Mourning. Mourning is the natural response to death. We all mourn for the loss of another. We all cry and feel the pain that we will never know that friend's voice, their touch, their smile ever again. That they are gone.

I often wonder, did I ever truly mourn the loss of my mother, of my Goddess? I feel like I never did. I wish sometimes that I had. Despite how twisted her minds had become, Trixie's love for us was pure. Twilight's gentle guidance helped us along. Mosaic and Gestalt gave us focus. We all participated in glorious Unity.

But that is no way for ponies to live. Because without emotions, there is no mourning. Friends who are lost are forgotten, not remembered. There is no hope, no desire, no pain. Without pain, ponies can't feel. They can't connect with others.

That wasn’t a way I could live. Not anymore. For if I could not remember what is to come next, I would go insane. I would scream and tear at the world until I could feel. I would mourn. If I couldn’t mourn, I would lose everything. I would not be able to celebrate, to love.

I would die.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave, focusing on the purple flickering source of light just below the sleeping form of the dragon. I grimaced, racking my brain for what I knew about dragons. All my reading from Fort Knowledge hadn’t covered dragons at all. Twilight’s memories were silent on the matter, despite the fact that she herself had a dragon for an assistant. Instead I decided to study the slumbering beast. It's scales were a dark forest green with light green spines running up and down its back. Puffs of smoke bellowed from its nostrils, floating up and out of the top of the mountain.

“Well... shit,” I muttered to myself quietly. There had to be a way to get the shard out of there and get away without waking the dragon up. I carefully lit my horn, reaching out across the dreary cave for the pulsing shard. My telekinesis wrapped around it and attempted to lift it carefully from the mounds of gold.

Nothing happened. The dragon shifted in its slumber, the shard moving with it's body. My gaze narrowed at the blinking crystal. It was connected to a chain that was wrapped around one of the dragon's forearms. It was attached! Not only that, it wouldn't even respond to my magic! I nearly cried out in defeat right there. I pulled out the star-crystal from my bag. It was blinking rapidly in time with the shard in the cave. There was no doubt about it, it was definitely another piece of the shard.

A clicking sound drew my attention. My eyes drifted down to my PipBuck. The radiation counter on it was clicking slightly up into the green. I blinked. Radiation? Here? But there's been no radiation anywhere else in the Everfree... I thought. I looked back up at the dragon, realizing that it didn't look absolutely perfect. In fact, it was a bit bulgy and gross in some parts of its body. What the... is it a ghoul? Or just radioactive? I mused as I pondered the possibility that the radiation was coming from the dragon itself. That was bad. It meant whoever got the closest to take the crystal would have to be able to withstand the rads.

Pocketing the star-crystal, I quietly made my way back to the mouth of the cave where the others waited. I sat down, sighing.

“We've got a big problem,” I said.

Violet stepped forward, cocking her head. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Is the shard in there?”

“It's in there alright,” I replied. “Along with a nasty looking dragon. In fact, it's attached to a chain that's wrapped around the damn thing's arm.”

“A dragon?” Violet said. “What in the heck is a dragon doing all the way up here? I thought most of the dragons were gone.”

“All I know is that there's one here, and it's asleep. We need to get the shard away from it,” I said.

“So... stealth mission then,” Lilith said. I grimaced, but nodded in reply. “You do know this is you we're talking about here, right? You're not exactly known for stealth.” She grinned widely.

“Funny, funny,” I said, giving her a glare. “There's another problem too. The dragon's emitting some radiation. Whoever gets close to it is going to need to have some Rad-X and RadAway handy.”

“What about levitating the shard away?” Sunshine said.

I shook my head. “Wouldn't work. Tried that already.”

“Hoard magic,” Violet said. I blinked in confusion, prompting Violet to continue. “Hoard magic. The shard is part of the dragon's hoard, so it can't be removed by magical means. In a sense, it belongs to the dragon. The only way to get it out of there is to physically remove it.”

“How do you know so much?” I said in awe of my marefriend's intellect.

Violet snorted. “Because I read,” she said, a subtle grin playing on her face. “Unlike somepony I know.”

“Hey, I read!” I exclaimed.

“Old Power Ponies comics don't count,” Violet said, sticking out her tongue. I glared at her in response. Violet merely rolled her eyes. “Oh, fine. Sorry, sweetheart. You're just too easy to get riled up.”

“Regardless, we need to get this shard away from the dragon, right?” Steeljack interjected. “Who's going to get it?”

“I'll do it,” I said. “I should be able to get close enough if I use my invisibility spell.”

“And when something goes wrong?” Nixis asked, a wry toothy grin on his face.

Violet giggled, earning herself another glare from me. My friends, no confidence in my abilities!

“If something goes wrong, we'll grab the shard, provide a distraction for the dragon and then high-tail it out of here before it even knows its missing,” I replied, ignoring the statement of 'when' versus 'if'.

“What about us?” Violet said. “What are we supposed to do while you're getting the shard?”

“Stay hidden and watch the dragon. If it wakes up, well... then I guess we'll be running out,” I said. “I'm not really sure we want to fight this thing.”

“Couldn't we... you know... just ask it for the shard?” Sunshine said, her tone hopeful. “Maybe it's friendly.”

“Hasn't been a single thing in this forest that's friendly so far,” Steeljack replied gruffly. “Unfortunately, we have to react as if the thing is hostile because if we don't... it will kill us.”

“As much as I applaud wanting to take the diplomatic route,” Violet interjected. “I agree with Steejack. Dragons aren't well known for their niceties. Especially when it comes to their hoards. They're extremely protective creatures.”

“It's settled then. I'll sneak in, grab the shard, get out,” I said. “Easy peasy lemon breezie.”

I unlatched my bags, handing them over to Violet so that they didn't flap around and make any noise while I was walking. I also disengaged Stargazer from its harness, leaving it in my marefriend's capable care. The only thing I kept was the star-crystal in hopes that it would somehow aid me in taking the shard piece.

I trotted lightly over to the cave entrance, flaring my horn. I felt the tingling sensation of my invisibility spell washing over me. I moved forward, veering to the right up the side wall of the cave as I entered. A nook with a platform overlooking the central chamber sat embedded in the wall. I watched as the others carefully and quietly made their way up next to me, using the tiny alcove as a means to watch the dragon. They settled in to keep an eye on things, Violet issuing a Rad-X pill to the others to combat any radiation.

Sneaking my way down to the central floor, I grimaced as I realized the scope of what I was attempting. The dragon's hoard was scattered throughout the cavern haphazardly, piles ranging from tiny molehills of old Equestrian bits to massive hills of golden trinkets and technological treasures. The broken remains of a several spritebots filled one corner, while at least two intact suits of Steel Ranger power armor stood stoically amidst another pile. The dragon rested comfortably on the largest pile, a mountain within a mountain. The closer I moved, I noticed that the dragon was certainly a lot bigger than I'd originally noted. Just how old do these things get? I thought as I tip-hoofed between piles of jewels and gold chalices. I reached the edge of the pile the dragon was on, getting a much better look at the beast.

It had to be at least hundreds of years old. I wondered briefly if this dragon had seen the end of the war. My PipBuck was clicking harder now, it's meter moving up into the yellow. The radiation this thing was emitting was incredible. It was like its own nuclear reactor! I extended my wings and flapped as silently as I could, bringing myself up the hill without stepping on any of the trinkets or treasures along the way. I found myself directly in front of the creature's left forearm where the chain was attached. The shard piece jingled slightly as the dragon breathed in and out. I reached out, placing a hoof on the shard. It was warm and pulsing, like the star-crystal was. The chain attaching it was silver and gold, glittering in the darkness.

I carefully undid the clasp holding the shard onto the chain, reaching out to grab the shard with my hooves. A loud rumbling sound stopped me as the dragon's body tensed and the shard went dropping down to the bottom of the hill, loud clinking noises following every bounce. I turned slowly to my left, coming face to face with two glowing green eyes.

“A thief,” the dragon rumbled loudly. “Seeking my treasure. And such a pretty little thing, too. Pity. I'll have to eat you.”

My eyes widened. It can see me?! I thought frantically. The dragon chuckled darkly.

“Oh, I know that you are there, little thief,” it rumbled again, its mouth opening slightly to reveal row after row of glistening teeth. “Now, hold still while I devour you whole.”

I dropped the invisibility spell as the dragon lunged forward. My wings snapped in, dropping me down onto the pile of gold and coins roughly as the dragon's jaws snapped down. It growled loudly, its eyes following me as I leaped from the pile into the air. I was airborne for a brief moment, the dragon's massive paw slapping me out of the air and towards the cave wall, where I hit with a grunt. The dragon stretched out, it’s muscular forearms shoving its massive body upright.

“Resilient little thief,” it said, its eyes drawn over to the alcove. It sniffed the air. “Little thief brought me dinner. How... appreciative I shall have to be.”

It snarled loudly as my friends charged down the rough stairs leading down to the central floor. Moments later the alcove ceased to be as the dragon's tail whipped about and smashed it into featureless rubble. Peeling myself off the wall, I heard Steeljack open fire with Tempest’s rifle, sharp retorts echoing around the cave. The dragon roared, the piles of golden trinkets shaking under the beast's furious wrath.

“Violet!” I shouted, taking to the sky as my marefriend tossed Stargazer up to me. I caught it in my magical grasp, bringing it to bear at the winged creature. I set off a burst of shots, each one unfortunately bouncing off the dragon's scaly hide.

What? I thought frantically. But… Stargazer is supposed to be able to hurt even Discord! Why is it not working for me now?! It roared again, turning its attention towards me. I felt the air around me sucked in. My eyes widened as the beast's maw expelled a gout of bright green flame right at me that illuminated the entire cavern. I panicked, calling forth Shining Armor's shield into existence as the flames reached me. I bounced away under the explosive pressure, my PipBuck screaming into the red. A rush of energy filled my body as the radiation did, strengthening the shield and keeping me from being burned to a crispy bit on the floor.

The dragon's fire cut off as the beast was distracted by fire from a different source. Violet shot Thunder Flash, kicking out bright streams of silver at the creature. They too, bounced off the dragon's hide, but at least distracted it from firebreathing. I grimaced, dismissing the shield and scanning the cavern for the shard. It's gleam couldn't be seen from where I was flying. In the distance, Lilith was up in the air as well. The Bitch wound up, its whining sound ringing clear across the cavern as it delivered its payload. The dragon, without batting an eye, reached up and swatted the projectile out of the air, sending it soaring towards the nearest cavern wall, where Nixis and Sunshine stood. Several large rocks plummeted towards the two, only to meet vines that sprouted from the ground, protecting the unicorn and hellhound.

