Two Wings

Blueberry POV

"That was the most stupid plan we have ever seen!"

To be honest, I wasn't in favor of the plan either. I watched as Zitrus stood all alone in front of the slavers. It grated on my fur, and it took all of my willpower not to intervene myself. I didn't care that he ultimately didn't get hurt. He better not do something like that again.

I was in the background while Zitrus and Savage had an argument.

"It was a risky plan, yes. But it was the best we could do," Zitrus said to my purple sister.

"The best?! The best would have been to kill the three slavers and save the zebra. Instead, not only did you risk your own life, but your whole plan to save the zebra failed," Savage yelled.

"Oh? Since when do you care about my life?" Zitrus asked with a devious smirk, fully aware that this question would further agitate Savage.

"We don't. We're just trying to point out how stupid this plan was. Why put your life at such great risk for a plan that could have been easily accomplished?" Savage hissed.

"Because the plan wasn't just about saving the zebra. I wanted to save the slavers too, to make them give up their slaver life. How much better would we be if we just killed everything we consider a problem without considering better options?"

"Stop being so naive, you worm! The world isn't like in your little foal stories, full of rainbows and whenever there is a problem some pony would give a sing song and the power of friendship would fix it all. This is the wasteland. It's kill or be killed!"

"You're too entrenched in your belief that every problem can be solved through violence! I know the wasteland is brutal, but it's only as brutal as we allow it to be. I wish I could have saved her, but simply killing everything we perceive as evil wouldn't have made things better. At least we were able to spare the two earth pony slavers. So, instead of sacrificing three lives to save one, as your approach would have been, we only lost two," Zitrus began to raise his voice, disregarding the fact that he was arguing with an alicorn.

"They would have deserved it. If you think so bad of slavers, then it's better to give them the punishment."

"They deserved a chance. If I were to kill everyone who has done wrong in the past, without considering who they might become, then I would have killed Blueberry on sight. Your kind has committed more killings in the past than many raiders have. But I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't, because she is not who she once was. She is now a pony with a good heart and a dear friend."

A warm feeling welled up in my heart upon hearing Zitrus' words, but I suppressed it and maintained my neutral expression.

"Are you blaming us because we killed their leader, hmm? Perhaps her shot against the zebra was just a foolish mistake of the past? How many mistakes would she have been allowed to make before she couldn't be redeemed in your eyes?" Savage asked.

She was now face to face with Zitrus, glaring daggers at him. Despite her height advantage, it almost appeared as if they were eye to eye.

"I give someone a chance when I believe they can change. It doesn't always turn out that way, but I have to give them at least a chance. I'm not happy about your actions, but in the end, I understand why you did it. And I approve of it. She wasn't willing to change," Zitrus replied.

"Explaining this is pointless! You're way too gullible and optimistic towards others who should be eliminated to prevent any further trouble," Savage retorted.

"Then should I kill you too for the fact that you killed the mare? Or perhaps for every other creature you killed? Because I'm certain this wasn't your first time," Zitrus countered.

Savage huffed in response and spread her wings. "Every kill we have made was justified. we did it because we had to."

"Would those you murdered say the same?" Zitrus asked calmly.

There was a brief pause as they glared angrily at each other. Then Savage turned around and walked away with her head held high.

Zitrus watched her for a moment before joining me. I didn't say anything. Firstly, I didn't know what to say, and secondly, I didn't feel it was necessary. He just needed some comfort after such a stressful day.

The two of us spotted Crystal a few meters away from us. We watched her in silence as she went about her business. She had my longbow in her magical grip, seemingly attempting to take some training shots. She placed an arrow on the string and took aim at a lone tree about fifty steps away. With the bow close to her face, she carefully studied the trajectory the arrow would take. And then she released the bow. By "bow," I don't mean the string; she let go of the wood itself. As a result, the tension shifted backward, and the wood smacked into her face.

Zitrus chuckled when we witnessed the spectacle, and I couldn't help but give an amused smile as well.

The two of us then approached Crystal, who was rubbing her muzzle.

"I still don't understand how you're able to use that thing," she said, slightly irritated, and handed me back the bow.

"Well, for starters, it helps to release the correct side of the bow," I replied with a neutral expression.

"Oh, how hilarious," Crystal sarcastically remarked, but there was a hidden smile on her face.

"Maybe she was aiming for the enemy behind her," Zitrus joked.

"Shush, you! You're no better with that stick than I am."

Crystal playfully slapped Zitrus's face with her wing. I couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see that Zitrus had already started to recover.

"Alright, where do we go now?" Zitrus asked, retrieving his map from his saddlebags and opening it up.

