Our time in Neighagra had been short. The Caravan had stopped, the sisters performed their routine, and the townsfolk got to shopping. Neighagra was a nice town. The buildings had their wear and tear, but they were still in good condition. The ponies were well dressed in suits and dresses. Most ponies had not appeared to be armed. It was no Haven, but it was nicer than Hospitality. It was much nicer than Boulder Springs.

Packrat told the sisters of her plan to travel to the Crystal Mountains. It was a plan I was still not a fan of, but I had made my decision. Packrat would go whether I accompanied her or not. If I were with her, she would at least have a pony to watch her back for her. She had saved my life at the Fun Store, killed the Carbine-raider before he could harm us, and she had taken me to her home. I felt indebted to her. I also doubted Maud Pie would be willing to lend me her ponies if I returned to her without Packrat.

Since the Caravan was on its way to Manehattan, it made more sense to stay with the Caravan until we absolutely had to get off. It had been a day and a half since we left Neighagra. We could see the Mountains from here. It would be a walk from here, but we could make it.

We needed supplies before we left. Packrat and I followed Lysandra’s lead with the sword. The two of us bargained away a large fraction of our shares to purchase supplies. My grenade necklace had been refitted with ten grenades. Two normal, two magic, two spark, two incendiary, and two flash bangs. This was in addition to the grenades I had found in the Sugar Favor Fun Store.

Packrat tried to barter for the Junk Jet, but Shaim refused to budge. Packrat had pouted, but she relented and purchased an assault rifle. The two of us also bought some canned food and medical supplies. Five healing potions, two healing bandages, two syringes of Med-X, and a bottle of Hydra. I still had a few chems from Doctor Zimri, so we did not need to buy that much. In the end, we still had one hundred twenty-nine caps between the two of us. Thankfully, that did not include Maud’s fee.

Packrat finished packing her bag. “Phew. You all ready to go, Savage?”

Hardly. I doubted I would ever be truly ready to re-enter the Crystal Wasteland. Especially so soon after I had left. Alas, I nodded. The sooner we arrived, the sooner we could leave.

“Okie, dokie, matokie.” Packrat kissed Shim and Sham on the cheeks. “Always a pleasure, ladies.”

“Not as much as it usually is,” Shim muttered.

Packrat chuckled very awkwardly. “Well, you know how it is. Sometimes you’re in the mood, and sometimes you’re not.”

“She says after sleeping with her friend,” Sham scoffed.

“Eh….” Packrat half groaned and half sighed. “You caught me. No hard feelings. Please?”

The mares grinned. Each of them kissed one of Packrat’s cheeks. “We forgive you,” they said simultaneously.

“Huzzah!” Packrat leapt at least four feet off the ground. She grinned at the mares, and she ruffled Shaim’s mane. “See you around, Shaim.” Shaim swatted her away, while not taking her eyes off the road.

Packrat hopped onto the bed next to Lysandra. Lysandra had been sitting on the bed sharpening her sword with a whetting stone. She had not participated in our gathering of supplies. I also noticed she had not bothered to pack her bags. I began to doubt if she would be joining us.

“You ready for some more adventure, Lysandra?”

“No, thank you, Packrat.” Lysandra did not even bother to look up from her sword.

Packrat titled her head to the side. “Huh? Um, but we’re leaving.” She pointed her hoof towards me. “See? We’re all packed up and ready to go.”

“I’m well aware of your plans, Packrat. Let me inform you of mine. I’m staying behind.”

“Wha? Why?”

“Simple.” Lysandra took a break from her sword to look at Packrat with undisguised disdain. “I have no desire to return to Boulder Springs. I have no ties to that community. It was simply a town—ugh, barely even a town—I spent the night in.”

“But what about us?” Packrat gestured to me. “We’re your friends.”

“Friends?” She started laughing. Her laughing gradually evolved into a full cackle. “’Friends,’ she says. Oh, Packrat, I am genuinely going to miss you.” Lysandra inspected her sword and nodded. She cast aside a whetting stone in favor of a handkerchief, which she used to polish the blade. “But not too much. I do intend to meet you again someday, after all.”

“Oh, well, okay then!” Packrat extended her hoof. “Until we meet again.”

Lysandra chuckled mildly and shook her hoof. “Yes. Until we meet again.” Her eyes turned towards me. The hostility Packrat had been obvious too was mostly gone. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me, Savage? I might get lonely in Manehattan. A mare like me may need some protection from the vultures who live there.”

I nodded without hesitation and moved to stand beside Packrat. I had already made my decision to stick by her. Besides, being with Lysandra was not a better alternative. Not when she could callously murder foals. I had no idea what she was planning, but I knew I wanted no part of it. Packrat may have saved her once, but Lysandra did not strike me as a mare who needed protection.

