Fallout Equestria: Uncertain Ties

Chapter Eight: A Line In The Sand

“There’s no going back now.”

With Jolts laid to rest, Skyfire tried to focus on the present. The Skyhawk could generously be called a mess, more realistically an utter disaster. The pegasus gave a sad sigh as she examined it from the outside, her inner engineer weeping for the damaged vehicle, not yet ready to enter within. The stable ponies had righted it, for the most part, no longer nose down in the dirt. A few wooden struts had been constructed to support its damaged frame, obviously from the burned grove due to the blackening along the surface. It made it a bit hard to see where the aircraft and the wood met, similar in hue and the metal sheen was dulled from burns and impact. The image felt particularly sad to Skyfire, having seen the vertihawk in all its glory before.

The guards had all gone back to their posts, watching the wasteland with careful scans. There was a small encampment on the tallest hill, giving them a view of the surrounding area while still mostly hidden behind strategically placed debris and sandbags. She had to admit, the stable ponies knew how to blend in. Barbwire ran along the perimeter, a trio of stallions patrolling alongside it with battle saddles ready for any potential danger. They conducted themselves much like the soldiers back home, once more comforting Skyfire. Flare had mentioned that there was a significant enough presence of military ponies in the founding days of Stable 36 to influence a love of hot sauce, but she was surprised to see such regimented professionalism in how they carried themselves on the surface.

She found herself at a loss of what to do now, her friend was buried and she felt some semblance of peace but there was so much unknown on the horizon. Looking for some guidance, she shuffled after where she’d seen Misty Sparks go. The tent was overflowing with electronics, an impressive radio stationed in the center. Outside, an antenna made it clear that this was the center of operations. Misty Sparks was speaking with a pair of stallions, Sergeant Shears, and a lavender one with sergeant stripes on his uniform. They were both bulky, with pronounced muzzles. They could almost be brothers if they weren’t such drastically different colors. Shears reminded Skyfire of a sheep, with a brown mane, while the other was shades of pinks and purples as well as a unicorn.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the lavender unicorn was saying as Skyfire approached. “We don’t know if they have radioactive materials in the engines or any other part of the machine.”

Shears scoffed. “That’s a coward’s answer and you know that. There are enough materials in that thing to keep the whole stable going for years if we ration it properly.”

Misty Sparks grimaced as they continued what seemed to be a recurring argument. Her eyes met Skyfire’s and she shrugged. “I don’t think we have the right to decide what happens to it,” she interrupted and gestured to the approaching pegasus. “This isn’t our crash.”

“Pardon?” Skyfire eeped, her mane rising on end as all eyes fell upon her. “I uh- what’s going on?”

The unicorn stallion politely nodded and offered a hoof. “Sergeant Cuffs, I was in charge of the patrol that brought you back to the stable. I’m glad you’ve recovered. I’ve been posted here since, and we’re trying to decide what to do with the wreckage. We can’t stay encamped here forever, it’s not realistic, and since we know the Enclave isn’t coming to pick you up anytime soon, we have to decide what comes next.”

“We should salvage it,” Shears replied, “there’s good stuff in there.”

“If it’s not seeped in radiation,” countered Cuffs, “outside seems safe enough but we detected some rads in the fuselage, which could be leaking out of the spark reactor. Open her up for scrap and we could all get sick or end up like the ghouls Blaze killed.”

“Well if the housing is cracked that’s an easy repair,” Skyfire cut in, “if it’s more than that we’d just need a replacement and a bit of a radiation scrub.”

They blinked at her, Misty Sparks relieved for the expert advice of the engineer. “It’s that simple?” Cuffs questioned.

Skyfire nodded. “Yeah. Vertibucks and all the subsequent variations are made interchangeable parts so that the various variants all typically use the same parts. Now of course we’d need to find a spark reactor larger than most vehicles’, but not near big enough to power your stable. I’m sure a factory that made transportation chariots could swap in easily enough. The biggest difficulty would be properly setting it into place, they’re heavy and would need rigging to lower into the fuselage safely.”

“Doesn’t sound too hard,” Shears said thoughtfully.

“But that’s if we’re wanting to invest in fixing it,” Cuffs said as he stomped a hoof thoughtfully. “I suppose it would be best to repair that and make the rest of the wreckage safe.”

