Fallout Equestria: Desperados V3 (Bonds of Platinum)

Fallout: Equestria

Desperado’s V3: Bonds of Platinum

Ch 33, Bonds of Platinum, Part 3.

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It felt like a funeral as everypony gathered on top of the hill to see Elder Magnificence off. Strage that she was still alive, stranger that soon she was going to become a tree. There were only short words said between all of us, as Mag had already made sure she said what she wanted to say to whom she needed to say it too. And now we waited for the final goodbye.

“I wonder how much bigger this would have been if she had another week?” Star asked openly.

“My guess, maybe five times bigger. She is a big deal after all.” Live said, a suppressed snivel in her voice.

“It would be a hundred times bigger, I know it!” Fizzy said as she tried to suppress her sobbing, obviously exaggerating. Though among us, she knew Magnificence the best. And now that I think about it, Fizzy was probably the closest thing to a relative Magnificence had.

The sound of feedback came through ancient speakers as the gravelly voice of Arras spoke. “Geese, this is what you have? This is practically older than me somehow.” The old ghoul let out a chuckle, but nobody was laughing. Well, nopony but Mag, but that only made things more awkward. “Right, maybe not the time for jokes. Still, that doesn't mean we must feel despair by this, or be dragged down by the loss. I should know, I have lived long enough to see all that I love vanish from this world, and see new life be born, and that life grows old and vanishes as well. Something Magnificence knows all too well.”

Arras let the moment linger, letting everypony embrace the silence before continuing. “I'm here speaking on her behalf because I know how she must feel. Dread, yet releaf. To want to do more, to not leave anything unfinished, but a sense of freedom now that you know it's finally over.” He let out a deep and long sigh. “I have seen plenty of my friends off, having survived the wasteland for over a hundred years, and watching them slowly lose themselves. Delivering them to their old home that's nothing but a crater, all so that they can be buried with their loved ones. Some never got the opportunity, some took the hard, yet all too easy way out. Each one a loss I and many others felt. And Mag will be no different. We will all feel her loss, but we will understand that now she can rest, no longer burdened by the world.”

“Excuse me Arras, I ain't dead, why why the funeral talk.” Mag’s voice came through the speakers.

He groaned in annoyance. “What am I supposed to talk about? Who has a eulogy for a pony turning into a tree!”

“Out, out, I'll do it myself!” Mag demand.

There was a moment of silence as Arras took a seat nere us.

“I think it was a good speech.” Live, told him.

“Thanks, and hopefully I won't have to do it again anytime soon.” the old ghoul grumbled.

Mag's voice came through the speakers again, sounding cheary, yet tired and old. “Thank you for coming here and I know you all must be sad about this, why else would you be here. But that's why you must be here, so that you can all confide in each other and not suffer in silence. Talk with each other, cry with each other, and once it's over, let yourself move on and become stronger. It's not like I'll be completely gone, just that I'll take on a new form, and watch over you silently. If you ever need to say something to me, I'll be here to listen and shade you. Anyways, It's not like the Coven of Clovers will end with me, just that they are now free from me. And what they will do with that freedom, that's up to them to decide. Now, not to drag this on any longer, it's time I say goodbye, and maybe, we might see eachother again, someday.”

She clapped hooves together and magic began to play. I got up myself and joined Mag as she trotted to the top of the hill. The cool breeze felt nice on my scars, and through my fur. “You can say more to them.” I told her.

But Mag just chuckled at me, waiting a few seconds before saying, “I could, but there is just too much to say. Best leave things on a happy note, don't you think?”

I pulled out my magic harp, ready to play it. “I guess so.” Strumming a note, I matched it with the other instruments, its magical notes cutting through the air. It wasn't a big symphony, not many ponies knew how to play classical instruments anymore, but for the wasteland, there were a lot of them here, maybe more than any part of the wasteland itself. And they were playing for Magnificence.

As I strummed a few more notes, Mag trotted the rest of the way up, reacting to the top of the hill. Through my magical sight, I could see her, even see the slight magic of the flowers around her.

