I should have guessed.

As I stepped into the bank where Big Shot used to run things out of, a wave of dread ran through me. I almost expected that he’d pop up from behind the counter where he’d always sat. Unfortunately for him, he was dead. Well, I assumed he was from how Ash had referred to him. He’d lied about a lot of things, but that didn’t matter now. All my past debts had been absolved, and I didn’t have to hide anymore. What I didn’t miss from this place was the annoying buzzing of the overhead lights.

Null reached out with his magic and tapped on a small bell. It gave off a soft ring that hung in the air for a good while. Then, slow and soft hoofsteps of somepony behind the counter drew close. With a groan, an elderly looking mare crawled up onto the chair behind the counter and squinted at us. She hoofed a pair of cracked glasses up to her muzzle and scowled.

“Name.” Was all she said.

“Percussion Cap.” Null replied. He nudged me with his hoof to approach the bench. It was awkward enough just being back here. Dealing with new ponies wasn’t my strong suit.

“Very well.” She droned. She grunted and almost painfully arched her back as she leaned down under the counter. After a moment, she came back up with a brown box in between her hooves. On top of the box, sat a thin strip of paper with a very official looking stamp on it. She slid the paper out and set it down next to the box, before slowly taking the lid off.

“What’s in the box?” I asked. She simply cocked an eyebrow in annoyance and grunted again.

“Mr. Flint has seen fit to equip you with the following items.” She replied as she reached in. “One Scoped, Short Barreled .44 magnum revolver.” In her hoof, she drew out Storm’s revolver. It had been well taken care of, and even worked on a bit. The rough cut of the barrel had been ground and sanded down to a blunt edge, and the whole gun shone with cleanliness. “One holster for said .44.” She reached back in and pulled out a well worn leg holster for it. It wasn’t my harness, but it looked like it was built for a revolver of a similar design. “And one full box of .44 magnum rounds.” She grabbed the box and turned it over, sliding the worn box of shells out onto the counter.

“Oh I’ve missed you!” I muttered as I picked #5 up in my magic again. Even as I sat there and admired it, part of me couldn’t wait to see my other guns again. “So then, where’s the rest?”

“That’s it.” She sounded insulted. She looked down at the paper again and read it over with a squint. “These items are all that were on the register.”

“There must be some mistake.” Okay, so they misplaced my other guns. It’s fine, because they can just find them again. For years I’ve worked with six guns. While #5 was my favorite, it can’t do everything on it’s own. “This was only one of mine. I had 6 guns before.”

“And I was young once.” The mare angrily retorted. “You’ve gotten what you came for. Complete your mission and return to Master Flint.” This mare was pushing all the wrong buttons, and it took a lot of effort to not shoot her in the face. Lucky for her, I didn’t kill ponies without a contract. I simply took my things and left. As we walked out from the bank, I tried to calm myself down, but that whole exchange had soured my day.

“Who the fuck does she think she is?” I mumbled as I tightened the holster onto the leg opposite of my combat knife.

“That is Lockbox.” Null replied. I don’t know if it was how fast he answered, or the fact that he did at all, but I felt a headache coming on. “Flint recruited her to keep track of the parcels being passed between himself and his brother. She is quite good at it, and as I have heard , has never misplaced a single item.”

“She was weird looking.” Sandy chimed up from on Null’s back. “Was she ‘old’?”

“She lost my guns.” I mumbled. “All I have left is number five.”

“It is a silly name.” Null laughed. “Can it really be number five if it is your only gun?” Did he think this was a joke? I wasn’t sure if it was to be more annoying than I’d thought possible, or if he just wasn’t thinking it would piss me off. “Of course, you may still call it by whatever designation you’d like.” I let out a sigh at that. I was reminded that Storm had already given the gun a name.

“It’s not it’s name.” I sighed and pressed on. “It’s just it’s designated place.”

“Oh! I know this one!” Sandy gasped and wagged in excitement. “Bon… Bon…” She scrunched up her muzzle in thought. “Something…”

“Bon Appetit is it’s name.” I nodded. Yes, that was the horrible name that she’d picked. “Don’t ask. It wasn’t something I chose.” I looked over to Null, who seemed content not to pry further for once. That was something I liked about Null. Unlike Caltrop, he knew when to keep his muzzle shut. Which reminds me. “So with my weapon back, all I need is Caltrop.”

That forced Null’s face into an exasperated look.

“I told you…” He began.

“Hear me out.” I interrupted. “You said Caltrop was here in Filly. Steel Junction is two days north from here. Why not pick him up now, do the job up north, and then cut west straight back to the compound.” I wasn’t sure he’d go for it, but for somepony who keeps going on about being on a schedule, it only made sense. “It cuts a whole day off the trip.”

