Chapter 5: A Rose By Any Other Name...

“Longing makes the heart grow fonder, but I’ve always been a fan of hog-tying my lovers to make sure they don’t escape.”
- Beatrix Russell

For the second time this evening, I stood in the town smithy. I was surrounded by citizens of Ophir-- those who had the courage to stand up against the tyrannical brothers who had a stranglehold on this town, and those who were too scared of a future where nothing was done about it. Unfortunately, it seemed that the vast majority were in the latter category.

I was immensely relieved when I saw the suave griffon bartender. I had been worried that his calm, smooth demeanor was an indication that he was part of the conspiracy, but it seemed that he was a high-ranking member of this resistance, and his smooth mannerisms served as social armor, protecting him as he gathered intelligence.

As the townsfolk assembled, I quietly admonished myself for letting my guard down and leaving Rose at the inn alone. I had left her open for Vino Rosé to target her, and because I did, she was taken. I silently vowed to make up for that mistake once she was safe...

Fortunately, our resident griffon bartender (whose name I learned was Sterling) saw the event and followed them out. They had indeed started walking towards the restaurant, but before reaching the upper end, they turned and headed to an old industrial building on the north side of town.

“Your arrival was a lucky break for us,” Sterling said, “but unfortunate for you an’ your friend.”

“Rose is a smart mare… and scary good in combat. Why would she just follow him into such a place?”

“It’s his special talent. He excels at manipulative magic… ‘specially with mares. He could sweet talk pretty much any lady he likes into doing whatever he pleased.”

I thought about the implications and shuddered. Was he abusing Rose now? Forcing her to sleep with him? Worse?

Rage boiled inside me, but I bottled it, letting the pressure build so I could release it all on that lecherous unicorn’s face the moment I got the opportunity. He was going to pay.

“I tried to warn the boy,” said the old smith as he gestured towards me, “though, I guess it was too late even then…” He turned to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this…”

I returned the gesture with a claw, and smiled. “In my nature I guess… I don’t think I could just turn around and leave, knowing that folks are disappearing, even if Rose was safe.” I turned to the assembled crowd. “I’m with you. All of you.” I got several worried nods in return.

One pony from the crowd spoke up, “And just who the hell are you anyway? And why should we trust you?” Several citizens mumbled agreements and quiet questions.

“Well, I--”

I was interrupted by a female voice that rose easily above the crowd. “He’s the pony that saved me.” Dolly trotted up beside me and addressed the group. “I had been kidnapped and chained in a cellar. This griff cared enough to come find me. He cut my chains loose, fought Ino blade-to-blade… and won. He’s a hero.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but she gave me a look that made me pause. I couldn’t help but think about her plunging that knife into the unicorn... She delivered the final blow. Without her, I probably would’ve been chopped up and packed into a cooler by now! The crowd murmured among themselves until Sterling commanded their attention.

“Alright,” he said, “here’s what we know: Storm Mist’s friend was taken by Vino Rosé to this buildin’ in the old industrial district.” He pointed a talon at the map laid out on a workbench. “The Ophir Post. It’s an old newspaper printin’ plant-- three stories, plenty of space inside, an’ off the beaten path. There’s several armed ponies who patrol around the perimeter, occasionally entering and exiting. We think it’s likely that this is their primary holdin' facility... possibly their headquarters.”

A voice interrupted from within the crowd. “Do you think anypony’s still alive?”

Sterling hesitated a moment, then spoke, “I hope so.”

The crowd once again devolved into nervous chatter.

“Look folks,” Sterling continued, “all we’ve got is hope. An’ a little bit of intel. Nobody’s forcing you to help with this op, but if an’ when you see your loved ones or neighbors again, wouldn’t you rather tell ‘em that you helped to get ‘em back?”

The crowd quieted.

Sterling nodded, smoothing his feathers. “Alright then. Here’s the plan: There’s a roof access on the top of the buildin' that isn’t guarded. Storm Mist and I will fly up an’ gain entry. Our primary objective will be to stealthily assess whether or not our folks are being held there an’ if Vino or Veritas are onsite. Eagle Eye will be stationed as a lookout at the factory across the street on the western side. If this op is a go, we’ll give you the signal.”

A brown unicorn with golden eyes nodded from within the crowd.

“At that point the rest of you will act as ground forces an’ subdue the guards patrolling the building. Take keys if they got ‘em. If they don’t, Iron Jade, Meringue, an’ Clover all have lock picking abilities, so make sure one of you is near each entrance.” There were three nods from ponies in the crowd, one being the smith. “Communicate with each other, an’ breach as a team. Hopefully we can keep the fightin’ to a minimum. Questions?”

After a moment of nervous chatter, somepony asked, “What if we encounter Veritas or Vino?”

“Engage,” Sterling said without hesitation. “If you’re able to subdue, get a horn lock on as soon as possible, but I’ll take ‘dead an’ harmless’ over ‘alive an’ deadly’ at this point. If it comes to a fight, we want to keep the brothers separated. They’re far too dangerous together.”

After a moment with no more questions, the workshop suddenly became a flurry of activity. Weapons were passed out and armor was fitted. I helped several ponies with the straps of their barding before Iron Jade trotted over to me with a full set of lightweight armor floating in his magic. “For you,” he said.

I undid the few intact straps I had left, and my barding fell to the floor. I couldn’t help but look it over with a sad gaze. I had crafted it with my father, and now it was in complete and utter disrepair. As the old smith worked to fit the new barding to me, he must’ve caught the look, since he placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, son. Once this is over, we’ll fix it up good as new.”

