My mother walked over with the newly named Cherished Chance in her magic and let me have a look.
Her mane was a beautiful blonde the likes which was only found in the cleaner environments, while her coat was a golden pre-war scotch kind of colour.
My hooves went out to meet her as mother floated her on over, looking down at her from close up she was more beautiful then before.

With a murmur she began to stir, before opening her big eyes and looking at me! I didn't know what to do so I gave her the softest smile I could, though that just made her confused and began to whine.

"Shhh shh. I'm daddy. Well, your new daddy, but I'm daddy."

She didn't take it in and just began to cry until my mother came back over and cooed to her, as I watched the baby softly being soothed.

I spoke softly to try not upset her further. "Cherished Chance, that's your new name."
She just looked at me in further upset, there had to be something I could do for her to cheer her up!
That was when I figured it out! The one thing that had always soothed me when I was a child was my father brushing his feathers on my nose... perhaps she'd take to it like I did?

I tried it out, ever so gently brushing my wing tips on her cheeks and a little tickle under her nose. She let out the cutest little giggle and smiled.

"Seems you can do something right, huh Crimson?"
I turned my head to my mother and poked my tongue out at her before reaching out for Chance again.
This time when I held her she didn't cry, but instead somehow pulled my wing out towards her...with her magic?
"Uuhh, mum? She has magic? How.. how old is she you reckon?"
"Only young. Perhaps two months old, maybe three. Babies have amazing powers when they're born, and lose them before childhood. Princesses only knew how many nights you threatened to fly off out of the Stable as a baby."

I looked at her in shock. "I... I what?"
"Oh yeah, that's right. You wouldn't stop flying over to your dad and he'd tease you by giving you a hug and flying away. Just about the only pony who managed to babysit you properly was Mayor Blossom, she loved it."

I felt a prick as Chance pulled a feather out of my wing and held it to her chest, my heart almost stopped from the sheer cuteness of the scene and I didn't even register the pain after seeing the sight.
Little Cherished Chance had won my heart all over again, and there was no way I was going to resist from letting her keep it now.

Feeling a tear come to my eye, I knew this was possibly the most special moment of my life thus far... I had joined the party that was parenthood.
It didn't matter that I hadn't known the mother for sure, or even had a clue of the father. What mattered was that I had saved her life and now I was going to give her the best chance she could have at being happy and safe.
It felt right.

I watched her playfully brush the feather with her hoof as if it was her most prized possession, and perhaps it was. She had nothing else in the entire world but the rags she had been wrapped in when I'd found her.
Without hesitation, I asked mother to go fetch a piece of string as I pulled out five of my brightest and most impressive feathers that I could find on my wings.

*

"Crimson... why are you pulling out your own feathers? You're not too stressed out from being a father already, are you?"
She laughed as she said that, and I couldn't help but join her.
"No, of course not. I want to give Chance something of myself for while I'm gone. A necklace with some of my feathers seems something beautiful and meaningful."
"I see. Crimson... make sure you return, alive. I know you have Cherry Sundae watching over you but still. Please don't get hurt."
"Hurt? I've been hurt physically, and healed from it. I've been hurt emotionally, and again, healed from it. Though the memories and psychological hurt? Platinum? I'll never heal from that. So that's too late. But I won't let Chance lose her daddy... not until he's old and grey."

Mum just smiled at me as she carefully wrapped the feathers and string into a piece of nearby fabric and called Double Stitch to the office over the Stable PA system.
I gently lowered Chance onto the floor and began to tickle her with my wings while we waited.

"Whose a pretty little girl, hmm? You are! You are the beautiful little baby, mhmm, yes you are!"
My mother giggled in the background as I tickled Chance and she giggled herself.
I had never known what having a child was like, but within these few moments, I understood why everypony who was anything decent of a parent had said it was something truly special.
The way Chance looked at me with her gigantic, gorgeously green eyes. They had sparkled like emeralds as I held her in my hooves, smiling down at her little face before giving her a soft kiss to the nose.

"Beautiful, isn't she Crimson?" I heard Double Stitch from behind me. I hadn't noticed her enter and wondered how fast she must've run to arrive so quickly.
I turned my head and nodded at her, a smile across our faces.

"I take it you've seen her then?" I asked.
"Of course. I have a little outfit for her here. It just needs one tiny little piece of work done on it first.. One final detail."
"What's that?"
I was curious as a manticore whom had just smelt her next meal but couldn't see it, but Double Stitch didn't let me see just yet. Damn her perfectionist ways.

"Cherry's cutie mark is definitely a circle, right?"
"Yeah, a dotted circle... why?"

She turned around and showed me the little outfit, a turquoise blue that was comparable to the calm waters of the lake that I used to spend time around as a child with my father. That wasn't the most amazing part, however.
As soon as Double Stitch handed the baby-grow clothing to my mother, she used her magic to slide Chance into the folds effortlessly.
That was when I saw what truly made my heart soar, and what inspired me to grab Stitch right there and give her the most impassioned kiss I could muster as she blushed.

Double Stitch had even taken the time to sew my own and Cherry's cutie marks into each flank of the outfit, and a small "C.C" onto the back.
A small hood showed it even had a little cover for her horn as well as I stared in amazement at the crafts-ponyship, care and love that had obviously gone into making this outfit.
I turned back to her still blushing mare and wrapped my hooves around her tight, bringing her close to me.

"Thank you Double Stitch! You have no idea how surprised I am by this, and how much it means to me."
She let out a shy chuckle as she slowly melted into the embrace. "Heh.. heh.. anything for you, Crimson. You are the next Overstallion after all."
"Still, thank you. Really, this is truly amazing."
She smiled humbly at me as the hug broke off.

