Despair. It is an emotion that has pervaded the very essence of the Equestrian Wasteland. Despair destroys, it takes and feeds and leaves nothing behind in its wake. Every living thing feels despair at one point or another in their lives. It is that single moment when you feel as though nothing else can ever be right with the world.

That night, sitting there alone with Patch, I felt despair. I was flattened by the realization at how much my journey was affecting my friends, and how destructive the whole thing had been.

I wonder if Twilight ever felt this way. Did she ever feel like the entire world was against her, and that life itself was simply not worth living? Based on what I had seen, I'd like to think so. The great Ministry Mare who was once a Princess had seen much in her time, from the rise of war and the death of her own brother, to the end of the world and evil through the eyes of the Goddess. It seemed that despair had ruled her life, all the way to the bitter end.

But, her time did not end there. What was she? Was it really Twilight that I was speaking to every time I visited that infernal library? Or is it something else, nagging and pulling on my mind to control whatever ‘Mysterious Power’ I’ve been saddled with?

Sometimes, I wish I knew all the answers to these questions, but I don't. All I know is what lies ahead. All I have to do is have the strength to step out of despair to get there.

My eyes fluttered open to the gleam of sunshine, and I heard a soft snore coming from next to me. I glanced over, seeing Patch curled up in a ball underneath my outstretched wing. She was sleeping soundly. I smiled sadly, remembering the events of the night before. The revelation of her pregnancy, and the consequences of the radiation weighed heavily in the back of my mind. It took all of my effort for it to not bring me to tears. I knew that there was nothing I could do now to change the past, but I would do everything I could to make the future better.

I owed it to her foal. I owed it to everypony who had been there for me, who had helped me along the way. But most of all, I owed it to her.

I stretched out, yawning lightly as I removed my wing from the sleeping mare, taking care to not brush her with it as it lifted away. Patch rolled over in her sleep and went back to snoring. I sat there for several long moments, just taking in the morning air. The soft clop of hooves from the stairs told me my silence was to be soon interrupted. I stood, turning back towards the entrance as Violet appeared. I lifted a hoof, indicating to be silent as I pointed down at Patch. I silently made my way to the stairs next to my green marefriend.

“Everything alright?” Violet whispered.

I hesitated. It wasn't my place to tell her at all about Patch's pregnancy, and I wasn't going to break her trust.

“I... Yeah, everything's fine,” I said quietly. “Patch just needed somepony to talk to about some things, and we just kind of ended up falling asleep.”

Violet narrowed her gaze at me. “Are you sure?” she said.

“It's... it's not my place to say, Violet,” I said. “Please, trust me. Patch will talk to us when she's ready to. But I can't betray her trust. Please tell me you understand.”

Violet's eyes softened up. “Oh, sweetie, no... I do, I understand. I'm just... I'm worried about her, and you. When I woke up and you weren't there, I almost thought for a moment...”

My eyes widened as I realized what she meant. I almost laughed about it, but that would have been insensitive.

“Oh. Oh. Umm, Violet, you know that I love you, right?” I said quickly. “It totally wasn't like that. Patch just... she needed some help.”

“I know,” Violet replied. “And I love you too. I don't know why I thought it, I should know better by now.”

I smiled, nuzzling her cheek and giving it a little peck. “It's quite alright,” I said. “Let's give Patch some time to sleep in. She's had a bit of a rough night, and I – Hey why are you blushing?!”

My marefriend's face had erupted in a shade of deep red. She burst into laughter as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Sorry, sorry! You said rough night, and I couldn't help but laugh,” she said in between gasps.

“Foalish,” I said, sticking my tongue out at her.

“Tease,” she replied.

“You know it,” I said with a grin, pushing open the door. The others were up and about, getting their things together.

Steeljack looked up as I entered the room. His eyes were pleading. I trotted over to him and rested a hoof on his shoulder.

“She's still upstairs sleeping,” I said.

“Is she... she alright?” he said softly.

“As okay as she can be, at the moment,” I said. “But please... be patient with her. She needs a friend right now, not a protector.”

Steeljack pondered this for a few moments and then nodded solemnly. The pushing open of a door sounded from behind us, and I glanced back to see Patch stumble in. She yawned widely as she took note of everyone watching her.

“Good morning,” she said quietly. “I... I have something I need to tell all of you. I wasn't going to, but I think I should, because I love all of you dearly and you're all my best friends.” Steeljack stepped forward to stand next to her. The green mare caught his eyes and sighed. “Especially you, Steeljack. You most of all deserve to hear this.”

“Whatever it is,” Steeljack said. “No matter what, you know I'm here for you.”

Patch smiled softly. “I know,” she said. “I know I've been a bit anti-social lately, and I wanted to apologize. None of you deserved how I treated you. I wish I could take it back. I'm... I'm pregnant.”

There was a soft gasp from Lilith and Violet. Nixis merely nodded. Steeljack fell to his haunches with a thump.

“But... there's something wrong,” Patch said as she turned to Steeljack. “I can't feel it, Steeljack. I can't feel our foal. I don't know what's wrong, but ever since the temple, I don't know if it's there or if it's gone... Please... Please don't hate me...”

The silence was deafening. Steeljack sat there for several moments, staring at the mare he loved. Finally, a soft smile came over his face.

“Patch...” Steeljack said. “I could never hate you. I love you, so very very much. No matter what. I'm... I'm not sure what to really say. Are you... are you alright?”

“I'm... better. Star and I talked about some things last night, and when we get to Tenpony, we're going to see if the doctors there can tell me what's wrong,” Patch said. “I can't feel it, but I had a weird dream last night. It's like I know it's still there, but something isn't right with it.”

“Then we'll find out, together. And even if things turn out for the worst, I'll still be right there by your side,” Steeljack said. “I'm not leaving your side, ever. Nothing in this world could take me from you.”

Patch lunged forward, wrapping her forelegs around Steeljack's neck. The grey stallion smiled deeply as he returned the mare's embrace. The two separated, and Patch started crying again a little as Lilith stepped forward. She placed a hoof onto her shoulder and hugged her close. No words were needed to express the feelings between the two. I smiled as I reflected on the fact that the two were once bitter enemies, but now... now they were close friends. Perhaps... perhaps the magic of friendship really did have some power here, after all. I moved to the three, and turned to Patch.

“I am proud of you, my friend,” I said. “It takes a brave mare to admit to the horrible things in life and that you need help getting through them. I will stand by you as well, as long as you see fit to call me friend. And if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I am here for you.”

“Me too,” Violet said. “We're like a family, after all. And family sticks together, no matter what.”

Nixis lumbered behind my marefriend, a somber look on his face. “Despite having not known you as long, I too shall endeavor to do my best to be your friend, Patch,” he said. “Loyalty is a virtue that is respected among my kind, canine in nature as we are.”

Patch had pretty much completely broken down now, but her tears weren't those of sadness. They were tears of joy. Tears that represented the sheer happiness that could only come by the presence of friendship.

“Thank you... Thank you all,” she choked out. “I don't... I don't know what I would do without you all.”

“Do not worry, my friend,” Lilith said finally. “We will help you with this. I will not rest until we can find out what is wrong with your foal. I promise you this.”

“And the first step to that, is getting to Manehatten,” I said simply. “I am certain that the day ahead will be long and difficult, but if we press on, we should be able to arrive at the city by nightfall.”

The others nodded, going about the morning tasks to clean up our things. I latched Stargazer onto its harness and stepped out into the morning, ready to face the day. My friends came up beside me, and we set off. As we walked, I felt a new strength come from within. A strength I had desperately needed to carry on. It came from those who walked with me.

Inevitably, my mind turned to Twilight, and of her past. Once upon a time she felt this same strength, the strength of friendship. The war had taken all of that. It had put those six mares through hell and back again. But looking at my own friends, I started to think Twilight was wrong in her last letter to Celestia. Friendship was still very much alive in Equestria.

The morning bled into noon with a swiftness none of us expected. The dullness of the Equestrian Wasteland lay before us in all directions, and it was only thanks to our PipBuck automaps that we even knew where we were going. We had planned to head through Glyphmark and down to Manehatten. I paused to look behind us, sighing. I knew I couldn't see the city any longer, but my heart still ached for the ponies of Chicacolt. I found myself wondering if Danish was okay, and how the rest of the MMMM were holding up.

Despite the breakthrough this morning, everyone was still relatively quiet. Patch clung close to Steeljack and Lilith while Violet and Nixis walked beside me in comfortable silence. I decided that maybe a little news would be in order, hoping that there would be some more information on Spark. I flicked on my PipBuck radio, and the smooth tones of Sweetie Belle came running through. Must be a slow news day, I thought to myself. Sweetie Belle gave way to Sapphire Shores, who gave way to Velvet Remedy. The music was a nice distraction at least. Everyone bopped their heads at the Sapphire Shores song, even Steeljack could be seen slightly moving his head. It was kind of hard to tell in his power armor. As the last of Velvet's song faded, the liquid tones of DJ-PON3 filled our ears. Stallions weren’t my thing, but I could listen to that voice all day long.

“And that kiddies, is our old friend Velvet Remedy. Isn't she just fantastic? I agree, one hundred percent.

I'm your host, DJ-PON3, coming to you from the lovely Manehatten Ruins, and it's time for some news.

Settlements on the outlying portion of Manehatten are finally rebuilding after the mystery attacks of last week. Central Station has reported extensive damage to its Metro station, however. Looks like those tunnels are out of commission for the time being, kiddies.

Regardless, if you know anything about what went down out there, please let old DJ-PON3 know. Also, tensions are high in the city as the NCR (that's New Canterlot Republic for those of you who have been living under a rock for the last two years) have set up shop in a camp outside the city. The NCR has said they are looking to provide assistance to the settlements in need, including food and water. The aforementioned tensions come from the hoity toity in Tenpony Tower, who feel they don't need the NCR's charity and that they can get by without their help. The NCR has responded, stating that 'We're in the city now, and we're not leaving until we've done what we can to help.' Residents of Tenpony Tower say that's a big old load of brahmin shit, and that the NCR only cares about forcing their laws and rules on the ponies of the city.

Come on, kiddies. We're all the same, no matter what flag we fly. Can't we all just... you know what I'm talking about! If we work together, we stick together, and we all win. That my friends, is called fighting the good fight.

And with that, I'm out for a while. I got myself a hot date, kiddies! You know, the nut kind. Just kidding!”

I blinked. The NCR moving into Manehatten? That seemed sort of strange. I glanced over at Patch.

“What do you think about that NCR stuff?” I asked.

“Doesn't totally surprise me. When I was down in Fillydelphia, Lieutenant Kirby went on more than once about how the NCR wished they could establish a foothold in Manehatten,” Patch said with a shrug. “Sounds like they finally did it.”

“But aren't the NCR supposed to help everypony?” Violet said. “I mean, that's a good thing, right?”

“Not necessarily. The NCR is pretty strict. They want everypony to follow their laws, and their rules. And they're not exactly too forgiving in their interpretation of those rules,” Patch replied. “I mean, look at what happened with me. I was discharged for having one less eye.”

“Still, wouldn't some rules be better than nothing, especially since they'd be provided with food shelter?” I said.

“What DJ-PON3 failed to mention is that you have to become an NCR Citizen to receive handouts like that. They don't just give food out to anypony. And once you're a Citizen, you don't get to just stop when you've got the food,” Patch said. “Basically, in order to provide assistance they're annexing pieces of Manehatten.”

