Chapter 32

"Irony, wake up!" Lightning Dust bursts into the room that Moon Shadow and I have been sharing.

"Shhh... I'm already awake, but you'll wake up Moon Shadow. She had a very busy night visiting dreams with Princess Luna," I hush the excitable pegasus. "What's got you all aflutter, anyway?"

"We have to get on the road! We need to get to Portland right away!" she spits out.

"Portland? You mean Oregon? Why? What's going on?" I ask, taken aback.

"Soarin thinks there is at least one pony being held and experimented on, by a company called Spectrum Laboratories," she calms down a little.

"Well, Shit!" I say with feeling. "Go wake Trixie and Lightning Flash, I'll wake up Shadow and explain what's happening. We'll meet at the car in 5 minutes."

Dust nods succinctly and darts out of the room, leaving behind a trail of light.

I turn to Moon Shadow, to find her eyes opening, "How much of that did you catch?"

"Enough. Let's get rolling," she states, her eyes flashing with barely concealed anger.

"But, you're exhausted! You should stay here--"

"I won't be exhausted by the time we get there. I'll be able to sleep plenty on the drive. You know it's a 16 hour drive from here," Shadow interrupts me.

"How much sleep are you really going to get in the car?" I try to reason.

"More than enough. I can sleep anywhere, at anytime. It's something I learned as part of my training to be a Dreamer. This is important, Irony. I won't be left behind," she glowers at me, her determination easy to see in the stubborn set of her shoulders.

"Fine, then let's go," I give in, grabbing my duffel as we race out the door.

* * *

"Holy shit, she was able to do it!" Dust exults, looking at her smartphone. We've been on the road for several hours, and news about the Rainboom has just come over the radio. Dust has been looking for video evidence of the event.

"Lightning Dust, don't tell me that you even for a moment doubted your idol?" Moon Shadow teases from the backseat.

"I mean, I knew she could do it, but damn... that is so awesome!"

"Indeed it is, Dust. Indeed it is," I agree. "Best of all, now every pony in the world that hears about it will know they aren't alone."

"A truly great day in the new history of ponies everywhere," Trixie says quietly.

"Yeah, plus it was freaking awesome!" Lightning Flash pumps a hoof in excitement, then hoof-bumps Lightning Dust.

"You guys are incorrigible," I state, shaking my head.

"What can I say, we're pegasi, awesomeness runs in our blood! And we can recognize it everywhere," Dust's muzzle splits in a shit-eating grin.

I drop my face into my hand and sigh.

* * *

We pull into Portland well after sunset and follow our GPS to Spectrum Laboratories. It really isn't too hard to find, but the complex is a little surprising.

"Damn, Dust, you and Soarin sure know how to pick 'em," I whistle appreciatively at the level of security. It falls short of a maximum security prison... but not by a whole lot, I think to myself. There's a three meter tall wrought iron fence, topped with razor wire. It encircles the entire complex, with a guard shack by the gate.

"Hey, don't worry. None of that is a problem for a pegasus. Nobody ever looks up!" she crows, flipping out of the window and flying off to perform recon.

Turning to Flash, I say, "Take a slow loop around the campus to get a feel for it, then find a perch where you can keep an eye out for any kind of police response. At the first sign of trouble, let us know and bug out. We'll meet you down the highway a bit."

He nods and, following Dust's lead, flips out the open window and flies off without a word.

I pull my car around to a dark, secluded, alley to park. Trixie, Moon Shadow, and I climb out. The quiet of the city falls over us like a blanket, the only sound the ticking of the engine as it cools.

"It's too quiet. Trixie doesn't trust things that are quiet," the pale unicorn breaks the spell of silence.

"It won't be quiet for long, I'm sure," I reply, lifting the lid to the trunk. I unzip the duffel, and start by pulling out my shield and mace. "I'm going to miss my armor, but going without will let me shift a whole lot easier."

