Fallout Equestria: Uncertain Ties

Chapter Nine: Breaking Point

"The wounds that aren't visible often hurt the most."

The demand for Blaze’s blood rose from the camp with haunting fervor. Already ponies were moving in a herd, braying for Blaze to pay for what she’d done to Lily. Rusty’s harsh voice was unintelligible amongst the cacophony, but it reached the trio on the hill to chilling effect. Cuffs threw open the tent flap and shoved the mares inside. The air was thick with anxiety, vibrating on the verge of sheer chaos at the approaching mob. Those within were confused and on edge, but uncertain of the approaching danger. Skyfire sailed across the tent to Blaze and her guards, drawing confused shouts. One guard attempted to block her path but Skyfire flapped above him and landed atop Blaze.

“Halt!”

“We have to go, now! Your comrades have gone mad and want to lynch Blaze!”

Her words stopped them cold. Among them was Pumpkin, the vocal guard on the journey to the camp. She stepped forward and looked between the puffed-up pegasus and the frantic unicorns. “Rusty?” She questioned, focused on Cuffs. He gave a brisk nod. Pumpkin looked at Misty Sparks. “This is your fault.”

“Pumpkin, politely fuck off with that, she doesn’t need this right now,” the brown-colored stallion snorted, giving the yellow earth pony a death glare.

“I don’t know Rocky Cold, I think that it at least needs to be said,” Pumpkin started before yelping as Rocky Cold got in her face.

“Do you think she doesn’t know it already smarty pants? I really wonder if she doesn’t,” Rocky Cold hissed before grunting as he was pulled away by an orange unicorn. The trio looked ready to start a scuffle until Misty Sparks sharply cleared her throat, causing all three to look over.

“I know. I know, this is my fault, and I really know now. Thanks,” Misty Sparks admitted with a sigh, looking up to the three security guards a moment later, “but I’m going to need help to fix this.”

“We have to evacuate Blaze, Misty Sparks, and Skyfire,” Cuffs ordered, refocusing the group. The others started unshackling the accused and grunted as they hauled her onto their backs. As large as she was, the stallion pair of them had to lift her together. Sundance, the orange unicorn, added his magic to lessen the weight, but he soon grimaced at the strain and relented.

“What about the other wounded?” Pumpkin inquired. Misty Sparks scanned the tent, her gaze lingering on Lily. The bandages were already bloodied and in need of changing, but there wasn’t any time to tend to Lily. Her hooves started to quiver beneath her. Just how badly would any of them get hurt, and would she be able to heal them?

Cuffs shook his head. “They’ll be fine. Rusty and the others wouldn’t dare risk hurting them. They’ll come in to get Blaze, not shoot the tent up. They want to hang her, they want a show, nothing quick.” His words sent ice through Misty Sparks’ body, but the guards all gave small nods of understanding.

“We have to call for help,” Misty Sparks said, darting to the medkit that hung nearby. She threw it open and shoved everything into one of her saddlebags. The medic nudged her to follow him to his supplies and unlocked a heavy chest with his pip-buck. A sigh slipped from Misty Sparks as she took in the treasure trove of medical equipment. They could heal a small army with all of this. “Thanks,” she whispered, voice quivering.

“If they’re really doing this, then we’re going to need everything. Prioritize the healing potions,” Golden Haze instructed. “All of you, over here!” Emergency supplies were handed out swiftly, Skyfire barely got one thing tucked away before another was being shoved into her muzzle. She eeped as splints and bandages were stuffed into her saddlebags in equal measure.

“If we’re going to radio for help, we need to get to the command tent,” Cuffs said as he checked outside, barely poking his head through the tent flaps. He pulled back with a whinny and held a hoof to his mouth, then pointed at the backside of the tent. One by one they crept out, Pumpkin at the front. Misty Sparks winced at the shift in light, the midday cloud-filtered sunlight stinging her eyes. She glanced at the others, uncertain if she should lead or follow. Fortunately for her, Pumpkin made that decision and gestured to a set of burned trees they could use to break line-of-sight from the tent.

By the time all eight of them were hidden from view, the sounds of the mob had arrived. The tent became a silhouette play as magical lights illuminated its interior. “Where the fuck is she?” Rusty’s harsh voice rose above the shouts and snarls of the mob. “Where’s Blaze?” Misty Sparks watched from just around a burned tree, mouth agape as she spotted guns and batons in equal numbers against the tent’s walls. Rusty’s distinctive form cut across to the back, growing smaller the closer he became. Misty Sparks yelped and ducked behind the tree just as he looked outside.

Sweat prickled along the little unicorn’s neck as she tried to press her entire body into the tree, a hoof to her mouth to keep from making another noise. Pumpkin gripped her baton in preparation, while the unicorns refrained from focusing their magic to avoid giving them away. She could only pray they were far enough and hidden enough to avoid EFS detection. After what felt like an eternity, the sound of the tent flapping back into place made the tension dissipate. “Fan out! The bitch couldn’t have gotten far! Misty Sparks and her Enclave friend are to be captured alive. Sergeant Cuffs is probably going to do all he can to stop us from enacting true justice. Kick his ass, but don’t kill him.” A cacophony of affirmatives followed his orders, and the sound of many hooves dispersing got the group moving again.

Pumpkin snuck along several paces ahead, her bright green mane and yellow coat standing out against the dark ground and burned trees. Despite this, however, she vanished from sight not long after she’d set off ahead. Misty Sparks frowned, looking everywhere for a sign of the mare but she might as well have turned invisible. No green marker appeared on her EFS, further relieving Misty Sparks that they could remain hidden. Skyfire pressed against Misty Sparks, shivering beneath her cloak. “This is bad,” whispered the pegasus.

“I know… We need to get some distance from camp, or at least this side of it,” replied Misty Sparks. Cuffs’ head was on a swivel as they went, holding his baton in a hoof, making him walk with an awkward gait. The grumbling of the other two security guards was overwhelmed by the crunching of broken sticks and rocky soil. Golden Haze tugged his stable barding periodically, muttering things too quietly for the others to hear.

“Sergeant Shears should be in the command center,” Cuffs said in a hush. “He went there to give his report on the situation. If Rusty is smart, he’ll go there before his treachery can be revealed.”

Misty Sparks winced. “He wouldn’t… kill… Shears right?”

“If he wants me alive he might feel the same of Shears,” Cuffs said in a low voice. “Especially if he takes Shears by surprise, prevent much of a fight.”

Gulping, the mares shared a long look and crouched further. They weren’t exactly the quietest, but they had enough distance already that they weren’t afraid every noise would alert the mob. In a few minutes, they’d reached the edges of the camp, sandbags and barbed wire denoting the perimeter. Misty Sparks took a cautious step out of the grove, only for Skyfire to bite her collar and drag the mare back into the shade. A moment later a patrol of six ponies came racing past, weapons brandished. They did not slow, but to Misty Sparks’ horror, she could see another not far along in the distance. Where sandbags were powerless to stop their escape, constant patrols were another matter entirely.

Skyfire tugged Misty Sparks a few paces back, ears pinned flat in emphasis. “Thanks,” whispered Misty Sparks. Skyfire gave a speedy nod and looked to the others. “What do we do?”

Cuffs grimaced and watched the patrols. “The relief team was still getting settled in, so we’re at twice the standard capacity of personnel. Rusty has a lot of horsepower at his hooves. Our best bet of making any progress is sending out an SOS. There’s no cover out there, you can see for miles from a hilltop.”

“Escaping now would only mean we’d get chased down later,” Skyfire concluded. Purple eyes focused on the stallions carrying Blaze. “We wouldn’t make it far, not with the barbed wire in the way. A patrol would be around before we were halfway through.”

“Even if there weren’t such constant patrols, we’d be spotted from the watchtower in a short time,” added Cuffs. “Dammit.”

“So… it’s best to hole up somewhere in camp?” Asked Skyfire. She glanced at her silent friend, noting the tension along Misty Sparks’ body. The unicorn was rigid, her chest barely even moving as she breathed. Fallen ears and wide eyes were telltale signs of the encroaching panic as she listened. “What… What about the wreckage?”

Cuffs blinked at her. “It’s… Well, I suppose there is only one entrance right now. We’d be trapped.”

