Fallout Equestria: Uncertain Ties

Chapter Seventeen: Recurrence

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.”

“For the love of Celestia,” came the low growl of a security guard, “could you not for five seconds?”

Comet blinked up from his temporary shelter, water dripping from his maw from his most recent full submersion attempt at drinking. Rather than sip from the bucket or even tip some of it, the dragon simply elected to shoving his whole head in as if it was the only thing that could keep him alive. “Huh?”

The unicorn rubbed his face with frustration. “You’re making a mess everywhere! The hay will get moldy if you keep doing that, and you’re wasting it otherwise!”

“Waste?”

“You know, not using it right? Spoiling it? Discarding it? Making it go bad! Does any of that make sense to you?” The guard grumbled with increasing irritation. Comet simply blinked at him then shoved his face back into the bucket.

A thin chuckle froze the guard in place as Flare trotted up. “Try not to upset our guest, hm?”

“Overmare!” He shouted as he whirled around to her. “I don’t think I am, he barely seems to understand me. It’s just a waste you know! He’s drunk more water than my family uses in a week.”

Flare arched a brow and drew closer to Comet. The dragon was already looking considerably healthier than when he’d been discovered. Light filled his eyes as he regarded her in return. “We can afford it,” Flare declared.

“And the gems?” The security guard pressed. “We can’t exactly give him all our scrap, it’s still good for trade most of the time.”

Nostrils momentarily flared, the Overmare looked back at the guard. “Stalwart, I know you have every reason to be concerned about the situation. This is a dragon afterall, who could if he so desired burn us all and gobble us up.”

Fin ears pulled back and Comet puffed his chest. Before he could argue, Flare held up a hoof. He begrudgingly waited.

“Look at this creature and tell me you think he’ll do that,” Flare continued.

Stalwart frowned and examined Comet. He still looked like an injured animal brought in from the rain. “Not now, no, but what about later? If we give him supplies at this rate we’ll be dry.”

Flare tilted her head and hummed once more. “We have more in our stock than you seem aware of. I wouldn’t put the health of the stable at risk for a stranger, but we must be gracious hosts. Afterall, Comet here helped our team return safely and with salvage. I see this as repayment for a service rendered. Does that sound fair?”

“Well… Yeah, that does,” Stalwart admitted.

“Do you believe me when I say I won’t put us at risk for a stranger?” She pressed.

Stalwart shifted his hooves. “Respectfully ma’am… You’re taking a lot of risks for strangers as of late.”

“Are ponies not mean, too?” Comet inquired from his nest of blankets and hay.

“Yeah, we can be mean.”

The dragon pushed, “Nice?”

“We can be nice too,” Stalwart admitted. “We just have to pick the right ponies, er, creatures to show that kindness. Plenty of folks will bite your hand or act nice and steal what matters most to you.”

Flare sighed and rubbed her eyes. Blatant exhaustion clung to her body despite the midday hour. “And we know just as many of those threats can come from inside our stable.”

“I’m not a traitor,” Stalwart growled.

“Did I say that?” Flare challenged.

Comet could only blink as they spoke of matters completely foreign to him. What he did recognize however, was the look of burgeoning hostility in Stalwart’s hard gaze. Frighteningly long limbs revealed themselves as Comet slinked off his nest. He was nearly as tall as the barn was as he stretched. Stalwart immediately balked as the beast he had been yelling at revealed his very real might. Flare blinked up at him as well, further confused when Comet stepped partially in front of Flare.

Fangs flashed for a brief moment. “Ponies no hurt ponies! Stop!”

“I’m not hurting her!” Stalwart retorted.

“Sound like are!”

Flare brushed Comet’s arm and he had to tilt his entire head to look down at her. “It’s okay. Sometimes ponies argue, that doesn’t mean we’re hurting one another.”

“Word can hurt.”

“It can…” She conceded. Then she fixated Stalwart in place with a firm calmness. “I was making no such implication about you Stalwart. History proves that there are threats both within and without our home. Asking if you believe in me is not accusing you as a traitor.”

“Oh, and if I were to say I don’t? That I think you’re making a mistake?” He growled and stomped a hoof. “Half of Security has already been swept away because of the hateful moron. Are the rest of us to walk on eggshells and act like yes stallions?”

Not rising to the jab, Flare shook her head. “I want honesty! Please in fact tell me if you think I’m doing something foolish.”

The unicorn stallion drew closer. Wet hay scrunched under his hooves and he briefly scowled down at it. “Fine then, with your explicit permission then ma’am; this is a fool’s end. Housing a dragon, a predator, isn’t the same thing as taking in a hurt wanderer. Sending your daughter out into the wastes searching for scrap alongside her chemhead cousin and an Enclave stray is equally foolish. She’s going to get killed out there, and that will break you, Overmare.”

“I am keenly aware of how much danger I am putting her in,” Flare replied tightly. “At least out there however, I don’t have to worry about a pony stabbing her in the back.”

Stalwart nickered, but his rage was tempered slightly. “Do you have such little faith in Security?”

Stepping around the still confused yet protecting dragon, Flare sighed. “I have little faith in anyone, Stalwart. I wish I could say otherwise, but attempts on my own life and now even my daughter and niece… You can see why that has me on edge, can’t you?”

Again fin ears flicked up at Comet clung onto that piece of information. He had thought stable ponies were supposed to be kind and loyal to one another. It was how Misty Sparks had made it sound at the least, though Blaze had expressed a different opinion. A spade tipped tail twitched and ruffled many blankets. The ponies glanced at him, but when he did not speak up they continued their slowly cooling conversation. “I can’t say I blame you ma’am,” Stalwart admitted.

“Thank you.”

Stalwart backed up to his post against the door. “I suppose we’re all on edge these days. A dragon doesn’t help.”

“I promise you I am trying to resolve this in the best way I can. Would you have me throw him back to the wastes?” Her voice wilted. From the way Stalwart’s eyes widened, Comet guessed it was not a common thing to hear.

“I… No, I guess I wouldn’t. He did help our mares.” He lifted his helmet off with his magic and combed out a dark blue mane. “I’m sorry Overmare, I let my anger get the best of me.”

“You’re forgiven,” she replied. The tension left her body immediately. “Perhaps you should go have a break? You’ve been here all day haven’t you?”

He nodded as he slipped back on his helmet. “Yeah. Only a few ponies came by poking around, but nopony has made any trouble.”

Relieved, Flare tapped a hoof. “Splendid job then. Go find your relief, I’ll watch Comet until then. Please tell the others in Security they are welcome to express their grievances. So long as it does not come in the form of a weapon.”

With a grim chuckle, Stalwart smiled. “Yes ma’am.” Then he slipped away from the barn and out of sight.

