Fallout Equestria: Uncertain Ties

Chapter Seven: Interment

“Tears water our growth.”

Skyfire awoke in a bed of stingy sheets and blankets, a pungent smell she was unaccustomed to filling her senses. She sneezed and shook herself awake. Foggy memories of Misty Sparks escorting her to Blaze’s apartment answered her silent question of where she was, and she sighed. The apartment had been absolutely filthy, with old dishes stacked on the counters and discarded chems strewn across the floor. It was only her exhaustion that had allowed her to sleep so soundly in the spare bedroom. The alarm clock on the nightstand told her it was nearly time to go, and she forced herself down from the bed.

“I hope Jolts is okay out there…” She muttered to herself as the heaviness of sleep slowly melted away. Apprehension clutched at her heart, and she shifted her hooves nervously while dressing herself in the maintenance barding that was her only possession now. It felt itchy and a bit tight, smelling faintly of sweat from the day before’s events. “I hope I can wash this… or get another,” she said. It comforted her somewhat as if speaking her hopes into existence would increase the likelihood of it happening at all. Taking a quick moment to brush her mane and teeth in the attached bathroom.

“Ready?” She asked herself, inhaling as she stared at her reflection. “I can do this.” She left her new bedroom. The living quarters were nothing like they’d been last night. All the empty canisters and syringes were swept away. Only half the dishes overflowed the kitchenette and the dishwasher chirruped a note of completion. Skyfire rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Laid out on the couch was Blaze, a sponge fallen away from her hoof.

Carefully, Skyfire approached the sleeping earth pony. Just as she reached her, the Pip-Buck on Blaze’s right leg chirruped loudly, jolting the mare up. Bloodshot eyes stared at the wall distant and almost murderous. Skyfire yelped and stumbled backward. An ear twitching, Blaze looked at the pegasus who tried to hide behind the wooden coffee table. A tense moment passed of Blaze staring, and then with a heavy yawn, the earth pony relaxed. “Morning,” she greeted as she slid off the couch and stretched.

“Uh- Morning…” Skyfire sheepishly replied.

“Sorry about the mess last night, I meant to clean it up but lost track of time.”

“Oh! Well uh, thank you for doing it at all?” Skyfire tried. Blaze shrugged and picked up the sponge. “Did you… fall asleep while cleaning?”

“Yeah, was waiting on the dishwasher to do another load but guess I dozed off.” She returned the sponge to its spot alongside the filled sink. “We don’t have much time to eat before we need to go so I hope you don’t mind cereal.”

“Before… You know about the funeral?” Skyfire slowly followed Blaze to the kitchenette. The earth pony snorted and pulled a box of sugar bombs out of the cupboard and filled two bowls with the sugary breakfast. “But how? I only spoke of it with Overmare Flare and Misty Sparks.”

“Sparky left a note asking for me to make sure you woke up on time,” she answered dismissively. “What, you thought I wouldn’t wanna go with?” Skyfire cringed. She hadn’t thought about inviting Blaze. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

Skyfire frowned. “Well uhm, if you want… you can come with?”

Blaze offered her one of the cereal bowls now mixed with milk and chuckled. “Why are you asking me while inviting me? If you really don’t want me to tag along I get it. I don’t doubt Flare has a security detail accompanying you, but trust me, you want me there for real protection. Those assholes barely get real practice fighting, unlike me.”

“Is it really that dangerous?”

“We had a few rabid animals attack us on the way back with you passed out,” Blaze admitted, “but there’s always a chance for raiders to pass by. They know we’re here, they like picking off the stragglers.”

Gulping, Skyfire nodded. “Okay. Please come with us.”

Blaze's smirk was hard to get used to.. “Sure thing Feathers.”

“It’ll uh… be nice to have another friendly face there. I don’t know any of the security ponies after all…” With a sigh, Skyfire accepted her fate.

Blaze’s smirk faltered, and warmth filled emeralds erupted from those normally cynical eyes. “Yeah… Friends and all that.” She cleared her throat and sat on the couch. “Come on, eat up, don’t wanna be late.”

Skyfire nodded and joined Blaze on the couch to eat the simple meal. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Now what kind of business do you possibly have out in the Wasteland at this hour?” The question came from a grayscale mature mare sitting behind a counter. The quartermaster, Steel, squinted at the trio with annoyance. “The sun isn’t even up yet… I think.”

“Sorry for the early wakeup,” Misty Sparks apologized. Blaze huffed loudly from the side. “The Overmare wants to make sure we’re fully prepared for our short trip. I’m sure you can understand.”

Steel grumbled to herself before fixing her dark gaze on Skyfire. “I take it involves Miss Skyfire?”

The pegasus shrunk back, wings rising to hide her. Misty Sparks stepped between with a charming smile. “Always a sharp one, Steel.”

“Buttering me up eh?” Steel snorted with a brow arching. “Well I’m already up so might as well help you fillies.”

“I’m not a filly,” snarled Blaze.

“You are to me, Blaze,” Steel chuckled. “Now, you’re going to need proper armor if you’re going out there. I did get a message late last night to expect you but I didn’t think it’d be before the day had even started.”

“Safest travel times are in the hours between,” Misty Sparks said. Skyfire slowly folded her wings back. “Can we get a cloak for Skyfire as well? Something that’ll hide her wings but not weigh her down too much?”

Steel scanned the grey mare over before nodding. “I have a few things from the back storage. We still have old gear designed for pegasi after all.”

“You… do?” Skyfire blinked.