“And Tenpony doesn't want that,” I said, realizing what the mare was saying. “You think it has something to do with the Twilight Society?”

“I'd say it has more to do with Celestia One,” Violet interjected. “Think about it. The Twilight Society controls that thing with an iron hoof. What group wouldn't want access to a megaspell like that?”

I nodded. It certainly seemed reasonable. But what would the NCR do with such power? Why did they want it in the first place? I shook the thoughts away as we passed close enough to Glyphmark to get a good look at the town. They weren't important right now. Finding Spark was. At the very least, everything seemed to be at ease in the zebra filled town. Nopony was running up to us asking for help, and nothing was on fire.

It felt like a breath of fresh air. Not that I minded helping my friends, but it was a nice change to be able to move forward without another obstacle letting Spark get further away from us. Glyphmark disappeared behind us, and we continued down the old concrete road, following our automap and the signs towards Manehatten.

Nightfall met us on the final ridge, overlooking the valley the city slumped in. Manehatten looked just like it always had. Dark, dreary, and ominous. We decided to stop at an old abandoned office building for the night, planning on heading into the city and going to Tenpony Tower in the morning. I stood upon the roof alone while the others made camp, scanning the city for any signs of life. Nothing stirred in the last fading twilight. I glanced up at the black structure that was Tenpony Tower. Tomorrow, I thought. Tomorrow, I will find out what you were doing here, Spark. And then I will find you.

A flash of light startled me and I fell back to my haunches. In the distance, I could see the light circling the city. It coalesced into a grinning face consisting of two mismatched yellow eyes and a crooked smile. The ethereal face opened its mouth into a cruel laughter, echoing across the entire city. I snarled under my breath.

“Discord.”

“Discord? I still don't understand what his deal is,” Violet said, taking a sip of water from her canteen. The fire we had managed to cobble together was in its final stages of dying. “I mean, what is he gaining from following us like this?”

“I don't know, but I don't like it,” I said. “I've got a bad feeling about him. He is the God of Chaos after all. Too unpredictable.”

“Still, if he is here in the city, why hasn't he shown himself yet? It seems... so unlike him,” Steeljack commented. Patch lay sleeping next to him, while Lilith and Nixis were curled up together in the corner. I paused to blink at that, before moving on. After my sighting of Discord, I wasn't sure that I could get to sleep at all.

“I'm not sure about that, but I am sure that he's the one who keeps leaving the memory orbs,” I said. “He has to be. I just don't get why. What is he trying to show me? It's just more of Twilight's memories, more of Spark.”

“Maybe he's trying to send you a message,” Violet said, yawning. “I don't know. I'm just too tired to even think about it right now, Star. I'm going to bed.”

Violet stood and trotted over to our bedroll, where she plopped down as unladylike as possible. Within mere seconds, soft snores could be heard from the mare. I glanced back over at Steeljack. We stood, walking out of earshot of the rest of the camp. The night sky was brilliant tonight.

“Enough about me, how are you holding up?” I asked quietly.

The stallion looked back down at his mare, grimacing. “I... I just lost my kid, Star. How do you think I feel?” he said.

“Steeljack...” I said softly.

“I wish I could say I wasn’t hurt. But I can’t, Star,” Steeljack said with a frown. “I want to scream... I was to cry. I want to lash out and get angry. I don’t know what’s up or down anymore.”

“Steeljack,” I said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Patch needs you. She needs you to be strong, for her. I understand how you feel. You have every right to be upset, but we need you.”

“What do I do then, Star? Just laugh and go on like it never happened?” Steeljack said, his eyes wide.

“You do exactly what you’re doing right now,” I said. “You open up, you talk to us. Talk to Patch. She will understand your feelings better than most. Pain is normal, it’s okay to hurt. But getting angry won’t solve the problem.”

Steeljack glared at me and then looked away. He paused for a moment, sighing.

“I... You’re right, Star,” he said. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m just glad to have friends like you. Even when I don’t know how to deal, you help.”

“You’re going to be fine, Steeljack,” I said, pulling the stallion into an embrace. I held him there for several minutes. It was the only thing I could think of to do. “We don’t know if the foal is lost, after all.”

“I guess so...” he said, releasing himself from the hug. “Do you really think the doctors at Tenpony will be able to help her?”

“It's our best shot at getting some idea as to what’s actually going on,” I said, hanging my head. “That much radiation, it wasn't good for any of you, let alone the foal. Had I known, I would have told Patch to stay put.”

“You couldn't have known about the radiation, Star,” Steeljack pointed out.

I sighed, nodding. “When you're right, you're right. Still... I wish I could do something else for her.”

“You've already done far more than you think you know,” Steeljack said softly. “You got her to open up about it. That's more than I've been able to do.”

“I think that's because she was worried that you would hate her,” I said. “She really loves you, you know that right?”

“I... I do,” Steeljack replied.

“You know that you don't have to do any of this,” I said. “When we get to Tenpony, you could always... you know, stay there together.”

Steeljack narrowed his gaze at me. It spoke volumes, because I knew exactly what he was going to say next.

“I think we both know the answer to that question, Star,” he said. “I wouldn't, and neither would Patch. No matter what happens, we're in this til the end.”

“I know, I know,” I said. “But... just think about it, okay?”

Steeljack scoffed. “That we’ve actually talked about, Star. The decision was easy, and Patch feels the same way,” he said. “It's not that simple, Star. We're in the middle of chasing down a spirit that wants to destroy the world. Do you even realize how ludicrous that sounds?”

“When you put it like that, it kind of does, yeah,” I said, chuckling.

“And you and I both know, that if Spark wins, it's over for all of us. So, do you really expect either of us to just sit on our rumps and let it happen?” Steeljack said fiercely.

“Steeljack, I --” I started to say as the stallion lifted a hoof, silencing me.

“No, listen to me. We're in this for the long haul, no matter what it takes. If Spark wins, and I've given up the fight, I die anyways. If I'm going to die, it's going to be for a cause, Star,” Steeljack said. “I owe it to Crystal, and I owe it to Patch.”

“Crystal?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Steeljack nodded. “It's been a long time since I've said her name,” he said, his blue eyes shimmering with determination. My eyes widened as I realized who he was talking about. His wife. The mercenary who'd been killed by Red Eye's slavers. “And while I miss her, she died for a cause. She saved so many, and I know now what that means. I have a cause now. Because come hell or high water, if my foal is still alive in that mare, I'm fighting to save it. To give her... or him... the future they so rightly deserve.”

I slumped to my haunches in front of the stallion. I couldn’t imagine the strength it took to make such a declaration.

“I... I never thought of it like that,” I said. “Thank... thank you. For staying. It really means alot to me.”

“Anytime,” Steeljack replied.

I yawned, my mind finally catching up with how tired my body was.

“I think then, I am going to sleep,” I said, turning around and starting back to the camp. I stopped for a moment. “For what it's worth, Steeljack... I think you're going to make an excellent father.”

The stallion nodded as we silently walked back to our respective lovers. Sleep overtook me as easily as I had hoped it would, providing at least a little escape from the world around me.

Morning came all too quickly, as it often did. I laid there for several minutes, feeling the warmth of Violet next to me as she wriggled in all of her cuteness. I glanced across the clearing, seeing Steeljack and Patch curled up next to each other. My mind turned to the conversation from the night before, pondering Steeljack's words. Still, I had to wonder where this journey was going to end. Would we all see it through to the end? Or would some of us fall along the way? I sent up a silent prayer to Luna, hoping for the former, but secretly knowing that it was likely to be the latter. Spark wasn't going to make things easy for us, I knew this for certain. Just what was she looking for anyways? Was she looking for the jewel that she had become in the memory? Was that why Discord wanted me to see it? So I could recognize what Spark escaped from?

We awoke as normal, getting ready silently for our journey into the city. Manehatten loomed ahead of us as we left our shelter. We stepped onto the main road, ready for whatever was coming next.

“Well, let's go,” I said.

We started forward purposefully and quickly. The streets were filled with debris and devoid of life. A large office building that was overturned in the middle of the street blocked our direct path to the monorail line. We turned down to the left, taking an alley back onto the main drag. Within several hours we arrived at the monorail station. We took our first steps up onto the Luna line, trotting down the ancient rail line. I looked up at the end of the line, at Tenpony Tower. I sighed. It was so near, yet so far away.

We saw our first signs of life halfway down the rail. Two guard ponies stood vigilant at a substation off the rail line. They flagged us down, motioning for us to halt. They both wore gas masks and combat armor, making it difficult to identify what they were.

“State your business,” one of them said.

“We're here to see the Twilight Society,” I said. “My name is Radiant Star.”

“Access is permitted, but you'll need to check your weapons at the door,” the other guard said.

“What's going on around here?” Violet asked. “Why all the extra security?”

“Things are pretty tense with the NCR at the moment. We're taking all the extra precautions that we can,” the first guard said. “Now, get going, we'll radio ahead that you're expected.”

“Thank you,” I said.

We passed through the guard checkpoint with little issue, although the two ponies did seem to glare at Nixis. I knew that hellhounds weren't exactly common around here, but I hoped they'd be at least accepted. I pushed the thought out of my head as we walked. It took approximately a half hour to reach the front gates of Tenpony Tower. The guards waved us to enter the station. I unclasped Stargazer from its harness and handed it over to them. We were ushered into the tower proper, and I smiled as a familiar blue unicorn stood waiting for us in the center of the common market.

“Well met, Ministry Mare,” Dusk Blue said. The unicorn wore a simple black cloak with a silver clasp.

“Dusk Blue,” I said. “I am surprised to see you here. I almost expected Life Bloom again, with some ominous news about the Twilight Society.”

Dusk Blue chuckled. “Well, that would be a little too cliché, Radiant Star,” he said. “But as you well know, things around here are a little crazy lately. To be truthful, I would have been surprised to see you here if I hadn't been listening to the radio broadcasts. You've been busy, Star.”

“Yes, well... about that. We have some business to discuss,” I said. “In private.”

“Of course, of course,” Dusk said with a brisk nod. “Follow me, if you will.”

We followed the unicorn over to the elevators where we filed into two separate cars. The elevators stopped on a floor containing a long hallway with several suites. Dusk Blue led us to one of the suites. He sat down on a cushion in the main room of the suite.

“Now, then. What do you wish to discuss?” Dusk Blue said as we sat down.

Nixis and Lilith remained standing in the back of the room. I narrowed my gaze at the unicorn.

“The attacks on the settlements,” I said. “You were there, Dusk. You know about Spark. It was her, Dusk. I know it was.”

“I had assumed that you would ask about that,” Dusk said. “Truth be told, Star, we don't know all that much about the attacks yet. You say it was Spark? You mean the mare that you once told me was in your head?”

“Correct,” I said. “Except... she's no longer there.”

“What do you mean?” Dusk said.

“I mean that Spark has a body now. A body shared between her and a friend of mine...” I said. “She's on her way to the Everfree Forest, but I'm not sure why she attacked these towns first.”

“Well... I think the prudent thing to do might be to go visit one of these towns and speak to their villagers,” Dusk replied. “In fact, if you head to Central Station, another of your friends is there investigating this as well.”

“Friend?” I inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

Dusk smiled. “Sunshine Sky is in the field, lending what assistance she can to the ponies in the settlements,” he said.

“The pink mare?” I said. Dusk nodded in reply. “I see.”

“Star, you have to understand... right now things are quite tense with the NCR,” he said. “You see, they've requested access to Celestia One.”

