One Last Mission

Underside, San Palomino Desert

Day 9

There was no response from the spritebot, obviously. There would have been several questions out of my mouth if there was, chief among them how he was able to see a ghost through a camera. Even if it initially seemed that Watcher was looking directly at DH, it makes a lot more sense that he was looking through her. Which, in turn, meant that his question was aimed for me.

“Talking to the dead. Didn’t know I was capable of it until… just about a week ago,” I told the spritebot, walking up alongside my ancestor. “Dead Hooves says hi, by the way.”

Watcher stayed silent, his bot floating there in front of us with no clue as to what he was doing. DH and I shared a look, the ghost mare seeming more than a little concerned. It was clear from her statement that whoever I was talking to was on the older side, and I had been in her mind enough to know she was thinking of the worst case scenario. That was confirmed seconds later.

“You didn’t kill him, did you?” she asked.

“If that did him in, he was on his way out to start with,” I replied, voice monotone. I knocked a hoof against the spritebot, as if it might do something. “You there Watcher? Whoever you are?”

That got a response, and with it proof he was still alive. “Yeah, I’m here. Just didn’t expect to be greeted with that.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t ask for any of this,” I replied with a sigh. I gave DH a side eyed glance. “Continue this discussion later?”

“Yeah, later,” she said.

Taking a few steps to the side and looking elsewhere, Dead Hooves gave us some space. There was a glint of worry in what could be seen of her expression, clearly meant for both of us. She wanted to think about what was happening to us as little as I did right now. Watcher’s sudden intrusion had given us the exact excuse we both wanted to put this off, let it simmer. Come back to it a day or two from now when we are more prepared.

Come back to it when some other terrifying thing spawned from the link DH had accidentally forced on us both.

“Sounds like a lot has happened since that first, short talk,” Watcher said, stating the blindingly obvious.

It was impossible to not laugh a little at it all. “You don’t know the half of it. In the span of just over a week, my entire life has basically been flipped upside down. Shit here is… a lot more complicated than I originally thought.”

“It’s something everypony learns rather quickly down here, whether they be from the Enclave or a Stable,” Watcher replied. “Still, its not everyday that we get a Dashite with your background. Never had the chance, your types don’t usually come down here.”

“My type?”

“The most brainwashed, to put it bluntly. Those who would rather die before being branded. At least, most of you are like that.”

I frowned, wishing desperately to counter his claim but… how could I? The more I was down here, the more I thought about the environment that I grew up in, the more flaws showed. Even scarier, I started to think of what Calamity did and why. So many pegasi believed what we did solely because it was all we ever knew. Ideas that we were the superior tribe, both culturally and in intellect, were easy to grasp because it was safe, not right.

Yet not hours earlier, in some random surface town in the middle of a desert, was a pub. A pub with happy faces, pleasant conversation, and good drinks. A place that had seen me get up on stage, play for them, and clapped their hooves, paws, talons and otherwise. The Lucky Clover fit the Enclave, not the surface, but here it was on solid ground.

Lines blurred, beliefs shifted, new perspectives brought with it terrifying ideas. Perhaps Calamity wasn’t the problem, but the council was… which meant I was. Merely thinking about that possibility sent a shiver up my spine, but was it not true. I was a part-unicorn on the Enclave high council, and nopony but Ironsight and I had known.

For the first time, I truly questioned if Anchor, Clear, and Rainy were safe up there. Was that really the right environment to grow up in? For the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure.

“I can’t deny it. Not anymore,” I told Watcher in a dejected tone. “Didn’t come down here with any respect or love for you all. Now? Now I can’t help but admit that I was… wrong.”

My entire body felt just a little lighter, a lump in my throat disappearing with it. Muscles relaxed, a heavy sigh left my muzzle, and I closed my eyes. That was it, I had admitted out loud. No turning back anymore.

“We’re glad to have you here. I’m sure your experience in politics would be a boon to the wasteland,” he replied. I’m pretty damn certain I hadn’t told him anything about that personally. Must have been information Moondancer and Lucky sent him. “Have to admit, I didn't expect you to be where you are. Doesn’t strike me as your type of place.”

“Really?” I asked, one side of my brow raised. “Why do you say that?”

“Shattered Moon’s background as an anti-government group.” There was the slightest sign of a growl in his voice. “Certainly not the kind of ponies I would want in charge of the wasteland.”

My brow rose even higher. “Sounds like personal history.”

“It’s more accurate to say I knew ponies who dealt with what they once were, two centuries ago.”

There we go, confirmation of what Dead Hooves thought was true. I briefly glanced at the ghost mare, two sly smiles meeting each other. This Watcher creature had been around for a long time. Ghoul, machine, perhaps a dragon? I didn’t know exactly what he was, and I didn’t care. The point was, he was able to give me more information that might be useful working with or against the Shattered Moon.

It was entirely possible another of the traitors had given their M.A.M. documents to them.

“If you don’t mind me asking then, what were they like?” I inquired. “You must have a some interesting stories from them.”

“I can do you one better,” he said. Contrary to how tired and gravely he had sounded in all conversation up to this point, there were the obvious signs of a smirk on his face. “I can tell you what they were like and who their leaders were.”

My jaw hung, eyes wide, brow unable to go any higher. “That’s… quite a bit.”

“You’re a politician just as much as you are a soldier. I’m certain you’d make good use of the information,” Watcher explained. “And as you’ve noticed, I have no love for them myself.”

Well damn, how could a mare say no to that?! Watcher was gifting me with knowledge that was likely lost to all but the Shattered Moon themselves, and as far as I could ascertain there was no catch. A practically devilish grin began to form, arching forward with eager anticipation.

“Go on then. I’m listening.”

“Good,” Watcher said. “Now, as is practically common knowledge, Shattered Moon was formed in response to Equestria’s refusal to end the war. More specifically, it was made in response to the growing power and control that the ministries had over civilians and the crown. They wanted either Celestia back in power or, if they couldn’t get that, a brand new government.”

“Ministries dismantled, and them in charge,” I added.

“Exactly. It was them or no one, and with the ever growing belief of pony superiority in the country, they had a lot of support,” he continued. “Zebras, griffons, hippogriffs, zonys, any Equestrian who bought what they said. There was truth in what they fought for, but how they went about it? It didn’t give them a popular image.