“Or, we fix it,” Skyfire suggested. The thought of tearing apart the Skyhawk hurt her as if she would be reducing what she had left of Jolts to little more than materials.

Misty Sparks blinked at her and then smiled. “You really think you could fix it? It blew up and crashed, it’s bound to be some degree of inoperable.”

Skyfire hummed and tilted her head as she debated the possibility. “I’ll need to give it a full check before I can accurately say, but she seems pretty together from the outside. The spark battery is the biggest concern, without it she isn’t taking off anytime soon.”

“What use would there be in fixing it?” Questioned Shears. “There’s more caps in it for us if we break it down. The metal seems to be high quality, and I know that maintenance is always asking for our scouts to find deposits for repairs.”

The pegasus scowled. “Just because it’s easier to scrap something doesn’t mean that’s the best thing to do. If I get her flying again, you could go just about anywhere so long as you don’t go so high the cloud defense systems activate.”

“The… what?” Cuffs asked.

“Well… to prevent any surface ponies from just going up there one day, there’s a defense system throughout the cloud cover. It’s mostly just around population centers, but metal aircraft would get destroyed. I can’t… really say more,” she grimaced. She was still trying to come to terms that she was stuck down here for the foreseeable future. “Point is, don’t go too high and you’re just fine.”

They debated her words, mulling on the possibilities. Misty Sparks frowned so heavily her brow nearly became one. “If we could have a flying machine, we could scout the area so effectively we’ll finally know what’s beyond our little town for a fact. There are rumors and a few old scouting expedition reports, but we could have an actual concrete map with this. Potentially, we could find out about incoming raiders hours in advance. We could reach places we thought logistically impossible… We could go to Baltimare. How far can the Skyhawk get on one tank of gas?”

“It doesn’t need gas, it’s all powered by the Spark Reactor Battery. That would require recharging, however, but that is with time or magical accelerants. Without cargo or passengers, just a pilot and maybe copilot?” Skyfire squinted, recalling the specs. “1500 miles. That’s the maximum operating range without stopping to recharge in the field. It’s designed for recon, so it can only hold a squad of four outfitted ponies, plus the flight engineer in the back.” Skyfire paused for a moment to smile shyly. “The Skyhawk has two modes, helo, and recon. In recon, the propellers shift to go straight forward, like the prewar propeller aircraft you might see wreckages of… It takes a skilled pilot to shift between the modes while flying.”

“That… went a bit over my head,” Misty Sparks admitted.

“Oh, uhm,” Skyfire flushed, her wings rising to partially conceal her frame before she remembered the cloak that prevented her from doing so. “Basically, it’s made to recon areas, so it’s fast, light, and has a smaller carry capacity compared to the standard vertibuck. The vertihawk was inspired by griffin aircraft, hence the name. It’s agile, swift, and strikes hard but isn’t as much of a personnel carrier. Most vertibucks can take eight to ten troops, but the vertihawk can only carry four soldiers after a crew of three. There exist troop transport craft that are meant to carry upwards of twenty-five or more, but those aren’t used often.”

“That’s smaller than most of our scouting expeditions,” Cuffs muttered thoughtfully. “But with armament like that, I can see it being worth sending fewer people.”

“Less chance of falling into a sinkhole in the sky,” Shears added. “It sounds capable, but where would we even get the supplies to fix her? I don’t know of anywhere that has aircraft parts.”

Misty Sparks began fiddling with her pip-buck, flicking through its screens until she pulled up a map of the area. It was mostly geographical data, but a few squares annotated locations such as Stable 36 and the crash site they were currently at. She panned around using the knobs and frowned. “There’s an old airfield to the north of here, near Hoofsten. Southwest there’s a munitions factory that was discovered in one of our earlier expeditions. There’s also a chariot factory in that area, some sort of old industrial complex.”

“Why do you have that on your pip-buck?” Shears questioned, trying to look over her shoulder.

“I’ve always been curious about what’s beyond our stable, so I updated my maps with what’s in the library terminals,” Misty Sparks explained. She openly let him examine her pip-buck’s screen.

“I don’t have access to those files… Only expedition teams or admins do,” Shears muttered, giving her a jealous look.

The little Overmare-to-be grimaced, not sure what to say. Instead, she continued explaining. “The industrial complex is about six hours southwest of the stable. That was found in the first expedition. Hoofsten was found recently thanks to traders sharing its location, but it should be a pre-war settlement. Apparently, they survived, or somepony moved back in once the radiation had lowered.”