“Very well then.” Lysandra slinked off the bed and sauntered towards me. I backed away from her. She chuckled and outstretched her hoof. I looked away, but I did touch hooves with her. Then I noticed her smirk. My blood chilled at that smirk. “No need to be so formal with me, Savage.” She wrapped her hoof around mine and yanked. I stumbled forward into a deep, tongue-filled kiss. Lysandra slowly pulled away and ran her tongue against my lips. She pressed her body close to mine and whispered into my ear. “Until we meet again.” She retreated onto the bed and smiled. Her smile was even worse than her smirk.

The carriage rolled to a stop. Shaim turned her head. “Attention, all. We have arrived in the middle of bumfuck nowhere on our way to Manehattan. All those who wish to get off, leave now or forever hold your peace.”

Packrat gave the mares one last salute before hopping out the door. I nodded to Shim, Sham, and Shaim, but I purposefully ignored Lysandra. I would rather ignore her cold-blooded looks if I could avoid them. My hooves touched barren ground.

Packrat was busy staring at her PipBuck. “It looks like we’re headed in the….” She slowly spun around until she pointed forward. “That way direction.” She lowered her leg and began marching.

I followed her and began my return trip home.

We had gotten much closer to the mountains with limited excitement. We had stopped to eat roughly half an hour ago. Currently, I was waiting on Packrat to conduct some private business. It seemed canned cabbage did not suit her stomach very well. I considered reading a few more pages of Daring Do, but I decided against it. The last thing I wanted was to be sucked into a story when I only had a few minutes to read it. I felt it best to save the story until I had enough time to properly enjoy it.

Bang. Bang. That came from where Packrat was supposed to be. I broke into a full gallop after her. I readied my battle saddle and prepared to fire my guns. There was no need. Packrat was wielding her assault rifle with her magic. Her weapon was not pointing at a pony or another animal. It was aimed at a plant. The gun clattered to the ground. “Phew. Glad Savage didn’t see that. That would have been embaras—” Her eyes widened when she looked at me. “Savage! Um, hey. Wha…-what’re you doing here?”

I pointed towards her gun.

“Oh, you heard the shots. Well, nothing to see here. No raiders, slavers, hellhounds or anything threatening. Just got spooked is all.”

By a plant? I approached the plant. It was a small fern bush. Its color was closer to brown than it was to green. I gently poked it. It swayed slightly at my touch. Aside from being slightly tickled, I had no other reaction to it. Truly terrifying.

“Hey, Savage?”

I turned towards her. Packrat had her head down. She was gently kicking at the dirt with her hoof. "Um, thanks.”

Hmm? What for? I raised my eyebrow.

“For sticking with me. You could have stayed with the Caravan. You would have made more caps. You could have found another place to settle. Lysandra would have been with you.”

I scoffed at the concept of Lysandra being enticing. Even though she was.

“But you decided you’d rather travel with me to help a pony we don’t even know. That means a lot to me.” The smile on Packrat’s face was smaller than usual. It was not quite sad, though. If anything, it made her smile feel more genuine. As if she was not putting up a front of happiness. It briefly reminded me of the filly from Hospitality.

I responded by patting her head again. Her smile grew wider, as her cheeks turned redder. “Hey, um, Savage. Can I ask you a question?”

Technically she already did. I removed my hoof from her head and bent down, so we could look each other in the eye. Yes, Packrat?

Her cheeks puffed out, and she turned her head away. She groaned. “Never mind.” Before I could try and coax the question out of her, she ran ahead of me. That was certainly strange.

I quickened my pace to catch up to her. She was not too far away. I could see her, and I did not see any potential threats in the surrounding area. But I did not want to be ambushed from behind with nopony to help me. The further away we were from each other, the more dangerous it would be. No matter which Wasteland we occupied.

“Savage!”

I ran towards the sound of her voice. She did not sound pained, but she was in shock. Possibly frightened. I hoped she was not under attack. I began to slow down once I saw her. I only saw one other pony near her. A light grey mare was lying on her side. Her frilly pink dress had been torn with bullet holes. She was bleeding from a series of wounds on her side and belly.

Packrat was standing by the mare’s side. There was an empty syringe on the ground. I assumed Packrat had given her some Med-X. I wondered why she had not used any healing potions. Packrat gently rubbed the mare’s side. “What’s your name?”

“P…-P…-Pas…-Pash…-Passion.”

“Passion. That’s a really pretty name.” Packrat turned her head. She nodded when she was me. “Savage, this is Passion.”

