The wasteland was too quiet tonight. As we rode, there wasn’t a single sign of other life around. No animals, raiders, or anything. Just the silence that rang out between Lily and the storm we’d just crawled ahead of. Who knew if everything had just chosen tonight to stay home, or if they knew to stay out of our way. The stage had been set, and we were going to put on one hell of a show.

Lily jostled and bounced across the uneven terrain as ‘she’ went. Synchro had made sure that the motors worked at peak efficiency for the trip back. Unfortunately, to do so, he’d disconnected the four other internally stored weapons to reroute their power. I had destroyed most of Lily when I fought with it, but even so, it still had more weapons that it could have used. Too bad it’ll be useless in the coming fight.

The cool air whipped at my hat and coat as we rode. We’d left camp at sundown, heading off into the night towards my mother’s band. Storm had assured me that they would be in position to attack by the time we arrived. While I’d slept, Synchro had filled them in on some of the key positions to hit, but it was up to Storm, Bluejay, and I to kick off the party.

The two of them were crammed into the small compartment that Caltrop’s sisters had used to escape their home in. Bluejay was probably catching some shut eye inside there, but I had a feeling that Storm was just like me.

I was wired. Not by choice, but my mind was galvanized to plan, predict, and overthink. What if when we get there, they just hit Lily with a rocket? This whole bot goes up and we three with it. No, this thing is too useful of a tool for Flint to just destroy it. What if Flint has some sharpshooter pick me off from the moment we drive up there? That’s easy, I’ll just get off and walk up behind it.

I really hope Caltrop is alright. My conscience had been whispering to me all night, reminding me yet again what was at stake. At dawn, the two day limit that Flint put on Storm’s head was up. I’d just hoped that with what happened with Dykem wouldn’t make him have already ended Caltrop’s life in revenge.

No. I was tired of worrying, and I couldn’t think that way if we were to bring him down once and for all. Caltrop for me was still alive, and I was the only one who could rescue him. That was what needed to drive me in the fight, even if that’s not what I saw when we got there.

For now however, all I could do was sit and wait.

The sun began to peek over the horizon. As it did, the dead forest at the base of Flint’s road were pressed against the backdrop of the crimson horizon. The trees sat like monoliths, bones to an ancient and long dead beast. Something deep in my mind told me to run at the sight. Save yourself, go live somewhere where nopony will ever find you.

“No.” I whispered to myself in anger. With a flick of my horn, I pointed it to the side and used my magic to bring out both Howdy and Number Six. I had a whole box of .357 ammo for Howdy sitting in my bags, and five twenty gauge rounds for Number Six, six if I counted the one in it already.

I braced myself against the camera boom of Lily as it turned abruptly down the Villa road. With my magic, again I checked the connections with my rear hooves and the battery. Pressing down with it, I also made sure that my hat was on securely. One missed detail and it was game over for all of us.

We rumbled up the road, the thunder of the following storm echoed through the hills around the valley. The corner that would reveal the Villa approached fast, and I did my best to clear my mind. My heart beat faster the closer we rolled. I tightened my magical grip around the guns, lifting myself up onto my hooves. Carefully, I stepped backwards towards the rear of the monstrosity. The moment I took fire, I’d have to hop down.

The stillness of the Valley unnerved me. Each rock that popped under the wheels of Lily sent my senses ablaze. Here we are, right past this corner. Everypony would be waiting, ready for a fight, ready to end my life. As we started to round the corner, I held my breath.

Nothing.

As we approached, there was nopony in sight. The Villa walls were empty, and the slave fields were barren. The only thing that even made me think that anypony was still here, was the steam coming from the guard’s quarters. This was too good of a sight for me to believe it. Something was terribly wrong.

Unimpeded, Lily rolled along the path towards the Barn. As it always had, it turned in sharply, parking itself in front of the large scrap piles that Synchro kept. Nopony had so much as peeked out from anywhere, and even as I thought they might, nopony ambushed us from Synchro's junk piles. Still, as Synchro's machine shuttered and powered down, there wasn't complete silence. A quick clip of hooves heading our way met my ears.

"Stmff am fut fer homphs uf!" One, tired looking earth pony guard dashed out behind the robot. He spoke through the cut down over under in his muzzle, but didn't shoot. He couldn't risk killing me.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I spoke, simply turning towards him. I didn't want to trust that he wouldn't accidentally pull the trigger, but I could tell he wasn't the brightest.