“Figures,” Patch said with a snort. “Typical of them, really.”

“Yes, well... the problem is that the NCR doesn't want to study the megaspell chamber, to learn. They'll want to use it, judiciously and severely,” Dusk said. “The Twilight Society wants to prevent that. We want to protect ponies, yes... but not by using a megaspell that can wipe out millions of lives.”

“Is there anything that we could do to help?” I asked.

Dusk narrowed his gaze at me and grinned widely. I found myself a bit disturbed by it.

“There might be,” he said. “The NCR have set up shop just outside of the city at a location they're calling Camp Hope.” My PipBuck beeped as it picked up the map marker. “The Twilight Society is willing to negotiate a compromise with the NCR, but unfortunately the NCR doesn't want to meet with us directly. They're very... ultimatum that way. Perhaps... you could meet with them?”

“On one condition,” I said immediately. I motioned to Patch. “I know that Tenpony Tower has extremely good doctors. My friend here... she needs some assistance and requires the services of a doctor that might know something about... pregnancy.”

“I think that we can agree to that,” Dusk replied. “In fact, if you will meet with the NCR and negotiate a treaty, I will speak with Life Bloom to have him look at your friend.”

I looked over at Patch. She smiled brightly.

“We'll go then,” I said, returning my gaze to Dusk Blue.

“Excellent,” the unicorn replied. “I will give you some time to collect yourselves, then. You may use this suite for your needs. Your gear will be brought up to you. I will send an acolyte to bring your friend to the doctors in the morning.” The unicorn stood, bowing low. “It is a pleasure to see you once more, Radiant Star.”

“Likewise,” I said.

Dusk Blue closed the door and I sighed. Patch laid a hoof on my shoulder, a huge smile on her face.

“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

“Patch,” I said. “I meant what I said before. We will do everything we can to help you.”

“I am going to stay here with Patch,” Lilith said, stepping forward. “The rest of you should go visit the NCR.”

“Are you sure?” Patch said, looking up at the black mare.

“We are friends. And I would be remiss if I wasn't there with you when we found out what is wrong,” Lilith replied.

“Shouldn't I you know... stay behind too?” Steeljack said with a cough.

“Girl stuff, Steeljack,” Lilith said, jokingly. “But seriously... you should go with Star. She might need your help. Trust me, I'll take care of your marefriend.”

“It's decided then,” I said. “Lilith will stay behind with Patch, and we will visit this Camp Hope. I would also like to visit Central Station. We need to keep our eyes on why Spark was here, what she was looking for, and why she left.”

“Agreed,” Violet said. “So when are we leaving?”

“In the morning,” I said. “We will leave in the morning. Based on my automap, it should only take about two hours to get to Camp Hope, and from there an hour over to Central Station.”

The others nodded and I stood to take stock of the suite that Dusk Blue had left us in. It was nice. Much nicer than what we had been accustomed to lately. There were even several real beds! I slumped down into one, sighing as I laid my head back on the pillow. Violet joined me shortly after and I sighed.

“Are we doing the right thing?” I said softly, turning to face my love. “Mediating a truce between the Twilight Society and the NCR? I almost feel like it's just another thing pushing me away from Spark.”

“That might be, but you and I both know that if it wasn't Dusk Blue who had asked, you wouldn't have accepted,” Violet said.

“I guess you have a point there,” I said, yawning. “I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, my love.”

Violet reached in, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “Love you, sweetie. Sleep tight,” she said.

I smiled and turned over, closing my eyes and letting sleep take me.

A knock at the door forced my eyes open. I nearly thought it was a dream, waking up in such nice conditions. The bed was nice and soft, and I smiled softly at the warmth of Violet next to me. Another knock came at the door. I groaned, sliding out of the bed. None of the others were up yet. I trudged towards the door, pulling it open. On the other side of the door was a mismatched beast, his evil yellow eyes piercing through my soul. My eyes widened.

“Discord!” I shouted.

The beast sneered, pulling its lip back and showing teeth. Still, he said nothing. He did nothing but stare at me.

“What do you want? Why are you here?” I asked.

The beast lifted a claw, pointing a finger at me. The sneer turned into a cruel grin. Why wasn't he attacking me? What in the world was going on? Discord's mouth opened and he began to laugh. In fact, he cackled madly. The laughter carried through the air around me, surrounding me in its insanity. I closed my eyes, trying to shut it out of my mind.

I opened my eyes and groaned. Violet laid on the bed next to me. I blinked. A dream? I thought to myself as I shoved myself off the nice and clean bed, taking care to not wake Violet. I shuffled into the main living area, glancing at the door. It was still closed, and there was no one knocking at it. It must have been a dream, I had decided. Either that or it was a warning. What was going on here? What was Discord's angle in all of this? Was he trying to drive me insane?

“Star,” a voice said softly. I looked over, seeing Nixis sitting in the corner.

“Nixis,” I said. “You're awake. I figured everyone else was asleep still.”

“I sleep fairly light,” Nixis said. “Are you alright?”

“Had a bit of... a bad dream, I guess you'd call it,” I said. “Ever since we came close to the city, I've been having this nagging feeling that something is wrong. Like something's coming, and I can't quite put my hoof on what it is.”

“Dreams are sometimes gateways to messages that our minds are trying to tell us,” Nixis replied. “They hold many meanings, sometimes subtle and sometimes more overt. All it takes is for one to listen closely.”

“And if your dreams involve a mad deity of Chaos?” I asked quietly.

Nixis grinned toothily at me. “Well, then one might say you're fairly screwed.”

I blinked. Did he really just...? Make fun of me? Before I could reply, Nixis opened his mouth.

“I'm kidding, Star. Too much time spent with Lilith, I suppose,” he said.

“Do you miss it?” I said softly.

“Miss what?” The hellhound lumbered.

“Your home. You know, Ponyville,” I said, locking eyes with the canine.

He rubbed the back of his head and smiled. I could tell that he was remembering it.

“I do... but I have not been back there for quite some time. I doubt that I am remembered. Hellhounds aren't exactly known for their intelligence, after all,” he said.

“But you're smart,” I said.

Nixis chuckled throatily. It sounded a lot like somepony puking their guts up.

“I am educated, if that's what you mean. I don't know why, but I always liked to spend time in Ponyville's old Town Hall when we first arrived there. The others wanted little to do with the place, and there was never anything there important enough for the raiders who had desecrated the town prior to our occupation,” he explained. “I found so many books. It wasn't until a passing caravan was actually willing to trade with us that I started to really learn Equuish. It was fascinating. There was so much knowledge locked away. Things we can really use to make this world a better place.”

“And Ponyville? How did you end up becoming the Mayor there?” I asked as I sat down next to him.

“I was the only one willing to go out and talk to the caravans, so I just kind of... fell into it. The others respected me for my ability to think and plan,” Nixis replied. “I suppose I do miss it, after all. Simpler days.”

I nodded, staying silent. I was reminded of the first days after Violet and I came to Fort Knowledge. Life was much simpler back then. We were going to help ponies who needed it, care for others. And then... Twilight happened. Spark happened. Life had spiraled out of control much quicker than I could have ever imagined.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I stood warily, the events of the dream still fresh in the forefront of my mind. I trotted over to the door and pulled it open. A white unicorn in a black cloak was standing on the other side. He smiled briefly as our eyes met.

“Good morning,” he said. “My name is Winter. I was asked by Dusk Blue to come here, concerning a mare named Patch.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, much to his surprise. “Let me get her up,” I said. “Another one of our friends is staying behind with her. I trust that won't be an issue?”

“Not at all,” Winter said. “She can accompany us to see the doctors.”

I nodded, closing the door and walking back into the bedroom area of the suite. Patch was up, looking a little groggy and out of sorts.

“Patch,” I said. “Someone is here to take you to the doctor. Are you ready?”

The mare nodded as she walked over and prodded Lilith awake. I glanced at the foot of our bed, noticing that our weapons and bags had been delivered. Patch and Lilith trotted out into the living room, followed by the others. The green mare hugged Steeljack and whispered quietly to him before heading for the door. Winter stood just beyond, a soft smile on his face.

“I'll... I'll see you guys later,” Patch said.

“Don't worry, Patch,” Violet said. “Everything's going to be fine. You can do this.”

“Thank you, thank you all,” Patch replied.

Lilith smiled as she followed Patch into the hallway, closing the door behind her. I turned to the others.

“Alright,” I said. “Let's get ready and get going here. The faster we get done at Camp Hope, the faster we can get down to the business of finding out more about Spark.”

The others nodded their assent, beginning the routine of gearing up for the trip. We made our way out of the suite and down to main hall, where Dusk Blue waited patiently for us. He smiled brightly as we came up to him.

“Well, you're off then?” he said.

“Yes. We will go to this Camp Hope and speak with the NCR. I am sure that we will be able to work something out,” I said.

“I certainly hope so. Then we can get all this extra security out of the way, and be done with this craziness. You have no idea how hard it has been lately,” Dusk replied.

“I can imagine,” I said.

“Give my regards to Sunshine if you see her,” the unicorn said, winking. My eyes narrowed. “Oh, I'm well aware that you plan to visit Central Station while you are out, and that is fine. I would not expect you to put your own plans on hold after all, Star. Be careful out there.”

“Thanks,” I uttered.

Did the Twilight Society know everything we did? Were they spying on us? I tried to shrug off the feeling of being watched and moved past Dusk Blue, saying nothing else. We stepped out of Tenpony Tower and back onto the monorail line. I glanced at my PipBuck. Camp Hope was on the eastern edge of the city, not terribly far from here. As we walked, I noticed more signs of life around the city. An office building with a pony or two scavenging here, a trading caravan there. Granted, they all gave us a bit of a wide berth as we passed. An alicorn, hellhound, unicorn, and earth pony. I guessed that we looked pretty imposing to them.

Within the hour we were at the edge of the city. I grimaced when I saw the tents. Lined up in several rows, surrounded by makeshift chicken wire fences, was Camp Hope. I could see ponies milling about inside the wire. Some standing guard, some training. There were even some doing morning runs around the camp. This screamed of war to me, for some reason. I couldn't shake that feeling as we made our way closer. Outside of the camp was a large tent that stood on its own. In front of it was a line of ponies, waiting to receive food and water. Many of them were hurt or malnourished, looking like they were at the end of their rope.

A guard stopped us at the main gate. One of them, an earth pony mare motioned at us. A combat shotgun hang loosely off her battle saddle.

“Halt. State your business here,” she said.

“My name is Radiant Star,” I said. “We seek an audience with your commanding officer.”

“For what purpose?” the mare asked.

“We’ve been sent to negotiate on behalf of the Twilight Society,” I said.

The mare scoffed. “Fuck off, we don’t need none of the Twilight Society here,” she said.

“We’re not with the Society,” I said. “I don’t know if you listen to the radio, but I’m the Ministry Mare. All I care about is making sure that everyone works together.”

“Oh really? You’re the one on the radio? Huh,” the mare said. Another guard came up and tapped her on the shoulder. He whispered in her ear, glaring at me while he did. The mare’s eyes widened and she looked up. “Seriously? Fuck...” She glanced back at us. “Alright, look... you can go in. Captain is expecting you in his tent. Don’t cause any trouble, or else.”

“Thank you,” I said, smiling. “Where may we find this officer?”

The mare pointed at the rear of the enclosure, indicating the superior officer's tent. She looked pretty pissed off that she had to let us in. The officer’s tent was the largest one there, besides the operations tent that we passed on the way there. The ponies working there looked up from their terminals, staring at us intensely. It felt... unnerving. I stepped into the officer's tent after a thorough pat-down from the guards as the others hung around outside.