I smiled as I approached the two of them. Now I understood why Packrat had not used a healing potion. It would have been a waste. Passion had more wounds than I had initially noticed. A healing potion would not have saved her. But at least we could ease her suffering.

“Where are you from, Passion?”

“I used to wo….” Passion paused and started to cough. She hacked up some blood, and Packrat held her as she coughed. “I used to work with Mr. Fairchild. Then I was bought by Mr. Templar.”

Did I hear that right? I could have sworn she said she was “bought.” I could tell Packrat heard it too. I noticed her body tense up. “Passion, where does Mr. Templar live?”

“Fai…-Failed Wish.”

“Failed Wish.” Packrat repeated the words a few more times. She offered Passion a smile. “I’ll let them know we found you, Passion.”

“Thank you, Ms. Packrat. You a—” She coughed again. There was so much blood. Her eyes fluttered while she coughed. Her eyelids gradually closed, and her coughing grew weaker. Packrat held her tightly. “Thank you, Ms. Packrat….”

Packrat gently lowered Passion’s limp body to the ground. She took the claw from Lysandra’s hellhound from her bag and started clawing at the ground with it. I tried my best to help her. Though I could admit I was not much help. A shovel would have been far more useful than I was. I scraped my hooves against the earth. I was lucky there were no shards of broken glass down here.

Eventually there was a hole large enough for the body. Packrat gently laid Passion into the hole. She used her levitation to move the large clumps of dirt. The last part of Passion to be covered was her eyes. Then, she was gone forever. Packrat closed her eyes and lowered her head. I lowered my head as well.

The two of us had a moment of silence.

“She was a slave, Savage.” Packrat’s eyes were open, and they stared at the grave. I saw determination in those eyes. It was the same look she had given Lurker before she killed him. “She got her first taste of freedom, and then they killed her.” She put the hellhound claw back into her bag and slowly walked away.

I started to follow her. I did not get far. Pain shot up my back leg. My leg crumpled, and I collapsed onto my side. One of my legs had been struck with a shotgun shell. My barding had been practically useless. My hoof was a mangled mess of flesh, blood and bone. I wanted to stand, but the pain was far too great. Even if I could stand, there was no way I could walk with my hoof like that. I knew coming here was a bad idea.

“Do you trust me?” Packrat was standing beside me. Concern had been mixed into her determination filled stare. I knew I trusted her, but I hated that she had to ask that question. I instantly knew I was going to hate whatever she was planning. I bit my lip and nodded.

“Okay.” She pressed Opus against my—NO!

I was blinded by my pain. All I could see was the color red. What the fuck was she thinking?! I was so angry I barely felt the liquid going down my throat. All of a sudden, I felt better. Stronger. Packrat helped me to my hooves. My sight gradually returned. The first thing I saw was my severed hoof twitching on the ground. The second was the fully healed hoof attached to my leg.

Packrat slipped a bottle into her bag. “Hydra. Never leave the Caravan without it.”

No kidding. I nodded my thanks and readied Savage and Memento. I may have been healed, but we were far from being safe. I heard a sound behind me, almost as if something was growling. I spun around and watched as a dog leapt towards Packrat. I pushed her out of the way and fired Memento. The bullet pierced the dog’s paw. My shot changed the dog’s trajectory. It landed on its side and skidded towards me. I grabbed the hellhound tooth and punctured the dog’s eye.

I should have felt relieved since I had removed a threat. Not happy necessarily but relieved. I only felt more afraid. Whomever had shot me was still out there watching me. And I had one less bullet.

Bang.

Packrat screamed as a chunk of her shoulder exploded. She fell to the ground, and her scream grew louder. I scrambled to find a Med-X syringe in my bag. There! I stuck the syringe into her shoulder. Her body relaxed. Okay, Packrat was stable. She would not be for long if she stayed here. I needed to find us some cover. I picked her up and draped her over my back.

Then, I ran as fast as my hooves would carry me. Unfortunately, it was not fast at all. I zig-zagged as I ran. The shots continued. The first missed badly. The second tore a chunk out of my left ear. It burned, but I channeled my pain as motivation to move faster.

“Turn right.”

I did without second thought. Packrat was the one with the map. I could only hope she knew where she was going. Her direction led us into a ravine. The ground beneath my hooves was muddy. I assumed there had been snow here that melted not too long ago. I was thankful for that. I hated mud, but I would rather run through this than thick snow.

Another shot flew by. This one nipped me in the rump. Ow! Of all the places to shoot a pony. That was just rude. My barding absorbed most of the impact that time, which meant I was gaining some distance. Thank goodness.