Attaching the mace to my belt, and strapping the shield onto my arm, I reach in one more time.

Hearing the sound of wings fluttering behind me, I turn to face Lightning Dust with the P90, that I acquired from the chop-shop gang what seems like forever ago, in my hand.

She drops to the ground and smiles at me, "That's a great look for you, but I don't think it's a good idea. We're not here to kill anyone."

"I know, I know. I wasn't really planning on bringing it, but it was in the bag, so I had to consider it," I reply, shrugging my shoulders.

"Listen, I don't want another death on my conscience. We're here to rescue ponies. Let's do it without killing," she states firmly.

"I understand, Dust. I don't want to kill anyone, either," I slip the submachine gun back into its case, and slam the trunk closed.

"So... how are we getting in?" Moon Shadow asks.

"Well, sneaking in is dicey. They have cameras everywhere, not to mention the patrolling guards," Dust says, an ear-to-ear grin spreading on her face.

"So... we bust on in, eh?" I ask, my muzzle mirroring hers.

"Right through the front door," she laughs quietly.

* * *

As we trot up to the guard shack, the rent-a-cop inside simply stares at us. He doesn't seem at all affected by the sight of four technicolor equines sauntering up to his corner of the universe.

Dust rears back on her hind legs, bringing her front hooves down on the sill of the open window he's sitting behind, "Let me in. I know you're keeping ponies here!"

He glares at her, "Piss off. This is a private installation. No admittance!"

I shift from four hooves to two, grab the front of his shirt in one hand, and pull him out through his little window, "My friend said let us in!"

The guard's hand drops to the pistol mounted on his right hip, only to have his arms restrained in the pink aura of Trixie's magical field.

"We won't ask nicely again," she states, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

He stares at us as if seeing us for the first time, his eyes opened as wide as they can. He reaches back through the window and hits a button. The gate starts to grind slowly open.

Grabbing hold of his radio, I squeeze it in my fist until the case shatters and sparks fly from the useless piece of equipment. Then I smash the phone mounted inside the hut, and ask, "Do you have a cell?"

He nods silently, and his pocket alights with Moon Shadow's green aura. His phone levitates out of the pocket, disassembling as it floats away. The pieces drop to the pavement with a clatter.

I lean in close, ensuring I have his full attention, "I suggest you have a seat and not move until we leave. Pretend we don't exist. Understand?"

He nods, his eyes bugging out at the sight of his gun being drawn from its holster. The clip ejects, and the gun is taken apart before his eyes. Finally, the barrel is squeezed flat by Trixie's magic, and the remains are dropped to the ground next to his phone.

* * *

We make our way from the gate to the front doors, with Dust using her magic to throw lightning bolts at any cameras we come across.

Upon reaching the glass doors, Trixie says with a flourish, "Allow the Great and Powerful Trixie." Her horn lights, and the doors are torn from their hinges, falling to the ground with a crash.

Clopping into the lobby, we're met by three armed guards. "Halt!" the lead one hollers, raising his pistol to point at us.

"I don't think so!" Trixie yells back, her horn flaring bright. A blast of air slams the guards back into the wall, knocking them out. She lifts their pistols and radios free of their unconscious forms, destroying each one.

She looks from Lightning Dust to myself, and says sheepishly, "They'll live."

* * *

*Lightning Flash*

Ugh... why is sentry duty so damn boring? Why couldn't we invade an ice cream parlor or something like that instead? Yum... ice cream... I start to drool, my stomach growling as I think about snacks. What's taking them so long? It's been almost an hour since they first approached the gate. I sure hope there isn't anything wrong, I forget all about snacking as my thoughts turn to worry.

I feel my ears prick up as four uniformed dudes come into view, running direction toward the building that my friends went into before. Unlike the other guards I've seen tonight, these guys have AR-15s. Not good. I think these guys might mean business.