"Mum, make sure she gets something special for her efforts."
Her face showed signs of utter astonishment and a glimmer of hope filled her eyes as she became nervous, I knew that look all very much too well.
"O...Oh? I... I don't want to impede, but may I ask why you can't?"
"I won't be around for long. I'm heading back out again in an hour or two."
A slight undertone of sadness or disappoint, perhaps a mix of the two, filled her voice as she spoke more.
"Ah. I see. Is there anything else you'd like from me while you're around? I guess there is since I was called over the PA?"

Mother walked up and floated Chance back to my hooves, who now seemed all too comfortable as she yawned and snuggled through her cosy new clothes into my chest.
"Yes, Crimson has stripped himself of these feathers to be made into a necklace for Cherished Chance. Would you be so kind as to use your skill and make a necklace of them?"
She looked at them as if they were the holy grail and I smirked at her as she did.

Looking back at me she leant over and whispered into my ear.
"C.. can I have... can I have some more feathers?"
I wasn't sure what to make of it, but saw no trouble in it. "Sure, go ahead, just take some out yourself if you like."
Her blue face flushed redder then before as she nuzzled into my wings and gave them a soft kiss before gently removing three more feathers from each wing.
With each feather that came out there was a short pricking pain before she kissed the spot from which she took each feather again.

I had wondered if the kisses were meant to turn me on or if they were simply out of adoration of sorts, but either way they did.
Temptation struck me all over as I felt my package harden. I couldn't hurt Cherry like that, as much as my body begged for it.
I sighed in both relief and disbelief over what had just gone through my mind, but I was proud of myself for not simply giving in. I could've done it in the past, but there was something special about Cherry and she was my special somepony now.

Double Stitch made her way over to the table and pulled the sewing kit out of her pockets, before nimbly working her magical hooves and piecing together a necklace within a matter of moments while I cradled Chance.
Before I'd knew it she walked back over with the necklace and gently placed it around Chances neck.
I looked at it, noticing it had five beautiful feathers hanging down around it, though I was sure there was eight taken...
Looking towards Stitch with a raised eyebrow, my face said it all.

Her voice came out hurried and worried, afraid of reprisal. "I.. I uh... Oh please don't be upset with me!"
There was nothing I could do but let out a small smile as I shook my head. "Upset? Why would I be upset?"
"Because... because I... I kept a few of your feathers for myself."
"Four."
She blushed and backed off, almost crouching down into herself, before whimpering. "Yes."

It was painfully obvious she had a crush on me, and to be fair, what pony didn't around here? Mares and bucks alike wanted to be with me because I was exotic and had power.
I didn't want to give Double Stitch false hope but at the same time, seeing her cower in nervousness around me was somewhat pitiful. I didn't want my followers to see me as a godly figure who needed to be appeased at every single moment of life, nor did I want them to be worried about being themselves around me.

Thinking over it for a moment, there was only one cure to this.
Outstretching my wing I pulled her up by her chin and looked into her soft, lemon glazed eyes, smiling and allowing her to soak up the moment until I felt the pressure ease off her worried face and enjoy the touch.
Pulling back, I began to stroke her mane with a wing.

"Double Stitch, please don't feel nervous around me."
She gulped and let out a long, gentle sigh before nodding.
"I have a special somepony now, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a bit of affection or have something special to keep, like those feathers. If you had just asked, I'd have still said yes, as long as I have enough that it doesn't show or change my flight. You're a good mare and I don't want anypony under me to be afraid of me, yes I want respect, but not fear."

The way her face relaxed as she took a deep breath was soothing. I couldn't help but smile gently but assuringly at her as she showed a little more confidence.

Her eyes went down to the floor before coming back to me. "Crimson?"
I nodded before I spoke. "Yeah?"
"May... I have one more feather?"
"Of course."
I let her take one last feather and watched her eyes filled to the brim with joy before she rushed off back to the table to sew another necklace, this time for herself.
As she slipped the necklace on, it was obvious in her eyes that I had done something truly special for her. My heart beating stronger as I saw the joy an happiness in another pony over something so simple that I could give.

Turning my head back down to Chance having realised I hadn't noticed her making any noise or movement, I began to worry... until I saw her eyes closed and breathing gently as she slept against my chest.
I felt staggered and let go of my breath as softly as I could as not to disrupt her, she was sleeping cuddled up against me, and it felt amazing.

We stayed cuddling for another half hour before my mum walked over to me and nuzzled into me.
Gently her horn flared and I allowed her to take Chance over to my old crib, which was kept safe for the day I had a child of my own.
Trotting back over to me we shared a moment in an embrace.

"I would adore it if you could stay, Crimson. However, we both know that you're needed out there and the guards are getting increasingly anxious over Maisy."
I nodded, knowing that she was right. I'd have loved to stay myself, just spending time with my little Cherished Chance but responsibility called. As always, the teachings of my father ran through my head strong and proud. 'The needs of the many must always outweigh the needs of the few' ...even if that meant that Chance would be without me for a time and yet to meet Cherry properly.

With a kiss to my forehead and a brush of my mane, she seemed ready to let me go again.
"Take care of yourself. Do you think you'll need any extra ammunition? I can give you a few more caps to spend over in Tank on the way out, if you need to."
I wasn't sure if I'd deserved it, but all the extra support was helpful so I was inclined to agree.
"Sure. I'm out of grenades so that could be handy. Extra ammo is always helpful too."

Without hesitation she pulled out a bag of 100 caps and slipped them into my saddlebags for me. I gave her another kiss in return before I set off for Tank.
"Thanks. I love you mum, stay safe while I'm gone."
She just smiled at me. "Should be me saying it to you. Come back, Crimson. Soon?"
"As soon as possible, I promise."

Leaving the Stable yet again was an experience I hadn't liked, especially leaving Cherished Chance yet again.
Still, she was a lot safer with mum in the security of the Stable and she'd had some time spent with me, so I supposed it could've been a lot worse.