I nodded and gave the smith a small smile, then sighed as I placed my ruined barding in a corner of the shop. It had been a long day... and it was going to be a longer night.

* * * * *

Sterling and I decided to fly from the smithy towards the town gate in order to gain some altitude, then change course to the north and come in high over the production plant with the hopes that we could move in unnoticed.

While flying was a natural thing for me, my wing blades proved to be a bit of an impediment. I had to work harder to keep up with the griffon, who was as elegant in the air as he was behind a bar. He had traded his smart vest for a pocketed flak jacket, and wore a beautiful master-craft leather shoulder holster with a pair of sizable, firmly secured pistols, one on either side.

“You know,” Sterling said, gliding easily on the wind, “when I said I’d love to give you a tour, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

I laughed. “You were very convincing.”

“How so?” he asked.

“You wanted to assess whether or not I was a threat right? Scope me out?” I beat my wings a bit harder to keep up with the griffon.

“Oh, I was definitely scoping you out,” he said with a smile as he tilted his wings up slightly to slow his pace, taking a position directly beside me. “But not for any tactical reason.”

Damn, this griffon was smooth. “So, you actually think I’m--”

“Incredibly cute?” he interjected with his silky mountain voice. “Yeah… I mean, for a hippogriff.” He gave me a teasing smile as we banked towards the north.

...Very smooth.

To be honest, I had never really thought about relationships. I always longed to be around others because my parents, especially my father, were very isolationist, and wary of ponies… I wanted to explore and find new creatures and new cultures to learn from, but they wanted to protect me… So the thought of entering a relationship had never really crossed my mind. I don’t even know what I’d want from one!

The griffon must’ve noticed my introspective silence because he was looking at me with concern. “Hey now, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he said, “an’ if I did, I’m sorry. Really.”

“No, no,” I said quickly, “I just… Sometimes I forget how sheltered and weird my childhood was, compared to a lot of ponies… And I don’t really know how to act.”

Sterling gave an understanding nod. “Well, the only advice I can give is this: Do right by your folks, an’ do right by yourself. Not much more to it than that.” He idly scanned the streets below us. “I just try to be honest with myself an’ others.”

“Must be hard... I mean, for a spy.”

“Well,” he responded with an amused grin, “the polite term is ‘intelligence officer’. But yeah… used to be a merc for a big operation out east.”

“You seemed to be unusually good at this stuff… What made you come all the way out here?” I asked as we descended towards the roof.

“World is crazy east of the Gorge. You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen over there. I wanted to get away.”

We landed quietly on the roof and folded in our wings. Sterling undid the latches securing the two pistols on his shoulder holster and reached back to make sure his magazines were still easily within reach.

“And now you’re here,” I said as I checked my gear as well, “doing another op.”

“Yup...” he replied with some degree of resignation, “but I’d rather be doing this for these folk than workin’ for some bully who just wants power, an’ leads from an office.”

I smiled. Despite living in a world filled with monsters, taint, and distrust, there were good creatures out here helping each other, and keeping the Wasteland at bay.

Sterling moved to the roof entrance and tried the handle: locked. He took out a bobby pin and screwdriver from a pocket in his flak jacket and started to work on the tumbler. Within short order, I heard a soft click as the lock bent to the will of the griffon.

I readied my axe and Sterling pried open the rusty door: nopony in sight. Just a narrow metal staircase that led down into the building. We quietly made our way in, and down.

The third floor seemed to be an endless maze of halls and offices. We would creep along a hallway and quietly push in door after door to find long-abandoned rooms that had been trashed. Many offices had their desks upended with faded papers and decaying furniture strewn about. However, we found no ponies-- neither hostages nor hostiles-- and it seemed the floor was mostly empty.

As we rounded a corner and started down another hallway filled with doors, something made me stop. Sterling followed suit, and gave me a questioning look. “What is it?” he whispered.

“A feeling...”

It was a sensation that I couldn’t quite describe-- similar to the warmth you feel on your back when you find a ray of sun to stand in… or a wave that sort of reverberates around you. I turned around and looked behind us.

The corner wasn’t just a right angle turn: it was a three-way intersection, and we had somehow missed the hallway behind us that housed only one door. I quietly approached it, then tried the handle. It was locked.

“Huh, didn’t even see that there,” Sterling said as he retrieved his screwdriver and bobby pin.

“Me neither, at first.”

After a moment, Sterling popped the lock and we carefully opened the door. Inside we found an office much like the others, but it looked completely untouched. Newspaper clippings lined the walls, fresh as the day they were printed; several filing cabinets chock full of folders, old articles, and notes sat in a corner; and a bookshelf sat on one wall with various non-fiction works about economy, housing development, home repair, and various industries, along with several old-world trinkets that littered the shelves in between the clusters of books.

“Huh,” Sterling mumbled as he looked over the room. He then turned and watched the entrance as I moved to inspect a broad desk with a typewriter on it. A blank piece of paper was threaded into the machine, and a brown box sat next to it, the lid tossed to one side.

Inside the box I found a small statuette in perfect mint condition: a cyan stallion with an amber mane, beard, and tail that stood triumphantly upon a black pedestal. The stallion held a sturdy shovel that he leaned against his shoulder, and a tiny plaque affixed to the base read: “Stay Strong”.

As dumb as it sounds, I felt empowered holding the little thing, as if the statuette's message was written just for me. I figured nopony else was going to stumble their way into an easy-to-miss office that had been preserved for 200 years and so I quietly slipped the little pony into my saddle bag and trotted out with Sterling.