"Stmff am fut..." He groaned through the gun, pausing as he put his hoof up. Please tell me he wasn't that stupid. Without thinking, he spat the gun into his hoof. "I said..." Was as far as he got before I focused my magic around his gun. With a simple flick, I'd turned it around and blasted half of his face clean off.

"Fucking idiot." I muttered, pulling the gun close to me. The sound of shouting across the complex met my ears, along with the heavy squeal of metal below me. The sound of Bluejay and Storm squirming their way out was music to my ears. Quickly, I stepped over to the side of the machine, and jumped my way down. This time, I landed on all fours.

"I finally figured it out!" Bluejay smiled as she straightened herself out. "She's called spectre because of the whole ghost projection from her teleports!" She laughed, quite proud of that fact. "Been waiting damn near the whole ride here to say that."

It's funny, because I hadn't even thought about it either. Still, didn't mean I couldn't lie and at least pretend like I knew something first. "Took you long enough."

"Shut up, PC. You didn't know either." Storm sighed as she pulled her Rifle off from around herself. Couldn't even let me have one little win, could you? "It’s far too quiet here, I don’t trust it. Still, let's use this advantage." Pushing past me, she cantered across the road. “To the Villa, now.”

Bluejay grunted and floated out her pump action. I simply turned and followed after Storm. The quick sounds off hoofsteps across the Villa’s tiles, and the hushed voices that came from above meant that Flint’s ponies were up there. A large blast from lower down in the valley spurred screams from below. I didn’t know whose screams they were, but they were followed with sporadic bursts of gunfire. I prayed to the goddesses that my mom would keep herself safe.

“Hello, hello?” The sharp whine of a megaphone pierced the air from the Villa. “Greetings, dear ambitious invaders!” Flint’s voice echoed down through the valley. His voice did a bit to cut through the fighting that peaked up from down there, but the heavy chatter of machine guns were hard to beat for anypony. “I wish to offer you this one chance at surrender.”

The fighting carried on as he paused. Storm slowed down to a walk, and kept herself crouched. She bit down hard on the barrel of her lever action, scanning the hills above. I too dropped myself as low as I could get, but the lower I got, the more my mechanical legs whined and refused to move well.

“Well, as I assume that I am graced with the presence of the so called ‘Celestia’s Angels’, I would like to direct your attention to my slave pens.” Flint’s voice was calm, collected, and had just a hint of excitement to it. More than anything so far, that made me shiver with fear. Storm stopped just up ahead, peeking her eyes just above the edge of the ceramic tiles in the courtyard.

The thick stone railing that ran around it’s edge kept us hidden, but I couldn’t stop myself from peeking a look as well. Up on the second floor balcony railing of his villa, Flint sat propped up against it. He was wearing some sort of crimson combat armor that nearly fit flush to his body. In one hoof, he held a megaphone. In the other, the small device that Null had brought with us back in Steel Junction.

“I must assume that you are fighting and dying to steal away the property that is rightfully mine. I cannot have that, you see.” Flint’s flare for the dramatic hadn’t changed one bit in his paranoia. “I am a frightfully jealous Stallion, and well, if I can’t have something?” He gave a neurotic little giggle that made the mane on the back of my neck stand up. “Well then, nopony can.”

A series of blasts resounded from down the hill. Even from where we sat, the multicolored plumes of balefire rose high into the sky. Bluejay and myself shielded our faces from the heat and dust that met us. I winced as the thought that everypony down there might be dead from that. Mom, might be dead.

“Please, don’t be dead.” I whispered softly, trying to force that image from my mind. She… she was a tough mare. Even if she was in the blast, she’d just have to become a ghoul… or something. Right?

Storm hadn’t moved, still staring starkly through the pillars of the stone railing. Her steadfastness was a rock in the increasingly choppy waters. Mentally, I held on to her, trying to focus myself.

Somepony nearby dropped their gun onto the tile. “That… that was our home! Those where… our families were still in there!” A stallion cried out.

“Now now,” Flint sighed. “Spectre, dear?” He didn’t have to say more than that before a pair of supressed pistol shots rang out. “It seems that I must remind you, that belonging to me relieves you of your right to anything in this world. You are only things. My things.” Flint barked out, through his megaphone. “If anything else has an objection, leave it with Spectre.”

Slowly, Storm reached up to her muzzle. As she moved, she was deathly silent. I watched her eyes as she brought her gun into her hoof. She didn’t even blink as she carefully moved the barrel forward, poking it between two pillars slowly.