“Peaceful protest failed early on, Ministries of Moral and Image made sure of that. It wouldn’t do a lot of good for the war effort. None of their members were ever caught – they were damn good at avoiding capture –but it was clear they had to change their approach. Things got… violent.”

I scowled. For how good their first impression was, that certainly left a bitter taste in my mouth. I understood it was the only option they had, but from a political standpoint such things were beyond dangerous. It meant the public was no longer controllable, and the property damage and possible endangerment of life meant more than just the target was affected.

“It wasn’t as bad as the Ministry of Image made them out to be, but the damage done was more than enough to paint them as zebrican sympathizers,” Watcher continued on, giving little room to interject. “It would have been their end if not for one simple fact: almost nopony knew who their members were. They were anonymous, the closest anypony got to completely avoiding them.”

He went silently, sprite bot floating aimlessly. He had queued me up to ask a question he clearly wanted me to ask. Not entirely sure why he needed me to ask, but he was too far into his explanation to stop now. I had to ask.

“Somepony in their organization was found out,” I said. “Who was it, and who got them?”

“To answer the last question first: Minister Pinkie Pie,” he answered. There was a small, sad chuckle as he said her name. “Nopony escaped her. The mare knew everypony, even before becoming a ministry mare. You can dodge all the cameras, hide your entire face, fool every ministry personnel sent to question you, it doesn't matter. Pinkie finds you, and she found Shattered Moon’s leader with ease.

“Their leader was a former Shadowbolt named Lightning Dust. She was removed from active duty after an explosion took a leg from her. No clue what led an extremely loyal soldier to suddenly turn against the ministries, but she did. The last few years of Equestria’s existence, she and one other unknown mare were the leaders of the Shattered Moon. The uniforms, the culture, everything traces back to her.”

Just like that, the unknown mare from the theater had been given a true identity. A small part of me wasn’t surprised at the fact she was a Shadowbolt – what little bit of my beliefs of racial superiority remained felt only a pegasus could so keenly outmaneuver the ministries – but it didn’t solve the big question. No doubt she practiced what she preached to the rest of the Shattered Moon, a good leader always does, which made the fact I knew her face odd. If Pinkie Pie was as terrifying as she seemed to be, then no doubt that was what finally clued the minister in to who the leader was.

Unless… that was exactly what Lightning Dust wanted the ministries to believe.

“I’m not sure about everything else. I was… absent, when Equestria died,” Watcher explained. “What I do know is that Lightning Dust died on the Last Day. Assassinated by the Ministry of Morals.”

“It took that long?” I asked, crossing my legs. “Gotta admit, a little surprised. I figured Pinkie would have taken her out sooner.”

“Me too. Not entirely sure why she waited so long, but Minister Pinkie was a strange mare,” he responded, another sad chuckle leaving his lips. “Of all the mysteries that the Ministry of Arcane Science was ever able to uncover, that mare wasn’t one of them. It made Tw… Minister Twilight angry.”

A resigned sigh left my lips. As if the pinkie promise wasn’t enough confirmation that she was unnatural. Merely thinking of the promises I had made via such mention brought with it the sound of an echoy, foalish giggle. It wouldn’t surprise me if that pink exterior was hiding some strange otherworldly creature. Why else would Minister Twilight be unable to crack what is up with her?

“Clearly Lightning Dust’s death didn’t bring about the end of the Shattered Moon,” I muttered, looking behind the spritebot to Underside. Standing up, I started to pace back and forth a bit. “If she was the mare in charge shouldn’t things have crumbled? They certainly wouldn’t be as large of an organization as they are now.”

“Yes, but as I said I don’t know enough to say what happened with them surrounded the Last Day,” Watcher said. Clearly he noticed how much wider my smile got at that admission. “You know something.”

I’ll give the stallion this, he was great at reading emotions. The spritebot floated backwards a bit, as if he was saying “'he floor is yours, Rhapsody.' I gladly took the opportunity being presented to me. For the first time in days, I was allowed to feel like the smartest mare in the room.

“Back in Trotson, the theater we first talked at – thanks for telling me about ArcanaTech’s knowledge on the M.A.M, by the way…”

“You're welcome.”

“Sharpshot and I discovered the film room still had usable film tapes and film reels; a preservation talisman had been placed on the door. We took a look at some of them, because the projector was also still working. Among them? Footage from a pegasus, unmasked, talking to members of the Shattered Moon. Judging from your description, it was Lightning Dust,” I signaled to him. “You see the problem right?”

“She was unmasked,” Watcher answered bluntly. “I’m guessing you know why.”

“Not entirely, mere speculation, but you are completely right,” I told him, resuming my pacing. “Keeping their masks on had worked perfectly for a long time. The only pony who knew of Lightning Dust’s roles as leader was Pinkie, and as far as we know they were the only one spotted.” I stopped pacing and faced the spritebot head on. “There was no reason to unmask… unless she wanted all focus on herself.”

Though it was impossible to read his expression, due to how Watcher was communicating with me, it was impossible to not see things click in place. “She wanted Pinkie’s attention on her. A red herring.”

“And it worked to perfection,” I said, unable to hold in a little laugh of my own. Turns out, Lightning Dust was one clever pega. “Pinkie focused on her, and leadership was given to somepony else. Lightning Dust was sure that the end of the world was unstoppable, she said as much in the film, so she gave orders to find a place to wait out the end. Maybe they confiscated a Stable, maybe they went someplace else, who knows.”

Closing my eyes, I lowered my head. Hours earlier, I had mentally labeled Lightning Dust a terrorist, and a shameful excuse of a pegasus. Looking at everything before as it was now, with this theory placed before me, that was no longer the case. That mare was many things, but a terrorist wasn’t one of them. She was the closest thing current time had to a hero.

A mare who gave up her life so that San Palomino might not fall to anarchy. It was like something out of an old legend or folktale. Perhaps I was wrong about it all, but for this moment I was more than happy to believe it. A hero, hopefully watching what her ponies had done from beyond the grave.

“Lightning Dust willingly giving herself,” Watcher said, words clearly more for himself than me. “I’m… not sure how much I’m able to believe that. That mare and her group openly sabotaged Equestria, many Ministry projects being delayed or dying because of them. Even if they weren’t allied with the zebras, they were actively attacking Equestria’s efforts to fight. Would a pony who leads like that really give themselves up?”

I shrugged. “Seems likely. Do you have a different idea?”