Flare remained standing for a few moments, staring after him. Comet nudged her when she hadn’t moved for some time. “Over…” The title jumbled itself on his tongue. It felt significantly drier now. “Flare?”

Hollowed icy eyes rose to meet golden slits of the same kind. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” she said as the strength left her legs. Flare wobbled to a seated position, even then looking like she might melt into a puddle and stain the hay a deep red and blonde.

Comet winced as he laid back down. While his strength had been returning to him thanks to the plentiful food and water provided by the stable, his limbs still ached from his confinement. He didn’t dare try stretching his wings in the old wooden structure. “All not well?”

“No, it is not,” she replied slowly. “The short and sweet of it is that the stable is not confidently safe. So, Misty Sparks is potentially safer out in the wild wastes than in her own home.”

“Daughter?” Comet asked for clarification. He was nearly certain, but there had been so many ponies with similar appearances the last few days he was a bit confused. It befuddled him that they all wore nearly the same thing. An idle part of him wondered if they only had two colors of fabric.

Flare cracked a smile. “Yes, my daughter. More than that, the most important thing in my life. Nothing matters to me more than keeping her happy. I know I have so many responsibilities, but I… I need to be a better mother. She’s already lost so much and she’s been an adult for only a few years. She lost even more before then, honestly.”

A paw gingerly reached out and brushed Flare’s horn. It was the best attempt at patting her like the vague memories of his mother doing so to comfort him as a hatchling he could make. Despite how weak he felt, he was terrified of hurting those who were helping him. “I help keep safe,” he promised.

“Pardon?”

“Keep safe!”

“I… Thank you,” she fumbled for the words as she awkwardly pushed his paw to her shoulder instead. Large claws were concerningly near her throat, but there wasn’t an ounce of hostility from the young dragon.

Flare watched him for a few moments more, then spoke the reason she’d even come to the barn in the first place. “They’re going on another expedition. Lonestar Caravans needs an escort to a nearby town. We’ve only interacted with those of its populace who visit us, but we’ve never been there ourselves. I want you to go with them.”

Comet tilted his head until he looked at Flare upside down, showing off his long neck and bright blue throat scales. She quirked a brow at the odd movement. “Me?”

“Stalwart is right about a few things, ponies don’t feel comfortable with you here. We can continue to house you when you return but I think it best for you to stick with those who trust you.”

“Misty Sparks, Skyfire, Blaze, and Grease,” he listed off with fierce focus to not slip up a name again. While he had enjoyed the way Skyfire laughed at his error, he doubted Flare would feel the same.

Flare nodded and straightened up. Purpose rose up her body like a beacon and Comet felt a stirring in his chest at her determination. “It’s sad I can trust strangers with my daughter more than my own ponies, but it’s where I’m at. Plus she can do real good for the stable out there. Establishing alliances, trade partners, finding salvage to expand our reach via a vertibuck will not only grow the stable but establish what kind of Overmare she will be. Having her sit around at home with traitors in the mist, a strung out cousin exiled, and her new friend searching alone out there is a disaster waiting to happen. This way, at the least, they’re all together in one place.”

“Uhm…” Comet shuffled his tail again. “What?”

“Oh.”

“I do no… understood?”

A chuckle broke free. Another followed swiftly. In a millisecond Flare found herself wheezing from laughter and tearing up. Comet could only balk and twitch, half afraid he would need to call for help. He pushed the bucket of water to the Overmare and much of it sloshed over onto the hay and her hooves. Flare’s laughter grew. “You okay?” He yelped.

One hoof waved in the air weakly. “Yes. Yes, I am! I just- I suppose I forgot how unfamiliar all of this is to you. I apologize.”

“Accepted.”

She smiled. “I can’t pretend to be the best judge of character, especially these days, but I trust my daughter’s word about you. So, I entrust you with this task; keep her safe. No matter what happens out there, Misty Sparks must come home. She is the stable’s future, but more than that she is my daughter.”

“And others?” Comet asked in a softer voice.

“Protect them too, please. They’re extremely important too! They all are. I just will not deny my care for Misty Sparks is the greatest. As much as I hate to admit it, the stable can endure without the others. It would be dreadful, horrible, painful- but it could be done. If we lose Misty… There is no surviving.”

Awed at both the trust and the significance of the task requested of him, Comet bowed his head to the floor. While it was incredibly painful to think about much beyond the immediate of his needs, there was no denying the growing fondness he had for the four mares. They had plucked him from the darkness where he was more than willing to rot. He did not know what else he would do, then repay them for their generosity. Something felt natural about the fact, as if by instinct he was meant to work alongside ponies.

Heat flickered across his chest as he pictured Blaze, full of fire and fury. She confused him. He did not understand why she had been so angry at his own admission of lost hope. When he looked at her, he could see the same listlessness he knew well. Skyfire made his heart grow light, comforting like the blankets he rested on or the way his scales shined now. She was caring, even for a creature that by all rights should have eaten her. Grease was a strange pony of laughter and sharpness, just as willing to leave him there as give him a chance. Then Misty Sparks filled his mind like waves of gold, a complicated mixture of fear and hope. She made him think he could live, and perhaps even a reason as to why. Otherwise he would only drift onwards, lost as always.

Protecting his savior made the most sense anything had that day. “I keep safe,” he vowed. “All them. Misty most.”

At least this time as the expedition team prepared to depart, sunlight burned behind the ever present gray clouds. Comet stretched experimentally as he was hooked to the wagon once more. “How’s it feeling?” Skyfire inquired as she tugged a few securing straps.

“Better,” he grunted approvingly. The makeshift leather harness had been swapped for something far better suited. The padding along its interior didn’t pinch at his emaciated body like the previous one. Similarly the wagon had gotten a bit of tweaking with stronger wheels. The cargo stocked on it weren’t particularly heavy, mostly simple travel rations and lightweight goods. Steel and Flare were reviewing the inventory with a keen eye one last time. Similarly Lonestar counted every bullet he had while his kids sorted personal packs. Pecan Pie fretted over Spurs by the clinic, only for the blind stallion to wave her off with a smile. He was sticking around the stable for the far more dedicated medical facility than Hoofsten would have.

Misty Sparks trotted over with a clipboard in her magical grip. She flipped a few pages, checked something off, and smiled. “We should be squared away. Anypony seen Grease?”

“She’s not with you?” Skyfire frowned.

“I thought she was with you.”

“Uh… no.”

Grumbling, Misty Sparks rubbed her eyes. “I expect this kind of behavior from Blaze, not Grease.”

Lonestar chuckled as he finished counting ammo. “Little filly, she’s around I assure you. She and Mocha Bird tucked off somewhere.”