Skyfire blinked and tilted her head. “There’s more settlements out there? Proper ones?”

“Oh yeah, totally,” Misty Sparks said with a smile. “Hoofsten is about two hours from the airfield, a small one mostly used for airshows rather than transportation. That and crop dusters I suspect. I think we could find a reason to salvage there, and maybe set up a trade deal with the town.”

“Good luck convincing your mother,” Shears said, “she’s very cautious about risks like this. Scrapping is still a safer route, not to mention who will fly the damn thing?”

All eyes turned to the pegasus who squeaked. “Uhm, I mean I could sometimes help as the co-pilot, but I’m mostly just an engineer. I know how to get her flying, Jolts was the pilot. At best I could fly it in helo mode, rather than recon. That means it wouldn’t be at its max speed.”

“Better than any of us,” Shears intoned. “If you want to repair your ship, you’ll have to have a solid plan on what to do with it. That’s an awful lot of investment instead of scrap.”

“A dangerous investment,” Cuffs added, “salvaging isn’t safe, there are raiders and mutants all over the wasteland. Between here and Hoofsten are at least six ghoul dens we’ve spotted, not to mention the wildlife isn’t very docile these days. If you can get this going, I doubt she’ll want to put either of you on the teams.”

“I’m the only one who knows what to look for,” Skyfire countered, the thought of actually repairing the Skyhawk giving her a surge of energy. This was her ship, after all. “I c-can’t just write down what it looks like, an expert is the only way to make sure the trip is successful.”

“Blaze could make great protection,” Misty Sparks mumbled thoughtfully, “if she can be kept calm.”

“Something she only relatively does around you,” Shears pointed out. “And your mother wouldn’t dare send you out there.” Cuffs nodded heavily in agreement. Misty Sparks recalled how tense he had been in her mother’s office. He would never go against Flare’s orders.

“If Blaze finds out about this, there’s no way she’d refuse to not be a part of it,” Misty Sparks muttered, an idea taking root. “Mother might even approve given it’s a productive task and she’d be away from the stable to cause any trouble.”

“Right but she’s not going to find out,” Shears said firmly. “I’ve got Lily watching her across the camp. Last I know, she went off to take her meds.”

The little unicorn grew tense and then gave a nod. “I need to use the latrine, I’ll be right back okay? Skyfire, can you keep talking with these two about what will be needed to fix the Skyhawk?”

“O-Oh, yeah sure,” Skyfire nodded, her ears falling back swiftly. Misty Sparks tilted her head as the pegasus hesitated, purple eyes skirting the tent before focusing back on the unicorn. “We’ll write it down so it’s easy to remember later.”

Parting with a smile, Misty Sparks left the tent with steady hoofsteps. The voices of the trio followed her out into the muggy air, Cuffs still voicing his concern about safety and how to repair the aircraft without anypony getting radiation sickness. It made the little overmare proud to hear the concern of her security ponies, but that they were still willing to take a risk. To Misty Sparks this was the greatest opportunity in her life, the literal world was at their hooves if they managed to repair the Skyhawk. Lime eyes hovered over the wreckage, taking in the damage. To her it looked unsalvageable, but if Skyfire thought it possible she would believe her.

There was a small nagging thought that Skyfire would just immediately use it to return to the Enclave at the back of her mind, niggling in with doubt and hesitation. It was possible, and perhaps only fair, but perhaps they could get some use out of the aircraft before Skyfire returned if she so chose. A logical part of her told Misty Sparks that the aircraft belonged to Stable 36 now, but she couldn’t forget the sentiment of what it meant to Skyfire. This could be her one way home after all, though how she’d get past that supposed defense system was beyond Misty Sparks. Perhaps she ought to make sure Skyfire felt a vested interest in the stable, to convince her to think of it more as a home than temporary. Admittedly, she also didn’t want the beautiful pegasus to leave her just yet.

Misty Sparks started towards the far side of camp, closer to where they’d buried Jolts. She passed guards on relief, resting in the shade with meals and canteens. It was definitely a boring posting, but to Misty Sparks that just meant it was safe. If they managed to convince her mother to go in on this, it would be the start of something new. She couldn’t help but get excited; the potential to put her mark on the history of the stable seemed clear, this would take them to the next level. There would be no concern about being stuck in the middle of nowhere if they could take a flight to Baltimare. All the stories of the metroplex left mostly untouched by the bombs filled her mind, making her giddy like a foal.