“One tight entrance, we’d have to funnel in, but so would the mob. They can’t take us in their numbers like that.” Skyfire stood a bit straighter as she plotted. “The hardest part would be getting there, it’s the center of camp.”

“A distraction would do,” Golden Haze inputted, nodding along to Skyfire. “Make them think Blaze is elsewhere and they’ll swarm like the thoughtless ponies they are.”

A mumble of discontent came from Sundance. “They’re not thoughtless. They’ve been whipped into a frenzy, there’s a difference.”

“A murderous frenzy,” Golden Haze said flatly. “I will have no part in this violence. I’m a healer, not a killer.”

“They’re not killers, they wouldn’t actually hurt anypony that didn’t deserve it,” Rocky Cold defended his cohorts.

Cuffs stepped dangerously close. “Are you saying Blaze deserves this?”

“N-no! I just mean they’re confused! Rusty is filling their heads with nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense,” Misty Sparks finally spoke up. They all turned to her in unison. She still looked as panicked as earlier, but she did her best to stand tall. Or at least, as tall as her diminutive frame would allow her to. “I caused this.”

Skyfire frowned and placed a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “You didn’t-”

“I caused this. This is my fault. I overstepped, I put Rusty into a corner, and now he’s biting back. I fucked up.”

Grimacing, Skyfire tilted her head and looked between the others. Their agreement with Misty Sparks’ words was unsaid yet obvious. “Then you have to make it right. We’re here to help.”

Shivering as if she’d been doused in cold water, Misty Sparks lowered her head. Several moments passed of silence, only the hoof falls of patrolling guards and distant shouts filling the air. “To get to the Skyhawk, we need a plan. A good plan. We can’t just hide in it and think they won’t check it. You’re likely to hide in there given your history. We need a specific route through the camp that will avoid patrolling eyes, and to send the SOS. Afterward, we can double back to the Skyhawk and entrench ourselves.”

“We can’t possibly sneak Blaze into the command tent and the Skyhawk,” argued Rocky Cold in a shrill tone. “Where do we go, what do we do? We’re fucked!”

“Maybe not panic,” Pumpkin’s voice cut in, the mare returning with mud on her hooves. Her sudden appearance made a shout rip from Sundance, and she scowled. “For fuck’s sake.”

Cuffs grunted and cut off any fighting before it could happen, glaring at them each in turn. When the burdened unicorn had calmed, he nodded to Pumpkin. “What did you see?”

“Even if we make it out, we’ll get spotted and caught. I’m sure you already figured that out,” Pumpkin stated, getting nods all around. “Good. Rusty has security guards tearing through camp looking for Blaze and Misty Sparks. Most of them seem as much hungry for vengeance as they are afraid of what he’ll do to them. I saw at least three of them get knocked out for refusing and that was just a warning.”

“What?” Asked Skyfire. “He’s threatening his fellows?”

“Rusty has always been a high-strung prick thinking he’s too good for his position. He wanted to be the next Chief. Now, with his technical firing, he only sees one way out.”

“A mutiny,” intoned Skyfire. Her cloak shook as her wings flared beneath it. Misty Sparks squinted, unsure if the pegasus wanted to fly away or appear more intimidating by being larger. “If he kills Blaze, captures Misty Sparks and anypony who stayed loyal to her, he could spin this however he wants.”

Pumpkin gave a slow nod and squinted at Cuffs. “I overheard a patrol say they need to make it look like raiders attacked.”

“Oh fuck,” Cuffs uttered, shook himself, and stomped a hoof. “He’ll silence anypony who speaks against him and force the others to swear away the truth. If he’s going that far, to fake an attack…”

“Can he actually get away with this?” Golden Haze questioned.

“He’s a bastard with technicalities,” Cuffs replied, “he can spin almost anything to his benefit. I’ve bumped heads with him more than once. The only way for his plan to work means…” He trailed off, unable to say it.

“He’ll kill us,” whispered Rocky Cold, his words a dropped pin. “He’ll actually do it.”

Skyfire stepped closer to Misty Sparks and hugged her. Tears were brimming in the little Overmare’s eyes, her body stiff. The semblance of calm she’d reclaimed evaporated at the grave words. The others looked to her, frowning, shifting their weight in the shadows. The camp that was supposed to protect them from the wasteland had become a bear trap, waiting for them to misstep and set it off.

With a small sigh, Skyfire nudged Misty Sparks away from the others, trying to give her space to calm. Sundance and Rocky Cold let Blaze slide to the ground while they rested, mumbled words of planning followed the pair of mares as they secluded themselves. Long dead forest detritus crunched underhoof as they sat down, a particularly large tree isolating them. Skyfire pulled her cloak off and rested a wing across Misty Sparks’ back. She said nothing, letting her friend think. Finally, Misty Sparks’ voice came in a hagged whisper. “I fucked up so bad.”

“You couldn’t have predicted this would happen,” comforted Skyfire.

“Mother would’ve.”

Skyfire knickered, and leaned against her friend. “You’re not your mother.”

Gritted teeth and narrowed lime eyes were accompanied by a series of stomps. Misty Sparks punched at the dirt and her horn glowed as she threw a heavy branch deeper into the grove. “She never would’ve gotten here. The ponies who are sworn to protect the stable are trying to kill my cousin and likely will kill me too.”

“I won’t let that happen,” vowed Skyfire. “Neither will the others.”

“Why are you even here?” Misty Sparks snarled, taking Skyfire aback. “You could fly out of here, couldn’t you? Even if you are injured you’d probably be able to escape.”

Crimson wings sprang up into the air, and hooves recoiled. A twinge of pain lanced along her side. “I c-couldn’t leave you and Blaze h-ere to die! I w-wouldn’t be a v-very good friend if I did!”

Misty Sparks glared at her, taking in the way Skyfire so viscerally reacted. “Fuck.” She lowered her head. Misty Sparks’ entire body shrunk like a wounded pup. “I’m sorry. That was wrong of me.”

“I know you’re s-scared right now,” Skyfire replied, the accusation bringing out her stutter. “Y-you’re just… lashing out.”

“Still wrong. I keep screwing up,” Misty Sparks sagged, almost melting into the ground. “I don’t know what to do. If I mess up again, ponies could die. I can’t, I can’t be responsible for ponies dying!”

Skyfire took a minute to calm down, focusing on her breathing while Misty Sparks wilted further. Once she was leveled out enough, Skyfire reached out for Misty Sparks. She was met with no resistance and the unicorn rested against her. “Breathe for a second. I know this is… well it’s absolutely awful.” Misty Sparks closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, muttering a number count under her breath. Skyfire watched with a hint of curiosity as the unicorn worked through a grounding technique. Eventually, she gave a slow nod. “They’re all looking to you to lead them, even if they’re taking charge at the moment. This is… it’s… you need to find that bit of yourself that I’ve seen already. You saved me from Bullet, you stood up for me to your mother, and you calmed the situation down when we were leaving the stable.”

“Flare wouldn’t have sparked a mutiny,” mumbled Misty Sparks.

“You’re not your mother,” repeated Skyfire in a voice that brokered no debate.

Misty Sparks looked at her and sighed. “I guess not.”

“Don’t say it like that,” she nearly growled, surprising Misty Sparks all the more with her fervor. “It’s a good thing. You’re you and that’s what matters. Don’t try to be your mother because you’re not. Be yourself.”

“But I don’t know what I would do. I’m inexperienced, untested, unproven!” Misty Sparks stomped the forest floor once more. “All I do is fuck up!”

Skyfire caught her hoof and pushed against Misty Sparks, easily overpowering the little mare. Purple eyes burned like a reactor, intense, impassioned, entrancing. A gasp died in Misty Sparks’ throat as she found herself against a burnt tree. She was suddenly reminded of how much larger Skyfire was, crimson wings encasing them. The rest of the world ceased to be, only Skyfire and she against the tree. With more power than she ever thought Skyfire was capable of, the pegasus spoke. “Stop saying bad things about my friend.”

“But-”

“Not another mean word.”

Heat colored silver cheeks and Misty Sparks averted her gaze from Skyfire’s intense stare. Her heart quickened in a different manner, and she cleared her throat. There was a point in the pegasus’ words she could see. “I’m just making things worse saying these things, aren’t I?” Skyfire nodded so rapidly her hair fluffed out further, cascading around her grey frame. Misty Sparks inhaled and gave a huff. “Right. Okay.”