I soared down, firing off another burst of shots that proved to be just as ineffective as they were the first time I'd tried. My PipBuck's rad-meter had returned to clicking normally as the dragon wheeled around and tried to strike me with its tail. I flew up, barely missing the heavily spiked appendage. This is crazy! I thought, spinning about and firing again. Again, the bullets bounced off. How in the hell are we supposed to stop this thing if I can't even hurt it?! The thought of what Twilight had told me rung through my mind. The star-crystal shard was an energy source of some sort. Even incomplete, could I use it to power up Stargazer? Would it even work? I had to try. I floated out the star-crystal, looking for a place on the gun's chassis where it would fit. A compartment on the side opened up, revealing a hollowed outline of a six-pointed star. Of course she would, I thought as I realized it reminded me of Twilight's cutie mark. I slid the crystal into place, closing the compartment. I took aim at the dragon, who was preoccupied with slashing at Lilith. I pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened. Stargazer didn't even fire. It sat there, and I pulled the trigger again and again. Still, nothing shot out of the gun's barrels. I growled, opening the compartment and pulling out the star-crystal. It came out infuriatingly easy. I lifted Stargazer again, pocketing the crystal. It hadn't even worked at all! I pulled the trigger once more, and still nothing happened. I looked at my E.F.S., wondering what in the actual hell was happening. Several messages popped up in the upper left hand side of my vision.

Incompatible Power Source Detected...

Stargazer system has failed to load compatibility module...

Reboot Required...

Shit! I thought frantically. Not only had I managed to make the crystal not work with it, but I'd also somehow shut down Stargazer's systems and made it not work either! I realized I didn't even know how to reboot it. Without Patch around to look at it, I was dead in the water as far as firearms technology was concerned. I latched the gun to my harness, intent on looking at it later. I turned my attention back to the dragon. It was still attempting to slash at Lilith, who had continued to elude it by zipping back and forth erratically. I dove down, putting all my effort into a sharp buck at the dragon's snout. It felt like I was striking solid rock. Pulling away, I landed on the cavern floor next to Violet, groaning loudly.

“Star!” Violet exclaimed. “Are you alright?”

“Stargazer's shut down, none of our attacks are working,” I replied. “We need to find the shard and get the hell out of here.”

“I think I know where it is,” Violet said, pointing with her metal hoof.

I followed her gaze, seeing the blinking shard underneath the dragon's stout legs. It bounced with the dragon's stomps, but the creature refused to budge from the spot. It was still trying to blast Lilith out of the air, massive blasts of fire that barely missed the nimble mare. She was getting tired and I knew it. I groaned ever louder. No wonder I couldn't see the shard from the sky! It was under the stinking dragon!

“Great, how do we get it away from there. Not like I can just fly in and grab it without him noticing it,” I said.

“We need a distraction,” Violet said coolly. “You let me deal with that. You grab the shard and then teleport us back outside the cave.”

“Teleport?” I said. I knew how much Violet hated teleporting.

Violet grimaced. “Yes! No time, just get ready to go!”she shouted, charging forward and sending several blasts of silver at the dragon's legs.

The beast roared in response, exhaling a stream of green flame that melted a pile of gold near her. I growled, taking to the air again next to Lilith, who'd gained a reprieve from Violet's attack. I scanned the area. Steeljack, Sunshine, and Nixis were still together, now waving and jumping up and down to get the dragon's attention. Violet had made her way over to the forefront, using Thunder Flash to lure the dragon in.

“Little thieves... such pretty little trinkets you have... Razorfang will HAVE THEM!!!” The dragon snarled loudly. Then... it grew bigger.

I blinked. It was a minimal amount of growth, but it grew bigger all the same. It snarled and snapped as it reached out with its claws to slam down on my friends. I flared my horn, casting Shining Armor's shield spell over them as the claws came down. They impacted hard, but the purple barrier held. I grunted, leaning into the pain of maintaining the shield. This was not going according to plan! The dragon reared back, preparing to unleash a blast of flame upon the shield. I panted, the earlier attacks having drained my magic enough that I couldn’t hold Shining Armor’s shield. I needed to do something. Snapping my wings in, I came into a dive, desperately reaching out with my telekinesis and slamming the dragon's jaws shut. It snarled flame, gouts of green pulsing out of the corners of its mouth as the massive beast whipped its head towards me.

“Grab the shard!” I shouted, releasing my hold on the dragon's jaws.

Green flame shot out, barely missing me as I dropped like a stone towards the ground. It impacted with the ceiling, turning it into molten rock almost immediately. My eyes widened. I really didn't relish getting burned up by that fire! My friends were on the move again, hopping over the piles of metal and gold towards the blinking shard. Violet reached it first, picking it up with her hooves. The dragon's attention turned instantly, roaring loudly.

“MINE!

It snarled and snapped, as if it somehow knew that Violet had picked it up. Hoard magic, remember? Violet said so, I thought.

“Violet! Toss the shard up into the air and get everyone out of here!” I called out. I soared downwards as Violet threw the shard up. I managed to latch onto it, grabbing the blinking crystal with my forehooves. The dragon roared again as I lurched into the air, the shard pinned to my chest. “Come and get me you overgrown lizard!”

“I will KILL YOU, THIEF!” the dragon howled. “Your bones will serve as lovely toothpicks when I am finished with you!”

“First time I've ever been called a toothpick!” I called back, teasingly. “Let's see if you got the skills to pay the bills!”

I turned and twisted through the air, flapping my wings as hard as I could. I felt the air drop out behind me as another blast of flame hit the wall next to me. I cringed, pushing forward. The rad meter on my PipBuck was blazing now this close to the flame without a shield. It gave me the strength I needed to keep moving. I was glad that I'd told the others to get out of here. Several blasts of silver told me that Violet at least, hadn’t listened. I groaned. The sound of gunfire renewed itself, attempting to draw the dragon's attention away from me. No! Go run! I'll be fine! I thought frantically. The dragon turned to where my friends stood, near the rear of the cave. He growled loudly, stomping forward.

“Little thief's friends are annoying, Razorfang SMASH!!” he roared.

I grimaced as I stopped in mid-air. I couldn't use Stargazer, and the radiation was bleeding off as fast as I was accruing it to be useful. We were stuck. I could only do so much to keep the dragon's attention before it decided that killing my friends was easier. I did the only thing I could think of. I flew down and landed next to my friends.

“This doesn't belong to you!” I shouted, lifting the shard so he could see it. “We didn't even want to fight you in the first place!”

“Star, what the hell are you doing?!” Violet exclaimed.

I lifted a hoof, silencing her. “Razorfang! That's your name isn't it? You can understand me?” I asked.

The dragon snarled and roared, but wasn't moving forward. It could understand me. It knew exactly what I was saying.

“Razorfang! Yes... I am Razorfang! My hoard! MINE!” it replied.

I narrowed my gaze at the green monster. “I don't want any of your horde, just this,” I said, shaking the shard a bit. “And only this. Maybe we can offer a trade?”

“Little thief wants to trade? Little thief will die for its impertinence,” Razorfang snarled. The dragon opened his mouth, sucking the air in around him.

“Star... now would be a good time for a teleport...” Violet said, nudging me.

I nodded, starting to flare my horn. I was about to cast the spell, the dragon's mouth ready to open to unleash its torrent of flame before a single gunshot rang through the air. A bullet impacted the dragon's right eye, blasting the glittering orb into a ruined crater. Blood spurted from the wound, spilling forth over onto the dragon's face. I blinked. I recognize that gunshot! I thought as my eyes turned towards the source of the sound.

“Leave. My. Friends. ALONE!”

A mare's voice called out, followed by the sharp retort of a gun we all knew too well. Para Bellum. My eyes widened as I realized that sitting on the top of a nook near the entrance to the cave was none other than Patch herself. The one-eyed green mare had her sniper rifle resting on the rock, it's barrel smoking. She fired again, hitting the dragon in the neck. It punched through the heavy scales like a knife through butter, the dragon howling loudly in pain. Standing next to Patch was a female hellhound. Avira. I blinked, realizing the how of her arrival, if not the why.

“Patch?” Steeljack said, his visor retracting back.

I realized quickly that this was our chance. “Everyone, get going to the cave entrance,” I said.

“I'll go and help Patch and Avira,” Steeljack said quickly, charging off towards where his love was.

I couldn't quite see Patch too well from where we stood. Was she still pregnant? Why did she come here of all places? I didn't know, but I didn't have time to think about it as I followed behind the others. I stopped near the entrance hall, looking up at where the grey stallion stood next to Avira.

“Steely?” Patch said. “Get out of here, there's no time!” She returned to her scope, firing off another shot with Para Bellum at the angered dragon. The cave trembled underneath the monster's fury as it managed to pick itself back up off the ground. It glared directly at where we were standing. Steeljack looked up, cursing under his breath.

“Patch, we've gotta go. You shouldn't be here!” he replied loudly.

My eyes widened as I realized why. Patch was still pregnant. Not only that, she was very pregnant. Her belly was swollen and she looked strained. Her mane was ragged and frayed, and she was devoid of her normal barding. I doubted that it even fit anymore.

“Don't worry about me! I can get out of here just fine!” Patch said, taking another shot, this time missing the dragon, which was stomping across the cave.

I flew up to the nook, landing in between them. Avira made her way down the stairs to follow after Nixis, who waved as the others galloped out of the cave. I nodded, letting her go.

“Star, get Patch out of here, now!” Steeljack said.

I nodded, reaching out with my hoof and placing it on Patch's shoulder. “Come on, my friend. We got what we came for,” I said softly.

Patch glared, but finally relented, nodding as she allowed me to pull Para Bellum up for her in my magic. The mare's single eye widened as she realized that Steeljack was no longer next to us. He was down in the cave center, sending shot after shot with Tempest's rifle at the dragon.

“Steeljack, what are you doing?!” I called out.

Steeljack lifted a hoof. “Get her out of here! I'll distract it!” he called back. Patch started to call out, but the grey stallion continued on. “No arguments! I'm not going to let that thing get you. I love you, Patch. Now GO!”

“Teleport, teleport!” Patch said frantically, tears forming in her good eye. “Star, please!”

I nodded, bringing my magic to bear. I heard the dragon roar, and felt the air in the cavern drop away. I glanced up, noticing the dragon was aiming right at us. There was going to be no time to cast a teleport and get away from that. It would incinerate us. I shuddered as I pushed into the spell, but my magic was starting to get weak from using it too much.

A sharp retort cut through the still air, the bullet from Tempest's rifle striking the dragon unerringly in its neck where it was still bleeding. The dragon halted its breathing and roared, turning its attention to Steeljack. The stallion leaped forward, peppering the beast with another round of shots.

“Hey, you! Yeah, you. Ugly! Leave my marefriend alone!” he shouted, stomping his forehoof into the ground. The dragon snarled in response.

“Steeljack!!” Patch cried out.

Steeljack's visor pulled back, grimacing. “Star, I told you, get her out of here!”