That giddiness was immediately cut in half as Blaze’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Back the fuck off Lily!” Misty Sparks started running, coming around burned trees to see the pair standing off in the small grove. Disposed chems littered the muddy ground, a bottle of buck catching her eye. To her further confusion she spotted bottles of rad-x among the syringes and refuse. The pair reminded her of dogs, growling, and postering supremacy. Blaze was rabid, drool dampening the ground while pinprick pupils focused on the considerably calmer security pony.

There was a horrifying sharpness to the security guard that Misty Sparks was quick to notice. She wasn’t presenting herself as a protector, but instead an enforcer. Muscle was just as taut as the bulky earth pony, jaw set with thinly restrained malice and ear flicking with anticipation. They were a pair of storms meeting with building violence, a flurry of violence sure to break out.

“Am I supposed to just ignore you getting stoned?” Lily snarked, “you’ll knock yourself out and I’m not carrying you back to the stable.”

“You’re not, you’re staying here remember bitch? You’re the relief duty,” Blaze replied, looming towards the slightly smaller mare. Misty Sparks was surprised she could string words so well in her condition.

Lily scowled, blue eyes narrowed into daggers. “Would you believe that I actually don’t want my fellow guard dealing with your bullshit?”

Blaze set her jaw, tension making her stand taller than normal. “You mean you care about others? Fuck off, Security is just in it for themselves. Half of you act like you’re tough shit because you’ve got a baton but I could kick all your asses into Tartarus.”

“Oh please, if I’d let you take another pill you’d be comatose right now,” Lily declared, stepping closer. Her horn began to glow with blue magic, a baton raised in a promise. “You want another go? I’ll actually put you in your place instead of doing my job as I did in the cafe.”

“There will be none of that!” Shouted Misty Sparks, interjecting herself between the pair. Instantly Lily stepped back, while Blaze grew a menacing smirk. “Both of you calm down!”

“Apologies, Miss Aura,” Lily said briskly, a semblance of professionalism reclaiming her.

With a slow exhalation, Blaze drew near and faced Lily. “Excuse me, I’m an Aura too,” Blaze snarled, “where’s my apology?”

Lily scowled, eyes flickering between the two as she debated something. Finally, her jaw slackened. “I apologize that I stopped you from overdosing or otherwise incapacitating yourself. I will try not to infringe on your right to fuck yourself.”

Before Misty Sparks could blink her cousin had moved, snapping forward like a catapult. She jumped over the small unicorn and barrelled right into the other, bringing Lily to the ground in one fluid motion. A hoof came back and smashed across Lily’s face, blood following after. A baton cracked into the earth pony’s skull, stunning her just long enough for Lily to kick her off. “Bitch!” Seethed Blaze as she stumbled back.

“Please stop!” Screamed Misty Sparks, frozen in place.

Lily got to her hooves and spat blood into the dirt. “Try that again, I dare you.”

“Don’t!” Misty Sparks pleaded.

Blaze didn’t respond. She came charging once more. Lily dodged her and swung at the mare’s ankles. Blaze stumbled slightly but turned with more speed than anticipated and shoulder checked Lily into a tree. The unicorn blocked a punch with the baton and kicked out. Blaze was feral, snarling like a monster. The pinned security guard struggled, while Blaze brought down a torrent of pummels that left her gasping. Something crunched, a spurt of blood following a tan hoof and the baton fell from the air. A cackle followed, Lily cursed, and Blaze reached for her sledgehammer. Lily sent the hammer flying across the clearing in a blue blur. Misty Sparks yelped and dove away from its desperate flight. With a quick glance, she noticed something further changing in Blaze.

Her anger consolidated into an inferno.

She ripped Lily’s helmet off. Something flashed between them, an attempt at a spell, but the massive mare bit the unicorn and pulled back. A burst of blood concealed the true damage dealt. Lily slipped, legs giving out as Blaze pushed all her weight against her. There was a meaty thud as she impacted. Crimson darkened the dirt. Blaze shouted, her hooves raining down. A pair of guards came rushing from beyond the trees, drawn by the noise. They hauled Blaze back from the wounded unicorn. Lily struggled to breathe, ribs undoubtedly bruised if not outright cracked.