“What would Misty Sparks do?”

“Try to fix this…”

“How?”

“Mom could use magic to subdue everypony. She can jam weapons, stun, even freeze a pony in place. She could stop the immediate physical threat and then calm everypony. My magic isn’t nearly that strong so I have to… I have to play to my strengths.” At the encouragement of Skyfire, Misty Sparks sat back up. Wings retreated from their guarding position and the unicorn deflated somewhat.

Skyfire nudged Misty Sparks and smiled. “You’re still good at magic, but yes focus on what you can do.”

Lime eyes glanced at the others where they spoke quietly, looking at them periodically. They were risking their lives to protect her and Blaze. She had to be strong for their sake as much as her own. However, there was no faking this. Realizing now she needed to dig deep within herself, Misty Sparks began to breathe slowly. A hoof brushed her cutie mark, a solid reminder of her skills. “Okay,” she said with growing confidence and looked at Skyfire. “I need your help if this is going to work.”

A manic grin lined the pegasus’ face. “You have it.”

For the first time in her life, Misty Sparks felt genuine fear at the sight of Stable-Tec barding. Pumpkin scouted ahead with the surprising talent she possessed and showed the rest of the party how to navigate the veritable minefield camp had become. Skyfire, Cuffs, Pumpkin and Misty Sparks made slow but steady progress towards the command center tent. While there were only three pitched tents, the field hospital and quartermaster comprising the other two, the camp had an impressive amount of construction. A shooting range had been erected on the east end, to which the group stayed well away from. The corners of the camp were guarded by watchtowers with clever camouflage to blend into the natural scenery.

To her slight chagrin, they snuck along the northern woods, latrines dug into the small area of privacy. The reek was difficult to not focus on as they awaited Pumpkin’s intermittent returns. What couldn’t have been more than half a mile of distance crept away with each winding step. More than once they’d had to quickly retreat back, patrols sweeping the woods themselves. Soon enough the guards would figure out they hadn’t snuck out and focus their efforts on the interior of the camp. Sweat and dirt caked Misty Sparks’ silvery hide and she grimaced at the state of herself. Cuffs had dawned his helmet and disguised himself as any other security guard, and fortunately only once had been spotted but not interrogated as he pretended to relieve himself as they passed the latrines.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they’d arrived. The command tent felt larger than before, perhaps only due to the fact that a herd of guards encircled it. “How do we get in there?” Hissed out Skyfire in shock as they took in their odds. Misty Sparks pushed Skyfire back down into the brush and kicked a bit of dirt over her crimson tail to better hide her. The pegasus gave a sour look but little else.

“Golden Haze should be in place by now,” whispered Cuffs.

“We just need to signal him,” replied Misty Sparks with a slow nod. Something brushed against her side, and she jolted at the sudden sight of Pumpkin. “How do you do that?” She briskly demanded.

The earth pony mare gave a crooked grin. “Practice. If you three are ready, I’ll double back and let him know it’s time.”

“Be careful, they’ll know you’re with us by now,” Misty Sparks said, reaching for Pumpkin.

She let Misty Sparks pat her shoulder, having to reach up significantly, and then smiled. “Don’t worry, they’ll never see me.” With a respectful nod to Cuffs, Skyfire, and one more to Misty Sparks, Pumpkin trotted away. It took seconds for them to lose sight of her.

“I want to learn how to do that,” Skyfire murmured, then addressed Cuffs. “You’re absolutely sure you know how to operate the radio?”

“I’ve done it plenty already. We just need a minute to send out the SOS.”

“Then I suppose we… wait.” Skyfire lowered herself as much as possible to the ground, the other two following her lead. They did their best to make as little noise as possible, but even in spite of the noise Skyfire did end up making, the rambunctious, wild, and chaotic ponies running around outside disguised most of it away. As they waited, Misty Sparks did her best to remain calm, eyes closed and mind solely on breathing. Skyfire took notice and laid a wing across the unicorn’s back. It helped significantly, and Misty Sparks gave a silent thanks.

Ten minutes later the sky was nothing but gold. Explosions of harmless magic rippled across the clouds, reflected by the ceaseless overcast. Immediately its intended effect was felt, as the security guards raced towards its source. Golden Haze wouldn’t have long to escape, but with Pumpkin aiding him he surely would. Cuffs was the first to move, dashing out of cover and shoulder-checking one of the two guards who’d remained behind. The second shouted, but the fireworks overshadowed his cry of alarm. Skyfire pounced with a powerful thrust of her wings, and Misty Sparks gaped as the stallion’s legs were swept out beneath him. Grey hooves slammed into an exposed belly, and his voice cut short. Skyfire panted as she landed with shaky legs, and smiled back to Misty Sparks whose mouth hung open. Cuffs quickly knocked out the remaining guard and dragged the unconscious bodies into the tent.

Misty Sparks crossed the distance to the entrance. Before she could question Skyfire on her hoof-to-hoof skills, the pegasus shoved her inside. The tidy setup of electronics was utterly absent now, replaced by chaos. Terminals were tossed about, half-broken with components spilling outwards. Splatters of what concerningly looked like blood led to a white earth pony crumpled against the center radio apparatus. “Shears!” Shouted Misty Sparks and she galloped to him. She grabbed him by the collar and attempted to hoist him up, but he was far too heavy for her. Cuffs aided her, and they moved him to the ground so she might examine him. Skyfire winced and dashed to the radio.

“He’s still breathing,” rushed Misty Sparks as she focused her magic. “They beat him to a pulp, but he’s alive!”

“Thank Celestia,” Cuffs said. “He must have resisted Rusty.”

“Why not just kill him?” Misty Sparks questioned as healing magic flowed from her horn in a neon green hue. She winced at the thought that her magic could be seen from outside as they had seen the unicorns in the field hospital tent, but Golden Haze’s fireworks were still exploding.

“If Rusty gets Shears on his side, this is said and done,” Cuffs intoned. He shifted to the radio and neighed shrilly. “They fucking broke it!” Skyfire was examining it with a keen eye, wingtips nudging bits and pieces. “Can you fix it?” Purple eyes blinked at him, as if annoyed at her concentration being broken. He gave an apologetic smile.

“I think so. Keep watch so nopony suspects something is going on please,” Skyfire replied. Cuffs nodded and readjusted his helmet before darting outside.

“You can do it?” Misty Sparks asked, pulling bandages from her saddlebags and whispering her thanks; they’d raided the supply. “It looks smashed.”

“It’ll be more static than not, but it’ll work. I need some duct tape and a terminal. See if you can find one that isn’t absolutely ruined,” Skyfire instructed as she pulled off the dented cover. “I need solid wires, and most of the debris is cut short, or fried from their destruction. I’ll need to solder some.”

“You’ll need to do what?”

Skyfire paused before smiling faintly. “I do have some flux and soldering tools so you don’t need that.”

Misty Sparks almost questioned how Skyfire could tell from such a brief glance but thought better of it. Skyfire was an aircraft mechanic, and at that moment she demonstrated it more than all the technical talk of earlier. Misty Sparks trusted Skyfire, and that was what mattered. “Okay, he’s stable,” she reported and started sifting through the wreckage. Her magic made short work of it, mentally reaching out to grab everything, and something that denied her normal skill of telekinesis caught her attention. She rushed to a large terminal that was mostly just knocked over and unplugged and dragged it to Skyfire with some difficulty.

“Great! Now, I could use some light,” Skyfire said as she descended upon the terminal like a vulture. Misty Sparks used her pip-buck’s light to save on magical exertion and watched in awe as Skyfire cannibalized the terminal for parts. “Perfect. You know you’d be a great assistant for when our lives aren’t on the line,” Skyfire remarked with a somewhat forced tone. Sweat trickled down her brow and wings trembled, clear for Misty Sparks to see.

“You can do this,” the unicorn encouraged, a hoof finding its way to Skyfire’s shoulder. “Don’t get stressed out like I was. Breathe, right?”