“Ugh.” He hung his head in defeat. “Fine. But we aren’t going to have any more stops once we get him.” He eyed up at me and looked into my eyes. “Then it is straight on to the mission. No more distractions.”

“I’m perfectly fine with that.” I smiled and slowed my pace. “Lead the way then.”

“Yay!” Sandy cheered in an ear-shatteringly high pitch. “We can all be friends again together!”

“Yes.” Null grumbled. “Yay indeed.”

It was an hour later, and down so many twisting and turning alleys and streets that I had almost no idea where we were in Fillydelphia. My only real idea of our location was the edge of the roller coaster ride in the work zone sat behind us. The old apartment buildings and crumbling storefronts were nowhere near as well kept as Northern Filly. Didn’t keep the assholes away though. Slavers were out in droves here, and most of the apartment buildings looked like they were re-enforced as makeshift prisons.

The storefronts had been converted into a jumble of different things. Some of them were Slaver barracks, other places were metalsmithing and leather working. Most of the shops catered to something any slaver would need. Up ahead was the only place that stood out from the rest. At the point the main street split, a corner building stood bright and proud. The flashing yellow lights outlined a neon sign that read ‘Palace’.

It was a four story brick theater building that despite the state of the neighborhood, sat nearly untouched by the balefire apocalypse. Numerous flashing light fixtures and velvety drapes over the first story windows made me want to find out what was inside. The darkness that was cast over the city meant that even during the day, the building shined like a beacon.

Null stopped walking abruptly, and because I wasn’t watching, I ran straight into him.

“Hey.” He snapped and jumped aside. I looked at him and was about to apologize when he spoke up anyway. “He’s there, inside the Palace. You want him, so you will retrieve him.” He huffed and sat down in the middle of the street. “I will watch the little one. The Palace is no place for one such as her.”

“Why?” It really was an odd thing for him to say. If I was going to walk into a den of chaos, I’d like to at least have a heads up. “What’s in there?”

“Nothing but regret and sin.” He shook his head. “Do not take to long. We must leave the city by sundown.”

Whatever. If he wanted to be cryptic, I’d just have to go in with my head on a swivel. We still had a few hours before it got dark, so I could afford not to rush this. Sandy jumped off me and went to sit by Null. I straightened up my coat and made sure I had my hat on well enough. With a deep breath, I walked toward the theatre.

The closer I got, the more I tensed. It couldn’t be too bad inside, right? I took another look around town and found a few lounging Slaver’s eyeing me. Null only told me that Caltrop had taken a job here, but not why he had to be here. The thought that he was already owned by somepony ran through my mind. What would I do if he was?

I perked my ears as I stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the decadent building. A voice floated through the air from inside. It sounded like a stallion’s voice. Somepony was singing along to a band that played with them. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and relaxed. I got my nerves worked up over a nightclub it seemed.

Without another ounce of hesitation, I walked up to the doors and opened them up. I slipped inside and found myself in a dark entryway. From here, I could see that the main hall also happened to be a bar. The stage must have been a small one, being set so far back, but the place had amazing acoustics. I normally hated anything loud, but this music was for some reason something that soothed me. The bar section was mostly empty, but the tables that faced the stage were packed with every sort of slaver I could’ve imagined.

The music played, and the stallion kept on singing.

I found myself entranced with the song, even from where I stood. The words came to me with a feeling and sincerity that I’d never heard before in music. It made me feel warm, like Caltrop’s hug had. As much as I’d wanted to keep listening, sadly, I needed to find the Dolt. With a sigh, I walked forward into the main hall.

My curiosity peaked as I kept listening, and I took a look up to the singer. My legs locked up and I froze in place. I couldn’t really process what I was watching, but part of me wanted to turn and hide. The stallion singing was Caltrop. His voice was crisp and clear, his ridiculous accent completely absent. He stared distantly over to the bar as he sang to the crowd, and he looked both exhausted and depressed. Curled in his fetlock, was a half empty bottle of scotch.

I didn’t know whether to run up and hug him or to turn around and go. You know you want to go to him. My conscience was back with avengence. I know that I’d put him through hell the last couple of months, but he’d said that he always wanted to sing. what’s the harm in letting him do what he wanted? But he’s not singing about anything good. You can see he’s in pain.

As I wrestled myself in my own head, the song came to a close. As the band trailed off with the last few notes, the room exploded into applause. Whistles and cheers came from the crowd, mostly from mares who were drunk.

“Come on down, hot stuff!” One of them called out.