“No. I just… a piece of me finds it hard to believe there is any good in them.” He sighed. “It’s hard to let go of things when you get to my age. I know what I want the wasteland to be like and leaving it in the hooves of ponies like them feels… wrong.”

“We’ll agree to disagree on this matter then. Still, thanks for telling about their origins.”

“I’ll accept that, and you're welcome. With the group of friends around you, and your skills, I’m certain you will use it right.” There was a small pause, only broken by what I assumed to be the sound of him stretching. “I’m going to lose control of the bot in a moment. Thanks for being willing to talk to me. I was worried you would ignore me after our last conversation.”

“In another time, I might have,” I replied, frowning slightly. With a tilt of my head, I dared to ask one more question. “Why did you seek me out again? Doubt I left a good first impression on you.”

For the first time, I received a genuine laugh laugh from the stallion. It was loud, almost akin to a roar in some aspects, but wholesome at the same time. It was a good laugh, and one I would be happy to hear out of him again.

“No, but you're from the Enclave. I’m used to you pegasi taking some time to figure things out,” Watcher explained. There was the tiniest bit more life in his voice, something that made me smile. “That and… I see a bit of an old friend in you. A friend from all those years ago.”

I blinked. “Who–“

As soon as I spoke, that horrendous music from back in Trotson started to blast. With gritted teeth, I flung my hooves over my ears to try and block it out. It didn’t work, and all I got for it was a face full of sand due to falling over. I immediately pushed myself back up, spitting specks of desert-dirt out of my muzzle. All the while, the spritebot Watcher had once commandeered slowly started to wander away.

With any hope, it got beat up just for having that music blasting from it. Equestria’s propaganda music was trash compared to that of the Enclave.

“You okay Rhaps?” DH called out as she reached my side. She leaned over, watched as I wiped a hoof across my muzzle, a grimace painting my features. “Does it really sound that bad?”

“Never done well with certain noises,” I told her, hoof still running across my face in search of ant sand still on it. “If you think my reaction to that was bad, you should see how I reacted to Reveille the first time.”

Dead Hooves' entire being went pale. Clearly she had seen that memory herself.

Our worlds blended together.

Day 10

Underside, San Palomino Desert

“Just lay down Gem Gem, Sharpy is grabbing some water.”

“I don’t need water, I need a doctor.” Gemmy’s head fell forward, colliding with the bed’s blankets and eliciting another moan of pain. “Why do I feel like there is an axe in my head?”

“It’s called a hangover. You drink too much, this happens,” I told her, gulping down some water in order to deal with my own alcohol-induced headache. “Doesn’t feel that good, does it?”

She rolled around, going from laying on her left to her right. Considering she was groaning from just that, it was easy to tell she had the most of everycreature present. Possibly more than Gold, which did seem to match the level of hangover my roommates were dealing with. The only difference was that I was damn near certain the griffon was used to it, given the lack of complaining from his end.

Everycreature, with the exception of Willow, was dealing with some form of hangover from our time at the Lucky Clover. I clearly had the most mild of them, though the light shining through the motel room window certainly made the term “mild” feel like an understatement. Willow had been grabbing all of us glasses of water since she woke up, only taking time for a quick shower to wash both her husband and herself off. The smell on them both left little to the imagination, and I was happy to have it lifted from the air.

Not that the slight smell of vomit (courtesy of Gold) was better, but a mare takes what she can.

“Why didn’t you tell me Rara?” Gemmy asked grogely. She was definitely attempting to leer at me, but it was more of a cute pout than anything.

“Well, you weren’t supposed to have any to begin with. You shouldn’t have let Gideon and Gigi rope you into having it.” I pointed an empty water glass at her. “Let this be a lesson on the consequences of alcohol. Be thankful responsible ponies were still there with you.”

She rolled over even more. “Wh-why?”

“Ponies do dumb things when drunk. A result of your inhibitions being a lot looser,” Sharpshot explained, relaxing on the only chair in our room. Dude was as exhausted as an out of shape recruit after a day of drills. “You may do things you regret, and sometimes the consequences can be traumatic.”

Gemmy’s eyes went wide, and was immediately followed with a full body expression of shame. She looked at me. “I’m sorry Rara. I was just scared when you didn’t come back and–“

“You’re perfectly fine Gemmy. I fucked up to.”

“H-huh?”

“I’m still getting used to how things work down here. Rules are,” I looked at Gold and Sharpshot, “a bit different down here, even in it's more civilized parts.”

The ghoul snorted. “A bit? Want to underexaggerate it anymore? I’m more than okay with digging that statement a hole.”

“I managed to say that without some backhooved comment towards you all, just fucking take it,” I shot back, voice and face turning stoic. Emotions returned when I focused back on the young unicorn laying in the same bed as me. “The point is, there isn’t as much stopping you from getting beer here as there is in the Enclave. I’m not your mom, I can’t stop you from having any.

“However!” I raised a hoof before anypony could respond. “I think we all agree that you should have one of us around to moderate you… somepony not named Gold.” The griffon practically growled at me. “Keep anypony from doing anything to you. We want you to feel safe, now that you're free.”

“I have a really hard time getting drunk, so I’m typically a safe bet for a moderator,” Willow said as she brought out two refilled water glasses for Gemmy and Gold. “Besides, nopony will try anything to you with the big scary alicorn around.”

Alicorn and unicorn shared a friendly smile as the latter grabbed their glass. Despite the difference in their time as slaves, they had found common ground and felt comfortable around each other. It wasn’t hard to see that the two thought of each other as friends. It was good, she needed more ponies than myself to trust out here.

With my migraine nearly gone, and calm falling over the room, I took it in for the first time. It really wasn’t anything special, but it was more than livable. Two beds, a dresser, and a sofa seat were the only pieces of furniture to be found. Other than that the walls were half red, half gray with two windows and two doors; one led outside, the other to the bathroom.

If this was an Enclave base, boredom would have set in after just a few minutes. That day, however, after many hours traveling on our hooves through the desert sand, it was nice to relax. There was little urgency, even with the knowledge of my mission in the back of my head. Dew Lead, Medicine Ball, Lucky Shot, and Angel Hair were still ponies; they required sleep and rest like any pony.

“If everycreature’s hangovers have subsided enough,” Sharpshot said, magic holding the recording that number had given us yesterday, “I vote for seeing what this contains.”

“Where’d ghoul get that?” Gold asked. He was fairing a lot better at that point, no longer looking like the grumpiest creature in the room.