Patch scrambled up to get Para Bellum back onto the ledge, sending a series of shots at the dragon that ultimately went wide. Steeljack leaped into action, moving to the side of the cavern around the dragon while firing to keep the dragon's attention. The dragon roared, turning towards the gray stallion.

“Thieves! Stealing my treasures! I will crush you! I will burn your bones to a charred crisp!” The dragon called out.

Patch fumbled with her weapon, the sniper rifle clattering underneath her shaky hooves. My PipBuck chattered at me, letting me know that the radiation levels were still steady. I had to do something. I had to get Patch out of here, but Steeljack...

“Patch, we need to get out of here!” I shouted.

Patch shook her head furiously. “Not without him!” she croaked. “Come on Star, you gotta get him out of there!”

I grimaced, glancing across the cave, through the piles of molten metal and blackened treasure. In a short matter of time, the dragon had done worse damage to his own hoard than we could have ever done ourselves. He was clearly mentally unhinged and not willing to listen to reason. Steeljack... he couldn't stand up to that. I realized that he knew something, something else that he thought we didn't. The venom, I thought, my eyes widening. Did he perhaps think that the venom would eventually kill him? That the antidote hadn't worked after all? I pursed my lips, nodding. I wouldn't let Steeljack give his life away like this. He deserved to live, to see his foals, to be happy. He deserved it more than anypony I'd ever known.

“I can try again. It might take me some time though,” I said.

Patch nodded frantically. My horn sparked, the magic for the teleport spell building up again. I started to envelop all of us in its throes, but Steeljack was moving very quickly. Teleporting an erratically moving target was highly difficult, and it wasn't like I could restrain him. The grey stallion looked up at us, and more specifically... Patch. He mouthed something I couldn't understand. His visor closed up and he resumed his assault on the dragon, focusing on the beast's existing wounds. I leaned into my quiveringly weak magic, finally getting a lock on him. I was in the process of casting the spell when I heard it.

The air sucked out of the cave, and a blaze of green flame erupted from the great beast's maw. Steeljack disappeared in a boiling maelstrom of balefire. My spell broke in half in the sound that came next.

Steejack screamed. It was the most horrifying sound I'd ever heard in my entire life. No... No no no no no no! I thought as Patch howled from beside me. Tears were streaming from her good eye and she was crawling up to get Para Bellum back into place. Steeljack! We need to... I need to... FUCK!!!

I turned, tears spilling forth from my eyes as my horn reassembled another spell in the back of my mind. I roared, casting it on the dragon. The anti-gravity spell took hold immediately, ripping the dragon from the cavern floor and sending it flailing unceremoniously towards the roof of the cave. It slammed into it with a tumultuous crash, sending shockwaves through the mountain. The dragon's fire cut off, revealing Steeljack.

The stallion was standing still, the armor that was Tempest smoking. I shouted for him, but he did not move. I roared in anger, a spike of pain coming from my horn as I forced the teleportation spell. Time and space fell through and we reappeared outside the cavern near the others. I turned to the cave entrance. The gravity spell wasn't likely to last, and the dragon would definitely leave the cave to get to us. I had no choice but to seal it in. I snarled, ripping stone by stone from the entrance. The others were shouting, I couldn't hear them. I had to stop this. No pony else would... No... I couldn't think like that. Steeljack had to be fine! He just had to be! I couldn't accept that he was... he was...

The dragon came wheeling around the corner, roaring loudly as the last stone I needed came free. The entire mouth of the cave came tumbling down, collapsing on top of the massive green monster. It howled as dust and debris struck its already serious wounds, struggling to get free of the avalanche. It wasn't enough. Soon, nothing but rock and rubble covered where the cave had been.

“Steeljack!!!” I heard someone cry out. It must have been Patch. I turned, almost as if on autopilot. Violet was with her, kneeling next to where Steeljack had fallen from the teleport. Her horn was glowing furiously, ripping apart Tempest with fierce determination. She cried out as she removed the helmet.

“No... no dammit... NO!” Violet shouted, her voice choking.

I stepped over, unsure why. I needed to know. I needed to see. He couldn't be... he couldn't... no... I wouldn't accept it...

Violet was ripping at her saddlebags now, a constellation of healing potions flowing out on her magic. At some point, Lilith and Avira had stepped up and were hanging on Patch. The green mare was calling out her lover's name over and over, as if to call him back from the gentle clutch of... No... I couldn't say it... He wasn't...

I stepped up and saw him. The charred remains of Tempest lay scattered around him. Not that it mattered. There was no recognizable difference. Steeljack's grey coat had been melted. My PipBuck clicked in his presence, leftover rads from the dragon’s fury. His mane and tail had been completely singed away, and his face... Oh Goddesses... his face... It was when I saw his face that I knew... that he was...

Steeljack... was dead. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. Violet was trying her best to heal him, but it wasn't going to work. The damage had already been done. I lifted a hoof to her shoulder, stopping her from pulling out another healing potion. She'd already tried to fit one in his... mouth.

“Violet.”

“No, no no! I need to save him! He's going to be alright!” she cried out.

“Violet!” I said sharply, stopping her cold. I pulled her in and embraced her, my own tears finally spilling forth from my face. “He's... he's gone. Violet, stop, he's gone. He's gone.”

“S-S-S-Star...” Violet said.

I pulled away, crawling over to where Patch was being tended to by Avira and Lilith. Nixis and Sunshine stood vigilant, their own expressions ones of loss and sadness. I grabbed Patch, prostrating myself before her.

“P-P-Patch,” I stuttered. “Patch... I'm... I'm so... I'm sorry...” Patch said nothing, returning the embrace as we both let out sobs of pain and suffering. “I should have been faster... I should have...”

Patch clung to me tighter, sobbing harder. She looked at me, her eye red and puffy.

“He knew,” she said finally. “He knew... He knew he was... going to die. He gave his life. Why? Why did he do that? Why?!”

“I don't know... I don't... I should have saved him, Patch....” I said.

Patch shook her head. I knew why. She had told me already once before. It wasn't truly me that had caused it. But I sure as hell felt like it was. Right then, I'm sure that she felt the same as I did.

“Not... not your fault, Star. He knew... knew the risks. He knew what could happen,” she said, choking on her tears. “I knew them too. But he's... he's gone Star... He's really gone, isn't he?” I nodded in reply, tears streaming out of my own eyes. “We... we need to bury him. We can't just... just leave him like that...”

I nodded again, pulling myself from the green mare and standing. She was right. We had to bury him. We couldn't leave him here. He deserved better. He deserved... I slumped to my haunches next to Patch. We sat there for what felt like forever, and cried.

I stood over the hole by myself, scraping out piles of dirt and rock with my aching magic. It was a nice little part of the cliff that overlooked the entire forest. The others were still in the back of the clearing with Patch and Steeljack's body. I had volunteered to handle digging the grave. I had to. Patch was a right mess, and my own tears had all dried up hours ago. A throbbing headache pulsed at the base of my horn and echoed in my entire body as I continued to dig. I felt horrible.

Steeljack was gone, and there hadn't been a single thing I could do to get him out of there. Was it my fault? I had managed to stop the dragon from breathing, but just a little too late. The damage had been done. Had Steeljack known? I didn't see how he could have. He was too busy worrying about Patch.

Patch. I wondered how she must be feeling. Would we have all made it out alive if she hadn't shown up? I sighed. I couldn't think that way. Patch had saved us. If she hadn't shown up... we'd have all been dead. Instead, now it was just Steeljack who'd died. Steeljack... who'd given himself up so that his love could be safe.

I hated it. I cursed the very ground I now dug up to bury him. Steeljack didn't deserve to die. He deserved to live. He was supposed to be happy! But... the reality of it was that he did die. And the dead don't come back to life. Or did they? Twilight had come very close to casting her spell that nearly resurrected Shining Armor. But it required another pony's body. Could I do that to somepony? Steal their body and force Steeljack's spirit into it? No, I decided. I could never do that to him. He wouldn't let me. He'd just smile and say that everything was alright. Well it's not alright... It's just... It’s not! I knew deep in my heart though that the spell wouldn't help. It wouldn't really bring back Steeljack. It wouldn’t allow his spirit to move on. I had to let him go, to find peace.

I don't recall how long I actually stood there, staring at a deep hole in the ground before I felt Violet tap me on the shoulder. I jolted out of my numbness to look down at her. She nodded at me solemnly. Her eyes were red and puffy, much like everyone else's were. I glanced back to see Nixis carrying the body. He was trying to restrain himself, but I could tell that he too was hit hard by this. Steeljack and he had forged their friendship in the heart of combat at Colter Field, and the respect the hellhound carried for his friend was truly strong. Avira walked beside him, keeping a paw on him for support. Her expression was pained as well, as if she herself had felt every ounce of Nixis' love for his friend.

Nixis gently laid the body down into the cold earth. It looked as though Sunshine and Violet had wrapped him in some of the gauze we'd found at the star spider station. He looked... peaceful. Tempest had been completely stripped from him, the rifle and charred helmet floating off to the side in Sunshine's magic. Lilith and Patch appeared, stepping up next to Nixis as I flared my horn, returning the dirt to the earth it came from and covering Steeljack forever. When the grave was covered, I floated a large rock from the collapsed cave entrance and placed it over top. Tempest's rifle and his helmet rested against it now. My magic flared up once more, and it was as if the pain in my horn seared the words into the flat side of the rock.

HERE LIES STEELJACK.

FRIEND. LOVER. FATHER.

FOREVER AT PEACE

“Steeljack... we first met at the NCR Hotel in Filly,” Patch said, breaking the cold silence that filled the air. Her voice was weak, but it didn't matter. We listened. “He... he was so nice to me, and eventually we found ourselves with a lot of spare time on our hooves.” She chuckled slightly. “We all know how that turned out. He cared, a lot more than anypony ever realized. He didn't say much, and I know that his kids would have been proud to have him as... as a father.” She broke down, crying some more as Lilith pulled her in close for a hug.

“Steeljack would have been a great dad,” Violet said softly. “He would have done anything to protect them from the Wasteland, just as he did for Patch.” Another awkward silence descended upon us.

“True friendships are forged in fire and hardships,” Nixis spoke finally. “Steeljack gave me the opportunity to be a better dog, to shake off the mantle of the slave. He taught me to be a friend. He will be missed and regaled in the tales of my kind for centuries to come.”

“I didn't know him that well,” Sunshine admitted. “But he was always very nice to me. I miss him already.”

Everyone looked up to me, expecting me to say something. What can I say? I’m not good at this. I hate the fact that he’s gone? I don’t know!

“Goodbye Steeljack,” I simply said after a few long moments of fighting with myself. “You were a true friend. On your grave, I vow that I will protect your foals and their mother with my very life.”