The mature mare turned back into her many shelves of storage. “Yup, I thought it might come up so I brought some stuff into the forefront of my stow. Stable 36 was made for all three species after all. Your kind just decided not to show up.”

“None of us?”

“Not a single one! Our original Security and Engineering heads were supposed to be pegasi even. Instead, you all went into the sky, and I’m sure you know what happened after.” Steel trotted over with a cloak with a harness attached to it. There were holes for the wings, though it would keep them hidden beneath until she needed to fly.

“I was taught that after Cloudsdale was hit the pegasi walled up the sky,” Skyfire replied thoughtfully. “I always suspected that not every pegasus had heeded the call though, it just doesn’t seem possible that they’d all make it.”

“Sure, there’s the stray pegasus on the surface,” agreed Steel as she carried three sets of stable 36 issue armor to the counter separating the ponies. “But the fact still remains when the bombs dropped, the stable was short a third of its population.”

“That must have been very difficult. It always felt like I was short-staffed back home, but never that much.”

Steel gave a heavy snort. “We're hard-working ponies for a reason. Now, put this armored barding on first, your cloak will go on top. You’ll also need a weapon…”

“Don’t bother giving me anything,” Blaze growled.

Steel rolled her eyes. “I know how much you love your sledgehammer Blaze, I wouldn’t think of wasting time giving you a gun. You’re dangerous enough as it is.”

The earth pony stomped a hoof. “And you’re never laying a hoof on Hammers Junior so don’t try.” Skyfire chuckled, looking at the Blaze’s sledgehammer, which was currently looped into her barding. “What?” Snarled Blaze.

“Your dad’s name is Hammers though, right?”

Blaze’s ears fell back. “It ain’t like that! It’s just this is my second sledgehammer!”

“What happened the first one?”

“Radroaches ate it.”

“...What?”

“You heard me. Now, get dressed.” Blaze shoved Skyfire towards the counter, easily moving the light pegasus.

Wings raised in alarm, Skyfire took the armor and looked for somewhere to get changed. Seeing none, she blushed heavily. “Right here?”

“I’ve got a changing booth back here if you want, but most ponies don’t mind,” Steel offered. “We tend to live pretty communally.”

“Oh, uh, well back home, we aren’t, really… at least us civvies” Skyfire squeaked. “I’ve heard from my siblings that it’s more communal when you serve though.”

Steel gave a nod. “Won’t lie, most of our founders were military and that probably bled through to the rest of us. We’ve got communal showers, eating, farms, living, and whatnot. No pony is authorized to have weapons inside the stable, so they get checked in here and maintained. Only security can have batons, but no firearms on the inside.”

“You have to keep track of a lot, don’t you,” Skyfire commented as Steel unlocked the half door blocking Skyfire from entering. The quartermaster’s armory contained so much it made her head spin. Steel indicated the small clothed booth for Skyfire to use, and she scurried to it.

“I have a system,” Steel touted, “and I know when ponies try to steal something.” The second half was barbed, and Blaze snorted indigently.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Of course,” Steel gritted. “Misty Sparks, same as normal?”

Already changed, Misty Sparks gave a nod. “I can only use small weapons, and barely even at that. Let’s just hope it’s unneeded.” Green magic tucked a 10mm pistol into its holster and a box of ammo into her saddlebags.

“The day you need to actually shoot it is the day I turn completely grey,” Steel said with a motherly tone. “You need to stay away from fighting as much as possible. If you get hurt- well that would just be downright awful.”

Blushing, Misty Sparks scuffed the metal flooring with her hooves. “Well… I’ve already shot a weapon.”

Steel’s eyes comically widened. “What?”

“A ghoul attacked me when I was rescuing Skyfire.”

“Oi vey,” muttered Steel dramatically, swooning where she stood. Misty Sparks stabilized the elder mare with her magic. “The little Overmare has killed?”.

“It was that or die,” Blaze snarked. “It was just a feral ghoul, not like it was a real person.”

“Ghouls once were Blaze.” The sight of ponies reprimanding Blaze was something Skyfire began getting used to. “It’s an utter shame what happens to them. You better stay away from radiation if you don’t want to become like them.”

Blaze’s face darkened, and she stomped her hooves. “Shut up, I know how to keep myself alive. I don’t need you reminding me of what I already know.”

“It’s just some friendly advice,” Steel said with an offended tone.

“Shove it. Sparky, I’ll wait at the stable door aight? I’ve had enough of this windbag.” Without another word, Blaze stormed away. Misty Sparks plaintively shouted after her, but Blaze did not stop. Sighing, Misty Sparks turned to Steel who only nickered sadly.

“Where did Blaze go?” Asked Skyfire, almost radiating off concern. The cloth cloak disguised her frame well, making it impossible to distinguish if she had wings or simply padded armor on beneath. She frowned and scanned the area to no avail.

Misty Sparks awkwardly shifted on her hooves. “She went ahead.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Uh… Nothing out of the ordinary. Let’s finish up and catch up with her okay?” Misty Sparks offered a comforting smile to the Pegasus.

Steel gave an agreeing nod. “Now, Miss Skyfire, I have something of yours here. I need to know if I can trust you with it however.”

Skyfire blinked, tilting her head. “Something of mine…?”

“The scouting party recovered a laser pistol in the wreckage. There was another but it broke upon impact. We’ve never seen a laser weapon before, in all honesty.”

“Really? They’re all we have back home,” Skyfire replied, blinking. “Peculiar.”

Steel shrugged. “I guess different available supplies. You understand that as soon as you return you have to submit your weapon back, right? You can keep the cloak to keep you safer when you visit the surface town but the armor and your weapon have to be returned.”