“The pub from last night. Technically it’s meant to be for soldier mare.” Sharpshot motioned towards me. “Some number hooved it to us. Considering we haven’t been here for even twenty-four full hours, it raises some questions.”

Willow leaned towards me. “Any clue who they were?”

“Nope. Didn’t recognize them,” I replied with a light shake of the head. “The pony in question was a former Enclave soldier, likely a Dashite like me. Voice was unfamiliar to me.” I nestled into the bedsheets a bit, letting their warmth comfort me further. “I highly doubt they are any of my targets.”

“Because they joined the Shattered Moon?” Gemmy asked.

I nodded. “That, and they were missing a wing. You think any pegasus would want to be stuck on flat ground for the rest of their lives?” Willow shivered at the thought, clearly understanding the gravity of what I was saying. “All four ponies had both their wings when they fled the clouds. I doubt they would rip their own wings off just to fool ponies.”

“So on top of their voice not matching, the pony was more disfigured than the ones we are looking for,” Sharpshot summarized. I gave another nod to show he was correct. “Is it possible this could still be about those pegasi?”

“Possibly,” I said, shrugging subconsciously. “Only one way to find out.”

Pulling back the sleeves on his rags and revealing his PipBuck, Sharpshot opened up a slot on top. He slid the recording, shut it, and then got out of the sofa to join the rest of us. After some fidgeting with the screen, and a brief look to all of us, he pressed play. A voice instantly came through the device’s speakers, only muffled with the tiniest bit of static.

It belonged to the stallion that had given it to us.

Hello Sing Rhapsody. My name is Three, a former soldier of the Grand Pegasus Enclave, just like you. Not a Dashite – my stay down here was one of circumstance and not rebellion – but stuck here all the same. I joined up with the Shattered Moon after giving up on going home.

I would have wanted to greet and tell this to you muzzle to muzzle, but that wasn’t possible. Not today, at least; I had other duties I had to attend to. Most I could spare time for was making this and hopefully getting it into your hooves. Guess I succeeded at that, if you are listening to this.

…

Sorry, you didn’t need to know that. Just stalling to find the right words to say.

I’m making this because I know why you are down here. Don’t ask how, that’s something I can only explain if I’m physically there. The point is, I know about what happened to you, and I want to help you.

I know where Lucky Shot is. I can tell you where he has been hiding out.

Only thing I ask is that you let me come with you to kill him. He’s the reason I’m stuck down here, and the reason I’m unable to fly anymore. It would mean a lot to me to get back at the fucker for it.

If you're okay with that, Shattered Moon’s operating base is on the southeastern end of Underside. Just tell the guards I asked for you, they’ll radio me to come get you. Just you, not your friends. They’ll have to wait outside.

Thanks for listening to this, Councilor Singing Rhapsody. Three out.

When it ended, the room descended into silence. The only things that cut through were a heavy sigh and the shifting of sheets. I looked at Sharpshot, and he looked at me. We knew without saying a thing what Three’s message meant. We also knew, like Three probably did, that we would see through the ruse.

“Which one of them is it?” He asked.

“Which one of what?” Willow asked immediately after, tilting her head and raising one side of her brow. “Was there something that I’m missing?”

“Nothing anypony but me might catch,” I answered, turning to her. “Nopony in the Enclave knew who or why I was branded besides the council. The idea of an ordinary soldier knowing is impossible.”

“Yet Three knew. Odd, decidedly unordinary,” Gold said. I nodded, showing he was on the right track. “Few ponies fit description. Those few? Her targets.”

“So Three is one of the ponies Rara is trying to kill?” Gemmy asked. She gazed at me, ears pinned slightly back. “He is an enemy?”

I shook my head. “Not exactly. I stay by what I said earlier concerning my targets. No pegasi would willingly ground themselves for the rest of their life.”

“Which leaves… unwilling.”

Willow’s sentence nearly made me stop breathing for a second. Even if I was more than aware how true her words were, it was another nail hammered into the coffin that held my patriotic feelings for the Enclave. If one of the four had been a hostage, then pegasi had caught them. If pegasi caught them, then we would know for certain they weren’t a traitor. If we knew they weren’t a traitor, then the council had told me falsehoods.

In a way, it made my placement on the high council feel superficial. I had believed myself on top of the Enclave, level with every councilor there. We all worked to keep our home safe from the surface and ensure a decent quality of life for our citizens. That meant no half-truths, lies, or “mistakes.” We were a team, and a team didn’t stab each other in the back.

At least, I didn’t think so, until now. Turns out there was a hierarchy, and as the new blood I was on the bottom.

How fucking lucky of me.

Even worse, Ironsight had told me this. As if my faith in the council being broken wasn’t enough, now the same is happening to my foalhood friend. To add on top of it all, my brain had an immediate click as for who the victim among the four had been. The one with the least reason to turn against our home.

A piece of me felt just as happy for them as I was devastated. Those initial first few days most have been soul shattering.

“I’m heading out,” I told them all, hopping off the bed as I did. “Got somepony I need to see.”

“Not about to kill pony in middle of town, I hope,” Gold replied. A quick glance behind me to the old, content looking griffon was enough for me to identify his words as a joke.

“That won’t be happening, at least not in town today,” I replied. “Meet you all at the Lucky Clover?”

“No drinks I take it,” Sharpshot said, leaning forward.

I gave him a nod. “If all goes well, we head out of Underside, and a traitor dies in the next few days.”

With that, I made my way to the door and exited our motel room.

Perhaps it seems weird that, after everything I’ve come to terms with concerning the Enclave, I would still continue my mission. It was clear not everything I had been told was accurate, and at least one of my targets was actually a hostage. Even then, as a dashite, Enclave matters didn’t concern me anymore. If I wanted to abandon them fully, all I needed to do was get rid of my radio. Ironsight would never hear from me again.

Overall it was simple, easy, and for most pegasi completely painless. Unfortunately, unlike some of the surface’s more notable dashites don’t have, I had something to lose. Two things in fact: revenge for my tattered pride, and the safety of my family. The first one had always been there, and as a spiteful bitch I wasn’t about to let go of it.

The second thing, my family, was something I hadn’t considered till today. The lower my opinion of the Enclave, the higher my concern for Anchor, Clear, and Rainy became. What would the council do to those three if I didn’t go through with the mission? How far down the rungs of Enclave society would they plummet?