“Left.”

I sharply veered left. The ravine grew more claustrophobic here. I still had plenty of room in-between the walls of the mountain, but it was noticeably less than I had a second ago. I really hoped Packrat knew where she was leading us.

I felt something graze my side. The problem was it came from in front of me rather than behind me. We had been led into an ambush. Fantastic.

“Duck!”

I lowered my head. Bang. The sound echoed in my ears. By Cadance was that loud. I was almost glad my ear had been torn because the sound was not as loud as it could have been. What had she been shooting at? I received my answer when a dead body dropped from the sky. The body was small but not terribly so. The body’s general structure was similar to that of a pony with some notable differences. The antennae, extra legs and large wings. But none were as frightening as the fangs dripping with poison.

We were not running into an ambush. Our attackers had led us into a vulpa nest.

Packrat took two weapons from my bag: the rifle originally attached to the battle saddle and the 10mm pistol. They levitated in front of me along with the assault rifle she had purchased from the Caravan. “I’m going to borrow these.”

Please do.

Packrat fired away. The vulpas kept coming. Dead bodies rained from the sky. I tried not to focus on the carnage happening above me. My eyes were kept on the ravine in case I found somewhere to take refuge. Then I heard her scream. I turned my head to see how she was doing. Her barding was taking a beating. Patches were being torn away. It was only now that I noticed that vulpas had claws rather than hooves. There were claw marks on her cheeks and her ears, while her lip was swollen from bites.

Not that I was doing much better. Vulpas had landed on my back and were tearing away at my barding. Some of them had gone for my exposed neck. My new hoof was not adequately covered, and it was being bitten and torn by fangs and claws.

I could feel the venom working in my body. My surroundings were beginning to waver. I could still run in a straight line, but I needed anti-venom. Packrat needed it more. And both of us needed safety. Which was why I hoped the warehouse I was seeing in the distance was not a mirage.

“Come on, Symphony. You can make it. You’ve been through worse than this.”

That voice. It was so familiar, but….

“Well, I mean. This might be more dangerous, but I’d say living with your sister was a lot worse than being chased by vulpas. Though they are equally poisonous.”

No. I shook my head. That voice was not real. She was not talking to me. She wasn’t!

Then I saw her galloping beside me. Only she was galloping backwards. Of course she was. That way I could see her face. I could see her glorious sun-like eyes. She was grinning. “You look like you haven’t seen me in weeks. Did you really miss me that much?” She moved closer to me. I could almost feel her. She seemed so real. “I’ll be waiting in the warehouse.”

And then she was gone. It was just me, the vulpas, and Packrat. I looked behind me to see how Packrat was doing. She continued to fight, but she was slowing down. She fired two shots from the 10mm pistol and whipped a vulpa that came to close to her. The rifle was swung around like a baton, while the assault rifle fired off randomly. If she continued to exert herself, she would end up like Sombra. I had some anti-venom left, curtesy of Doctor Zimri. But I had to get her to the warehouse.

I had a plan. First, I stopped running. The whiplash knocked some of the vulpa off of Packrat and me. I had enough momentum that my body started to skid. While I was skidding, I removed a green-band grenade from my necklace. I kicked it forward. The grenade was enveloped in a green light and levitated into the sky towards the highest concentration of vulpas.

The grenade burst into a massive green wave. Any vulpa that touched the wave was vaporized. The vulpas’ ashes fell to the ground like grey snowflakes. But there were still plenty of vulpa that had not been turned to a heap of ash.

The skidding had kept my body moving away from the oncoming vulpa, and my body had kept enough acceleration that I was able to run at a decent pace.

“Keep…-going…-s….”

Packrat was starting to fade. She was barely holding herself up. Come on, Packrat, just a little longer. Of course I had no idea if that were true. The warehouse could have been a result of the venom. Even then, it may not have been much safer. But I had to keep my spirits up. Even if my sanity was wavering.

“You’re almost there, Symphony. Come on, don’t make me wait much longer. I know it’s rude to come before the mare, but you’re being a bit too courteous.”

I ignored the voice and kept running. I was almost there. Just a few more steps….

The door swung open, and I saw her waiting for me in the doorway. Her mint-green coat was untarnished. Her horn was completely reattached. And her smile was as beautiful as I had ever seen it.

“Oh. Shit.”

Hmmm?

I collapsed onto my side, and Packrat rolled off of me. The weapons she had been using clattered to her sides. The mare I had seen when the door opened had disappeared. In her place was a mauve Nocti with a dark blue mane and bright amber eyes. Or perhaps not. Who knew what I was actually seeing at the moment.