The flight to Tank seemed almost leisurely with the amount of fun me and Maisy were having as she flew by my side.
She'd initially offered to let me ride on her back but I declined, instead choosing to fly myself because how free it always made me feel. Besides, flight was good exercise.

As we swam through the skies I did a few barrel rolls around the entirety of Maisy and teased her with a loop-the-loop to get behind her and stroke her barbed tail. She followed suit and chose to grab and hug me in mid-air in retaliation. I couldn't help but laugh and enjoy the moment as I cuddled into her massive chest like Chance had mine not too long ago.
As the embrace ended she placed me upon her back, to which I stayed to please her.

"We've got to make a quick stop at the place where all them mercenaries were, Maisy. The same place where I had that fight."
She groaned at me in confusion but I stroked her mane as I spoke to calm her.
"It's fine, I'd just like to buy some more ammo is all."
That seemed to calm her and she continued on her way, and Tank was in the distance of our view now.
With any luck, it would only take five minutes to reach, buy the stock I needed and head back off... though saying that, I now had a brilliant idea!

"Grenades! Shot-shells! Bullets! Missiles! You name it, we have it at Flak-Jacket and Shrapnel Face's miscellaneous emporium!"

I watched Flak-Jacket shouting from the group of roving traders who had taken a stop over in Four Ridges. One or two of the guards watched with a keen eye from the wall, though they seemed with the best intent and hadn't done anything to raise suspicion other then be a simple gun merchant with sufficient stock to suit all needs.
What was interesting though, was what I noticed when I touched down.

"Welcome friend. My name is Flak-Jacket." The left head said to me. "And my name is Shrapnel Face!" Said the right.
I stared in awe, as I had assumed it was the ponies who were shouting... I was wrong.
The merchants turned out to be none other then one brahmins themselves, and their pony companion soon revealed themselves to be the handler who would deal out the actual exchange.
The guards of this group? I couldn't believe my eyes... because the guards were none other then the other brahmin in tow!

"Uh, hi! My names Crimson Wings, welcome to my region."
"Oh? You're the owner of this secure zone? I was told it was a woman." Flak asked.
I was tempted to facehoof at the very thought of it being that they'd heard Sunburn was the owner, but corrected the brahmin instead.
"Well, technically true. My mother is the Overmare of the Stable not far from here."
"Yes." Shrapnel interrupted. "Graceful Skies, no?"
I nodded. "Yes. I'm her son, heir to the throne, as it were."
"I see" Flak murmured.

I gave the brahmin a good look up and down, unsure what to make of it all.

My curiosity peaked, I had to know. "You travel as a group of... armed brahmin traders?"
Shrapnel face smiled at me. "Indeed. We get asked often about the nature of this, so let me explain. We've all been exposed directly to small amounts of taint. The goddess sought to find out the exposure of taint on brahmin, and thus our intellect and reasoning capabilities grew. Though we have no direct telepathic link with the alicorns, it turns out that such exposure has made it so they often fear or revere us."

I blinked in pure confusion, but allowed him to continue.

"As our presence caused too much disturbance and unease to the alicorns guarding the goddess, we were sent out into the world - but not without yet another gift. The goddess saw fit to equip us with converted battlesaddle kits to fit our frame from the occasional raider, mercenary or travelling group that she had... brought into unity. Alicorns dislike using guns and prefer their magic abilities. As such, she allowed us instead to have all the ammunition and guns that had been collected and stockpiled over the years, and in return we would not harass her children on our travels."

Now more then ever, I felt that I had seen just about everything and that even the robots singing about going for a picnic didn't match up with this. Damn Titan would've loved to see this.
"So... let me get this straight. The goddess, whoever she is, decided to take a group of brahmin and expose them to taint on purpose?"

Flak nodded at me before letting me continue.
"Then from there, your very presence made the alicorns uneasy and thus they equipped you with converted battlesaddles and allowed you to have all the guns, armour and equipment that had been collected over the years?"
"Yes, precisely."
"Now you travel as a group of merchants? Are you all under Flak Jacket and Shrapnel Face's emporium?"
"Yes. Well... the shop is owned by us, but the others follow and carry a part of the load. Together, we are the Battle Cattle."

I smiled and began to laugh a little, much to the bemusement of the brahmin.
"What? What's so funny?"
I wiped a tear out of my eye and apologised again. "I'm sorry, It's just.. I just had the best idea for a motto or catchphrase ever for you lot with that..."
"Oh?" Flak's face lifted and his eyebrows raised in a questioning way.

I couldn't help myself, I had to stand in a heroic pose as I did it... "BEWARE THE BATTLE CATTLE!"
Flak and Shrapnel seemed surprisingly amused by this, and joined in with my laughter.
After the moment was done, I simply sighed happily and smiled at them.

"So, anyway, I was wondering if you have any grenades? Oh, please say you have some grenades!"
"I'm pretty sure we do, my good sir. Summer Swig, check Haymaker and Steakjaw's pack, would you? I'm pretty sure they had the explosives."
"Of course, master."

My brow raised at as I noted the use of the word 'master'. I looked at Flak and Shrapnel with an uneasy stare.
Immediately Shrapnel caught the tension in the air and began to talk.

"I take it you have a thing against slaves? Truth be told, so do we. Summer Swig is an ex-slave, we liberated him from a band of small time slavers. Summer Swig has been brainwashed however, he doesn't seem capable of looking after himself properly out there alone. We provide him security in the form of someone to travel with and a job that pays, he isn't a slave as such as he is... a child in need of guidance."
I wasn't sure what to make of this, was it even the truth? Rubbing my chin as I stood there, I immediately thought of a way to find out.