The tent was spacious, but there wasn't much to it. It was lightly furnished, with a plain wooden desk in the middle of the space. A chair was turned away from it, where a pony sat.

“Umm... hello?” I said. “My name is --”

“Radiant Star,” the voice from behind the chair said.

My eyes widened. I knew that voice. The chair spun around, revealing a familiar unicorn stallion. He wore a smug grin on his face.

“I was wondering when they would send you,” he said.

“L-L-Lieutenant Kirby?” I said.

Kirby grinned widely, tapping the beret on his head with a forehoof. It was clean, the insignia of a Captain emblazoned on it.

“That's Captain Kirby now,” he said. “It's been quite a while since we last saw each other, Ministry Mare.”

“Indeed,” I said. “I guess you know why I'm here then.”

“You want to discuss negotiations between the NCR and the Twilight Society,” Kirby said flatly. He stood, turning away from me. “Tell me, Radiant Star. How is my former security officer?”

I blinked. Oh, right... Patch. I hesitated for a moment.

“She's... she's fine,” I said finally. My voice was shaky.

“I can hear the fear in your voice, you know. I expected as much. I do miss her, quite a lot actually,” Kirby said. “I suspect that's why you're here now. The Twilight Society offers quite a bit, don't they?”

“You would be right,” I said. “About Patch, that is. “She's back at Tenpony Tower now, being seen by their best doctors. It was our exchange for me being here.”

“What is wrong with her?” Kirby asked.

My eyes shifted back and forth, seeking an answer.

“Mare problems.”

Kirby glanced at me, a perplexed expression on his face. He nodded, hanging his head.

“Well, let us hope it is worth it,” Kirby replied uncertainly. “I will tell you the same thing that I told those insufferable Twilight Society ambassadors. We do not want to use their damn weapon. We want to study it, and help keep it secure. It would be very bad for all of us if it were to be used by the wrong hooves.”

“They didn't believe you, I take it,” I said, sitting back onto my haunches in front of the desk.

Kirby turned around, mildly surprised at my reaction. “No, they didn't. They think we want to use it. If that were my goal, I'd have stormed Tenpony long ago,” the unicorn said. “It isn't like we don't have the numbers to do so. And while it would certainly be bloody, we'd come out victorious. We always do. But that doesn't help the Wasteland.” He sat back down at his desk, smiling.

“Violence does not help anypony,” I said. “All it does is beget more violence.”

“You know, you're different now. Wiser, I think. It really has been a long time,” Kirby said with a slight chuckle.

I turned my head away at the compliment. I certainly didn't feel wiser. If anything, I felt more responsible for things. There was a difference.

“So what now?” I asked.

“Well, now, we have to convince the Twilight Society to agree to allow us access to Celestia One for the purposes of studying the chambers,” Kirby said.

“And what will you do with that information?” I said.

“I knew you'd ask that,” he said, trailing off.

“You're not going to tell me, are you?” I asked, flatly.

“Sorry. Classified. I'm not allowed to release any information to anypony, Star. My ass would be in a sling over something like that,” Kirby said. “You understand.”

“No, I really don't, but whatever. Look, I'd be willing to talk to Dusk Blue about all of this, but I need some information too,” I said, my voice getting edgier.

“Down to business, I see,” Kirby said. “Alright. Honestly, all I'm looking for is one visit. A few hours time with the chamber and some assistance from the Society in understanding how it works. In return, we'll provide security and also continue to assist the refugees out here. No citizenship required.”

“That's... actually rather generous,” I said, surprised. “I will talk to Dusk Blue and offer your terms. Now... as for what I need. The ponies you're helping out here, their villages were attacked recently by an alicorn.”

“Yes... very mysterious that is,” Kirby said. “The very same alicorn passed over Camp Hope as well. We weren't quite sure what was going on until we saw her attacking the settlements. We tried to do what we could to help those in need.”

“Do you know anything about the alicorn that caused the attacks?” I asked.

Kirby raised an eyebrow. “No? I truly don't. I wish I could help you, Star, but unfortunately I don't know much about it other than that it put a lot of ponies without homes,” he said. The stallion stood, motioning to the tent entrance. “Now, if you'll excuse me. I have some meetings to attend to.”

“Of course,” I said, standing.

“It... it was good to see you,” he said. “Give my regards to Patch, please.”

“I will, and thank you,” I said.

Kirby moved to leave, stopping next to me. He glanced up at me and whispered under his breath. His gaze was cold as ice.

“Just watch yourself around the Twilight Society, Star. Sometimes the best intentions lead to the worst actions. They may know more than you think about this mystery alicorn of yours,” he said.

I nodded mutely as the unicorn left the tent, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Did the Twilight Society really know more about Spark then they were letting on? If so, why would Dusk Blue lie to me? Or did he not know either because he wasn't told?

A cough drew me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Violet standing in the entrance of the tent waiting for me.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” I replied.

“Was that Kirby I saw?” she asked.

“Yeah. He's apparently in charge of the operation here,” I said with a nod.

“And what did he say?” Violet asked as we made our way out to where Steeljack and Nixis waited.

As we walked, I explained about the NCR's proposition and what they wanted with Celestia One. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the information. Kirby's warning about the Twilight Society worried me. What weren't they telling me that I needed to know? Was I wrong to trust them?

Or was there something else going that I was just another pawn of?

We made our way back into the city towards the map marker that belonged to Central Station. The town was settled around one of the old subway stations, according to what information we could glean from the NCR camp. The town itself was relatively simple, with a wall built from old subway cars. Many of the town's 'buildings' were made of panels of steel with metal roofs. The entrance to the station loomed nearby. As we approached the town two ponies came out to greet us.

“Hold up there,” one of them, an earth pony mare with a purple coat and black mane, said. “State your business here, alicorn.”

I sighed. I should have figured that the town residents would be averse to having one of my kind around after what happened. I lifted a hoof in greeting.

“Please, we mean you no harm,” I said. “My name is Radiant Star, and this is Violet Iris, Steeljack, and Nixis. We are here seeking information about the creature that attacked you.”

“Yeah, I bet you are. Probably scouting out the place to attack us again,” the other guard, an earth pony stallion, replied.

I narrowed my gaze at him. Violet chuckled lightly at my side. Nixis and Steeljack hung next to us, grinning as well.

“I give my word as the Ministry Mare,” I proclaimed loudly. “No harm shall come to thee while I am among you.”

“Pfft... the Ministry Mare? You expect us to believe that?” the stallion said, chuckling. The mare elbowed him in the chest, stopping him cold. Her eyes were wide.

“Tuck, I think it is her,” she said. “Just like on the radio.”

The stallion glared at the mare, and then squinted at me. His eyes widened as well and he grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry, umm... miss Ministry Mare,” he said, motioning for us to approach the town gate.

“No problem,” I said with a smile. “I can understand that tensions are high at the moment, with what you've gone through recently.”

The two guards chuckled hesitantly.

“Yeah... well, you can go on in. Just be careful, alright. Ponies are real hesitant of your kind, for obvious reasons,” the mare said. “Just head straight back towards the station. You can see the mayor of the town there.”

I nodded and we stepped into the small town. The main part of the village was in pretty bad shape. Ponies were milling about, dragging debris away from destroyed homes. A few of them looked up, taking notice of us. They glared daggers at us as we made our way towards the back of the town. A large subway car sat next to where the entrance to the station was. Curiously, the stairs leading down into the station were blocked off. I stopped near them, glancing down into the darkness.

“Hello there!” a voice said, pulling my attention away from the stairs. A white earth pony stallion had stepped out of the subway car. He wore a simple suit that accentuated his purple mane. “Can I help you four?”

“Umm... well... my name is Radiant Star, and I have a few questions about the attack on your village,” I said.

The stallion nodded, still smiling. “You're not NCR, are ya?” he said quickly. I shook my head in response. “Good, good. I'm the mayor around here. You can call me Dashing Do.”

“Dashing Do?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Don't ask. Parents. You know how it is,” he said, motioning for us to follow. We made our way over to the old subway car. I looked over at the others.

“Steeljack, Nixis, hang out here. His office is kinda small,” I said.

Steeljack nodded silently. The hellhound hunkered down wordlessly. They sat down in front of the car, keeping an eye on the ponies who were rebuilding the town. Many of them were still glaring our way. Dashing opened the door to the car.

“Don't mind them,” he said. “They're just a little on edge. What with the attack and all.”

“That's... actually why I'm here. I was hoping that you would have some more information on the attack,” I said.

“Well, all I know is that we were minding our own business when this crazy lookin' alicorn just appeared out of nowhere, and started slingin' spells at our houses,” Dashing said.

“What did she look like?” Violet asked.

“About her height,” the stallion said, motioning to me. “Green coat, black mane. Real crazy look in her eyes. Seemed to be talking to herself even. What was weird about the whole thing is that she didn't really ever attack anypony directly or intentionally. It was like she was looking for somethin', you know?”

I glanced over at Violet, grimacing. Spark was looking for something? That didn’t make sense. I turned back to Dashing.

“So what happened after that?” I asked.

“Well, you gotta understand something. We can take care of our own, but we're no Steel Rangers out here. We hid, of course,” Dashing said. “After about an hour, though... she just stopped. Hovered there for a while, and then flew off somewhere else. We heard on the radio after that about how she had attacked a few other settlements too.” The stallion paused for a moment. “Why are you so interested in this?”

“We're sort of tracking her,” I said. I turned to Violet, ignoring the white stallion for a moment, whispering. “It certainly sounds like it was Spark. But what was she looking for?”

“I don't know... you told me that the memory orb with her had her being trapped into a jewel. Maybe that's what she's looking for?” Violet offered quietly.

“Maybe... but why would it be here?” I said. “Twilight wouldn't have left something that important in Manehattan. It would have been with her at all times. Which would mean... Maripony.”

“Yeah...” Violet said, returning her attention to Dashing. “Look, thank you for seeing us. I think that's what we needed to know. We'll get out of your hair now.”

“Thank ya kindly, darlings,” the stallion said. “It was my pleasure, as long as you're not NCR, I’m always happy to see peaceful new faces around town.”

“What do you have against the NCR?” I asked curiously. My assignment to broker some form of treaty between the NCR and the Twilight Society still sat in the back of my mind.

The stallion chuckled. “Let's just say I don't much care for anypony coming in and telling me how to run my town,” he said. “The NCR say they care, but they really don't. They just want to impose their own rule. I don't want that. I just want to live, eat, and love. Not necessarily in that order, but you get my drift.”

“Well, thank you again for your time,” I said, pushing open the door and exiting the subway car. My thoughts were even more confused concerning the NCR. I couldn't decide whether Kirby had lied to me about helping the refugees or not. I had certainly seen refugees outside of Camp Hope, but there wasn't any NCR presence here that I could see. I glanced around the town. Many of the ponies were still watching us out of the corner of their eyes as they went about their business. Steeljack and Nixis stood off to the side of the mayor's car, waiting for us.

“Everything alright?” Steeljack said.

“Yeah. Let's get out of here, and get back to Tenpony,” I said. “Spark isn't here. We should focus on finding her now.”

The earth pony nodded. We started to walk back towards the town gate, when a soft pink earth pony mare came running up to us.

“I thought... I thought I was wrong, but it really is you isn't it?” she said, huffing. “You're the Ministry Mare, aren't you?”