“But the pistol is mine,” Skyfire argued with fallen ears.

“Like I said earlier, no one has weapons inside Stable 36.”

“I can’t keep it with me in case I get attacked on the surface again? I loathe fighting but there was an earth pony who nearly killed me!” Skyfire’s voice pitched as she imagined finding herself in a similar situation, only this time without Grease to shield her.

Steel shook her head. “If somepony threatens you, then call for a guard to help you. I promise they will protect you, even if the Overmare doesn’t allow you to stay. If you join us however, we could work out some means of letting you keep a weapon on the surface. The store owners all have emergency weapons.”

Misty Sparks gave a nod of agreement. “Thankfully I’ve only had to use it to bluff so far.”

Sighing, Skyfire relented. “I understand… I’m just a bit afraid of a repeat happening.”

Steel gave a friendly smile and brought up the laser pistol from beneath her counter. “I understand. Here you are, let’s hope it remains only a precaution.”

Taking it with a hint of hesitance, Skyfire nodded. “Yeah… Thank you Steel. I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck little ponies!”

The stable door was an intimidating piece of machinery. Its thick radiation-protecting steel stood between the gathered ponies and the long corridor of rock that shielded the entrance. The door at this particular moment was closed, which as Skyfire had learned was the normal position. Though it took some time to pull open and shut, it was for safety reasons. Only a pony with a Pip-Buck or interior access could interact with it, making it a perfect defense against sudden attacks. The idle thought that such slowness would prevent evacuation in either direction was brushed aside as Skyfire focused instead on the large security detail.

A tall stallion was facing off against Blaze who rose a few inches above him. Seven other security ponies glared at Blaze with varying frustration or loathing. The stallion wore an insignia identifying him as a sergeant on the lapel of his stable suit. Misty Sparks picked up the pace, rushing to intervene in the confrontation while Skyfire slowed down warily. The last place she wanted to be was between Blaze and a fight.

“Sergeant Shears,” Misty Sparks said briskly, an overly friendly tone straining not to reveal her nerves. “What seems to be the matter?”

The sergeant scoffed, looked to Misty Sparks and gave a polite nod before returning to staring down Blaze. “Miss Blaze here was just informing my squad of her exact opinion of them and their skills.”

“The only one out of the eight of you that can fight is Lily,” Blaze accused. “Even she can’t beat me without using magic though.”

The pale unicorn glowered at Blaze, blue magic flaring around her horn. Lily’s hair poked out beneath her helmet, a visor catching the glow of magic menacingly. “Oh trust me, if I really wanted to give you a beat down I could.”

Emeralds met sharp blues, and Blaze grinned. “Let’s go then.” Something about the eagerness that dropped from those simple words made Skyfire step back. A menacing glint sparked in Blaze’s eyes while her muscular form grew taught.

“No.” Sergeant Shears stomped a hoof. “You might not respect us, but you will not fight us. We’re here because of Miss Misty Sparks. If you ask me, you should be let to wander out in the wastes and get your ass chewed up by whatever monsters are out there.”

“Nopony was asking.”

Neonic green magic tugged at Blaze and Sergeant Shears, pulling them apart a few inches. Misty Sparks inserted herself between them with a strained smile. Compared to the large earth ponies, Misty Sparks might as well have been a filly. Skyfire’s brow rose with impress at the bravery of the mare. “Okay how about everypony just calms down and takes a breath? Sergeant, that wasn’t a very nice thing to say.”

“It’s the truth though,” he huffed.

“Please don’t talk to my cousin that way.”

He hesitated, brown eyes flickering between the cousins. One was clearly trying to broker peace while the other only wished for more chaos. “My apologies, Miss Misty Sparks.”

“Hah!” Blaze chortled.

“Blaze, you should be more polite as well. I am sure that our security detail is highly trained and competent,” Misty Sparks added.

The smirk fell away from Blaze’s face. “You remember what we faced last time we went out, right?” She questioned. Misty Sparks nodded. “Now, multiply that by whatever beasties have become interested in the crash site since, or might be skulking around at dawn. I know how good I am in a fight, but if I have to cover you, Skyfire, and all seven of these idiots I won't be happy.”

Sergeant Shears rolled his eyes. “I think you’ll find my squad is well trained and ready for a fight if need be. We also are prepared for stealth, should it be safer to avoid a fight.”

“You better be,” growled Blaze as she loomed towards him. “Because if a single hair gets hurt on these two I’ll kick you all the way to the moon myself.”

“On that we agree.”

Skyfire carefully stepped closer. She waved awkwardly with a wing, and cleared her throat. All eyes turned to her and she quietly eeped. “H-hey everypony. Thank you for… doing this for me. I hope we can all get along and get there safely.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Lily grumbled. Shears shot her a dirty look and she averted her gaze. Skyfire wilted. “Sorry. It’s uh, nice to meet you Miss Skyfire.” The unicorn held out a hoof. Skyfire shook it with enthusiasm. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Skyfire tilted her head. “Oh, good things I hope.”

“Well, the incident yesterday got reported in. That cloak should help but if anypony ever gives you trouble for being a pegasus just come get me and I’ll knock some sense into them.”

Ears perked upward and Skyfire blinked. “W-well thank you! Hopefully that won’t be necessary but… I uh, appreciate the offer.”

“Lily can kick a good bit of ass,” Blaze remarked offhandedly.

“That almost sounded like a genuine compliment,” Lily snorted.

Blaze shrugged and gestured for a pony to open the stable door. “You’re the only pony I think I won’t have to keep an eye on in a fight. Take that as you will.”