“I know you are out there, PC.” Flint called out again. “I have something for you.” His words drew my attention to him. He put down the detonator, stepping back from the railing.

“PC.” Storm spoke calmly at barely a whisper.

“I have this stallion here. Your stallion. You cut it close to my two day requirement, but I think he deserves to survive, don’t you?” Flint called out, reappearing after only a moment. With his free hoof, he shoved Caltrop against the railing. Even from here, he didn’t look well. I could see red lines and purple patches all over his body. Stuffed in his muzzle was a rag, and through it i could hear his muffled whines. “That is, he will die unless you come forward in the next ten seconds. Do you hear me? I will kill Caltrop.”

“PC,” Storm whispered again, this time more harsh. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“One.” Flint called out, looking back behind him. “Two.” He gave a short nod as he held out his forehoof. From behind him, somepony levitated something toward him. I couldn’t quite make it out, but Storm shifted herself slightly and pulled my attention back to her.

“Ballistic hoof.” She whispered. “Just need one more second for Caltrop to move out of the way. Then I can take the shot.”

“Three!” Flint called out through the megaphone. “Oh this is exciting, isn’t it?” He giggled. “Four!”

I wanted to go. I wanted to trust that if I showed myself, that Flint would let him go. So long as he was out of harm's way, I could make it through this. Storm be damned, I didn’t want to just sit around and wait! I stared at Caltrop, watching as he crouched down from where he was. The way he turned his head up and looked at Flint, I could tell what was on his mind.

“No, no, no.” Storm let out in a light gasp. We watched as Caltrop wiggled his hooves, freeing them of whatever binding’s he was in.

“Five!” Flint called out. As he did, Caltrop turned and dove at him.

“Shit, shit!” Storm hissed.

Flint gave out a surprised yelp as Caltrop brought him to the floor of the balcony and out of our sight. I waited, holding my breath as the sounds of struggling came from up above. The quick reports of two gunshots made me flinch. To keep myself from gasping, I forced my forehoof against my muzzle.

After a moment, the megaphone whined again.

“Well, that was quite unfortunate.” Flint grunted. “I’m sorry I had to do do that, Mrs. Cap. Caltrop had such great potential.”

No… Caltrop.

I lost it. Right then, everything I knew about fighting flew out the window. In it’s place, only rage and anger existed. Numb to the warnings and words coming from Storm and Bluejay, I stood up. Picking myself up to a trot, I continued up the hill.

Ponies in combat armor sat stationed at various points around the stone railing of the courtyard. In their hooves, they held weapons that varied from rusting rifles, to magical energy weapons. The closest one was ten or so feet from where we had been crouched. In a question that was lost to the rage that I felt, I’d wondered how they hadn’t seen us.

I pointed Number Six at him, and fired. The part of his face that wasn’t covered under his helmet blasted inward. The recoil of Number six sent it spiraling back from my magical grip. Instead of getting it, I wrapped my magic around the energy rifle that the stallion had dropped.

With a guttural scream, I pulled the trigger on Howdy. The other guards just now were starting to react. In my magic, I pulled the energy rifle around and fired as well. As I did, I felt somepony slam against my side.

Bluejay pushed me as her shotgun barked. A couple of the guards who had been aiming at me fired, their rounds sparking off of Bluejay’s armored barding.

Using the momentum of her shove, I kept myself walking sideways as I fired at the next guard. A scorching beam from the rifle tore across his body, and he let out a piercing scream. A moment later, a shot from my revolver found it’s way into the underside of his jaw and ended him.

Burning pain gripped me as I felt an impact against my right shoulder. I didn’t even stop to check it as I found the asshole who’d hit me and fired. My shots were poorly aimed, and missed him completely. Luckily, one of the beams from the energy rifle struck another guard down the line. The first guard fired his combat rifle again, missing his shot before his head exploded into gore.

Storm’s S.A.T.S. boosted fire came from behind me, taking out two other guards in the blink of an eye. Bluejay charged forward, firing at a pony with a Submachine gun. He let loose a burst as she fired, and while he went down hard, he got a pair of hits against her leg.

She went down, rolling with a scream. Howdy’s hammer fell on an empty cylinder, and I dropped it from my magical grasp. To replace it, I used the combat rifle that had hit me before. I limped forward, firing at the last two ponies still fighting. One of them had an old bolt action rifle being readied.

