Sarah looked down at the blanket she’d taken to using as clothing with a sigh as she walked along beside Luna, a hand placed firmly on the alicorn’s back for support. When she’d heard what had happened, Luna had been extremely worried, to the point where Sarah had had to push her love’s muzzle away to get her to stop nuzzling her. Following Aurora’s advice, Doctor Time had removed her from the I.V. and given her the clear to do as she liked, with the warning to come back to him if anything felt wrong with her.

Now, she and Luna were walking down the castel’s hallway towards what the alicorn had called a ‘launching zone’ where apparently they would catch a ride to the small town of ‘Ponyville’ which rested within sight of the castle. Sarah ignored the burning sensation coming from her legs as the pair walked along, simply glad to be moving without having to lug the I.V. around in front of her.

So, Luna, it seems that you have a great deal of respect from the guards, Nim observed as yet another guard gave the two a salute.

Indeed I do, Luna agreed with a small smile before she leaned over to give Sarah a warm nuzzle to which the woman responded by petting her softly with a single hand as she did her best to maintain her hold on the blanket.

Yeah, what’s up with that? Sarah asked, running her hand through Luna’s soft fur and doing her best to keep from stumbling or simply collapsing as the mare continued to nuzzle her gently. I thought you said that everyone hated you when you were ‘banished’.

Luna stopped nuzzling her and let out a slight sigh. It is true, I was hated by many for my actions... but Tia had a thousand years to dilute history. She turned me into a savior, a warrior of virtue who had left to fight monsters in a dark wasteland, Luna explained, a bit of guilt leaking into her voice. I... cannot fault her for doing so, hell, I am incredibly grateful to be honest, but...I can’t help but feel undeserving of the praise I receive.

Well, it is true after a manner of speaking, Nim pointed out begrudgingly, still not completely over her dislike for ‘herself’.

Luna snorted but shrugged her wings. I suppose you are right, Nim, thank you.

Nim merely grumbled mentally and Sarah couldn’t help but chuckle softly at it all. The three friends were back together at last! A sudden wave of emotion hit Sarah and almost knocked her off her feet as small tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. Before she knew it, she was hugging Luna’s head against her chest with enough force to make the mare struggle for breath until she was released. Sarah blushed lightly, though she was still smiling.

“Sorry,” she said aloud.

“What for?” Luna asked once she’d recovered, giving Sarah’s face a nuzzle and depositing a kiss on her nose.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing,” Sarah replied warmly, wrapping an arm around Luna’s side, signaling that they should continue down the hallway. “By the way, could you tell me why we’re not just using a tailor in the city?”

“Because I do not trust them the way I trust Rarity,” Luna answered easily as they approached the launching zone, the number of guards increasing dramatically by the second the closer to it they got.

Really? Whatever could she have done? Nim inquired curiously as she used Sarah’s eyes to subtly scan the area for anything overtly threatening as was the pattern they’d developed in the Wasteland.

“Do you recall our favorite cloak?” Luna asked, not bothering to use the mental link, taking the cue, Sarah nodded.

The one that father made for us out of giant spider silk and phoenix feathers? Nim asked with a note of nostalgia in her voice. Aye, I remember, warm in the coldest of snow and resistant to even the hardest of rainstorms. Why do you bring it up? It was destroyed in our battle against the unicorn Council so very long ago.

“Well, last Luna’s Day I was in Ponyville, visiting with the townspeople when I grew tired of the endless games and food so I sought out refuge in a particularly odd looking building,” Luna explained. “As it turns out, that odd building was Rarity’s store/home and she was there working late to finish a project for a customer named Fancy Pants. Upon seeing who I was, she invited me inside and we talked as she worked upon her order. Somehow or another the story of my cloak came up. A week later, a near identical cloak was delivered to the Castle with a note from her telling me that were I to ever need something strange that I should come to her.”

“Oh, so I qualify as strange?” Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow, leaning slightly against Luna.

“Not in my eyes, but to most tailors, yes, yes you would,” Luna replied, a small smirk on her face. “At any rate, I’m sure that she would be more than happy to create some clothing for you.”

“Good,” Sarah said with a small smile, running her free hand over her other arm. “It’ll feel good to have something other than goo or blankets covering my body.”

“I’d imagine so,” Luna agreed, nodding her head. “Also, Sarah, would you feel comfortable sleeping in my chambers with me, or would you rather sleep elsewhere?” she asked, her ears tilting downwards at the second idea.

“Of course I want to sleep with you,” Sarah replied, giving the mare an astounded look. “Where else would I sleep?” she asked, her right eyebrow rising above her slanted elven eye.

“One of the guest rooms I suppose,” Luna answered.

“Why would I want to do that?” Sarah asked with a frown.

“I don’t know... I thought perhaps in my absence, you and Nim had grown far too close to allow my presence,” Luna said slowly.

