Twilight chuckled. “That's not even the strangest thing about this place. I mean have you seen the two hundred-year-old meals some people eat? How do they do that?”

“Augh don't remind me,” Jack muttered, gagging. “Something fresh, even something irradiated beats the heck outta that crud.”

“I get that they have a ton of preservatives but I’m still kinda amazed they are still edible,” Twilight remarked.

“I’d add some air quotes on the word edible if I were you,” Jack retorted.

“Yeah, but that does make me wonder… how is the pop er soda, still fresh? I mean the carbonation process isn't supposed to last that long,” Twilight thought aloud.

“They got some crazy chemicals in there,” Janey shouted from a dozen or so feet ahead of the pair. “Out east, where Nuka cola is a bit more common, they even got a kind of soda that glows in the dark, no outlet or power source required.”

“Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle,” Jack muttered.

“How do they… wait, don't tell me they put something radioactive in it,” Twilight exclaimed in a mix of shock and horror.

“Got it in one,” Janey replied, glancing over her shoulder. “Apparently some brilliant scientist thought it would be a smart idea to put an isotope he deemed harmless in every bottle. Even makes your piss glow if you believe the stories.”

“It's not like that would break down in your stomach,” Twilight muttered.

“Food sure is one thing humans ain't figured out,” Jack remarked. “I ain't never longed for a fresh apple more than when I was starin' down the barrel of a bloat fly burger.”

“Shoulda asked for extra maggots. It really helps with the texture issue,” Janey retorted, chuckling to herself as Jack had to hold back her urge to vomit.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully to herself, enjoying the pleasant feeling of comradery that had fallen over them. Sure it still bothered the deathclaw that Jack was going to leave right away but at least she had a competent companion with her. That and if she’d survived half of what she implied she had then Twilight had little doubt her old friend would make it through the trials ahead.

With her mind eased somewhat, Twilight plucked a hunk of brahmin jerky from her bag and began to idly chew on it. The deathclaw ruminated on the cloak she had lost a while ago and how nice it had been given how well it shielded her from the glare of the Mojave sun. Though other such concerns of a similar nature continued to buzz around inside her skull, Twilight felt relieved and relaxed in a way that she hadn't felt since before she had arrived in the Mojave.

It helped that her surroundings were beautiful, if a bit bleak but that was about the best one could hope for in the wasteland, Twilight thought to herself.

The tall red rock walls rose high above her head, creating a natural chasm through which ran the broken pre-war road they trod. The shattered concrete had received a bit of post-war care, though just barely enough to allow a caravan to use it without much trouble. Even the NCR, Twilight noted, likely didn't have the technology or the interest in restoring this part of what was America. Not while they were so busy on laying the tracks for a new train system that cut through the landscape anyway.

“Well, would ya look at that. We’re almost there,” Jack remarked, pointing ahead.

Twilight followed Jack's finger up to what had once been a rest stop. Sitting in the shadow of a large metal pylon that Janey had mentioned was used in ages past to transport electricity, was the small park. Its mobile homes had been rearranged to create a rough defensive perimeter while the main structure had been boarded up and the lone entrance was fortified with sandbags. There standing tall amidst the repurposed trailers was the NCR flag, flapping proudly in the breeze.

“Ranger Station Charlie,” Twilight muttered to herself. “We’re here already.”

“I know it hasn't been long, but it was great to finally see you again and clear up all those misconceptions,” Jack declared, waving a hand in the air as if she were physically wiping away the bad blood that had cropped up between them.

“Yeah well, I’m just glad to know you are alive and more or less okay,” Twilight replied.

“Ha, ain't that the truth,” Jack muttered. “But I ain't done and dusted yet. I still got work to do though I think after this is done my adventurin days are gonna be behind me.”

“I don't blame you for that at all,” Twilight added. “You would still be a huge help though. Just maintaining a home base would be a great boon.”

“Yeah no kiddin,” Jack murmured. “Most folk out here don't have the luxury of safety and security.”

“Hmm,” Twilight hummed in agreement.

“You two old crows done jawing back there?” Janey exclaimed, stopping and turning to face the pair. “Cus I think Boone wants to get this guy handed over real quick like.”

“The sooner we get him in a cell the sooner he starts spilling his guts,” Boone remarked.

Twilight noted that the legion soldier was muttering something angrily but the gag stuffed in his mouth made his words unintelligible.

“Whelp Twi, it looks like here's where we part ways,” Jack declared, holding out her arms. “I know we still got a heck of a lot to talk about but once I get this done we’ll have all the time in the world.”