I pressed the trigger down on the combat rifle and let loose. It jumped wildly in my levitation. The rounds weren’t accurate, but a few of them managed to land close. The rifle pony flinched, switching targets to the pony who was now threatening him more. His hesitation to choose was his last mistake as Storm’s rifle fired and drilled a hole through his skull.

The final pony, a unicorn mare, dropped her gun. She held her forehooves out, scrambling to run away. Though it was lost on me, I knew she was shouting for mercy. Bluejay answered her with another two shells from her shotgun. The first one only sparked across her armor, but the second miraculously severed off one of her forehooves.

She slumped down onto the tile, unmoving. The sight of it hit me, jolting the image of Sandy into my mind. It made me freeze up.

That was the moment another round hit me. I cried out at the shot came from nowhere, and immediately took off forward. All the sound that had been muted to me came back in sharp detail as I hobbled my way across the Courtyard.

“Spectre!” Bluejay shouted, her shotgun spinning around and firing off a shot.

“Keep her moving!” Storm shouted from behind me.

I reached out with my levitation, drawing both the bolt action and Howdy back towards me. It was hard to focus on so many things at once. Spectre wasn’t going to be the only unicorn here having to strain herself. Carefully, I tried to get Howdy reloaded while keeping the other weapons close.

With an arcane snap, she appeared near Bluejay as she attempted to pick herself up. Wrapped in all her rags, she still had just her suppressed pistol with her. Storm fired a shot a moment too late, Spectre popping away in a flash. Bluejay wandered towards us, spinning her shotgun as she did.

“Stay close, but not too close.” She grunted as she limped forward. The crimson lines running from her back leg didn’t bleed too fast. “Keep your eye’s peeled.” She said, right before a flash from between us caught my eye. Turning the rifle, Bluejay threw herself onto the ground as I fired.

As it happened, I fired too early, and Spectre appeared after my shot passed. She looked at me for a moment before she flashed away again. With a click, I finished reloading Howdy.

“Be careful not to shoot each other!” Storm snapped in frustration.

The world tipped on it’s side as a small pop came from behind me. My rear left leg gave out a whine as it crumpled under me. I turned the energy rifle around just in time to have her disappear again. Quickly I inspected my leg. Her shot had severed the hoof itself off at the joint, leaving me to stand on just the metal rods that made up how my hoof had even moved.

“You can’t aim everywhere.” Her voice reverberated through the air with the same sadistic laugh she’d used the other night.

The flicker of her image appeared between the three of us, and I pointed howdy at it. I waited for her to show up. With a pop, the image disappeared. In it’s place, three ghosts of her vibrated into existence. One behind each of us.

“That’s a new one.” Bluejay muttered. As we all turned our guns on the image, they flickered and shifted to where they weren’t pointing. “All of them are real on my pipbuck. I can’t tell which one she’ll be!”

“Fucking bitch,” I grunted, turning the energy rifle to face behind me. Howdy hovered in front of me. The bolt action I turned to face the one that Bluejay’s gun wasn’t aimed at. “Stop hiding behind your magic!”

“You all think you know better.” Spectre called out, her ghost mirroring herself. “That you are better.” She split her images again, putting one in front of and behind each of us. With a glance over at storm. I realized that we didn’t have enough guns to cover all of them. That was Spectre’s plan.

Storm screamed out in anger. Each of the ghosts of Spectre flashed away as she did. With a rushed spin, Storm thrust her hoof forward to the image behind her. Spectre’s body apparated into the ghost with a choking whine. Storm’s hoof was merged into Spectre’s chest.

“H-how?” Spectre gasped softly. Her magic cut out as she trembled, dropping her gun. Before it hit the tile, I grabbed it in my levitation and turned it on her.

“Because we are better.” Storm hissed through her own pain. Her eyes glowed bright blue, brighter than when she’d been angry at me.

Spectre let out a bloodcurdling yell as blue flames burst out from her. The rags that had tightly wrapped around her went up, burned clear off in only a second flat. Now exposed, Bluejay and I watched as her skin boiled and ruptured. Spectre’s eyes burst with sizzling pops as her entire body started to melt. Her skin, bones, everything started to run like a melting candle.

As Spectre’s scream bubbled away with her lungs, Storm’s scream replaced it. When she did, the blue flames she’d projected flashed in intensity. Specter’s body blew back away from her in melted chunks as the fire died. Storm collapsing to the ground with a whimper. She sat there, unmoving on the tiles.