“I’ve been kissing you haven’t I?” Sarah replied, raising her eyebrow even further. “Sleeping next to you has been something that I’ve missed really badly to be honest, Luna. Nothing else is nearly as good of a pillow.”

Oh come now, I did a fine job, Nim stated with an indignant grumble. If anything, I was better.

“Yeah, but you weren’t ‘real’, Nim,” Sarah said before quickly adding. “And no, I know that you’re just as real as Luna is... you know what I mean so don’t get all mopey about it.”

I do not become mopey, Nim snorted indignantly.

“Yes you do,” Sarah replied confidently causing Luna to snicker, though she took pity on the spiritual alicorn.

“I do thank you for taking over my duties in my absence, Nim,” the alicorn said as they approached a silver carriage where a pair of thestrals were already being hooked into the proper straps and what not so that the carriage could fly properly. “Who knows what could have happened to Sarah’s head if it did not have a soft alicorn tush to sink into every night.”

“I don’t even want to think about it,” Sarah replied jokingly, marveling once again at the feeling of companionship between the three of them. “I might have gone mad due to lack of comfort out there in the radiation.”

And none of us would have wanted that, Nim stated, her voice trying to remain jovial despite the seriousness of the subject to her. At any rate, we should get on the carriage already, I’m sick of feeling every breeze on its way between our thighs.

Sarah silently agreed and stepped onto the carriage, quickly taking a seat on one of the padded chairs and pulling the straps of a safety harness taught around her waist as Luna did much the same minus the straps.

“Remind me again why I’m not just jumping on your back to do this?” Sarah said as the carriage began to move forwards under the horsepower of the two thestrals.

“Because, one; we don’t have any form of saddle prepared for you and it would most likely lead to you plummeting to your death. Two; you are far too weak at the moment to grasp onto my neck with enough strength to stay on, and three; I’m a Queen and can’t be seen being used as a ‘beast of burden’,” Luna answered as they reached the end of the launching area.

Sarah’s breath caught in her throat for a second as the wooden ramp disappeared beneath them and grey mountain rushed up at them before the thestrals carrying the carriage beat their wings harder and it soared upwards. The air rushed through Sarah’s hair and the woman couldn’t restrain a joyful exclamation at that, she really did love every part of flying out in the open air. Something about it was just... impossible to replicate, even with a vertibird.

The moment passed and Sarah looked over at Luna’s smiling muzzle, a smile of elation on her own face. Without waiting or asking permission Sarah reached up with her arms and pulled Luna into a strong kiss, the wind tossing their hair fluttering around their heads and concealing them from the thestrals. Luna pulled away first, a grin on her face.

“Feeling better are you?” the alicorn asked the woman.

“A bit,” Sarah replied with a small chuckle as she pulled herself closer to the alicorn, brushing against her warm fur and letting out a contented sigh as she leaned her head against Luna, the wind blowing through her hair. “As for me treating you like a beast of burden, I never did.”

What of when you needed her to haul those miniguns to the shop? Nim pointed out.

“She volunteered for that. I think,” Sarah replied with a frown. “I don’t really remember that well... it was months ago. But my point still stands, I never ‘used you’, Luna.”

Luna just chuckled. “I was not accusing you of doing so, Sarah,” the alicorn replied. “It is simply the way that things are here in Equestria.”

“Well that’s stupid bullshit,” Sarah replied with a snort. “Some of my best memories of us together happened in the air.”

“Mine as well, do not worry, once we are ‘official’ we will not have to deal with such petty concerns,” Luna told her, a small smile on her face.

Official? Nim questioned, a note of confusion in her voice. Are we to be married?

Luna blinked. “I had meant had you officially recognized as my consort... so actually... now that I think about it, yes, I suppose we will have to be at some point for that to happen,” she said slowly, as if working out the sentence in her mind. “I suppose there will have to be a ceremony of some sort as well.”

“Ceremony?” Sarah asked, sounding befuddled. “What type of ceremony? In the Vault you usually just asked the Overseer to make it official with a few words and in the Wasteland no one really even bothers with that much.”

Except in Rivet City, Sarah, Nim pointed out. Remember the wedding between Angela and Diego?

Sarah frowned for a moment and shook her head. “Kind of... I got drunk afterwards with Butch so it’s all kind of hazy.”

“The leather jacket wearing man we met when we returned to your home?” Luna inquired as she remembered the doomed enterprise. “Did he not stay there after we... made a mess of things?”

“He snuck out later,” Sarah replied with a shake of her head. “Anyways... what kind of ceremony are we talking about, Luna?”

“Most likely something pompous and rather unbearable,” Luna said, snorting slightly. “But it will be worth it I’m sure. If nothing else, being able to hold my wife close to me at night will be a joy like none I’ve ever felt before.”