“Me too,” Lilith said. “I know that.. that I wasn't always very nice, and especially not so nice to Patch. But I will make sure that she and her foals will live long and healthy lives. I owe that to Steeljack. He was a great stallion, and I will miss him so much.”

I nodded, turning to look down at Patch. “And that means that you should not be here. You should be back in Ponyville with Avira,” I said shortly.

“I... I couldn't just leave you guys,” Patch said softly. “I had to do my part. Avira only just helped me here.”

I smiled as best as I could manage. “You still saved us from the dragon, Patch. I'm... I'm not angry that you're here. What happened... what happened is nopony's fault. Not even yours,” I said. “Steeljack gave everything to protect you, and now I will do what I must to keep you safe. We're going back to Ponyville to resupply and take you back.”

“I agree with the Ministry Mare, young Patch,” Avira said, stepping up and placing a paw on the green mare's shoulder. “As I said many times throughout our journey here. Your condition is rapidly approaching it's ultimate conclusion, and you should not be out shooting dragons. You should be in bed.” Patch nodded numbly in reply.

“It's settled then,” I said. “We'll make camp here tonight, since it's a relatively safe spot where we have height advantage, and then we'll head for Ponyville tomorrow morning.”

The others nodded. Sunshine and Lilith trudged towards the clearing along with Patch. I stayed put, my eyes drifting down to the gravestone. I sighed, slumping to my haunches while the others made their bedrolls up. Only Violet remained. She tried to smile, but I knew that she couldn't.

“Are you alright?” she managed to ask. I shook my head mutely. “Do you want to come to bed?”

“I think I'm gonna stay here for a little bit, Violet,” I said softly. “I need to think about some things...”

Violet winced, but nodded all the same. “Alright,” she said, trotting off towards the others.

I lay down next to the gravestone, mulling over my thoughts. I had to wonder if Twilight's resurrection spell really could work. Maybe there was a problem with it? Maybe that's why it didn't work in the first place! Maybe I could fix it! A delirious fantasy of me fixing the Wasteland's problems with a single spell washed over me as I fell asleep. There was one pony who would know if I could do this, and I had to speak with her.

I opened my eyes, standing up immediately. The door to the library lay before me, slightly ajar already. Twilight was expecting me? I stepped forward, pushing the door open and making my way into the library. Twilight was where I expected she'd be, sitting in the library, a book floating in front of her. She peered around it, rolling her eyes.

“I thought you would show up,” she said. “Have a seat, Star.”

I plopped down across the main room from her, narrowing my gaze at her.

“You expected me? Why?” I asked.

Twilight lowered the book, nodding. “You seek something that is beyond your control,” she said. “Of course you would come to me about it.”

“The resurrection spell,” I said. “Will it work? Can I bring him back?”

Twilight pursed her lips, shaking her head slowly.

“I'm sorry. The resurrection spell is... it's evil, Star. Pure and incarnate. Alicorn magic is powerful, and not to be trifled with,” she said. “Besides... even if it could work, it requires a body. Do you have a healthy body that you could bring Steeljack's soul back into?”

“I don't,” I said with a grimace. “But maybe that's the problem... maybe we can fix the spell, make it better?”

“No, Star. You must accept the reality of the situation,” Twilight replied. “Your friend is gone. His soul is beyond the veil now. Much like Shining Armor's was.”

“What do you mean?” I said, cocking my head.

“Souls pass from this world onto the next, Star. They are guided into the Summer Lands, the eternal resting place of all ponies. To pierce that veil is to steal the authority of a Goddess,” Twilight explained. “Once a soul has passed the veil, it is too late.”

“But you almost succeeded with Shining, right?” I said.

“Shining's soul was already gone by the time I sealed Spark. Spark led me on, making me think that I could do it,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “But it was only a ploy to get me to cast the spell to give her a body. Shining was dead. His soul passed the veil. The spell can only acquire a soul that has yet to pass on, which is incredibly rare.”

I blinked. My thoughts turned to a specific green mare who had done that very thing. Lucky. I'd gotten her killed, and yet her spirit persisted. Did that mean there was a chance for her? Could I bring her back? I grunted, returning my attention back to Twilight.

“Steeljack wouldn't have passed on,” I said defiantly. “He'd want us to try and save him!”

Twilight scoffed. “By all accounts, Star. Your friend would have passed on. You were safe, his lover was safe. His unborn foals, safe. He did what he did to save them,” she said. “That in itself, is a good death.”

“There's no such thing as a 'good' death,” I snarled. “What was I thinking, coming here and asking you about this? You won't help.”

“I'm sorry, Star. You know as well as I do that what I'm saying is right,” Twilight countered. “You cannot bring your friend back to life anymore than I was able to with Shining.”

I scowled, hanging my head. “I just thought that... maybe there might have been a chance,” I replied, feeling a little defeated.

Twilight looked away for a moment. Something was bothering her.

“Did you know that my brother had a son?” Twilight said softly. My ears perked up as I looked up at her. I shook my head. She sighed, but continued. “My nephew. He was such a lovely little unicorn. He was so talented. When the war started in full swing, he joined my Ministry.”

“What... what happened to him?” I asked, cocking my head.

“Still, I don't know what happened to him... he died most likely. Or became a ghoul. Either way, my point is... I know how you feel, Star. I wanted badly to save Shining Armor. I wanted it so bad I fell for Spark's trap,” she said. “A trap that took two hundred years for me to finally rectify.”

I nodded, looking down at the ground for a moment. A long awkward silence descended upon us.

“Twilight?” I said finally, breaking the silence. The lavender mare met my own gaze. “When I faced Honesty... she told me that I might need to seal Spark away. Using... using that spell.”

Twilight's gaze narrowed at me. “I see,” she said coolly. “You know that defeating Spark is what is required. Once Spark is out of the picture, I will be able to fix things properly.”

I grimaced, unsure of what she meant by that last remark. All I wanted was for this to be over, to be able to go home, wherever that was now. It had been so long ago that I'd left Fort Knowledge, did I truly belong there anymore? With Steeljack gone... where did any of us belong?

“I... I will do what is necessary,” I said. “If Spark is to be sealed, then I will do it. But not before I try talking to her first. If she can be convinced --”

“No, Star,” Twilight said, cutting me off. “Spark can never be convinced. She is dangerous and evil, and she must be stopped at all costs.”

I glared at her. At all costs? At all costs didn't include losing one of my closest friends. Twilight's horn glowed, bringing the book she had been reading back up to face level.

“Now then, if that is all you have... I have some reading to finish.”

I sighed, nodding and turning back towards the library door. I stopped in the frame.

“What was his name?” I said.

Twilight peeked out from behind the book. “What?” she asked in return.

“His name. Your nephew. What was his name?” I repeated.

“Star Gazer, why?” she replied.

I blinked. Saying nothing, I turned back into the doorway and stepped into the void.

My eyes shot open and I realized I was still resting near Steeljack's grave. It was a little cold, but the sun was quickly peeking out from behind the clouds. I thought about the last question I'd asked Twilight. Her nephew was Star Gazer. That name ringed all sorts of bells. He was the one who'd designed my weapon. No wonder she had known so much about it. She'd asked her own nephew to build it!

My eyes drifted to the now inert firearm. It had yet to come back online after I'd tried to use the shard to power it. I wondered if I had broken it. My eyes forced open even wider. The shard! I'd completely forgotten about the second piece. I turned my eyes back towards the gravestone. It was understandable why, but even Steeljack would have agreed that I needed to keep moving forward. As much my heart ached, as much as I wished he was still here… He wasn’t here, and I was going to have to accept that. There was no magic spell, no cure. Nothing, other than our memories of him, that could keep him alive.

Opening my saddlebags, I lifted out the star-crystal and the shard I'd collected from the dragon's cave. Focusing my magic on both, I felt the surge of energy rush up between them as they began to merge. The star-crystal changed again, gaining a few more points around it. It shimmered in the darkness as its light shot up into the sky once more. I knew this part. I stood, the light covering everything as far as the eye could see. It flickered, changing again. The Everfree Forest of old sat in all its splendor before me. In the distance I could see a castle, in my time and place the Cathedral. Even during whatever time this crystal was showing me the castle was in ruins. Then the crystal flickered again, returning me to the Wasteland that was my home.

Picking up speed and intensity, the star-crystal strobed this time, sending a pulsing beam of energy out into the forest. The final piece of the shard was located downwards and deeper. I couldn't quite see what it was pointing to, just the edge of several ruined structures. I narrowed my gaze as the beam dissipated. I knew that just like before, I'd been the only one to see the light. It was light in my mind, not in the real world. Just what is this thing? I thought. Twilight claimed it was a power source, but it's unlike nothing I've ever seen before! The power pulsing through it is insane!

I pocketed the star-crystal, pushing myself up into a standing position. The others didn't appear to be awake yet, although I didn't see where Violet was laying. I tip-hoofed over, checking on Patch. She and Lilith had fallen asleep next to each other, the black mare extending a wing over to help keep the earth pony warm. Patch herself... didn't look good. I wondered how much more radiation she had accrued in the dragon cave. Doctor Rot had been off by a wide margin. Patch's foals were coming, and they would be here a lot sooner than any of us could have even believed. Was it some side effect of the radiation? Or something else?

“Star?” I heard a voice whisper. I turned to see Violet. She was standing at the far edge of the clearing, Thunder Flash hanging off of its harness. I made my way across our camp, coming to rest next to her.

“Sorry, I kind of fell asleep,” I said softly.

Violet smiled. “We noticed. We've been taking turns keeping watch. It's been my turn for a few hours,” she said. “Thankfully there's been no issues.”

“Good,” I said, trotting past her to glance over at the gravestone again. “Hard to believe.”

“It is,” Violet simply replied. “It's only been a few months, I know... but it feels like I knew him for well... forever.”

“Violet?” I said, drawing her attention. “Patch isn't looking so good. I'm worried that her foals might come sooner than we can get back to Ponyville.”

My love nodded thoughtfully. “It's certainly possible. I looked over her last night, and she seems healthy enough,” she said. “She's handling this far better than everyone else is... than even I am.”

“Patch is a lot stronger than anyone gives her credit for,” I replied. “I suspect however, she's bottling that pain inside. She's going to self-implode before too long if she keeps it up.”

“We're never going to forget him, are we?” Violet said with a grimace.

“Never,” I said. “He helped us get away. He saved Patch. He was a hero.” I sighed heavily. “And for a moment there, I thought about the possibility of bringing him back to life.”

“You... what?” Violet asked, her eyes wide.

“It's... it's not possible though. Steeljack... he would have moved on. He wouldn't have stuck around in spirit form,” I said with a nod. “Like... like Lucky.”

“But Lucky is merged with Spark,” Violet said.

“But if I can separate her... maybe I could fix that mistake. Twilight might be able to help with that,” I said, staring off the side of the cliff into the drab forest. “Maybe I can give her a second chance.”