“I... I am,” I said.

The mare latched onto me with her forelegs. Hey! Personal Space! I thought. The mare looked up at me, tears in her eyes.

“Please... I need your help. It's my daughter. She's trapped down in the tunnels of the subway station. Nopony can free her...” she said, blubbering.

“Hold up, calm down,” I said softly. “Start from the beginning.”

“My... my name is Fizzy Crunch,” the mare said. “When that thing attacked us, a bunch of us went down into the tunnels to hide. My daughter and I got separated in the chaos. Then these things... these weird looking things appeared. We ran, and then the tunnels collapsed from the chaos above. My daughter was stuck in one of them. I'm not... I'm not even sure if she's still alive... but if there's a chance... I have to know...”

“Is that why the station is cordoned off?” I said. The mare nodded in reply. “Why hasn't anypony tried to rescue her?”

“A group went back down in after the attacks ended, but whatever those things down there were... they didn't return,” Fizzy said. “After that, nopony else wanted to go in there. Please... you're the only pony I can think of who could help me.”

I narrowed my gaze at the mare.

“Alright,” I said. “We'll do it.” I glanced over at Violet. “Violet. You and Steeljack will take point up here. See what you two can do for the townsfolk. Nixis and I will go down and see if we can find this filly. Nixis' digging will help us get around down there if there is any debris.”

“Are you sure, Star?” Violet said.

I nodded, looking over at Fizzy Crunch. Her eyes had lit up like a Hearthswarming tree.

“I can't in my right mind let a mother go without knowing what happened to her filly,” I said. “Besides... if nopony else is going to help this town, we will. Fizzy, show us to the station entrance.”

The mare nodded, motioning to us to follow her. I looked over at Nixis. The hellhound smiled toothily.

“Let's go plumb the depths of the ancient subway station, then,” I said, a matching grin appearing on my face. Spark was one thing, but a nice clean rescue was just what the doctor ordered.

I stepped down into the darkness, pushing open the metal gate leading down into the subway station. Nixis lumbered beside me, cautiously glancing from side to side. The gate creaked open, and I half expected there to be something waiting for me right around the first corner. I was quite frankly, disappointed when there wasn't. The subway station was dark, the only light coming from a few flaming trash cans situated around the platform. Four tunnels spread out in each direction from the central platform. I grimaced. Fizzy's story hadn't really given us a whole lot of information on where her daughter had been seen last.

“Well, I guess we'd better start with one of these tunnels,” I said.

Nixis nodded in agreement. We made our way towards the far tunnel. The stench of death surrounded us. It seemed the inhabitants of the town above hadn't really done a whole lot to clean up around the station. Charred skeletons of long dead ponies littered the area, remnants of the balefire explosion that had destroyed Manehatten.

We stepped into the dark tunnel, grimacing at the debris littering the tracks. An overturned car sat in the middle of the tunnel. We edged around it carefully, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. I glanced at my E.F.S., checking for hostile targets. Nothing. Hmm, I thought. If there's anything down here... where are they? If it were ghouls, they'd have heard us by now. I unlatched Stargazer from its harness, floating it into the air beside me. I lit my horn, sending up a spark. The soft purple light illuminated the tunnel in front of us. The track dipped into a steady slope, descending down into the murky depths. A second tunnel jutted off from the side of the main tunnel. It appeared to be some sort of maintenance access. Further down the tunnel, pieces of the ceiling had collapsed inward, creating a bridge to the other side of the debris.

“I'm not picking up anything on my E.F.S.,” I said quietly. “Can you smell anything?”

“Just... rot,” Nixis replied. “I don't see anything either. Do you think whatever was down here just... left? Like Spark did?”

“I don't know, but I'm not willing to lower my guard to find out,” I said. “Keep sharp. Let's head over into the other side of this tunnel. Maybe it will lead us to the filly.”

Nixis nodded, lumbering behind me as we made our way through the mess of rubble and down onto the sloping track. A blinking map marker came up on my E.F.S. I checked the automap, a marker stating 'Subway Station Maintenance Office'. It was located in a side tunnel just up the tunnel. I sighed. Might as well check it out, I thought. I motioned at Nixis to follow me.

The maintenance door was locked. I snarled under my breath, reaching out with my magic and ripping the door from its hinges. A set of stairs leading up into the offices lay just beyond it. I trotted up them. Well, if the door was locked... there's probably nopony here, I thought. Why was there a map marker then? I pushed open the door to the maintenance office, grimacing at the smell inside. A few radroaches skittered about the room. They screeched as they saw us, running to hide in the corner. A terminal sat on the far side of the room on a desk. It was still glowing. There were no other doors that I could see.

“Well, this is a dead end,” I said flatly. “Great. Let's try one of the other tunnels.” I started to turn around when I heard something laughing. It was coming from inside the room. The terminal screen lit up, a pair of mismatched yellow eyes appearing on the display. The keyboard turned into a crude smile, the keys forming a sinister fang.

“Discord?” I said, my eyes widening. The terminal suddenly sprouted a pair of tiny wings, lifting into the air. It flapped around the room, the keyboard hanging off of it by its cable. The keys were still arranged in that silly smile. Cackling erupted from the... thing. “What the...?”

“Star?” a voice said from beside me. A paw placed itself on my shoulder, shaking me. I turned, seeing Nixis standing there. “Star, are you alright?”

I looked back at where the terminal was. It was back in its normal place, devoid of any wings, eyes, or smile. I blinked. What the fuck was that? I thought.

“Star?” Nixis said again, more urgently this time.

“Sorry. Thought I saw something,” I said. “Let's go down to the other tunnel.”

The hellhound nodded and I followed him out of the room. My mind couldn't get itself off what I had just seen. What was going on? Was Discord simply fucking with me? I'd seen several visions so far of the deity, and each one was extremely disturbing. I didn't know what to do.

We made our way back up the tunnel, pushing aside debris and rubble as we approached the station platform. There was still nothing on my E.F.S., and we hadn't heard hide nor hair of any filly. I was getting worried that the filly was no longer alive. I pointed towards another tunnel and we began to trudge down it. The track in this section of the subway had been torn all to hell. Several large holes littered the ground. We stepped lightly past them. At the far end of the tunnel most of it had collapsed in, blocking passage. I grimaced, until I noticed a blip come up onto my E.F.S. It was dead ahead. I trotted forward, inspecting the debris.

“Hello?” I called out. A whimpering noise could be heard just beyond the collapsed portion of the tunnel. “Is anypony there?”

“H-H-Hello?” a tiny voice called out in the darkness.

My heart soared at the prospect that the filly was alive. I had been expecting the worst. “Are you hurt?” I asked loudly.

“I'm... I'm trapped back here,” the voice responded. “Who are you?”

“We're here to get you out of here, sweetie. You stay right there, we'll find a way around to get to you.” I turned back to Nixis, who was peering down the tunnel intently. I started to say something, but he raised a claw to silence me.

“Something's wrong. We're being followed,” he said quietly.

I narrowed my gaze down the tunnel, following where the hellhound was looking. Nothing, not even a mouse.

“Are you sure?” I said.

The hellhound nodded, his lips curling into a snarl. One of the holes nearby began to shudder, and something... strange crawled out of it. A soft glow came off of the creature’s scaly skin as it levered itself to its feet. It's eyes were an unholy green, and a snake-like tongue rolled out of its mouth, which was lined with sharp, pointy teeth. Its claws were massive, and barbed at the tips. It glared at us, opening its maw and growling loudly.

My eyes widened. “What the fuck?”

The monster pulled itself out of its hole and started lumbering towards us. Nixis leaped forward, slicing into the creature with his vicious claws. Blood sprayed from its shoulders, but that didn't stop the beast from grabbing onto Nixis and attempting to snap and bite with its jaws. The hellhound struggled with the creature, tumbling over and rolling into a ball of fury and claws. A hissing noise from behind me told me all I needed to know about these beasts, there was more than one of them. I jumped to the side, unlatching Stargazer from its harness as another of the creatures slashed down where I had been. It snarled loudly at me.

“Eat this,” I said, dropping into E.S.A.T.S. I queued up several shots at the creature and let the spell drop. Time sped back into motion as Stargazer took aim and unleashed its payload, slamming into the monstrosity's chest. Green blood exploded from where the bullets hit. That didn't slow down the creature, unfortunately. It charged, roaring as its claws found purchase on my shoulder. I howled in pain, lifting Stargazer and using it as a battering ram right into the thing's face. It fell backward, its face caved in from my strike. It gurgled for a few moments and then stopped moving. “Nixis! Are you alright?!” I shouted to the darkness.

“I'm fine!” Nixis called, grunting as he lifted himself off the ground. The monster that he had been fighting lay on the ground below him, ripped to shreds. He was huffing loudly, clearly out of breath.

“What the hell were those things?” I said, breathing just as hard. I glanced down at my shoulder. It was red with my own blood. “They came out of the ground...”

“I have never seen such creatures, personally,” Nixis said. “Maybe these are the things that the mare was warning us about.” The hellhound noticed my injury. “Are you okay? Your shoulder...”

“I'll be okay,” I said, floating out a healing potion and downing it. Within moments the wounds on my shoulder began to stitch back up, and I let out a sigh. “We should keep moving. If those things can tunnel their way through the ground, they can get to that filly. And that's something I'm not about to let happen.”

“I can hear the child still through the rock. She is scared, but alive,” Nixis said. He put a paw up to the tunnel wall. “Unfortunately... I don't think I can dig through the rubble to get to her. Doing so could damage the structural integrity of the tunnel, and that could bring down everything, including the town above.”

“Let's... try to avoid that if all possible, please?” I said, motioning down one of the side tunnels. “Well, let's see if we can find a way around to the other side. There's gotta be another tunnel that can take us over there.” I stopped for a moment and called out again to the filly. “Stay there, and stay hidden in case those things come around, sweetie. We're going to try and find a way around to you!”

“O-O-Okay,” the tiny voice came from beyond the rubble.

I set a map marker on my PipBuck of where we were and nodded, turning away and following after Nixis. As we made our way down into the next tunnel, I felt that we were being watched. A gurgling noise confirmed my suspicions as another one of the creepy glowing creatures erupted out of the ground in front of us. It pulled itself out of its hole, roaring as it slashed out with its claws. Nixis met it head on, blocking its strike with his own razor sharp appendages. The hellhound struck back, knocking the abomination to the ground. Its brains spilled out of its head, glowing bright green as they stained the tunnel floor. Several more hissing and gurgling noises came from behind us. I glanced back, seeing four of the strange monstrosities.

“Nixis... I think we better run,” I said.

The hellhound snarled under his breath, but nodded all the same. I turned on the spot and began to canter forward. Nixis followed behind as we tried to not trip over the debris littering the tunnel. The hissing from behind us got louder as more of the monsters popped up from holes that we passed. I urged my legs forward, moving into a swift gallop. Nixis had moved beside me, pushing himself just as hard as I was. A soft light from ahead indicated that the tunnel opened up into a larger area.

We burst out of the tunnel opening, coming into what appeared to be another subway station. My eyes widened as I stopped dead in my tracks. The station was abandoned and decrepit, but not without life. Hundreds of the tunnel monsters littered the old station. They were everywhere... climbing along the walls and crawling across the platform. In the distance, the stairs leading up to the outside world were completely collapsed, preventing any escape. I grimaced as Nixis came up beside me.

