically this time. “Oh. Oh right.” She quickly found a bucket and a small service sink. The pipes sputtered and rattled for a few moments before cold water erupted. Skyfire rushed to turn it to a lower pressure, eeping as she was sprayed. Now soaked but task completed, she dragged the bucket over to Comet. The dragon wriggled in his hay bed so that he could stick his muzzle into the bucket. Immediately he stiffened at the temperature, before plunging his entire muzzle in.

Skyfire watched in awe as he gulped down the entire bucket. He pulled back gasping, rivulets streaking down his brown and blue scales. “Cold!”

“Groundwater usually is,” she replied with a soft laugh. “I didn’t realize you were so thirsty. Let us know sooner okay?”

He gave a nod. “More?”

The mare chuckled, and once more fetched him a bucket of water. When he finished that one in a similar manner, she found herself laughing as he sheepishly asked for a third bucket. “Be careful not to overdo it. Whenever I drink too much water at a time, my stomach starts to hurt.”

Golden eyes, only briefly holding sleep back, squinted. “Never me.”

“Really?”

“Never enough water. Always little. Food same.”

Humor died. Skyfire glanced at the ceiling. “Where I grew up, we were extremely tight on rations. You couldn’t go a single drop over your allotment, and the higher your rank the more you were allowed. I know I was lucky to have what I did. I can’t quite imagine what having that little is like.” Skyfire hauled the bucket back to the sink. “I see the Stable as heaven almost. They have so much food, and it tastes good too. We had water, given the clouds and all, but pure clean water isn’t as easy to get as you’d think up there.”

Comet tilted his head, eyes fixed on the rapidly filling bucket. “Up there?”

“Oh! Uh, yeah. I’m from the Enclave.”

He blinked at her.

“Er… How to- uh… A bunch of pegasi went into the clouds when the bombs dropped, and some unicorns too. We live up there now.”

Fin ears flipped up. “Clouds! You live clouds?”

The intensity of his response startled Skyfire. She nearly tipped the bucket over. Quickly recovering, she gave a sheepish nod. “I did. Now I live here. Stable 36 will treat you well, so long as you do the same to them.”

The dragon stared at the ceiling, wooden beams and sheets of metal hiding the broiling blanket of thick grey. “I want live clouds,” he whispered. Skyfire chuckled, trying to hide the fresh pain such a statement brought. Once she brought the bucket over, Comet drank from it slower. It was clear he only did that for her benefit. “It safe?”

“The clouds?”

Comet nodded.

Ears pinned back and she thinned her lips. Letting herself lean into the hay, Skyfire reached a hoof out. Comet immediately pressed his nose against her. Something bubbled in her chest, and she shook her head. “Not anymore. I don’t think it ever was, honestly. It’s not very safe down here either, but I can at least trust everypony around me.”

“Moist Spurks nice,” he mumbled in agreement, nose still against her hoof. His hot exhales were almost like flashes of heat from a fire.

Skyfire didn’t bother hiding her laughter. “Misty Sparks,” she corrected.

“Ah. Sorry.”

Hoof shifting up to his brow, Skyfire gave him a reassuring pat. “It’s okay. I bet you’re sleepy. I should probably let you rest.”

“Please.”

Again she laughed at his bluntness. “I’m sorry for keeping you up.”

Comet shook his head and momentarily dislodged one of the quilts on his shoulder. Skyfire immediately fixed it. “You bring warm and water. Thank. See tomorrow? Maybe warm water?”

“You like things warm, don’t you?” She inquired as she shifted up from the hay. Several straws of hay stuck in her mane.

A slow nod and another steady drink of water stalled for a few moments. “Cold for long time. I want warm. Warm nice. Please warm?”

“Despite living alone for so long, you somehow still have manners,” she teased playfully as she shook out the hay. Only a little came free, and with a grumble, she began to comb through her long mane.

Pupils became slits as Comet stared across the barn, taking in deep brown wood. “I learn once. I try remember. No much remember.”

Skyfire frowned. “From your family?” He gave a solemn nod, then yawned. Dozens of sharp teeth were on display. Despite herself, her chest tightened and her fur stood on end at the sight. “Well, hold onto what you can. I’ll let you rest. I should too, now that I think about it. It’ll probably be late before I’m up, but I promise I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes. Tomorrow.” The dragon’s yawning increased, and he shifted on his hay bed. “Sleep.” Nearly a second after the word escaped him, Comet had slipped into the bliss of rest. Skyfire watched him for a few moments, marveling that such a creature could look so soft. All he needed was a teddy bear and he would be the picture of innocence. It was an even stranger thought at how little he knew. Questions of just what history the dragon knew filled her head, swirling like a building storm. She flapped them away, for now, she needed to rest. The way her hooves moved as she slipped out of the barn told her that burst of energy was about to end dramatically.

Lingering in the doorway, Skyfire decided it would take far too long to reach her room. She turned on her hooves and stumbled back to Comet. The others had been safe enough at the rest stop after all. Tucking in against the dragon’s side, Skyfire settled in.

“Warm…” Came a sleepy muttering as Skyfire found herself pulled closer.

She suppressed an eep, not wanting to disturb his rest any further. A quilt fell around her while a long arm hooked her against Comet’s ribcage. He was sallow, starved, yet safe. Despite every instinct telling her to run far away from the predator, Skyfire forced herself to relax in his grip. The hay was a bit scratchy, and the position was strange, but there was no denying how warm it felt.

Not even a month of sleep would be enough for Misty Sparks to feel rested after that adventure. Mud sucked at her hooves as she and Flare arrived outside the barn. Fresh rain pooled across the farm fields. Crops were replenished but were as strained as ever with the lack of sunlight. Waiting a few paces ahead, Sergeant Cuffs checked his pistol. Despite Misty Sparks’ protests that it was unnecessary, Flare had insisted he come armed. She didn’t bother voicing her uncertainty that he could even shoot properly with his eyepatch. The stallion had nearly given his life for her, she wouldn’t question him if she could help it.