I had no way of knowing. For now, that fear kept me complacent and controlled. For a government personnel? Perfect. For the average pony? Tartarus.

“Stay safe you three,” I murmured to myself as I walked through the streets of Underside. “I’ll… I’ll figure something out. I’ll get you three down here.”

Though I didn’t say the word, I knew what I was saying was a promise. I wasn’t sure if it could be fulfilled, or how to even go about retrieving them. All I knew was that the council could – not is, just could – use them as leverage against me. They knew how much my husband and foals meant to me, and that meant I needed to figure out how to keep them safe again.

In other words, I had a new mission objective: play along with the high council until an opportunity arises to grab my family.

“Who are you talking about?”

My attention shifted to the spectral filly happily prancing at my side. I wasn’t too sure when Stardust had shown herself, but she wasn’t alone. Dead Hooves was on my other side, proving to be nice, silent company at the moment. Typically ghosts showed up in order to talk something through, but today? Not the case.

“Glad to know you two aren’t a consistent bad omen,” I half-joked, tilting my head in DH's direction. “That goes for certain unicorns in particular.”

“I understand coping through humor, but please keep that limited to yourself,” she replied. The dead mare hung her head in shame. “Especially since only you can see us right now.”

Wincing, I looked back in Stardust’s direction. “Sorry.”

The filly beamed as she heard my apology. That quickly turned to smug satisfaction, a wordless “told you so” my direction. With a smile of my own, I shook my head at the filly’s antics. Dead or not, foals will be foals.

“You really think we can trust them? Three, I mean?” DH asked. “I mean, Lucky Shot is probably setting up some trap, right?”

I raised my brow. “You think Three is Lucky Shot?”

“I mean, he was the only guy.”

A puzzled look took over my face, and was then changed to amusement. Of course she had no idea who I was referring to, the concept that led to this situation was probably not something she was familiar with. No education, foalhood was in the middle-of-nowhere, her parents the only ponies in her life for all that time. The mare thought romantic feelings for one's mom was a normal thing, just cause they were the only mare around.

Not that I agree with how she thought, but I accept it as fact.

“Lucky Shot is a stallion, but his voice is a lot deeper,” I explained. “Three isn’t him, just know that.”

“You're not going to tell me who?”

“Shattered Moon doesn’t want their member’s identities revealed, and I’ll respect that.” I eyed one such SM member standing guard as we entered the middle of town. There was a casualness in their stance, but I’m certain they were ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger. “I’ll be content knowing it is who they are, but I won’t say a word of their name. Even putting aside the fact they joined the Shattered Moon, they’d hate it.”

Both DH and Stardust tilted their heads. “Why is that?”

“Because they hate their name. It reminds them they were born in the wrong body.” I shrugged my wings, smiling sadly. My hoof brushed along my chest. “I don’t really understand it all, but I know we all have pieces of ourselves we hate. Someponies, like him, have so much self-hate concerning their body that living in it leads to a struggle to feel happy.”

Silence fell over both ghosts, both looked puzzled by hearing this. It seemed my assessment in neither having thought about this was correct. It made sense, given age and circumstances. I’ve heard from some dashites that, of all the things wrong with it, treatment of gay and trans pegasi was one of the few things they got right. Granted the political motivations behind it were less pure, centering around population control and lessening mouths to feed, and it now feels like trying to find gold in an ever growing pile of shit.

I’ll also take the time to give the NCR a moderate amount of respect for upholding all that. Congrats, you expansionist idiots got one thing right.

Don’t let it go to your head.

“Rhaps?”

I looked at DH. “Yes?”

“I don’t really get it.”

I snorted in amusement at the sheer bluntness of her statement. Her words were more than fair. I barely understood it all myself, outside of the desire of not liking something about me. Even that, however, is probably incorrect. Science isn’t my strong suit, and I’ll never pretend it is. I just know that, even after the Enclave fell, that bit of science stood true.

Want a better explanation? Ask a mare who isn’t cis and straight. All I knew was one thing, and I made sure DH knew that.

“That’s fine. All I ask is that you respect his choice.”

While she certainly was still confused, she nodded and returned to silence.

“So Stardust.”

The filly turned to look at me. “Yes?”

“These masked ponies. I take it, you know them?” I asked, tilting towards another SM guard as we made our way through Underside. She nodded. “Mind explaining why they all seem to be watching me?”

The difference from this morning and yesterday was staggering. Obviously there were going to be fewer ponies out around this time, but it was somehow staggering just how few that ended up being. It was almost ghost town-esq, if one ignored SM members patrolling the streets. It meant all their eyes were on me, and it almost seems like that was on purpose.

Whenever I was close enough to see their eyes, they always landed on me. It was like being surrounded by statues, all motionless save for their head and eyes. With all the power inside me, I managed to hold my head high and march with confidence. An outward appearance of power and high station did a lot to lower suspicions.

Yet it did nothing. Their eyes kept watching me like a predator tracking prey. What in Tartarus was with the silence? The constant supervision? Things hadn’t been like this at all yesterday.

Was that all a facade? Was Shattered Moon closer to the Enclave then I expected? All questions I was unable to answer.

“I-I don’t know,” Stardust said, shrinking as she watched the masked ponies gazes. “I’ve seen them, but I don’t know much about them.”

“What do you know?” DH asked, leaning her head forward to see past me. “You were around when they first became a thing, right?”

“I know they were there, before that…,” the filly shivered, “that wailing began. I remember a few coming to our house, and telling my mom that Luna and the ministries were bad.” Her expression turned sorrowful. If she was alive I knew those large eyes of hers would be filled with water. “I remember… I remember mom went with them… a-and she never came back a-a-and–“

I reached a wing out, wrapping Stardust protectively in it. Then I stopped in place, and placed a hoof around her neck gently. Her stuttering faded, but I was more than aware of the fact she was shaking horribly. If I was able to perfectly feel a ghost's body like the living before today? I wasn’t sure. I certainly didn’t recall feeling fur when my hoof had come in contact with her or DH in the past, but I did now.

Not that the question was on the top of my concerns. There was a scared filly in front of me, and she needed comforting. That was all that mattered.

“It’s alright. It’s okay,” I murmured to her in a calm, maternal tone. I ran my hoof and wing across her form, hoping the feeling would further calm her. It was working. “We’re here, and they aren’t able to hurt you.”