“I’ll hold you to that, and in the meantime I’ll just hold you,” Twilight exclaimed, hugging the former pony tightly.

“Don't you go changin' now, ya here?” Jack whispered. “This place… It ain't made for ponyfolk.”

“Don't worry, we’re the elements of harmony. We never give up,” Twilight replied.

“Heh. Haven't heard that one in a while,” Jack muttered.

The pair gave one another one final squeeze before Jack stepped back, and straightened out her clothing.

“Whelp. I’m gonna go with Boone and maybe fish around for some info on my daughters,” Jack declared. “Hopefully next time you see me you can meet them for yourself.”

“I look forward to it,” Twilight exclaimed.

“See ya round, sugarcube,” Jack offered, giving Twilight a wave before walking off with Boone, and their still bound and gagged prisoner.

Twilight watched as they approached the ranger station and were met with a few surprised NCR soldiers. It didn't take long for the confusion of their arrival to be sorted and the duo plus their unwilling companion to be accepted into the compound. Twilight noted that although she was still being closely watched by the rangers stationed there they kept their guns respectfully in their holsters.

The entire exchange only took a few seconds, but to Twilight it was forever. She wanted Jack to turn around, she wanted them to join back up despite the logical part of Twilight's mind saying that such a thing wouldn't and shouldn't happen. Only when the pair were out of sight did that stubborn part of Twilight give up and let the whole thing go.

“That was quite the little adventure,” Janey exclaimed. “Should probably see that doctor, but I really don't want to stop at Novac again.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight muttered robotically, her voice synthesizer turning her regret-heavy words into a flat, even monotone. “That doctor wasn't… terrible.”

“That's cus she did a better job on you than she did me,” Janey retorted.

“Hmm, fair,” Twilight admitted.

“Besides. I’ve been shot more times than I can count,” Janey dismissed. “The trick is to just dig out the bullet if it doesn't get pushed out of you when the stimpack is done. Don't want that bit of lead to end up stuck in ya for the long haul.”

“Noted.”

“Right well let's get moving. I wanna loot that vault before the sun sets,” Janey exclaimed, walking back the way they came.

Twilight followed, her steps heavy and laden with guilt. Together they walked in silence, with Janey in the lead and Twilight a few strides behind, the deathclaw’s mind distant. Even occupied as her thoughts were, Twilight was able to detect the smell of legion, though she ignored it, noting that it was probably the lingering aroma of their prisoner.

“I uh… wanna say I’m sorry,” Janey exclaimed, her voice falling to barely more than a whisper.

“For what?” Twilight prodded.

“For not believing you, and teasing you about the whole princess thing. I know I said it before but I’m gonna be honest I didn't really well… mean it that time,” Janey added, the woman stuffing her hands in her pocket.

“It's understandable given everything,” Twilight dismissed.

“Still, I took it a bit too far a few times, and uh yeah,” Janey declared.

“You are forgiven, Janey,” Twilight replied.

“Alright, that's enough of this mushy stuff. Let's focus on staying alert. This may be NCR territory but we both know that means jackshit these days,” Janey proclaimed, raising her head.

“Hold on a second,” Twilight interrupted, walking up alongside the courier. “We’re at a bit of an imbalance now.”

“What do you mean?” Janey retorted her voice carrying a slight, accusatory edge to it.

“I mean you now know my history, and you haven't really told me much about yourself,” Twilight pressed. “You’ve hinted at a few things but well, I still don't feel like I really know you.”

“I’ll think about it,” Janey hastily replied.

“No pressure,” Twilight stressed.

“Tell you what,” Janey began, placing her hands on her hips and glancing up at the deathclaw. “You help me clean out that vault real quick like and I’ll tell ya bit about where I’m from.”

“That would be wonderful! Thank you so much for trusting-”

Janey held up a finger. “Let's not get too ahead of ourselves,” declared the human. “We’ve still got a ways to go and I got a lot of time to change my mind.”

“Well, we better get moving then!” Twilight replied.

Twilight huffed and puffed as she climbed the rise leading up to the remains of an overpass turned trading depot. In the fading evening light, Twilight could make out the NCR flag flying on both sides of the overpass. She could also see that there was a shop set up near the top, the area illuminated by burning barrels as well as a few other electronic lights strung about the area.

“We got there, in time,” Twilight muttered between breaths.

“Yes, technically we did,” Janey added, hefting her stuffed backpack further up her shoulders. “With only ten minutes to spare too.”

“You are really good at guessing the time,” Twilight exclaimed. “I didn't even see you glance at your pipboy.”