“Storm!” Bluejay yelled out, running over to her. I was too focused on the jelly-like remains to move. We did it. We killed Spectre. “PC…” Bluejay spoke up with a note of hesitation. The blue glow from her horn flickered, sparking out with a sizzle. I swear to the goddesses, she better not have burnt out. “She’s…”

The loud report of a rifle preempted Storm’s jacket nearly exploding. Bits of leather were tossed off of it as a round punched in and drilled into her chest. Before we could react, her chest glowed, and a short gout of flame burst through her open muzzle and the wound channel. As the smoke wafted from her, my magic gave out.

This couldn’t be happening… Storm can’t be...

“Dead!” Flint called out in a manic laugh.

I spun around, looking back up to the Balcony. Flint held an obscenely large rifle in his hooves, throwing his head back in uncontrollable laughter. Setting the rifle down, he clapped his hooves together joyously and bounced on his rear hooves.

“For so many years others have tried, I have sent so many to try!” His laughter and giggle fits were making the rage in me start to beat out the sorrow. “I guess the old adage is the rule to live by. If you want something done,” His expression died, and he glared down at me. “do it yourself.”

The bottom floor door to his villa opened up, and out from it stepped a mare and stallion that I remembered. The slave who’d Flint had threatened Sandy’s life with stood on a cart with a minigun on it. The cart was being pulled by the hulking stallion who had brought Ash out at the dinner party.

“Do be a dear and wait for me down there. I have a... proposition for you.” Flint’s polite voice called down to us as he pushed himself away, disappearing from view. “I promise that I won’t be more than a moment’s time.”

I looked down as Bluejay hugged Storm’s body tightly. Storm was gone. Mom was gone. Caltrop...

“PC?” Bluejay spoke up at me through soft sobs. “This isn’t worth dying over.” I looked to her as she spoke, tears streaming from her muzzle. “I don’t care if you think you have nothing left to lose. Just please…”

“I’m going to kill him.” The words weren’t hard to find, or hard to say. “It’s my job. It’s the job.”

“There we are!” Flint called from behind me. He strolled out of the dining room doors of the Villa. Beside him, walked a slave who held a pillow in her magic. Atop said pillow, was a large, rectangular wooden box. “I can tell that you aren’t going to do the sensible thing and just die.” Flint seethed, keeping his calm and collected gaze on me. His platinum coat was out of place amongst the blood and bodies around here. “So, why not have a friendly competition?” As he said that, the wooden case next to him opened.

Inside, were two fairly sharp and pointy looking swords. The long, tapered blades looked like they were brand new, and the golden inlaid flowers around the hilt shimmered in the morning light.

“Why, you ask would I ever consider not simply shooting you down? A zebra friend of mine years ago, taught me the idea of honor.” Flint spoke, turning towards the blades. Shakily, he stood up on his rear hooves, reaching one of his forehooves forward. He took one of the swords in his fetlock, using his other forehoof to steady himself. “He also taught me how to fight like a gentlecolt. I really admired his passion for the art of fencing.”

“Don’t you have a heart?” Bluejay hissed up at him. “Wasn’t Spectre your daughter?”

“Silence!” He shouted, whipping the sword over and pointing it at her. “She was like a daughter to me, but she was still my property. One of the best pieces of property I’d ever had the pleasure of owning, but I digress. She meant nothing more that that.” As he spoke that, I’d expected a quiver, a hint of hesitation that meant that she truly did mean something to him.

It wasn’t there.

“She did an excellent job of lining me up for that phoenix round.” He stated almost boredly. “Cost me an hoof and a leg to make, but hardest to find was a vial of pheonix blood. Oh, and the enchantments on them were superbly inlaid by Dykem. All it took from you, was a single strand of Storm’s hair’s pulled from your coat PC, and the spell knew exactly who’s heart to find and immolate.” He let out a gasp and shuddered. “And how glorious it was to finally see it work.”

He shifted his glance over to me with a smile, nodding toward the box. “Please, PC. Take it.”

“Why?” I spit at him.

“If it’s a fight you are pining for, then it is only right of me to fulfill your request.” He stepped back, his stance becoming more solid on his two hooves as he did. “Think of it as a small reward for just that one, tiny, hair.”

I gripped the sword in the box in my magic. In a flash, I swung it at him. He let out an excited gasp as he jumped back. Almost immediately, he sprung forward. His thrust was almost too quick to dodge, and the blade drove into my trenchcoat. As he spun himself around me, he pulled the sword out. As he did, my rear right leg sparked and died.