Skyfire blinked up at her, splitting her attention for only a moment. A smile broke free from her stern concentration. “Okay. Yeah.” The pegasus jostled herself and inhaled stiffly, exhaled, repeated it more naturally, and returned to the task with renewed vigor. She called for tools and scrap with the clipped precision of a surgeon, reminding Misty Sparks of her early lessons in medicine. The radio was a massive unit of engineering with wires crossing along paths that loosely reminded Misty Sparks of muscle tissue, corded together along vacuum tubes and feeding back out. She didn’t understand exactly what Skyfire was doing, but she could tell Skyfire was starting to look less scared.

“Nothing over here!” Came the sudden shout of Cuffs though his voice was off, an attempt at disguising it. The pair tensed, pressing into the ground with frantically scanning eyes. Hoofsteps trotted past, nopony came bursting through the tent flaps, and with a sigh of relief, they got back to work. Five more minutes of rapid repairs crawled, sweat and fear mixing with determination in the tent. Between the repairs, Misty Sparks checked on Shears and applied more healing magic, but he was not deteriorating.

With a muted shout of triumph, Skyfire slammed the cover back onto the radio and flipped the switch. It came to life with a cough and some sparking, but it did come to life. Misty Sparks hugged Skyfire frantically, shaking the pegasus back and forth, and then pounced upon the hoofset. Static poured out loudly and their ears fell back to shield themselves from its pitch. The tent flap fluttered as Cuffs galloped in. “You did it!” He said in a brisk whisper. “Amazing! Let me through, I’ll get it on the right frequency.”

They parted so that he might get it adjusted, Misty Sparks and Skyfire sharing a few more moments of excitement. “I know I helped you but I can barely believe it,” Misty Sparks praised as Cuffs fiddled with the dials. “You really know your stuff.”

Cheeks turning crimson like her mane, Skyfire smiled. “T-thanks.”

“Fuck, we need your overmare override he changed the encryption keys,” Cuffs interjected.

Misty Sparks unplugged the interfacing cable that rested on the back of her pip-buck into the designated port and quickly tabbed through to her files. Her pip-buck’s screen flashed a series of codes and then the radio chirped out fresh static. Once more keying the mic, Misty Sparks nearly screamed. “Mayday mayday mayday! This is Crash site Outpost requesting immediate support! There’s a mutiny! I repeat there is a mutiny! Please, somepony, send help immediately, Rusty is trying to kill Blaze! Mayday mayday mayday!”

The radio crackled, a voice just barely coming through. “Repeat? You’re breaking-”

“Dammit,” hissed Cuffs as he started to lift Shears onto his back. “Try again! Make sure they hear you.”

“Mayday mayday mayday!” Misty Sparks wailed, heart near to bursting. They were on the stable’s emergency frequency, and every security guard’s pip-buck could pick it up. The mob was coming, she was sure of it. “Crash Site Outpost requesting immediate support! Rusty has mutinied! I repeat, Rusty has mutinied over!”

“Is that- Parks- Cra- anger?”

“Yes! It’s Misty Sparks!” She jumped. “We need the Overmare, or Smokey, anypony that can quell a mutiny! Rusty is trying to kill Blaze, and me over!”

“Under- sending- be there -our.”

“When over?”

“Two hours over!”

Before she could respond the radio exploded as a bullet tore through it. Misty Sparks dove away, grabbing Skyfire along the way while Cuffs scrambled backward. “Fuck!” Cuffs shouted, horn glowing as he cast a shield around them. The tent flap was split open with a pistol brandished, the furious face of a security guard following after. “Out the back, now!”

The mares galloped as bullets began to fly, Cuffs’ shield doing its job. “You picked the wrong side Sergeant!” Shouted the mutineer.

“Tell yourself that!” Cuffs retorted as he slowly backed up. Misty Sparks threw open the rear flap and cursed briskly at the mob approaching. Her call had been heard. “Go!”

“We’re not leaving you,” Misty Sparks screamed, projecting her own magical shield to protect them from the gunfire of the mob. She winced as a burst tore across the neon green surface and her knees quaked. “You or Shears!”

Cuffs looked back at her as the front of the tent was enveloped by the mob. They were utterly surrounded. He gave a pained smile, sage green eyes full of something that made Misty Sparks want to scream all the louder. “You’ll be a good Overmare because you care about ponies, but only if you live to that day. Go!”

Skyfire discarded her cloak and grabbed Misty Sparks around the waist. The unicorn struggled, trying not to lose focus of her magical shield as bullets came fully to bear. There was a strange sensation as the pegasus flapped her wings, lifting them from the dangerous situation with a grimace. Several firing lines trailed after them as Skyfire adjusted to the lighter weight of Misty Sparks, struggling to hit a flying target. Magic failed, tearing through the protective bubble and narrowly missing the duo. Beneath them a magical explosion ripped through the tent, sending cloth flying. Misty Sparks snapped her gaze down just in time to see Cuffs surrendering, fallen to his knees but alive. Shears lay in the muck nearby, holding a gun to his skull. Mutineers began to beat Cuffs, batons landing with meaty noises. He fell completely.

Pain erupted across Misty Sparks’ world as a bullet struck true. Blood sprayed out as her vision turned white. Skyfire flinched as she noticed a splash of red on her coat. “Misty!” She shouted, careening for a moment.

“Fuck!” Misty screamed, squirming and wriggling as she looked back to see the wound, her heart spiking. “I got shot!”

“Shot?!” Skyfire’s voice hitched as she stalled her ascent. “H-how bad?”

“My fucking leg. I’m-I’m fuck fuck fuck,” Misty Sparks quickly grunted out, pushing her hoof onto the wound, leaving Skyfire careening.

Pain lanced along the pegasus’ side, and she forced it from her mind. “I can’t really fly with you shifting… we need a place to get that checked out!” She called out and frantically looked around. Skyfire yelped and flinched, rising up higher into the air as bullets whizz past them. She twisted and jerked to remain hard to hit. The unfamiliarity with an aerial target was showing as the shots were increasingly wide.

“S-Skyhawk, like we planned! Keep breathing Sky!” Misty Sparks managed out as she groaned and forced herself to hold onto Skyfire’s hooves. Magic flowed around her horn as she tried to heal herself, but her concentration was shattered and she screamed in pain. “M-make it quick!”

Misty Sparks regretted her request as Skyfire tucked forward and dove towards the Skyhawk. All the bullets missed wildly as the mutineers tried to silence them. “Fuck!” Heat and pain roiled over the overexerting pegasus as her unicorn cargo bled. Her vision faltered as tears welled, burnt treetops whizzing past.

Skyfire let out a cry of agony.

CRACK!

Skyfire flared out her wings to slow them to a survivable speed. “Shit!” She bellowed as her wings spasmed and failed to stop them entirely. A blur of brown was all the pair could see before Rocky Cold caught them roughly, falling back onto the ground. Arms wrapped around them and they skidded a few feet from their momentum, a grunt of pain coming from their rescuer.

“Wasn’t expecting that kind of an escape… and you’re both hurt, fuck!” Rocky Cold shouted and adjusted to drag both of them, much to the protest of both the younger mares. The earth pony grunted with effort but steadily retreated into the safety of the Skyhawk. Dark brown eyes scanned the area but there was no sign of the sergeant, only the mutineers who were coming running. “Where’s Cuffs?”

Rocky Cold’s words didn’t register to the pegasus, and even less so to the unicorn. Skyfire whined in shallow breaths, her chest ragged as she clutched her side. She curled inward with limp wings. “I-I think I b-broke so-so-something, again.” Hooves of various colors grabbed at them, pulling them into the dark. Skyfire screamed as somepony touched her wounded side. Once they were securely in the damaged belly of the vertihawk they were laid out in nearly the same spot as where Skyfire had awoken after the crash. Blaze slept a few feet away, still sedated. The security guards rushed to the small entrance, which had been righted more than its initial impact had left it in, with their weapons at the ready for any pursuers.

“You’re both going to need some time off work after this,” Golden Haze levelly remarked as he pulled out a first aid kit. In the din of the Skyhawk, it was nearly impossible for Misty Sparks to see beyond the range of her pip-buck’s light. “It’s a good thing we raided my stash earlier.”