“Are they getting something you need?” Misty Sparks inquired as she reviewed her checklist. It appeared full, save the missing ponies. She squinted as she scanned the area for Blaze and came up empty.

A knowing grin made both mares’ cheeks warm as Lonestar shook his head. “I’d say grandfoals, but I don’t think that’s happening without some powerful magic.”

“Gross!” Pistol shouted. “Ew, no! Ugh! I asked Mocha to get me some extra gun oil and cleaning rags. Grease offered to show her to the store.”

A hat was tilted up with gusto. “You mean the gun store twenty feet away? That we’ve visited every day? That gun store?”

“...Yeah.”

“Thought so.”

Misty Sparks watched closely as Skyfire’s ears drew back. The pegasus’ jaw tightened and she quickly busied herself with triple checking Comet’s saddle. Fin ears tilted at the shift. Comet tilted his head like a bird. Before he could inquire, the chiming bell of the gunshop sounded and the pair in question trotted out. Laughter bubbled between them. Skyfire pulled a strap slightly too tight and Comet winced. “Sorry.”

Mocha Bird tossed the request to her young brother. “Here. Nopony else forgetting anything?”

“How would I know if I’ve forgotten it?” Shouted Nectar Yawn.

“So funny.” Mocha Bird rolled her eyes. The rest of her family chuckled however. She huffed as Grease joined in. The casual mood of the caravaners was a stark difference to the rigidity of the stable ponies. Mutterings of cross-referenced lists came from the administrative mares. Misty Sparks idly wondered if they’d ever get such ease for expeditions, or if they’d always be nerve wracking affairs.

Crashing came from an alley. Guns were drawn by the caravaners in a blink. Covered in sweat and mud, Blaze stumbled into view. She blinked at the firing line. “Shit, you caravaners are built different.”

“Keeps you alive,” grunted Pecan Pie as they lowered their weapons. “Why are you a mess filly?”

“An asshole needed a good kick. Turned out he wanted to return the favor.”

Flare glared at her. “Over what?”

“Blitz.”

Immediately Flare muttered into her clipboard. Misty Sparks trotted to Blaze with a healing spell primed, only for Blaze to push her back. “Save your magic. It’s nothing more than bruises.”

“On top of your major wound recovery!”

“Save your magic,” Blaze growled more firmly. “Just give me a second to wash off.” She stumbled to a water tank for any fires and blasted herself in the face with the hose. Comet jerked in place only for the wagon to stop his instinctual movement. It creaked loudly. Everypony glanced his way except Blaze who was rising the rest of herself off. Dripping wet but no longer muddied, the earth pony smiled forcefully and joined the others. Hammers, who’d been waiting nearby, perked up and began speaking with her. Blaze smiled slightly.

Relieved she could at least check off her cousin, Misty Sparks joined her mother and Steel. “So we’re ready, right?”

“Barring any angry stallions looking for payback,” Flare deadpanned.

“Great!”

Ice blue eyes took in the little unicorn. Flare frowned. She tapped a hoof then fixed a stray lock from Misty Sparks’ mane. “No matter what happens out there, even if you have to go far beyond the stable, promise me you’ll come home.”

Misty Sparks paled a shade lighter. “Of course I will… Something got you worried extra this time?”

“Well there is the matter of strangers, one of which is a dragon,” Flare deflected.

“And the biggest reason?” Demanded Misty Sparks.

Flare sighed yet smiled. “You’ll be gone longer. You’ll probably make enemies and allies out there. I know you’ll do the stable proud. I just want to know you’ll come back.”

Confused, Misty Sparks nodded. “Where else would I go? This is my home. It’s my past, present, and future. Stable 36 is everything to me.”

A twinge darted across Flare’s face despite her attempt at hiding it. She chewed her cheek. Her voice dropped lower and she hugged Misty Sparks. “I promise that when you come home for good, things will be safe again. The stable won’t always be a viper nest. When you’re Overmare, nopony will want to kill you for your grandfather’s crimes.”

Heart thumping, Misty Sparks hugged her mother just as tightly. “Make sure you stay safe too, okay? You’ve been through enough as it is.”

The comforting laugh Flare gave reassured Misty Sparks despite the unknown. “Well that’s why I have Hammers, isn’t it? My big brother will always protect me.”

“Good!” Misty Sparks joked back loud enough for her uncle to hear. “Else what good is he for?”

Hammers shouted, “Plenty that’s what! Now get over here and say goodbye!” Chuckling, they both obeyed.

A sharp bird call cut the relative peace and quiet, Lonestar and his crew immediately reached for their guns. The Stable 36 team took a few seconds longer to react, not used to the caravan’s signaling system. Up above Mocha Bird signaled with a hoof, pointing off to the east.

Comet looked up in alarm, skidding the wagon to a stop in the dirt. “W-What got a-all stop?”

“Mocha Bird sees somepony or something foul. She’s our best pair of eyes,” Lonestar answered as he floated up an aged hunting rifle. He grumbled as he sought out the interruption. An ear twitched and he shifted his stance.

Pecan Pie stood at the front of the caravan, shotgun hanging on a strap at her side. She braced to reach for it with a wing before softening. “Looks like a hurt pony stumbling around!”

Hide itching, Misty Sparks stretched up on her tippy hooves next to Comet, trying to see past the larger ponies. She cursed how short she was under her breath. A figure darted in front of her and Lonestar pushed to the front of the caravan. His rifle slipped back in its holster and he beckoned the stranger over with a telekinetic wave of his hat. “Sir, you don’t look like you’re doing too well. Do you need medical help?”

Razor blades scraped along wet flesh in a thick growl. “Of fucking course I do… Ain’t it obvious? I need meds, chems, whatever you fucking got.”

The young unicorn froze. She knew that voice. Before she could stop herself she was moving. She pushed through the caravan like a frantic snake fleeing a hawk. Pistol and Blue Grass complained loudly, while Nectar Yawn and Ashen Lace let her wiggle past. Grease grabbed her by the collar before she tumbled free to the front. A grunt escaped Misty Sparks and little else as she was snapped back, fixating instead on the wounded arrival.

Bullet.

The haggard stallion stared at Lonestar with bloodshot eyes, tail flicking rapidly and half starved. Infected flesh pocked his scarred face, oozing a concerning yellow the same hue as his sclera. Misty Sparks spared a glance to find Skyfire. The mare was hiding behind Comet. She tugged the cloak closer to conceal her wings. At her side Blaze took a heavy step in front of Skyfire, face paled and eyes wide.

Rotten teeth gnashed. Misty Sparks’ focus returned to the dangerous pony. “What do you mean you don’t have Stampede? What caravan doesn’t have Stampede?”