“Harp, you want to know why the wasteland is the wasteland.” Mag said softly. “Because no matter what anypony did, even I, it never changed. We were trapped in an unending state of strife, neither knowing how to change it, or willing to change it. But somepony finally did it, and the wheel of time has finally begun to move once more. The wasteland will vanish, and Equestria will return, that is, so long as nopony drags us back down into that dark place.”

“Wait… you know something, don't you?” I ask.

But Mag shook her head. “. Let's just say that I know far less than you on this, but I don't need to see the clouds to know a storm is coming. But I do know you will be fine, since you're marvelously strong. Just as I know you will do what is right in the end, even if it hurts to do so.”

Before I could ask her what she meant, her magic exploded, flowing out like a tidal wave. It was everything of who she was in one magnificent burst, then… nothing.

A gasp came from behind me, and I felt out with my magic, looking with my magic. There, on the very top of the hill, was a tree. Magic naturally drifted off of it as it drew the power from the very ground, the roots likely going deep, and deeper still. The magic itself was exceptionally pure, nothing like the stagnant magic commonly in the air.

“Well I'll be, she actually looks rather good for a tree.” Arras said as he breathed in the air. “Strange, I feel… a bit younger just by being near her now.”

“Well she is a tree of life, and the magic coming off her is pure. That might be what it is.” I told him.

Arras then sighed. “So that's why she always felt off to me. Such pure magic isn't good for us ghouls. But… I don't mind it, I don't mind it at all.”

I didn't mind it either. It was sad, but a happy kind of sad. And though Mag was gone now, it wasn’t like she was completely gone. “I don't know if I can truly do what is right, but Magnificence believed in me, and so I at least have to try.”

He patted me on the side, “It's all we can truly do in the end.”

In the end… ya, that's true. There's no guarantee we will succeed in the end, but if we never try, then we all but accept that we will fail. But where are we going, what are our goals, and how do we know if we succeed or fail? I guess we just have to keep going on into the unknown to find out.

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Two Weeks Later.

“One!” The girls refused to let me see myself after I finally got the implants installed. I could see now, but it was rather off from how I remembered. Like the colors were a bit brighter, and my vision was a bit sharper, but every now and then static would take over for a few seconds.

“Two!” They yelled from behind the curtain. They had decided that celebrating my new eyes at the Hilltop Boutique was the best idea, which I couldn't disagree with. Truthfully, trying on a new dress was one of the first things I wanted to do once I could see again. It was irritating not knowing if I looked like a mess or not.

“One!” Star and Fizzy pulled back the curtain for the girls to see, and for me to see myself in a tall mirror.

It was a royal purple dress with gold and silver embroidery of flowers along the seams. A white frilly underdress poking out helped make the purple pop out more, and the large purple sun hat with a blue ribbon was a nice touch. The only thing that stood out was the large and dark sunglasses I had on. Lifting the glasses, my acid burns were still visible, the fur clearly never going to grow back. But my eyes, my new cybernetics eyes didn't fill me with as much joy as I had hoped.

The Wrench mares had installed the case for my optical implants into my damaged bone, framing my eyes with metal. The cyber eyes themselves, taken from the Steel Rangers vault, were mostly colorless, aside from the black focus and the red glow from within. It was all old and crude tech, which even Crystal struggled to get working right. And now seeing it for the first time, it really drove home to what I lost. Not just my eyes, but my tears as well. Yet I could see again, and that meant I could fight again. I wasn't going to be left behind, I wasn't going to become a burden to my friends.

“You okay?” Star asked nervously. She was dressed up simulator to when she worked at the Ruffled Feathers, but her dress was clearly not made for pole dancing, and her makeup was of much higher quality and not so heavily applied.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “It's just going to take time getting used to this.”

Fizzy jumped over, holding another mirror in her magic. “You want to see all of your dress? It's absolutely wonderful.” She had completely cleaned up for this dress party, looking absolutely stunning, to the point I was jealous. I could see how she was to be a vessel for a goddess of love and beauty, and her subtle toga-like dress really enhanced the feeling.

“No need, I got this.” I told her. “Order, can you observe me for a moment.”

“Yes my lady!” It said as the drone flew up, shining a light on me. His wings were replaced by the Rangers and Wrench Mares, both wanting a closer look at the tech itself. It was a bit cruder from the original, using sprite bot levitation talismans, and though weaker, it also meant any repairs or modification would be a lot easier.