“It just comes from walkin the Mojave for as long as I have,” Janey declared. “Just haul that stuff to the picnic table up there. I’ll drag it the last of the way.”

“I thought you said you were gonna tell me more about your past,” Twilight countered.

“And I will. Once I unload all this shit and secure us enough caps to enjoy a pleasant meal, and a few stiff drinks,” Janey retorted, waving a dismissive hand at her companion.

Twilight snorted and dropped the gathered gear on a picnic table near the hastily thrown-together shack standing at the top of the overpass. Seeing Janey carry off everything she was able to, Twilight wandered towards the scent of grilling meat. However, she didn't make it far before she heard the flurry of booted feet running at her.

“It's a deathclaw spread out, quickly!” Someone shouted in the distance.

Twilight turned to the group of less-than-stealthy NCR soldiers and activated her magic, lifting their weapons out of their hands. So startled were the group that none even made an effort to hold on to their service rifles though a few jumped in an effort to try and pluck them from the air.

“Relax, I come in peace,” Twilight exclaimed, raising her clawed hands.

“Oh shit, it's Princess!” One of the soldiers muttered.

“Yeah so don't fucking shoot her you stupid asshole,” Janey spat, turning to Twilight. “You got it from here?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’re fine,” Twilight replied.

“We will be okay the moment you return those weapons to my men,” declared a larger, more domineering soldier standing amidst the pack.

“Of course,” Twilight answered, smiling as best as she was able. “Just please don't shoot me. The legion already did a number on me today.”

Before anyone could say anything Twilight deposited the mass of metal on the ground. The small group of six soldiers hastily gathered their weapons while the commander remained stockstill.

“You said you encountered legion, this far up?” muttered the man, hand resting on the butt of his holstered revolver.

“Encountered and killed, or captured,” Twilight answered. “Though his men did not feel like surrendering we were able to take one Vulpes Inculta into custody.”

“You ain't bullshittin' me?” Murmured the grizzled veteran.

“Princess wouldn't do that. Haven't you heard about her on the radio?” Whispered another of the men.

“No, I am not bullshitting you. We left him at the ranger station just up the way,” Twilight answered, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

“Well holy shit,” exclaimed the commanding officer.

“Looks like you owe someone a drink,” remarked one of the younger soldiers.

“Never thought I’d ever have to pay up on that little wager,” replied the elder of the group.

“I’d prefer a bit of food if you wouldn't mind. I’m not much of a drinker,” Twilight exclaimed, raising a hand.

“Well, shit. No one likes a hungry deathclaw. You just go on over to the stop and slop and order whatever the hell you want. Tell Samuel that it's on Sergeant Keely’s tab,” declared the soldier. “As for the rest of you. Get back on patrol. The legion may have lost one of their best but they ain't outta this yet.”

“Yes sir!” Echoed his men.

Twilight smiled and waved to the small squad who either nodded or waved back as they marched off into the night.

“That could have gone worse,” Twilight murmured.

Trodding over to the source of the pleasant aroma, Twilight noted that her conversation with the NCR had gathered a bit of a crowd. A few travelers were staring her way and two individuals, one older and male, the other young and female were peering out at her from behind the counter. The moment their eyes met, a friendly feminine hand waved the deathclaw over much to the irritation of the other vendor operator.

“Don't bring it over here we don't know what it wants,” hissed the older man.

“That’s Princess remember? From the radio? She just used magic Dad. Real bloody magic!” retorted the wide-eyed youth.

Twilight approached the pair and sat down at the end of the counter, distancing herself from the other nervous-looking patrons.

“I hope I’m not intruding,” Twilight offered.

“No you most certainly are not,” declared a grinning, blonde-haired young woman that didn't look much older than eighteen. “Isn't that right dad?”

“Err yeah. Why don't you uh handle this one, honey? I think table two there needs another drink,” murmured the male.

“So, what can I get for the hero of the wasteland?” Inquired the sole remaining merchant.

“Some food. Meat preferably but I’m not…” Twilight paused, stopping herself before saying she was no hero. Decades of saving the world, beating bad guys, and being hailed as a savior had dulled Twilight's instinctive urge to deny her status as a hero.

“What was that last part?” Inquired the merchant.

“But I’d also like something to drink. A cider if you have it,” Twilight replied.

“I’ve never heard of a cider before is that a kind of mixed drink?” Muttered the confused young woman.

“Just a beer then,” Twilight replied.

“Coming right up!”

“Oh, and it's on Sergeant Keely’s tab,” Twilight added.