Lonestar scoffed, taking a step forward to stand his ground. He tipped his hat down with magic and leaned over Bullet. “Well for one buckaroo, while we do have medical supplies we don’t carry the hard stuff.”

“Habah? Why the actual fuck wouldn’t you keep the real important shit?” A belligerent Bullet pushed his snout into Lonestar’s face. He inhaled with a hissing noise and puffed up, only to wheeze back out like a deflating balloon.

“Back it up, sir,” Pecan Pie barked, shoving her shotgun’s butt up against the earth pony’s shoulder.

Dust kicked up as Bullet staggered, trying and failing to regain his footing. There hadn’t been much force behind Pecan Pie’s push. He shouted and coughed up blood. “Motherfucker, I need this! I can’t live without it! You’re all useless! What in Tartarus did I expect from featherheads?”

The mood of the caravan shifted in waves, prickling along hides and twitching down wingtips. Pecan Pie glanced back at Nectar Yawn who was scrounging through their bags. Pale blue magic joined him as Blue Grass came to his aid. Ashen Lace gritted her teeth in a manner that only distorted her new scars and glared daggers at the vulgar pony. Without speaking it they debated chasing him off for bigotry, or giving him something that could help out of pity.

Far in the back, Blaze shifted uncomfortably. She stamped at the broken road and looked away. Hide itching and track marks burning, she pressed against Skyfire as if to protect her further. Two shaking mares leaned into one another. A dragon inched forward. By the time Nectar Yawn shook his head at Pecan Pie a short blur of blonde thundered past. Misty Sparks was red in the face and as tense as an attack hound.

The addict turned to meet the newcomer with a growl, only for Bullet to blink at the unexpected mare. “You!”

“Yes me!”Misty Sparks snorted and glared down at him.

Bullet fumbled to his hooves. “You fucking did this to me!”

Pecan Pie frowned and shifted closer with her shotgun ready. Pointing a hoof at him, Misty Sparks replied, “You should know why you’re in this position!”

“Misty?” Lonestar questioned slowly.

“I saw this ‘patient’ a few weeks ago for this very addiction. I offered to help him-”

“Help?” He interrupted with a deep wheeze. “You sold me chems, you didn’t do shit-”

The unicorn returned the rude interjection with her own, “I always try to give you proper care! You never take my supplementals! You don’t even listen when I tell you to drink water-”

“I never went to you for doctoring you stuck up-”

Lonestar stomped a hoof and whistled loud enough they both shirked back. “Enough! So he’s a client of yours?”

She stiffly nodded. “Not anymore. He flew off the saddle the moment he saw Skyfire for merely being a-”

“Filthy pegasus! Yes I did! The Enclave and their kind ruined life for all of us!” Bullet erupted out spitting fury, and body trembling with rage and coughing. He took a few steps forward and cast a hoof at Pecan Pie. She jutted her chin out and glared. “If their kind opened up the clouds we wouldn’t be down here starving!”

Rather than back down in the face of a shouting beast, Misty Sparks kicked up dirt as she pushed her muzzle into Bullet’s face. “Not every pegasus is responsible for that! Get your head out of your ass and realize we’re all struggling! Most of these pegasi were born down here even, your bigotry has no basis!”

“Why in Tartarus should I care? They fucked us, and keep fucking us! Their little outcasts are competition now! I wouldn’t need my damn Stampede if the clouds were open!”

“Listen to yourself, you’re practically foaming at the mouth,” Misty Sparks rebuked, pushing her hoof into Bullet’s chest. The frazzled stallion stumbled back, hissing as he tried to catch himself.

Bullet refused to relent. “You don’t realize! You’re defending the enemy! They’re going to betray you one day!” Bullet shouted, his speech speeding up as he started convulsing. His bloodshot eyes shifted rapidly between Misty Sparks, Pecan Pie, and Lonestar. “I know you filthy wing lovers are hiding Stampede. Give. It. To. ME!”

Lonestar looked back to Nectar Yawn with a pleading expression. A second check would be worth it to get this addict out of the caravan’s path. He didn’t have time to get any answer back as a shotgun racked in his ear.

Pecan Pie snapped her own up. “Hold it!”

There was a chorus of shouts behind her as the wagon screeched. Asphalt churned and pebbles danced. The caravan leaped out of the way of a charging Comet, most of them dodging to the sides with cries. Pecan Pie remained where she was, shotgun aimed at Bullet while the unicorns stumbled back. Comet’s voice was like sudden thunder. “No hurt Misty! No hurt Misty Sparks!”

Bullet for all of his bluster, dropped the gun in astonishment. “What the actual fuck is that? What sort of monsters are you hauling!”

“No hurt Misty!” Comet belted with a strained growl as he came to a sliding stop. Wood cracked as the wagon lost a wheel in the commotion. It spiraled away with a spray of dust and loose rocks. “You no hurt friend, go away!”

Fangs glinted above the cruel stallion, framed by blue and brown scales, spikes, horns, and burning orange eyes. Bullet froze like caught prey. “F-fuck this, I only need Stampede! You’re all insane! Luna damned insane!”

“Fuck off Bullet. We don’t have Stampede, nor would we give it to somepony like you,” Lonestar grunted, floating up his rifle with a low growl. Misty Sparks stood behind him, just as stunned as the wastelander. Her heart felt like it might explode.

There was no verbal answer as Bullet backpedaled far enough before turning tail to hobble back in the direction he had come. Then a fusillade of swearing came only ended once he was out of range for most attacks. Lonestar kept his rifle trained on him until Mocha Bird gave another signal. Tension did not slip away easily from the ponies despite the all clear. “Misty Sparks, do you have any other fine friends we’re likely to run into on our journey?” Lonestar asked with a sigh and fanned his hat. “He’s gone at least, hopefully not coming back anytime soon.”

Misty Sparks took a steadying breath before shaking her head. It didn’t do her much good. “No, Bullet was the only pony who lost their royal shit at the mere sight of a pegasus. Every other customer at the stable town could restrain their racism. Though Skyfire was our first resident, so maybe the others just didn’t get a chance.”

“Nopony gave us shit while we were there,” grunted Pecan Pie as she stowed her shotgun.

“Yeah, with our cart full of goods and guns,” Lonestar replied. She nickered. “Okay let’s get the wagon fixed. Misty, you should check on your ponies.”

She gave a ragged nod and trotted over, unable to keep the energy subdued. Blaze and Skyfire were in the exact same spot as earlier, only now with Grease at their side. Earth ponies flanked the pegasus who shuddered beneath her cloak like a soaked cat. “Are you all okay?” Misty Sparks inquired.