I just worried what those two groups could do with Orthrus tech.

My vision flickered, and I was then looking at myself from Order’s point of view. Crystal was the one to do this, telling me that it wasn't an uncommon practice for those with cyber eyes to link up with their drones. I couldn't help but see why, though it was a bit disoriented at first I did get used to it. But still, looking at myself, it was nothing but weird.

Both front and back, the dress was fantastic, and something that matched royalty perfectly. It actually reminded me a lot of the dresses in the royal vault back home, all beautiful. Though on closer inspection, the quality of the cloth and thread left me wanting.

“Anything wrong?” Bianca asked, the snowy white griffin was dressed in a conservative business dress with the cutesses crop jacket. If I hadn't been busy recovering, I would have definitely tried to make a move on her. Tried and likely failed, as she seemed to have no interest in mares, or ponies for that matter.

“No, I'm just amazed how beautiful this dress is, despite your limitations on quality materials.” I told her in honest praise. “Truthfully, I want to see what you can make if given the best material possible.”

Bianca blushed a little, nervously scratching her head. “Oh, like, thanks. But ya, it's totes a bummer that good cloth is so hard to get out here. And, like, mom wouldn't let me have what we got, since it's already been planned for other stuff.”

Fizzy jumped over and hugged Bianca. “I'll, like, send you any good cloth I find, that's totes a promise.”

We all let out a laugh as I left the stage, letting the others get to have the spotlight.

Several fillies were playing about in cute dresses. It seemed that Haunt had found a few friends close to her age here, mostly Willow's kids though. Turns out that Lair whent for Silver, and the two have been sleeping together for the last week, which resulted in Lairs filly getting to meet Willow's. Since the Darkheart’s will be sticking around here for the foreseeable future, and we can't take a foals to a warzone, they're having Hunt go to school at the Coven of Clovers.

“Lair and Hollow were just as adorable at that age, though far more psychotic.” Nightfall Darkheart said to me, dressed in an exceptionally elegant gown. “Then again, Hunt has lived sheltered from all the madness and violence that is the Barbary Islands.”

“I guess staying here will be good for her then.” I suggested.

The older bicorn matriarch eyed me with doubt. “That may be true, but she is still a Darkheart, and as part of my family, weakness is fatal.”

“But too much strength attracts unwanted attention.” Lair said as she joined us. “Cheer up mother, it's not like Haunt is your responsibility.”

“As matriarch of this family, all of you are my responsibility.” She took a sip from her wine glass, then sighed. “Even if you try to run away from this family, you are still my daughter. And Haunt is one of us, no matter how much you hide the truth from me.” Nightfall then passed a wine glass to both Lair and I. “Now try this, it's unusually good.

“Oh, I made that!” Fizzy said as she bounced over. “It's my own home made Sparkle-Cola Black, I used the bottle of wine I was given in the tomb as a base.”

I sipped it and the alcohol was subtle, yet strong, not overpowering the mutfruit and carrot cola at all. “Wait, you had one bottle, how'd you make so much with just that?” I asked.

Fizzy shrugged. “There was a lot more in the bottle than it looked, and the stuff was super strong.”

“Is that why you were blitzed out of your mind that one night?” Lair asked.

She nervously giggled. “I had to taste it first. And I think it's mildly hallucinogenic, because I'm sure I was talking to one of my mothers when I was out of it… oh, but it's safe now, I made sure of it.”

Lair looked at the glass of alcoholic cola, then slammed it back. “Wow, this is the cola of the gods if I ever had any.”

Trotting along, I found Silver sitting by herself, in a rather beautiful dress uniform. “Are you doing okay?” I asked the Knight Captain.

She looked at me and sighed. “You already know my answer. The Guard is harder to manage with my brother gone, and the Coven of Clovers is less receptive to us with Mag a tree and Willow off as well. The silver lining is that my parents are helping to look after their fouls, but I still have to help them out with that.”

“At least you found love.” I teased.

She groaned. “Please don't. I still don't know why I haven't cut her off after the first time. Anyways, she's going to get married to that other mare, so it's weird.”