A headbutt made one guard stumble back, helmet protecting them from the worst of it but before they could act Blaze pursued. She grabbed them by the shoulder and shoved them into the dirt with a meaty thunk! The other guard jumped at her back, trying to pull her off them as she stomped on padded flanks. The telltale sound of bones cracking split the air. Not even all that armor could protect the smaller pony from Blaze’s power.

Blaze bucked her opponent off and screamed, nothing coherent or civil in her mannerisms as she charged the stallion. He sidestepped her awkwardly, panicking in his motions as magic tried to manifest around the mare’s hooves but she was moving too fast. One ethereal hoofcuff would appear only for the chain to break as Blaze punched and kicked like a wild mule. He tried to maneuver the burned trunks between them but Blaze simply threw her whole weight into charging them, splinters and ash exploding like paper-mâché models as sections of them were destroyed. With horrifying noises the trees came toppling down, whole scores obliterated in her frenzied path.

The unicorn’s panic was palpable. Misty Sparks gritted her teeth and found she could watch no more. Green magic coalesced around her horn and erupted between the fleeing stallion and berzerker mare. An orb of green light blinded the pair, taking them both by surprise. Unlike the last time Misty Sparks had tried such a thing, Blaze didn’t let herself be stunned. The mare kept moving, shoulder checking a tree as the guard dove to safety. She hesitated, blinking away the spots in her vision just like her opponent.

Misty Sparks raced over, focusing her will into a new shape she had seen many times over. She couldn’t let Blaze hurt anypony else. Picturing the familiar shape in her mind, Misty Sparks felt her magic erupt like a geyser. Every fiber of her being screamed that she had to stop Blaze, had to rein in the fury and bloodthirst. She couldn’t let Blaze escape.

A pair of neon green cuffs materialized around Blaze’s forehooves. They sparkled with a unique shape, sturdier than that of the average security pony. Blaze tripped with a growl and wriggled to a half-standing position. Frantic, Misty Sparks cast it again and chained her cousin’s back legs. An ethereal chain tied the front and back set with a piercing chunk! Blaze fell like the trees she’d destroyed, dust and ash billowing out upon impact. The curses she threw were soon overwhelmed by half a dozen hoofsteps.

“Step back Misty Sparks,” commanded an approaching stallion sergeant.

Her steps came to a stop halfway to her struggling cousin. “Please, she’s out of her mind!”

“We can take it from here,” reassured the sergeant. He scanned the area with disgust, taking in the discarded chems and his wounded coworkers. The five other guards swarmed Blaze like a downed beast, magical chains tying her to the nearest tree as she resisted. Her words were little more than feral cries, teeth snapping at anything that got too close. Emeralds shifted to the neon green cuffs that stood out amongst the blues and pinks of the security guards’, and understanding rippled over Blaze. She stopped moving and her protests ceased. A chill ran down Misty Sparks’ spine as all the hate centralized on her.

Blaze knew who had captured her.

Misty Sparks was barely able to focus her magic into a healing spell to help Lily, eyes fixated on her cousin. She didn’t even recognize Blaze at that moment. Awkwardly shifting after the wounded guards, she tried to fix the mess her cousin had made. As blood smeared her hooves when she reached Lily, her heart sank. There was no easy fix to this.

“One broken nose, two broken ribs, a concussion, multiple minor lacerations and to top it off, her jugular was almost ripped out. She’s lucky to be breathing, and I don’t think she’s going to be talking anytime soon,” the medic’s voice was devoid of any judgment as he listed Lily’s injuries. “The others have minor abrasions, a few concussions, and one is suffering from bruised ribs. These wounds were inflicted by one chem-fueled mare.”

Cuffs and Shears stood like sentinels in the center of the cramped field hospital tent. It had been set up as a precaution, a necessary feature in any well-established outpost. It hadn’t been used until now beyond a place to catch a few extra winks or the occasional stomach ache from the MREs. Now it was overflowing with wounded, and at the center was Lily. Misty Sparks grimaced as she took in the bandaging and rapidly applied healing salves. Some cots away, restrained by manacles, was Blaze. She’d been forcefully sedated by the medic upon arrival, but three guards stood nearby with spells at the ready should she awaken just as angry as she’d been brought in.