Misty Sparks snickered, relief seeping off her shoulders. She turned back to Skyfire as Sergeant Shears got to work on the controls. A loud klaxon set off as amber warning lights spun away. A metallic screeching noise cut through the air as the heavy gear shaped door slowly pulled back onto its track. “Let’s hope this goes alright,” she shouted over the noise.

Skyfire gave her a nervous smile, feathers ruffling under her cloak. “Wingtips crossed!”

“Keep your eyes on the horizon, miss Lumia,” cautioned Shears, his gruffness taking her by surprise.

The pegasus stopped daydreaming, and jolted upright with embarrassment. Her wings fluffed beneath her cloak but remained hidden. She looked to Misty Sparks who walked next to her in the center of the escort formation, who smiled comfortingly. “S-sorry!”

“Lots of nasties get you the moment you lower your guard,” he continued, “to include the rocks right beneath your hooves.”

“The rocks?”

“Most of this territory was once settled by ponies, especially the further northeast we go towards Baltimare. Suburbs, satellite towns, and farms cropped up all around to support the metropolitan area. When the megaspells and bombs dropped, the region got levelled. Nowadays you’re liable to fall into a sinkhole as much as catch a raider’s bullet.”

Skyfire blanched and Misty Sparks gave a small nod. “Yeah it’s… not the most fun. But the ground around Stable 36 is pretty well… stable!”

“Lame,” drawled Blaze at her attempt at humor. “One time the scouts came back and said they’d found a whole cavern of pre-war buildings that had fallen in. The photos made them look almost like they were from a whole ‘nother world, all toppled over and junk.”

Shears cleared his throat. “There’s also the risk of feral ghouls in those caverns, miss Aura.”

“Don’t call me that,” growled Blaze.

He snorted, and kept walking. Skyfire wasn’t sure how long they’d been traveling, she’d fallen into memories of Jolts not long after they’d passed the farms and entered the hills. The landscape was remarkably bare, but now knowing that was due to unstable earth it made a bit more sense to her. Periodically it looked as if the chimney of an old house was sticking through the surface, half buried or completely demolished rubble comprising most of the scenery. Withering plants scrabbled at the surface for any hint of sunlight that filtered through the complete cloud cover. Rusted sky chariots and old earth pony carts were all over, some with skeletons resting in various states of distress. It made her sad to see that much of the surface was still in such a state of disrepair.

Skyfire flicked an ear and frowned. “Ghouls… Those are those things that you erm… took care of, at the crash site, right Blaze?” She asked cautiously. She had vague memories of her rescue, but most of it was clouded by extreme pain.

“Yup,” Blaze grunted, “ferals though. You know what they actually are, right? Or are you cloudheads that ignorant?”

Skyfire bristled. “We know what ghouls are! We have scouts and recon teams after all.”

“Blaze-” Misty Sparks began but a security pony cut in first.

“We know. Enclave recon sometimes wipe out whatever they perceive as a threat.”

Shears nickered at the guard who cast their gaze aside. Skyfire’s frown deepened and she stepped closer to the guard. “I… Don’t understand. You’re not the first one to say something like that. I’m sure they were only acting in defense.”

The guard looked to Shears who gave a withering sigh before nodding. “Go on Pumpkin, speak your mind.”

Pumpkin nodded sternly, as if even that was an order that had to be executed in a stable-tec approved fashion. “You see, down here ponies struggle to get by. I’m sure it’s a struggle up there too, but without sunlight it makes it all the worse. Some ponies get desperate, and others just plain go mad. Your people don’t take kindly to a unicorn holding a hoe ‘cause they were farming and they dropped down from the sky. Sure, maybe the farmer got a bit aggressive, but if heavily armored people in a strange flying contraption of steel and clouds start asking questions and taking your food, you’d get a bit uppity too wouldn’t you?”

“Taking food… That doesn’t sound right. Sure we scavenge from ruins too but that’s only because cloud farming only produces so much.”

“And the farmer who’s now buried out back whose wife comes telling the tale and asking for help?” Pumpkin questioned. “Their little farm only produces so much.”

Skyfire stopped walking, eyes far away. There had never been any such reports. The patrol stopped alongside her, most of them watching the horizon for any dangers. Misty Sparks sighed and came up to Skyfire’s side and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Desperate ponies do things they shouldn’t,” she said in a sad tone, “desperate ponies with power do even worse.”

“These have to be outliers,” she argued, reflexive. Her heart was racing as she pictured homesteads forced to give their supplies at gunpoint. In times of war things could happen, and the Enclave was still at war. Unlike the surface, they had never given up against the zebra Legion. Or at least, that’s what she was always told. “Like you said, desperate ponies.”

“Y’all sure are desperate enough that it’s your major reputation,” drawled another security pony as they scanned for targets. “Maybe things aren’t as bright and shiny as ya thought it was.”

“Alright enough prattle,” Sergeant Shears interjected, “we’re supposed to get this pegasus to her crash site so she can bury her friend. Eyes on your EFS ponies, we’ve still got an hour to go.”

Purple eyes focused on Misty Sparks who could only grimace and tuck her head. “They could be outliers,” she tried to comfort, “bad news travels faster than good news these days.”

“Who knows,” Blaze said as she walked past, “you could be the outlier.”

Misty Sparks cringed, and offered to continue walking. Skyfire rose to her hooves and accompanied her. The veil of hope she’d been wearing was completely absent now.

“Are you sure you should be touching that?” A security pony asked slowly around their canteen of water. Misty Sparks had requested they stop for a quick water break, her short legs aching from all the traveling. She spent most of the day sitting on a stool or manning chemistry sets, not traversing the rocky wasteland.