“Do us a twirl, pretty boy!” Another laughed out.

None of it phased him. He simply stood there staring blankly at the bar as he took a long draw off of his bottle. Maybe Null was exaggerating about his drinking problem. After only a moment, he lifted it again and finished it off. He wobbled shakily and blinked a few times. Without even looking, he tossed the empty bottle over the edge of the stage and into a pile of other empty bottles.

“This isn’t going to be easy.” I mumbled to myself. I watched as Caltrop tried to wander to the stairs at the edge of the stage. With a single missed step, he tumbled forward and crashed into the floor. Laugher flooded the room as the mare’s hurled insults and more vulgarities at him. In truth, it made my blood boil. As much as I wanted to kill them, I made my way over to him as he whined and made an attempt to get back up. I extended my hoof and was glad to see him grasp it strongly.

“Tanksh.” He slurred as he got up. “Ish told them ta fish da stepsh…” He raised his gaze to me and stared at me for a moment. I was waiting for the light of realization to hit him, but it never came. Actually, what had come next was a left hoof from seemingly nowhere. It wasn’t enough to knock me down, but it did surprise me. “No!” Caltrop raised his voice. “Yah dun get ta wear her faysh!” He glared angrily at me. “Get yashelf outta my shight.”

“Caltrop, it's me, PC.” I said as I rubbed at my cheek. He was either too drunk to hit right, or I never realized how weak he was. Either way, his crystal clear voice was gone, and I could hear more of the old Caltrop I knew coming out. “I know it’s sudden, but we need to talk.”

“Yah ain’t Peeshee.” He squinted and poked at my chest accusingly. “Shur ah ghosht. Crawl back inta shur grave where yah belongs.”

This wasn’t going as smoothly as I’d thought. Him being drunk was really proving to be quite the problem. It hit me that I knew exactly what to do in this case. The first time Storm caught me drinking, she’d done the same thing.

I stepped to his side and hit him with my forehoof as hard as I could in the gut.

Immediately, Caltrop doubled over in pain. The room fell silent for a moment. I didn’t care if they watched. Caltrop was my friend, and the pony I still loved. I was going to do whatever it took to make him see that I was still here. With a racking cough, he threw up all over the floor. For almost a minute, he writhed and expelled nothing but the alcohol he’d drank. He didn’t look like he’d eaten anything in a while, and I figured that it would be a good place to start.

As he sat and whimpered on the floor, I grabbed his hoof and yanked him up. He didn’t fight as I pulled him over onto my back. Lightly, he sobbed as he lay on me. I wasn’t sure if it was from the pain, or all of the emotions he’d probably been trying to suppress with the alcohol. In reality, it was probably both at once.

I walked him up to the bar and helped slide him onto a stool. He slumped forward against the bartop and whined. I used my magic to bring over a bowl of nuts that had been put out for patrons, and fed a clump of them into his muzzle. He ate them, but he cried as he did. Hearing him whine and cry wasn’t something I’d been ready for. It hurt to know that I was the one who’d caused this pain in the first place. It was a new feeling, and one I could only think would be caused by the fact that I truly did love him.

“I’m shorry.” He muttered through his tears from the bartop. “I’m so shorry I couldn’t shave yah.” He sat and muttered to himself over and over. The bartender didn’t even give us the time of day as he wallowed in his sorrows. What she did do, was levitated a fresh bottle of scotch in front of him.

“I think he’s had enough.” I snarled at her. She meerly rolled her eyes and pulled the bottle away. Caltrop didn’t even look up at all. He just kept his head down on the bar and whimpered. His mumbling apologies did start to sound more lucid however, which was a step in the right direction. After another minute, I dredged up the courage to try to comfort him again.

“Shhh.” I said and reached over to him. “I’m not dead, I’m right here.” I pat him on the shoulder, which made him jump. He stared at me in disbelief, but with the same accusatory eyes he’d had before.

“Ya Gramma said she buried what was left of ya!” He nearly shouted as he squeezed his eyes shut. He scrunched up his muzzle and wrapped his hooves around his head. “Why’s everythin’ have ta hurt so much and be so loud?” At least I knew that kicking that alcohol out of him had done some good.

“Obviously, I didn't die though, did I?” I couldn’t help but frown and hope that he hadn’t pushed me so far away in his mind that he hated me. I felt the flame of that fear deep inside. What if he didn’t want me anymore? What if he hates the mare I’d become? I’d thought I’d put these thoughts past me, but I couldn’t help but think about it right at this moment.