“I know that crippling that hideously gaudy thing isn’t exactly making this a fair fight.” He sighed, getting himself turned around again. “Then again let's be honest, Mrs. Cap. It wasn’t much of one in the first place, was it?” He made the mistake of standing in front of Bluejay, who took her own chance with him.

“PC, now!” She shouted, wrapping her forehooves around Flint’s rear legs. She tried to pull him off balance as she shouted. Swinging the sword around in my magic, I thrust it forward through the air at him.

With a grace that belonged more to zebra’s than ponies, he twisted himself out of Bluejay’s grasp. As he did, he pushed himself and spun around in the air, twirling in an arc toward me. With a bit of quick thinking, I rolled myself out of his path and recalled both the sword and Howdy up to myself. Pointing the gun up at him, changed his focus as he landed down on one hoof.

“No!” He yelled. Faster than I could pull the trigger, he smacked the gun away from him. As he did, I was free to shift the weight of the sword in my magic. I turned it to cut across his neck, but the momentum he’d had shifted his body. Instead, the sword swung up and drew a line across his face. With a wobble, he let out a whine and stopped, holding his free hoof up to his bleeding face.

“Got you.” I snapped, spinning the sword at him.

“You little, bitch!” He snapped back, flicking his sword up to the side. Without even watching it, he parried my swing. I watched as he rolled the blade around mine and forced it down to the ground. As I was busy focusing on it, he took a step forward and kicked up with his rear hoof.

I’d been too slow to dodge it. His hoof cracked into the base of my horn, shattering my hold on the sword. I went down with a whine, seeing stars and dropping back onto the ground. He stepped up beside me before i could clear my vision, flipping off my hat. He took my mane in his fetlock and started to drag me along the ground. I screamed out and reached my forehooves up, trying to get him to let me go.

“For thirty years, not one pony has left a mark on me. Not. One!” He screamed, dumping me down against storm’s body. I could feel the blood from where he’d kicked my head running down me, starting to drip down my muzzle. “You could have been perfect! I saw the spark of greatness in you, and my talent means I am never wrong about it!” He sneered as he turned around, pointing the blade at me. “Get. Up.”

“Just shoot him PC.” Bluejay whined as I forced myself back to my hooves.

“Yes, PC, just shoot me.” Flint mocked. “These barbarans are who you’ve chosen to side yourself with? You had a home here, you could have had a family as my property.” Flint giggled, wincing as a fresh line of blood dripped down his lacerated cheek. “But you forced me to do all of this, and for what in the end?” As he held his sword up against my chest, a thunderous boom came from the sky as the following storm had finally caught up.

“I still won.” He gritted his teeth as he spat the words at me.

“I’m not dead yet.” I grunted, removing his grin from his muzzle.

"That you are not.” He sighed, dropping back down slowly onto his free forehoof. “But, is it not grand that you are blessed with this circumstance?" Flint spoke as I spit my blood onto the tile below me, looking up at him with a snarl. The edge of the blade pressed against my chest, just waiting to plunge in. "Take comfort my dear, that at the very least, you'll get to die right next to your beloved grandmother."

"Yah shouldn’t a done dat!" Caltrop called down from the balcony with an arrogance that I'd never been more overjoyed to hear in his voice. "Yah always thought yah might miss the first shot, so yah made a second one just in case." In one of his hooves, was Flint's rifle. In the other, was another flickering phoenix round. "Step away from her, and maybe, I might just let yah live." With a flick of his hoof, he slid the round in, and closed the gun.

"Have you forgotten how the phoenix round works? You'll only put another hole into the heart of a corpse." Flint giggled, shouting as he kept his eyes on me. "You can't hit me with it, you fool. Besides..." Flint raised his free hoof to a pocket on his armor, patting at it. His expression fell faster than when I’d pointed his own revolver at him.

"Oh yeh, forgot dat I’m also a thief, didn’t yah? I lifted the hydra off yah when yah shot me.” He held up a small silver case before grabbing the gun again, that cheeky son of a bitch. “By the way, aim for my head next time, keeps me from usin’ one on myself."

With a soft smile, he turned his eyes to me. "PC, remember that canyon? The first time with the mines?" Caltrop called to me, taking aim. "I love yah." I looked down at Storm's body for only a moment, knowing what I had to do.

"I know." I called back.

Using all the power I could, I forced my broken rear hoof to drive myself forward. The sword drew my breath from me as it plunged through me. I let out one last guttural scream as I slid up to the hilt, hooking a forehoof tightly around flint. We had one shot at this, and I would make it count. With Flint frozen in shock, I found it almost too easy to take the one step to the side, standing right over Storm.