The Nocti jammed a needle into Packrat’s side. She trotted towards me with a second needle. “Now I have to rescue my rescuers. Just my luck. I’m never gonna get out of this shithole.” She jammed the second needle into me before I could protest. “Hopefully I don’t get killed before these two wake up.”

I was in a meadow. A very bright meadow with grass and flowers as far as the eye could see.

“I’m clearly dreaming.” I chuckled when I heard my voice. “Yeah. Clearly dreaming.”

“And you used a contraction? That almost sounds like a nightmare for you.” Lyra had appeared beside me with two cups of tea. “Want one?”

“Thank you.” I took a sip. It was completely and utterly bland. I scowled and set the cup down. “You don’t make a very good cup.”

She shrugged. “Blame your subconscious. It’s not my fault you don’t know what it should taste like.”

I sighed. “How long until I see you burst into flames or something to that effect?”

She shook her head. “This isn’t that kind of dream, Symph.” She rested her head on my shoulder and nuzzled me. “For once your mind is letting you be happy.”

I was about to say something when Lyra slapped me. “Ow! What was that for?”

“Because I know what you were about to say, and I don’t want you to say it. It’s not like you to be angsty.”

I sighed. “I know. I just miss you.”

“I miss you too.” She gently kissed my scar.

Wait a moment, How did I still have my scar if I could talk? This dream made no sense. She flicked my forehead with her hoof. Ow. “Why do you keep doing that?”

“Because you insist on ruining the moment. It’s a dream. It’s not supposed to be realistic. A realistic dream would have me in pieces. Is that what you want?”

“No.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I want to save Carbine.”

“No. Try again.”

I winced as if I had been struck. “Yes, I do.”

Lyra scoffed. “Of course you do. You want to see him safe. But that’s not what you really want. Try again.”

“I want you.”

She shook her head. “Wrong again. If that were true we wouldn’t be having this discussion. You’d be plowing me until I was raw.” She sighed and looked me in the eye. “What do you want, Symphony?”

I shook my head. “I….”

She stepped forward and stared into my eyes. “You what, Symphony?”

“I DON’T KNOW, LYRA!” A cold wind blew through the meadow. “I don’t know. I have no idea what I want. I used to want to make my sister happy. Then I discovered the Goddess, and I wanted to be a good Cadanite. Then I met you, and I wanted to start a life with you. And one by one the things I wanted were taken away from me. I don’t know if there is anything I want any more except to survive.” I let out a long breath and fell onto the grass. “Why are we talking about this?”

Lyra lay down beside me and smiled sadly. “Because I’m your subconscious right now, Symph. We’re supposed to talk when you dream.”

“Does that make it weird if I still want to plow you?”

Lyra lightly pushed me. “Oh, shut up.”

The two of us laughed. I had not realized how much I missed laughing. I hated that disgusting noise I made instead. I hated that I could not sing. No. I hated that I couldn’t sing. Not using contractions in my thoughts was pointless. Every word was beautiful, but if I couldn’t actually hear them then what was the point? Symphony was a pony who had to put on airs because he wanted to impress the ponies around him. Savage was a pony who did what he wanted. I’d said it already. What I wanted to do was survive. And that would be exactly what I did when I woke up.

Until then, I had a mare to enjoy….

I opened my eyes and stood up. My vision was nowhere near as woozy as it was when I was knocked out. It also wasn’t as bad as it was at Camp Terminus. I must have received a lot more anti-venom now than I did then. Thank you, mysterious Nocti.

I saw her standing away from me. My initial assessment of her body had been correct, though I had missed a few points. She was wearing midnight blue barding. Parts of it had been badly patched together. One such area was her flank. There were three letters on her flank, and each letter appeared to have been taken from a separate piece of barding: N. C. R.

In addition to her armor, there were also weapons. A spiked ball was attached to the end of her tail. She wore a necklace with a small knife at the end. Similar to Shadow, there was a shotgun strapped to her back.
She was pacing in a circle. “Great. Just great. There are still breezadores outside. The raiders might still be there too. And I have a lot less anti-venom than I did before. There’s more guns, and more targets for them, but my chances still aren’t great. And I still haven’t completed my mission. Ugh!” She turned towards me. “Hi. I’m Mirage.”

I wouldn’t exactly call her tone friendly. It was raspy and vaguely annoyed. I lifted my hoof in greeting.

“Question. Are those raiders still alive?”

I nodded.

Mirage grimaced and slapped her face with her hoof. “Figures.” She unfurled her wings and titled her head towards the second floor. “Your friend is up there if you want to see her.” She flapped her wings and landed on one of the support beams. She raced across the beam and stood behind a pole. It was almost as if she were taking cover.

