Crystal POV

We had a short winter, maybe two months of snow. The sky was grey, and it looked like it would rain soon. Lost in my thoughts, I walked in the middle of the group, not paying much attention to my surroundings. We were crossing a grass field with small, peculiar rocky hills and grass-covered craters. Nothing particularly noteworthy, so I took the time to reflect on the past few weeks.

Was I aware that Blueberry had been in heat? Absolutely! How could I not be? She had been avoiding Zitrus as much as possible, her temper had been short, and her marehood emitted an intense smell. It hadn't been an easy time for her.

As for myself, I was fortunate enough to have slept with one or two (or more) stallions during our time at the bar.

I might not have even noticed that I was in heat, as one stallion load had already taken it away. Alicorns may not get pregnant by regular ponies, but they could at least alleviate the heat. I did wonder why blueberry didn't just have sex with zitrus, just so she could return to normal.

About Savage... I honestly couldn't say. Like Blueberry, she had been distant from Zitrus, but it felt different in her case. She didn't emit the same scent as Blueberry, or perhaps Blueberry's scent overpowered hers. It's worth noting that not all mares experience heat in the same way or to the same degree. The reason Zitrus and Savage avoided each other was most likely due to their conversation in the bar.

In the end, Savage admitted to Zitrus that she had tortured the two ponies. It's understandable that Zitrus wouldn't take that well. Who would? Knowing that the pony you're traveling with would torture others without remorse simply because she felt offended. It was just another revelation adding to what Zitrus already knew about Savage. She was racist, fanatical, an executioner, and now, a torturer. It didn't surprise me that Zitrus felt unsure around her.

But it couldn't have been easy for Savage to confess. They had spent the entire night at the bar, and when they returned to us it was already morning. Both had looked worn out. I imagine Savage needed a few drinks to gather the courage to tell him, and Zitrus joined her.

Zitrus himself had stuck with me mostly during the mating weeks, seeking support and understanding. He had certainly had a difficult time caught between a mare in heat and a heated mare. Now that the heat season was over, Blueberry had returned to her normal self, or at least mostly normal. However, I noticed that she began to spend more time around Zitrus. While she had always been close to him (except during the mating season), it seemed that she was even more frequently by his side now.

Savage, on the other hoof, remained distant and seemed to only spend time with us. It appeared as if she carried a sense of shame...

As I was lost in my thoughts, my face suddenly hit the dirt after tripping over something. Unaware of my surroundings, I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going.

"Are you alright, sister?", Savage asked, helping me to my hooves.

"Yes, yes. Just tripped", I replied.

Blueberry's horn illuminated, revealing the object I had stumbled upon. A weathered assault rifle. It was incredibly old, with rust and dirt nearly consuming it. It appeared to be a relic from the pre-war era, a time long gone... Zitrus joined us, and we all stared at the weapon in confusion. It was then that we truly observed our surroundings for the first time.

The peculiar rocky hills we had been traversing were actually constructed bunkers. Nearby, the remnants of a trench were visible, and a section of rusty barbed wire peeked out from the grass. The craters scattered around were actually bomb craters.

It dawned on us that we were standing on an old battlefield. A relic from the time before the devastating bombs fell, when ponies fought against the zebras in war.

I looked through the "window," which was more like a wide hole in the wall. A perfect spot for snipers. We were in an old rifle bunker. It made me wonder how any pony could have endured spending time in such a place. The bunker was small and cramped, a cold and dark grey block. Looking outside, I could see the remnants of the pre-war battlefield. A faint rain began to fall, as if the wasteland itself was crying.

I didn't like this place. It was steeped in a brutal history, long past but never truly forgotten. I couldn't help but wonder how Equestria looked before the great war, before the bombs fell and transformed our world into the wasteland we now knew. It was hard to believe that it had been over 200 years ago... I only knew stories from that time. Tales of lush green grass, vibrant trees, blue skies and a world where survival wasn't a constant battle.

Despite my discomfort, Zitrus insisted on staying here for the night. He had had no idea this place even existed. He had added this location now on his map.

At the moment, he was outside searching for loot to gather.

Meanwhile, Blueberry, Savage, and I remained in the bunker. It provided an opportunity for me to share with Blueberry what Savage had done. How she had tortured and killed the two ponies, and how it triggered some forgotten memories of my own, memories of the time I spent under the control of the Goddess, tormenting others.