I called out to the purple pony with the blue mane, his head turning to me the second I opened my mouth. "Summer Swig."
"Yes, master?"
"Why do you call me master?"
"Because it is all I know, sir. Sir or master is what I have been taught to speak."
"Do you like it with these brahmin?"
"It's preferable to being alone, sir."
"Do they treat you well?"
"Of course sir. As master Shrapnel Face says, I'm paid and have the freedom to leave, but I don't know what I'd do... I've never had to make my own life. These brahmin are far from my old task masters and living with them is comfortable. None the less, I show the proper respect they deserve as I have been taught to do."

I looked back at Flak and Shrapnel, the latter of whom nodded back at me.
"Okay. I think I understand now. Just had to be sure was all, you know?"
"Of course, slavers are the scum of Equestria and we accept them no more then you do. Putting matters aside though, prices. Each grenade is fifteen caps."
"Fifteen caps huh? Tell you what... I'll make a deal with you. Are you on your way to Tenpony Tower, the Society or Coltchester any time soon?"
"Tenpony? Not any time soon. Society? Definitely not. Coltchester? Yes. We often stock up our supplies there and we're running low as it is. "
"Perfect. I'm heading back there myself, for the first time into Coltchester proper. How would you like me to make a small investment in your group for a constant discount in the future?"

The brahmin was taken back by this offer, though definitely seemed intrigued.

"Do go on, we oft find ourselves running low on caps and rely on scavenging and salvaging what we find to make ends meet. Which as you might imagine, isn't the easiest thing for a pack of brahmin to do as buildings are almost always inaccessible to us. Being able to do more direct trading could make us more profitable..."
"And that would mean that you can offer higher quality, and a higher range of goods. You say you have all the ammunition types, but what about general stock? I bet you don't have much food or drink, do you?"
"Unfortunately not. Us being brahmin and all means that we consume a lot of food. The only good thing is our stomach's purge the radiation as long as it's not pure radiation in a shell of food."

I looked at the brahmin leaders confidently.
"Here's my offer. I invest one hundred and fifty caps and pay one hundred caps for six grenades. You'll be getting one hundred and sixty caps 'free' this way, and in return you give me a constant discount and if you happen to find a water talisman, you come here and sell it to the Stable. If that happens, I will be informed and will no longer expect a discount."

Flak and Shrapnel looked at one another before turning to look at the other brahmin.
"We will need to discuss this matter. We had recently came into ownership of a talisman but it has already been sold off, we are sorry to say. In the mean time, we will accept ninety caps for six grenades, and will talk about the extra one hundred and sixty."
"Okay."

As they walked off, I dealt with Summer Swig and exchanged bottlecaps for grenades. It always struck me as weird that items as deadly as grenades, guns and ammo could be exchanged for something so simple as bottlecaps, but that was the world we lived in.

It was five minutes before the brahmin group had decided on if they should accept the offer or not.
Thankfully for me, they had accepted and agreed to tell me that the water talisman they had sold was to the Steel Rangers. Unfortunately for me though, they weren't sure where the group had come from or if they had turned sides to Applejack's Rangers or the stayed loyal to the old, technology hoarding ways.

The brahmin looked back over to me once more as he began to speak. "So, Crimson was it?"
I nodded in response.
"As said, we'll accept your offer and promise to come straight here if we manage to haggle, find or acquire any other water talismans. We will also give you ten percent off all prices in return of your generosity. Now that you've got that all settled, is there anything else we can do for you?"

Handing Summer Swig the one hundred and sixty extra bottlecaps for my investment, I looked at Flak-Jacket one more time.
"Saying that..."

My saddlebags weighed heavy with the extra ammo I bought from the brahmin traders. Another one hundred shot-shells, one hundred and twenty 9mm, one hundred 10mm, and twenty more 50.cal bullets had cost a pretty penny, but with my third off starting immediately, didn't take every last cap.
Still, I relied on Maisy to carry me now as the med-x in my system was kicking my ass and making me feel weaker then normal. Damn did I hate the downer from med-x.

Thankfully however, riding on Maisy made things a lot smoother and our flight back to Cherry was smooth sailing, it seemed.
It was only early in the afternoon when we could see the walls of Coltshire Commons in the distance.

Stroking Maisy's mane, I decided I'd like to make a quick stop off at the new Tank Merc Group outpost centre at the tower hotel.
Maisy didn't really make a fuss about the idea, no doubt she'd like to spend a little more time in her home and grab anything that she might want, not that I reckoned she really had anything to grab in the first place though.

As the town came closer and closer, I began to notice the guards patrolling the wall in their familiar TMG barding.
It was comforting to see the familiar guards, even if I didn't recognise them all by face, simply seeing the armour and guns they carried reminded me of home.
What didn't remind me of home however, was the warning shot that sped past narrowly missing Maisy.
From below, a shout was heard.

"TURN BACK NOW OR DIE, BEAST."

While I really shouldn't be playing practical jokes, especially not at a time like this... but it was all too tempting and I couldn't help myself.
I slipped my helmet on while still out of view of the guard below.

"WHO DARE SHOOT AT ME?"

The guard however, wasn't fooled.
"Crimson? Is that you?"

"Uh... No? Who is this Crimson you speak of?"

"Crimson. I can tell your voice even through the shout. Already been told that you befriended a manticore so come on by if you want. Your trickery won't work on me."
I took my helmet off with a sigh as I did, damn I was hoping that prank would work.

Maisy fancifully glided down towards her house as I took off myself towards the guard who'd fired the warning shot.
"So, trigger happy, what was with the whole warning shot?"
"Speed Scope is the name, speed scoping is my game. You really think a manticore is going to simply be left fly over any area we're defending?"
"She was let in Four Ridges just fine."
"Not without causing a massive scene that even we heard of. Which, by the way, well done in that fight of yours."

I looked at the light grey buck in utter confusion, his an earthy brown mane covering his eyes making it hard to tell what he was thinking.
"Fight? Which one?"
"Against Sunburn. Tough opponent and very few manage to beat her. Only something like just under twenty ponies have before, which is rather small considering we all get offered the chance as part of the training. Instils a sense of dominance, ya'know?"