“Oh,” he said quietly. “Not good.” The hissing noises from behind us stopped abruptly as the entire station looked right at us. Every creature regarded us with an intense curiosity, their tongues slithering in and out of their toothy maws. I blinked, my eyes widening.

“Not good,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest. “Not good not good not good!!!” I turned around. The group that had been following us was blocking the entrance back to the other tunnel.

“Umm... Star? What now?” Nixis said hesitantly.

I narrowed my eyes at the creatures. Many of the ones on the station platform had started approaching us. I looked to my right. On the other side of the platform was another tunnel. There weren't any creatures near it at all, which was strange.

“Close your eyes and get ready to run to that tunnel on the right,” I said, igniting my horn. I reached deep inside, searching for some sort of offensive spell that could help us. With a grin, I released my magic, creating a flash of light so bright that everything in the vicinity had to look away.

“Run, now!!” I shouted as I veered to the right, averting my eyes from the blast. My hooves pounded onto the concrete over the platform and down into the tunnel. My heart raced and I could hear it pumping loudly as adrenaline fueled every step. After several moments I could only hear the sound of my own hooves and Nixis' paws. I slowed down, stopping and looking back down the tunnel. It was empty. There weren't even any holes in this tunnel.

“They're not following us,” Nixis said. “That doesn't make any sense. Why aren't they following us?”

“I don't know,” I said breathlessly. “But I'm not about to hope for the worst. I just hope we haven't gone too off course.”

Nixis put his claw to the ground, grimacing. “I can't hear anything in the vicinity through the rock,” he said. “Not even those creatures. It's weird, it's like they're... attuned to it or something.”

“I bet Spark's attack dislodged something in one of the tunnels,” I said. “Probably freed those things from wherever they came from.” I glanced back down the tunnel we came from and shuddered. I hoped this way had a way out. I had no desire to go back through those monsters again. I pointed in the other direction. “Let's go. Hopefully we can find the filly and get the hell out of here.”

Nixis nodded, falling into a calm lope beside me. We walked along for several feet before the hellhound broke the silence.

“A thought occurred to me, Star... I've told you much about myself, but I don't really know all that much about you other than what I've witnessed and heard on the radio,” he said quietly.

“Not much to tell really,” I said with a soft chuckle. “You know as well as I do what happened at Maripony. I was there, after all.”

“Yes... I was part of the hellhounds that migrated from Old Olneigh to Ponyville,” the hellhound mused. “But what about before? Don't you remember anything from before?”

I shook my head. “Nope... not really. It's all a bit of a blur. Nothing really comes into focus whenever I try to think about it,” I said. “It wasn't until after Unity that I remember anything. I didn't even have a cutie mark after Unity.” I sighed, remembering the cutie mark that I had lost to the Twilight transformation. How long had it been since I had seen it?

“Really? I was under the impression your kind didn't have cutie marks,” Nixis said.

“I guess when we returned to our own minds... we pretty much became grown up blank flanks,” I said. “I found that I had a real talent for stargazing of all things. It's what I got as my cutie mark. I felt... proud of it.”

“Stargazing?” Nixis replied, curling his lips into a grin. “You?”

“Shut up,” I said playfully. “Just because I'm not that bright doesn't mean I don't enjoy something simple. I kind of miss it, to be honest. I haven't done it seriously since all this crazy shit started. The transformation spell... took my cutie mark and mixed my memories with Twilight.” The tunnel we were in seemed to go on forever. I swore that it would never end. A thought came to my mind suddenly. “Nixis? I just... had an epiphany I think.”

“And what, pray tell is that?” Nixis asked.

“If those things didn't want to come down this tunnel... then what's down this tunnel?” I said quietly.

Nixis grimaced. The answer to my question came all too soon. A roar sounded from down the tunnel followed by the sound of something striking stone. It sounded completely inequine. Shit... out of the frying pan and into the fire, I thought. A side tunnel jutted out from the main tunnel in an intersection ahead of us. I motioned to Nixis as we ducked down it to the left. We sat there for several moments, pressing ourselves against the wall.

Then I saw it. A hulking mass of fur and muscle strode by in the darkness. Its eyes gleamed a dead sliver in the gloom. Each footfall it took made a thunderous sound. It stopped at the intersection and began to sniff the air around it. I cringed, pressing myself back as hard as I could, hoping and praying to Luna that the thing wouldn't see us. It sat there for several long minutes, sniffing and growling. Finally, it turned down the intersection and started into the other tunnel. Within several more moments, it had disappeared. Only the telltale sounds of its massive paws were left behind. I breathed a sigh of relief as I dropped to my haunches.

“What... was... that?” I said, shaking. “This place is crazy. I'm never coming down into a subway ever again.”

“It looked like a Yao Guai,” Nixis said quietly. “But down in the subway, and that big? Unheard of.”

“Yao Guai?” I asked.

“Mutated black bears,” Nixis said. “Very vicious. I'm surprised that he didn't see us. They're very well known for their sense of smell and sight in the dark.”

“Don't look a gift pony in the mouth, Nixis,” I said. “Let's get moving. I do not want to be around for that thing to decide it wants to come back.”

The hellhound nodded quietly in response and we made our way back into the main tunnel. The blinking map marker I had set was thankfully pointed in the direction we were walking. We moved as quickly as we could, dodging the rubble and debris scattered along the track. Eventually the tunnel opened up into a substation that looked like it had been used for repairs. It was lit by several half-working emergency lights, providing a soft ambiance to the station. The tunnels on the opposite side from us ran directly into a collapsed section. My heart soared however, when I saw a small cream-colored filly sitting next to the rubble. She looked up, her eyes lighting up with joy. She stood, trotting over to us.

“Are you alright, little one?” I asked.

The filly nodded in reply. “Yeah... I'm fine,” she said confidently.

I smiled. For such a small filly, she was showing remarkable bravery. Much more than I was capable of it seemed.

“We had feared the worst. Your mother is very worried,” I said. “What is your name, little one?”

“Fizzy Pop,” the filly said. “What's yours?”

“I am Radiant Star, and this is my friend Nixis. He's going to help us dig our way out of here,” I said, motioning to the hellhound. Nixis smiled, curling back as many teeth as he could. The filly didn't even bat an eye. Tough kid, I thought. “Now then, are you ready to get out of here?”

“Sure, I just need to say bye to Harry,” the filly said.

I stared at her blankly. “Umm... who's Harry?” I asked.

The filly chuckled, pointing a hoof past us. I glanced behind me and nearly jumped out of my skin. Standing on the substation platform was the Yao Guai from earlier. Now that I could see the thing in better light, I was far more frightened. The monster easily stood taller than me even on four legs. I also noticed that it hadn't moved yet. It was just standing there.

“Sweetie, stay back behind us. When I tell you to run, you ---” I started to say.

The filly didn't listen, pushing past me and running towards the giant bear. I called out, but it was too late. The Yao Guai sniffed the air and made a low rumbling noise as the filly got closer. Fizzy Pop wrapped her forelegs around the great beast's neck, giggling. The bear did nothing, absolutely nothing whatsoever, at least to the filly. He sniffed the air again, growling in our direction.

“Oh, you silly billy, they're here to get me home to my momma!” Fizzy Pop said. “They're okay.” The bear grumbled, seeming to look down at the filly. It nodded once in response.

“What,” I said flatly. Now I had seen it all. If tunneling monstrosities hadn't done it, a filly snuggling a giant mutated son of a motherfucking bear almost certainly took the cake. I nearly fainted right then and there. I stopped for a moment, studying the beast.

“Star... do you see?” Nixis said, pointing.

I followed his gaze to the beast's eyes. It was no wonder I had seen them gleaming earlier. The beast was blind. I blinked.

“Harry doesn't see too well, but he knows you're there,” Fizzy said. “When I got trapped down here, he saved from those freaky looking monsters. He's been keeping me safe. This place is his house!”

I chanced a step forward. A low growl elicited from the bear, a warning to not come closer.

“Calm down,” I said softly. “We're... we're not here to hurt you or the filly. We just want to take her home. Get her away from the monsters. Can you understand me?” The bear growled in response, but nodded. “Good. Do you maybe know a safe way out of here? Or at the very least, a route that takes us to another station we can dig ourselves out of?” The bear shook its head. Darn, one could hope, I thought, grimacing.

“Star. The other tunnel here isn't nearly as bad,” Nixis said, inspecting the collapsed section of tunnel. “I don't know where it leads, but I should be able to dig here if I'm careful.”

“Start digging then,” I said. “I will watch and keep an eye out for any problems.”

The hellhound turned towards the rubble and began to slice through it like it was butter. He grunted, picking up stone after stone and tossing it to the side as he worked. I kept a wary eye on both the bear and the tunnel. The bear was nuzzling the filly as she laughed and giggled with him. The tunnel was empty. A little too empty, and a little too quiet. I stepped down onto the track, listening intently.

“What's wrong?” Fizzy Pop said, noticing that I had stopped. Harry too, was watching the tunnel. I grimaced.

“You can feel it too, can't you?” I said to the bear. It nodded. “Those monsters. They're coming. All of them. Nixis... how much longer?”

“I'm working as hard as I can,” Nixis replied. “If I go any faster I could bring down this part of the structure.”

I blinked. That's it, I said. I looked over the filly.

“Fizzy, get onto Harry's back. We're gonna have to make a break for it as soon as Nixis can punch through to the other side,” I said.

The filly nodded and lifted herself onto the bear's massive neck. Harry growled in agreement as Fizzy settled in.

“Nixis, do what you have to do but make a big enough opening that we can collapse it once we get onto the other side. We cannot leave that open,” I said.

The hellhound saluted and returned to his work with an intense fervor, ripping into rock and stone and rebar. The tunnel sat quiet.

I cocked my ear, hearing the sound first. Hundreds of hissing, gurgling monstrosities were coming up the tunnel. I grimaced, taking aim with Stargazer and letting loose a torrent of fire down the dark tunnel. I heard yelps of pain and snarling from the ones that I must have hit. The substation shuddered suddenly.

“Let's go!” Nixis shouted. “Get onto the other side! This thing is going to come down any minute!!”

I nodded, turning on the spot and running towards the hellhound's makeshift tunnel. Harry bounded in front of me, squeezing in just behind the canine. The tunnel lurched, and some debris began to fall. Hissing and snarling and snapping sounded from behind me. I didn't even turn to see what I knew already to be there. The tunnel began to start collapsing just as I reached it. I howled, firing up my horn and unleashing my magic into a teleportation spell, appearing right in my line of sight in front of Nixis. As I did, the tunnel collapsed completely, the roar of falling debris filling my ears. I coughed at the dust that kicked up from the rubble.

“Miss Star! Are you okay?” the filly shouted, bounding down from the giant bear's neck.

I smiled. She was safe. We’d managed to do it.

“Yeah, I'm alright. We're all alright. Let's get you out of here, sweetie,” I said.

I groaned, shoving another piece of rubble out of my way off the ruined stairs. Nixis worked beside me, tossing rocks and stone to the side as we finally broke through to the metal gate leading back into the Wasteland. I pushed it open with my magic, sighing as I felt the sun on me. I took a deep breath and looked behind me. The Yao Guai and Fizzy Pop were walking up the cleared stairs, the filly blinking as she looked at us.

“Alright, everyone,” I said. “Let's figure out where we are.” I turned on my automap and checked the map marker for Central Station. Thankfully we were only about an hour away to the west. I sighed. “Looks like we've got a bit of a walk, but we're safe for the moment.”