I started running to the top of the stairs. Okay, it seemed I was still on the woozy side, but I made it to the top without crashing or throwing up. Packrat had been laid on a mattress. There was a concrete barrier to her left, and a series of crates surrounded her. She was also surrounded by a cache of weapons. Opus, the assault rifle, hunting rifle and 10mm were there. In addition, there were claws which looked like they could be attached to a pony’s hooves. There was a long rifle that dwarfed Memento with an unusual design. Another weapon was also large and bulky and was multi-barreled. I touched it with my hoof. What in Equestria was this thing?

“Minigun.” I looked up at Mirage. She pointed one of her wings at the large gun. “That’s a minigun. Belonged to a former squad mate.” Her ears angled towards the door and twitched. “Ah, shit.” She tore her eyes away and cocked her shotgun. “I’d advise you to either get down or get ready.”

Knock. Knock. “Hello? Is anypony in there?” Knock. Knock. “Is anypony still alive in there?”

Packrat stirred beside me, but her eyes remained closed. She was muttering something, but I didn’t focus on it. I took Mirage’s advice. I readied Savage and Memento.

The door flew open and five people entered. The first two were earth ponies. The male earth pony held a spike in his mouth, while the mare wielded a shotgun. A light grey dog walked in after them. Blood seeped from an open cut near its eye. The stallion stopped moving, and the dog bumped into him. The two growled at each other. The stallion went a step further and aimed a thrust of his spike. Another pony had intervened. A crystal stallion had entered behind the dog. He stepped in-between the two of them. He swatted the spike away with a hoof and shook his head. “We don’t have to be monsters towards each other.”

“No, but there’s no harm in it.” The rear was brought up by a midnight-black and blue unicorn. A battle saddle with twin machine guns adorned her back. Her piercing dark blue eyes were almost impossible to look away from, but I hated looking at them. The malice in those eyes was magnetic. She kicked the dog’s legs out from under it and stomped on its tail. The dog yelped, and the malicious mare laughed. “No harm to us, that is.” She titled her head. “Find them. Burn this place to the ground if you have to.” She turned around and began to walk out the door.

I fired a bullet aimed at her head, hoping to make her number thirteen. Savage’s bullet struck the doorframe instead of her head. Uh-oh.

A smirk slowly formed on her lips. “Found you.” She pivoted and opened fire. The crates were being blasted to pieces. The concrete was holding, but I knew it wouldn’t last forever. While her fire was pinning me down, one of the others could come up the stairs and corner me. That would also put Packrat in danger. I needed to take one of them out. I needed a distraction. Or a Mirage.

Mirage emerged from her hiding place on the support beams. She balanced her shotgun in-between her front hooves and pulled the trigger with her tongue. She struck Midnight in the shoulder, causing the mare to fall over. Her fire let up, which gave me the opportunity to run. I ran out from behind my cover and just barely avoided a shotgun blast to the face. Unfortunately, it did hit me in the chest.

I recoiled, and my head hit the wall. I retained enough sense to lower my head in case of further oncoming fire. I crawled towards the top of the stairs. The stallion with the spike was already halfway up. It seemed I had been right about the possibility of them trying to corner me.

He charged towards me once he noticed me. I bit down and fired a shot from Memento. My shot went wide right and completely missed him. I fired a second shot. It was closer, but it still missed the mark. I did not have time to fire a third.

He thrust the spike at my neck. I rolled away from his attack. The spike struck the wall and became stuck. The stallion grunted as he tried to remove the spike from the wall. This was my chance. I fired again. Click. What? Click. Click. Click. Okay. Savage then. Click. Damnit! Packrat still had the other rifle and the 10mm on her. The only other weapons I had were the hellhound tooth and the grenades. The tooth would work, but I had a significant disadvantage against a weapon as big as the spike. The grenades were also dangerous because I would likely be caught in the blast. I had very few options.

And even less time. He yanked the spike from the wall. He twisted his head so the spike was aimed towards me. Before he could lunge, Mirage flew by and bucked his shoulder with her back legs. His body buckled, just in time for the spiked-ball to collide with his head. The stallion’s head was crushed in-between the ball and the wall.

“Oh, fuck!” The mare with the shotgun fired another round. It missed Mirage entirely. Ironically, it hit the stallion’s already destroyed head.

Mirage doubled back and rolled into the cover near Packrat. She quickly retrieved the hoof claws and put them on. “Okay, buddy, here’s the plan. I’m going to swoop down there and give ‘em hell. You cover me. Good?”

I nodded.