“... likewise,” Sarah said as her mind slowly wrapped itself the horrible idea of a gigantic ceremony replete with ponies she didn’t know.

Luna leaned over and gave her a nuzzle. “Do not worry, I will do my best to make sure that it is a restrained celebration.”

Good luck, the nobles I remember were the type to throw lavish parties over the birth of the eighth colt in a single family. Ones that would go on for three weeks, I rather doubt they’ve changed that much, Nim commented wryly.

Sarah paled at the thought of such a thing going on because of her and turned to Luna, worry in her eyes. Luna just chuckled. “Have no fear, Tia has done a rather astoundingly good job of cleaning away the flaws of the nobles, so I do not think we will have to deal with that large of a ceremony,” the alicorn assured Sarah as she gave the woman a nuzzle.

“That’s good... I don’t think I could deal with that,” Sarah stated, leaning into Luna’s muzzle.

The pair lapsed into silence for a moment and for the first time during the trip, Sarah’s gaze wandered over the edge of the carriage and onto the ground below. What she saw made her eyes widen in almost instinctual surprise.

“Sarah, what’s wrong?” Luna asked, following her gaze and seeing nothing out of the ordinary about the lush, green farmland below them.

“There’s... so much green,” Sarah replied almost blankly as her mind tried to wrap itself around the idea. “Not... not even a speck of brown.”

Yes, I’ve told you, Sarah, Equestria is untouched by radiation, you knew this, Nim pointed out with a mental frown. It is not that astounding.

Sarah just blinked several times and nodded her head. “Yeah... yeah you’re right. It’s just... wow. That’s a lot of plants. It makes Sanctuary look like a clearing.”

“Sanctuary?” Luna asked her with a frown.

“Yeah... I’ll tell you about Harold and Bob later,” Sarah said as her eyes caught sight of a much more interesting sight.

The town that they were descending towards was a colorful thing, much more outlandish than any town Sarah had ever seen in the Wasteland. As they carriage came down, she caught sight of ponies turning their gaze up at it with a mixture of excitement and interest as a few pegasi flew in to get a closer look at the carriage's cargo.

Luna smiled at them but waved them away with a hoof, much as she loved the idea, she did not need an adoring entourage at the moment. She had the only escorts she wanted right next to her already.

The carriage touched down and Sarah unbuckled her restraints and put a hand on Luna’s back as she pushed herself to her feet. As the pair rose from the carriage, the ponies watching them began to stare at Sarah, a feeling that made the woman’s skin crawl slightly but she suppressed the urge to shiver or quake. Instead, her lips hardened into a fierce, almost predatory smile and she rested a hand lightly on Luna’s back. Strangely, none of the stares she was getting were hostile or angry, instead, they were just curious.

My word, they’re not in the least bit intimidated by either us or her, Nim said with a mental frown. How peculiar.

I’m wearing a bed sheet, kinda hard to be intimidating, Sarah pointed out.

True, but they are also in the presence of a Pr-Queen, you would think there would be some fear in their eyes, Nim replied as Luna casually smiled and nodded to various ponies in the crowd before she opened the door to an outlandish building.

It looked quite a bit like the carousel that Sarah had seen in Point Lookout, the mere thought of the place causing a shiver to run down Sarah’s spine. With a gulp, Sarah walked through the door and Luna followed right behind her, shutting the door behind them and thankfully blocking them off from the curious ponies on the outside.

Sarah’s first impression of the place was that it was incredibly... feminine. Ribbons and streamers of lace adorned the walls and the ceiling and there were mannequins of ponies suspended on poles wearing a huge variety of dresses scattered tastefully around the lobby. Before Sarah could get a better impression, she heard a feminine voice from behind a door near the back of the room.

“Now, now, Mister Daw, as much as I would love to catch up, I have important customers to attend to,” a light, slightly accented wom-mare’s voice drifted from the door as it was pushed open telekinetically. “If your heart is really set upon me, come back after business hours.”

“But Rarity, you are so incredibly beautiful, I don’t think I could-”

“Jackdaw, we have arrived,” Luna called, her voice carrying equal parts authority... and was that a hint of amusement?

“Oh, Queen Luna, it has been too long!” a white unicorn mare exclaimed as she walked out of the back room, her purple hair cascading around her head as she used her magic to tidy it into a more orderly shape. Sarah examined her as she came forwards, keen eyes noticing that she looked just a bit... flustered, hot and bothered maybe?

“Rarity! It has indeed,” Luna said with a smile as she stepped forwards, giving the mare a quick nuzzle before glancing back and gesturing Sarah forwards with a wing. “Rarity, this is Sarah, my consort to be.”

“Charmed,” Rarity said with a genuine smile as Sarah walked closer.