“I'm gonna get to see momma!” the filly shouted happily. Her expression turned to a sour one. “But where... where's Harry gonna go?”

I raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Harry should be fine,” I said. “He's a mighty scary Yao Guai. I doubt anyone would want to mess with him.” I glanced over at the bear. He was sniffing the air. He bayed into the wind happily.

“It looks like he has found something worth pursuing,” Nixis said.

The filly nodded sadly, running up to where the bear was standing.

“I love you, Harry! Thank you for saving me, be good now!” she said, planting a kiss on the Yao Guai's cheek. Harry grunted and took off, disappearing into the ruins of the city.

“I think you made yourself a lifelong friend, little one,” I said with a smile. “Now, come. You can ride on my back until we get back home.”

We started along the path, keeping an eye out for anything dangerous. Thankfully our journey was short-lived and we found ourselves trotting into Central Station. The townspeople looked up, seeing the filly. A cry of joy erupted from the crowd as Violet, Steeljack, and Fizzy Crunch came storming towards us. The mother picked up her filly and cried as she hugged her close. She looked up at me, tears spilling out of her eyes.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” she said. “I thought I'd never see her again!”

“Momma! I missed you!” Fizzy Pop said.

“Oh, I missed you too, darling,” the elder mare said, pulling her filly close. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“No, Momma, I had help. Miss Star and Nixis and Harry saved me!” she said.

Violet looked up at me, blinking. “Who's Harry?” she said.

I glanced over at Nixis. There was no way that she was going to believe us about Harry.

“Don't ask,” I said, chuckling. “Come on. Let's get back to Tenpony. I need a long shower and we need to check on Patch.”

“Alright. Why don't we ask 'Harry' to come along too?” Violet said teasingly. I blinked. She was making fun of me!

“I'll have you know, Harry was a very nice bear,” I said, turning to make my way out of the town.

Violet giggled. “Sure he was.”

We started walking but stopped when a voice called out behind us.

“Miss Star! Miss Star!” Fizzy Pop yelled.

I stopped and craned my neck back. Fizzy had a bag around her neck.

“Yes, little one? What is it?” I asked.

Fizzy Pop reached into her bag and produced a spherical object. She held it into the air. “The mismatched one told me to give you this,” she said. I blinked. It was a memory orb.

“The mismatched one?” I said. “What do you mean?”

The filly shrugged.

“He just said you'd know what it meant,” she said. She went bounding off as I collected the memory orb, placing it into my saddlebags.

I narrowed my gaze after the filly. Discord, I thought. What is your game, already? First I'm seeing fucked up visions of you, now you're leaving me more memory orbs! Did you plan for that filly to be stuck down in those tunnels? Or did it just suit you because you knew I couldn't resist helping?

“Star?” Violet asked. “Everything alright?”

“I don't know, Violet,” I said softly. “I'm not sure what's going on right now, but I aim to get to the bottom of it. Discord wants me for something. And I want to know what.” I started walking as the others followed. I was going to get to the bottom of things.

Within several hours we made it back to Tenpony Tower. Night was starting to fall, and the guards were waving the last of the travelers entering the tower in for the night. I decided that Dusk Blue could wait, and instead wanted to know what was going on with Patch. We took the elevator and headed up to our suite. I pushed open the door, seeing the green mare herself, along with Lilith. They were sitting on the old couch in the middle of the room, listening to the radio. They both looked up as we entered.

“You're back,” Lilith said.

I nodded silently. Patch looked... well, for the most part she looked like hell. I guessed that she'd been crying. I was not happy at that prospect. Did that mean the foal was gone? I didn't want to say anything first, preferring to let her tell us at her pace. Lilith smiled softly, placing a hoof on her friend's shoulder. Patch forced a smile.

“Hi,” she said. “Sorry, I'm just really tired. Long day, and all.”

“Agreed,” I said, chuckling softly.

“I saw the doctors,” she said.

“And...?” I ventured to ask, preparing myself to engulf the young mare in the most spine crushing hug ever based on her answer.

“Well... they don't know what's going on, actually,” she said, sighing.

I blinked. WHAT?! I thought angrily. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY DON'T KNOW?!

Patch must have seen the vein in my forehead, because she waved a hoof to calm me down. “Sorry, that was a little dramatic, I guess. Basically, the results were inconclusive. They do know the foal is not gone, but they don't know anything about what is there, either.”

“So what did they say?” Violet said, sitting down across from the mare as Steeljack rested his other hoof on his love's other shoulder. Nixis carefully placed himself against the wall as he watched.

“There's... there's a doctor in the city. He's supposed to know everything there is to know about this kind of thing. His name's Dry Rot, well... that's what it is now. He's a ghoul,” Patch said. “The doctor I saw said that he's helped them out numerous times with unusual pregnancies.”

“Where is this Dry Rot?” I asked.

Lilith smiled brightly at this. She lifted a crudely drawn map of the city, showing an X.

“He lives in a settlement called Duskhoof,” she said. “It's below ground under the old Ministry of Peace hub. Would make sense, since he's a doctor and all.”

“Sounds like a ghoul town,” Steeljack said, glancing over at me. “Whatcha thinkin'? Go and visit him?”

“Tomorrow,” I said. “We're at a dead end here with Spark. If this doctor can help us with Patch, then I want her to see him.”

Patch shuddered a bit. “Hopefully he's not like... a gross ghoul,” she said.

“What about Spark?” Lilith said. “Did you find anything out?”

“All we know is that she was looking for something. I assume that since she didn't find it is why she has moved on towards Everfree,” I said. “After we leave Manehattan, that will be our next destination. Hopefully we can catch her before she does whatever it is she's planning to do.”

“And the NCR?” Violet said. “What are we going to do about them?”

“The NCR and the Twilight Society are going to need to work out a compromise. I figure if I can get Dusk Blue and Kirby in the same room talking, then there won't be any need for us to hang around,” I said.

Patch's eye lit up at the mention of the name. “Did you say Kirby?” she said.

“Sure did,” I said. “But he's a Captain now. He wanted me to tell you hi for him. Said he misses you.”

“Captain? Wow... I knew Kirby was good, but Captain is pretty impressive,” the green mare replied. “If he's at the helm of this, I'm sure you can get him to cooperate. Maybe I can put a good word in, or something.”

“Let's just focus on one thing at a time,” I said. “I'm going to speak with Dusk Blue in the morning about all of this, and tell him our intentions. You know... we also didn’t even see Sunshine Sky. I wonder if she came back to the Tower.” I shrugged. “Now... if you'll excuse me, I'm rather tired and in need of some sleep.”

“Pssh, you just want to go look at that memory orb that the filly gave to you,” Violet said, grinning.

“Filly? Memory orb?” Lilith said. “What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time?”

“The kind of trouble where we never speak of it again,” I said.

Violet giggled loudly. “Oh come on, tell them about Harry,” she said.

I glared at the mare with death in my eyes. I highly wished I could shoot laser beams out of them.

“Who's Harry?” Patch said.

“Harry's a bear,” I replied. “Just a bear.”

“An imaginary bear,” Violet sing-songed.

“He was quite real,” Nixis interjected.

Violet snickered, turning into full-fledged laughter. She began to roll over on her sides.

“Oh that's... that's... hilarious!” She chortled in between breaths. Nixis grimaced. He did not look amused by this. Violet rolled her eyes and wiped tears of joy from them. “Sorry, okay... you win. Harry was a bear who was real, there you two happy now?”

“Quite,” I said, standing and grinning widely. I grabbed my bags and trotted to where our bed was.

Violet rolled her eyes once more and bid her good nights to the others. Steeljack wrapped his forelegs around Patch on the couch, staying there with her as Lilith made her way to her own bed. I smiled softly at the two earth ponies, remembering what Steeljack had told me before about his promise. I had no doubt in my mind that he wasn't going to keep it.

Violet slumped next to me, cozying up close as I removed the memory orb from my bag. I spun it around on my hooves, sighing.

“So, what do you think it is this time? Ooh, maybe you'll get lucky and it'll be Twilight having sex,” Violet joked.

“Not exactly the image I was going for there, Violet,” I said, grinning. “Granted, that'd be a fair shade better than what they have been. I still don't get it though. Why? Why is he leaving me these orbs? What does he want me to see?”

“I can't answer that one, Star,” Violet said quietly. “We'd have to go to the source for that, and unfortunately he seems to be missing in action.”

“Well, only one way to find out what the hell is going on in this thing,” I said, lighting my horn. I grabbed onto the orb and dove in, feeling the world slide away in a flash of white.

My host groaned, a chill breeze blowing across her coat. Her eyes were closed, but I knew exactly who I was. Twilight was second, third, and fourth nature by now. The mare stirred, coming out of her sleep and opening her eyes. My host's vision came into focus, and I heard beeping from beside her head. The soft white walls of a hospital room appeared. My host looked up towards the window. Outside, the spires of Canterlot rose. It was then that I realized that my host also wasn't alone. Five mares sat on a bench along the wall. They were resting peacefully. My host smiled softly as she sat up, ruffling her sheets. Rainbow Dash was awake immediately, the chromatic mare at my host's side in a flash.

“Twilight?” Rainbow said. I could tell by her face that she'd been crying. “Are you... are you okay?”

My host coughed. “Water,” she croaked.

Rainbow Dash nodded intensely, zipping across the hospital room to the sink. She pulled out a cup and filled it, returning it to the bed-ridden mare. My host took the cup with her hooves and began to drink slowly. She set the cup down and looked down at her sides. Her sides were bandaged heavily, red stains bleeding through from below.

Twilight sighed and looked up at Rainbow Dash. “How long was I out?”

“Several days,” Dash replied. “I... We were worried sick about you.”

“I seem to recall that a little differently the last time we spoke,” my host snorted.

Dash turned away. “Twi, come on, don't be like that. We love you, and we always will. You know that. You scared us, you know,” she said shakily. She was barely holding on. “I mean, we thought you tried to kill yourself, you know that?”

Twilight reached out with a hoof, setting it on Rainbow's shoulder.

“I'm sorry... I didn't know,” she said. “Dash... I don't know what to say...”

“Just promise you won't ever do anything like that ever again,” Dash said solemnly. “Promise me.”

“I... I promise,” Twilight said.

“I believe you, Twi,” the chromatic mare said. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No, I think I'll be alright,” my host replied. “I just need to get some rest, I think. The others, they're still asleep?”

“Do you want to talk to them at all?” Rainbow said.

My host looked over at the others, still slumbering on the bench. They looked peaceful. More peaceful than they’d ever looked.

“No... there will be time enough for that later,” she said. “Right now I just want to rest.”

Dash nodded as my host rested her head back onto the pillow. She closed her eyes. I almost expected the memory to end, but it didn't. Instead the scene shifted. Twilight was still in the hospital room, but now she was alone. Twilight grunted as she pushed herself into a sitting position. A knock at the door gave her pause.

“Twilight?” a soft voice called from the other side. “May I come in?”

“Umm... yes, it's fine,” Twilight called back.

The door opened, revealing a regal white alicorn. Princess Celestia stood tall as she entered the room, but even I could tell she was just masking her emotions. Celestia sat down next to the bed and looked Twilight directly in the eye.

“And how are you feeling today, my faithful student?” she asked.

Twilight chuckled softly. “Please, you know I haven't been that for a long time,” she said.

“You'll always be my faithful student, Twilight. You know that,” Celestia chided gently.

“Busy,” Twilight said. “Very busy. My absence is causing the Ministry to go insane. It's like they can't do anything without me. And to boot I've got a meeting with Trixie at the end of the week.”