“Not that they would do that anyways,” DH said. “They don’t seem like those kinds of ponies these days.”

I wasn’t entirely sure how much that would help, but she was trying. After a bit, I separated from the filly. She shook her head and smiled, the sorrow that had found its way onto her features erased in an instant. It seemed that, despite everything both the wasteland and DH had done to me, those motherly instincts were still there.

“S-sorry. It's hard to look back at those memories and not think about… how long ago that was,” Stardust said, her smile faltering ever so slightly. “Despite them taking mom away that day, they were never mean. They were actually really nice, if a bit scary.”

“Because of the masks?” I asked. She nodded, and I found my eye flicking over to the same SM guard as before. I motioned my head forward and started walking again. “I can see how that can be the case for a filly.”

Stardust quickly fell into pace alongside DH and I. “They were never actually mean though. I think their clothes looked different too.”

“How different?” DH asked.

Stardust adorably scrunched her nose as she thought, head tilting from side to side. “It was more… ugly. Kind of all over the place. Not really sure how else to describe it.” Her eyes lit up, and she did a small hop. “Oh, it wasn’t Equestrian. It was more stripe-like.”

“You mean more zebra inspired?”

“Yes! Just like the mean zebras.”

Uglier, disjointed, with a more zebrican flare to its look. It was more likely that the first of the three was merely bias brought upon by living in wartime Equestria. The rest fit though, since Watcher had mentioned the ministries marking them as zebra sympathizers. Was it really all that important? Not really.

That stuff came upon finally arriving at the Shattered Moon’s base. Just as Three said, and my MentaBuck showed me, it was on the southeastern side of town. It was a decently large brick building, likely the town’s old police station. Now, an artistic depiction of a lightning bolt breaking the moon stood at the front of the building for all to see.

Shattered Moon’s logo. It certainly fits the name.

The entrance was guarded by two ponies, same as the gate into town. While it certainly may have once been a police station, it was a bit more than that now. This was possibly one of the only places its members were allowed to unmask. As such, given how their anonymity was a key part of them, any place they used as a base of operations needed to have civilian access barred. There was no doubt very few occasions that it broke.

I took a deep breath. After a week and a half it was time to finally see one of my targets. A target that shouldn’t have been a target in the first place.

With a confident strut, I made my way to the front of the building. DH and Stardust choose to take positions behind me, likely to just keep from being a distraction. Two pairs of masked faces looked at me, and I met them with a militaristic fire in my eyes.

“Names Singing Rhapsody. I believe I have somepony expecting me,” I told them. “Goes by Three.”

“Ah, he found you. Good,” one of them, a unicorn, said. “Give us a moment and will radio him to grab you.” I nodded, stood at attention, and waited. The guard turned to his radio and started to talk into it. “Ninety-Eight to Three, come in.”

“This is Three. What is it Ninety-Eight?”

I huffed happily at Three’s voice. Listening to it now, through a radio, it was even easier to connect it to one of my old squadmates.

“She’s here. The mare you told me about. The council mare.”

“Rhapsody’s here? Already? Shit, I’ll be there in a minute.”

The guard looked to me to confirm I had heard the call. I nodded and took a few steps back, giving them some space, and sat down. My smile didn’t fall, though my heart rate did rise ever so slightly. That, combined with the silence of morning in Underside, made the wait go on for longer than expected.

“Ask them.”

I tilted my head to DH. “Huh?”

“About the quiet. The lack of ponies out and about. You know this is unnatural.”

“While true, it isn’t any of our business.”

“I know it isn’t, but I need my curiosity satisfied.” She playfully nudges me with her shoulder. It didn’t do anything but, again, the fact I could feel it was odd. “Please Rhaps?”

“Nope, not interested.”

“Come on! Pretty please?”

“I’m not asking them needless questions, now stop asking!” Dead Hooves listened… sort of. Instead of asking, she leaned in front of me and gave me the eyes. I deadpanned at her. “DH, I’m a mother of two, that isn’t going to work.”

She pouted and turned away from me, crossing her forelegs in the process. I rolled my eyes at her antics, the sound of a young filly giggling hitting my ears. The guards in front of us eyed each other, concern clear in their eyes.

“Are you okay, miss?” Ninety-Eight asked.

“Perfectly fine,” I assured him. “I just learned recently I can talk to ghosts, that's all. Got two here next to me.”

My words, obviously, did very little to calm. Stardust illicated more giggles at the confusion that took over the expressions of the SM guards. They had managed to not immediately call me crazy, at least. They just continued to stand at attention, ready and alert.

Then, after a good number of minutes had passed, the door opened. Three stood in the doorframe, the smallest hint of a smile visible through the corner of his eyes. I returned it, standing up and holding a hoof out to the one-winged pegasus. He grabbed it with his own, and shook it.

“Good to see you this morning, Councilor Singing Rhapsody,” he said in an attentive, more serious tone than I had heard earlier. It was clearly his way of hiding that he knew me. “I see you’ve handled the transition to life on the surface rather well.”

“Trust me when I say most of the damage is mental, not physical,” I replied, deciding to play his game for the moment. “You seem like you’ve done even better than me. Interesting crowd to fall into, soldier.”

The hint of a smile vanished, and Three pulled me into a tight hug. Any sign it was meant to pleasant faded as I felt her muzzle graze against my ear. He leered at me, eyes less angry and more… determined. It was the best way to describe the look.

“Lieutenant Colonel, while I would love to catch up this isn’t the place to do it,” he whispered into my ear. “Information pertaining to identity is extremely confidential to these ponies. Speak about who I am under the mask out in the open, and I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“They’d kill me for simply talking to you as a friend?” I asked, similarly quiet and with eyes wide.

Something small and metallic pressed against my head, replacing the feeling of Three’s mask. “If it is deemed too much is revealed, then yes. You don’t want to know how much I gave up, Lieutenant Colonel. Let's keep it that way.”

I nodded, and Three let go of me. I instantly pulled away to get a look at the gun he had put to my head. A snub nose revolver, five round cylinder, double action. With a cheeky smile, Three flicked the cylinder out and faced it downwards. No rounds came out.

“It won’t be me killing you if you fuck up, councilor,” he said. He tilted his head to the guards at the door. “It will be them.”

“Understood.” I looked to the door he had come through, and then turned back to him. “I assume we will be talking about things elsewhere, then.”