I was going to correct her, but I wasn't ready to see a mental breakdown just yet. “Well, at least Lair will be leaving with us soon, so just enjoy it while it lasts.”

Silver lifted her glass up. “I will be doing just that.”

Looking up on stage, Cherry Knot was eating up the attention with an awkward Henbane behind her. The two mares couldn't help but be opposites, but both were beautiful in their own right.

“Hey Harp, you enjoying yourself?” Live Axle asked as she trotted over. She had one of the most frilled covered pink dresses here, second only to the dresses the fillies had, yet she topped it off with a black leather jacket. A spiked collar topped off the look, giving her a cute tough mare look, which she flanted. More interesting was how long her mane was getting, and you couldn't tell she had once had one side of her mane shaved. Every day she was becoming quite beautiful.

“Of course, though I'm still getting used to the, you know.” I told her.

“So… show me them.” She requested and I lowered my sunglasses, causing Live to smerk. “I got to say, though I'm pissed off for what that bitch did to you, those eyes, their badass. And the red glow at the center, spooky as fuck, might even alter your herds patch to reflect the new eyes. “

“I rather you didn't.” I sighed, knowing that it was too late, and she was going to do it. “Oh, I heard you asked Bianca for help with your wedding dress, how's that going?”

Now Live looked a bit nervous. “It's going okay. Just underestimated just how old that dress was, and tore a thin spot. Bianca agreed to help fix it up for me. For a soft bird cat, she's a real one, ya know.”

“Ya, she's great.” I said in agreement as I looked back at the stage, Bianca showing off a very uncomfortable Henbane to the crowd. “Say, have you seen Hollow?”

Live, rolled her eyes. “Ya, she's still in the back with Bianca's mom, being a primadonna about her dress. I'm starting to think Swift's a masochist for falling in love with that bitch. But she can really rock a dress, so I guess I get it.”

We then went and found Star, who was sitting back with Fizzy and Lair, sharing drinks. Joining them, I felt comfortable, as though I was where I belonged. Something I never felt back home, though now I wondered if it wasn't because I didn't belong, but that I simply needed to be somewhere else. We are family, even Silver Majesty, that I confirmed in the tomb, but that didn't mean my place was underground, hidden from the world. Maybe it was here, with my friends, so that I would drag my family back into the light.

It was my fault that my stable got raided, my fault that so many died. But, I can still make things right, I just have to keep going, and hold onto hope. Maybe, if I just don't give up, I can restore my family to its former glory, and through them, they can help restore Equestria.

Desperados V3 End

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Epilogue

The city state Platinum Hill would continue to persist as a major trade hub, even as trade to the west was cut off for several years. The allure of crops and other trade goods too much for the rest of the wasteland to ignore. And with wealth, came even more disparity between the rich and poor, but even then the city would find a balance. Accepting both the beauty and ugliness of life. Through Platinum Hills persistence, the city would become a true beacon of hope in the wasteland as civilizations would rise around it, looking to the city for examples of how to build, how to govern, and how to not collapse under their own failures.

The lands around Platinum Hill would begin to change, trees that once found no ground to grow would sprout despite the demon grass. The branches gave home to the critters that sheltered in the city, now free to feed on the grass. As though Magnificence once more providing and protecting her pets. As the forest grew, the demon grass would begin to recede, both tree and critter fighting it, and freeing land. Land in which the ponies of Platinum Hill would use to further expand

In time, even the NCR sought to claim the city, but that's a story not yet to be told.

• • • • •

The Platinum Guard would do their duty as they always have. And though Elder Fullmetal predictions came true, and Elder Potato Pie moved in to take over, he also became bogged down by paperwork and traditions. It was a give and take move by the Guard, both allowing the Steel Rangers further influence over the Platinum Guard, but letting the Guard have influence over the Rangers. In the end they were still brothers, and the annexation of the Guard was inevitable, but as conflict and war would turn its ugly head, the Platinum Guard would stand as mediators and ambassadors for the Rangers ensuring that the Ranger never became completely isolated from the world.

In time, this would result in the signing a non-aggression Pact with the NCR, trusting Deadshot Calmly's promise to not misuse the tech that 9nce destroyed the world.