Violet magic tugged on Misty Sparks’ collar, drawing her attention to Flare. “You look dreadful,” she muttered, brow knit together.

“Sorry.”

“If we could postpone this I would, but we need to learn about our new… friend,” Flare trailed off with a grimace. “Do you want me to do this alone?”

Barely a moment of consideration passed before Misty Sparks shook her head. “I’m responsible for him.”

Flare slowly nodded. “Alright then. Sergeant?” Cuffs immediately slid the door open. It would have been pointless to lock it, given the dragon could simply smash his way through its predominantly wooden walls. None of the trio were prepared to find Skyfire encircled by the dragon, a massive head resting across her lap like a pet. Both of them snored, Comet loud enough to disturb the water in a nearby bucket.

“What the hell’s bells is this?” Sergeant Cuffs sputtered.

“Perhaps we should come back later after all?” Misty Sparks proposed.

Overmare Flare entered the barn. “Comet,” she called in a firm but friendly voice. “Skyfire.”

Immediately the dragon opened his eyes, pupils slitted and sharp. As he focused on who had awoken him, they slowly calmed. “Morn,” he rasped and raised his head.

Skyfire grumbled and reached after him like a stolen blanket. When the warm pressure did not return, she stirred. “Oh,” yawned the pegasus. “Good… morning?”

Ice took them in. “Good morning.”

“What are you doing here?” Sergeant Cuffs stared as if he’d found Skyfire unicycling over a live minefield. His magic focused on his horn, but nothing was in his grasp. He was prepared, but not actively on the defensive.

“Sleeping?” Skyfire squinted. She tried to rub away whatever dreams clung to her mind. They were too vague to recall, but she knew well enough they hadn’t been pleasant.

Cuffs scoffed, then began to check the entire barn over. Comet watched him without moving, eyes trailing after the large stallion. A low growl came from the dragon’s stomach, and he grimaced. Cuffs stared at him. Neither said a word. Before the awkward tension could grow any stronger, Misty Sparks advanced into the barn.

Immediately Skyfire perked. “Misty!” The warmth of the greeting brought a smile to the little unicorn. “Sorry if I made you worry, it just seemed like too much trouble going back into the stable after I got Comet settled in.”

Misty Sparks neglected to inform her that no one had been aware she wasn’t fast asleep in her bedroom. None of the expedition team had to report to work the following morning after all. “Is he a good bedmate?” She tilted her head at Comet who still stared down Cuffs.

“Yeah,” Skyfire admitted, ears back and eyes averted. “He just wanted to be warm.”

“I like warm,” Comet remarked. Cuffs squinted and took a few steps closer. The dragon leaned his head forward, meeting the periwinkle unicorn’s caution with curiosity. Ear fins flickered and his forked tongue tasted the air.

Overmare Flare cleared her throat and the pair snapped their attention to her. She appeared unafraid, face calm and ears forward. Misty Sparks caught a brief tremble in Flare’s legs before it was settled. “I am glad you slept well last night, Comet. It would appear Skyfire made sure you were comfortable.”

“Much better cellar,” he replied with a slow nod. “Warm. Soft. Thank.”

The edges of Flare’s eyes softened, and she smiled faintly. “You’re welcome. I believe we also have another need to tend to. I had our quartermaster sign off for this request.” With a burst of violet magic, she carried in a crate Cuffs had brought ahead of them. It settled a few feet away from Comet, who immediately stiffened. His pupils thinned into slits and he began shuffling to his feet with awkward motions. The lid had barely been removed before the dragon plunged his head into it. Splinters and hay exploded. Cuffs pulled his pistol out. Skyfire yelped and dashed behind Flare who kept a stoic expression. Misty Sparks nearly yanked the pegasus out the door.

Crunching noises and a desperate growl emanated from the crate. The dragon gulped down whole scores of what was within. His tail wagged hard enough the spade end cut into a pillar. Wings flapped as if life was being breathed back into him. It wasn’t until he’d devoured every last piece that he pulled back and belched. Flare arched a brow as Comet sat down with a dramatic heave, a new light in his golden eyes. “That good?” Inquired the Overmare as she peered into the crate once laden with crystals.

Relieved, Cuffs holstered his pistol.

A hiccup rocked through the dragon and he gave an awkward laugh. “Yes. Rubies. Love rubies.”

“Gems?” Skyfire asked with a tentative smile. “I thought you couldn’t just give a bunch away?”

“All of those had faults that wouldn’t allow us to use them for their intended purpose. Nearly an entire year’s worth… devoured in barely five minutes.” Flare sniffed at the box before giving a soft sigh. “I suspect you’ll need such an amount regularly?”

Comet gave a sheepish smile, ear fins back and eyes cast away for a moment.

Flare squinted. “Please don’t tell me you need more than that.”

“I can… do with little. I have for a long time.”

“I will not starve you,” Flare refused, “but a diet might be necessary until we can get this worked out. Perhaps some pony food will work for you as well?”

Immediately the dragon scowled, a flicker of fire on his lips. Before Cuffs could draw his gun again, Misty Sparks shouted. “She means food that ponies eat! Not that you would eat ponies!”

Every ounce of hostility dissipated like steam on a mirror. “Oh. Good,” Comet said.

“By the Goddesses, you actually thought I meant I would sacrifice ponies to you?” Flare blanched.

A forked tongue slid over fangs. “Bad ponies did.”

Flare stepped closer, voice lowering with conviction. “We are not like those ponies.”

Golden eyes glanced over the four, lingering on the armed stallion, then drifted to the soft bed beneath him. “You not them.” A slow nod became deeper, an awkward half-bow that bobbed like one trying not to fall asleep.

A thin grimace pulled at Misty Sparks’ lips. Skyfire nudged her closer, a silent plea in her eyes. With a barely contained groan, Misty Sparks approached Comet. “I told Mom what you told us, about the slavers and what they did to you. I also told her about what you did for us. We’re not here to judge you. What you went through is your own business. If you’d be willing to share some of that, we would feel more comfortable having you around our citizens.”

“I try?” He offered after a moment of hesitation.