“Well... okay,” Violet said. “Just be careful, Star. You know how much I hate this whole Twilight business.” I nodded in reply. “Speaking of, did you find out where the next shard pieces is at? You said there was... one more to get?”

“It's somewhere in the forest,” I said. “Some ruins out there. It'll have to wait. Getting Patch back to Ponyville safely should be our top priority. Plus, we're all going to need to stock up on food and medical supplies.” Flapping wings caught my ears, perking them forward to listen better. “Violet... you hear that?”

“Yeah...” Violet said. “What is --”

“Well, now... I was told that you were all sorts of tough, so-called... Ministry Mare,” a voice from above called, loud enough to wake the rest of my friends from the clearing behind us.

My eyes shot to the sky, blood-red as they were, and focused on the mare that had spoken. It was a light blue alicorn, hovering in mid-air over the forest. A red glowing gem sat in her chest, and her mane and tail were chromatic in nature. A wicked little smirk graced her sharp face.

“Let's play a little game, shall we?” she crowed.

“Who are you?” my voice rang out across the mountain clearing. My tone was very throaty, thanks to the amount of crying I had been doing. The others were still, watching intently. I was angry. Angrier than I'd ever been in my entire life. I had just buried a close friend, and now one of these... these things shows up? It wasn't right. The cyan alicorn hovered impassively in the air.

“Isn't it obvious? I'm Loyalty, otherwise known as Obsession,” she said, her pale eyes gleaming. It was an Element, of course. Loyalty... Rainbow Dash. If this golem thing was anything like its spirit's bearer, we were all well and truly fucked.

I kept thinking, trying to figure out why only one of these things kept showing up at a time. Maybe Spark needed the others to keep searching for the remaining shard fragment. I shuddered to think of what would happen if the other three Elements just suddenly showed up out of nowhere. We wouldn't survive.

“Fuck off,” I retorted angrily.

Obsession's mouth turned into a coy grin. “Such language,” she said. “You really are something, you know that? Putting down Deceit like that? That takes some skill. I'm almost impressed.”

“I don't... I don't care,” I said. “Leave me alone. Go run and tell Spark I'm through playing her sick little games, and that I'm coming for her. As soon as I have the last piece of the shard... I'll be paying her a nice little visit.”

“No can do. And for the record, I'm here because I wanted to see what you had that took down Deceit,” Obsession replied, yawning. “I could give two shits about what Spark is up to.”

“I thought you represented Loyalty?” Violet managed to say.

“Loyalty? I'm loyal, alright. Loyal to only one thing... myself,” Obsession said, her expression darkening as she narrowed her gaze at me. “Now then, from where I'm sitting I'm not seeing anything absolutely special. So, how about a game?”

“Fuck your games,” I snarled. “Come here and let's get this over with.”

Violet looked at me, grimacing. “Star?” she said cautiously.

I lifted a hoof, waving her off. “Don't worry. You guys stay here. I'll be done shortly.” I lifted into the air with a flap of my wings.

“Excellent,” Obsession said, a grin forming on her face. “The rules are simple. You, me, and a flight race.”

I nearly reached out and strangled her, or shot her, but after remembering that Stargazer was out of commission I knew the latter wasn't an option. I'd just lost somepony close to me and this bitch wanted to challenge me to a fucking race?! I growled under my breath.

“Or I could just skip the race and kill you now,” I said flatly.

Obsession looked... amused? “You're forgetting the best part,” she said. “If you win, I'll tell you all you want to know about Spark. I'm sure you want to know what she's up to, right?”

I grimaced. She had me there. I needed to understand Spark, and how I could save her without using the sealing spell that Twilight created. If Obsession knew anything about Spark it was worth finding out. Besides... playing along might get you close enough to cast the memory spell in the first place, I thought. I finally nodded, slipping my gear off and floating it towards the ground where Violet caught it in her magic. I gave her a slight nod as well, indicating that I'd be okay.

“Alright...” I said. “We'll do this your way.”

“Good. The rules are quite simple. You just need to beat me over to that other mountain range and back,” Obsession said, pointing at the second mountain peak further up the range. I blinked. It had to be over a mile away, at least!

“When do we start?” I snorted. Obsession responded by flaring her horn, summoning into existence a single stop light. I rolled my eyes. “Seriously?” The bulb flared to life, a bright red against the early morning sky.

“Starting positions,” Obsession said wryly, hovering up higher into the air level with the light.

I did the same, forming a second lane next to the other alicorn. The light changed to a bright amber. I narrowed my gaze at it. Five seconds passed before it turned green. I shot forward, flapping my wings as hard as I could. I looked to my side briefly, seeing nothing but sky. Obsession was nowhere near me, or even in front of me. I was winning! I had to be!

Then it hit me. Literally. Obsession slammed into my side, stabbing her horn into the plentiful flesh of my thigh. I howled in pain, nearly dropping from the sky right there. I flapped my wings hard, pushing away from the cyan mare, sending a blast of telekinesis at her. She moved deftly out of my reach, cycling back around for another pass. I growled. So that's what kind of race this is, I thought. One without rules.

I kept moving forward, keeping the blue mare in my peripheral vision as she curved through the sky at me. I put up my alicorn shield, hoping that it would do something against the other alicorn, but it didn't help at all. Obsession struck with the force of a skywagon slamming into the ground, sending me flying through the air as my shield shattered. I tried to catch an updraft with my wings. I spun about, spreading my wings as the other mare reached me. She wrapped her forelegs around my neck, grinning widely.

“Did I forget to mention one teensy weensy little thing?” she said as she pushed down, causing the wind to rush up around us. “I'm going to break your little body into tiny little pieces, and send you to Spark in a bag.”

“F-F-Fuck you,” I replied, gritting my teeth. I flared my horn, firing another telekinetic blast right into the mare's face. It ripped her away and I spun back upright, flapping my wings until I was stable.

A multicolored blur shot past me, and I felt pain searing from my flank. I glanced back to see blood streaming from three perfect cuts along my hindquarters. I turned back to see Obsession flying down at me from above, her wings folded in for maximum speed. I banked to the left, spinning into a roll to hopefully get away from her. She dove right past me, spreading her wings and pulling up to hover just above me.

“Well, you're better than I thought you'd be, Ministry Mare,” she called out. “But you're still not fast enough to beat me.”

I hated to say it, but she was right about that. I wasn't a fast flier by any means, and I had no doubt that Obsession could have flown back and forth twenty times between the two mountain peaks in the time it would take me to make one trip. She was toying with me, like a star spider playing with its food. I had fallen right into her trap, and let her pull me into her environment. Her playground. Without Stargazer, I wasn't even sure how I'd destroy the gem in her chest in the first place.

“You're fast,” I replied. Maybe if I keep her talking long enough I'll have some time to work something out, I thought. “You said you don't care about Spark, only yourself. Why help her then? Why not help yourself?”

Obsession sneered at me. “Helping Spark will help me, naturally,” she said. “Perfect world, and all that. Once we're in control, everything will be just... awesome. You ponies, you're so pathetic. You say you want harmony, but your actions speak so differently. You kill, you lie, you steal. What are you loyal to?”

I growled under my breath. I was getting entirely sick of the rhetoric that these things kept spewing.

“I'm loyal to my friends!” I barked. “My love! The ponies who can't fend for themselves! And I will not let some tyrannical phantasm like you decide what's best for them!” I flared my wings and flapped them hard, propelling myself at the chromatic mare. My horn ignited, sending a blast of telekinesis at her.

Obsession lifted a wing, her own horn glowing as she batted away the blast. Her eyes widened as I collided with her, the force of the blow sending her spiraling backwards. I latched onto her with my forehooves, putting my weight into everything I had. For once in my life, I was glad I had some weight to use to my advantage.

I pushed down, using my telekinesis to hold back Obsession's wings, sending us both into the next best thing to free fall. The wind whipped us back and forth while she struggled to break free. I tried my best to get close enough to her horn to cast the memory spell, but every time I thought I had it the wind knocked my head back. Obsession snarled, setting her own horn alight. Nothing happened and I had to wonder what it was that she had done. The sound of thunder told me all I needed to know. I pushed off of her to avoid the lightning bolt I knew was coming, and it struck the gem in her chest squarely. The smell of ozone filled the air as she hovered, smiling lazily at me.

“Impressive, Ministry Mare. I didn't think you had it in you to try and pull something like that off,” she said. “But let me show you how it's done, alright? This is how a real aerial fighter does things.”

Her wings buzzed and her horn ignited once more. The sky around us grew dark and drab as magical dark clouds popped into existence. Obsession grinned, kicking out at one of them, sending jolts of lightning through the air at me. I flapped hard, moving out of the way as they passed, feeling the static and the sheer surge of power the bolts had exuded. The lightning circled about the two of us, connecting to the dark clouds and creating a structure akin to a giant cage surrounding us. The air crackled and popped as I hovered there. I was trapped, no two ways about it.

I heard shouting from below me. Lilith had flown up to try and help. Given that she was the only other flier, I almost expected it. The Bitch was whining loudly, its barrel pointed at the cyan alicorn. Obsession grinned widely.

“Seems you've gotta let your friends do your dirty work for you, don't you? Pitiful,” she said. “Too bad really. You get to watch her die.” She kicked out, slamming her hooves into one of the clouds, sending a massive bolt out of it that soared through the air at Lilith.

My eyes widened. No! I'm not going to lose another friend! I thought, frantically searching for an answer. If Lilith fired now, she'd blow herself to bits! I flared my horn, weaving the magic into what I'd hoped would be a combination spell. I let the spell cast, dropping into the teleport and reappearing in front of Lilith. Immediately a purple bubble appeared around me, taking the full brunt of the lightning bolt's strike. I pushed back, sending the bolt wide away from me.

I lifted a hoof to signal. Lilith took my cue as she soared around the side of my bubble, releasing The Bitch's furious vengeance. The missile shot through the sky, cutting through the clouds like butter. Obsession didn't even move. I wondered what trick she had up her sleeve. Just as the projectile reached her, she ignited her horn and swatted at it with her wing. It exploded, engulfing her in its flames.

“Woohoo!” Lilith shouted. “Star, are you alright?”

“Lilith, be careful. She's not --” I started to say before a multicolored blur shot out from the center of the explosion. Obsession landed a brutal hoof strike on Lilith's chest, sending the black mare soaring back towards the earth below. “Lilith!!!” I turned on the spot, flapping my wings hard and fast to catch up with my falling friend. I locked my wings to my sides, my speed increasing to that of a rocket. I was not going to let another friend die! Lilith just had to be okay!

I reached out, grabbing onto the black mare with my forelegs, flaring my wings to slow my descent. Lilith shifted in my grasp, groaning loudly. A buzzing sound came from above us, catching my immediate attention. I blinked, casting my shield spell on instinct. A blast of lightning struck the shield, ricocheting away. Just because I was trying to save my friend didn't mean that Obsession was done with me. She was only just starting.