• • • • •

Ever the studious group of unicorns, the Coven of Clovers had long planned for Elder's Magnificence death, and would call their elder members of the Coven back home from unicorn enclaves all around Equestria. Bickering and debates would continue for months on who should lead the Coven, and in the end they decided on a council over just one pony, in which other related groups were given a voice. Many suspected this was heavily pushed by the Twilight Society, who long sought to hold influence over the Coven and its members, but those in the know understand that Magnificence had planned for this a hundred years prior. In the end, the Coven remained free, neathef puppet or a puppeteer, but becoming scholars of history and magic for Equestria.

Heavily pushings this more for a more open Coven was the Followers of the Apocalypse, whom believed that education was the true way to restore Equestria, and would send their members to the Coven to learn herbal medicine. Their leader, Velvet Remedy, would eventually gain a voice among the Coven, though she would never be truly accepted due to her direct connection to the NCR.

• • • • •

Ever the Isolationists, Steel Rangers would resist change, and though the leadership of the Platinum Hill chapter would fall under the more biligrant leadership of Tiramisu, she would also be given direct guidance from former Elder Fullmetal, her grandmother. Alongside Elder Lamington, Tiramisu would receive counsel from equil parts, modarats, and extremists. Though she would stick to isolationism, the young elder would also see the wisdom of letting a select few outsiders in, if only a few.

But as the drums of war would beat ever louder in the west, so would a message come that the Rangers couldn't ignore. “Equestria never fell, take arms soldiers, for its time the Equestria armed forces to rise again! Land, Sea, and Air! Together again, we will take back what was taken from us!” It was a call the Steel Rangers had waited over two hundred years for, but never expected to hear. Unable to ignore the call, Elder Shortcake and her chapter would be sent out to answer the call and find out if the armed forces are returning, or if another warlord needs to be put down.

• • • • •

Proven right once again, the Desperado’s celebrated and drank, sure that things would never change for them. As Morning Light's chapter of the Desperados came, many of them trained and deadly snipers, Swift's Warband would head north to prepare for war. With the changing of the Desperados would also come a calmer, yet more intimidating force, all led by the Ranger Slayer, Morning Light. Something the Rangers greatly disliked, but none dared to test by order of their Elders. With a much more experienced force, conflict in the outer-city and along the local roads would decrease, and criminals would find a swift and brutal end that they never saw coming.

Eventually, the Desperados would gain confirmation who their enemy is, and a declaration of full war would be called. A sign of the seriousness of the event that would later be simply called, The War in the West.

• • • • •

Little in this current age understood the full value of owning land like the Darkheart’s did, or what it took to keep it. Quick to buy up as much as possible, Nightfall would quickly become a prominent voice in both the Desperados and Platinum Hill, to the annoyance of most. But equally skilled in business as she was dogging assasination attempts, Nightfall would solidify her family's place in the Great Prairies and Platinum Hill, fully cultivating lands even lost to the Demon Grass.

As time went on, Hollow would be confirmed pregnant and later conceive twins, finalizing the union between the Desperados and the Darkhearts. And though Hollow would attempt to keep her reputation as a highborn mare of the Darkheart family, she had truly fallen in love with Swift, and even adopted the habits of the Desperados, to her mothers annoyance.

As the War in the West would grow, the Darkhearts would become a major supplier of food for the Desperados, and even use the money made from their business to help supply them with needed guns and mercenaries. They were heavily invested in the Desperados success in reopening the triad roads to the west, and spreading their influence even further. Unbeknown to the Darkheart’s, their involvement in the War in the West would become more and more pivotal as the war dragged on, along with making peace impossible.

• • • • •

Supported heavily by Platinum Hill, the Sisters of the Sun's faith would be pushed even more to counter Thorns Chosen, even finding their way out of the city, and into places like the NCR, becoming entwined with those who had begun worshiping the Lightbringer. Though many attempted to untangle this relationship, many of the sisters would end up believing the Lightbringer as an incarnation of Celestia, as who else could return the sun to Equestria but Celestia.

Among their growing numbers, Hollow Firemane would convert, and raise her children in the faith, all while still honoring Thorn Roseland. Through her, many of the Desperados would follow suit, further expanding the Sisters influence, an influence that they would neglect almost completely in their ideals of charity and hope.