With a second, thundering crack, the rifle fired. It was almost beautiful as the second phoenix round went straight for Storm's heart. Too bad that I'd made sure that it plunged into the back of Flint first. After only a split second, the fiery glow erupted flames from his back and his muzzle. Flint's delicate eyes went dark, and the two of us slumped over onto the tile.

Having a sword rammed through you, it really hurts. I whimpered and struggled to breathe as I laid there on the ground. Ignoring the pain, laying here on the tile, you just couldn’t beat the view. Flint’s dark, dead eyes reflected my own in them. The mare I saw staring back in the reflection wasn’t the one who’d been so concerned about caps, she made a slave out of stallions. It wasn’t the mare who’d broken that same stallion out of prison, or even been responsible for the death of a whole town.

The mare who looked back at me was a new mare. One unburdened with the weight of her past, with a smile on her muzzle and eyes that looked only forward. PC died today, at least, the old me did. As my heavy eyelids forced themselves shut, and I grew cold and tired of looking at the reflection, I did my best to smile with the knowledge that I was done.

Relaxing, I let in the darkness that crept into my mind. I’d fought hard, did my best, and finished the job. Even if it didn’t go like we’d all planned, Three generations of bounty hunters had earned their rest today.

“Hun, wake up.” Caltrop’s soothing voice met my ears. I wanted this so much to be a dream, something that I could just grasp and hold onto forever. “Wakey wakey.”

“She’s not asleep.” Bluejay sighed. “Just lazy.” Without any warning, she hit me across the muzzle.

“Ah!” I gasped and sat up. Looking around, I found that I was still sitting in Flint’s courtyard. Beside me, his cold, dead body still laid there. Beside that even, was the bloody looking sword that used to be in my chest. Looking down, instead of a hole, I found a used hydra injector pointing out of me. With a wince, I pulled it out with my hoof.

“Yah alive!” Caltrop cheered and practically lept onto me. It felt so good to feel his warmth, to hold him in my... “PC!” He muttered before pressing into my muzzle with a kiss. Okay, kissing time I guess! With a wet gasp, he broke the kiss. “I love yah.”

“Uh, guys?” Bluejay whined. “We got company.” I followed her gaze up into the air as a pair of dark shapes descended. Reaching out for my guns with my magic, I winced as my horn sparked. Well, fuck.

“So, We meet again.” With the quick flare of his wings, the griffin that had tracked us down before landed next to us. On the other side of us, a smaller griffin landed. This one looked almost the same, but had brown and white splotches all over it’s head feathers. “It seems that you've completed my objective for me and my kin.” He leveled his rifle at me. “Why, if I may ask, did you do it?”

“Just shoot them, Surnia.” The second griffin squaked. “just wasting our time like this.”

“Now now, Athene,” Surnia held up a tallon, pointing it at himself. “I’m the superior officer here, and you will do what I say.” He puffed out the feathers on his head with an angry glare. “I did tell you what happened to my last partner, right?”

“Geeze, calm down.” Athene sighed as he looked down to me. “Just answer his damn question, will yah?”

“He needed to die for what he did, for those he murdered.” I spat. “Why do you even care?”

“What of the other slaves?” Surnia asked, simply ignoring my own question. “Or of any of the slavers in Fillydelphia? What will you do to them?”

“Nothing.” I said, glancing down at the crimson stained hide of Flint. “I'm done with this shit.” With a tired sigh, I pressed myself into Caltrop’s hooves. “I just want to live my life in peace. Start a family, make an honest living that doesn’t involve killing every day.”

“A good answer.” He chuckled, his plump feathers prickling out as he did. “To answer your earlier question, it’s because Red Eye just wants the same. He's tired of the problems that the slavers are causing with the caps he's fed them, and he hired us to wipe them out. Talons aren't as wasteful, and we never very from our word.”

“So, it was true then?” Bluejay spoke up, “Red Eye did plan to kill his own?” She got a nod in return. “Well, what do you know.”

“So then,” I looked up and motioned towards the griffin’s rifle. “With your job finished, what will you do now?”

“Oh, the job isn't finished. I'm ordered to eliminate his entire stock of slaves.” He grunted, slinging his gun up around his neck. With a glance back toward the burning slave housing, he shrugged. “Oh, and anypony working for him.” Surnia glared down at me, meeting my unrelenting glance of annoyance. “But, I don’t see anypony here left who is.” He smiled and spread his wings. “One last thing. I should tell you that in about five minutes, we're going to level the compound with explosives. To send a message to any 'future' ponies who wish to challenge Red Eye.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Bluejay said, starting to push herself off the ground. She winced and favored her now bandaged leg.