Skyfire blinked up from the plant she’d squatted next to, wings gingerly nudging a bud of pointed purple flowers. “It’s perfectly safe,” Skyfire offered a sheepish smile, “I think so, anyways.”

“You think?” Drawled the security guard.

Misty Sparks sniffed the air and approached. “What is it?”

“Mallow! Or at least, it was once upon a time. It looks different from my survival books but I’m pretty sure that’s mallow.” Skyfire gave the plant a long look before nodding. “Both the flower and leaves are good for treating respiratory issues and even bellyaches.”

Misty Sparks stepped a bit closer and examined the flowers. They were growing out of an old tree that had withered away, its barren branches giving them as much exposure to sunlight as possible beneath the grey clouds. They seemed rather hardy with palmately-lobed leaves a dull green color. “You know about herbology?” She sniffed it, a pleasant and safe smell filling her nose.

“Well, Jolts and I always talked about gardening. He wanted to grow crops to eat, but I always liked the idea of herbs. There’s all kinds, some for teas, some for medicine and some just for fun. We have survival books that are mandatory to read in case of sudden grounding that include a section of poisonous and edible plants.” Skyfire plucked a few petals and leaves and tucked them into the inner pocket of the cloak.

A frown was pulling across the unicorn’s face. “That… makes sense. I wonder how outdated that is now though. I should study the samples before you do anything with them though, just in case.”

“Sure,” agreed Skyfire. “I can teach you what else I know if you’d like.”

Lime eyes roamed the pegasus’ form, as if rethinking the potential knowledge she might possess. “Certainly. I try to learn everything I can, and herbs are just the raw forms of chemical ingredients.”

“Got any you can smoke?” Blaze interjected.

“Uhm, not that I was taught,” Skyfire said slowly.

“Damn, that’s a shame. I’ve heard tons of stories about plants that when you smoke it, it makes you feel all sorts of things,” the mare went on. “I bet there’s even some that make you feel super strong!”

“You know cigarettes are made from tobacco leaves right?” Misty Sparks inquired.

Blaze blinked, and then gave a nod. “Yeah, so take those leaves and make them do something crazy cool. Buck that you inhale!”

Misty Sparks mused on the idea for a few moments. “That isn’t entirely impossible. I’ve heard of a drug called dash, makes you feel like you’re going really fast. If I tried to vaporize buck I might be able to get it to mix into it. A lot of chems are just experiments on compounds and seeing what you get.”

“I know a few recipes that are supposed to be weaker, organic health potions,” put in Skyfire optimistically. “Broc flower and xander root can be combined into a powder to apply directly to wounds, while if you steep it with sageroot in clean water it’s a good tea.”

“I think I’ve heard a few wastelanders mention that,” Shears said, “one while trying to bribe me out of arresting him. Knowledge is almost as valuable as caps out here, sometimes more than..”

Blaze squinted at him. “You didn’t let him off, did you?”

The sergeant scoffed. “I’m insulted by the mere notion that I would. No, he spent his time in the slammer as required for assaulting a citizen of Stable 36. You’re rather familiar with that sentence aren’t you?”

The large mare bristled and took a menacing step towards him, but Lily interjected herself before it could get ugly. “We’re just a bit away from our destination now,” she said, “just over the next rise right?”

“Should be,” Misty Sparks softly put in. There was nothing she could really do if Blaze attacked the security detail.

“You feel rested?” Lily asked the little overmare, who nodded shyly. “Great, let’s get going then. The sun is almost up.” The wasteland was a pale grey hue now rather than darker smoky tones. To Skyfire it felt like early dawn still, a part of her expecting to see the beautiful blues of the sky. She strained her head up towards the endless clouds, hoping to see a speck of blue between the fluffy greys and whites. Instead she was met with the cold face of an unending ceiling. It felt like having heavy blankets strung above her between the chairs at home, reminding her of the blanket forts she’d build with her big brother. Lightningbreeze never joined in the fun.

Bodies brushed against Skyfire, jolting her back to reality. The stable ponies were continuing the trek. Misty Sparks was waiting a few paces ahead, looking back at the pegasus who hadn’t moved. She felt so insignificant there, staring up at the sea of grey on a background of muted browns and debris. Would she ever feel the softness of a cloud beneath her hooves again? Her ears rang as the wind picked up around them, condensing into a shrill tone that made her dizzy.

Her body might never recover enough to carry her to the clouds, to carry her home. Her legs shook as the world tilted around her. Something burned in her chest, a void that spread throughout her body. Just over the next rise was the crash site. A hoof was on her shoulder, jolting her back to the present. Her breathing was frantic. “You okay?” Misty Sparks asked.

Skyfire shook her head and blinked. “No… Not really no.”

“Are you scared? It’s okay if you are.” The others were mostly carrying on, only Lily and Shears waiting for the pair. The pegasus gulped, taking in the two guards before she stepped back from Misty Sparks. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were for the both of them, or just Misty Sparks.

Swallowing the anxiety and existential dread, she nodded. “Let’s catch up… thanks.”

Neatly piled sandbags surrounded the crash site, something that caught Skyfire’s eyes as the group descended into the valley, walking past the roughly made perimeter. A trio of tents were pitched near the burned grove with a radio antenna protruding from the largest. Stable ponies in heavy armor watched their approach passively, guns at the ready for other arrivals. It reminded her of a proper military outpost, with easily established defenses and the tired eyes of soldiers with no recreational reprieve. It was almost comforting to see something akin to home, dreary as it was.