“Please. Maybe we could help you find a way back home.”

The burst of life the gems gave him began to dim. “Not… much go home to.”

“Because you were abandoned?” Flare inquired. She settled onto a clear spot and began to clean up the shattered wood with her magic.

Comet only gave a nod.

“Do you know why?”

“Little.” Comet curled back up like he’d been in the cage, trying to make himself small despite the impossibility of that fact. Even undernourished he dwarfed all of them.

Skyfire took a cautious step or two forward, then fully committed and settled next to Comet. The dragon gave a low bellow and looked away. “If you don’t want to talk about it…”

Golden eyes narrowed and Comet puffed a bit of smoke. “No. Story short. I had clan. Then one day… they gone.”

“Did something hurt them?”

“Hunger.”

Flare frowned. A hoof brushed past her flank, slightly plump compared to most wastelanders. “They starved?”

“No.”

“Then… They just left you? Alone? How old were you?”

“Not adult. They… said stay. I stay. Until…” Rough words tapered out. Comet’s fin ears were flat to his head, eyes on the wooden ceiling. “I go look.”

An edge sharpened already piercing blue eyes. Flare’s voice came out low and measured. “So they abandoned you, truly and sincerely. No cause given? No promise of return? They simply left a child in a… what cave?”

Comet nodded.

“By the Goddesses that is deplorable,” Flare snarled. Everypony stared at the burst of anger, barely a fraction as powerful as what she’d shown at the crash site outpost but it was still a terrifying display. “No one should leave a child like that. I am sorry they did that to you, Comet.”

Blinking, Comet lowered his head and sniffed. “Thank.”

“Do you want to find them?” Asked Skyfire. “That’s why you left, right?”

“Yes.”

“Any sign of them?”

“No.” Comet exhaled a heavy breath and shifted in his nest of blankets. “I… gave up.”

Cuffs sighed loudly. “Kid… kid? Sir? Er, Comet, I can’t say I blame you. How does that get you caught by slavers though? They’re a twisted lot by far.”

Tension rose up Misty Sparks, tracing along her spine until she stood rigid. She glanced at the sergeant and cleared her throat. “We already discussed this.”

“Sure, when he hadn’t eaten or had a proper drink in Celestia knows how long,” Cuffs replied. “I’m just hoping he feels a bit more talkative.”

“I no fight back. Why would I?”

A brow raised, Cuffs tilted his head. Flare watched him just as closely. “To survive?”

“Why I want to survive?”

Silence engulfed the ponies. Comet stared blankly at them. Every second that passed grew heavier. Skyfire kept her gaze fixated on the ground. Cuffs looked ready to bolt while Misty Sparks scrunched her face. Flare was the only one to keep his stare. “I am not a therapist,” she replied calmly. “I could recommend a few that might be willing to speak to you. However, that is not a question I could answer by any means that would help. Life is to live. It’s up to you to decide if you should, and what for.”

Comet’s nostrils flared as he debated her answer. “I… no like how…” Struggling for the word, he waved a hand limply.

She arched a brow. “Vague?”

“Yes.”

Flare chortled. “I can’t tell you what matters in your life, Comet. I can just tell you that I think it’s worth living. It sounds like yours has barely begun. Take some time to recover. We’ll talk again when I have dinner sorted for you.” She flicked her tail and Cuffs opened the door. Misty Sparks and Skyfire, after some urging, started outside. Purple eyes were wide as Skyfire took in the contemplation on the dragon’s face.

“...Thank.”

The Overmare gave a polite smile. “Until then, how about you try to figure out what you want. You’re somewhere safe, you can stop to think instead of wander. I’d recommend you take advantage of it.”

The normally cozy surface clinic could presently be described as overflowing. An entire trade caravan coming in at once for a variety of ailments tended to do that, especially in a fairly sleepy town such as theirs. What supplies were traditionally on hand were quickly expended, and backup had been fetched from the stable. Thankfully for Blaze, she had her own little corner. A worn privacy screen was drawn around her medical cot. Three IV bags hung next to her loosely on an IV stand. Blood, Radaway, and a vaguely blue liquid all slowly fed into a rather grumpy Blaze. Her eyes periodically flicked back to the sizable pile of pills she needed to consume regularly. Rad-X, Med-X, and a slurry of other pills are all required to keep her going. Much to Blaze’s horror, the taste was awful for every one of them.

The privacy curtain parted and revealed a concerned Hammers. He glanced over at her medicine table and sighed. “You know you need to take those if you don’t want to keep ending up here.”

Blaze’s ears pinned back briefly and glared at him. He simply stared back. Giving in, the mare grumbled and grabbed the bowl of pills. Without any pretense of manners, she dumped them all into her mouth and then presented the now-empty bowl.

“You have to swallow them, Blaze.”

The scowl returned with a low growl, Blaze quickly swished her mouth with water from nearby. She let out a huff and rolled her eyes when finished. “You didn’t come here to make sure I took my meds.”

“No, I came in to check on my daughter.”

That got a momentary soft smile out of Blaze. Something crossed her mind like a visible shadow. Her expression hardened and she let out a long sigh. “Shame I can’t be inside getting treated like Grease is.”

“We both know why you can’t… Maybe one day you can again.”

Blaze’s gaze averted as she scoffed. “Assuming I’m alive by the time Flare has a change of heart, unlikely. We got lucky with that fight.”

Dark green eyes became as soft as fairytale grass as he took her in. The stallion scooted to the edge of the bed. A hoof awkwardly reached for her leg, only to hesitate and pull back. “Don’t talk like that.”

“Why? I know plenty well enough about fighting to make sure Sparky and Feathers come home safely. Even if it means having to dirty my hooves. The other two don’t handle it well though.”

Hammers raised an eyebrow. “And you do better?”

“Well yeah! There are ponies in this world way worse than I could ever be. They don’t stop to ever think about what they do to others,” Blaze admitted, “I don’t think the world will mind more corpses of that type.”