“Until the next time we meet.” Athene spoke up, flapping hard to lift off into the air.

“There won’t be a next time.” I said with a smirk.

“Good to hear.” Surnia nodded and gave a short wave with his talon. With a few beats of his own wings, he too took off and glided away down the valley. Another rumble of thunder filled the air from the dark clouds above.

“Everypony okay with leavin’ here an nevah comin’ back?” He whimpered.

“Yeah, it’s time to go.” Bluejay groaned as she leaned down. Carefully, she hoisted Storm’s body onto her back. “Come on, let’s get her home.” She turned around and paused before going forward. “Oh, PC, I wanted to tell you before.” She looked at the ground and scuffed it with her hoof.

“What is it?” I asked, not sure what had her hesitating.

“Before Flint shot her…” She paused, looking up at me. “The strain of using her ability on Spectre was too much for her. She was gone before he fired.”

“So, Flint didn’t kill her?” I looked over to her, the idea that she was gone forever not really sitting in my mind like it should. “I guess… that’s a small comfort to me. She went out fighting.” I nodded softly.

“She died a hero.” Bluejay spoke softly.

“Yes. Yes she did.” I agreed as a flash of lightning made me look up. The remnants of the lightning bolt hid behind Synchro’s tree up on the hill. I don’t know why, but it felt like it called to me right then.

“You go on ahead, Bluejay.” I groaned, trying to pick myself up. My one working leg whined and sparked before it gave out. I almost fell back to the ground, but Caltrop caught me in his hooves. “Get on Synchro’s machine and get it started up. Use it to head back, we won’t be far behind.”

“PC?” Caltrop asked, looking down at me. “What is it?”

“First, get me my chair.” I smiled up at him. “Then, I want to see this place burn.”

From atop this hill, I looked down, and saw just how small everything in the complex looked. I remember remarking that everything used to look big, but that wasn’t true. I’d saved Caltrop, and saved Sandy for now. I don’t know where Synchro will go now, but I intend on making good on my promise. Somehow, I’ll find a way to get him a mare of his own to love.

Sitting up here strapped into my wheels, I couldn’t help but feel good for once. Flint was just a small part of my life, one that was over now. Now, we were free to move on, to be a family all on our own. The only thing I wanted to do was fix up my legs again, move out to that cabin, and Farm. Leaning into Caltrop, I stared down with him into the courtyard.

“Yup, dat asshole’s still dead.” Caltrop nodded.

“Good riddance.” I snorted. “Fuck Flint.” Turning to Caltrop, I didn’t look at any of his bruises or cuts. Nor did I look at the scar that ran across his muzzle that I myself had given him. I looked into his bright eyes and smiled. “I’m just glad that it’s over, and that you’re safe.”

“Now dat it's over,” His eyes nearly sparkled as he looked back at me. “I was really hopin' ta have at normal life with yah. Less shootin' and bein' owned by mad slavers, yah know?”

“Agreed.” I nodded and let out a relaxing sigh. “I swear that you met me at a really odd time in my life.” Turning my gaze back to the tree, I gave out a smile. “But it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re all free from that now.” Turning back to him, I ran right into his muzzle.

As he wrapped his hooves around me, I melted into his grasp. My mind felt like it exploded as I pressed back into him. My heart jumped, and my horn sputtered, shooting sparks as I tried to grasp onto any sensation past pleasure.

With a deafening roar, the Villa below exploded in a prismatic balefire egg blast. More blasts cropping up from the Barn and in the Apartments. The shockwaves blasted us with dust and dirt, but we didn’t care. I had him, and he had me, and that was all we would ever need. Slowly he broke the kiss, allowing me to gasp softly to catch my breath.

“PC?” He asked softly, a worried look in his eyes.

“Yes?” I replied, willing to do anything for him. I would tear down Fillydelphia for him if he asked. Though, I really hoped it wouldn’t come to that...

“We ain’t got any rad-away.” He rubbed at his neck nervously, looking over at the rising mushroom clouds. “We should probably go.”

“Right.” I nodded and sighed, happy that for now, everything was going to be normal from here on out. Giving him a peck on the cheek, I giggled. “Let’s get out of here, you dolt.”