“I suppose it’s a good thing that this crash is at the bottom of a hill.” Skyfire admitted after a moment, frowning. “Not easy to find when it’s not a smoking crater,” the mare added with a wince, cringing as she looked around, her eyes widening nervously. “Where’s… Jolts?” Skyfire anxiously murmured, her ears tucking back for a few seconds before a calm hoof brought her mind back down, purple eyes focusing on Shears, who gave a sympathetic smile. Despite how rough he seemed around the edges, he came off as genuine to the pegasus.

“Well the guard shift saw fit to help prepare for the burial, he’s resting by the grave they dug for us. Little bit on the other side of the crash.” The gruff voice calmly came out, hiding the fact that the rotating guards had to watch over a body for a few days.

Skyfire’s relief was immediate, the nervous tic fading into an embarrassed smile. “Oh they did that? You all are really nice. I was preparing myself to start digging the grave.”

“You really think our kind would make you do something like that, Feathers?” Blaze interjected, smirking a little before she too set a hoof on Skyfire’s shoulder. “I respect the commitment though, no little bird. When we do bury our members, Stable 36 does it as a group. It’s a way of looking after each other, ya know?” She’d admit, giving a rather tender look before glaring as she caught Lily smirking.

“Oh the brute cares about little Skyfire?” Lily sang out before quickly ducking a half-hearted kick from Blaze who snorted, staying silent. The unicorn was tensed for a fight, her more lithe frame taut while Blaze turned towards her.

Lime green magic gently pulled the pair apart as Misty Sparks nudged Skyfire, a soft smile on her face. The brewing duo walked away from one another, making Misty Sparks sigh in relief. “We do bury as a group, I hope it’d be alright if Blaze and I at the least could help put him in, and cover him.”

“Oh, I uh-” Skyfire started, tears quickly welling up in the corners of her eyes as she started to move, slowly making her way around the crashed aircraft. “I’d be really thankful for you two, and I think Jolts would appreciate it too. He said there were friends to be made on the surface. He never quite believed all the stories about savages and murderers.” Skyfire’s voice fell quiet soon after. Her legs were trembling visibly as they walked over to the freshly dug grave. Skyfire gasped softly, noticing how Jolts’ helmet was resting where the head should have been. Blaze’s declaration that Jolts had lost his head was burned into her memory. “They found his helmet?” She’d gasp, the tears trailing freely down her face by then.

Lily cringed at that point and coughed. “The helmet also has his head, which for posterity, we sealed up. I was on the first shift out here to secure the site,” She admitted, blanching as Skyfire turned to stare at the mare for a moment.

“I suppose it’s better than not finding it.” Skyfire whimpered softly, “He loved flying, so I think he’d be happy you managed to let him rest with his flight suit.” She walked on over to put a hoof on the helmet, closing her eyes, lost in thought for a moment. In her mind’s eye all she could see was his devilish smirk and burning orange eyes. She missed his smile.

Misty Sparks at that point peered into the grave, her eyes widening before Blaze snorted softly, “Yeah, it’s deeper than you.”

“Not. Now.” Misty Sparks cringed, looking over nervously before sighing as Skyfire was still lost in thought. “You’re right though, that’s deep. It feels smaller than the last grave I saw though.”

Skyfire opened her eyes at that point and paled. Her ears fell sharply back as she took in the grave. “It is deep, but Jolts wanted to be part of the world down here, he’d be happy… being buried on solid soil like this.” Skyfire then attempted to pick up Jolts, struggling to do so before yelping softly. Her side flared with pain and she stepped back panting. After a moment to catch her breath, she tried again, only to shout as a glowing lime hue enveloped Jolts’ body. Skyfire looked over to see Misty Spark’s face scrunched up, her horn glowing brilliantly.

“I’d. Be. A bad. Friend. If I didn’t help out!” Misty Sparks squeaked out, her horn’s glow intensifying as Jolts slowly floated over the grave, then started descending.

Blaze’s eyes widened and she let out a soft whistle towards the end. “Someone’s been practicing her magic,” She remarked respectfully once Misty Sparks was finished.

“We do this together,” Misty Sparks said back, panting lightly, looking somewhat exhausted from the magical strain before she waved a hoof to a smiling, yet still crying Skyfire. “You’re one of us now, and we take care of our own.” Those words only furthered to intensify Skyfire’s crying.

The next few moments went by quietly, save for the sounds of shovels striking into fresh earth, Blaze and Skyfire shoveling the dirt in while Misty Sparks took a breather. Soon there were three shovels in action, then five as Shears and Lily joined in as well, sharing looks with the rest silently.

Time went by slowly. It was hard for Skyfire to tell how much had passed, with that lack of a sunrise. She couldn’t keep track of time without the sun's position, and her mind dwelled on that for a little bit. Hadn’t the princesses done that? Was that some final spell they did to let the world survive without them? She didn’t have too long to dwell on it in her mind before Misty Sparks nudged Skyfire, a glowing ration bar floating closely in front of the pegasi’s nose.

“Hungry?” Misty Sparks inquired, a soft smile on her face. The rest of the group had all taken a break to eat food, drink water and take care of duties. The hole was almost filled, maybe another half hour of work left.

“I…” Skyfire began, before her stomach answered her, growling loudly, bringing a bright blush to the gray pegasi’s face. “I suppose I am hungry. Travel bar?” She asked, sitting back on her haunches to relax a moment, sniffing at the pressed food.

“Yes, not quite like what we had last night,” Misty Sparks began, cringing a little as she floated the bar up to munch on it, chewing it slowly. “Hard to get used to the flavor though.” She said before staring as Skyfire started digging in.