Jaw tense and body stiff, Hammers watched his daughter. The mare did her best to maintain eye contact. He simply stared. Ears flicked and teeth pressed together. Eventually, she grunted, “What? You have a problem with that? I think some ponies take their chance and shit on it, a big fat dump.”

“I can see why you think that, but that’s… a concerning outlook, Blaze. Following that logic, what do you think about the pony you killed during the mutiny?” He leaned closer, shifting the weight of the already straining medical cot.

Blaze pouted and looked away. Only the dull privacy screen greeted her. “Dad... That was an accident. I kicked a battery, and it hit somepony in the face. They died. That’s… different. It’s something I didn’t mean to do.”

“That doesn’t make you a bad pony?” He challenged. “One that it’d be plenty fine to put in a grave?”

“Accidents don’t make you a bad pony,” she growled, but there was no fire to her words. “But if I can do that without meaning to, I could do that to ponies I know and care about.”

Hammers nodded slowly. “I’m glad you’re aware of the risk.”

“I’m not dumb.”

“I didn’t call you that.”

Blaze said nothing about that fact. Steadily the silence grew. Blaze didn’t dare meet his gaze. She laid further back on her cot. The lapse of conversation only grew. Both of them stewed in what had been said. Finally, as he went to break it, a voice called out from deeper in the clinic. “Hammers, are you in here? Someone from engineering wanted to update you about that blown water heater down in the kitchen.”

Hammers cocked his head and perked an ear. “The what? Give me a moment Blaze. Duty calls.” The large stallion grumbled and reluctantly pulled away from his daughter.

Not a second had passed after the privacy screen once again blocked the rest of the clinic before a blur of burgundy and brown dove under the covers. Blaze gasped and reflexively kicked out. “What the-” She started, before a familiar hoof pressed her mouth shut.

“Not much of a sneaky relief job if you get us both caught, hon!” Blitz giggled. The blanket concealed all but her muzzle.

Blaze shuffled to make room for the curvy mare, only for Blitz to put more pressure on her. Huffing, Blaze allowed the mare to remain laid on her torso. “Been a little while. You weren’t around when I got kicked out.”

“Oh-” Blitz paused. Her ears twitched and she looked away. “It was way early, and I might have been up too late the night before. Sorry.”

Blaze frowned down at her. Immediately Blitz reached up and rubbed her shoulder. To her shock, Blaze flinched away. Before either of them could process that, Blaze growled, “You said you’d see me off in the morning. Get distracted after I went back to my room?”

Blitz paled and touched her hooves together, “There was this big caravan who were playing hard to get with a sale. They needed a good night’s rest to be convinced.”

That did little to wipe away the look on her lover’s face. “Are you fucking serious?”

“I was then, yeah,” Blitz laughed.

“Babe.”

“I was fine, promise. Just took more energy out of me than I expected. I set an alarm and everything, but I slept right through it,” Blitz mumbled swiftly. Lavender eyes looked away and she puffed her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

A thick brow arched and Blaze snorted. “You’re what?”

“Sorry.”

“Can’t hear you muttering down there,” snickered Blaze.

Immediately Blitz puffed her cheeks even more, reminding Blaze of a filly about to throw a fit. “Don’t be mean!”

“I thought you liked it when I’m mean.”

“Not when I haven’t seen you for a few days!” She replied, but a laugh still rang through. Blushing, she pressed her face into Blaze’s chest. What she said next was lost in wet sand colored fur.

Rolling her eyes, Blaze prodded the mare. “I really can’t hear you when you talk like that.”

It took a few more prods for Blitz to look up at her. Immediately Blaze’s breath caught in her throat at how Blitz pouted. “I missed you,” Blitz confessed.

Heart fluttering, Blaze smiled. “You did?”

“Of course I did!” Blitz stuck out her tongue, ever deflecting as if sincerity was a sickness she would die from catching. Blaze stroked her muzzle. She could feel the heat in Blitz’s cheeks. A soft hum escaped the smaller mare as she leaned into the touch. Not bothering with words, Blaze leaned down and kissed her marefriend. Practically melting, Blitz met her in kind. They pushed against one another with increasing passion. Soft noises grew and Blitz shuffled up to better rest against Blaze.

Hooves held one another as they paused, hearts thumping away. Blaze smiled as Blitz pressed their noses together. “I guess you really did miss me,” she teased.

“Oh I can show you all the ways I did Sugar,” Blitz purred and kissed her neck.

“Ah- well… I guess I wouldn’t be opposed to such a display.”

Blitz snickered and messed with Blaze’s mohawk. “I’d need somewhere more private for all that though. I might like the risk of being caught, but that screen isn’t near sound-dampening enough.”

Flushed, Blaze chortled. “What, not that brave?”

“I’m not the one willing to go into the wasteland, now am I?”

An ear twitched. “Willing, sure. Want is a different thing.”

“Awh, Baby you know I didn’t mean it like that,” Blitz tried to soothe. “Don’t get all pouty on me now. I’m sure it’s not without its positives. Nopony can tell you to get back to work, and lunchtime can be whenever, and you get to have an adventure! It’s so boring here, all we get are stories from outsiders.”

A growl rumbled out of Blaze like a dog’s warning. “It was only one trip and I’ve already seen some fucked up shit Blitz. It’s not a game out there.”

“I know but-”

“No, listen. I still get bossed around. I still have to do the dirty work. Now though, there’s no Security to break things up when they get bad. The safety net is gone Blitz, and if I fuck up we all suffer.”

“You found a dragon,” countered Blitz with a shake of beautiful locks. “That’s an adventure.”

“At the bottom of a slaver den with no will to live. Yeah, it was real fun having to yell at him until he got up.”

“I’m sure you just wanted to protect Sparky…”

“I’m the one who wanted him out first.”

Blitz blinked repeatedly. “Wait, really? To… fight?”

Nostrils flared and Blaze shook her head. “Not like there’d be a good fight against something that doesn’t want to live. He might not be suicidal, but he sure doesn’t give a shit about his own life. He didn’t even want justice for what the slavers did to him!” Thinking upon the dragon made her heart race and hooves twitch. Blaze huffed and laid back against the cot. It wasn’t nearly comfortable enough for her liking.