“No!” He snapped and slapped me right in the muzzle. It wasn’t a hit like before, but again it had caught me off guard. “Ya don't get ta do that ta me.” He kept his eyes locked onto my own. “Ya don't get ta say ya love me, then just disappear like dat!”

“I’m sorry.” I felt ashamed. I hadn’t meant for it to all go so wrong. “I…”

I found myself cut off as he wrapped his hoof around my head and pulled me against his muzzle. I tensed up at the suddenness of the kiss, but slowly I melted into his grasp. My head spun as he pressed himself against me, and I was in heaven. All the fears about what he might think were snuffed out in that moment. Nothing else in my life made me feel better about being wrong than having him hold me. He pulled back with a sigh and smiled through his teary eyes.

“It wasn't my choice to go.” I spoke up when I finally found the words to do so. “It's alright now. I'm here, and we don't have to worry about anything anymore.” A confused look flushed over his face as I said that. Between that and his smile, I didn’t know what he was thinking. “The guy who put the bounty on me? He didn't want me dead. He wanted me to work for him.” I tried to elaborate, but it only made his confusion worse. “He wanted us to work for him.”

“Wait,” Caltrop took a shaky step back, still not quite ready to move just yet. “I've been thinkin’ yah've been dead this whole time, an’ you've been workin’ for the douchebag who wanted ya dead instead!?” He shook his heat and growled. “An’ Yah nevah thought ta even come see me? Ta at least tell me yah still alive?”

“It wasn’t that simple.” If only I could just put my memories into his head like some sort of memory orb. “It's... a long story.” Once we met back up with Null, I’d have to censor what I’d say. I wanted him to know my fears for working with him, my opinions on who I think they really are. As much as I want to, I can’t say in front of Null that I thought Flint is a madpony and that the other hunters are all broken down psychotics.

“A whole month of not so simple?” Caltrop snorted and climbed back onto his seat. “What did he have ya doin dat ya couldn't have taken some time off so we could know ya were alive!?” His eyes shifted from me to something behind me. He looked more confused than anything. “Storm, yah back early?”

“Yeah, any you’re looking sober for once.” She snapped at him as she walked right past me. It’s like she didn’t even care to see me. “A day late and two bits short. My acquaintance is gone somewhere and he didn't leave any clue behind. He cleared out completely though, so my guess is he's headed out west.”

“Storm, is mom alright?” I asked. Why didn’t she even want to look at me? Had something happened? “Storm? Did you get to mom in time?” She kept ignoring my question. I pushed my stool back and went to forcibly turn her towards me. As she always did, she spun around and grabbed my hoof between hers and twisted. A sharp bolt of pain went up my leg as she held it tightly.

“Your mother is safe, no thanks to you.” She nearly growled at me. Her angry blue eyes brought down what felt like a whole building’s worth of judgement and anger onto me. With a grunt, she let go of my hoof and took a step back. “If you hadn't put your pride first, she'd never have been in that situation. It was a tough fight, but I managed to pull her flank out of the fire. It's too bad that little raider jerk got away.”

“Ash?” I shook my hoof off and gave her a glare of my own. “Ash is dead.” A smile crept over my muzzle as I spoke the words. It felt too damn good to say for me to keep my anger focused anymore. “He wasn’t the only one who Flint had under his hoof. He was a gift to me, and I made sure he’d never hurt our family again.”

“A gift, just like the legs. I knew as soon as I saw them laying out there in the wastes that you were with him.” She snorted in disdain. “I’m right, aren't I? You don’t understand just how dangerous that stallion is, do you?” She shook her head and sighed. “You said you were getting out of this slave shit. Now you’re in bed with the most powerful slaver on this side of the wastes.”

“Legs?” Caltrop muttered. “PC in bed?” He wrapped his hooves around his head again. “Can’t eather one a yah make even a bit of sense?”

“Just like Storm said, she buried what she found of me. It happened when I was being brought back to Flint.” I used my magic to hike my coattail up. Caltrop’s gaze froze on the silver limbs. The sad look he wore on stage returned, and I could tell he was disappointed. “Most of the last month I’ve been learning how to walk again.” I found myself speaking softly. “I wanted to come back to you, but I couldn’t make the trip until today.” He simply looked at me with a frown. More than listening to him crying, or seeing what’s happened to him, that look hurt. “I'm still not quite used to them even, but even so, I’d thought this might be the way you thought. I can see how much I’ve hurt you already, why wouldn’t you hate what I’d become?”

He stepped forward and threw his hooves around me.

“I could never hate yah, PC.” He said through his warm embrace. “Disappointed as I am, I’m just glad ta have yah back.” He squeezed me tightly and rubbed at my back. Just like that, I was the one who was crying. “I love yah.” He whispered softly into my ear.