I was shocked to find out she put her recruits through painful, humiliating trials of might against herself, but then I supposed it was better to have everypony know you could handle yourself hoof to hoof and remind them who was the boss.
Which thinking about it now, made me smirk even more as it meant I'd shown her who was the boss indeed.

"So, what do you think of me having done it?"
"Me personally?"
"Yeah, take yourself away from a professional standpoint and tell me what you think of me kicking the crap out of Mayor Sunburn until she had broken ribs is."

He turned his head to either side as if looking to make sure that nopony was too close for comfort before leaning up to me, beginning to whisper in my ear.
"You wanna know? I think you're a damned hero for it. It's not the most popular thing with everypony, but most ponies smiled a little when they heard. Around here, only five of the twenty of us sent were upset over the news. Ten didn't really care either way. Myself and four others though? We cheered. It's been too long since someone beat her, and never has anyone gone to the extent you did."

I blushed at the compliment. I wasn't a skilled hoof to hoof fighter, but my wings gave me a huge advantage I supposed.
"Well... that was her own fault. She riled me up when I was on the breaking point and when I would've just ended it early, she pushed me way too far and turned despair and torment into rage. It felt all too good smashing her face into the ground."

He smiled at me once more and shook my hoof eagerly, I just smiled back and didn't try to stop him.
"Yeah, well, you did a good job. Thanks Crimson, someone needed to do it. I'm glad you did."
"Ha, thanks Speed Scope. I best be off for now, but if I come back through I'll be sure to check out for you, okay?"
"Of course. Have a good day, Crimson."
"Thanks, and you too, Speed."

With that, I made my way back to the hotel tower to make a quick check-in with the operators there and check some stuff around the suite quickly.
Casually floating through the door hovering above the ground caused quite a stir when the operator looked up at me.

"Who are... Oh, Crimson! Oh! Oh fuck! Crimson! Oh Celestia oh Celestia oh Luna, please don't tell me you're here to punish me! I.. I didn't mean to!"
I looked back at the operator with his headset hanging around his neck and a sweat coming from his brow, unsure as to what the commotion was all about.
"So uh... yeah, what did you do then?"
"Y...You don't know?" A sigh of relief came from his lips as he looked down. "The alicorn who was looking for you? I told her you weren't around and that I wouldn't radio you for your location, because of the previous radio traffic."
"Alicorn? Was she a deep, dark blue by any chance?"
"Uh huh. Who is she Crimson? She appeared out of nowhere last night and asked to speak to you. I had to decline."

I paused for a moment, the operator had a good point. Who was this alicorn indeed? I knew she'd meant me no harm, otherwise she'd have simply left me to die previously... but apart from some cryptic messages and leaving me with the name Eos, she never really gave me much of an idea of what she was actually after from me.
Looking at the operator I'd realised we'd both spent the time in utter silence while I thought, so I sought to correct that.

"Yeah, no worries. She'll find me when she wants me, somehow. She always does seem to do it. If she comes back, let her know where I am through either you contacting me or letting her use the transmitter herself. She's good."
"Okay, Crimson. You mean you're not mad? She was an alicorn and all..."
"Of course not. It's better to be safe with that then to be sorry, right?"
"Yeah, just as I thought. Thanks Crimson."

I shot him a smile and he saluted me before I nodded with my keen smile and trotted off up the stairs towards my suite.

Walking up to the door, I noticed a small piece of paper stuck to the door.
'I'll be waiting for you, Crimson. Come inside when you're free.'
I was taken aback by the note, who the hell would leave this? How long were they willing to wait? Where were they waiting?
That was when it hit me, I have an .E.F.S! To which it then hit me again that the E.F.S couldn't tell where anyone was in terms of altitude... shit.
Well, there was only green in sight, so that was good I supposed. Guess it was time to see who got into my suite.

The door opened slowly with my knife readied in my mouth just in case I needed to use it.
As I walked into the room I found nopony in the initial area of it, the corridor it had was clear as always. I let my guard down as I walked through and closed the door behind me, moving on into the living-room space of it all. There she was.
My knife gently came from my mouth and hovered down into my bag once more as she sat there, smiling at me.

"Hello Crimson, I was told you'd be around here at some point today. Glad you could finally make it."
"Well, Eos, didn't exactly expect to be meeting you again so soon, ya know? Hades, I never really know when to expect you."
"I know, I know. Being one of the prise is a serious task and it requires my full attention. However, reports of your incident reached me with tremendous speed. I needed to come find you to check you're okay still."
"Okay? Okay how? If you mean am I okay physically, your report would tell you that I am."
"Indeed it did, though like a ghoul, your physical aspects are not all that matters. Your mental state is just as important, alive or undead, it's all the same."

I looked away at that point. I couldn't stand being compared to a ghoul. What a disgusting gesture.

"Crimson, do not feel offended. You travelled with a ghoul who protected you and taught you, did he not? Without him, you would have not known that they needed saving at all. Not all ghouls are daemons, not all ponies are angels. In fact, most are corrupted and more concerned with their own well-being then the state of pony-kind as a whole. This is why I had chosen you, because you show yourself to be different."

Now I was just curious, and looked back up at her before I began to speak.
"Different? Different how?"
"You left the safety of your home for the greater benefit of an entire society, no?"
"I had to. I can't leave the one and a half thousand odd ponies in such dire risk. A new water talisman is necessary."
"And yet you could've chosen to simply send out more teams to search for a new one. Waited at home and directed the efforts from afar."
"That wouldn't be right, I need to be out there to help look for one. To help my community. If I'm going to be their leader one day, I have to prove myself worthy today. I can't stand idly by while my people are in danger."
"Thus is why you were chosen, Crimson. Too many leaders send their minions without trying themselves. Too many do not understand the hardships of those at the bottom. You put yourself at risk for the betterment of others."