Shifting to rest beside her, Blitz pouted. “I… I’m not sure what to say.”

“That’s a first.”

“Rude.”

“Yes, and?”

Blitz wearily smiled. “Ever honest, aren’t you? Look, you can’t deny something like that would never happen around here. That’s exciting.”

Blaze squinted. “You want the adventure, tag along next time.”

Immediately Blitz waved it off with a chuckle. “Come on, they wouldn’t let me within a hundred yards of your little team.”

“Sneak out then.”

“Blaze, be serious.”

“I am being serious. I would love having you actually there with me.”

Blitz frowned and pulled back. “I can’t fight.”

“You can shoot better than half of security,” Blaze argued, reaching for what she already knew would never happen. “Yeah Sparky won’t like it, but you have the charm to convince her!”

With a grunt, Blitz got down from the cot. “Stop it, this isn’t happening.”

“Why not? You said you missed me! You want adventure! Well, shit you are right there is adventure out there. It’s just also super fucked up.”

“I don’t want that part,” retorted Blitz. “I don’t have the constitution for it.”

Limbs shuddered as Blaze’s vision became red. “Don’t get all wistful about it then! You can’t have the fun without the danger.”

“It’s called daydreaming Babe, you used to be familiar with it,” Blitz snapped.

“Used to?”

“Yeah, before you became this fuddy-duddy!”

Something twisted like a knife. Blaze slammed her hooves down into the cot. Blitz stumbled back into the privacy screen. The bristling mare stiffened as the screen was pulled aside. Returned with a deep scowl, Hammers stood there with his namesake tool. “Why is it the moment I hear news about something that was in fact fixed last week, you show up?”

The mare returned only a pitiful attempt at an answer. She took a step towards Blaze, only to hesitate at how ready to bite the mare was.

Hammers shook his head. “No no no, she needs medical attention, not sexual attention. You can talk to her if there’s time after she’s discharged. Blaze needs her rest especially.”

Tensed, Blitz looked up at Blaze with big lavender eyes, only to balk as Blaze shook her head. “Fine. Not like anything was going to happen anymore,” Blitz grumbled. She withered under Hammers’ stern gaze, anger fading entirely, then left the pair.

Hammers watched with ears pulled back. When Blitz slipped out of the clinic, he snorted and faced Blaze. Immediately his frown shifted at how she held her face in her hooves. “Blaze?”

Equipment chirped away her elevated stress. He carefully approached her cot. As he went to touch her shoulder Blaze snapped up. While she was not crying, the heartache she endured was blatant. “I’m fine,” she lied. “Don’t touch me.”

“Come on… Let’s be honest here,” he carefully replied.

“I am not talking to you about girls,” Blaze growled. “Not… Just no.”

Wincing, Hammers settled into the chair beside Blaze. She bunched the edge of her blanket and tensed her jaw. “You know, we could… talk about boys?” Hammers tried to joke.

Utterly taken off guard, Blaze burst into a ragged laugh. “Shit. That was awful.”

“It worked.”

“Also no though.”

“Yeah I guess I missed that opportunity a decade or so ago,” he admitted with a strained smile.

Blaze snickered, “Absolutely.”

“Can we talk though? About anything, honestly. I… want to know my daughter,” he slowly asked, debating every word.

Blaze arched her brow and tilted her head. “Anything?”

“Yes. I don’t imagine you want more lectures, right?”

“Fuck no.”

It was Hammers’ turn to laugh. “Alright. Well, when was the last time you ate?”

She squinted at some random point on the ceiling. “Like, something good? Because I don’t count these ‘nutrient bars’ as eating good.”

Grimacing in sympathy, Hammers replied, “I was thinking more hayburgers? I can get us some.”

“And sweet potato fries?” Dared Blaze. Her eyes twinkled like a child asking to stay up past bedtime.

Hammers admired the mischievousness and nodded. “Sure. Sparkle Cola too?”

Thoughts of medicine, the wasteland, and even Blitz faded from Blaze’s mind as the too sweet of an offer was presented. Even she had to admit she wanted to learn more about just who her father was. She’d shut him out for years as much as he did her. It was obvious he was trying to do better like he’d claimed he would. There wasn’t a glaring reason to reject his attempt, and Blaze would score a free meal out of it. It sounded like a good way to spend the afternoon. “Alright, go get that, and we can talk about… I don’t know, hoofball?”

“Did you get banned from the stable team?”

“Yeah, now go get food.”

“Yes ma’am,” he chuckled.

With a yee-haw, the shot glass slammed onto the bar counter. Fire colored Misty Sparks’ cheeks as she watched the Lonestar Caravan indulge. The surface town inn was undoubtedly making a fine amount of caps on the tab they were racking up. Nearly a dozen travelers were listening to Lonestar retell their liberation, adding quite the emphasis to the talents of the Stable 36 team. The blush she wore grew with every passing sentence. Worse yet, he’d been telling such stories for the past three days from what she’d gathered.

“It’s not that bad,” Skyfire chuckled, seated across the table. “I think it’s nice even. Nopony back home would talk about me like this.”

“Does he have to keep mentioning I told him ‘getting shot fucking hurts’?”

From across the bar floor, Lonestar shouted, “Damn straight I do!” Another bout of cheers and laughter came from the listeners. Misty Sparks buried her face in her salad. A few tables over Pecan Pie was enjoying lunch with her children. The six of them occupied more space than Misty Sparks’ entire family. They were almost as rowdy as their father, with Pistol being the worst of them. The young stallion looked ready to join Lonestar at the bar, but Pecan Pie’s stern voice kept him rooted to his chair.

Misty Sparks and Skyfire had arrived twenty minutes ago after Lonestar invited them to lunch, only to find him surrounded by wastelanders. A waitress danced between the crowded dining area, while the barkeep was sliding one shot after another down to Lonestar. He looked like a hero returned from war, yet the names he laid praise upon were those of his rescuers, not his family. Misty Sparks was beginning to suspect that was the point of the invitation as eyes steadily turned to the pair.