As I narrated the events, Blueberry remained silent. She sat next to me, looking out of the "window" with a neutral expression. When I finished, a long pause hung between us.

Savage stood silently by my side as I spoke, but I could see the weight of my words beginning to affect her.

"What do you think about the Goddess?", Blueberry asked, surprising me with her direct gaze. I took a moment to collect my thoughts before responding.

"What do I think of her? I hate her. I often wondered why I couldn't remember much about the Goddess and the things she made me do, while my memories of the Unity were crystal clear.

Now I understand. After torturing so many ponies, my mind couldn't handle it anymore and simply shut those memories out. And the worst part is that the Goddess must have known. She knew that I, the real me, was suffering through all of it. She caused me so much pain, and she didn't care. No act of torture is ever justified. None! And yet, she continued to employ it. So yes, I hate the Goddess. I... I'm glad she's dead."

My words hung heavily in the air, casting a somber mood over us.

Savage broke the silence, asking: "But why did you forgive us, if you believe torture is never justified?"

I turned to face Savage directly, looking deep into her eyes.

"Because you, like me, are also a victim of the goddess", I replied.

Savage remained silent after that, her expression unreadable.

"And what do you think about the Goddess, Savage?", Blueberry inquired.

"We... we don't know. She is still our Goddess, our mother. Her methods were brutal and wrong, but she believed she was acting in the best interest of alicorn kind. We would say... if she were alive again, we wouldn't turn against her. But we also wouldn't blindly follow her anymore. Not unless she apologizes and changes her ways", Savage explained.

For a moment, none of us spoke. We simply looked out at the lightly falling rain, lost in our own thoughts.

"We have a question for you, sisters," Savage broke the silence. Both Blueberry and I turned our heads towards her.

"this might seem like its' coming out of nowhere, but considering you two have shared a tent with Zitrus for such a long time, have you ever been... Intimate with him?"

I was taken aback by the question, but then again, this was Savage. She had asked me similar questions in the past, and a lot of time had passed since then. A lot of time spent with Blueberry and me in Zitrus' tent, alone. I glanced at Blueberry and noticed her blushing and the embarrassment in her normally neutral expression.

"Why? Are you interested in joining us?", I smirked and playfully poked Savage in the side.

Ignoring my joke, Savage asked: "So, you two have had sex?"

"Hehe, no, we haven't," I replied.

"You haven't?! But you always seem so... 'playful' around him. It looks like you're throwing yourself at him. And you're telling me you've never taken the opportunity to have sex when you're sharing a tent?", Blueberry asked, clearly surprised.

"It's not that I don't want to", I explained. "I would gladly seize the moment. Why do you think I tease and flirt with him? I'm just waiting for the moment when he finally jumps on me and fucks me all night long until we both are dry."

Blueberry's blush deepened, and thanks to my mind-reading ability, I knew that she was vividly imagining my words.

"But when you two spend the night together, and he... gets hard in his sleep. Have you never taken the initiative then?" Blueberry managed to ask while trying to hide her face. That question hit me harder than I would have liked.

"No, I haven't", I simply replied, not delving further into the matter.

The truth was, Zitrus was still a stallion, and sometimes stallions would get a random boner during the night. But I never ventured beneath the blankets to take advantage of his erect penis.

Then a lightbulb came up in my mind. "How do you know about his erections, dear sister?", I asked Blueberry.

It was a delight to see Blueberry's face turn even redder, especially considering how difficult it was to break through her usually stoic demeanor.

"OkayIfeltitonenightSHUTUP!" she blurted out. I could barely contain my laughter. It took Blueberry a while to compose herself.

"Yes, I... know about it. But I never had sex with him. I couldn't bring myself to do that", she explained.

Silence fell between us once again, accompanied by the gentle patter of the rain outside.

"I have something to tell you," Blueberry finally said. "It's about Zitrus since we were just talking about him... Well... you see... I am..."

"I'm back," came Zitrus' voice from the entrance as he walked in.

Blueberry immediately closed her mouth and fell silent.

"I found some preserved pre-war food. It's probably not very healthy, considering what they put in food back then to extend its expiration date, but it's most likely still edible," he chuckled.

"Well, it's you who has to eat it," I joked.

What did you want to say? I asked Blueberry telepathically.

It... it's nothing, she thought, but I sensed a touch of disappointment in her mind.

Author's Note

This chapter took a bit longer than excected. But well… here it is.
Hope you enjoyed it and if (or if not) feel free to write reviews,