“Find what you were lookin’ for?” he asked.

“I think so,” I replied. I had no idea what made me stop and turn around, but I was glad I did.

It wasn’t long before we cleared the third floor and made our way down a flight of stairs to the second. There seemed to be a lot more space on this floor as several clusters of rooms were all spread apart. We trod quietly through a large area that was filled with desks and chairs, many that were toppled, and vast amounts of decaying paper coated everything like a fibrous snow.

As we approached the next cluster of rooms, we heard a muffled voice from behind a door that was labeled “Boardroom B”. A frosted window was set in the wall beside the door, and a light colored figure moved past it from the other side as we approached. Sterling and I sat just outside, straining to listen.

“Ah, my dear, why not try the tête de veau avec sauce ravigote? It is a pain to cook, and takes a skilled chef, but it is a delicacy that most ponies in the Wasteland would never have the opportunity to try!”

“Vino,” Sterling whispered.

Rose!

I smashed open the door, axe in claw. Inside there was a long table that was absolutely covered in plates of steaming food. Pies, roasts, rolls, soups, and salads of all sorts filled the table, while at the very end stood Rose, only she didn’t look like herself at all.

She wore an elegant red ball gown that wrapped tightly around her. The lace trim perfectly accented her figure, and rubies shone from within the long skirt of the dress. In truth, she looked beautiful in it, but something was wrong. She sat with a vacant stare, her mouth parted slightly, and her eyes were obscured by an unnatural pink haze. It was hard to tell if she was alive or dead, but I saw the smallest movement from her shallow breathing.

Standing to her side was a white unicorn with a lavender and pink mane who had the same pale blue eyes as his brothers. He wore a gaudy white outfit laced with spun gold, and his horn was glowing with sickly pink magic. As soon as he saw us, he levitated a steak knife to Rose’s throat and moved behind her.

“Stop right there!” he said with an obnoxious Fancee accent. I wasn’t able to distinguish whether it was authentic or not, but I doubted it. I also didn’t care. He took Rose. He needed to pay.

Sterling leveled his pistols at the stallion, one per claw, and spoke in an unnervingly calm manner. “Sir, you’ve got two Clydesdale 1911 Luna Edition pistols chambered in .50 Starline aimed at your head. I highly suggest you cooperate an’ let the filly go.”

Those pistols were nothing to be scoffed at. They were large and ornate, built from a surprisingly rustic material for the refined griff. They seemed to be made of some kind of stone, right down to the hammer.

“Ah, but monsieur,” Vino replied, “I cannot let someone go who is here of their own free will! Tell them, darling.”

Rose stood and addressed us with a flighty robotic tone. “I am here of my own free will.”

They began to back towards the door on the other side of the room in tandem, Rose’s steps perfectly mirroring those of the stallion as she stared vacantly ahead. I took a step to follow, but immediately stopped as he pushed the knife hard enough against Rose’s throat to draw blood.

“You fucking monster!” I swore as I began to shake with rage.

“Ta Gueule!” he retorted. “It seems you are a bit hysterical, non? Perhaps you and your marefriend should work this out between the two of you?”

I narrowed my eyes and tightened the grip on my axe.

He leaned in close to Rose’s ear, and with a sick smile whispered, “Kill him.”

With inequine speed, Rose bounded straight over the table like a bullet, pulling a knife that had been stuck into a roast out with her teeth before tackling me to the ground. My axe clattered to the floor, and I was barely able to hold her head far enough away to prevent her from gouging out an eyeball. During the commotion, Vino had ducked out the back.

“Go!” I shouted at Sterling. “Get Vino!” He gave me a worried glance before giving chase to the fleeing unicorn. While I was momentarily distracted, Rose swiped her head and caught me in the cheek with the knife, right below my eye. Fuck! I had to find a way to stop her without hurting her…

I wrapped my hind legs around one of hers and pulled with all my might, causing her to crash to the floor on her side. Her grip momentarily loosened on the knife, and I was able to pull it free from her grasp and throw it across the room. Unfortunately, now she was snapping at me like a feral, and it was all I could do to get my talons out of the bite zone before I was several digits short.

We wrestled on the floor for a moment before I was able to push her into the hallway. I frantically looked around for anything I could use to subdue her, assessing the paper-strewn hallway filled with doors until something caught my eye.

Hold on a tick! One of those doors looked to be a janitor closet, and a keychain with a ridiculous number of keys hung from the lock in the door. I had an idea, but it was a long shot...

I kicked Rose back, then jumped to my hooves and opened the door to the closet as fast as I could. Just as I looked back, Rose was mid-jump and coming straight for me. I grabbed her as she made contact and rolled onto my back, planting my rear hooves into her stomach and kicking her over me as I rolled.

She flew from my hooves and smashed upside-down into the back wall of the closet, destroying several shelves with supplies in the process, before landing head-first in a mop bucket. I slammed the door behind her and turned the key, panting from the struggle. There was a noisy clatter followed by hooves striking the door several times, but after a few moments, everything went still.

I let out a long sigh, and slipped the keychain into my saddlebag. As much as I wanted to save her, we had to take care of Vino first. I’d have no way to get her out of this place in this state... Plus I wanted to smash that stupid Fancee fuck’s face into pulp.

I shook my head, then ran in the direction that Vino and Sterling went, grabbing my axe on the way. Two beefy gunshots boomed from down the hall, and I made haste towards them. As I entered a large executive office, I nearly tripped over one of Sterling’s pistols, and found the griffon and unicorn were wrestling on the ground. Sterling was on top with claws wrapped around the unicorn’s throat, and Vino’s horn was glowing.