“I believe I asked about you, Twilight. Not your Ministry,” Celestia said.

Twilight averted her gaze from her one-time mentor. “Sorry, Princess.”

“You can call me Celestia, you know. Just because you're a Ministry Mare doesn't cheapen the bond we share as friends,” Celestia said.

“Sorry, Celestia,” Twilight said, chuckling. “I'm feeling alright. Pain's gone down a lot since I woke up. I had a visit from your sister earlier today.”

“Yes... I'm afraid we aren't on speaking terms at the moment,” Celestia said. “You know how I feel about the war, and all. I am pleased to see that you are well, however. I don't know...”

“It's okay, Celestia,” Twilight said, interrupting her. “I know.”

“Were you... successful in your task?” Celestia said, her expression turning deathly serious. My host simply nodded in reply. “And the item we discussed... it's been buried in the old castle ruins. It will stay there for eternity.”

“Good,” my host said. “Celestia... what do we do now?”

“Now? Now, we live, my faithful student. We do our best and we share the magic of friendship with each other,” the regal alicorn said.

“But Spark...” Twilight started to say.

Celestia lifted a hoof to stop her. “Spark is where she needs to be. Her place is with the Elements,” she said.

Twilight sighed, but nodded. I could tell that there was more to this than Celestia had let on.

“You're right,” she replied.

“I am afraid I must now take my leave of you, my faithful student. I wish you well in a speedy recovery,” she said.

Twilight smiled, bowing her head. “Thank you,” she said as Celestia left the room. After several moments, she let out a large sigh and laid her head back onto her pillow.

“Oh... what a touching scene,” a deep voice said from within the room. “Student and Princess reunited in the bonds of friendship. Gag me with a stick.”

Twilight sat up, seeing two yellow mismatched eyes appear in midair. The eyeballs appeared to be the bodies of giant bees. They buzzed around the room, landing on two flowers that had mysteriously grown on the hospital room floor. The ground turned to dirt and a mismatched aberration of animal parts climbed out. The bees that were its eyes zipped around the room and landed back in his head. Discord grinned a cruel grin, his eyes gleaming.

“Discord,” Twilight said. “What do you want?”

“What do I want? You're asking me, the god of Chaos, what I want?” Discord said. He grinned, snapping his fingers. A throne of snakes appeared next to him, writhing and slithering about. Discord reclined back in the makeshift throne. “You know... I really don't know. That's the beauty of it isn't it? Me, the god of Chaos, knowing what I want? That's almost as funny as Loony Luna with glasses.”

“I've got to get some rest, Discord. Why don't you go see Pinkie Pie or something,” she said.

Discord shrugged. “The Element of Laughter isn't quite as much fun anymore, you and I both know that. Not since she started doing those nasty little mints she loves so much,” the deity said. “No... I want something more important from you, Twilight Sparkle.” His voice turned venomous. “I know what you did.... last summer.”

“What?” Twilight said, cocking her head in confusion.

Discord cackled wildly. He was just as insane ages ago as he was the first time I’d met him.

“Sorry, I meant to say the other night. I have no idea where the other thing came from? Maybe I saw it in a movie?” he said. “Don't you love it when your mouth just runs away with you?” As if on cue, the mouth on his face popped off and grew legs, running around the hospital room. Discord's eyes widened as he flew after it, grabbing onto the runaway mouth. He popped it back onto his face. “I didn't mean literally. Sheesh.”

“What do you know?” Twilight said angrily. I could tell she was getting upset.

“I know what you did to the Elements, Twilight. Even one such as I could never do something so... so cruel,” Discord sneered. “You and your little friend Spark, you piqued my interest.”

“So? What are you going to do about it?” Twilight snarled. “Tell everypony? Try it, and I'll make sure that you're sealed back up in stone for it.”

“Threats, Twilight Sparkle? My, my... this war really has gotten to you hasn't it?” Discord said, chuckling. “Do not assume to presume my intentions, Sparkle. I am a god after all, beyond the scope of your mortal understanding.”

“Spit it out already, Discord. What is it that you want?” Twilight said. She was on edge now.

Discord merely laughed in response. “What I always want, my dear. A good show. That and I want your power, of course. The power you so carelessly threw away to seal old Sparky,” he said. “With power like yours, I wouldn't have to pretend that I'm reformed, after all. I'd be invincible.” He waved his hand and snapped his fingers. The throne of snakes disappeared in a flash. “All you have to do is be willing to give it to me.”

“You... you monster,” my host said. “I would never...”

“Never what? Be careful before you finish that thought, Twilight Sparkle. You no longer have the Element of Magic connected to you. So I would watch what you say to me,” Discord said, grinning widely. “You see, being the god of Chaos and all, I know something that you don't. This little war of yours, it's coming to an end. But it won't be the end that you're expecting.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight said. “Once I get I.M.P. up and running, we'll be well on our way to winning the war.”

Discord snorted. “Yes... well... what I'm talking about is a slightly different end of course. Spoilers, my dear Twilight Sparkle. But since I'm the god of Chaos, I can bend those rules slightly and tell you one little eensy weensy tiny secret,” he said, coming in close to the purple mare. She stayed silent, glaring at him. Discord's eyes blazed with joy. “What's the matter, Sparkle? Cat got your tongue?”

He stuck his tongue out at Twilight, a grey stripey kitten clinging to the end of it. The kitten flapped as Discord blew a raspberry at Twilight. The Mare of the Ministry of Magic frowned.

“Tell me,” Twilight said angrily.

Discord came closer until he was whispering in my host's ear.

“You... you are going to die alone, Twilight Sparkle,” he said. “Sad, but true. But that's not all... no... tell her what she's won, Johnny!” The draconequus motioned over to the wall where another Discord appeared. He was wearing a flashy suit with a slicked back black toupee. A microphone was held in his claws.

“Well, Discord. Our plucky young survivor here has won an all expenses paid trip to the afterlife! Yes, that's right, the afterlife! She'll enjoy beautiful spas and unending hellish torment for the rest of her pitiful existence!” The second Discord said. The first Discord cackled wildly.

“Thanks, Johnny. You can go now,” he said, pulling on a cord out of the ceiling. The second Discord fell through a trap door, screaming. “You see, Twilight Sparkle. I know how this is all going to end. And I need... a little insurance. I need you. The power you sealed away with the Element of Magic. All you need to do is tell me where it is.”

“If you're so great and powerful, then why don't you find it yourself?” Twilight spat. “Forget it. I'm not helping you.”

Discord glared at her and sighed defeatedly.

“Fine. It was worth the shot. I suppose that we'll be seeing each other again, Princess Twilight,” he said. “I daresay that I am looking forward to it.”

The draconequus snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash of bright light. I blinked. I half expected the memory to end after this, but it didn't. Instead it seemed to turn gray and grainy. I was jerked out of Twilight's mind and into darkness. The scene before me had turned into a film reel displayed on an invisible surface.

“Who's there?” I called out. A cackling erupted in the void around me. I narrowed my gaze as the film playing in front of me burst into flames, disappearing with a crackle and a pop.

“Hello again, Radiant Star...” a voice said from the darkness.

“Discord,” I said with a growl.

Two blazing brilliant orbs appeared in the void. They expanded until they were as large as bowling balls. The massive head of the draconequus shimmered into existence behind them. A cruel grin was brought forth from the deity of Chaos as he regarded me.

“Yes... did you enjoy my little messages? I know I did,” he said, his snake-like tongue slithering out of his mouth.

“What do you want? How are you even doing this?” I asked.

The spirit cackled madly. “I'm the spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, I can do whatever I so desire... within limits of course. Even Chaos has a little Order. It's more unpredictable that way,” Discord countered. “I've missed you, little Star. Have you missed me?”

“Why are you following me, Discord? Why leave the memory orbs?” I said.

“Because I wanted you to see,” the spirit spoke honestly. “I wanted you to see the lengths that Twilight went to. What she did to the Elements. Why. Who. What. When. Where. How. You know, that old song and dance.”

“All I saw was you threatening to take her power away,” I said angrily.

Discord laughed heartily, shaking as he doubled over. He floated back into the air and grinned evilly.

“And yet my little Star... she threatened me back. Does that tell you something? It certainly told me all I needed to know at the time,” he said. “I told you before that I play the long game. And now, I'm making my move.”

A massive chess board suddenly appeared between us. The pieces on my side were me, my friends. The other side consisted solely of tiny Discords. His pieces were animated, howling and laughing and jumping about.

“There's a storm coming, Radiant Star. A great big storm of chaos, and there's nothing you can do about it.”

“Try it, Discord. I'll make you eat your words,” I said.

Discord put a paw to his chin for moment. “Eat my words, dear me really?” He said. In the air beside him appeared the words 'Eat my words'. Discord plunged a fork out of nowhere into them, devouring them. “Hmm... tastes... sort of like chicken.”

“By the Goddess, can't you ever be serious about anything?!” I shouted angrily. “I have no time to deal with you, Discord. Spark is out there, and I have to stop her.”

“Spark is the least of your concerns, Radiant Star,” Discord said, turning deathly serious in his expression. “You see, you and I are going to play a little game of chess. My way. I've made my first move. Now it's your turn. I'm in the city somewhere. It's your job to find me. Do so, and the next stage of the game begins. But I warn you, Radiant Star. Run... Run, and I will hunt you down... and then... well I will not be so forgiving.” The spirit of Chaos floated into the air before me, growing to magnanimous proportions. “Now, I leave you with a little parting gift. Ciao, Radiant Star!”

A window appeared, looking into a cell. Sitting inside was a pink unicorn, chained to the floor. She struggled, crying out for help. Sunshine Sky?! I thought frantically. The window disappeared, poofing into nothingness.

“Discord!!!” I roared as the entire world faded into white, plunging me back into the world of the living.

Author's Notes:

Hoooly crap what a chapter this was for me. I started working on this, and I could not – repeat, could not put it down. I had tons of fun with this chapter. From dealings with the NCR / Twilight Society, old faces and new, to the subway scene, learning more about Star and Nixis at the same time, to Discord... I really enjoyed every piece of this. I hope you do too.

Also, the basis of the creatures in the subway are based off of the Tunnelers from Lonesome Road. I fricking hate those things! I got killed so many times the first time I ran through that by those bastards.

In keeping with tradition, Chapter 27 is known as “The Oncoming Storm”

Anyways, onto the plugs! As always, keep asking Star questions over at http://askradiantstar.tumblr.com!

My fic plug for this week is off the beaten path a bit, because I'm plugging my own content for a change. Weird, I know, but it's still a fic recommendation. You see, back in Chapter 19, when we first introduced members of the MMMM, Wirepony and I had this idea of revisiting the city of Chicacolt (since we both knew we'd be leaving soon) in an episodic format where we could tell stories about the various characters living there. The character that spurned all of this was The Moose, the leader of the Chocoholics in the MMMM. So... without further ado, I present “Fallout Equestria: Tales of Chicacolt”. Every chapter is a different story, and every chapter is about a different character in the city, told through their eyes and may even be different perspective (third vs first) or different genre styles! The sky's the limit folks. Our goal is to tell the story of one of the Wasteland's most prolific cities, in short story format, one chapter at a time. As such, this story is also co-authored by Wirepony, who will be graciously offering his talents to write chapters for it too.

I also can't get away from this without thanking Wirepony and McMesser. You guys are awesome!

Major thanks again to Kkat, for the creation of this world that I now play in.