Misty Spark’s eyes were wide as she quickly started bandaging herself, magic shakily moving the wrappings. “C-can’t pull out the bullet right now. Golden Haze- whatever you have to numb my leg, I-I need it, Yow!” The mare flinched as Golden Haze stabbed her with a syringe seconds after she started talking.

“I was already doing that, but good, you’re remembering your training. And you’re not panicking… Entirely at least.” The stallion gave a rare smile and patted her hair before adjusting to guide a potion over towards the other wounded mare. “Skyfire?”

“Y-y-yes?” Skyfire’s voice cracked out.

“Drink this potion, then lay here for now. I’m hitting you with painkillers,” Golden Haze calmly instructed, causing the purple-eyed pegasus to open her eyes, tears streaming out. Her entire body trembled and her sense of balance was twisting. She felt like she might fall through upwards into the sky. Skyfire shakily drank the potion with the unicorn’s help, spilling some of it on her muzzle before squeaking as she was stabbed with the pain killer. Half a moment later that squeak became a sigh of relief and she sagged into cold metal.

Sundance glowed a bright orange for a few moments as he focused his magic into a spell, and lines of light washed over each of them. It was a very unique spell that would save them, hiding them from EFS detection. A moment passed as the pair sat there catching their breath, the sound of approaching danger mixing with their murmurs of pain. Rocky Cold leaned over and patted both of their backs. “Now that you both can actually breathe without choking, what happened to Cuffs?” He asked tenderly, Skyfire flinched as she coughed from the stress.

“I couldn’t carry both of them- I’m sorry,” Skyfire mumbled numbly as she looked around, trying to avoid looking into anypony’s eyes. Only Pumpkin actively sought her out, and she ducked her eyes away.

Rocky Cold’s eyes softened for a moment and he shook his head. “You’re healing from being hurt, you managing to carry Misty Sparks is a miracle you didn’t hurt yourself even more than this.” He reassured calmly, gesturing to her side. She winced at the mere thought.

“That doesn’t excuse the fact we just left him there to take the brunt of my m-mistake,” cut in Misty Sparks. “What if they torture him for helping me? What if they kill him?”

Skyfire set a hoof on Misty Sparks, coughing again and shuddering as the potion slowly worked its magic. “Th-they shouted to keep him alive, Misty Sparks. That means-”

“They’re holding him hostage then,” Golden Haze interrupted, nodding slowly. “And I suppose that means they’re making an actual plan then, probably for Blaze.” He added, nodding to the unconscious mare in the back of the Skyhawk. They all stared at Blaze who snored quietly where she lay. A twinge of anger shot through Misty Sparks that her cousin was sleeping through all of this, but the alternative was disastrous.

Misty Spark’s face turned pale as she stammered, “I uhm, fuck, what do we do then?”

Golden Haze looked Misty Sparks in the eyes and firmly sighed. “You’re the next Overmare, we protect you. It’s what we all signed up for, at least the ponies who still believe in the Overmare.” He said, adjusting his barding quietly. He patted down where he kept potions and bandages and gave a little nod. “Cuffs believes in what you wanted to do here, even if you made a critical mistake.”

Skyfire put a hoof on Misty Sparks’ shoulder gently and attempted to hug her friend, only to fail and wince. “L-look, we believe in you, even if these ponies have rioted to try and kill Blaze. T-that’s not how you do things, right? We got the signal out, w-we just have to h-hold out.”

“Do you think our original plan will still work?”

“It’s the only real option, isn’t it?”

“No one in Security is particularly technologically inclined,” Sundance added in, “I’m among the smartest in my squad. I’m the only one who knows the EFS hiding spell, and that’s because I studied incredibly hard. It should still work, though I’m not sure for how long.”

“Can we last two hours?” Asked Misty Sparks in a quiet voice.

At that point a light green matte of mane crossed into the pip-buck’s light, Pumpkin eyeing both of them. “You both need time, we all do, and I have another distraction in mind. Sundance!” She called out, lifting up a smoke grenade. “I need you to help me make it look like we’re making a break for it. I can obscure the area and you make it look like we’re running. Can you fake EFS signals?”

Sundance gave a proud nod after looking at Skyfire and Misty Sparks. “They definitely need the time to heal up, before we go with our original plan. These little ponies have done their part, for now, we’ll do ours.” He stood up and grabbed a second smoke grenade from Pumpkin. “We’ll want to make sure it looks convincing. My illusions don’t hold up to close inspection.”

Pumpkin gave a nervous grin, orange eyes a faint bit too wide to conceal her true feelings. “That’s why I have lots of smoke grenades, we’re going to make a trail to show where we’re ‘going’. Come on, let's get moving.” She quickly pulled the pin and rolled the first grenade outside. A quick chorus of gunfire smashed into the Skyhawk, vibrating the metal hull around them. Skyfire barely suppressed a scream, while Misty Sparks covered her ears. The shooting subsided as the smoke thickened, voices calling out from outside. Taking her chance, the earth pony quickly jumped out, throwing another primed smoke grenade as she went.

Sundance whistled softly and jaunted out after, the pair disappearing quickly into the smoke. Golden Haze grunted at that point and quickly turned off Misty Sparks’ pip-buck light, partially to help obscure them as the voices decreased, hoofsteps and shouting fading away. Golden Haze lowered himself so that they could just see each other in the din, only smoke diffused sunlight further hidden behind clouds wafting through the holes of the wreckage. They waited until the noise had faded entirely, certain the ruse had worked, before anypony made a sound.

“You need to lay down now and not move around,” instructed the medic.

Skyfire nodded shakily, no longer crying actively as she gingerly laid out on her back, breathing more steadily now. Golden Haze comforted with a smile and patted her arm. “Now you both are injured, but keep an eye on each other,” He ordered. “Misty Sparks, your turn. Lay next to Miss Skyfire.”

Lime eyes squinted down to Skyfire before Misty Sparks quickly obliged, hooves uncertainly carrying her over. She gasped softly as she realized Skyfire had extended a wing down to let her rest against. The pegasus gave a nervous smile at that point, focusing on the mare next to her instead of everything stressful right then. With the noises gone, it was surprisingly easy to do just that. “That shield spell was quick thinking to protect us till we got out of the tent,” she murmured.

“Cuffs gave me the idea,” whimpered Misty Sparks.

“You still cast it yourself.”

“And you have flown twice with your injured body!” Misty Sparks protested, before calming down and giving a heavy sigh. “Yet, it’s probably the reason only I got shot and once at that, but you hurt yourself again! You need to stop taking such risks.” At that point, Misty Sparks adjusted enough to feel Skyfire’s wing herself rather than through her barding and stiffened. A hoof brushed crimson feathers, and she spoke her thoughts aloud, “Your wings really are that soft.”

“Is that something of a rumor?” Skyfire asked curiously as she fluttered her free wing softly, a small blush forming on her face.

“Oh uhm, I suppose it is, ponies mentioned how they’d love to bury their heads in them…” Misty Sparks admitted with a quiet smile as she eyed her friend's feathers in the din. She could just make out the way they swept away from a lithe grey body. A hoof shakily reached up to caress Skyfire’s plumage and hesitated. The pegasus twitched softly at the unspoken question but smiled back at her friend slowly to give permission. Misty Sparks stroked along the forelimb of her wing, surprised at just how firm it was. “I understand being able to lift me, but Uncle Hammers even when injured so? You’re so much stronger than I thought, and the way you took out that guard- I really don’t know you Skyfire.”

The pegasus tucked her head. “There’s a lot I can’t talk about… but I’ve always been stronger than others think… even myself. I forget it until I really need it. I have to dig deep to find it but it’s always there.”

“I hope one day you can talk about it. I want to know the mare who risked her life for me and my stable,” Misty Sparks whispered. “I feel like you’re my friend, but a stranger at the same time. If we make it out of this… I want to rectify that. Please.”

“I… I would like that a lot, actually,” Skyfire admitted. “I suppose I do know more about you than the reverse. Y-you’ve been very open to me. I want to return that favor.”

“You will,” Misty Sparks said with growing confidence. “We just need to buy time.”

“I don’t know if I should move right now though,” winced Skyfire. Golden Haze knickered his advice to not try, and she gave a small nod. “I can instruct you what to do though, how to remove the parts so we can make the gas bomb. If Sundance is right, then it should scare them back.”