“Star...?” Lilith struggled to say as her eyes opened and she glanced up at me.

I looked down, a grimace forming on my face. “I'm gonna have to put you down along the mountain range,” I said. “I can't protect you and fight her at the same time.”

“You can let me off,” Lilith said with a scowl. “I can fly. Just had the wind knocked out of me.” I nodded, allowing the pegasus to extricate herself from my grasp. Her wings spread open and she caught the updraft next to me. “What do we do?”

“We don't do anything. Lilith, you need to get back to the others,” I said. “She's not going to wait for very long.”

“But Star --” Lilith started to reply.

I shook my head firmly. “No, I need to do this on my own. There is one thing you can do for me though,” I said, causing her ears to perk up. I grinned. “Get me Stargazer. I don't know that I can get it to work, but it's my best shot.”

Lilith nodded and took off like a rocket. I saw the blur go after her as soon as she left my side. I roared, reaching out with a shield barrier that Obsession bounced off of, spiralling through the air in a rainbow blaze. She glared at me as Lilith continued to make progress back towards the mountains.

“Hey. You and I have some unresolved business, remember?” I called out.

I grinned, flapping my wings and heading back up higher into the sky. I called on my alicorn shield as I climbed, hoping it would deter the other alicorn from attacking. Obsession chased after me, making strafing feints that barely grazed my barrier. The plan was working! I just had to wait for Lilith to show up with Stargazer. I hit my peak and curved downwards, pulling into a dive that took me closer to the mountain range. All I had to do was to keep moving. Keep moving and I could end this. I circled around, leading Obsession on the wildest of goose chases I could think of. All the while she kept harassing me, saying nothing.

“What's the matter, timber wolf got your tongue?!” I called as glanced back. Suddenly, my shield flickered out of existence. I faced forward, groaning as I realized that I'd fallen for her trap once more. I'd flown right into the bank of storm clouds! The whole time she'd been on my outside because she was steering me into an obvious trap. Obsession sneered as she closed in on me, reaching her hoof out to strike.

A gleaming blue missile shot up into the sky, slamming hard into the other alicorn's head. It knocked her back slightly as I realized what it was. Stargazer! I thought, grinning as I looked down. Lilith saluted and I caught it with my magic. I could still feel that the weapon was inert. There had to be a way to jump start it! What if I try the crystal again? It's got more pieces now! I thought frantically. It was the only thing left to try! Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the star-crystal and slammed it into the receptacle on the gun. The weapon began to hum loudly as my E.F.S. began to scroll several messages.

Power Core Accepted.

Power Compatibility Module Loaded [OK]

Stargazer System Booting (StarOS V 1.13, PONIX Compliant)

Waiting...

Waiting...

Stargazer Firing System now activated. Have a nice day.

I blinked, feeling the power within the weapon. It was ready to go. This changed the whole complexion of the day. Obsession snarled, recovering from her blow in mere seconds. She buzzed her wings fast, knocking several bolts of lightning out of the clouds at me. I turned and fired.

What came out of the weapon was not bullets. It was more akin to a blast of laser fire. Stargazer spat pure and unadulterated hell from its barrels, the bluish beams connecting with the bolts of lightning and dissipating them instantly. They continued forward, slamming into Obsession. The cyan alicorn howled as she flailed away from the lash of the beams. I whooped a cry of delight. This thing was awesome now!

“Looks like I've got the upper hoof now,” I called out. “Give up yet?”

“Just because you've got some pretty new toy doesn't mean I'm giving up,” Obsession snarled. Her horn flared, sending two massive bolts of lightning at me.

I threw up my alicorn shield and moved to the side, bringing up E.S.A.T.S. The spell came up just like it usually did, allowing me to queue up shots at the other mare. I let the spell drop, sending every shot I could at Obsession. Beams of blue light poured forth from Stargazer's barrels, searing across the sky at the cyan alicorn. She moved quickly, dodging most of my shots but catching one in her left wing. She roared in pain as the shot pierced it, sending her spiraling downwards.

This was my chance. I dismissed my alicorn shield and held Stargazer to my chest, snapping my wings into a dive to follow Obsession. She was flapping her other wing, trying to stay aloft as I caught up with her. I grabbed onto her neck with my forehooves. I had to force her to the ground. If I could get her grounded I could cast the memory spell properly. I didn't quite know what would happen if I cast it in mid-air, and quite frankly I didn't want to know. I pushed down on the cyan mare, putting all my weight onto her.

“Get... get off me!” Obsession roared, shifting her weight to try and throw me off.

I retaliated, reaching out with my telekinesis to pin her one working wing. I grinned as I wrestled my hind legs around hers, holding the alicorn in place.

Her eyes widened. “What are you, fucking crazy? At the speed we're going, you won't survive the fall! I might not even survive the fall!”

“I know,” I called out through the whipping wind. My mane was being thrown all about, making it difficult to speak. “That's why I need to be on top!”

Obsession's eyes widened again, the realization of what I was doing setting in. If I kept my hold on her, she wouldn't be able to use her speed against me. True, I might not survive the crash, but I was banking on the golem's physical integrity to protect me. All I had to do was keep Obsession facing down, which thanks to my telekinesis wasn't an issue. The ground rushed up at us at alarming speeds. We were no longer diving, we were falling.

Obsession howled all the way down, trying to struggle out of my grip. I held firm, reaching forward with my horn. There was no way to know if this would work or not, but I had to try. Fifty feet, thirty feet, twenty feet, ten feet. I pushed forward, casting the memory spell and touching my horn to Obsession's own. The world fell away into nothingness as we hit the ground.

I blinked. The memory spell had worked! It must have, I was in a memory instead of broken into pieces on the ground. I was sitting in an office, next to the one and only Rainbow Dash. I nearly whooped for joy. Violet had told me the memory spell had created some sort of shield around us when I did it to Deceit. I had risked everything on it doing the same here. Now all I had to do was to wait for Loyalty to show up. I glanced over at Rainbow Dash. She was poring over papers on her desk, designs and plans for large tower-like structures. I blinked again. I'd seen those towers before, all around the Wasteland. I never really knew what they were for, only that they did something with the weather.

There was a knock at the door. Rainbow Dash looked up from her work.

“Come in,” she said. The door creaked open, revealing a dark gray pegasus stallion with a slicked back silver mohawk. On his side he carried a very familiar weapon. Thunder Flash hung loosely from a battle saddle the pegasus wore. Rainbow's face brightened slightly at the sight of him. “Thunderlane? What a pleasant surprise.”

“I'm sorry for dropping in unannounced,” the other pegasus said, trotting up to the chair in front of the Ministry Mare's desk. He slid in easily as Dash regarded him carefully.

“You're not here for a social call, I take it,” she said coolly.

Thunderlane grimaced, but nodded. “It's Cloudsdale. They're reluctant to provide any more pegasus power to fund the war effort,” he said. “They're worried that lack of pegasi will affect Equestria's weather.”

Rainbow smiled softly, gesturing to the papers on her desk.

“See these?” she said. “This will solve that entire problem, Thunderlane.”

The gray stallion looked at the papers, his face screwing up in confusion. “What is it?”

“It's a system for controlling the weather,” Rainbow replied. “Think of it as a network of systems that will regulate Equestria's weather. I've got a meeting with the Princess and Apple Bloom later today to discuss the building of it.”

“Regulate the weather?” Thunderlane said. “How?”

“By using a single pegasus to power the whole thing,” Rainbow said. Thunderlane cocked his head, causing Rainbow to roll her eyes. “By using the power of a Crusader Maneframe, thanks to Apple Bloom, a single pony can jack herself into the whole network and regulate all of Equestria's weather. We'll be able to commit the pegasi fully to the war, and end it for good.”

“But... that's... that's insane, Dash. Cloudsdale... you know they won't go for it,” Thunderlane said. “It'll render hundreds upon hundreds of pegasi all over Equestria without a job.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Don't think I haven't thought of that, Thunderlane. But, this war, it needs to be won. The zebra don't have the air support we do. The pegasi will win the war. It's in our blood,” she said defiantly. “In fact... I'd... I'd like for you to be our test candidate for the entire program.”

“Me?” Thunderlane replied. “Why me?”

“Because I know you want to see this war ended just as much as I do,” she said. “You haven't forgotten Rumble, have you?”

Thunderlane growled under his breath. “Rotten, dirty zebra scum,” he hissed. “I'll never forget what they did to him.”

“Good,” Rainbow said. “You think you got what it takes? You'd be single-hoofedly responsible for helping to end the war. Imagine the glory of that, Thunderlane. Your loyalty to your country will save us all.” Thunderlane nodded as the memory slowed to a crawl. I glanced over to see a cyan alicorn sitting impassively in the corner. She appeared to be... crying? I grimaced.

“Are you... alright?” I said softly.

The alicorn glanced at me, her jeweled eyes shining in the low light of the office. “I had forgotten just how much she meant to me,” she replied, her hoof regarding the still form of Rainbow Dash. “She was the strong one. Not me.”

“You gave in to the others, compromised what made you... well, you,” I said.

“What is loyalty, really?” the cyan mare said. “I wish I knew. I gave up my values of that when I saw how ponies treated each other. How my bearer... how she treated the other bearers.”

“You have a chance to stop this, Loyalty,” I said, stepping closer to her. “You can help me defeat Spark. You know that not all ponies are like that. There's a new bearer out there waiting for your guidance, for your spirit to help them show the Wasteland what loyalty is truly about.”

“And what is loyalty 'truly' about, Ministry Mare?” Loyalty asked.

“Loyalty is about staying true to yourself, to being there for others no matter what. It's about being loyal to the concepts of Honesty, of Kindness, of Generosity. Hell, it's even being loyal to Laughter. It's about being there for those you care about, and never, ever giving up,” I said with a grin. “Something I know you could never do. Just like Rainbow, you'd never give up.”

Loyalty sat there for several moments, contemplating my words. She sighed.

“You know as well as I do that I can't help you,” she said. I nodded in reply. “I can disperse my spirit so you can defeat my mortal form, but you know that I can't fully be destroyed.”

“I know, but you know that Spark's goal can't be allowed to be achieved. This world doesn't need a complete and perfect order to everything, it needs love. It needs the ponies who will bear the Elements,” I said. “It needs for you to find them, so that they can heal the Wasteland.”

“And what about you?” Loyalty asked. My eyes widened. “Are you not one of the ponies who will heal the Wasteland?”

“I... I don't think I am honestly,” I said. “In all my travels, all I've ever done is make bad things happen. Sure, there's been some good here and there, but I haven't done anything important. All I'm doing is cleaning up my mess. I don't deserve the mantle of Element bearer.”