“Good.” Mirage used her wing to wipe sweat off of her brow and face. She took a few shallow breaths and held her shotgun close to her. “Please. Let me survive this.” She kissed the barrel of her gun and took off.

Machine gun fire sprayed towards her. Mirage’s barding took a few bullets, but she was able to avoid most of them with well-timed rolls and dives. “I could use some cover here!”

Right. I grabbed the long rifle and stared down the sights. The mare with the shotgun was taking up aim. I fired a shot at her head. I hit her shotgun instead. Her head jerked violently, and her shot went off. She struck the center of Mirage’s tail-ball. The impact knocked Mirage off course.

The dog took advantage. It started running and leapt into the air. It grabbed the edge of Mirage’s wing and yanked her onto the ground. Mirage fired her shotgun twice, but neither of her shots hit the dog. In truth, they didn’t hit much of anything besides the ground. She wrestled with the dog. Her hoof claws scratched at its belly, while the dog kept snapping at her throat.
The mare with the shotgun was aiming her weapon back and forth. “Damnit. I can’t get a good shot from here.”

Midnight scoffed. “Don’t aim, you idiot. Just fire.” She managed a few more rounds before her guns were empty. Two rounds hit her dog’s tail. One round nipped the edge of Mirage’s wing. The other two hit the wall.

Since she was out of ammo, the other mare was the bigger threat. Unfortunately, she shot at me before I could shoot her. The concrete barrier took the brunt of her shot, but my hoof took some damage. It stung more than anything else, but it was enough to cause me to drop the rifle.

It toppled to the ground and out of reach.

Okay, plan B. I ducked behind the cover and grabbed the minigun. I stood up and aimed it at the mare with the shotgun. I fired and quickly realized how powerful it was. It fired an extraordinary number of bullets, and I could barely keep it under control. I could only imagine what Carbine would say. Motherfucker, this thing has a kick to it! I managed to keep ahold of it and fired upon the mare.

Thirteen.

The mare’s body was torn to shreds by the barrage of bullets. Before I could turn the minigun on Midnight, she bolted behind steel crates. The crystal pony had disappeared as soon as the shooting started. The best option would be to keep the high ground and to cover Mirage with the old rifle from the battle saddle. She was still wrestling with the dog. Her legs were badly scratched, and her right ear was being torn by its fangs. Meanwhile, the dog’s nose had been split, and it was bleeding from its eye.

I grabbed the hellhound tooth and rushed down the stairs. I could cover her just as effectively by killing the mutt. The dog was facing Mirage, so it didn’t see me approach. It swiped at her head, but Mirage ducked out of the way. She swung her tail, and the ball hit the dog in the head. Rather than sticking, it simply knocked the dog backwards. The dog reared back and prepared to pounce.

That was when I rammed my shoulder into it. The dog fell onto its side. I stepped on its throat to pin it to the ground. Then I rammed the hellhound tooth into its eye. Despite that, it still struggled beneath me. I felt its claws rake into my legs, but my barding absorbed most of the impact. At least, the parts that hadn’t been eroded by the vulpas. This mutt was a tough one. But its body gradually gave in and went limp.

Okay, status report. They had lost two ponies and a dog. Packrat was still recovering. Mirage was injured, but she would survive. I had suffered minor wounds. Since the crystal pony was missing in action, all that left wa—

Bang.

A bullet slipped through an opening in my barding. It struck me in the side. I managed to keep my balance, despite the pain surging through me.

“Oh, shit!” Mirage rolled away and took refuge in the shadows.

Midnight’s head was peeking out of her cover. She was carrying a large pistol in her mouth. She fired again, and the hellhound tooth was knocked out of my mouth. She slowly approached until she was only a few hoofsteps away from me.

I was in too much pain to run. My weapon had been removed from me, and the weapons on my battle saddle were out of ammo or too jammed to use. I was too close to her for a grenade to be useful. My only play was to hope Mirage would save me. If not, I may have been a goner. Midnight said nothing. She only smirked and slowly aimed her pistol at me.

“Moonscape!”

All eyes were fixed on the small green mare on the second floor. Opus levitated beside her. “S.A.T.S. says I have a fifty-four percent chance to hit your head from here.”

Moonscape cocked her pistol. “And I have a ninety-seven percent chance of killing your sparkling friend. You’re not playing the odds, Packrat.”

“This isn’t you, Moon. Please.” Packrat was fighting back tears. “Don’t make me shoot you.”

“I’m not making you do anything, Rat.” Her eyes hardened, and her glare cut like broken glass. “Nopony made you abandon me and Sunshine.”

“I ne—”

Bang.