I looked into her eyes, amazed by what she had said. I wasn't sure if I should've felt, this wasn't something I was doing for glory.
Drawing a deep breath, I let out a following sigh. She was right, too many leaders did just allow those under them to go into the dangerous situations without having any understanding of the risks themselves, I couldn't be one of those leaders.

I looked straight into her eyes as I spoke, but felt myself cracking under her gaze as I lowered my rump to the floor.
"I see. So I suppose you want to speak to me about my new-found distaste for ghouls?"
In a surprising act of generosity and kindness, Eos levitated me over to the sofa where she sat and laid my head on her side. I felt my cheeks burning like a wildfire under the sudden comforting touch and unexpected intimacy.

"Yes, yes I do Crimson. I understand you're going to harbour a lot of resent for them, that's understandable. What I need of you though, is for myself to be sure that you are healing properly and the promise that you won't simply shoot any and all ghouls on sight, nor will you refuse to talk or give aid to any that may need it based on ghoulification."
"I..." I didn't know how I'd react. Could I help ghouls? Would I turn them away? "I don't know how I feel, Eos. I wouldn't kill a sane ghoul just for being a ghoul, but... how do I know that they won't turn? How can I be sure that others are safe around them?"
"Trust, Crimson."

Trust? I looked at her with a shocked expression and she looked back at me as if she were my own mother.
How could I trust a walking corpse pony not to go zombie and try kill anypony around?
Though in the end, I gave in to her gaze and nodded. Trust was all that I really could rely on after all, as there was no cure for being a ghoul other then real death.

Sighing, I lowered my head once more.
"Crimson. I know you find it hard to trust any ghouls right now, I accept and understand. However, do you know what makes a feral ghoul and a sane ghoul different?"

I shook my head. I'd never been taught about ghouls in all my years and I'd never thought it would ever become important. Sure, I'd heard of them, but never anything more then the odd whisper of how one was visiting. I never decided to go and meet one personally, however.

Eos looked at me with a very calming, gentle expression upon her eyes.
"Crimson, I would like to look into your mind. Unfortunately, I can only do that while you are asleep or in deep meditation, due to your not being a unicorn. However, I worry you do not have the training for such an accomplishment. Instead, I ask you be honest with me while we speak."
"O-of course Eos." My words tripping up over themselves as I tried to speak, still astounded by the situation. "I wouldn't tell you anything other then how I really feel."

She smiled at me and motioned that I was allowed to make myself comfortable, which felt strange but I didn't want to offend so I buried my head into her and smiled as she stroked my mane and ear with her magic.

"Now, the difference between a feral ghoul and a sane one is two things, though they are both one in the same when it comes down to it. The first, is something to anchor themselves on. When a pony becomes a ghoul, they can easily lose themselves to madness and desperation."
"Anchor themselves?" I asked, completely confused by what she had meant.
"Yes, a ghoul needs something to focus on in their unlife to make sure they stay sane. Some stay sane through simple day to day life without some greater cause. Others, like Titan, have a greater meaning behind their lives and thus stay sane for that cause."

I thought about how Titan had told me about how ponies can never live in peace, seemingly. always at war with one another, and how he planned to do his best to change that or at least bring some semblance of peace to any area he could. It struck me as a weird thing to anchor one down, but at the same time, a very noble goal.

"The second thing that makes a feral and sane ghoul different, is that sane ghouls have a soul."
"Wait... You're joking, right?"
"No. From what we can tell, a feral ghoul doesn't just go insane, it loses everything it has - ranging from memories to most basic mental capabilities, besides instinctual and predator traits."
"So they have no soul?"
"From what we understand, no. We've never successfully been able to integrate any feral unicorns into unity either, which is yet more proof to base our hypothesis upon."

I looked at her... If ferals had no soul, that meant they truly were different from sane ghouls in a very, very real way.
I considered this as I gazed into her eyes before my own fell closed as an amazingly soothing feeling came over me, Eos' magic scratching behind my ear while gently rubbing them at the same time. It felt like heaven.

"So..." I began to murmur through the pleasure Eos had seen fit to bestow upon me. "If feral ghouls have no soul, that means it's okay to kill them whenever I like, right? Not to mention the fact that they're dangerous fuckers and they're better put down then left to pose a risk to anypony else."
She hummed for a second as she thought about it, but nodded in agreement after.
"Yes, yes I suppose they are. However..."
"However what?" I asked.
"You tell me."

A sternness fell upon my ears with her tone with what she had just said, I knew she was serious.
I couldn't just answer without thinking, there was something she was after from me.
I gave it a moments pause before I cautiously began to speak.

"However... sane ghouls..."
Her voice told me she was appeased with how it all started."Yes?"
"Sane ghouls should be treated as any other pony. If they can speak coherently, they should only be attacked if they were attacking first, or in defence of another in some form."
"Good, I'm glad you understand, Crimson. One thing to mention though, we know of at least one ghoul without a tongue, she cannot speak. If you were to ever meet her up at New Appleoosa, you would find she is not only perfectly sane, but also perhaps the most friendly pony around. I only have memories from back during Unity, though we are sure she has not changed."

New Appleoosa? I'd never heard of it and I didn't ever plan to visit there, though if I did ever come across the town, I'd be sure to be extra cautious not to draw my weapons if she was oh so friendly.

I looked up at Eos and smiled.
"Hey... if any ghoul hits on Cherry though... I take no responsibility for where my hoof goes."
"Oh? Cherry?"
"The mare who accompanies me, the mare I care about the most bar my own mother."
"Ah, I see. Understandable, I suppose."
"Yeah, I just wish there was something I could do for her to say thank you, other then pinning her down in bed and making her hooves curl and making her scream in delight, ha."