“No,” Grease replied when the others didn’t speak. Blaze was as stiff as a statue with an arm across Skyfire’s back. Tears bubbled in purple eyes. She tugged the cloak close. Grease joined Blaze in embracing Skyfire. With a hesitant step, Misty Sparks settled in front of her friend. She took one hoof and squeezed. The dam broke and Skyfire cried.

Despite the delay in their journey Misty Sparks stood satisfied at the progress the caravan had made before Comet started complaining about being exhausted. There had been grumbling from Lonestar about making up for lost time. It had taken longer than any of them would have liked reseating the wheel on the wagon. Misty Sparks had calmed him with a succinct ‘Your answers will likely still be waiting there for you one more day.’

Quick practiced motions had begun setting up camp before the stable ponies even blinked, showing once again their synergy. They’d found a blasted out cottage a bit off the road. An old barn with heavy locks rested at the edge of the former homestead. Rotted wooden fencing scarcely marked where the property ended, most of it turned to short yellowed grass or ashen rock. The upper floor was still viable for sleeping with slatted windows and the majority of a roof keeping it sheltered. However, the heavier travelers like Comet and Blaze were best left to the shredded couch occupying what likely was once a playroom for foals given the faded butterfly wallpaper. Comet wouldn’t be able to rest more than his head on it.

By the time everything was in place and Comet was getting unhooked from the wagon outside the cottage, Lonestar had simmered down. “Sorry Lawnstar, not used drag thing,” Comet apologized once he was free of the binding. Wings flapped like a bird debating taking off, only for the dragon to wince and recoil.

Lonestar balked at the young dragon’s reaction, before waving him off with a hoof. “Make sure you are still drinking water, kid.” The mention of water sent Comet scampering off to Blaze beside a water pump outside with his bucket hanging from his mouth. Ashen Lace had helpfully painted his name on it. A startled yell announced Blaze was not prepared for an emaciated dragon to charge her with a clanking wardrum. Blaze nearly tackled the dragon on reflex and instead stole his bucket. Comet began to cry like a foal. Blaze increasingly panicked at how to calm a six-hundred pound dragon and looked to the others, most of which watched in amusement.

“What a motley crew,” chortled Lonestar. Wings flapped as Ashen Lace darted to assist.

Misty Sparks sheepishly shrugged. “We’re not all that abnormal.”

“Let’s not retread already stamped ground, shall we?” He snickered. Magic waved his hat for a faint breeze. Unlike the previous trip with foul weather abound, it was nothing but oppressive humidity without any sign of breaking.

Ashen Lace was negotiating the return of Comet’s bucket with Skyfire’s help as the dragon began crying louder. Misty Sparks sighed and sat down on her bedroll. “You… You have a point, yes.”

Head tilted in victory, Lonestar offered the fellow unicorn a Sparkle-Cola. She gratefully took it, returned the cap, and sighed at the cold relief. He leaned toward her and smiled. “So how’s that mighty checklist of yours look? You seem so keen to follow it, I’d hate to stray so soon into our trip.”

Half suppressing the urge to roll her eyes while she still drank the gift, Misty Sparks cleared her throat. “All that’s left is to establish who’s on which watch rotation. These ruins should keep us mostly concealed, but we’ve already learned there are plenty of nasties out here.”

Lonestar sniffed the air, grimaced at some foul scent, and downed his cola. “Look, leave it up to my family for the night, okay? They know all the little tricks they need to do, and you stable ponies can get a few extra winks. You’ll need more sleep than us.”

“I got all the rest I needed back home,” argued Misty Sparks. “You asked us to help keep you safe, that includes watch duty. So how do you want to split the load?”

Plum red eyes took in the little mare, sweat already making her mane stick to her horn and the thousand worries running through her head clear to see. He sighed and scratched his healing leg. Misty Sparks nickered, he stopped, and she harrumphed. “Doctors, I swear,” he laughed. “How about some of your crew help set up the defenses? Ashen Lace knows lots of traps, comes with the animals part of her job. Pistol is a good guard, so he takes a lot of watch time. Mocha gets us an aerial every so often.”

“Skyfire could help with that,” offered Misty Sparks. “She’s really stealthy.”

Lonestar deadpanned. “Her mane is a fierce red.”

“Dark red,” she countered. “Plus her coat is such a really pretty gray, she’ll blend into the sky!”

There was a pause. Heat crept up Misty Sparks’ body, culminating in her cheeks. Lonestar tipped his head and plopped his hat onto the blushing mare’s head. “Pretty, huh? I suppose she is, though my eyes aren’t wandering from Pecan. Sweet Celestia, how I love that mare.”

Words were jettisoned with such a speed Misty Sparks barely took a breath. She pulled the hat on more to try and hide from her obvious affections. “Wow I’m super glad you have a very happy relationship with your wife.”

“Me too little filly,” he snickered.

“I’m not a filly.”

“Sure sound like one with a crush,” he teased harder. “Just like Nectar Yawn when he fell for that stallion in Clydes. He tried so hard to get that fella to join us, can’t believe it paid off.”

Ears perked beneath the cowpony hat. Misty Sparks lifted it with her magic just enough to peek at the far older unicorn. “Nectar Yawn has a coltfriend?”

Lonestar snickered again before settling down next to Misty Sparks. The voices of the others were beginning to settle. Ashen Lace had managed to calm Comet enough there was no risk of a spontaneous bonfire. Old wood creaked around them in the wind eerily enough for Misty Sparks to wince. “Is your stable not all that safe?” Lonestar asked in a tone Misty Sparks struggled to parse. “For ponies like you, and my son?”

“Of course it’s safe,” she replied, “it’s the safest place around.”

“I don’t mean that kind of safe.”

Misty Sparks’ frown grew. She fidgeted with her pip-buck and looked away from his softened gaze to the ruins. His voice reminded her of a ghost from the past, conjuring images of a silver stallion with nearly the same shade of green eyes. “Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“We need more ponies, after all. It’s expected to have foals, regardless of other factors,” Misty Sparks explained in a flat voice, as if reciting facts for a test. “Especially ponies like me.”

Dirt and wood chips were kicked away as Lonestar sat next to Misty Sparks. He raised the brim of the hat as if lifting a blanket off a hiding child. “Whatcha mean?”

Every instinct within Misty Sparks told her to remain quiet. She had already said too much as it was. Yet for a stark moment it felt like speaking to her father. Wearing his hat, she felt small, sheltered from some terrifying monster just as Silver Shock always did. Lonestar was quickly growing in her trust. He was safe to discuss such a matter with, somepony outside the stable with years of experience beneath his hooves. His own children were testament enough that he cared for them regardless of what side of the barn door they were on.