“We have to make entering the Skyhawk too risky,” agreed Rocky Cold, “And your plan sounds like it’ll work. Sounds like they’re still buying into Pumpkin and my brother’s trick.”

“At least ten more minutes,” guessed Golden Haze. He focused his magic to cast a healing spell, and they both sighed in relief at its effects. The pain started to subside, but the damage done to them both was still very real. The bullet ached in Misty Sparks’ leg, the wound mostly closed over it now which would make removal later frustrating, but it was better than the alternative. Skyfire’s rib was still hurting something fierce, but it wasn’t blindly terrible anymore.

“That gives us enough time though I’m going to hate wasting this battery later, I’d rather be alive to whine.” Skyfire gritted her teeth gently as she twisted her body carefully to look around, pointing to a compartment in the front section of the Skyhawk. “Golden Haze, can you go over to that panel, and open it up, here’s the correct screwdriver type to open the hatch.”

Golden Haze moved without another word, only to pause for a moment to look back. “Miss Skyfire, is it the same proverbial passage up in the clouds? Righty tighty, lefty loosey?”

Skyfire let out a quiet snort and nodded with a smile. “Yes, I was happy to learn that Equestria mostly all follows the same idea of how to screw things tight,” Skyfire answered back with a sigh, adjusting to try and get comfortable again. Her wound made most positions aggravating after a point. “On-once that’s open, there’ll be two power cells, we’ll be taking the one with any charge left, and I want you to bring it over.”

Several minutes passed as Golden Haze succeeded in opening up the power panel, and found that pulling out the power cell was harder than imagined. The unicorn cleared his throat and looked over to Rocky Cold. “Would you mind helping me with some of that earth pony strength you all talk about?”

Rocky Cold snorted and quickly walked over, adjusting to get leverage before he gave a mighty heave. There was a scraping noise of metal on metal, loud enough to make the ponies flinch before the power cell gave way and lurched out. “That probably should have been removed a while ago?” He asked Skyfire who gave a nervous nod.

“We probably should have, but this is the first time I’ve been able to really look,” Skyfire protested weakly before sighing, “It’s a good thing they’re still here though. I am glad that unicorns can charge up batteries or this would be a lot harder.”

“Wait, you all do that up there in the clouds as well?” Misty Sparks asked, smiling as the pegasus nodded back quickly.

Skyfire mirrored the smile back, adjusting enough to focus on the battery. “The unicorns that are part of the Enclave help power a lot of things when we’re away from a power source in the cloud cities. If you all know the spells to do it then this is a lot simpler, we’re going to charge it up to near capacity. Then I’ve got a bit of a primer here that we’ll use to overcharge it. That’ll disrupt… well it’ll make it build up excess gas in the reaction.”

“Won’t it explode then? I thought we didn’t want to kill ourselves,” Rocky Cold quickly said, frowning as he looked over the battery, a small monitor on the side indicating its charge level. It was nearly empty at its current state.

“Well, I’m going to do something incredibly stupid. I’m going to pierce it with my utility knife, right after I start the overload process,” Skyfire started with a nervous smile, “Then I need somepony who can throw it precisely so it’s close enough to shield us. It’ll obscure itself with the smoky gas that a unicorn can’t see to pick it up.”

“I can still do that, my magic is coming back to me,” Misty Sparks offered quickly and leaned over to look at the battery. “How much smoke will it produce?”

“Well, that depends on the hole I make. I want it to be fairly big so it makes a lot of gas, we’ll have to hope it doesn’t blow our way,” Skyfire started before she thought quickly, looking around. “It’s designed to be pressurized, and well, there’ll be a few seconds when I trigger it to overcharge before it starts spewing gas.”

“So I’ll have maybe five seconds to throw this where I want before it floods out with gas?” Misty Sparks asked softly, her ears pinned in thought. “There’s only really one way in here right?” She asked for confirmation from Golden Haze.

“Let me verify,” he answered back calmly before he moved to look out of the bay, scanning the area. A moment later he quietly licked his hoof and leaned out of the Skyhawk, observing for a moment. “The wind is blowing south, we’ll be covered if you throw it out to the right side.” He turned back to Misty Sparks. “I won’t advise you to move, but you two did plan this out.”

Misty Sparks gave a frown, looking up at him. “Are you saying you want to do it instead?”

“I’m saying I trust you two in your plan, and I trust you to throw it far enough, my magic isn’t as strong as yours,” he answered back with a gentle sigh. “You’ll make the throw where you really want it to go.”

Misty Spark’s eyes softened for a moment. “That means a lot to hear. Thank you, Golden Haze.”

“You do realize that while you made a mistake, we do believe in you still, and while Blaze did well… everything that happened, Lily had her hoof in it too, and this is out of protocol to just lynch her,” Rocky Cold commented sternly, his gaze not wavering as he looked to Misty Sparks. “You’re the future Overmare, and you’ve done your best to make yourself a worthy one.”

Before Misty Sparks had the time to reply, her mouth agape, Skyfire nudged her. “Remember, no talking bad about my friend. We have a plan, and we have our friends here working to make sure we all get out of this alive.”

Misty Sparks made a flustered noise before sighing, “Right right, you all believe in me. That helps, but when do we want to do this?”

“Sometime soon, we probably don’t want to use it before we need it,” Skyfire sighed nervously, glancing toward the entrance. She couldn’t hear any mutineers outside it like earlier, and while the bomb would be effective, they had a long timespan they had to make it last for.

“Use… What?” Came a raspy voice from the cockpit, causing a jolt to run down each of their spines. “Where… What the fuck is going on?”

Misty Sparks bristled as a pip-buck’s light flickered on, basking them all in its neon light. Emeralds were bleary and dilated, red and pink hair was disheveled and a torn stable suit bloodied and dirtied. Blaze had awoken. “You’re supposed to be sedated,” Misty Sparks immediately said.

“What?” The earth pony sluggishly rose her head. “Why- no?”

“Yes. Golden Haze, if she gets enraged-”

“I don’t have any more tranquilizers,” Golden Haze interrupted with more inflection than he normally spoke with. “I went for healing agents instead.”

“Can’t you just knock her out with a spell?” Misty Sparks’ voice pitched.

Blaze winced at the volume and waved a hoof, setting the light jilting in a nauseating manner. “Sparky… what the fuck is going on?”

“Do you… not remember?” Asked Skyfire in a soft voice. The unicorns whispered briskly to one another on what to do, and Skyfire sighed. “We’re in danger.”

“Danger?” Blaze blinked, mouthing the word several times. “No, we’re not. We’re at your crash site. It’s boring out here now. Wait… Why the fuck are we in the wreckage, and with the fucking medic?”

“You-”

“No!” Misty Sparks cut Skyfire off. “Do not set her off.”

The large mare groaned and slumped against the metal walls of the vertihawk. “Sparky, I literally could not go off if I wanted to right now. My legs feel like whatever was in my sink last week.” She wiggled a hoof for dramatic effect, and the unicorns squinted suspiciously.

“She has a right to know,” Skyfire said firmly, “before somepony dies.”

Her words made Blaze jolt upwards. “Dies?” She looked from Skyfire to her cousin, ears swiveling forward. Misty Sparks leaned away. “You’ve been fucking shot, you’re bloody. Who the fuck hurt you?”

“I don’t know, a lot of ponies were shooting at us.”

“Raiders?”

“Security has mutinied, or at least most of them,” Skyfire confessed when Misty Sparks tensed up. “We’re hiding here because it’s the safest place around. Can… Can you please turn off your light?” Blaze obeyed without hesitation. “Thank you.”

“I’ll kill them,” vowed Blaze.

“You can’t even walk, let alone maim right now,” Golden Haze interjected, crossing over to her. “I’m not going to sedate you with magic right now because I need to avoid burning myself out on wasteful tasks.”

Snorting, Blaze glared at him. “Jeez, you’re a peach aren’t you?”

“You caused this. Misty Sparks, Skyfire, and several of us have been risking our lives to protect you while you slept. It’s not because we, or at least everypony but these two, care about you. It’s because it’s the right thing to do. Lily crossed a line, so did you. Killing one another isn’t the fucking answer. Some of us actually have morals.”