“You will… release… me…” Vino said, his hooves trying in vain to push away Sterling’s claws, as a pink haze worked its way into the griffon’s hazel eyes. His talons loosened somewhat, but Sterling doubled down his efforts as he spoke with a pained expression, “I… will… not!” His eyes briefly met mine, and the unicorn smiled.

“Then... don’t,” Vino choked, “instead… shoot… him!” Vino’s magic flared, and Sterling began to reach for his pistol.

I closed the distance and smashed the blunt side of my axe into Vino’s face, and he was knocked out cold, his horn going dark. Sterling breathed a sigh of relief as the spell was released and I stood there, shaking. Make him pay. I raised the axe again.

“Whoa! Hey-- stop!” Sterling said as he put his claws up and moved between me and Vino. “I know you want him to pay for what he did, an’ he will. But there’s no honor in killin’ a creature who’s knocked out!”

I don’t want honor. I want revenge. I didn’t even notice I had tears flowing from my eyes as I held the axe high with both claws. I slowly regained control and lowered it to my side. Sterling slipped a horn lock onto the unicorn, then clapped him in hoofcuffs.

“We gotta move fast now,” he said, “they’ll know we’re here.” I nodded, and we hurriedly stuffed the unicorn into a closet full of wires and junction boxes that I secured with the keys I had found.

Sterling picked up his dropped pistol and ran to a window, shattering it with an elbow as he pulled an apple-shaped object from his vest. He pulled the stem with his beak and dropped it through the opening. A whoosh sound echoed from below, and I saw thick smoke begin to rise.

“That’s a hell of a signal,” I said. Sterling grinned in response.

We hurried towards the stairwell, but as we rounded a corner that was occupied by a machine with several stacks of paper on it, gunfire rang out and bullets whizzed past us. We crouched down behind the machine and an overturned desk as several ponies with firearms in their teeth advanced from the top of the stairwell.

I groaned and muttered, “I hate guns.” Sterling just laughed as he leaned out from behind the cover and took several incredibly loud shots back at the ponies. I heard one of them fall to the floor and begin screaming.

“Oh, they’re not so bad,” said the griffon as he released an empty magazine and inserted a full one in one smooth motion. “Elegant, powerful… as much a reflection of who you are as how you style your feathers, or the clothes you choose to wear… an’ they work just as well up close as they do from afar!” He spoke about the weapon with a refined ease and reverence, even as the injured pony wailed from behind us.

“But they’re so damn loud,” I replied.

Sterling grinned, “That’s part of the fun!” He racked the slide, then turned and advanced towards the ponies, taking several more shots. I couldn’t help but follow as he systematically took down threat after threat.

To our left, I was suddenly aware of an earth pony that had flanked us, aiming her rifle at Sterling. I ran, crashing into the pony, but not before she got a shot off. I grappled with the firearm that was still tightly held within her teeth, then swung my axe towards her head. She raised a hoof to block the blow, but it cleanly chopped into her leg, stopped by bone. She cried out in pain and the rifle roared, firing into the ceiling. Bits of tile and dust fell down upon us like heavy snow.

I kept my grasp on the weapon and curled into her side, heaving on the barrel, and throwing the pony to the floor. I pulled my axe out of her hoof and readied a blow as she brought the rifle around to point at my face. Without hesitation, I brought the axe down with all my strength.

There was a metallic click from the gun just as my axe chopped cleanly into the pony's skull. Blood seeped from around the blade of the axe while the rifle, still clenched within the mare's teeth, pointed straight at me. She had either run out of ammo or the gun misfired, but regardless, I was still alive. After a moment, she slumped and the weapon hung loose within her jaws.

I slowly pulled my axe free from her head, and blood pooled around the mare. As I stared at her broken face, I thought about how killing ferals was easy. They were essentially already dead and had lost any trace of themselves or who they were. When I gave a feral mercy, I knew I was bringing them peace… but ponies were different: they stared at you in fear as they died.

I felt a claw on my shoulder, and turned to see Sterling. “You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I shook my head and turned towards the griffon. Blood was trickling down one of his forelegs.

“You’re hurt!”

“Through-an’-through,” he said. “I’ll be fine. Come on.”

We exited the stairwell onto a landing that overlooked a vast factory floor. Machines with great rollers and mechanical appendages stretched into the room, corroded badly, and decayed paper product hung off the things like the rotted clothes of a corpse.

Between the machines, groups of ponies traded shots at one another, and several bodies lay on the floor with pooled blood around them. One cannibal had inexplicably abandoned his firearm in favor of chowing down on one of his fallen compatriots, and he gnashed and pulled muscle and sinew from the side of the corpse with a ravenous frenzy.

I turned to say something to Sterling, but he already had a pistol in claw. He steadied his aim by laying his firing leg over the wrist of his other leg, and he leaned into the railing in front of us. The pistol roared with impressive force, a lick of flame exploding from the barrel, and down on the factory floor below us a cannibal pony’s head exploded into mist.

For a moment, it seemed like all shooting stopped… then, all at once, every weapon was trained on us as bullets whizzed by, raining into the landing, wall, and railing. We ducked down and retreated back into the stairwell as various calibers of bullet ripped and ricocheted through the catwalk.

“Is there a plan?” I asked.

“I’m hopin’ that created enough of a distraction to give our guys the upper claw,” Sterling said as he reloaded. “We should be able to move in a moment.”