“She’s really done it now,” Shears hissed after a few moments of silence. The medic gave a nicker before returning to his charges. Misty Sparks watched his movements, fixated by how he tended the wounded. A flicker of magic ran over her horn as she tried to memorize his spells. Among the much larger stallions, she blended in the background.

“I can’t… I can’t really believe she could do all this,” Cuffs said, “without her sledgehammer especially.”

“She was an animal,” came the snarl of the sergeant who’d arrested her. “If she hadn’t been taken down when she was, she might’ve torn through the whole camp.”

“I doubt it would have gotten that bad, Rusty,” Shears snarked. “We’re not all so easily taken down.”

“Are you saying Lily was easy to beat?” Rusty challenged, stepping forward. “She took on that feral and nearly lost her damn throat!”

“Calm down,” Cuffs urged as he forced himself between the pair. He was just barely the tallest between them but notably the calmest. There wasn’t an inch of the stallion that seemed eager for violence, unlike the other two. “Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to do any good.”

Taking a small step back, Shears nodded. “You’re right, we need to figure out what to do about Blaze. I think after this, Flare can’t protect her anymore. She deserves every bit of punishment coming her way.”

“Why did she do it though?” Demanded Cuffs, stomping a hoof. “She’s not senseless, even when intoxicated.”

“Does a dog need a reason to bite? She’s always been one bad trip away from killing somepony. She’s lucky Lily isn’t dead, because if she was that bitch wouldn’t be waking up,” Rusty decreed. “I’m tempted to put her down as it is.”

“Say again?” Misty Sparks’ soft voice came, interrupting their squabbling. All three sergeants stiffened, Rusty swallowing his words immediately. Misty Sparks stepped closer and slipped back into the forefront of their attention. Her face was cold and detached. “No, please, speak your mind, sergeant. Clearly, you’re feeling talkative, so why don’t you let it all out.”

The brownish-red unicorn took a step back, averting his eyes. “I-I was just angry. I apologize.”

She squinted at him, not at all shocked he was trying to walk back those heinous words. “Are you sure? Because I would think a sergeant with as much experience as you would know that saying something like that goes against everything we instill in our security team. You’re supposed to protect ponies, not pass judgment. The laws are not enforced through violence.”

Cuffs and Shears were silent, leaving Rusty to lie in the bed he’d made. “You saw her fight, Miss Aura. She nearly killed those three. If you hadn’t intervened they might just be dead. A killer has no place in the stable.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Misty Sparks asked, still cold. To the sergeants, it was as if Flare stood before them, no hint of anger in her expression. “I begged them both to stop, and neither did. Lily is as much at fault for this as Blaze.”

“How?” Balked Rusty, “the chems on the ground are proof she was in a psychotic state.”

“I didn’t know rad-x caused psychosis,” Misty Sparks remarked, sniffing. “I do know that shirking one’s duty and threatening to allow a pony in need to cause harm to themselves upwards of suicide though, is a neglection of one’s duty.” Confused blinks and shifting glances ricocheted between the sergeants, and Misty Sparks gave a huff. “Isn’t it?”

Cuffs coughed awkwardly. “Uhm, yes… it is.”

“I thought so.”

“Are you implying… Lily did that?”

“I believe her exact words were ‘I apologize that I stopped you from overdosing or otherwise incapacitating yourself. I will try not to infringe on your right to fuck yourself.’ To which Blaze took exception to that.”

“Lily didn’t make Blaze take a dangerous amount of chems,” countered Shears, “I saw the cases on the ground. Rad-x was there too, you’re right, but it isn’t like she wasn’t under the influence.”

Misty Sparks gave a slow nod and looked at the wounded. A part of her winced at the sheer scope of violence. “Blaze is more capable of violence than any of us suspected she is, and this is a clear sign that she is dangerous, yes. However, Lily was goading the fight, inviting danger and eager for it even. We all know they hate each other, and instead of doing her job and de-escalating the situation, Lily openly antagonized a Stable 36 citizen who was not in a healthy state of mind.”

Grimaces were worn all around, and the sergeants dug at the ground. Nopony wanted to admit Misty Sparks was right. She scowled and pointed at Lily. “Blaze went too far, but Lily grossly neglected her duty and played as much of a part in this fiasco as Blaze. So, if I hear anypony else suggest that Blaze deserves anything short of civil justice I will take your rank and let you rot in the brig. It is a disgrace that you would even consider such a thing, Rusty. I assure you, my mother will know of this and you will not wear those stripes for much longer. Get your personal effects together and be ready to return to the stable post-haste.”