Tension ran along the large mare’s body, muscles trying to lift her only to fail. “When I can move-”

“You won’t do anything but what you should. You owe these mares your life. Rusty wants you dead, and he will stop at nothing to accomplish that. Your actions have endangered your cousin Blaze. Do you understand? It’s not just you getting hurt anymore.”

Blaze glanced from him to the others. Rocky Cold watched the entrance silently. Skyfire and Misty Sparks were staring at her, pleading silently. Her eyes settled on the bandages Misty Sparks wore. With a twitch of an ear, she forcefully looked away. “That’s not how this is supposed to work.”

“How is it, then?”

“I get fucked up, I get fucked. Nopony else.”

“Your actions ripple across the entire stable you dense filly. Do you honestly think it has only ever been you that’s been hurting? Lily’s mute now, you almost killed her.”

“I don’t remember doing that.” Blaze refused to meet his gaze. He lowered himself so she could not avoid his intense eyes. Recoiling, she swallowed dryly. Skyfire and Misty Sparks found themselves without words as they watched, the unicorn trembling against her friend.

“Of course you don’t, you were higher than this aircraft was before it crashed. Lily picked a fight with you as much as you did her. She fucked up. You fucked up. This was only her first time, how many is this for you?”

“You don’t know me-”

“You don’t let anypony know you,” he cut her off. “Not since-”

“Don’t you fucking say it,” Blaze shouted, snapping up at him. He swiftly pulled back, avoiding her teeth. “You don’t get to say that- nopony does!”

“Lower your voice,” he scolded. “Or do you want to get us killed?”

“You… you don’t get to say that. Nopony does,” she repeated, voice weakening. “You weren’t there, you don’t get to pass judgment.”

“I saw the funeral. I remember seeing you in the clinic, so young and so hurt. That filly could have been saved, but the mare before me now? All I see is a broken knife stabbing anything that gets close.”

Tears brimmed in emeralds that just faintly caught the light. Blaze lifted herself as much as she could, knees wobbling as she could only get halfway there before she collapsed. Panting from the exertion, she gritted her teeth and swore. “I don’t remember asking you for the fucking therapy session doc,” she hissed out.

“Consider this one on the house,” Golden Haze spat, “I’ve seen enough guards with PTSD to see it in you. Unlike those ponies though, they wanted to get better. You just want to suffer, don’t you?”

“Fuck off.”

“I thought as much.” The medic crossed the wreckage and began to scan outside with Rocky Cold. An uncomfortable silence settled between the three mares, Blaze hyperventilating while the other two trembled.

Skyfire looked from a stunned Misty Sparks to her struggling roommate. Words failed to form, and she instead let her wing rest on Misty Sparks more, pulling her into a silent embrace. Misty Sparks immediately leaned into her, muttering softly into grey and crimson. Blaze glanced at them, and her jaw went taut. “I was just taking my prescription,” she defended, “that’s the last thing I remember.”

“Prescription for what?” Asked Skyfire in a squeaky voice. Misty Sparks tensed further.

Blaze stared at her, the words dying in her throat. “My problem,” she finally managed. “My stupid fucking problem.”

“If it’s the reason you’re an add-”

“I am not an addict!” Screamed Blaze, lurching forward. Skyfire yelped and recoiled into Misty Sparks. They both looked at her with palpable panic. The pair guarding the entrance whirled around, a baton ready to defend the mares. For the first time in years, Blaze felt her heart ache at such a sight. Blaze wilted, collapsing into the ground. “You… Ponies are trying… to kill you… and more you’re scared of me?”

“Blaze…” Whimpered Misty Sparks from behind Skyfire’s wings. “I’m… I’m trying to save you, a-and you’re just… you’re still so angry.”

“Somepony shot you.”

“I c-can heal that,” said Misty Sparks between growing tears. “I- I can’t heal you.”

Blaze stared at her cousin. She only saw a trembling little filly beneath the wings of a stranger, finding comfort in somepony more unknown than her own flesh and blood. The ground slipped away from beneath her, sending her falling into the void below. Blaze didn’t fight back, letting the familiar black consume her. It suffocated her, no comfort in its tight embrace, not even a hint of care within its all-encompassing touch. She let it claim her.

“You should have let them kill me,” whispered Blaze, nearly catatonic. She did not whimper or cry, only lay there. “Ended all this. Saved yourselves.”

Misty Sparks reached out towards her, only to wince and recoil her hoof. “Blaze…”

“I should have died that day too.”

“Blaze!”

The mare shifted, and to everypony’s horror, she rose. It was a sloppy, lethargic rise to her hooves that was more akin to a ghoul shuffling upwards than a proper healthy pony such as her. “Lay down,” ordered Golden Haze. Blaze didn’t hear him, didn’t hear any of them. She took a few painful steps, nearly collapsing beneath her own weight. With a groan, she threw herself forward and used the momentum to cross halfway before sliding into the metal floor. Golden Haze and Rocky Cold pounced upon her. She didn’t resist them, instead, hindlegs kept her crawling forward.

“What are you trying to do? Do you think you can go out there and fight them?" Rocky Cold demanded, distressed to find the mare not so much as resisting and yet still creeping forward. It was as if she were possessed of singular thought. “You can’t even walk!”

“Should’ve ended this,” muttered Blaze, pushing against them. Golden Haze and Rocky Cold simply weren’t enough weight even against the lethargic massive mare.

“She’s trying to give herself up,” whispered Skyfire in realization. “Misty Sparks-”

“I swear I heard something in there!” A shout came from outside, ripping through all but Blaze who kept on her journey. “I’m telling you, that was a trick! They’ve been in there the whole time!”

“We’re out of time!” Hissed Skyfire, “Misty Sparks we have to do this now- right now!” She shook her friend, jolting the mare out of her horrified trance. “Focus your magic on it, charge it right now!”

“I-”

“Blaze is going to kill herself!”

The words broke Misty Sparks free of the mental chains, spurring her onwards. The interior of the Skyhawk became neon green as she charged the battery. It was a spell meant for a slow, steady transference of magic. Misty Sparks took no time for care or caution. Golden Haze cast his magic to it as well, yellow and green lights blinding those within. It spilled out of the Skyhawk through every crevice, a beacon of desperation to all. Without waiting, Skyfire plunged the knife into the battery. A scream ripped from the little mare as she put everything she was into the spell. Gas started to puff out of the puncture hole, hissing and belching like miniature dragon fire.

With a scream rivaling Blaze’s fiercest battle cries, Misty Sparks sent the battery flying out of the exit. A pair of mutineers who’d been about to enter were immediately caught in the explosion, screaming as acid and light bathed them. They retreated from the cloud of acrid smoke. Misty Sparks collapsed against Skyfire, completely absent of breath or energy. The pegasus embraced her wholly, despite the resurgence of pain in her ribs. Shouts from the outside battered the hull of the Skyhawk, confusion, and frustration boiling over. At that moment, the ponies inside the wreckage knew it had worked.

They were safe, for now.

Misty Spark’s pip-buck read that twenty-three minutes had passed since they had hurled their smokescreen. In that time the five ponies had accounted for all the supplies they had between them. Three short-range pistols, a baton, a few grenades, a dozen healing potions, and a set of varied emergency medical supplies. Skyfire sat up against the fuselage of the Skyhawk, giving a sigh as she fiddled with her laser pistol. It couldn’t match the firepower of the sheer number of ponies outside. Her eyes were so focused that she didn’t notice how the now-familiar blonde mane leaned over her shoulder gingerly.

“Is it damaged?” Misty Sparks asked quietly, gasping as Skyfire looked up with a quiet squeak. “Oh you were focused, I’m sorry,” she quickly added. Her ears perked up as Skyfire shook her head quickly and a nervous smile formed on her face.

“N-no not at all. I guess I’m just focusing on this. I don’t know what else I can do,” Skyfire admitted quietly, her eyes drawn up to Misty Sparks’. “I hear coughing outside every so often, so I think some of them are trying to brave the smoke, but it’s quite toxic, I’m afraid of how many will need medical help. I’m hoping through the end of this all, some of them will surrender back into Stable life.” More than once a stun grenade had been lobbed in, only for Rocky Cold to swat it back like a hoofball. The mutineers had stopped after the fifth attempt.