True to his word, the gunfire on our position decreased dramatically as our forces advanced on the cannibal ponies and started taking them out. We were just about to step back out to the platform when a loud voice suddenly filled the room.

“WHO KILLED MY BROTHER!?”

Directly before us, hovering over the factory floor, was Veritas Azure. His easy smile had been replaced by a clenched jaw, and his eyes narrowed into an enraged stare. His horn glowed with a fierce icy blue, and his body coursed with ripples of magic as his voice boomed with a volume that felt like he was speaking through a public address system.

“Which one of you dirty, spineless mountain goats forfeited your meaningless life by plunging a knife into poor Ino’s back!?”

All at once, shots rang out from the factory floor and impacted into the concrete ceiling directly above where Veritas was hovering. Bits of rubble fell from above him, but he didn’t so much as flinch, and appeared to be completely untouched by both the barrage of bullets, and the falling debris.

“I see…” he said, and there was a great rumble as the rotted paper hanging off the machines coalesced and morphed into massive ghostly vines that exploded out of the machines in every direction and wrapped around every creature who had been standing below. Several ponies were picked up and held tightly with their legs dangling high above the floor.

“It wasn’t us!” a pony shouted from the far side of the room. The vines curled around him even tighter as they moved his body into view of the hovering unicorn. “I-- Ino was on our side! None of us would hurt him!”

The hovering unicorn narrowed his eyes. “As if I care about your ridiculous cult. Where is Vino? Perhaps he has some answers for me…”

The captured pony stammered, “I… uh, I’m not sure... Perhaps he--”

“Then you’re of no use to me.”

The vines suddenly surged, slamming the pony into the ceiling with enough force that the building shook. As they released, all that was left was a bloodied spot on the concrete.

Veritas spoke with a dangerous tone, “I’ll just have to systematically kill each of you until somepony has some worthwhile information… starting with you.” The vines raised another captured creature, only this time it was a small two-headed sheep with a look of abject terror painted across both her faces.

“It was me!” I shouted before I was even aware of what I was doing. My body moved onto the platform and I stood facing the powerful unicorn. “I killed Ino.” The vines holding Dolly lowered her slowly, and Sterling moved to my side.

“You?” The unicorn laughed a heartless, empty laugh as he levitated himself closer. “Of course it would be the outsider. A cowardly hippogriff murderer…” He hovered a few feet from the railing, staring through me with his piercing azure eyes. “How is it that you exist, anyway? I thought your people were extinct.”

“I...” I stammered, unable to think clearly, “I don’t really know…”

The unicorn shrugged. “No matter. We’ll fix that easily enough.”

Ghostly vines exploded from both sides of the floating figure, rising from the machines below us. They shot towards me so fast, I had no time to react. I barely lifted my axe in defense when Sterling shoved me out the way, and I fell to my side on the metal floor of the platform.

The vines captured him and lifted him into the air, but just as soon as they did, I heard the familiar roar of his pistols. His shots seemed to penetrate the vines as if they were made of smoke, and long tendrils of corkscrew vapor painted the trajectory of his bullets. The vines dissipated enough for him to drop free, and he landed easily on the far side of the catwalk as I got to my hooves.

I heard Veritas speak again, but it was far less loud and reverberant, and it came from directly behind me. “Ugh, how annoying.”

I turned around just in time to see the charcoal unicorn slam his rear hooves into my chest. I was shoved backwards over the railing and began to fall. My wings opened out of instinct, which helped to slow me, but I still smashed into the hard concrete floor below, pain erupting from my side.

The air in front of me shimmered and the unicorn appeared, walking towards me with a confident stride. I staggered to my hooves and extended my wings. “Don’t bother fighting,” he said as he approached. “It’s futile: I always win.”

Somehow, I didn’t doubt him, but like hell if I was going to go out without a fight! I swung a talon at the unicorn, but he blocked and grabbed my forelegs with both hooves. As my claws wrapped around his forelegs, a flash of energy erupted between us.

The magical energy crackled and burned with a strange glow, like a blue and green mist that threatened to envelop both of us. My skin felt ice cold on the surface, but inside it felt like it was boiling! Both his limbs and mine began to blacken, as if raging ink was spreading within our veins.

I looked up just in time to see the unicorn’s surprised expression. He suddenly jerked his hooves away and jumped back, his face painted in disgust as he hissed, “Child of Invicta!”

...What?

Once again, I heard the sound of Sterling’s pistols, and the unicorn screamed out as a round penetrated through his left eye and exited his lower jaw. Blood cascaded from his face as he recoiled, and I saw the air begin to shimmer. I reached out a claw to grab him as fast as I could, but only managed to grasp at empty air as he vanished completely. The vines that had emerged from the machines dissipated into dust, and several ponies dropped to the ground.

Sterling winged his way down from the platform, gliding to a stop in front of me. “Damn, Storm, what a show!” he said with a smile. “I had no idea you were capable of fightin’ with magic!”

“I’m... not,” I replied as I shook my head. “I have no idea what just happened…” I stared at my forelegs for a long moment. Despite the encounter with the weird magical energy, my limbs seemed to be unharmed.

“Sir,” a pony from our group approached and addressed the griffon, “we’ve got the cannibal ponies contained, and we found the prisoners in a maintenance room in the basement. Iron Jade is working on the lock, and we should have them out soon.”

Sterling nodded, but I just stared off as hoofcuffs and horn locks were clasped on several ponies. Thoughts of the sickly energy that erupted between Veritas and me flashed through my mind, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell just happened.