The words sent an electric tingle down my spine. I laughed and hugged him as tightly as I could. A pair of lost legs, a deal with Flint, plenty of fear, and a whole month later. After all that, I was finally back with him, and he still wanted me. I hated to get all sappy in this moment, but I couldn’t care anymore. All was right in the wasteland again.

“Ahem.” Storm cleared her throat to ruin my perfect moment. “Hate to break this up, but we need to talk.”I pulled my eyes off of Caltrop and looked over to her. She had a sly smile, and that was never good. When she smiled like that, she was cooking up something I probably wouldn’t like. She walked up and basically pried me from Caltrop’s grasp. “We need a minute alone.” She said to him before she dragged me off to the nearest empty corner.

“What do you want?” First she can’t stand to look at me. Now that she needs something, of course she can just drag me away from whatever I’m doing. “And don’t give me the runaround. Just say whatever you want to my face so I can get back to my job.”

“Flint.” Was all she said back.

“What about him?” I asked. She smiled wider the longer she thought about whatever it was she was planning.

“Flint. I want him.” She craned her neck until it gave a soft pop. “Nopony know’s where his base of operations is.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “There was a slave who knew once, but you happened to blow her up. Good thing too. If you brought her back, her source would have been found out.” She cocked an eyebrow at me. Brightshine’s sister had the information on where his villa was? That’s why they wanted me to bring her back? “But better than a description, you’ve been there.”

“So, wait. You want the location?” I scrunched my muzzle up and prodded her. “Why? So you can charge in there and get yourself killed? Weren’t you supposed to retire?”

“I thought about it.” She bobbed her head back and forth. “But I figured that I could do this one last good thing before I quit.” She stared at me for a moment before she brought her pipbuck up and pushed a few buttons. “So, tell me. Where is it?”

“It’s on a mountain. In a valley of said mountain.” I wasn’t quite sure what she expected from me. “Next to some trees?” She looked up to me and deadpanned. “The fuck do you want from me? I’m not a fucking map.” I seriously didn’t know where it was really, and had no real idea of a location for it.

“Look, I’m not going to keep you any longer.” She rolled her eyes and pulled me back toward Caltrop. “I know how angry Flint can get when things take too long, so I won’t keep you here.” She looked over to Caltrop, who had already gotten a glass of alcohol in our absence. “I’m not going to tell you how to live your life, but you need to stay sober enough to remember shit for me.” She gave a nod over at me. “Not to mention you need to keep an eye on her.” With that, she gave me a glare I didn’t feel I deserved. “Make sure she doesn’t make any more bad decisions.

“Alright…?” Caltrop shrugged and downed the whole glass. “I love PC, but she’s a tough mare, yah know?” He set the glass down and gave a soft belch. “I’ll do what I can, but you know I ain't strong like she is.” He sounded a little bit disappointed in himself when he said that.

“Hey, you’re plenty strong.” I snapped at him. “And you don’t need the alcohol anymore to comfort you.” I walked over and pushed the glass away from him. He couldn’t go for more than a few minutes without a drink? This is going to be much more trouble than I’d thought. Then again, that tends to be a pattern for my expectations.

“Here.” Storm grunted as she un-slung her rifle. “You get one scratch on her, and I’ll make good on my promise to remove your stallionhood.” She held it out to Caltrop, who didn’t look like he wanted to touch it with a ten foot pole. “Go on and take it.” She pushed it toward him more. “Take it, or I’ll do even worse than to take your dangly bits away.”

“Fine!” He nearly shouted. He swiped the gun from her quickly. As he did, the strap caught on her fetlock. The gun flipped up into the air as Caltrop fumbled for it. He nearly caught it several times, each time knocking it another direction. With a leap from his stool, he caught it and crashed onto the floor.

“See, I know you won’t disappoint me.” Storm said with a smile. “Now if you don’t mind, I must be going.” She cocked an eyebrow to me as she smiled at me. “Bluejay and I have quite a bit of fun to plan.” Her expression flattened out in an instant. “Don’t fuck anything else up for him. We all only get so many chances to start over.” With that, she walked to the doors and left.

“So, love.” Caltrop said as he groaned and picked himself up off the floor. “Where are we goin’ now?” He brushed himself off and walked up beside me. Just like that, he was back with me, as if he’d always been by my side. From now on, I don’t think I’ll ever leave his.

“Funny enough,” I sighed and wrapped my hoof around him. “back to where this all started.” We both walked toward the doors and leaned against each other. “We’re going to pay my friend in Steel Junction a visit.”