Exhaling, she did her best to relax from her rapid tensing, coiled like a snake to strike or flee. “Nopony judges you for who you like in the general sense. The individual is another story, sure, but it’s not like it’s ‘unsafe’ to be yourself. However we face a severe labor shortage which naturally means boosting our civilian population. Only one job in the entire stable is dependent on your lineage, that of the Overmare.”

“You’re the heir, aren’t you?”

“Exactly.”

“So, you gotta have a kid?”

Misty Sparks nodded slowly. “Which means marrying a stallion. It wouldn’t be fair to be with a mare when they can’t… We couldn’t… For the betterment of the stable, I have to make a sacrifice. I will wield the greatest power, and with that comes sacrifices of myself.”

A long whistle escaped Lonestar. “Damn. I couldn’t imagine having to get married for politics, rather than love. Even more so if I wasn’t remotely interested in the pony.”

“We live different lives I suppose.”

Lonestar shook his head. “That doesn’t mean you can’t find happiness. Even I can see Skyfire has caught your eye. Why not give it a try regardless?” He urged.

The mare produced an ugly noise and shifted. She could hear Skyfire’s calming voice between Ashen Lace’s orders for Blaze to apologize. It was, quite naturally, a near impossible task. Crimson feathers gestured for peace, yet it only seemed to rile Blaze up further. Comet slumped with his bucket hanging from his maw. Pecan Pie grumbled as she joined them. Immediately the motherly tone that snapped through them brought silence. Misty Sparks felt reassured the situation would get sorted at the least, letting her focus instead on how Skyfire looked in the din. She was enchanting, utterly and completely beautiful.

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Misty Sparks admitted.

“So you’ll hurt yourself?”

Her answer came without hesitation despite the weight in her chest. “Easily.”

Lonestar stared at her, mouth fallen slightly open. Something swirled in his eyes Misty Sparks immediately hated. “Little pony-”

“As much as I enjoy your presence, I don’t intend on speaking more about my nonexistent love life,” she interrupted curtly. Her expression hardened into stone. “Can we just get a duty roster made?”

“I… I’ll take care of it. I promise some of you will be on it.”

“Acceptable,” she replied as she got to her hooves. Misty Sparks floated the clipboard over, nodded politely, and trotted to the edges of the ruined cottage. It wasn’t as if she could get far, but a bit of breathing room was precisely what she needed. Everypony else was speaking or preparing the camp. She only needed a few minutes of privacy. Long shattered glass crunched beneath her steps. Cobweb curtains draped the edges of the blasted out window. Lime eyes scanned the dull horizon, muddy browns and dark clouds blended into a ceaseless banal hue. She mused how easy it would be to get lost out there, especially once the rains started, and simply never have to face another ounce of responsibility.

Without a doubt Lonestar had meant well, she knew that. It didn’t stop the fresh ache at having to confront those feelings. Misty Sparks knew she’d been letting her attraction to Skyfire grow too strong, distracting her and entertaining ideas that could never be. No matter how much she yearned and pined there was no changing this fate. Besides, she reasoned, Grease and Skyfire clearly got along. With their mutual interests some sort of spark was almost inevitable. Such a relationship was far healthier, happier, and without the strife a relationship with the Overmare entailed regardless of the queer complications.

Dangers mounted within her skull until they had a physical weight. Flashes of the mutiny rose; blood on stable suits, ponies once trusted now braying for blood, Rusty’s broken back and Flare’s furious scream. Stable 36 was no longer safe for her in the far more literal sense then Lonestar alluded to. How many more traitors were seeded in their ranks, not just security? Would there be another attempt at Flare’s life while she was in the wastes? How would she even know? That was before she even considered the countless needs of ponies who would one day be her direct responsibilities. She was no princess, how could she protect them from such a violent world when even within their walls was such cruelty?

Limbs trembled and eyes burned. Teeth clenched together until her jaw hurt. The worries flooded in rather than come one at a time. Misty Sparks shuddered as she tried not to sob. It was too early on their expedition to dare have such a lapse. Ponies were depending on her. Having a functioning aircraft would change everything for the stable, she sincerely believed it would. Yet how much would they end up sacrificing for it? Did it come at not only the personal cost of those working on the repairs, Skyfire most of all risking death in a surface world that hated her kind, but even that of her home? Would slavers find them once again with the increase in activity? Disgusting corpses filled her vision, the foul stench of decay clogging her lungs. Her hide burned from gunshot wounds and spilled blood. Skeletons and bloated bodies squelched around her. Explosions rattled her bones. A pocked yellowed face spat hate and blame.

The low rumble of a fatherly voice shifted into a scream. A silver hoof reached for her across the engineering corridor. Blood was spilled with each crack of a baton. Eventually a horn broke free. It slid across the floor in a filly’s hooves. Pain incapacitated her. A vile laugh ricocheted off tight metal. The faint light of a pip-buck caught on glasses as the monster delighted in the torture.

Something brushed Misty Sparks’ side. The wasteland returned with sharp clarity. She shouted and scrambled away with a flare of magic drawing her pistol. Crimson framed grey in the shape of a pegasus. Skyfire eeped and held her wings up. “Woah hey! Not an enemy!”

Immediately Misty Sparks put the gun away. “Sorry! Sorry sorry!”

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing!”

Skyfire poked her head out from behind her wings. “Uh… clearly not. Misty, what happened?”

Misty Sparks tucked her head, cheeks burning and heart thumping. Shame washed up her body, the only thing strong enough to sweep away the anxiety. “I got in my own head, that’s all.”

Skyfire took a small step closer only to hesitate. Instead she sat down and peered out the window Misty Sparks had earlier. Desolate wastes rolled on into eternity. “About what?”

The unicorn remained where she had retreated to. Heat itched over her skin. Chattering from the rest of the team felt muffled at that moment. All of her focus was on the pegasus already galloping through her mind. She felt foolish for getting so worked up over something as trivial as romance. Entertaining the already dangerous notion of seeking a relationship had only opened the hatch on everything else she’d shoved deep within to stay on task. There was too much at risk for failures. Ponies' lives were on the line, there and at home. What was an idle crush in comparison to that?

“Nothing important,” she lied.

Ears swept back as Skyfire tilted her head. “Please don’t do that.”

Misty Sparks twitched, wishing to be anywhere else yet rooted in place. “Do what?”

“You know what- lie.”

“I’m- I just… I can’t really explain it even to myself, okay? I don’t know how to say it.”

Saddened purple eyes flickered to her. Exhaustion clung to them. Her words came out with great effort yet smooth. “So, yes, you lied.”