“Hi,” Sarah replied a bit blankly, surprised by the genuineness of the act. The last person who had given her that real of a smile upon first meeting her was Sierra, and she was crazy. “So... you’re going to make me some clothes?”

“I’ll do my best, darling, and I can assure you that if nothing else, they will be better than that... lovely bedsheet that you’re wearing at the moment,” Rarity answered with a smile.

“Good I was getting tired of being naked all the time,” Sarah stated, nodding her head. “So, what’s this going to involve?”

“Well, first off, we’re going to go this way into the back room which Captain Jackdaw so valiantly scouted out before you got here,” Rarity said as she began leading the two towards the room. Once through the door, Sarah found herself in a room full of mannequins and a huge amount of sewing equipment along with design material. Lounging in a chair near the side of the room was a blue furred thestral, a lazy smile on his face.

My word, you could make a fortune in caps out of all this if you brought it to the right people, Nim commented as she eyed the equipment. Is it odd that that’s the first place my mind went, Sarah?

I was thinking the same thing, Sarah replied as her eyes drifted back the blue pegasus, he must have been Luna’s personal guard.

“Hey, Lu, the place is clean,” Jackdaw said with a smile as he eyed Rarity. “And very, very pretty too.”

Rarity blushed and tittered a little as Luna gave Jackdaw a flat look. “Jackdaw, remember your rules.”

“No sex on the job, I know, I know,” Jackdaw replied with a shrug. “I was just lining things up for after I’m off the job.” Luna rolled her eyes and Sarah lifted an eyebrow as the stallion glanced at Sarah. “Oh, and hello to you, Miss Summers, I’m Captain Jackdaw and if you ever get bored of Luna, I’m here to offer my services as an intermediary or a third.”

Sarah gave him a flat look but the stallion just smiled good naturedly and she couldn’t find it within herself to get too mad at him

“Thanks but no,” Sarah replied as she pulled herself closer against Luna. “Luna and I are fine on our own.”

“Suit yourself,” Jackdaw responded before Rarity stepped forwards, her horn glowing slightly.

“Alright, darling, I’m going to pull this horrible table cloth off of you so that I can start getting your measurements,” the mare said with a smile. “Now from what Queen Luna has told me, you’ve never done this sort of thing before so I need you to stay calm. I know exactly what I’m doing with each one of the needles so you have no need to worry about me accidentally stabbing you.”

“... thanks?” Sarah said with a confused blink.

Rarity smiled and her magic wrapped around the bed sheets to pull them off and reveal Sarah’s naked body. The mare stared at her, as did Jackdaw, though not for the reason that he normally would have. Sarah’s body was covered in all manner of scars, bullet hole marks, energy blast burns, and things that even Luna would have a hard time describing properly, though there were no horrifying mutations, thankfully. Worse yet, not all of them had been properly stitched up nor had they healed cleanly.

Luna was staring as well, a great well of sadness building up in her throat. The weight of Sarah’s injuries becoming even greater than before in front of Jackdaw and Rarity. Of course she had noticed the injuries the day before, but the true cause had not occurred to her and she’d simply been too caught up in the fact Sarah had been returned to her.

Now that she was viewing the injuries within the light of Rarity’s studio, she was slammed by the truth behind the wounds .Because she had taken so long, because she had not been fast enough, because she had not been strong enough Sarah had suffered terribly.

“What?” Sarah asked blankly.

“You... your body,” Rarity said trying to regain her wits.

“I know it’s not very impressive,” Sarah said with a small sigh. “I didn’t think it was enough to silence three peo-.”

Before she could continue talking, Luna wrapped her wings around the woman, pulling her into a tight hug as tears began to flow freely down her face. “I’m never letting you go again!” the alicorn sobbed.

“What?” Sarah asked, caught off guard as she was pressed into the alicorn’s chest.

I think she means that it’s her fault that you are covered in scars, Sarah, Nim observed for the woman who blinked.

But she wasn’t the one who shot me, or stabbed me or... anything really, Sarah replied with a frown as she started to push Luna away. “Luna, umm... can we talk about this later? I really would like to get some decent clothes...”

Luna wiped away a tear with her wings and nodded slightly, looking over at Rarity who was doing her best to avoid looking at the two, small tears in her own eyes at the emotional situation before her.

“My apologies, Rarity,” Luna said with a small sigh. “The weight of my mistakes suddenly slammed into me.”

“Oh... it’s fine, dear,” Rarity said, letting out a long breath before a smile crossed her face, only a little bit forced. “Why don’t we get started?”

Author's Notes:

Hey guys, so, I’ve got a few ideas for what Sarah should wear and I’ve got a few items selected as definites those being a ‘little red dress’ along with a grey trench coat of some sort. However, I figured I should let you guys help out and volunteer a few outfits, mostly because I’m 50% colorblind and 100% fashion blind. Anyways, see you next chapter.