As quick as they are, on foot they could never match the speed of a pegasus in flight. I flit up soundlessly behind them, the two in the rear never even see me.

Having built up a bit of speed, I line up dead center on the back of the shirt of the rearmost guard. Snapping my wings closed, I lower my head and lean my right shoulder forward. Just before I hit, I scream out, "COWABUNGA!"

I barrel right through him, and into his buddy, knocking them both to the ground in a heap. I whip my wings open to bleed off my momentum, and streak straight up.

"STEERIKE MOTHERBUCKERS!"

The front two turn back toward their partners, having heard my attack, but they didn't see me. I circle around them while they try to rouse the grounded members of their team.

While they're bent over the prone victims, I slip up right behind them and hover there, trying to stifle a laugh. After watching them for several moments, I can resist it no more, "So, you guys ever heard of looking up?"

Two heads whip around to look at me, their eyes going wide as saucers.

"Yeah, I didn't think so. Seeya, suckers!" I clap them both right behind their ears with a hoof, dropping them like so many sacks of potatoes. "Not much of a challenge, were you guys?"

Keeping an eye on the downed quad, I slowly spiral my way back up to my cloud perch. That can't be all there is... I sure hope they can take care of themselves in there. Irony, don't you dare do anything crazy...

As if in answer to my fears, I hear the muffled report of a gunshot. "Shit, what the hell is going on now?" I ask out loud.

Flapping my wings, I push the small cloud I've been lying on closer to the main building. Within moments, I see Trixie and Moon Shadow galloping out the ruined front doors, two ponies floating in their magic. Irony is hot on their heels, with Lightning Dust in her arms.

Fuck, fuck, fuck... something has gone really wrong... I clap my front hooves into the cloud, drawing lightning out of it. I hold the crackling electricity between my hooves as I hover there, watching the front doors.

I don't have to wait long. Soon, several uniformed guards bolt out through the entryway, their pistols lifting to point at Irony's broad back. Acting on instinct, I clap my hooves together, producing a murderous crash of sound. The barely contained lightning leaps out, briefly connecting me to the ground in front of the guards. Then all hell breaks loose as the earth explodes in their faces, driving the men flat onto their backs.

Whoa... shaking my head at the ruptured land, I spin and flap my wings for all I'm worth, trying to catch up with Irony's 4-4-2. She's tearing down the road like all the hounds of hell are chasing after her.

I'm no speedster but, with some effort, I can just keep her car in sight. She never slows at all, but I can tell that she's heading toward Seattle. I follow in their wake, worry tearing at me with every beat of my heart.

Once they reach Seattle, I see Irony veer off the highway toward a hospital. Why didn't they go to one in Portland? What's so special about this one? I somberly wonder to myself, knowing that Irony doesn't do anything impulsively. She came here instead of staying in Portland, she must have a reason.

Watching them pull up to the emergency entrance, I circle around and head in for a landing. Pulling up behind Irony, I try to make light of the situation, "Damn, you sure took off like a bat out of hell back there!"

She turns toward me, and I can see the stricken look in her eyes, and I know it's just as bad as I feared. Feeling the fake smile that I'd plastered on my face curdle, I ask, "Is she going to be okay?"

She shakes her head, "I don't know."

Turning, we follow Moon Shadow, who is carrying Lightning Dust in her magic, into the emergency room.

Upon passing through the automatic doors, it dawns on me why Irony came here of all places. Running toward us with a gurney is none other than Dr. Ray Stevens. Moon Shadow settles Dust onto the gurney as lightly as a feather.

"I... I thought you were a Vet?" I sputter.

"I am. Now come with me. Quickly now, we haven't a moment to lose," and so saying, the good Doctor turns on his heel and practically runs as he pushes Dust down the hall toward an operating room.