“Are you sure?” Loyalty said. “You have done much good for the Wasteland, Radiant Star. I don't think you see it, but you are a loyal friend, loyal to a great degree.”

I shuffled my hooves, looking down at the ground. “I'm not loyal,” I said. “I've let my friends down plenty of times. I... I didn't save Steeljack when I could have, I lied to my marefriend about my memory orb problem. I nearly got my friend Patch's unborn foals killed due to radiation.”

“And yet, through every time you're always there for them, trying to help, to make up for your failings,” the cyan mare said. “If that's not loyal, I don't know what is.”

“I... I guess,” I said softly. “You know, I'm supposed to be lecturing you.”

“Funny how that turns out,” Loyalty replied. “I will help you, Radiant Star. To make up for my failings, as best as I am able to.”

“I know this sounds like a funny question, but what did you ever know about... about Twilight Sparkle?” I said.

Loyalty's gaze narrowed at me. “Enough to know that she is not blameless either,” she said harshly. “Rainbow was a very close friend of the purple alicorn, of course. She is as much to blame for the state of the world as was Rainbow. At least Rainbow wanted to save Equestria.”

“And Twilight didn't?” I asked.

“You've seen the legacy she left behind, first-hoof,” Loyalty said. “The Goddess, I.M.P. Her work was the stuff of monsters and destruction, not peace. Do you know what Rainbow Dash originally wanted the Single Pegasus Project to originally be?” I shook my head. “She wanted to use it as a way to save the world. It was Luna and Twilight, and the others... they wanted to use it to wage war. Rainbow had to fight to build it the way she wanted to.”

“What would have changing the weather have done to save Equestria?” I said aloud.

Loyalty grinned. “You've already seen the fruits of that labor, even though you don't know it,” she said. “Sunshine and rainbows. The one you call the Destroyer. The S.P.P. brought sunshine back to a world that desperately needed it.”

“And you saw all of this?” I said.

“We had to watch. We were always watching. The world had changed so much,” Loyalty said with a nod. “But we stood vigilant... hoping... hoping that ponies would remember our virtues.”

“And they have,” I said. “You said so yourself. There's a pony out there who exemplifies the virtue of loyalty. If Spark has her way...”

“I know,” Loyalty said. “I fear however, our time is up, Radiant Star. You must destroy the gem on my mortal form. She will not have my spiritual support, but I warn you, she is a lot stronger than you give her credit for. You will not be able to trick her so easily again.”

I grimaced, but nodded. “Thank you,” I said.

Loyalty smiled as the misty world faded to darkness once more.

My eyes shot open and I began to move, ignoring my immediate surroundings and situation for flight. A bolt of lightning hit the ground where I had been, scorching the earth. I growled. Obsession was so fast she was already out of the memory spell, in the air and mobile. They had both been healed up already and she was flinging another bolt my way.

“What did you do to me?!” Obsession roared, her eyes blazing furiously with magical fire.

I jumped out of the way, taking to the sky to avoid her lightning. I flared my horn, snatching Stargazer to the ready as I turned around and fired, barely missing the mare. Obsession was screaming through the skies at me. I took a brief moment to get a handle on my surroundings while I flew. The mountain range the others had been holed up on was still quite close. We hadn't managed to make it far before the idea of race turned into a dog fight. I had to end this quickly, and destroy that gem. Loyalty had warned me that her golem wouldn't make it easy for me. I had to do this the old fashioned way.

“Come and get me if you want to find out!” I teased, pulling up into the air with a smirk on my face.

Obsession snarled and shot after me, following close behind. Black storm clouds filled the air around me. Lightning bolts scattered at me from every angle, forcing me to fly erratically to try and dodge them. There was no doubt about it, Obsession was pissed. I ached all over, the side effect of the memory spell combined with hitting the ground, but I was doing my best to not focus on that while I flew. I was already thankful enough that I hadn't died, and that the shield from the memory spell had protected us.

“Get back here!!!” Obsession shouted, her wings beating as hard as they possibly could.

I realized quickly that without the spirit's influence, the golem itself was physically weaker just like Deceit had been. That meant that I had the advantage. I pressed forward, pulling up higher and higher, the atmosphere growing thinner by the moment. Do these things breathe? I thought. I was about to find out. The higher I went, the harder it became to keep my wings flapping. It was getting cold. Obsession was closing in. I had to keep going! The cyan mare latched onto my tail with her teeth, intent on dragging me back down towards the earth. I grunted in pain at the force at which she pulled. I was going to certainly be missing more than a few tail hairs when all was said and done. I kept flapping my wings, the beating interspersing with Obsession's own wing flaps. She was getting winded too. I was getting the best of her! I just needed to keep going.

My eyes became blurry as I gasped at the thinness, feeling faint from the lack of air. I knew this was crazy but it was the only way I could think of to incapacitate her. Finally I felt her unlock from my tail, her form falling out of the sky towards the ground. I gave on final agonizing flap and snapped my wings into my sides, dropping down after her. The world snapped back into focus as the sweet, sweet air filled my lungs. I sped downwards, hoping to catch Obsession before she hit the ground. As I neared her I noticed something very wrong.

“Gotcha,” she said, her eyes flashing open and her wings snapping open. She lashed out with a hoof, hitting me directly in my barrel.

I yelped from the pain as the bitch knocked me through the air like I was a rag doll. It had been a trick! She'd turned it around on me and used my own tactic against me! Her rose colored eyes narrowed as I ripped out Stargazer, my improved weapon blazing out a torrent of blue light that she deftly avoided. “Fancy gun you got there, Ministry Mare. Did you think that such an obvious trick would stop me? I'll give you a hint, I don't actually breathe air like you do. All you were doing was making yourself weak.”

“Figured it was worth a shot,” I snarled back, spreading my wings to slow myself to a hover. Obsession sat there in the air in front of me. A bemused smirk crept along her face. “We still haven't finished our race, Obsession. Remember? I win, you tell me all about Spark. I thought you were more sportsmarelike than that.”

“You're right about that,” she replied. “I did promise you a race, but I lied, didn't I? You've fallen for every single one of my traps. And the others thought I couldn't take you on by myself. Hah!”

“Wait... what?” I said. “What about the others?”

Obsession snarled loudly, baring her teeth at me.

“Enough of them. They're not important! I'm the tough one! The toughest of them all!” she roared. “I'm done with playing nicely, Radiant Star. You will submit, or I will beat you to a pulp so bloody your horn and wings won't even identify you.”

“Fuck you,” I said, lifting Stargazer. “You aren't going to stop me from getting to Spark.”

Before she could respond, I dropped into E.S.A.T.S., queuing up as many shots as I could on the blue mare. Time fell back into place, and Stargazer exploded with blue light, sending streams of magical energy streaking into the other alicorn. Her horn glowed as she clapped her wings together, a shield forming around her. Stargazer's blasts turned the shield into glittering fragments as they shattered it and sunk home in the golem’s chest. She snarled as the gem in her chest began to flicker.

And then it stopped. I cocked my head in confusion. Then I realized what I was staring at. The form in front of me shimmered slightly. SHIT! I thought as I was hit from behind, forcing me to drop Stargazer from my magic. Obsession landed on me hard and I felt something crack as pain shot through my entire body. I went plummeting down, two cyan hooves wrapped around my barrel. I howled as I tried to struggle out of Obsession's grip.

“I'm faster than your pathetic little toy, Ministry Mare,” she called out through the whipping wind. “Now let's see how well you survive hitting the ground at high speeds.”

Shit shit shit shit! My mind frantically tried to piece together how to break free. Obsession was putting not just her weight into me, but using her wings to buzz us along faster. We were flying towards the ground at insane speeds. Teleportation was not an option. I couldn't cast it fast enough! An idea formed in my mind, and I gritted my teeth through the pain. Flaring my horn, I cast my spell.

And suddenly, as fast as I was going down, I started pushing up into the air on Obsession. My weight held us there and slowed our descent to a point where neither of us moved. Obsession's face screwed up in extreme confusion as she tried to figure out what I'd done.

“Gravity spell! Turns out I was prepared for this!” I proclaimed, grinning widely.

I winced as Obsession’s horn flared to life. I reached up with my forehoof and punched her in the face, slamming into her horn and causing her spell to flicker out. Blood streamed from where my hoof had struck her. Obession's wings stopped buzzing, causing us to float upward from my own weight. I glanced through the air for Stargazer, sighing. It was nowhere to be seen. I could only hope it hadn't fallen into a pond somewhere. Obsession draped limply over me, only impeding my speedy ascent by her weight. She sputtered, trying to move to get a better grip on me.

“But I'm... I'm the fastest, I'm the toughest!” Obsession stammered out through the blood running down her face.

I struck again, this time in her chest. The gem in the center began to flicker and shine. I blinked as it started pulsing brightly. Umm... it didn't do that with Deceit... did it? I thought. I tried to pull away from the dying mare-golem, the gem pulsing faster and faster as I finally slipped off. The gem exploded, jolting me with intense force as I shot up into the sky thanks to the gravity spell. I groaned, my entire body feeling ridiculous amounts of pain. Violet was going to pissed at me for this, if I survived. I felt the spell drop, my horn flickering out as I lost consciousness. The last thing I remembered was the ground rushing up towards me.

I was somewhere else. Somewhere completely not in the Everfree Forest. I was staring at the vats. The vats that had birthed me. That wasn't possible. Maripony had been destroyed. How were these things even here? Standing above them was her. Spark. Had I been captured after I defeated Obsession? No, that couldn't be right. My friends would have saved me. I was alone, meaning that this must have been some sort of stupid dream. I’d much rather have been in the library. Twilight at least wasn’t likely to try and kill me.

I stood, watching carefully as Spark turned to regard me.

“You're starting to become a real pain in my flank, you know that right?” she said angrily. “First Deceit, now Obsession? Fucking Celestia, Star, you're a real bitch.”

“Spark,” I spat, ignoring her comment. “It's been too long.”

“Not long enough Star,” Spark said. She motioned to the vats. “Looks familiar doesn't it?”

“Where are we?” I said, glaring at her. “Where are my friends?”

Spark coughed. “Well, for starters you're not anywhere physically. This is a mental connection,” she said. “As for your friends, I would assume they're with you.” So this was just some sort of lucid fever dream! I blinked. Spark rolled her eyes. “Lucky says hi, by the way.”

“She's... what?” I said, blinking again.

“Yes, she's still in there. Persistent, really. She's happy to see you,” Spark said with a groan. “I however, am not. You and I still have unfinished business, and things will go far easier if you just give up.”

“Forget it,” I said, growling under my breath. “I won't give in to you.”

Spark's gaze narrowed at me. “Oh right. Your vain little quest to save me,” she said. She lifted into the air, flapping her wings. “Look upon this, Radiant Star. This is the center of a new world in the making. These vats were brought here by a pony named Red Eye. After his defeat the vats sat here in disarray... until I arrived.”