“Oh, you will be going inside.” Three brought a foreleg into a saddlebag, and then pulled out a blind. “You just won’t have a layout to tell anypony.”

My steps were small, focused, and most importantly guided step by step. I heard voices, the clopping of hooves, and laughter throughout the halls. Those sounds, the feeling of Three’s remaining wing around my neck, and the smell of stale air, was all I had for a while. Not being able to see, after what had occurred in the Trotston sandstorm, did nothing good for my heartrate and stress.

Being led blindly through unknown territory left me with mixed feelings. It was like being a prisoner, something I had long hoped wouldn’t happen. It gave the slight impression that I was becoming my mom. A criminal, a killer, willing to drop lower and lower for no selfless reason. In a way I guess that was an accurate description of the Enclave military.

At least with them, however, there was the illusion we had fought and killed for something worth protecting. What reason did mom have for selling cloud nine? None, of course.

“Three?” I called out.

“Yes?” They replied.

“I… I wanted to congratulate you.” Three went stone still. I followed suit, our forward momentum momentarily stopped. “From the sound of your voice, you started your transition. I’m happy for you.”

It took some time for Three to reply, and when he did it wasn’t for me. His hoof collided with something – their own radio – causing a click to greet my ears. He let out a sigh of relief.

“One Thirty-Six?”

“Yes Three?”

“It’s really her. She knows about my dysphoria. That’s more than enough.”

“Understood. Continue as you originally planned, then.”

As soon as I heard the button decompress, I looked Three’s way. “You thought I was some imposter?”

“You told me yourself that there was a changeling here in Underside yesterday. We were merely going to check and make sure you weren’t them,” he explained, nudging me forward with his wing. We started to walk again. “Sorry about that, Lieutenant Colonel.”

The changeling; Amaryllis. Now the state of the town earlier made a lot more sense. A creature able to be anypony, aligned with Shattered Moon’s supposed enemy. Common citizenry would certainly be more than put off at the news of one around them. This was likely one of the very few times one had ever been caught while disguised.

It also meant that the eyes on me as I walked through town were due to my warning yesterday. They had no way of knowing if I was really me. The constant supervision, the sudden silence, all caused by one creature.

I… also caused this, didn’t I?

“They are that bad of news, huh?” I asked. What DH had failed to get me interested in, Three had managed in under a minute.

“On their own? No,” Three explained. “I’ve met some changelings who left the Equalists. Not horrible creatures, much like you and I. When it's found out that one with ties to cult up north, however….” Silence hung for a few seconds, leading to an abrupt change in subject. “Thanks, though, for the sentiment earlier.”

“You put it off for years just to stay in the forces a bit longer, and to stick with me,” I reminded him, smiling smugly. “It’s about time you got your happiness.”

A brief pause.

“I wish I took the chance sooner, ma’am,” Three told me, tone faltering ever so slightly. “My happiness… I nearly lost it. These ponies were my only chance down here. I had to take it.”

“You should have done it sooner, as we all told you to.” As soon as the words left my lips, I felt my heart lurch in fear. Was that too harsh? I didn’t know. “If the Enclave allowed active service members to transition, I would have done it in a heartbeat. You know that, we talked about it.”

“I-I know but… I thought what we were doing mattered.” His wing pressed ever so slightly against me. “I wanted my happiness, but I also wanted my family and friends to be safe. At the time signing up for another six years seemed correct but now… now–“

“Now you will never be able to see them again.”

“Y… yeah.” Full dejection clouded any joy in Three’s voice. It was the exact opposite of what I had hoped to here out of him, after such an incredible step had been made. “Lieutenant Colonel, ma’am, before you got shoved down here with me and the grounders, did you check on my family. I want to know how my mom and dad are. I want to know how brother and sisters are.”

A sinking feeling took over my stomach, and my head fell. By Enclave standards, his family was on the bigger side. It wasn’t too big of a surprise; his father was a commissioned officer just like Ironsight. Those ponies were allowed to have more children than the standard soldier. At four children and two parents, Three’s family was as large as the Enclave would allow even at its top level.

A big, happy Enclave family, and yet next to me was their eldest. Three was practically a dashite, despite their loyalty and patriotism. Ripped from the clouds against his will, exclaimed a traitor despite being a victim. The more I listened to him, the more I was sure of all these fact, and the clearer his innocence became.

Three sighed, I had taken too long to respond. The silence told him everything. “I… I miss them. I want to see them again, but that isn’t happening, is it?”

“I’m sorry, Three,” I replied, head falling lower. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“It's… it's okay. I can manage through it.” His lie was as far from convincing as it could possibly be. His voice alone showed his desire to cry. Perhaps, under the mask, he was. “We’re almost there. The blindfold will be coming off shortly.”

A door opened, and I was nudged into taking the lead. Three’s wing fell from my neck to my back, then to my flank, and finally my tail as I walked forward. The door closed and was subsequently locked by my fellow pegasus. My head jolted back around instantly.

“Is that necessary?”

“To protect everycreature else’s identity? Yes,” Three answered. There was a tug on the blindfold as the knot holding it to my head was undone. “Watch your eyes.”

With a nod of my head, the blindfold was removed with an excessive flourish of his muzzle and wings. I squinted my eyes to the point it was impossible to make out anything in the room. It certainly hadn’t felt like I was blind for long enough to be like this, but blinding light proved otherwise.

Once I had adjusted to the sudden introduction of fluorescent lights, everything came into view. The room in question was an office, a simple desk and terminal near the center. No windows looked out into the rest of the station save for a small one at the window, and it had blinds cover it. No way to look outside, no way to know where the exit was.

That, I realized, was very clearly the point. With no clear way to escape, locked in a small room, with several dozen Shattered Moon numbers between me and wherever the exit was, the power lied with them. Leaving before they were done with me was futile, and that meant nopony would stop Three if they decided to kill me. My only saving grace was knowing the snubnose was unloaded.

Despite the position I was in, a smirk dawned my face. Three had me in a position where I had no choice but to do what he said. A perfect way to corner a dangerous subject, and by Luna’s hooves am I a dangerous mare. If it was somepony more unknown, I’d be on edge.

“Now that nopony can hear or see us, time this charade fell,” Three said, reaching a hoof up to the mask. He started to pull it down, the smallest sign of lime green and lemon yellow mane showing through his hood. “Granted, you already knew, but still.”