• • • • •

Having embedded themselves into Platinum Hill, Thorns Chosen, under the Wrench Mares and the Saintified Cannons, would begin showing the glory of their prophet. Both preaching to the masses and installing power lines, they would slowly improve the outer city as they gained a regular congregation. Though the Sisters of the Sun would continue to overshadow them in faith, the Thorns Chosen didn't mind it much, seeing them as an honest offshoot of their own faith.

Conflict with the Steel Rangers would come, with it confirmed that the Wrench Mares were the descendants of the Steel Rangers ship fleet. A confirming that Admiral Thorn Roseland had captured them so long ago, with a suspension that their conversion was not by choice. And though attempts to confiscate the Wrench Mares tech would happen, the zealot cyber ponies would prove themselves more than simply dangerous, resulting in the Rangers being forced to focus on a futile attempt of containment. But no matter how hard the rangers tried, the obvious was clear to them, forces more dangerous than they imagined had the tech they so desperately tried to keep buried. And before them, in the form of their lost sisters, was the example of dangerous tech having run wild for over two hundred years.

• • • • •

Bianca would inherit the Hilltop Boutique far sooner than she imagined, due to father being nearly killed by one of his lovers, then severely beaten by his wife for letting it get that bad. Supported by her parents, Bianca dutifly worked at her store, using it like a showroom for her creations, and the world would eventually become widely known. Called the next Rarity, many influential individuals would visit the Hilltop Boutique in hopes of getting a tailored suit or dress made by Bianca, in which the griffin was all too happy to make, if they had the money for her time. Eventually she would expand her business into the NCR just so to restore the ancient Carousel Boutique to its former glory.

• • • • •

Officially banished from Platinum Hill, Willow and Silver Leaf, along with other members of the Platinum Guard and Coven of Clovers that had aided them. They would set out on the southern routes in search of Princess Rare Pearl. With little to go on but that she was with Orthrus, and bravely trotted into the unknown. Unfortunately, despite the radiation being gone, and the skies clear, the Equestria Wasteland was no less dangerous as it ever was before, and the last message from them would be them discovering a place called Sparkle-Cola World, and an army of crab-like monster's and mutant ponies waring over it.

• • • • •

Crème Brûlée and her sister Marshmallow would make great advancement in cybernetics after sharing information with the Wrench Mares. Though Elder Red Velvet would show great distaian over this, calling cybernetics a great danger to the Steel Ranger's, both Elder Lamington and Elder ShortCake would show great interest in applying the tech, later convincing Elder Tiramisu to apply the tech to their severely injured.

Under Crème's supervision, many Steel Rangers who once were removed from service due to lost limbs or severe injury now could put on the Power armor again, and join their brothers and sisters. This would cause many injured Steel Rangers to return home in hopes of returning to the fight, further bolstering their numbers. Eventually, with help from Crystal, Marshmallow would develop a low tech and usable prosthetic that even the Ranger Elders didn't see as tech needed to be kept from outsiders. With help from the Platinum Guard, these prosthetics would not just be sold to civilians, but sent to the Applejack Rangers as part of starting a peace treaty.

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New Appleloosa

I took my helmet off so that I could finally get something to drink. Even if summer was coming to an end, New Appleloosa was still in the middle of a desert, and my new ranger armor wasn't quite suited for the heat. At least it kept me warm at night, but the hot and unforgivable sun did make me miss the unending cloud cover.

As I quenched my thirst, I fidgeted with my fathers revolver, a classic Talon 45-70 revolver, beautifully detailed and well maintained. I always wanted it as a kid, but now, holding it only made me feel ashamed of myself.

“That thing is absolutely beautiful, Skipper!” Ranger Captain Wiretap got in close to look at the revolver. “I can see why Gwadyna commissioned them for the veterans to use. Though it looks different from the one Sarge uses.”

“It's the personal gun of a Gunrunner master smith.” said Veteran Ranger Sargent, Hans Goldbeak, he then pulled out his own revolver for comparison. “Proper Talon revolvers have subtle details etched on, where the Gunrunners use theirs like an art canvas. See how much deeper and more detailed the etching is on his revolver.”