...And who is Invicta?

* * * * *

Rose did not appreciate coming to in a janitor’s closet. As we had circled back to collect Vino Rosé, we were confronted by a very disgruntled mare wielding a very floppy mop with her magic. Sterling almost shot her before collapsing with laughter.

We were able to free a sizable number of prisoners as well, including the majority of the militia group from Hoofstrap. They tried to explain their encounter with Veritas and his brothers, but the things they described mixed with the experience I just had made my head hurt.

Sterling, with the help of several of Ophir’s deputies, imprisoned the cannibal ponies as well as Vino. Oddly enough, I could swear I saw the pony who Veritas had smashed against the ceiling with his ghostly vines. Did I just hallucinate that part?

I don’t know… I need a drink.

Thankfully, I wasn’t the only creature who felt that way. The word was passed around that everypony who was able should meet at The Grotto after taking care of medical concerns and returning equipment to Iron Jade’s smithy. And so it was that Rose and I were walking along the torch-lit streets of Ophir in the wee hours of the night.

“And what did he say before he got shot, again?” Rose asked.

“Child of Invicta... Beforehand, he acted like he didn’t know or care who I was… but as soon as he tried to grab me and that energy coursed between us, it was like he knew me…”

Rose stared at the ground and kicked a small stone as she walked. “So, who do you think Invicta is?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea… Veritas disappeared before I could get any answers from him...”

Down the street, a group of ponies laughed from in front of the inn, and I could hear the faint sounds of music. Rose suddenly slowed her step and stopped, staring hard at the ground. Her normally bright crimson eyes were little more than a dull red as torch light reflected off the tears that swelled within them.

“I’m such an idiot,” she said sullenly as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“What? Why?” I asked as I sat in front of her.

“I let that creep Vino control me… I let him lead me around like a stupid puppy dog following his every command!”

I shook my head. “You couldn’t help it,” I said quietly. “He’s a master of manipulative magic…”

“Even so,” she said, “when he first showed up at the inn, I fell for him. I wanted to follow him. I was so blinded by the fact that he was a handsome unicorn… a prince…” She sniffled and wiped her nose. “I was even willing to overlook his ridiculously stupid accent.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, and she laughed with me, despite the tears. “And the name! What was I thinking?” she asked. “Rose and Rosé?”

I smirked. “Yeah, I don’t think I could have dealt with that… There’s only space enough in my life for one pain in the ass named Rose.”

She choked out a laugh as she punched me weakly, then butted her head against my chest in weak surrender. I wrapped my forelegs around her and held her as she quietly cried. After a minute or two, she pulled away, and wiped her nose with a hoof. “Ugh, I’m a mess.”

“Aren’t we all?”

She looked up at me with a sad, hopeful look, her focus shifting from one eye to the other, before giving me a little smile.

“Alright,” she said as she turned and nodded towards the inn down the street. “Let’s get a drink.”

* * * * *

The Grotto was nearly unrecognizable from the quiet, vacant restaurant that we had stumbled into just a half day ago. Creatures packed the space, excitedly talking and cheering, their roar of happy chatter competing with upbeat music that was blasting from a jukebox. Some ponies had taken to the dance floor, which had been lit by several colorful lights that flashed and moved.

The sight of so many creatures all in one space who were happy to be free and alive brought tears to my eyes. If there was ever any doubt as to what we were all collectively fighting for in the Wasteland, it was this. Comradery… family… just being able to live without fear.

We were a couple drinks in before I heard a cheer near the entrance, and saw a familiar suave griffon in a smart pinstripe vest weaving his way through the crowd. He smiled as he saw Rose and me, and stopped by our table.

“Well howdy, stranger!” he said as he wrapped a wing around me in a hug.

I smiled and hugged back. “Nice of you to show up.”

“Yeah, I had a few odds an’ ends to tie up,” he said, then turned to Rose who was glaring daggers at him, “an’ I suppose I never formally introduced myself.”

“No, you were too busy laughing at the crazy mare with the mop,” Rose said between gritted teeth.

Sterling tried his best to stifle a laugh. “Well, I couldn’t help it! You were just so adorably intimidating.” Rose growled in response. “But I brought a peace offering.”

He rummaged around in his bags and pulled out a bottle of Griffon Creek Distiller’s Straight Rye Whiskey, and Rose’s expression softened immediately as she grasped the bottle in her magic. She popped the cap off, closing her eyes as she took in the aroma. She poured some into an empty glass, and brought it to her lips as she slowly took a pull of the rye.

“Oh,” she said, then took another sip. “Oh yes, this will do.” She looked at the bottle as if she had just been reunited with a long lost love. “So… you said something about formal introductions?”

The griffon flashed a luminous smile and bowed grandly. “Sterling Silver, at your service.” He gave me a wink.

“Sterling…” Rose said as she poured more of the liquid into her glass. “Perhaps we can be friends.”

Damn, that griffon was good.

“So,” he said, turning to me, “is there anythin’ I can get you? A drink? Private cuddle flight over the town?” He smiled wryly. “Promise not to ruin the moment by stormin’ an enemy compound again.”

I chuckled. “A beer would be great, Sterling.”

The griffon sighed, but the smile never left his face. “It’d be my pleasure.” He disappeared off in the direction of the bar, and I laughed to myself, then looked over at Rose, who was staring straight at me.

“So…” she said, swirling the glass around in her magic, “you and our impeccably dressed griffon bartender, huh?”