Skyfire apparently didn't mind the flavor, munching away at a pace that made Blaze raise a brow, the pegasus would smile and giggle for the first time that day. “This is about what I ate on the daily for breakfast. So it’s something I just go past.” Skyfire smiled a bit, looking over to Misty Sparks. “Thank you though for checking up on me. My mind was wandering.” Skyfire took a moment to guzzle down some water before sighing, smiling a bit more. “You know this feels alright, doing this all with you here. Thank you for coming with me.”

“Don’t mention it, you’ve made life more lively here, in a good way,” Lily commented quietly, Shears nodding at that sentiment. The other security guards had mingled their way with those posted at the crash, muttered agreements coming from all around.

“It’s certainly been a memorable last week or so, to meet and get to know a pegasus who’s friendly like yourself,” Shears added after a moment of thought, the rest of the guard patrol echoing similar sentiments. Even Pumpkin, the guard who’d been accusatory of the Enclave earlier, expressed a degree of fondness for the grey mare.

Their words drew an increasingly embarrassed smile out of Skyfire who’s wings slipped out from the cloak to hide her face as she glanced away. “I’m honored, you’re all a lovely bunch.” She squeaked, tracing a hoof on the ground after she finished her snack.

A silver hoof found its way through Skyfire’s plumage, and accidentally booped Skyfire, causing the mare to squeak and giggle. “Hi!” Skyfire yelped out, pulling her wings down with a nervous smile, looking over to see Misty Spark gazing at her wings, blinking a few times. The unicorn looked absolutely enthralled with the crimson tips.

“I was trying to look at your feathers, they look so soft when they’re extended out like that!” Misty Sparks admitted, giving a nervous smile, before it transitioned into a more steady one as Skyfire slowly unfurled a wing and scooted over to let Misty Sparks get a better look at it. Misty Sparks inhaled briskly, a hoof hovering with uncertainty.

“You going to ask how to preen them next?” Blaze snorted out with a smirk, causing Skyfire to blush as deep as her mane, followed by Misty Sparks as she noticed Skyfire’s reaction.

“I was just looking at them!” Misty Sparks shouted back, pausing a moment before adding more quietly, “what’s the matter with preening though?” Skyfire gave a nervous smile.

Skyfire fully extended out her right wing and gently preened a few feathers back into alignment, shivering silently as she did. “It’s something that you let somepony you like or trust do to your wings. Trust is important.” She informed the unicorn, giving a shy smile, “If somepony were to mess up our feathers we’d have a hard time flying, and well, they’re sensitive!”

“I guess you don’t talk to the Dashites much then? I’ve even heard about that.” Blaze laughed a little bit before she’d grunt out, “Though that’s smart to be careful of who you let touch your feathers. I doubt Sparky here would do anything wrong intentionally.” She’d admit, rolling her eyes at Misty Sparks’ protests before standing up again. Skyfire was frowning heavily at what Blaze had said, unaware of just what she’d meant by ‘Dashites’. “Anyways, I’ll get back to it.” Blaze said simply, and before long there were five shovels filling in dirt once again.

Another half hour or so passed before the dirt was all piled up properly, and a piece of the aircraft had been stuck atop the head of the grave, Jolts’ name and rank etched into it. Skyfire was crying a little again, but she was all smiles this time. With a careful hoof, she dug out just enough dirt to bury the tree seed Flare had sent along with them. Skyfire held the seed with her wingtips, admiring the life that could spring from it. Her heart sang as she knew this was exactly what Jolts would have wanted. Gingerly the seed was placed in her best friend’s grave and covered with dirt.

Skyfire leaned into Misty Sparks who pressed against her comfortingly. She was trembling, tears dripping down to the freshly moved soil. The others were respectful as she mourned, a mixture of closure and grief flowing over her. The pegasus dipped her head and wiped her tears away with her wing. Silence filled the space besides her sobs, and eventually Sergeant Shears cleared his throat. “Are there… any words you’d like to say, Miss Lumia? Something to say goodbye to your friend?”

Sniffling, the mare gave a nod, her voice strained. “Well… There’s…. There’s at least one Enclave tradition I think he’d like. I j-just hope I don’t mess up the words.” The others looked to her with confusion as she gathered herself, inhaling in preparation. What came next was a foreign tune with a pained voice, singing words beautifully around them.

“Of all the bits that e'er I had
I spent it in good company
And all the harm I've ever done
Alas it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit
To mem'ry now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be to you all

“So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate’er befall,
And gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

“Of all the comrades that e'er I had
They're sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had
They'd wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

“If I had bits enough to spend
And leisure time to sit awhile
There is a fair maid in this town
That sorely has my heart beguiled.
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips
I own she has my heart in thrall
Then fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all.

“A colt may drink and not be drunk
A colt may fight and not be slain
A colt may court a pretty mare
And perhaps be welcomed back again
But since it has so ought to be
By a time to rise and a time to fall
Come fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all
Good night and joy be with you all.”

What followed was a solid moment, maybe two of silence that stretched onwards into awkwardness. Skyfire’s eyes opened slowly, and she looked back nervously as she rubbed a hoof, “I hope I didn’t do too bad.” She murmured. The stable ponies had all shifted away from her, expressions dumbfounded and mouths agape.

“What did you just… do?” Blaze asked, tilting her head, before she glanced over to Misty Sparks. “Didn’t she just… sing? That’s what singing is, right?”

“Yes!” Misty Sparks shouted, jolting back into action as she trotted over to put a hoof on Skyfire’s shoulder. She tugged the confused pegasus over a little bit, smiling very nervously. “The thing we’re uh, not allowed to do.”