The tall blue alicorn blushed as I spoke before biting her lip and looking towards the bed.
I was worried now, surely she wouldn't expect me to pleasure her? I mean... she was stunning but that wasn't the point!
Thankfully, she hadn't been looking at the bed however, but at the desk that sat beside it.
Her magic opened the draw from across the room and out came a piece of paper and pencil.

"Aha! That's how you left me a note?"
"Yes. Now, take a moment and think... how does she make you feel? What would you like to say to her? What would make her happy?"
A love letter eh? Well, if there was one thing I was good at, it was being charismatic and romantic.

[Song: Wake up - instrumental cover]

"My dearest Cherry... It's not been a long time that I've been with you, indeed, in some ways it only seems like we met yesterday, with how much we're learning about one another each and every day."

I looked to the beautiful alicorn next to me to see her nod back, waiting for my next line, she was good.

"Though no matter how it's truly been, it feels like our time together has been a lot longer, and with every hour that I spend away from you, it feels like a lifetime has passed and my heart longs once more to see the curves of your face and your deep, beautiful rose tinted eyes.
That's because from the very first moment that I met you and truly noticed you, I've felt there is something truly different about you, something special."

I took a moments pause to think, this needed to be perfect.

"You watched over me as I flew around Four Ridges, keeping me safe from any threats foreign and domestic. You've defended me hoof first when I was pinned by wolves, making sure that none of them could truly harm me.
You've provided long range fire support, acting as an angel removing the threats around me.
However, the most amazing thing you've done for me and continue to do? You pick me up when I fall, take me from my lowest and raise me to my highest."

"You never looked down on me when I was weak, when I had made a mistake. Instead you looked at me and saw the lessons I needed to learn, you sought to teach me.
You taught me about true guilt and humility, far beyond what I had learnt in my training to be the next Overstallion.
I thought I understood responsibility, but it was only when I came with you that I learnt the true meaning and weight of it all.
When that responsibility turned to fears of failure and regret over what happened, you were there to not only support me, but carry me every step of the way as I needed until I could walk on my own four hooves once more."

"The thing I appreciate and admire about you more then any other though, is the way you accept me for the way I am and love me for it, rather then it being who I am.
You don't ask me for power and nor do you ask me for wealth, you ask me for my affection and caring nature.
Even as I commit to you more then I ever have any other, I find myself feeling truly free in your hooves."

Once Eos had the last few words down, I knew it was time to truly up the ante now. My mind began to flow without pause as the feelings I held for Cherry rushed through in a torrent of words to my tongue.

"You are my guiding light in the darkness of the wasteland, the anchor to keep me safe and sane through whatever may come my way.
The happiness you provide to me is unlike any other I have felt before, not at all like any alcohol nor flesh, It is too pure and true with a warm feeling that comes from you."

"Cherry, you make my heart soar in such a way it never has before,
My stomach flutters like a gentle breeze, you make my mind feel at ease.
My hooves tremble and my cheeks burn, something telling me that the depth of this love I still have to learn.
Your gentle kiss is not all that I miss, the way you touch feels like all too much.
You smile at me and I know it's true, there's only one I want, and that is you."

I gave Eos another pause, her cheeks flushed red as she wrote and her jaw dropped as she gazed at me.
Sheepishly I smiled and felt myself retreat under her awe filled eyes, obviously I was doing something right.
She smiled back at me and nodded to continue.
Instead of speaking aloud though, I decided this last part would be best whispered into hear ear...

Eos had been completely speechless at the end of it, her smile earnest after hearing the deepest of emotions being poured out of this stallions heart to paper with her help.
She'd asked if she could accompany me to see Cherry's reaction upon reading the letter, which she had now put into an envelope and signed for 'Cherry Sundae, the magnificent' on the front.

To which, I of course, agreed.
I mean, you don't exactly turn down a request as simply adorable as that after that kind've help... do you now?
We gathered up Maisy together and flew back to Coltchester.
It truly must've been quite the sight, a pegasus wearing his duster flying between a manticore and an alicorn.

We passed over a group of three ponies who looked like they would be raiders some way through the flight, but again, the way we looked completely terrified them and despite their usual disregard for the odds, sometimes even a raider knew that pulling a gun out on somepony was certain death and avoided it like a pool of radiation.

We laughed as we carried on flying ahead, knowing they'd surely go and tell someone down where-ever the hell raiders met to have a drink and nopony would believe them, as true as it was.

The sunset gently caressed the sky and although the clouds overhead hid the majority of it's beauty, the stunning blend of the sapphire skies against lemon yellow and amber setting through the murky silver clouds still held a sense of something more beautiful and romantic then the day could provide.

"It never used to be like this.. even on the most rain filled of days. Ponykind has torn itself apart in a painful way."
I turned my head to Eos, her head hanging down in sorrow.
"What do you mean? I mean, I know the Enclave put this cloud cover up... but what do you mean by the tearing apart?"
"Crimson. There was once a time when pegasai like you took care of the weather just as the earth ponies did their crops. The unicorns were always the one race that were neither here nor there, but somewhere else entirely with their magic.
All three races used to coexist peacefully and happily, but these days it seems that earth ponies make the best slaves, unicorns the best gunslingers and pegasai? You're one of the few, it's beyond rare to know a pegasai first hand, Crimson."

There was nothing I could say, but Eos quickly dropped the subject. It was obvious that she wanted the world to be different, to be better. It was just a question of how she'd go about it.

"Prince Snugglebums! Come back here or I'll have to give you another tummy rub!"

He didn't listen, instead he chose to run circles around my feet and squeak at me in his happy little way.
Oh, it was on! If he was going to tease me like this, I had no choice!
My magic clasped onto him and I pulled him up to my face before kissing his nose and tickling him!
"Haha! Gotcha!"