I blushed as I responded, “He’s… very persistent.”

“And charming,” Rose added.

“And charming.”

“And… cute?” I squawked, losing several feathers in the process, and Rose laughed. “Yup, you definitely think he’s cute.”

“I…”

I didn’t really know what I thought. Rose’s crimson gaze twinkled mischievously from over the floating glass of rye as Sterling returned with my beer and some kind of fancy mixed drink for himself. As he took a seat at the table, Rose leaned over and sidled up to him.

“So... when are you two gonna do it?”

Sterling did a spit take, and several of his feathers popped out of place. I had been so used to seeing him as suave and composed, or capable and commanding, but this was the first time I saw him flustered... And he was kind of cute.

The griffon recovered swiftly, however, and he smiled and smoothed his feathers back down as he spoke. “Well… that is something that’s entirely up to Storm Mist. I think he knows how I feel.” Both he and Rose turned their attention towards me and my blush deepened. I averted my eyes and took a long swig of beer.

He chuckled as he continued, “Though, to be honest, I don’t think I have much of a chance next to you.” He cast an amused glance at Rose, who suddenly froze.

“What?” she asked, the glass of rye as still as death within her magical grip.

“You shoulda’ seen him. He tracked down that restaurant, fought an’ defeated Ino, an’ rescued one of our citizens in the process… He came back from that fight all cut an’ bloodied, but still had the will to storm the Ophir Post buildin’ with us. As soon as he heard Vino’s voice, he kicked in that door with the vengeance of a thousand suns. Barely had time to unholster my pistols.”

Rose lowered the glass to the table and sat stunned as she looked at me with glassy eyes. Sterling just gave me an easy smile, before turning his gaze towards Rose.

“Vino manipulated you into attackin’ him, but Storm did everythin’ he could to make sure you’d be alright. When he found me, I was fightin’ a losing battle with Vino’s magic… He saved me,” he said, giving me a small nod, “but he almost took Vino’s head clean off... for you.”

I was just as stunned as Rose. I couldn’t believe the griffon was talking so highly of me, considering I felt like I barely contributed at all! Sterling was amazing, and it was because of him that we all got out of there alive. I didn’t really save anyone! But he was right about one thing: I absolutely would’ve taken off Vino’s head to make sure he couldn’t hurt Rose.

The crowd by the door let out a roar of cheers and hoof stomps as another group entered. Sterling looked towards them, then downed his fancy drink. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some more folks I need to embarrass!” He placed a claw on my shoulder and gave me a smile before walking away.

“You... really did all that for me?” Rose asked, her eyes shimmering in the soft glow of the candles that burned silently on the table.

I lowered my head. “I… couldn’t stand the thought of him hurting you.” I stared into the flickering flame for a moment before continuing. “You said you felt like an idiot for letting him control you...” I looked into her eyes as tears began to form in mine. “And I feel like a failure for leaving you alone, and letting him take you.”

“Storm Mist…” Rose whispered with a compassionate understanding.

She tilted her head and thought a moment before speaking again, “Remember when I said I’d tell you about my past if you bought me a drink?” I nodded, and she raised her glass. “I’d say this counts.” She took a sip, then topped up the glass with more Griffon Creek. I listened quietly as I nursed my beer.

“I grew up in a research stable, tasked with monitoring the outside world to assess habitability. We were supposed to help Stable-Tec make an informed decision about when it was safe to start opening stables again… but our Overmare didn’t seem to agree with the assessment from our scientists, and we were stuck perpetually observing the Wasteland without participating.”

She paused for a moment, her gaze wandering. “I was a teacher… and my sister was part of the research team. I saw what was happening out here: raiders killing folks in derelict towns, ponies dying of starvation and infection… but I also occasionally saw those who would stand and fight against the Wasteland, and I was inspired.

“I wanted to do something,” she said, her crimson eyes blazing with passion, “not just sit idly by in my cozy stable as I watched this world destroy itself... So I made a plan to escape. When my sister found out, she was furious. Tried to talk me out of it, but I was dead set on coming out here, and I pleaded with her passionately... Somehow, I managed to convince her of the merits of leaving the stable, and she agreed to help me escape, on the condition that she came with me. And so the Rose sisters became known as the Defectors of Stable 131, and Scourge of the Wasteland!” She grinned.

“The Rose sisters?” I asked.

“Yeah...” Her gaze settled on me for a long moment. “My name isn’t actually Crimson Rose.”

I shook my head and asked, “Then… what is it?”

“Quartz Rose,” she replied. “Crimson Rose is… was… my sister.” She took a long sip of rye, “Crim was super smart. Good at everything… Pick any lock, hack any terminal… She always knew what to do... Always knew what was right. I once asked her why she insisted on coming with me, and she said ‘Because nopony should have to face the Wasteland alone...’ She was my hero... and she became my inspiration... When she died I decided to take her name and vow to spend the rest of my life trying to live up to it.”

I remembered those words from when she broke down at Autumn Vigil’s cabin, as well as the sad expression she wore. Now I had some idea as to what that expression really meant.

“Well, Quartz or Crimson, you’re still ‘Rose’ to me,” I said, placing a talon on her hoof. “And I think your sister would be proud.”

Rose smiled. “I think you two would’ve got along,” she said, “though she probably would’ve gone through with taking Vino’s head off.”

I laughed, then peered at the crowd as I finished off my beer. Sterling was excitedly talking with several ponies from across the room when suddenly the music from the jukebox lowered, and a colt’s voice rang out from the stage: “Laaaaadies and gentlecolts! It is my absolute pleasure to introduce our home town darling: the leader of the flock; a ewe with the voice of two; our wonderful wooly wonder-- Dolly!”