* * *

We spend several hours simply waiting. Moon Shadow checks on the sleeping ponies several times while we wait, as they have been left out in the car. Irony paces nonstop, fear plain on her muzzle the entire time. Which speaks volumes about how much she cares about this mare we've only recently met. When did that happen? I mean, I know they slept together, but there's a lot more there than how you feel about someone you're just screwing... I realize, though it confuses the hell out of me.

Seemingly reading my mind, Trixie leans over and whispers into my ear, "Love at first sight. For both of them, or so it would seem."

"Wait... what?" my eyes go wide.

"Yeah. While you've been mooning over Soarin and Mindy, *ahem*, those two seem nearly ready to form a herd," she jabs me in the ribs.

"Hey, I'm not the only one 'mooning' over Soarin and Mindy," I use my hooves to make air quotes as I speak. "What about Moon Shadow? And what about Helen, Dust's wife? What do they think of this? You can't tell me they don't know, they're both way smarter than me."

She clamps my mouth closed, "If you'd let me speak, I could answer. Shadow and Helen are fine with it, as far as I can tell..." she pauses for a moment, "actually, more than fine, if you ask me. I think those two are hatching some plan there..."

"What?!"

"Nevermind. That's merely speculation," she shakes her head.

"But--"

"Shush. Here comes Ray."

* * *

Ray tells us that Dust is going to be okay, thank Celestia, though she's expected to remain unconscious for a few hours. They were able to patch up the holes and reinflate her lung, and she's expected to make a full recovery.

"I want you to come with us to Iowa," I hear Irony say to Ray after they finished arguing over who was going to pay for the surgery and hospital stay. Ray insisted that he'd taken care of it, and finally Irony had relented.

Ray looks unsure, and seems to not know what exactly to say. Irony reaches out, takes his hand into hers, and says, "We need you. I need you."

Ray's cheeks flush, but he smiles, "Sure. I'll pack a bag."

Soon after that, Ray leads us to Dust's room and then excuses himself to go do just that.

* * *

*Moon Shadow*

"I spent the entire trip home curled up in the lap of Irony's nice young doctor friend," Dust tells me as she trips over her own hooves a little as she leans against me. "He has really nice fingers that know just where the itches and soreness are."

"A smirk crosses her face. She doesn't think I notice it, but I do. I notice everything."

"Dust, I think maybe you've had a bit too much to drink, especially on top of the narcotics Ray gave you earlier..." I say, shaking my head, "You're narrating again."

"She thinks I've had too much, but she has no idea. I can drink anypony here under the table! Well... except maybe Irony. I'm pretty sure she has four hollow legs. Four strong, muscular, silky fur covered... sexy... mmmmm..." the blonde pegasus starts to drool, causing me to shake my head again, laughing.

"Oh yeah, you're bombed. Damn," I stagger as she leans away from me and then falls into my body, "you're heavier than you look!"

"Hey, I'm not fat!" she pats her flanks with a hoof to prove her point. "See, all muscle!"

I fail to suppress a heavy sigh, "Dust, I didn't say you were fat. All that muscle you're bragging about is what makes you so damn heavy."

"Yeah, all muscle, like I said!" she flaps her wings to emphasize her point, lifting briefly off the ground. Only to fall flat on her face when she lands, "Ouch."

"Got a problem here?" I hear from behind me.

Looking around, I see Ray, "Oh, thank Celestia. Can you help me get her to her room?"

"Sure, no problem," he replies, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her down the hall.

"Hey, it's the nice doctor! Hello there Mister Strayevenson!"

He closes his eyes briefly at her state, "I'm sorry about this, I really shouldn't have let her drink. Mixing booze and Oxy isn't a great idea."

"I'm not sure that anypony could have stopped her. She's still deeply upset that she let herself get shot. On our last mission, she had to kill a soldier to save her own life, and it's been eating her up. Which is why she hesitated at the lab. So now she doesn't know how to feel, and it's killing her inside," I nuzzle his hip, smiling up at him.