“I wouldn't dream of charging the Princess. Don't worry about it,” dismissed the young woman.

“Err okay then,” Twilight murmured.

As the operator of the shop got to work, Twilight glanced about the place. There weren't many other people present, a few traders, some soldiers who stuck to themselves, and the odd lone wanderer. Each of whom looked at Twilight with a mixture of awe, respect, terror, or complete indifference, politely sticking to their own business and not even glancing over at the deathclaw.

“Not exactly a busy place, huh?” Twilight half asked half stated.

“It's not bad. Sure beats Primm ever since the prison break though,” remarked the woman without turning around.

“Oh yeah. I bet it's better now that Primm has a sheriff and the local gangs have been err pushed out,” Twilight added.

“That was you, wasn't it? I heard about it on the radio but I almost couldn't believe it,” the human exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration bordering on hero worship.

“That was us. Janey and I,” Twilight replied. “Seems like things are back to normal over there if you ever thought about going back.”

“It's nice to know our old hometown is safe and sound but I for one won't be returning until the whole jailbreak situation is dealt with in a more permanent manner if you get my meaning,” replied the cook, pausing to pour some kind of sauce onto the grill, causing it to sizzle loudly.

Twilight sniffed the air, her stomach growling the moment she detected the familiar aroma of mantis mixed with a slightly foreign slightly spicy-smelling addition.

“Someone’s hungry, it's a good thing a trader sold us some freshly hunted mantis only a few hours ago,” declared the vendor, turning around to reveal a plate piled high in grilled mantis limbs. “Here you are, Princess. The Slop and Shop special.”

“Thank you so much,” Twilight blurted, grabbing a leg and taking a big, eager bite.

“You are very welcome. Oh and the name’s Michelle by the way, Michelle Kerr,” Michelle added.

Twilight merely nodded, scarfing down leg after leg and grinning all the while. She knew that whatever she was eating was probably spicy, but her mostly reptilian biology meant that capsaicin did nothing to her. Well, not nothing, it certainly added to the natural flavor in a unique way however there was no heat, no bite, only a warm, pleasant taste that Twilight immediately fell in love with.

Somewhere along the lines, an open beverage had been placed next to her meal though Twilight only noticed it after she had nearly finished. The faintly bitter-scented drink had been served in a glass bottle wider at its bottom and narrower at its top. The label had worn away to the point that it was no longer readable so that was no help. Thankfully Twilight's nose was able to detect the scent of hopps, but also the faint whisps of citrus and fruit.

“Smells interesting,” Twilight muttered to herself.

Pausing to quickly lick her claws clean, Twilight ignored the looks she got and took a careful swig of her drink. Though her immediate reaction was one of disgust, the aftertaste quickly washed that urge away. The beer turned out to be a bit more one-note than Twilight had expected and worse, it was not nearly as sweet as she would have liked.

“Not bad, right?” Prompted Michelle.

“I suppose not, no,” Twilight reluctantly agreed.

“Would you like some more? I think I have enough mantis meat for another death claw-sized plate or two,” Michelle offered.

“Yes!” Twilight proclaimed, only to pause and lean back slightly. “I mean, if you don't mind.”

“Coming right up, Princess!” Michelle declared.

Twilight smiled and sipped idly at her drink. The taste was growing on her, but if given the chance Twilight would have traded it for a cider without a second thought. Still, if she was going to have something alcoholic she was glad it wasn't whiskey. She had no idea how Janey drank that stuff so regularly, it was like liquid wood.

“Hope you haven't eaten everything. I’m starving,” declared a familiar voice.

“Hey Janey,” greeted Twilight as the courier plunked down in an open chair next to the deathclaw. “Everything go alright?”

“Met some weirdo with a power fist muttering about enclave experiments and bad memories as she ran off but other than that everything was normal,” Janey replied, dropping a bag of bottle caps on the counter and pushing it toward the deathclaw. “Those legion fucks we killed had some surprisingly decent weapons.”

Twilight plucked the bag up and gently placed it into her backpack, tying the top closed once her money was secure. When Twilight turned back around, Janey was holding a cup of brown liquid and had before her several open packages of pre-war food. Dandy boy apples, instamash, and Salisbury steak came together to create an ancient but at least complete meal.

“So where do I start this sordid tale?” Janey began, swirling her drink.

“From the beginning. Like, for example, where were you born, and don't skimp on the details this time around,” Twilight offered.

Janey paused and took a swig of her brown liquid, downing nearly all of it in one go.

“I was born in a vault,” Janey began. “Vault twenty-one to be exact.”

Author's Note

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