“Ya, I can see, Sarge. Yours is kinda boring.” Wiretap mocked as she levitated out her four revolvers, each uniquely designed, and of different calibers. “Maybe now that President Calamity is in power, he can update the design of your revolvers.”

Hans let out a dismissive huff. “What's a pony going to know about a good gun design?” He then put his revolver away, and tilted his head at me to do the same. “Ya got a visitor, greenclaw.”

Looking over, I saw Bridget looking at my helmet with a fascinated expression on her face. “You want to try it?” I asked my daughter.

She looked nervous for a moment and then nodded. “Y.. yes, sir.”

I picked up the helmet and passed it over to Bridget. She put it on, finding it too big for her, but still happy hopping off into the street.

“Still not calling you dad?” Wiretap asked.

I shook my head. “Not like I have the right to be called that.” I said with a sigh.

Wiretap let out an amused laugh. “Oh come now, at least you have an excuse. My father was a whole extra level of bad news, and dumped me with a bratty little sister on top of that.”

“I rather not be reminded of him, Captain.” Hans groned.

At times I forget those two knew each other from before the NCR, and Hans himself had personally trained Wiretap even before she joined up. It really dove home on how much things had changed since the clouds cleared up. Hans being a Talon mercenary working for slavers, Wiretap a slaver princess, and I, an idiot kid from Fillydelphia that idolized Redeye. Now all of us are working for the NCR, who's dedicated to the dismantling slavery from all of Equestria.

“Say, you think Gwadyna putting Calmly in charge is a good thing?” I then asked. “He doesn't come off as the presidential kind of pony.”

“And Gwadyna ever was?” Hans snarked.

A fair enough answer.

Wiretap let out a sigh. “It was him or the mayor of Friendship city. And though the ponies from there are good ponies, they're also in Golden Harvest’s pockets. As much as that city was anti-slavery, they were as tied to it as Fillydelphia was, just without the slaver families. Letting them in power before all the old connections can be rooted out fully would only lead to the same quagmire Redeye had found himself in. Just look at the scandal of the NCRCF for an example of just that.”

I looked at Wiretap for a long moment, a bit dumbfounded by the long and detailed response.

She shrugged. “Hey, I may be a Ranger right now, but I'm still expected to take over my moms business. And she's been pushing me to get into politics too, the old hag.”

A clunk and the sound of something rolling then caught our attention, and we looked down to see my helmet roll towards us. Picking it up I found a piece of paper inside.

Jumping outside I couldn't see Brigade anywhere, “Bridget!” I called out, but heard no response. New Appleloosa was busy, but not so busy for anypony to try and take a foal off the main street. “Bridget!” I called out again.

Hans and Wiretap joined me, but the looks on their feces told me they also couldn't see her either.

“Green claw, the note!” Hans directed me.

Opening up the paper, I read outloud.

“Sorry for the sudden acquisition of this filly, but a certain pony has managed to cross me, and I want to show her what happens to ponies who cross me. I'm sure nopony is going to care about the daughter of a criminal anyways, so best to let this be forgotten if you know what's good for you.”

I clenched my beek as panic and rage welled up in me. Then a firm claw held my shoulder. “Green claw, Skipper. Running out guns blazing isn't going to help.”

“And what do you know?” I growled.

Hans focused his experience and hard gaze on my own. “If this wasn't a random foal napping, and they want her for a personal vendetta, then she's safe for now. But it also means they planned this, and are already long gone. Why else leave a letter? And whoever wrote that was as arrogant as can be. Think, who could have a vendetta that involves Bridget?”

I took a deep breath, and one thing came to mind, the whole event involving Lean Year. But there was no way Golden Harvest would be so stupid as to nab a filly in front of NCR Rangers. “You think it's Blueskys?”

Hans nodded. “They can't do business in the NCR, and were behind the Cruel Joke plantation. Of which her mother was involved in burning it down.” Placing a claw on my revolver, Hans then squeezed my shoulder. “We know who's behind this, but not where they are. So why don't you sit down as I message a few contacts of mine, thankfully the Followers are nearby. Okay.”

I nodded, feeling completely lost. “Th… thanks Sarge.”

He nodded back. “Just doing my duty. She is an NCR citizen after all, and nobody takes our citizen’s and lives.”

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