I raised my brow. “Your higher ups are going to be okay with this?”

“Got the okay from Lady Hash herself,” he replied, pulling the mask even further up till I was able to see the slightest sign of a smirk on dark green fur. “Besides, nopony will know. I trust you to keep this a secret, even if others don’t.”

Without another word, the mask came completely off. Before me stood a stallion, though his body was currently more aligned with a mare’s, a soulful expression in his eyes. A short, green and yellow mane barely reached his eyes, filled with both joy and grief at the same time.

Much to my surprise, he immediately snapped to attention and saluted me. Remaining wing to forehead, stance straight as possible. My jaw nearly fell open, but I managed to close it before my shock was too obvious.

“Lieutenant Colonel, ma’am, it’s wonderful to talk face to face with you again.”

I smiled, decided to not ask questions, and allowed him to have this. I motioned him to ease with a hoof, the salute dropping automatically. The look in his eyes stayed the same, however.

“It’s good to see you too,” I replied. “So, is Three officially your name now? Finally found something to replace Dew Leaf?”

“No, three is just a number. None of us use our numbers as actual names, just callsigns. It’s all the public needs,” he explained as I took the opposite seat. “I did find one, though. Call me Day Glow when it is just the two of us, face to face like this.”

“Day Glow,” I repeated, feeling out the words as if the name was meant for me and not him. My smile grew a little wider. “I like it. Day Glow it is then.”

Day shuddered with a mixture of released stress and tension. I was likely the closest thing he had to home, and my acceptance of the name was as close as he would ever get to his parents doing the same. Even then I was lackluster substitution. How could a senior officer be seen as a parental figure?

“I didn’t bring you here for this,” he muttered in a breathy tone after a minute of silence. The slightest sign of fire was visible behind gloomy eyes. “This isn’t why I sought you out, and we both know that.”

His words made things clear. Pleasantries had turned awkward, he wanted them out of the way. With a nod, my smile fell away to something more stoic and professional. I leaned forward, forehooves on the desk.

“Then it’s time we got to business,” I said. He nodded in agreement. “Lucky Shot, you know where he is, and you want a go at him.”

“Correct. He’s the bastard that did this, after all.” Day Glow spread his wing, eyes looking to wear the matching appendage should have been. “My contract extension was nearly up, you know? You were an officer, the others had moved to different squads, figured it was finally time to myself some good. Had an appointment schedule for four days after the extension ended.” A sad laugh bounced off the walls. “We see how that ended up.”

“He nearly took happiness from you, and you want back at him,” I summarized.

Day Glow’s eyes went off somewhere, watching a scene only he was able to see. “Nearly? Mom and dad likely think I’m dead, home is no longer home, and by all means this? I lucked into this.” He scowled. “You aren’t the only pony that lost something, ma’am. I can’t have that something back, and I want to make him pay for it.”

It was like looking into a reflection. The pain, the desire for revenge, all I felt inside mirrored by Day Glow. It wasn’t healthy, I knew that as much as he did. Better ponies would tell him it wasn’t worth it, that letting bygones be bygones was the best option. Forgive, forget, and move on.

The wasteland doesn’t breed that kind of thinking, however. It didn’t then, and it's still a work in progress now.

“Give me the location, and I’ll make sure you get to put the bullet in his skull,” I told him. “I got a team willing to back you up, if you can deal with grounders.”

“Wouldn’t have joined Shattered Moon if I couldn’t.”

“You're one step farther than I was, until a few days ago.” I reached a hoof out. “Welcome aboard, Day Glow.”

We shook hooves, his fire meeting my own. Two souls reunited and joined in a desire for vengeance, knowing full well it wouldn’t do anything itself. At least, that was the case for Day Glow. I had Anchor, Rainy, and Clear to think about.

“You’ve heard about the ship we pulled into dock recently, right?” Day Glow asked as our hooves separated. I gave an affirming nod. “Word has it an older brown pegasus stallion has been scavenging from it against Lady Hash’s will.”

“Lady Hash being a very important pony, I assume,” I said with an inquisitive tilt of me head. “I’ve heard the name a few times now.”

“She’s the Shattered Moon’s- my leader.” Day Glow scowl turned into something more conflictive. “Sorry, Lieutenant Colonel, wish to say I belong to the Enclave alone but–“

I held my right forehoof up. “No need to explain. You did what was… what was best for you.”

The words weren’t easy to say, but they were true. No going home, Day Glow and I needed to find our places down here. He had already figured that out. It took me far longer.

“Anyways,” I lowered the hoof, “older, brown pegasus stallion. Sounds like Lucky Shot alright.”

“Yes, and if he is confiscating equipment from the Hurricane for unknown reasons, he needs to be dealt with.” The scowl came back in full force. “I got the go ahead to hunt him down. She is certain something dangerous is there, and we can’t let it fall into the Equalist’s hooves.”

“The Equalists…,” my eyes went wide, “Lucky is working for your enemy? You are certain?”

“Positive.” Day Glow shuddered again. “He’s… he’s not a pegasus, Lieutenant Colonel. The one who orchestrated the stolen documents, that broke my wing, who took you and I away from home… was a changeling. I’m not sure I’m not sure what happened to the real Lucky, but they clearly did something to him and… and….”

He closed his eyes, leaned back into the chair, and took several steadying breaths. While he hadn’t finished his explanation, it was more than enough to make my jaw hang. I had trusted Lucky Shot, like I had any other brother-in-arms, and now I wasn’t able to question if it had all been false. The hurt and betrayal that stemmed from that one torturous day suddenly grew brighter and brighter….

Until it manifested into reality in a loud, downright feral growl.

Medicine knew, Angel Hair too. Were they also changelings, or did they simply know his secret? What in tartarus was the purpose of everything that happened? It made no fucking sense and that, beyond anything else, made what those bastards did several times worse. No matter who right or wrong the Enclave was, to feint loyalty for years just to stab it in the back.

I had allowed them to stay in service as long as they had. This was my mistake to fix.

“Where is he?” I asked, voice dropping a full octave as I stared with downright carnivorous anger towards Day Glow. He simply stared back with that seemingly controlled fire as earlier.

“There is a megaspell testing site north of us. We believe he has been stashing confiscated items there,” he responded.

I stood up at the speed of lightning, body tense and posture straight. “Then let's put that bullet in his head.”

Day Glow merely smirked. He liked this version of me, that he had never hid.