“You want to make more alicorns? Like the Goddess?” I said, my eyes wide.

Spark chuckled. “Making everypony into an alicorn? No. The Goddess had it all wrong. Alicorns are troublesome. A subservient slave race of all ponykind, however?” Spark replied. “The I.M.P. is for the others. I've nearly got all the components in place to bring them into the physical world and give them bodies of their own. All I need is one thing.”

“The power source,” I said. “You need the power source that Twilight used to seal you.”

“Of course. Once I have that, I will cast the resurrection spell on a grand scale, granting life to the Elements. Then, all of ponykind will fall before us, and we will rule,” Spark said. “Think about it, Radiant Star. No more war. No more hate. Harmony. Pure and simple Harmony.”

“That's not Harmony, Spark. That's Unity,” I argued. “And you won't succeed. I'll stop you.”

Spark lowered back down to my level, rolling her eyes again. “Please. You're going to stop me?” she said. “I hate to tell you Star, but you're being led in the wrong direction by that Sparkle bitch.”

“What's that mean?” I said.

“You really believe Sparkle has your best interests at heart? Even you had to notice how quickly she betrayed me,” Spark replied. “I've seen every corner and crevice of your mind, Radiant Star. I know things that you don't.”

“Mind telling me then? Save me some trouble?” I said flatly. I was getting rather pissed at the fact that there were so many who knew more than I did that thought it was fun to keep secrets from me. Discord, Spark, Twilight even... I pondered what Spark said. I'd been feeling for some time that there was something Twilight wasn't telling me... but I'd figured it hadn't been that big of a deal.

“No can do, Spark. In order for my plan to work, the Sparkle bitch needs to go for good. Telling you anything would jeopardize that plan greatly,” Spark said. “Now... this is all the time this mental connection has for us. I will be seeing you, Radiant Star. Bring me the power source... and you will be able to fulfill your destiny.”

My eyes opened slowly, a dull ache settling in as I tried to adjust to my surroundings. It was dark. The only illumination was from a campfire nearby, but I couldn't make out what else there was thanks to how blurry my vision was. Where...? I thought, as my mind focused on what had happened. Had I hit the ground? Was I dead? Could I even move? Fortunately enough, the answer to that question happened to be yes. My hoof lifted in front of my face. I looked down my sides to see bandages all over my back and rear legs. My wings had also been bundled up. I groaned.

“She's awake!” I heard Violet's voice call through the haze as she appeared next to me. “Star? Can you hear me?”

“I... I'm not dead?” I asked.

Violet smiled sweetly, giving me a nuzzle. “No, sweetie. You're not dead. You're very much alive,” she said. “In terrible condition, but you're alive. You're lucky we had the medical supplies.”

I nodded, lowering my gaze to the ground. My eyes began to finally adjust, noting that we were on the mountain clearing that Steeljack was buried on. I tried to shuffle up to a sitting position but it was futile.

“Whoa, there. You shouldn't be moving around. You took quite a beating there,” Violet said.

“Everyone else?” I asked. “Lilith?”

“They're okay. They're here,” Violet said, motioning up to where the campfire was.

Everyone else was gathered there. Lilith sat next to where Patch was laying, a makeshift blanket covering the pregnant mare, who appeared to be sleeping. Sunshine sat on the other side, next to Nixis and Avira. I sighed as I found myself looking for Steeljack, checking all the places he would normally be. I heaved a sigh, letting the mixed sadness and relief whoosh out of me.

“I hurt,” I said, grunting. “Like... a lot.”

“I'd expect so,” Violet said. “You fell pretty hard. You were pretty damn lucky that Lilith managed to slow your fall.”

“Obsession?” I asked.

Violet narrowed her eyes. “Gone,” she said. “Disappeared.”

“Good,” I replied, wincing. “Looks like we're stuck here for another night, if I'm not up.”

Violet nodded, lighting her horn and letting her magic roll over me. I felt soothed, smiling softly under her ministrations. My mind went to what I had just experienced. Spark. Her words had cut through me hard. What did she mean about Twilight? Was Twilight lying to me? Was there something else that I didn't know that was important? I made a mental note to approach Twilight more judiciously the next time I spoke to her.

Violet eventually finished up, leaving me to rest. I spent a majority of my time listening the others, staying relatively quiet. Violet was discussing the state of our medical supplies with Avira and Nixis, laying out all the supplies we had left. As it turned out, we were still in dire need. Avira mentioned that a cart had been left down the mountain path that they had used to get there. Inside of it was some additional supplies. It now sat near the camp, having made it through the excitement relatively intact. Patch had slept through the most of the time. I didn't really blame her. She'd been through a lot in the past day or so. I wanted terribly to go to her and just hug her, but couldn't bring myself to wake her.

I finally managed to be able to stand, much to the protests of my marefriend. I shook a hoof, claiming that I was alright. I needed some alone time. I walked carefully across the clearing to where Steeljack's grave was. I sat down in front of the stone, sighing loudly.

“I wish you had been here,” I said softly to nopony in particular. Somewhere, I liked to wish that Steeljack was listening to me. “It feels like you're already slipping away from us. It's not a good feeling.” I groaned. “I don't know what to do, Steeljack. Spark... Twilight... neither of them are telling me the whole truth. The strange thing is... I fear what Twilight's secret is more than I fear Spark's perfect world.”

Of course, nopony responded. I really missed Steeljack. I sighed.

“It sucks,” I said, my ears drooping. “I want to save Spark, but it doesn't seem like I'm going to be able to if she doesn't want to be saved. Everything seems to be pushing me towards sealing Spark.” I lowered my head. “I'm not sure I can do... do that. I'm not strong enough, Steeljack. I just don't think...” I sighed. “I don't think I can do it. I'm just not strong enough...”

“You are stronger than you believe,” a voice said in the calm darkness. I blinked as Nixis quietly loped along the clearing and made his way to my side.

“Nixis,” I said softly. “How long were you there?”

“Long enough,” he replied calmly. “And you're wrong. You're stronger than you even know. You can save this Spark if you only try.”

I looked away. “Discord prophesied that I would bring about a great storm of chaos into the world. I've never really been able to piece together what he truly meant,” I said. “What if this is it, Nixis? What if... what if I make the wrong decision? What if saving Spark is the wrong decision?”

“One cannot truly know what the right or wrong choice is, Star. That is part of living. We all make choices, good... or bad,” the hellhound replied. “It is how we approach those choices that make us who and what we are.”

I nodded, soaking in his words like a sponge. Could I be strong enough to face Spark and finally decide how to handle her? I had to. Nopony else was going to swoop in and save the day for me. There would be no Steeljack, stepping in to hold off a dragon so that the mare he loved could live. I would have to make the hard choice. The choice to put myself into the dragon's maw and hopefully come out alive.

“Nixis...?” I said.

The hellhound raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“I miss him,” I said bluntly. “I keep seeing it over and over, and I know... I know it wasn't truly my fault... but I still feel like it was.”

“You will always miss him, Star. As will I, and the others. That is how he will live on. His spirit is carried in our hearts, his resolve giving us the strength to carry forward,” Nixis said softly. “But the living must not go on mourning the dead. They must celebrate life. I know that from somewhere... Steeljack is watching over us.”

I looked over at him and back to the gravestone. Yes... somewhere. Beyond the veil, Steeljack's life and death would inspire and strengthen us. I knew deep down that Nixis was right. That I had to cease mourning, and start living. Steeljack wouldn't want us to wallow in his death, he would want us to complete the mission, to keep moving forward. In fact... I dared to think that he would probably slap me silly for thinking the way I had been. That drew a smile to my face.

“Thank you, Nixis. I believe I'm feeling a little bit better about --” I started to say before the sound of shouting caught my ears. I turned to see Violet across the clearing, her eyes fierce with determination.

“Star! Nixis! I need you!” she shouted.

I stood and galloped painfully to where she stood. “What is it? What's wrong?” I said.

“It's Patch. She's...” Violet trailed off.

My eyes widened. No, no, no! She couldn't be! She just couldn't be! I had to see for myself. I pushed past Violet before she could finish, coming into the camp proper where Lilith was cradling Patch's head. I realized very quickly that not only was Patch not dead, but she was groaning loudly and panting hard.

“Star!” Violet said as she caught up to me. “You didn't let me finish!”

“What's happening? Why is she making those noises? What's wrong with her?!” I panickedly exclaimed.

Violet stopped me with a wave of her hoof.

“Star... Patch is foaling,” she said with utter seriousness.

My eyes widened even further. My panic kicked into overdrive. “She's failing?! What's failing? I don't understand, tell me what's wrong with her!” I said, shaking Violet.

My marefriend withdrew, groaning loudly. “Star. It means she's having her babies!” she said forcefully.

“Oh. Ohhhh....”

Author's Notes:

And so... there we have it. Chapter 33 is finished. And what a somber chapter this actually turned out to be for me to write. I have to say, I have been hinting for some time in this arc that something bad was going to happen to Steeljack. The cazador poison, the withdrawn way he was acting. It was inevitably a hard decision to kill him, but it was one that was made with all of the noble intents and right reasons. This is something I've been planning for several upon several months, and yet... it wasn't easy to kill off a major character who's been around for so long.

Still, I am glad that we were able to give Steeljack the send-off he quite deserved. Among other things, Loyalty was interesting to write, and we got a little more introspective into the Elements as well as the first appearance of where Spark is. With only three chapters to go, I am quite excited to be approaching the finale.

Onto the fun stuff. As always, you can ask Star some questions at http://askradiantstar.tumblr.com

The edit pass of Starlight has officially begun, with Wire, Heartshine, McMesser, and I working on editing the first 10 chapters of the story. Nothing hardcore is changing, just fixing grammar, spelling, and other crazy things. This is all happening so that.... the audiobook can be recorded!

That's right, the highly talented Heartshine has offered to record Starlight in a dramatic reading format. She has already completed the Prologue, and it's up on my YouTube account!

Speaking of Heartshine, you get a double dose of her work this chapter, because my story plug for this week is going to her new Fallout Equestria fic called “Dawn”. It's a fun look at the Wasteland past the Day of Sunshine and Rainbows and the folding of the Enclave into the NCR. Also, some of you Starlight readers may recognize one specific character in there on the NCR side. That's right, Major Kirby is in it, and Heartshine wrote him perfectly! So go check it out, it's well worth the read.

As always, I thank Wirepony, McMesser, and Heartshine for all their work and for sticking with this. You three are the most awesome team one could hope for.

Check out my wife's stuff at http://luckystarmlp.deviantart.com, it's pretty awesome!

Again, if you decide you would like to donate to the cause, it can sent to volrathxp AT gmail.com. But only if you so desire. If you do decide to donate, I love you lots.

Much thanks to Kkat for creating this crazy little world called the Wasteland. It's been fun!