The Grotto erupted with a cheer the magnitude of which I had never heard in my life. The room was pure energy as every creature leapt to their feet, and began to stomp and cheer, crowding around the stage.

Rose and I exchanged a look, then got up and moved to the back of the crowd as we strained to see. The little two-headed ewe exuded confidence with every step as she took to the stage and stood behind a rather vintage-looking microphone.

“Who the heck is that?” Rose asked.

“She’s the one I rescued from that cellar,” I said breathlessly.

Dolly smiled out at the crowd. “Hi, I’m Dolly,” she said with a wide grin, and the crowd responded with cheers and whistles.

Rose bumped my flank with hers. “You rescued a celebrity?” she asked with a grin.

“I guess,” I said with astonishment.

The sound of the old upright piano suddenly filled the room with the first honkytonk notes of an upbeat tune, and the crowd cheered again as Dolly began to sing with a voice as sweet as butter:

“Tumble from my bed stumblin’ into the Wasteland
Couldn’t be further from grass in the Heartland
Oh, sweet Luna what a time to be alive!”

The crowd cheered and stomped in time as Rose leaned in. “She’s good.”

I smiled broadly. “Yeah, she is!”

Dolly continued singing, her auxiliary head lending a harmony:

“Bullets from raiders make the blood start pumpin’
Gotta move fast, better get used to runnin’
Cuz life in the Wasteland’s like this from morn’ to night!”

I grinned like an idiot as the music kicked up, and I was unable to keep my hoof from stomping in time.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to start dancing again,” Rose said with a sly grin.

I met her gaze with my own mischievous grin. “Actually, I think I am… And you’re coming with me!”

Her look of terror was lost upon me as I grabbed her hoof with a talon and dragged her into the crowd. We weaved our way to the front of the stage and started dancing with the other ponies.

“Tryin’ to survive-- what a place to make a livin’
Barely gettin’ by-- it’s all takin’ and no givin’
I just don’t know why-- you always lose it when you get it,
It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it!”

All the craziness of the Wasteland was forgotten as we danced like madponies. Despite the lyrics, the upbeat nature of the song had everypony up and on the dance floor. I laughed and stretched out my wings, and Rose ducked under one as she circled around me, moving to the beat of the music. Her ruby eyes shone through the reflections of the colored lights as she beamed at me.

We were surrounded by ponies: ponies who had lost family, ponies who had lost friends, and ponies who had lost limbs. But as I looked at the faces surrounding me, not one had a frown. I saw joy and hope… For a short time, we had truly locked the Wasteland outside the doors of the inn, and we were happy.

As the piano slammed home the last chord, Dolly bowed, and Rose and I joined in on the cheering from the crowd. After a moment, the pianist started in with a slow ballad, and Dolly sang the first few long notes.

The crowd around us started to clear the dance floor to make room for couples to slow dance, and I started to walk back to our table before I felt a tug on my tail.

“Just where do you think you’re going?” Rose asked, her horn aglow.

I turned around to face the devious mare. “I… don’t really do slow dances."

Rose snorted, then smiled, “You do now.” She slowly approached until she was very close. “Just follow my lead,” she said with a whisper.

She nuzzled into my neck, and I lowered my head until my chin touched the top of her head. We began to slowly step to the music, rocking back and forth gently as Dolly’s tender voice flowed over us. I felt the reassuring heat of Rose’s body against mine, and was pleasantly surprised when I detected floral tones within the scent of her mane.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Sterling. He stood with a group of ponies by a table, holding a glass filled with an amber liquid and a green leafy garnish. He smiled broadly as he watched us, and lifted his glass towards me before taking a sip.

As Dolly’s beautiful two-voiced harmonies swelled, Rose wrapped her hooves around me, pressing her cheek into my neck. A beautiful warmth spread throughout my body, and I couldn’t help but smile. I raised a foreleg and wrapped it around her, my claw gently gliding along the back of her neck and stroking her mane. It was a delicate balance as we rocked slowly on the dance floor, but our limbs moved instinctively in harmony.

Rose sighed into me, her warm breath sending tingles racing down my spine. I shivered, and heard her giggle in response. I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol, the exhaustion, or just my imagination, but I could swear her hooves gripped me tighter.

For a moment I thought about how I had almost lost her. Despite the fact that she was amazingly skilled and powerful with a confidence that was unmatched, she was still just one pony. One pony I knew I didn’t want to lose… and I silently vowed that I’d never let anything like that ever happen to her again. I would keep her safe... and I knew she would do the same for me.

I gripped her tighter as we swayed to the beautiful lingering notes of an ancient melody, and a part of me wished that the music would never end...

Footnote: Level Up!

Trait Discovered: Child of Invicta
…?

New Perk: A True, True Friend
You’ve developed a strong relationship with your companion. Damage resistance and morale increases for both of you when fighting alongside one another.

Statuette Discovered: Rockhoof
Permanently gain +1 STR.

Author's Note

This was a beast of a chapter, but that ending though! I was so happy to finally expand a bit on Rose's past and get Dolly onstage. The lyrics are set to the tune of Dolly Parton's "Nine-to-Five", for those who may have missed the references~

Thanks once again to Artimae for helping to proof this chapter, Kkat for creating FoE and giving us all a crazy sandbox with which to play in, and you all for giving Invicta a chance! Thank you so much~

~ Forest Rain