My hooves went from tickling to rubbing his tummy and I laid next to him on the surprisingly soft floor round the back of the inn. Cuddling into Prince Snugglebums wasn't the same as having Crimson with me, but his fur did remind me of a mix between Maisy and Crimson's feathers so I supposed it wasn't all that bad.
We'd played together outside for quite a while in an attempt to bond, and it seemed that it had worked a charm.

I loved Prince Snugglebums and he really did seem to love being with me too, despite the chance to run off whenever he wanted. Of course, he could've run away and I wouldn't have stopped him, but he only ran around in a teasing game with me, so I knew he was happy to stick around a little longer.

A little while later, from somewhere in the distance I could've sworn I heard the sound of wings.
Though it was strange because when I turned around in hopes that my Crimson had returned, I saw nothing. No Crimson, no other pegasai, no manticore, nothing.
I shrugged and assumed that I was just overeager to have Crimson back with me, especially with how he'd been feeling when he left.

Prince Snugglebums began to squeak and drew my attention back towards the inn, I really could rely on him to take my mind off things, couldn't I?
A minute later I heard the same sound again, a lot closer this time though. I looked up again but still couldn't see a thing! This was annoying me now because it had to be something out there causing the sound, and I didn't want to keep turning around hoping to see my buckfriend and instead finding nothing.

When I turned back to Prince Snugglebums however, I noticed a little piece of paper casually flying into my face!
Damned litter flying around. I caught it in my magic and I was about to rip it up when something hit me... paper flying around? Especially such a neat piece?
There was something different about this, so I brought it closer to have a look.
...It had my name on it.

My blood ran cold as I saw it addressed to 'Cherry Sundae the magnificent'.
Who the hell knew my name? Knew where I was? I looked around but saw nopony about. This was damned freaky.
My nerves shaken I slowly opened up what I had now identified as an envelope and began to read aloud.

"My dearest Cherry... It's not been a long time that I've been with you..."

IT WAS FROM CRIMSON! Crimson had sent me a letter! I looked around frantically to find him, shouting his name out in joy and hoping I'd see him... but he was nowhere to be seen.
I looked in the sky above and even the clouds to the best that I could see, but there was no trace of him at all.
Then I decided to look back down to the letter and continue reading.

My lower lip trembled and my hindlegs gave way under me as I read, my eyes welling up.
Crimson had wrote me a letter telling me how much I meant to him! I felt the tears roll down my cheeks as I read it in his voice in my mind as I spoke further aloud.

"Your gentle kiss is not all that I miss, the way you touch feels like all too much.
You smile at me and I know it's true, there's only one I want, and that is you."

I could hear his voice clearer and clearer as I read it, his words manifesting in my mind.

"Cherry, I love you. You are what makes every single struggle worth fighting through, knowing I'll have you to see me through it all and keep me strong. Knowing that I'll have your love, as you have mine."

I burst into full tears. I couldn't believe that he had written this, but how had it got to me? It made no-
A familiar feathered touch wrapped itself around my body and a hoof pulled my face to his, before wiping my tears away with his other wing tip.
It became obvious that it wasn't my mind that sounded more and more like him, it was him reading it along with me! For me!
I looked into his eyes and cried even harder as I launched myself at him, flooring him in a cuddle.

My face buried into his neck and my body atop of his, his wings stretched out and held me close.

"Crimson! You... you... I.... you really mean all this?"
"Of course I do, Cherry. I love you. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate everything you do for me, how much I appreciate everything you are."
"I don't know what to say!"
"Just whatever you want, whatever you feel would do."

I looked at him, the sweetest stallion I'd ever known. He'd given me a truly beautiful gift on the second day that we'd ever properly met, treated me like a princess whenever he could and seriously seemed to care about me, and now this!

"Cr...Crimson."
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Cherry."

With that, Maisy appeared out of nowhere beside a large alicorn.

"Who is this, Crimson?"
"I, miss Sundae, am Eos. One of the three guardians of ponykind. Crimson is special, and so are you by extension. I needed to make sure he was okay after reports of what had happened, and acted as the scribe for that letter. I asked to watch as you read it, seeing as you mean a lot to him. However, I must go now, I have spent far too long gone and no doubt am needed where I belong. I trust we will meet again."

I blinked in confusion and turned to Crimson as she vanished, a more powerful and advanced version of my stealth cloaking or teleport, I couldn't tell. Crimson just nodded back to me and ushered me inside the inn with a smile on his face as he brushed my mane with his wing.
...Then he brushed my hindquarters with his wing and I felt the burning desire. I was so going to end up on the Overmare's naughty list.

In this chapter as well as the last, for anyone who missed it, there was a picture 'hidden' in this chapter!
You can find it here. It was drawn for me again by Striderbread.
I'd encourage everyone to at least view his work both on his tumblr and on his deviantart

Arcus Audicus gets a very special thank you this chapter for dragging me out of a series of miniature breakdowns and getting me back into focus with my writing. Without him, this would've gone a lot longer.
Thank you, Arcus.

I apologise for how long it did take, as I say, series of mini emotional breakdowns lead to me not writing and made it exceptionally hard to get back into writing. I'm back on the ball now though so hopefully it doesn't happen again!

Like usual, infinite thanks goes out to the guy who drew the main picture for this story and whom also drew 'mercy' (found on the tumblr) - WavemasterRyx, who can be found:http://ask-the-waves.tumblr.com/ !

He's a great guy and I really adore his artwork and the guy himself, he deserves thanks no matter how long it's been.

For those of you who remember back in chapter two, I used Coheed and Cambria - Wake up, for the bedroom sweetness scene.
Yes, I used it again - but it really does fit in with the scene and hey, who said it can't be Crimson and Cherries song, huh? I didn't, and I'm making it so now!

Lastly:
Thank you both Kkat and Somber for both writing amazing stories that have inspired me to write. Without you two, there would be a massive hole in my world, and I don't know how I would've filled it otherwise. Thank you.