Eyes bulging, Sergeant Rusty stumbled into the cots behind him. He looked to the others, hoping that one of them might come to his defense but Shears regarded him coldly and Cuffs openly scowled. “This- You- I- You can’t do that!” He bellowed. “I worked hard to earn this rank! You can’t take it away, you’re just the heir!”

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” Misty Sparks replied, “because you’re the one who turned his back on what it means to be Security.”

“Spoiled brat! I’m twice your age and deserve thrice the respect that you get for the fact that you were born! Do you know what I had to do to get here? Do you think-”

“Shut the fuck up Rusty,” Shears interrupted, looking over to see Cuff’s horn glowing in threat. “She’s right, now go in silence or go in disgrace.” Whinnying, Rusty rapidly took his leave, his fellows watching with grim faces. As he passed through the entrance flaps, Skyfire came walking in. He shoved past her with a violent snarl, startling the pegasus.

Wings raised defensively around herself, Skyfire crept into the field hospital. “What in the name of Celestia is going on?” She eeped.

Misty Sparks tried not to show she was shaking where she stood and gave a thin smile. “Nothing good I’m afraid.” Her heart was racing, pounding so loudly she was afraid everypony could hear it. A fetlocked hoof rested on her shoulder, and she blinked up at Cuffs who gave an encouraging smile. Sighing, she let the tension roll off her body. “How’s the Skyhawk?”

“Uhm… Well, I’m not sure if that’s the most important thing right now…” Skyfire muttered as she approached, taking in the damage. “Did something attack us?”

Cringing, Misty Sparks shook her head. “No, er… Blaze got into a fight with Lily.”

“Really? I suppose they were at each other’s throats the whole way here but still, I didn’t expect they’d actually come to blows.”

“Blaze was high, but Lily pushed her over the edge,” Misty Sparks confirmed.

Skyfire blinked. “She was antagonizing Blaze quite often…”

“They have a bad history,” Shears interjected, “but we can’t just pretend like it’s all Lily’s fault.”

“I never said I was,” cut Misty Sparks.

“Security ponies back home are supposed to protect ponies, even from themselves,” Skyfire said with a scowl. “Lily seems competent, I’d think she could do that if she wanted to.”

“Of course she’s competent, she’s one of our best junior enlisted!” Shears huffed.

“So then she didn’t want to protect Blaze,” suggested Skyfire. She’d seen the way those two treated one another, and while she couldn’t defend all of Blaze’s actions, she certainly didn’t like the idea of her roommate being unfairly punished.

“I- Ugh, yes, I guess she didn’t,” Shears admitted. “Look, I’ll write up the report later and try to be as unbiased as possible, but Chief Smokey isn’t going to like this.”

“Misty Sparks is a key witness, and he isn’t going to just brush that aside,” countered Cuffs. “But… Overmare Flare can’t protect Blaze like she used to after this. Blaze would have killed her if you hadn’t intervened.”

Skyfire gasped and looked at her friend. “Would she really?”

“...She wasn’t thinking, not even a bit. All she wanted to do was fight. We can’t blame a kicked animal for fighting back though,” admitted Misty Sparks.

Purple eyes flitted over to where Blaze rested, and back to Lily. They both were bloodied and bandaged, but only one was missing part of her throat. Gulping, Skyfire gave a small nod. “I guess so… I just hope everything will be okay. She’s been kinda nice to me, especially letting me stay in her room. If I can help her not go to jail for the rest of her life, I’ll do what I can.”

For a moment Misty Sparks seemed shocked, and then she gave a tired smile. “Thank you, that means a lot. It’s definitely going to be messy, but maybe things will be okay in the end.”

“Whatever ‘okay’ looks like,” muttered Shears. “I’m going to write my report, Miss Skyfire, please debrief Cuffs on the status of the vertihawk.” With a respectful nod, the older sergeant departed, a notable weight upon his shoulders.

Cuffs sighed and shook his head, before turning to Skyfire. “Let’s step outside, shall we?” A bit eager to be away from the wounded, Skyfire and Misty Sparks followed him out. The camp was buzzing with energy now, rallying on the fight. Many of the guards could be spotted chatting amongst one another, angry words about ‘justice’ and ‘get what’s coming to her’ reaching their ears at the top of the hill. Misty Sparks sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Hey, it’s too early for that,” said Cuffs as he nudged her.