Lonestar jumped onto his barstool, braced legs wobbling beneath him. Misty Sparks squinted but said nothing, he was the surface clinic’s patient now. “I’ll tell you what,” he drawled as he held out his latest shot of whiskey. “I never thought stable ponies could do what those young mares did. Don’t think they’re soft for wearing blue my friends, they’ve got hearts as strong as horses!”

Hooves stamped and whistles reverberated in the inn, deafeningly loud. Skyfire’s feathers puffed and she did her best not to hide, while Misty Sparks smiled awkwardly. “Thanks for the story,” she called over. “Not sure why you’re shouting it to everypony though.”

The stallion broke into laughter and shook his hat dramatically. “Well, not like you listen to the radio around here. How else are ponies going to know what you did if not word of mouth?”

A few of the travelers raised their glasses and dipped hats of their own. Misty Sparks’ ears fell flat as she realized what he was doing. A small part of her was satisfied she’d guessed right, while another squirmed at all the attention. “Oh.”

Half hiding beneath her cloak, Skyfire leaned closer. “What? I don’t understand.”

“They don’t have caps to pay us back, but they do have a reputation,” Misty Sparks whispered, gaze drifting from the chattering bird to the chuckling mother hen. Pecan Pie threw back her hat and winked. “That goes farther than anything else these days.”

“A few good words are better than caps?”

“From the right pony, yes.”

Skyfire nodded slowly. “Like a general’s recommendation.”

“Sure?”

Flashing a smile that immediately deepened Misty Sparks’ flush, Skyfire lifted the glass of tea she’d been sipping. “Considering what we did for them, I’d rather they tell everypony they can trust us, rather than lose what little caps they have left.”

“I do too. I’m just not used to so much… attention.”

One long ear flicked back and Skyfire tilted her head. “Really? You seem to get plenty of it to me.”

Silver hooves rubbed freckled cheeks, lime eyes setting themselves anywhere but the pegasus whose mane flowed like a river. “Nothing this positive, let alone from strangers.”

“You deserve it.”

“I don’t know-”

“Misty we saved those ponies. No matter what else happened, we saved them and Comet. You deserve recognition.” The firmness in Skyfire’s voice further took Misty Sparks by surprise. “Ponies like us go unnoticed plenty, enjoy when somepony finally sees you did something good.”

Catching the wistful taste of familiarity, Misty Sparks inquired, “Did you never get recognition in the Enclave?”

Shifting beneath her cloak indicated large wings were twitching. Skyfire finished her tea. “Not by the ponies I wanted it most from.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Well… it doesn’t matter now,” she replied with a forced laugh. “I’m here now.”

Trying not to let themselves get swallowed in the dark thoughts, Misty Sparks smiled. “I’m very glad you are.”

Skyfire demured and waved a hoof at Pistol as the young stallion approached their table. “Howdy,” he said. His eyes lingered on the way Skyfire’s mane flowed, and immediately Misty Sparks found herself squinting. “Ma wants to talk to you.”

“And she couldn’t come over herself?” Misty Sparks asked. “Or just wave us on?”

Pistol cleared his throat. His ears fell back and he tore his gaze away from Skyfire. “I just wanted to be polite!”

“Of course you did,” Misty Sparks huffed. Skyfire blinked between them. “Tell your mom we’ll be over in a minute. Let me finish my food real quick.”

“Sure sure,” Pistol mumbled, stole one last glance at Skyfire, then trotted back to his family. Nectar Yawn patted the earth pony’s shoulder as the teenager slumped in his seat.

Misty Sparks chomped down the last of her salad. “That wasn’t the nicest way you could have put that,” Skyfire softly chastised.

“He has a crush, Skyfire.”

The pegasus tilted her head and she looked at the family. Pistol only appeared dejected as Blue Grass spoke to him. “Oh. Hmm, can’t say I blame him.”

A snort echoed in the space between them. “Never thought you’d be so confident.”

“Me…?”

Their eyes met. “You’re kidding, right?” Misty Sparks balked.

“I don’t see why I would?” Skyfire’s voice lilted with her question of a statement.

Straightening up, Misty Sparks rolled her eyes. “Everypony gives you stares, Sky. You’re beautiful.”

Crimson quickly colored grey cheeks. Skyfire tugged at her cloak. “It’s not just the wings?”

“Pistol grew up around pegasi, didn’t he?” She challenged.

“I suppose you’re right…” Ears tilted forward and Skyfire snapped her gaze to Misty Sparks. “Wait- you think I’m beautiful?”

Heat dashed across Misty Sparks’ face now, and she fumbled for a response. Her attempt at something neutral yet positive jumbled out in a quick stream. “O- Of course you are. You’re very aesthetically pleasing!”

Despite how loud the inn was, the air between them was heavy with silence. Skyfire began to comb her hooves through her mane. She was steadily fidgeting more. Misty Sparks tapped a hoof against her seat and looked away. A heavy rock settled in her gut as she struggled to make it any less awkward. What Skyfire said next only made it worse. “How so?”

Before Misty Sparks could further embarrass herself, Pecan Pie hollered, “You look like you’re done eating, come on over!” The unicorn practically threw herself from her table.

Skyfire blinked after her, then slowly slipped down from her seat. Ashen Lace slid down the bench and allowed Skyfire entrance to their meeting. Nodding, Skyfire hopped into place next to Misty Sparks. A map was sprawled across the tabletop, held down at the corners by drinks and plates of mostly eaten hayburgers. Pistol shyly smiled at Skyfire, who only awkwardly waved. “Nice to have you join us,” Lonestar chuckled from where he sat beside his wife. Pecan Pie leaned into him with a content smile.

“What’s on your mind?” Misty Sparks asked with blatant need to move away from the conversation she’d just escaped. Skyfire frowned but said nothing.

“To put it simply, I would like to ask for your considerable talent once again,” Lonestar began, “but this time, with a far more tangible reward.”

Silver ears flickered. “Not sure I’d put it that way, but what do you mean?”