"Sounds like she might be suffering from a bit of PTSD. Not uncommon for soldiers who've gone through combat situations. Poor thing," he runs his hand over her head, which is laying on his shoulder as she gazes into his eyes.

"Is that what she is? A soldier?"

"Not exactly, I guess, but the situations are similar. She's certainly been through more than most any civilian I've ever met. Except maybe my cousin... but that's a story for another time," he gives me a sad smile.

I decide not to press on the piece of information he's hinted at. The look of pain in his eyes is too bare. Instead I ask, "Will you stay with all of us tonight? We've all missed you so much."

"Will Trixie be joining us?" he asks, his cheeks pinking up a little.

"I guess that's up to her, and maybe Lightning Flash. You know that even though they're not related that he still sees Irony as his sister, right?"

"Not surprising, though I wasn't talking about what you're implying... I've just missed her, too," his flush deepens.

Smiling at him, I flick him with my tail, "I'll ask her."

* * *

"Never fear, the Great and Powerful Trixie is here!" she states, entering the room with a flourish. She had turned as red as Ray had when I told her that he'd asked if she would join us tonight. And then she'd turned and run to talk to Lightning Flash.

Evidently that conversation went well, I think, seeing Flash enter the room behind her. Wonder what he thinks of this...

Ray pats the bed next to him, inviting the newcomers over. Trixie hops up and snuggles in next to him, with Flash cuddling up to the other side of her.

"It's so good to see you again, Ray. Trixie has missed you," her voice drops to a whisper, her muzzle turning bright red.

"I've sure missed you, too, Trixie. I've been thinking a lot about you. About all of you," Ray turns his gaze out over all of us.

"I've been shinking a loooot, stoo," slurs Dust, eyeing Ray with a look of deep concentration in her eyes.

"What have you been thinking about?" he asks her.

"I've been sinking sat you shaved my lifshe, and how shankfulsh I amsh," I see a tear trickle down her cheek.

"Lightning Dust, you are more than welcome. I'm just really glad that it was within my power to do."

"I owe you, for everyshing," she gets out almost slur-free.

"No, you don't owe me anything. Never think that," he states, waving his hands in front of him to show he doesn't want anything.

Then Dust surprises us all by throwing herself forward and taking his head in her hooves. She fiercely presses her lips to his, and I even see her tongue dart forth to try to invade his mouth.

After a moment, she leans back to give Ray serious eye contact, "I'm really, really, grateful to you for saving my life. I owe you, and I want to thank you. Properly." She seems more coherent, and doesn't slur even once.

"Dust, I really think you should get some sleep. You've been through a lot recently, and shouldn't make any rash decisions," Irony gently states.

Dust turns to look at Irony, "I owe my life to him. Anything I have, he can have. Anything."

"But Dust, I thought you weren't into guys?" Ray asks mildly.

"I don't care. I want to thank you, you deserve this and more," she responds, gripping his belt in her teeth to undo it.

"Dust, I don't think this is such a good idea," I chime in with my two cents.

She growls in reply.

I throw my hooves up in defeat, "Fine, Dust, have it your way." I look at everyone else, "Nopony get in her way. She's a grown mare and can make her own decisions."

Dust is finally able to get Ray's belt undone, and she laughs in triumph. She grabs the front of his pants with her teeth and pulls them open. She manages to get his fly separated, and leans in to grip the waistband of his boxers. Suddenly, her body relaxes, and she falls forward into his lap instead. After a brief moment, she lets out a little snore.

Immediately, every head in the room whips around to look at me.

"Moon Shadow... did you... ?" Ray asks me.

"No, though to be perfectly honest I expected it. She actually got further than I thought she would, given her state. Pretty impressive, really," I answer, shaking my head at our friend.

"You of course realize that I'm going to have a lot of fun with this, right?" he asks, a mischievous glint in his eye. His lips spread in a wicked grin.

I feel my muzzle spread in a matching smile, "Oh, most definitely. I'll help."