Magic flickered over Misty Sparks’ horn. She nearly teleported away like some panicked foal. Taking a deep breath instead, she smoothed out her mane and lowered her head. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m on edge but that doesn’t excuse it.”

Crimson wingtips twitched invitingly and Misty Sparks sat next to her on a tattered rug. “What can you explain?” Skyfire asked gently. “I want to help you.”

Heat flashed across Misty Sparks’ heart and she clenched her jaw. “It’s just so complicated. It’s uh… Stable related.”

“Not that surprising, all things considered,” Skyfire replied in a tone that reminded Misty Sparks of Melody. Immediately her shoulders tensed and the unicorn did everything she could not to look at the pegasus who’s focus had shifted to her.

After a few moments a tired sigh slipped free. “I’m sorry.”

Skyfire brushed her wings along Misty Sparks in a soothing motion. “It’s my home now too, isn’t it? I know things are scary but… well we can’t just ignore it right?”

“I’m not ignoring it. I just don’t know how to fix it.”

“What specifically?”

Misty Sparks crinkled her nose. She wanted to tell her but the words stopped before they could even leave her lungs. Everything was so heavy. Pinpricks stabbed down her legs until her hooves felt numb. How incredibly selfish she was acting, worrying her friend, wounding herself, letting a simple infatuation grow into a risk. If it was anything else she might have laughed at how silly she was being. There was nothing silly about Skyfire. The mare was the closest thing to sunshine Misty Sparks had ever found. She couldn’t let it get shrouded in an endless sea of gray again, but she couldn’t dare try to hold it close. Both of them would only get burned.

Exhaling slowly to control herself, Misty Sparks straightened her posture and looked into vibrant purple eyes. “I’m worried about the future. There’s a lot of choices I’m going to have to make with far reaching ramifications that I’m not certain I can handle.”

Skyfire tilted her head and sent thick crimson locks bouncing. “Haven’t we been here before?”

“What?”

“The mutiny. I had to calm you then when you were paralyzed by fear of responsibility,” she spoke so gently Misty Sparks felt fresh shame wash up. Skyfire was right and that fact bit deeply at her. “This time nothing is threatening us.”

Misty Sparks stamped at the degrading rug and chuffed. “So my mind has space to wander and no immediately pending doom.”

A hoof settled on her own. Tender heat radiated from the pegasus who nearly leaned into Misty Sparks. “I know what that is like… I know how easy the thoughts start flying away. Please… Don’t… I want to help. I can’t if you keep it to yourself.”

Fluttering desires were pushed down by sheer willpower as Misty Sparks reminded herself that it would only cause more pain in the long run. She pulled her hoof away. “I can’t let you get hurt,” Misty Sparks confessed, keeping the truth obscured yet blatant.

“I don’t need you protecting me,” Skyfire replied firmly, “I’m not broken anymore. I’m all better because of you.”

“Great!” Misty Sparks forced through a smile. “So how about I don’t ruin that!”

Skyfire flapped her wings and puffed her chest out. “We’re teammates now, aren’t we? That means we have to support each other! I can’t do that if you don’t talk straight to me!”

“Well shit here I am hurting you anyways!” Lamented Misty Sparks as she jolted to her hooves.

“Great!” Skyfire shouted back, “So stop and talk!” The unicorn froze in place. Such a tone from Skyfire stopped her dead in her tracks. Shuddering huffs radiated off Skyfire where she stood, wings flared and eyes burning with denied tears. “I-I am tr-rying to help!”

“Sky…”

“Talk to me!” Demanded Skyfire with a stomping of forehooves. “You l-lied! You w-won’t s-say what you are s-scared about! N-now you’re t-t-t-treating me like a foal!”

Misty Sparks took a hesitant step closer, only to pause. Lime eyes averted to the rotting cottage. It looked about as good as she felt. “I’m sorry. That’s the last thing I want to do.”

“So stop!”

“...You’re right.” Misty Sparks couldn’t meet the mare’s intense gaze. “I’m acting entirely inappropriate. This is unbecoming of me.”

Wings lowered slightly and Skyfire frowned deeply. She took a steadying breath but her voice still jolted. “W-w-hat?”

“As your friend and expedition leader, I’m acting like an asshole and hurting you. This isn’t fair to you, and for that I apologize.”

The pegasus drew closer only for Misty Sparks to retreat. “Look at me,” she demanded with all the strength she could.

Such a thought stung deep. She didn’t want to see the sun so dimmed from her foolishness. Yet still she did, and wanted to chomp glass at how Skyfire trembled. “I was imagining something awful happening to you. Something that never should,” Misty Sparks confessed as closely as she dared. “Something I’ll make sure never will, even if it’s the last thing I do. I want you safe, healthy, and happy Skyfire.”

“I w-want that for you t-too,” she replied with a shake of her head. Ears were flattened back and mane frayed. Brimming tears made purple eyes shimmer. “I d-d-don’t understand w-w-what’s going on.”

With a pained smile Misty Sparks retreated to the edge of the destroyed room. “Something that will never repeat, I promise. Get some good rest, Sky. I’m going to take the first watch, alright? Maybe you and Grease could bunk together. She’ll keep you safe.” Left wordless and near to crying, Skyfire watched her leave, hiccuped, and dropped onto a torn couch.

“What was all the shouting about?” Grease demanded the moment Misty Sparks came into sight. The unicorn grimaced and kept walking. “Misty!”

“Sparky come on,” grunted Blaze. She had taken her armor off as the bucket battle ended with her soaked. Without it she looked only marginally less intimidating.

Still Misty Sparks said nothing and ascended the precarious steps to the second floor. Grease grunted after her and rushed to aid Skyfire. Blaze frowned, shifted her hooves then followed her cousin. Each half rotted wooden step groaned beneath her. She passed the brothers where they slept on a chewed up twin sized mattress. Pecan Pie and Blue Grass glanced up at the giant of a mare from their bedding as she passed. Every step was announced with such weight Blaze grimaced. A blasted window led out to the sloping roof, just enough debris in the way for her to watch her step as she clambered up.

Angry mutterings increased as she scrambled up to the lookout point. The thatching of the roof had long since rotted away, leaving only beams like desiccated ribs. Misty Sparks was at the apex of the roof scanning the near endless gray horizon with a pair of binoculars. It had darkened considerably. Rather than try a subtle or gentle approach, Blaze spoke bluntly. “What did you do?”

Misty Sparks tensed further, already as rigid as stone. “Take watch duty,” she deflected.

Hooves crunched an old beam and Blaze snorted. “Don’t play games.” She sat next to the significantly smaller mare like a tree casting shade. Once the looming bulk of Blaze might have terrified Misty Sparks, however she was too tired and had accepted Blaze intended on protecting her. Never before would she have followed Misty Sparks to speak on any matter unless it was drug related. Her cousin was a changed mare, at least a little.