Lonestar chortled. “Talent, not skill. You have some great potential, and I won’t deny some of you have already refined that into something fierce. You need more experience, and this could give you that, get us some extra guns, and maybe end up with a fat pile of caps for the both of us. Or, if you’d prefer, scrap?”

Lime eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Misty Sparks took in the map. It was a rather large scale showing the entire region. Down southwest in the dried plateaus was an annotation for Dryrock. Clearly marked around the central area was Stable 36, a recent addition judging by how crisp the marking was. About a five-day trek, judging from the scale reference to the northeast was a place called ‘Hoofsten’. She’d heard of it, a scrapper town many of their visitors passed through. There was idle chatter that it had a relative sense of security, but she didn’t know too many details beyond that. Catching on quickly to Lonestar’s meaning, she gave a low whistle. “That’s pretty far.”

“Maybe by your standards,” chuckled Nectar Yawn. “This route should normally take us a month, this is the final stretch.”

“Hoofsten has done right by us in the past, but after the slavers, I’m not so sure anymore,” Lonestar explained. “You ponies were looking for salvage, right? I don’t know any place shy of Baltimare itself gleaming with good scrap, and it’s a fraction of the danger to get it.”

Skyfire nodded vigorously. “We want to repair a downed vertibuck, a vertihawk model specifically.”

Pecan Pie stiffened. Pink eyes widened and she shifted closer in her chair, no longer leaning against her husband. “You… what?”

“Er… It’s the ship I crashed in.”

“Is its black box still working?” Pecan Pie demanded.

“No,” Skyfire replied firmly. “A decent amount of the engine can be repaired, but certain functions have been lost entirely. I doubt it will ever have the same firepower especially, and vertihawk models are a lot weaker. They focus on scouting.”

The Dashite stared at her, mane bristling and feathers raised. “You’re from Neighvarro.” It was an accusation, almost, if not for the lack of menace in her voice. Immediately the rest of her family looked at Skyfire. The mare eeped and Misty Sparks found herself half shielding the significantly larger mare from their intensity.

“Y-yes? H-h-how do you know that?”

“Only Neighvarro has that class of ships. Griffons inspired it, right?” The usual softness to her voice, like the touch of a fresh blanket, was utterly absent.

Skyfire meekly nodded.

“It’s a rare one too, isn’t it? Even over there?”

Again Skyfire nodded.

“Your ships killed my family.”

The chatter of the bar felt distant, as if over the hill rather than in the same room as the stunned ponies. Pecan Pie trembled. Lonestar put a hoof on her shoulder and she stilled. Their children glanced between the two pairs. “I d-don’t understand,” Skyfire whispered.

Pecan Pie pointed to a spot in the middle of nowhere on the map. Skyfire however immediately recognized it within the general vicinity of Neighvarro’s outermost borders. “The Enclave doesn’t like grounders, we all know this. Pegasi who turned their wings on the rest of our kind when they closed up the sky. Not everypony even knew what was happening, let alone agreed with abandoning all else. Equestria was our home.”

“We’re going to rebuild Equestria,” Skyfire began. Even if she’d already accepted she would never go back, a lifetime of their dogma did not wash away in a few months, perhaps even years. “It just t-t-takes time. It’s too dangerous for all the p-po-oonies up there to come down.”

“Does it seem as dangerous here as they said it was?” Pecan Pie countered.

“N-n-no…”

“Because it’s a load of horseapples. They use fear to control us up there. A vertihawk is never a good sign, little flame. When they show up, something black ops is happening. Something that they will do anything to keep nopony from knowing about.”

Skyfire vehemently shook her head and found her voice. “Jolts wasn’t a black ops pilot! I would know if I was working on aircraft performing such missions.”

“Would you?” Lonestar asked, his voice far less hallowed.

“Yes! He w-would have told me if no-nothing else.” Skyfire jabbed a shaking hoof at Pecan Pie. Misty Sparks took hold of her other hoof. “I was still a civilian engineer, they’d ne-ever have l-let me work on that!”

Pecan Pie grimaced. “Maybe not all of them,” she conceded. “All the ones I’ve ever known though, they were. Apparently, some wastelanders were sending up beacons. Hot air balloons with toasters for engines. Somehow a signal got through, even if their beacon was destroyed. My Pa picked it up. They wanted to know if anypony was alive up there.”

“And?” Misty Sparks prompted when Skyfire couldn’t speak. The rigidness of her body already told she knew what was coming.

“Contact with the surface is forbidden. Pa didn’t care. He and those ponies talked for nearly a month before the soldiers showed up, trading all sorts of ‘state secrets’ as the officers put it. Treason! When he refused to give the names of the ponies he was speaking with, they executed him. They branded the rest of us for not turning him in and sent us to the ground to be with the ‘dirt dwellers’ we so loved.”

“We’re told there’s nop-p-pony peaceful down here,” Skyfire whispered in horror. She gritted her teeth as her stutter only grew more pronounced. “That if t-there’s any life, they’ve all long since lost their m-or-rality. Only monsters live on the surface… At least that’s w-w-what they always said. I know that’s not t-t-rue anymore.”

The elder pegasus shifted back in her seat. “They put us in their ships and took us under the clouds. I got to see Equestria for the first time, only to get hoofed down to it from a vertihawk, wings tied.”

“That’s worse than an execution,” gasped Skyfire. Misty Sparks clutched her hoof tighter.

A sardonic smile replaced all the kindness they had seen in Pecan Pie. She looked like she had in the outpost, haunted and willing to fight the world. “They gave us each a knife.”

Skyfire gulped. “How did you survive?”

Some tension left Pecan Pie as she gestured to her husband. “I would be dead if it wasn’t for Lonestar here. He was in the area trading, doing a piss poor job of it too, but saw us.”

“Heard you more like,” he mumbled.

“Either way he’s got a lot of magic, and an even bigger heart. He caught me.”

The singular word hung heavy.

“Just you?” Misty Sparks ventured.

“Just me.”

