Jason sighed as he watched the sun reach the horizon, the eve finally closing on the seemingly infinite day. Having unexpectedly ran into Fawkes had considerably brightened his day, given the earlier encounter with the rainbow-one. Tucking the edge of his trench-coat off of his sweating neck, he smiled, walking off towards the inn.

"Well, been a day , huh? Feels like it's almost years. Still can't believe Fawkes got here. But..." he looked down at his own blue hooves, pondering. "... how the hell am I the only one that got mutated when the teleporter went off? Definitely something worth looking into if I can find a good lab."

Focusing on his walk, the Wanderer watched as several ponies in the marketplace packed up their booths, closed shops and carried tired foals on their backs. A few ponies turned to see him walking along, so they waved to him.

"Goodnight, Wanderer!" one stallion said from a table.

"Have a good night!" another said, a colt waving on his back.

"Goodnight, sir! Have sweet dreams!" a mare waved from the flower booth.

"Goodnight!" Jason said to those that called to him.

The easing mood of the townsfolk transitioning to the night gave Jason a sense of calm. He hadn't been walking through the town the first few nights, having spent the first night in Twilight's castle, but being able to walk about at the late hour was calming. Something about every pony around him being comfortable enough to retire for the night all at once was nice. It reminded him of how life was in the Vault.

"E-excuse me, Wanderer sir!"

Jason stopped at the voice, turning to see a familiar white unicorn approaching.

"Oh, hello there ma'am."

"I... do believe, that we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof, darling," she said. "After I went out of my way to... criticize your attire, you went off and saved my beloved sister and her close friend. And... I wanted to apologize."

Jason looked her over, seeing the regret in her eyes and the shaking in her forelegs, her hooves trembling for the brief period she shifted between them. In his eyes, she was being genuine.

"... I'd also like to apologize, ma'm," Jason said. "I was being... irrational, when I talked back. I guess I was just, caught up in the piece's sentimental value, and I didn't have the right to speak to you like that."

"O-oh, no that, that's fine, I know how easy it is to get attached to certain outfits, but I wanted to find you, I just-"

"No, no it's fine. I'm sorry about snapping at you and I hope that we can move on from this," he said, turning to her. "If you don't mind, though, I'd like to at least see my old clothes."

Rarity nodded. She levitated a white bag with a swirl and eyes as the logo over to Jason. He grabbed it with his magic and placed it on the ground. Peering inside, he could see the familiar 101 on the back, some stitches standing out with their bright discoloration.

"I couldn't find a thread pool that matched the color exactly, but I did try to at least make the color bleed into the pattern," Rarity said. "A-and it's free of charge, of course. Not exactly a reward due for what you've already done for my sister, of course. If you've need of any of my services, simply ask and I shall waive any fees."

Jason pat the jumpsuit with his right hoof, feeling the bulge of the stitches contort about the suit. He blinked the myriad of echoing memories away and looked up at the unicorn.

"It's just as good as it's always been, ma'am. Thank you."

With that, he hefted the bag's strings onto a piece of his own personal luggage and secured it.

"You have a good night, now," he said.

"Yes, Darling, you do the same."

She gave a quick nod, to which he gave one as well, and the two parted ways.

\\\\\\//////

Dogmeat sniffed around the forest edge, keen on tracking the strange scent he had come across earlier. The hunting mutt had been following the scent since it had left Jason and Fawkes, and now he was closing in on the source. Of course, it was difficult for the dog to properly track anything in the new place he and his owner had found themselves, since there were so many new scents that Dogmeat was nearly overwhelmed when they first got here.

Thanks to the yellow one's ministrations, Dogmeat could no longer smell the Wasteland on his own fur, letting the mutt adjust to the varying scents and adapt his own to blend in. It put the dog's mind at ease to know that it wasn't standing out like a fresh can of beans opened in a fireant's nest.

"<BARK>!" Dogmeat exclaimed.

Eyes and ears all locked on to Dogmeat's target, a red house surrounded by trees. He ran along the dirt path up to the gate and pushed off the ground, sailing over the barrier and tumbled into the dirt. Shaking off his landing, the dog hurried along the path, barking out to earn his prey's attention.

A large red pony poked its head out to see Dogmeat approaching, He chuckled at the sight and stepped outside.

"Aw, what're y'all doin' all the way out here, big guy?" the large red said.

"<Bark! Bark! Bark!>" Dogmeat explained.

Big red responded by rubbing the dog's back with a hoof.

"Ah bet ya came and followed little ol' Winona's scent, huh? It's that time a year, ain't it?"

This intrigued the dog.

"Well, you go on now, alright?" he said, patting the dog's head.

When the big red one went inside, he closed the door as well, leaving Dogmeat to tilt his head. The scent lead only up to this house, but didn't-

"<Arf>!"

Dogmeat jumped around, lowering his front onto the ground as he turned to face the source of the sound.

"Hey, it's that dog!" a yellow, bow-wearing pony said. "Ya ever meet this one, Winona?"

Dogmeat couldn't hear the words of the yellow one. Instead, he was transfixed on the sight of the brown and white, slender dog before him. She was panting, wagging her tail and smelled of the thing he had been following.

"<Arf Arf>!" Winona greeted.

"<Awoooo>!" Dogmeat howled, standing up.

Winona approached and sniffed Dogmeat's neck, burying her muzzle into his scruff. Dogmeat in turn sniffed at her ears, causing them to flap. They began circling one another, sniffing each other's bodies before Winona ran off, Dogmeat chasing immediately.

"Huh. Alright then," Apple Bloom said, walking inside. "Maybe we'll get some puppies soon."

Author's Notes:

You thought I was done?

Fuck no.

Not till this bitch is done.

Say it with me now!

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