“They’re all angry.”

“She hurt one of us, it’s how we are. Security is tightly knit, tighter than the rest of the stable.”

“I don’t blame them, but if they let their anger cloud their thinking Blaze is doomed,” said Misty Sparks, ears fallen. “Even if Flare punishes her in accordance with our laws, I don’t think it’ll be enough for them.”

Cuffs shook his head and patted her shoulder once more. His eyes hovered over the gathering ponies below and grimaced. “Not everypony is as bloodthirsty as Rusty. I’ll keep an eye on him until he’s dealt with, okay?”

“Rusty?” Inquired Skyfire. “That stallion I bumped into a bit ago?”

“Yes, him. He’s a bad apple, so don’t go anywhere near him alright? He’s got a bit of sway in the ranks, but with Shears and I both giving accurate reports he can’t get away with suggested murder.”

Wings swept upwards and a jaw fell open. “Suggested what?”

A silver hoof stomped the dirt as tears dampened the soil. They both blinked at Misty Sparks. The brave mask she’d worn broke away in shards, conflicting expressions roiling across her freckled face before finally she openly wept. Skyfire rushed to embrace her, trying to calm the unicorn but she was inconsolable. “He-he’s not… alone. Others might t-try to get justice for Lily. Bl-blaze is fucked.”

“You don’t know that,” cooed Skyfire, crimson feathers wiping the tears away as quickly as possible but they kept coming. “There’s good security ponies too, like Sergeant Cuffs here.” The stallion blushed and returned his gaze to the camp. The call for blood was rising. “It’s going to be okay. If others try something, then they’re bad guards who don’t deserve their badges. Chief Smokey will sort them out, I’m sure.”

“He hates Blaze!” Misty Sparks nearly yelled, only to choke on her tears. “He’s been waiting for an excuse to toss her in the brig and throw away the key.”

“He could leverage this against her,” admitted Cuffs in a low voice. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted more guards talking, the name of the accused reaching his ears far too often.

“Mom can’t just do whatever she wants- she has to keep the stable happy! Blaze has a history of violence and breaking the law. Half of Security hates her on a personal basis. If enough of them want her to get- get capital punishment Flare will have to concede or risk another mutiny!”

“Another?” Questioned Skyfire in a hushed tone.

Misty Sparks buried her face in her hooves. “Grandfather had more than a few conspirators before he tried to conquer the stable with raiders. Not all of them were found out. Rusty is going to get supporters because he’s right, I can’t take his rank. I can only report him, and until then he’s got power.”

Shaking her head rapidly, Skyfire tried to stay optimistic. “I’m sure there are others who will support you! They can’t all be bad apples.”

“Sometimes it just takes the fear of retaliation to keep good ponies from speaking out against bad ones. Grandfather was very good at that.” Misty Sparks shook her head, gritted teeth just visible. Her words came spewing out, almost too fast for Skyfire to understand. “He didn’t like that after my grandmother died, Flare took over as Overmare at a young age instead of him. He had always been petitioning for more power and authority, and many agreed that the Overmare position isn’t a princess. Several think it shouldn’t go to their child, but somepony… deemed worthy. Even I’ll admit it’s weird it’s the eldest daughter and not just the eldest child. Uncle Hammers would’ve been a great Overstallion!”

“None of this makes sense to me,” Skyfire replied, wings flaring and head shaking. “Do you mean… There have actively been conspirators in the stable since your grandfather? Ponies who want you dead because of the rules of succession?”

Misty Sparks looked up to Skyfire, messy and red-eyed. A deadly stillness overcame her. “Ratchet tried to poison my mother. Hammers caught him and that’s what led to his exile. He wanted to seize power by any means, but we’ve always known he had quiet allies. Rusty… He might’ve been on the fence but I think I just pushed him over the edge.”

Skyfire blanched and looked to Cuffs who hadn’t looked at them in a while. Suddenly the stallion rose and urged them both up. Shouts were growing from the front of the camp, hoofsteps clamoring between them. There was a chill that cut through the heated air. “What’s going on?”

“We need to get Blaze out of here,” he said, startling them with his intensity.

“Why? What’s happening?” Misty Sparks sputtered.

He looked at them with palpable fear. “They’re going to lynch Blaze.”