Eyes were anywhere but one another as the ponies sat in the dreadful words. Pecan Pie stared at the ceiling with Lonestar stroking her wings in an attempt to soothe her. Misty Sparks squinted and lifted a hoof to mimic the gesture on Skyfire, only to flinch at the dark cloak between them. Purple eyes were fixated in the opposite direction of pink ones, burning a hole in the wooden table. Skyfire was painfully still. Nectar Yawn slid out of his seat with a grimace. “I’m gonna find the bathroom.”

“Oh, let me help,” Pistol said and the pair quickly excused themselves from the increasingly awkward scenario. Blue Grass huffed after them but clearly wished she’d come up with an excuse of her own.

Ashen Lace cleared her throat, a surprising softness to her sharp features. “The Enclave hasn’t done much to inspire goodwill in this family. You’re clearly different, Skyfire. We’d still love to have you on this trip to Hoofsten with us.”

As if blinking out of a trance, Skyfire’s ears fell back. “Are you sure?”

“You saved our lives.”

It was such a simple yet profound fact that Skyfire only gave a numb nod. Misty Sparks sighed and fiddled with her ponytail. “It can be hard to separate people from where they’re from. I appreciate the willingness to cooperate further.”

The animal handler gave a nod, clearly not used to smoothing issues over but trying nonetheless. It reminded Misty Sparks of her uncle for a moment, gruff and stiff yet sincere. Lonestar smiled at his elder daughter and she tucked away a smile. “Ponies can’t be judged only by where they’re from. Actions count the most,” he said.

Pecan Pie sighed and wilted in her seat. “I apologize for the… intensity.”

“N-no I understand,” Skyfire gulped. She took a few steadying breaths and then forced her words out more cohesively. “I would get worked up too! It’s quite the rare connection.”

“Yeah… I think I’m gonna get some air myself. Honey, can you handle all the details?”

Lonestar nickered and nuzzled her cheek. Smiling with weary eyes, the matronly pegasus departed from the table. They all watched her walk out of the inn onto the quiet street of the stable town, body drooping as if she’d just fought an entire army of raiders. It wasn’t until she was out of sight of even the windows that Lonestar began to speak. “It’s not hard to shake a stick and find someone with pain these days. You’re liable to find more injured than not.”

There was a moment of pause from the stable ponies. Misty Sparks rolled her lips as she debated her precise response. Skyfire was still holding her hoof from earlier, and she focused on it. “It’s an unfortunate commonality,” she agreed. “But that doesn’t mean we have to be ruled by our past.”

Immediately light flickered in the stallion’s eyes. “I like the can-do-attitude. I presume your mom will need to approve the plan, but I would appreciate you tagging along to protect us.”

“How soon till you leave?”

“Well my stupid fucking leg still needs to heal properly,” he lamented with a thick chuckle. “And your brute of a cousin does too. We’ll need a bit anyway for some full proper rest. I’d like to leave my brother here for now.”

“He would only be dead weight,” Ashen Lace explained at Skyfire’s confused frown.

Blue Grass huffed once again. “Rude.”

“Am I wrong?”

“...No. But you shouldn’t talk that way about Uncle Spurs.”

Lonestar waved his hat between the pair and they pulled apart before any sibling bickering could erupt. The brothers still hadn’t returned. Misty Sparks suspected they might have someone gotten ‘lost’. “Your doctors are the best I’ve ever seen, and we’ll come back this way on our return so it’s perfect.”

“That makes sense,” Misty Sparks agreed. “He shouldn’t be going anywhere in his condition.”

“Glad we agree. How long before Blaze is ready to hoof it?”

Puffing a cheek out in thought, Misty Sparks found herself focusing all the more on Skyfire’s presence. Fortunately, as Skyfire had been injured the least, she was already back in full health. Grease and Misty Sparks were nearly better entirely. Every wound ached with thought, or jostling, but it was certainly improved. Blaze was an entirely different matter. “At least until the end of the week,” she said. “I can’t be sure given her condition.”

“She does seem to need some… extra attention,” Lonestar remarked carefully. “Her muscle will go a long way though, especially bringing back scrap. Is Comet going to tag along too?”

Misty Sparks frowned. Skyfire squeezed their still clasped hooves. “I especially don’t know that. I suspect Mom will want to discuss this thoroughly. Comet is free to make his own choices, and who knows if he’s ready to get a move on anyways, or if he would want to. I’m not going to force him to do anything.”

Lonestar snickered. “I’m not saying you have to. I was just curious, he seems to have taken a liking to you is all. I’m not sure if dragons are like dogs where they stick to your side when you save them. If he does come along, I won’t mind. As long as he can keep the fire breath pointed in a safe direction.”

Skyfire flicked an ear. “He doesn’t seem to have much strength for that right now. The small puff he gave at the warehouse is likely the strongest he can do for now.”

“It might be more now that he’s eating three times a day,” suggested Ashen Lace. “On top of plenty of water, room to stretch, and a good scrub he probably feels wonderful. I’d expect his capabilities to have increased, but years of malnutrition do terrible things to a body.”

A brow arched, Misty Sparks smiled. “Are you a doctor?”

Ashen Lace shrugged. “I know animals, and we aren’t exactly that different. Some things are pretty universal.”

Lonestar affectionately mussed with her grey mane, and the pegasus puffed up in some failed attempt at looking larger. He only increased the teasing. “My little flyer is so clever, I just couldn’t be prouder.”

Relieved for the jovial moment after such an intense previous conversation, Misty Sparks and Skyfire admired the father and his daughters. There would be plenty to sort, plan, and consider, but at least there wasn’t the same rush of needing to leave before Blaze was shut out of the stable. Nor were there potential slavers nipping at their heels. The idea of embarking on such an adventure, with the very real reward of allyships and salvage, was beyond tempting. If their expedition needed to continue in order to get the Skyhawk operational again, it seemed the obvious next step. Taking in Lonestar as he ruined both of his daughters’ nicely combed manes, Misty Sparks allowed herself a smile. They would be pleasant company and experienced enough to trust where the stable mares’ experience and skills lacked.

Perhaps this expedition trip would go a lot smoother.