"Actually... If I may make a request," Crystal began, and the two of us turned our attention to her. "I had an idea when I saw the zebra. You see, zebras are famous for their skills in potion-making. They create very potent and effective potions. Perhaps they have one that could help me become pregnant..."

"Have you never tried any fertility potions before?" Zitrus inquired.

"Well, yes, of course. But never from a zebra. And as I mentioned earlier, they have a much wider variety of potions with better effects. So, the chances of them being able to help me are not so slim," Crystal replied.

Zitrus and I exchanged a glance. I nodded, indicating that I was okay with the plan. Zitrus then returned his attention to his map, which he had to unfold completely.

"Well, we certainly can. It's not like we have anything else planned at the moment. However, the nearest zebra colony that I know of is quite far away in the West. It might take us a month or even longer," Zitrus explained.

"Don't worry. Just let me lead the way. That will provide you with some entertainment," Crystal remarked, turning around and beginning to trot. As she did, she gave her hips a deliberate sway, causing her tail to move aside for a brief moment, revealing not only a captivating view of her flanks but also a rather enticing glimpse of what lay between them.

I had never seen Zitrus blush so intensely before.

It was the afternoon of the next day, and rain was pouring down. As a result, we decided to keep our journey short for the day. While Zitrus himself was busy with setting up the tents, Savage and I went for a stroll, disregarding the fact that the rain was drenching us.

Savage had chosen to accompany us. "To keep an eye on Zitrus," she had explained.

At that moment, she had her mane held in her magical grip, playing with it, particularly with the green streak she had.

"You don't have a strand?" she asked me. "Almost every sister has one. But you seem to be one of the rare ones who don't."

That was true. Among alicorns, there were three color variations, and regardless of the primary color, most alicorns had a strand in their manes and tails, featuring one of the other two colors. In Savage's case, she was a purple alicorn but also had her green strand.

"It surprises me that you've never seen it," I replied.

Using my magic, I separated my blue mane, revealing some purple wisps of hair in between, carefully concealed and not easily noticeable.

"When the Goddess died, and I found myself trapped in the village, my eyes often fell upon these purple hairs. I was uncertain whether I was truly on my own or still part of the Unity. Was my mind really my own, or was it still shared with others? It only added to the confusion in my already lost mind. So, I began hiding the strand among my blue ones, making it impossible for me to see them anymore."

Savage remained silent in response. She was aware of my past, of the times when I had been adrift in the village, consumed by my own thoughts, and the moments when I had been an emotional wreck until Zitrus found me.

Savage had once told me that my state of shock was a common reaction to the sudden loss of the Goddess. Many alicorns had experienced it. However, she assured me that despite the loss, the plans and greatness of the alicorns had not vanished. I needed time to recover, but I still had doubts about her words.

I did not share Savage's fanatical perspective. While I acknowledged the power of our kind, I did not see us being superior to others. I did not celebrate the demise of the Goddess, but I did not yearn for her return either. I was my own pony now.

"What about Crystal? Does she have a strand?" Savage asked, raising a valid question. I didn't know the answer either.

However, before I could respond, Crystal suddenly descended from the sky and landed right in front of us, causing a large splash in a puddle. Water sprayed everywhere, drenching us all.

"I heard my name," Crystal laughed, smirking at us.

If there had been any dry spot on me, it was now thoroughly soaked. I turned to the right to look at Savage, whose long mane was now completely wet and covering her face, revealing only her long horn and a displeased muzzle.

An idea struck me, and I used my magic to splash some more water at Savage's face.

"Alright, Crystal, you got us. You can stop now," I said, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Wait, that wasn't me. That was y-" Crystal began, but her sentence was cut off as she was ensnared in a purple magical aura.

Savage, still wearing the same unhappy expression beneath her wet mane, now had her horn glowing as she used her magic to lift Crystal up.

"Nononono! Wait, Savage!" Crystal managed to protest before being released and dropped face-first into the puddle. I couldn't help but give a victorious smirk.

Crystal quickly got back on her hooves, spitting out some water. "I'll get you for that, sister!"

A wave of water came rushing toward me. I quickly covered myself behind my wing, then lifted my entire front body and forcefully slammed both of my front legs into the water, causing it to shoot in all directions.

Crystal anticipated the attack and cast a shield around herself. Savage, on the other hoof, had just finished fixing her mane and got hit again. At first, her muzzle displayed a displeased look, but it quickly transformed into an evil smirk.

She swung her head powerfully, her wet mane following the motion and flying in my direction. A splash of wet hair struck my face.

From there, the water war escalated into laughter, splashing, and a whole lot more. Even I couldn't help but wear a smile on my face.