Skyfire’s eyes widened as she gasped nervously, her face turning a paler hue than Misty Sparks’ coat. “Oh I-” A silver hoof nearly slapped her mouth shut.

“It’s. It’s. It’s fine! You didn’t know!” Misty Spark gritted as she’d interject quickly giving a nervous look around to see Shears take his grip off of his hoofcuffs, they stayed on his barding as he took to Misty Sparks’ lead. The rest of the security relaxed slowly, though the discomfort was plain to see. They shifted their hooves and glanced to the others as if they expected one another to start arresting. Lily stepped away from her coworkers and pointedly glared at them.

“You sure?” Skyfire whimpered out and looked away nervously for a few seconds, her eyes returning to Misty Sparks for her verdict. It suddenly felt like standing in front of flight sergeants, one action out of line all it would take for them to verbally eviscerate her.

Lime eyes widened with emphasis and Misty Sparks smiled. “Yes. You one hundred percent did not know it’s against the rules in the stable.” Misty Sparks gestured as if it were such an obvious fact, sighing softly as the rest of the security detail relaxed as well, easing into their second snacks. Many of them glanced between Shears, Skyfire, and Misty Sparks, but things remained rather light hearted at that point. Skyfire motioned Blaze and Misty Sparks closer after a few minutes of thought, a nervously eager smile on her face now.

“Yeah what did you want?” Blaze huffed out, eyeing up Skyfire suspiciously before growling as a pair of grey and red wings tugged the cousins into a hug.

“Well I wanted to give my two friends a big hug, thanking you both for coming out here with me on this. It means the world to me to not do this alone, and the rest the stable as well. I said it before but I know Jolts is smiling. And well, I want to help out more back in the stable, make up for everyone going out of their way for this.” Purple eyes wandered for a moment before Skyfire pulled out the mallow leaves. “If I find enough of the herbs I know, I want to try and make you both, and the security detail some tea I’ve read to be delicious.”

“You want to make us… a drink?” Blaze would cock her head, a touch confused. “Look you don’t need to make it up for sing-” Her words were cut short as Misty Sparks nudged the earth pony, shaking her head, smiling all the more. It was too wide a grin, making her eyes bulge a bit and emphasize the discomfort the unicorn felt. Blaze snorted with disgust.

“I think that’d be a swell way to try and pay back, once we make sure it’s all safe, you were wanting to try and teach us about the herbs you found weren’t you?” Misty Sparks would add.

“Well there’s this recipe I’ve always wanted to find, and you might actually have heard of some of the ingredients!” Skyfire started, her wings twitching as she folded her wings back up. The cloak wasn’t too heavy but it was a strange sensation regardless. “You take sage root and you grind it up, then you boil it for a while, after which you steep broc flowers in it… the result is refreshing, like a rich evergreen taste.” She said, “Which sounds a lot better than the very dull tea we were given back in the cloud barracks.”

“You know that does sound refreshing, I think we have what's-it-called, sage? Back home.” Lily piped up which prompted a nervous squeak from Skyfire.

“Oh you could hear me?” Skyfire asked gingerly.

“I don’t think anypony here didn’t hear your eager chattering, but it sounds tasty.” Blaze smirked, earning a laugh from Shears who nodded. “It does sound yummy, but I’m not sure if we have any broc flowers.”

“We do have broc flowers, Blaze. I’ve used them actually in tests, just never thought of combining them.” Misty Sparks hummed quietly, thinking about it. “Both are safe enough though, so I think perhaps we could… make it up at my chemistry station when we’re back?”

A collective eager cheer answered that question, Skyfire gave a nervous smile before leaning in to hug Misty Sparks, whispering into her ear, “Thank you uh, I noticed hoofcuffs being grabbed until you intervened, how bad of a rule did I just break?”

Misty Sparks gasped softly before whispering back, “It’s one of the biggest rules, I uh, singing and recreations are distractions which cause us not to be productive, so they’re banned. We let the surface ponies play their radios, because we don’t want to scare away trade… but it’s distracting and makes it hard to focus. Ponykind played too much during the war, and now we’re here. It’s up to us to make things right and learn from their mistakes.”

“I have thoughts about that, but I understand. And. I won’t- I won’t do it again. Thank you so much. I was really afraid.” Skyfire whimpered under her breath, “Really afraid I had fucked up, and lost the two friends, and the place that was being so kind to me. You all looked like I had just shot one of you. I uh… wow.” Her words tumbled out in a rush, and Misty Sparks pressed her hoof to the pegasus’ lips.

“Ssshshhhhhh, it’s fine it’s fine. It scared me because I was afraid the others would... and.. Let’s just move on. Shears respects the decision enough to be smiling, and I think the drink will help make a better memory of this whole thing. You weren’t told, you can’t be punished for not knowing,” Misty Sparks managed out quickly, giving Skyfire a quick few pats before separating back to stand up.

Blaze poked Skyfire and the mare jolted back. “Hey. I break rules all the fucking time,” she encouraged, “don’t worry about it. They’re all a bunch of softies in the end.”

“We are not!” Shouted Lily.

Blaze snickered, “Luna’s ass you aren’t! Come on Feathers, it’s okay. You gave your friend a real good funeral. I liked the song, if that makes you feel any better.”

Sniffling, Skyfire gave a small nod. “Thank… Thank you Blaze… it does.”

The deviant of a mare gave a comforting smile and patted the pegasus’ mane. “Like I said, you’re one of us now. I’ve got your back.”