Every moment Misty Sparks neglected to answer made Blaze tense. Nearly about to spring free, the unicorn sighed. “I am a moron.”

“No, that’s me. Don’t steal my thing.”

“Shut up.”

“Start talking.”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck you!”

Silver hooves were thrown up in the air and Misty Sparks flopped onto her back. “Fuck you!”

A laugh bellowed from Blaze. “Wow you are worked up! Did you try to kiss Skyfire and she rejected you?”

“No! No no no!” Lime eyes squeezed shut. “The opposite.”

Head tilting so far her ears hung at an angle, Blaze prodded, “...She tried to kiss you?”

“Goddesses I wish,” she confessed. “I’m just being emotional and foolish. Skyfire and I can’t be together, and it’s only hurting to think about it, and we both know I can’t fall for anypony. I don’t get the choice.”

Blaze chuffed. “Who says that?”

“Stable-Tec. I have to produce an heir, a filly even. Two mares can’t do that!”

After a brief pause, Blaze laid on her back next to Misty Sparks. Splinters immediately scratched her hide. The brief sensation of insects crawling down her limbs nearly consumed her. A furious specter filled her mind, adorned in the same kind of scars she was. Blaze chomped the air a few times, uncertain if they were phantoms, then huffed. “So don’t obey Stable-Tec.”

“Hah! As if!”

“I’m serious.”

Misty Sparks rolled her eyes. “Sure- sure you are. You don’t obey anypony, especially not the dead. You and I are not the same. Unlike you I can’t escape my responsibilities.”

Blaze’s nose crinkled. She set her jaw repeatedly in an attempt at not spouting the first furious thoughts that sprung forth. “Get off it Sparky,” she growled, “Nopony says you can’t just adopt or something.”

“Stable-Tec does, actually! It’s in the rules. The Aura family has to maintain a bloodline for any in the position of Overmare. The first Overmare was exceptionally magically talented, and that magic is critical to remain in the family. Adopting… Well there’s no guarantee that the foal would have that same inclination.”

For a few moments, Blaze stared at the clouds. “Wait… What about an earth pony?”

“Their child would still likely have innate magic, and earth ponies have their own form as well,” muttered Misty Sparks, “besides all Overmares have been unicorns. Haven’t you noticed?”

Emerald eyes slowly blinked. “No.”

“Have you ever even looked at our family tree?”

“Not past our grand-asshole,” she remarked flatly. Misty Sparks winced at the term despite its validity. “Look, none of this shit matters. Stable-Tec can try to make us royalty if they want but you don’t have to keep to it! Those fucks would probably keep us underground until we were all Auras or something. You like mares! It’s simple!”

Hooves smacked the beam beneath them as Misty Sparks rolled to face her cousin. The terrifying level of sobriety shrouding Blaze gave her a moment of hesitation. Then she swallowed her nerves and pressed forward. “This is simple, you’re right. I need to stop feeling like this for a mare I could never-”

“Shut up!” Blaze interrupted and grabbed freckled cheeks. Misty Sparks wriggled but couldn’t escape. “Stars above shut the fuck up Sparky. Do you want to become like your mom?”

“...Yes?”

“An emotionally-void mare who everypony is scared of? Some masked manipulator-”

Magic flared so violently Blaze didn’t get a chance to counter. Misty Sparks teleported behind her and used telekinesis to shove away the large mare. “Don’t you dare call her-”

Blaze leaped to her hooves and grappled Misty Sparks. The unicorn once again vanished in a flash of neon green magic. She reappeared with a puff of smoke from the rapid casting and pointed her horn in accusation. Blaze stomped down on the roof so hard another beam cracked. “She is and you know it! She has the best intentions I know but there’s a reason you’re out here and not back home! It’s not safe! Ratchet did everything he could to undermine Flare, and she kept everything so close to the chest nopony knew what she really thought until she broke Rusty’s back!”

“A good leader doesn’t share every worry-”

“And they don’t act like they have everything under control when they don’t either!”

“What would you know about good leaders?” Scoffed Misty Sparks. Heat pounded throughout both mares' bodies, coiling in their chests to burst into action. The already familiar urge to fight with tooth and hoof was near to consuming Blaze. To her credit, Misty Sparks did not falter as she stared down the beast that before would have sent her fleeing.

A step closer was measured, not an inch too far. “I know a bad one when I see one, met my fair share of them. I know when one gives a shit about their ponies too, and Aunt Flare does. What I’m saying is she’s made mistakes and wearing that mask is one of the biggest ones. You going to do the same?”

Skyfire’s question earlier of repeating things rose to the forefront of Misty Sparks’ mind. Oh how desperately she’d wished to be her mother as the mutiny sparked around them. Flare wouldn’t have caused that situation, and could have squashed it as immediately as when she had arrived. Flare would’ve been able to handle the fighting in the slave outpost better. Her magic was stronger, her wits more honed, and her courage always present. She wouldn’t have let fear control her.

Legs shook beneath the small unicorn. She blinked away tears. An ear flicked and her tail lashed. “I have to be a good Overmare, Blaze.”

“Then be a good Overmare Misty Sparks,” demanded Blaze with a stomp and flare of her nostrils. “Not a mini Flare.”

Neon crackled away. Misty Sparks lowered her head and scratched her neck. A bullet scar burned on her left hindleg. “What… What if I don’t know what that’s like?”

Slowly untensing, Blaze exhaled raggedly. “Then find out, and tell me one day.”

Misty Sparks breathlessly laughed and shook her head. Blonde locks bounced free from her ponytail and she tried to swipe them back into place. “Sober you is… strange.”

A more sincere laugh cracked through Blaze’s firmness. “Fucking tell me about it. Are you okay?”

“I think so. I’m sorry for yelling and cursing at you,” Misty Sparks apologized.

A blush colored wet sand cheeks. Blaze cleared her throat and looked away. “Ditto.”

Snorting, Misty Sparks wiped her eyes dry. “Ditto? So mature.”

“You got actual wisdom out of me, let me be,” she growled back.

“Forgiven.”

“...Ditto.”

Laughter filled the air, bubbling between the pair in small bursts until it came in whole heaving sections. They sat beside one another with rare smiles and settled in to take watch together. Conversation never dipped to such a seriousness again. Both of them avoided the sensitive topic of Bullet and the way his appearance had left Blaze shaken. Instead they spoke of nothings, foalhood memories, and favorite desserts. For the first time in a decade, Misty Sparks felt like she had a friend in her cousin.