“Else we’d lose almost a fourth of the security department,” Misty Sparks added with a nervous whine. “Mom will have her hooves full regardless, I’m worried for the future.”

“We can worry about the future and train new more level-headed security when we’re all safely back at our home,” Rocky Cold said quickly, sighing as he checked over everything he could as well. “She’s also not wrong to look for anything that might make it less effective right before a fight. Why don’t you look over yours with her?”

Misty Sparks dug through her saddlebags gingerly, wincing as a few gunshots fired outside into the hull. They pinged off metal with an angry reverb. “I was hoping to not need to use this, especially on other ponies.” A moment later she found it, buried under her small stash of medical supplies.

“Why are you all still doing this? I’m the fuck up here, and they want my head, not any of yours. Especially not you, Sparky. You don’t deserve to get shot because of me,” Blaze whined plaintively from the corner she hadn’t moved from after finally being convinced by Golden Haze and Rocky Cold to calm down. “This is my fuck up, it’s supposed to affect me, you shouldn’t even be here getting shot helping me. Feathers you shouldn’t have broken your rib again either,” she muttered more to herself.

“You’re my cousin,” Misty Sparks answered back, “And besides, even if you fucked up, killing you isn’t what we do. We’re civilized, and Flare will punish you and Lily, even if she got hurt. She had more than a minor part in causing the fight.”

“Still, it’s not your fault. This is all supposed to just be on me. Like it’s always been,” Blaze huffed back, looking over to her cousin with defeated eyes. “I can still get them off you if I give myself up. It’ll be enough.”

Crimson wings fluttered up as Skyfire pointed a hoof at Blaze, catching her attention. “Nopony deserves to be lynched over being pushed into a fight by somepony you have issues with. You’d get court-martialed, sure, but you wouldn’t get executed. Besides, even if you wanted to go, the gas is still pouring out, and we have help on the way, just wait, okay? Even if you fucked up, you're somepony I want to call a friend. You treated me normally when most everypony couldn't stop staring at my wings."

“Feathers you don’t want to be my friend, ponies who are my friends get hurt by me or just being close to me. No matter how hard I try and keep it all to myself.” Blaze struggled to bark back, pain in her voice as she lowered her head. Heavy hooves trembled beneath her, shivering as if she’d been drenched in cold water.

“Why do you act like this? Why do you push everypony away? I know ponies in the stable hate you, but I’m somepony who hasn’t seen all that,” Skyfire asked softly.

“You- you don’t want to really know. You don’t want to deal with my shit. Nopony does.”

“I do. You’re hurt, from something in your past. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a decent pony because of it.”

“I-I, you don’t understand Feathers,” Blaze started, her eyes widening as she sniffled, realizing she had started crying. “Fuck I’m getting emotional-”

“That’s probably because you’re the soberest you’ve been in years,” Golden Haze cut in with a resolute stare. “When we sedated you I gave you a detox solution because you were lethally overdosing. You’re unable to mask and hide your emotions through layers of drugs to haze over your mind.”

“Then maybe there’s a chance of you taking to heart that we still care about you,” Misty Sparks murmured quietly, rubbing her hoof gently with another nervously. “You’ve fucked up before, not quite like this, but you’re somepony who can get better-”

“Better? I don’t deserve better. Not if you are getting hurt because of me, or any of you here.” Blaze snorted quietly, the tears streaming along her muzzle, dribbling into the bay of the Skyhawk. “I don’t deserve to be alive right now.”

“Why?” Skyfire asked softly, her eyes shimmering with confusion as she leaned over towards Blaze. “What did you do?”

“If you knew you’d never want to talk to me again,” Blaze grumbled back, “Fuckin hell why can’t I stop crying?”

“Probably because no matter how much you bury your trauma, it’ll rise back up until you actually deal with it,” Golden Haze answered with a shake of his head. “You really do need therapy.”

“I need therapy like I need a hole in my head!” Blaze growled back, doing her best to give a scowl, failing quickly with the endless stream of tears. The mare tried to stand up but sobriety had its own curse, with withdrawals making her twitch and sweat the more she existed without her hit. The fuzziness of the sedatives was long gone now, leaving itchiness and aching pain within her. Her limbs were sluggish from fatigue and she could barely lift her snout without lances of pain. A headache pulsated in time with her heartbeat, and her eyes hurt whenever she looked towards the light. Normally one felt weak after detox, but she already craved her chems. She limply patted her barding down and found they’d been confiscated.

Nausea roiled in her guts as the ground and ceiling began to tilt in her vision. She couldn’t remember sobriety being so disorientating, or perhaps that was the withdrawals moreover. With a hiss of pain, she tucked her nose under her pip-buck, trying to warm it. It was then that she heard it. The occasional tick had been muted beneath angry voices and the hissing of the gas but pressed against her pip-buck there was no escaping that dreadful sound. Slow, rhythmic, like a dying heartbeat, and yet there it was. Every fiber of Blaze’s body tensed. “How long have we been here?” She asked in an emotionless voice.

“Around an hour,” Rocky Cold replied.

“All of us?”

“You, Sundance, and I got in here first. Closer to two for us.”

Blaze’s body ran cold. “And none of you have checked your fucking pip-bucks?”

Various looks were cast between her and the aforementioned device. Finally, they took notice. “There’s a radiation leak,” whispered Misty Sparks.

“Minimal, one good scrub and we’ll be fine,” Golden Haze soothed.

“For ponies as undamaged as you, yes. Me?”

“Do you feel the symptoms of radiation poisoning?” Golden Haze asked with a frown.

Blaze chortled, revealing far too many teeth for Skyfire’s liking. Something about her twisted, eyes growing too wide and ears too alert. “I feel the symptoms of existence right now, doc. I’d rather get shot down by a firing squad than catch the silent death.”

“We’ll get you looked at once we’re home,” Misty Sparks reassured, straining where she lay. “You’re going to be okay, I promise.”

More laughter rocked through the mare, and she ran a hoof through her mane. A few strands of red came with her hoof, and her laughter pitched into a scream. Skyfire fluffed up and clutched Misty Sparks, wincing in fresh pain. Blaze lurched, eyes pinpricks not from chemicals but something much more instinctual. A primal urge consumed the massive mare who started tearing at her own mane, pulling clumps of it now. Golden Haze rushed to restrain her, barking orders to Rocky Cold who was hesitant to leave his posting by the entrance. Incoherent screams came from Blaze, tears rushing anew. She unhinged completely before their eyes, trapped in an irradiated crash. It didn’t matter how many times they tried to calm her with reassurances that they would be safe soon, that it was only a matter of time before help came and they were free. All she saw was her radiation meter.

It was halfway through the yellow bar.

A stab of a needle was an all too familiar sensation for Blaze that brought euphoria, but what followed it wasn’t her usual cocktail of chemicals. Instead, a cold, invasive liquid crept through her veins, purging her greatest fear. It weakened and healed her all the same, legs drooping with the emergency rad-away injection. A foul taste filled her mouth as she was guided to sit. Fragments of dialogue latched onto her ears, pulled past by a rush of terror. Misty Sparks was trying to calm her, Skyfire was confused by how she was in such grave danger and they weren’t. Their voices were muffled as if cotton was in her ears, the rapid beat of her heart overlaying everything now.

If she focused enough she could imagine the radiation seeping into her body, violating her. It would lay itself into her bones and tear asunder her organs, changing them to its whims. A hoof brushed along her torso, the prospect of another transplant rising. How long until she needed another? Would anypony volunteer this time? Golden Haze was saying something about withdrawals aggregating her fears, that she was worsening her condition through sheer terror, and she blinked at him. Through the painful clarity of sobriety, she could tell one thing, and it was that he was right. Yet, despite this realization, she could do nothing to stop it. She was helpless.

Both blonde and golden manes moved about in front of her, Blaze unable to process most of what was said from Misty Sparks and Golden Haze. A potion hovered in front of her face, and she swatted it away weakly, it wouldn’t do somepony like her good. She was already doomed with the radiation ticking up. That subtle ticking drove its way into her skull. It was all she could hear at this point, even if the bar was going down it’d never be enough to save her. The ticking got louder, and louder even though it never actually got worse. It was all she could see, the flashback to her youth. That damned memory.