Moonscape shot me in the face! The bullet grazed my cheek. My flesh burned from the metal, and hot blood trickled down my cheek. My body was moving in slow motion. I staggered backwards and touched my wound with a hoof. She fired a second time and struck my shoulder. I silently screamed, as I fell to the ground.

“Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.” Mirage slid towards me and fired her shotgun at Moonscape. The shot completely missed. She pulled the trigger again to no avail. “And I’m out. Great.”

“It certainly is great.” Moonscape cocked her pistol. “It makes this so much easier.”

Bang.

Moonscape flinched, but she quickly regained her composure. She cast her eyes towards her hoof. A grenade slug had cracked her PipBuck’s screen, and the display was finicky. “You missed, Rat.”

“No I didn’t.”

Moonscape shook her head. She pointed her gun at Mirage and I. She didn’t fire. Her smirk slowly faded into a confused scowl.

“It’s not working is it?” Moonscape turned towards Packrat. “S.A.T.S. Your numbers are showing up, but they keep changing. And it won’t let you fire.” She started walking towards the stairs. Each step was slow. I imagined she was still reeling from the venom. I hoped she wasn’t in too much pain. “If it wasn’t for Toothpick, mine would still be busted.”

Moonscape gritted her teeth and marched towards the steps. “So what? Even if I don’t have my targeting system, I still have my gun. I can kill you right now.”

“No you can’t.” Moonscape winced at the certainty in Packrat’s tone. I could admit to being impressed with her as well. “You were always a shit shot.”

“Fuck you, Packrat.” Moonscape fired three shots. Each badly missed the mark.

“I told you. Shit shot.”

Moonscape tossed her pistol aside. “Fine. I don’t need that anyway. I didn’t need it to finish off Sunshine.”

Now it was Packrat who winced. “What did you say?”

“You heard me.” She made her way onto the staircase. “After we got captured, the raiders made us fight to the death. They tossed us weapons. Broken bottles. Knives. Pool cues. And I grabbed this.” Moonscape produced a rusty knife. “I gutted that coward while they watched. And cheered me on. And then I stuck it through their leader’s throat. I made them respect me. I made them fear me!” Moonscape was crying now. Her voice was straining, and it grew raspier with each word she spoke. “And now. Now! I’m going to kill you the same way I killed Sunshine. I’m going to gut you while your friends watch. And there’s nothing you can do about it, Rat! Nothing!”

Moonscape lunged, and Opus was pressed against her temple. “Don’t make me shoot you, Moon.”

Moonscape lunged once more. Bang. Her body fell to the ground and rolled down the stairs. Packrat didn’t move. I couldn’t hear a sound coming from her. No words, weeping or even breathing. She just stood there covered in her friend. Packrat….

“Well, it seems that we lost.” I heard something fall to the ground. A large knife and an oddly shaped pistol slid across the floor. The crystal pony slowly walked out of a shadowy corner of the warehouse. He stood in front of Mirage and me and dipped his head. “I humbly surrender to you and your friend.”

“Phew. Glad to hear that.” Packrat turned towards us. The first thing I noticed were the tears cascading down her face. The second was the incredibly large and fake smile on her face. “I thought I might have been a goner for a while there.”

Packrat?

She opened her eyes and cantered down the stairs. “Really glad that’s over.” She walked around Moonscape’s body without looking down. I noticed she didn’t search the body either. “Now we can make new friends.” She slipped Opus into her saddlebag and approached the other crystal pony. “Hi. I’m Packrat.”

He stared at her incredulously and touched his hoof to hers. “Lamentation.”

“Nice to meet you, Lamentation. Do you want to join our group?”

“What?!” Mirage hopped to her hooves and stormed towards them. “He’s one of them. They shot at you when you guys were coming here. They've shot at me!” She looked in the direction of her weapons cache. “He helped kill my friends.”

“May I speak in my defense?” Packrat nodded, while Mirage huffed. Lamentation nodded. “Very well. I have been a traveler for many years. I joined with a group of ponies who were too uncouth for my liking. However, they granted me protection so long as I killed for them. It was an offer I could hardly refuse. Shooting at you all was never personal. Now that the other ponies are dead, I bear you no ill will.” He lay on his belly and bowed before Packrat. “I am not blameless. Should you so desire, I will accept my execution. But I pray you find it in your heart to have mercy on this old stallion.”

“I say we shoot him.” Mirage snatched her shotgun with her tail and brought it into her hooves.

“Your gun is still empty.”

“Hmm?” Mirage titled her head and pulled the trigger. Click. “Damnit.”

“Besides. I wasn’t asking you.” Lamentation focused on Packrat.

Packrat didn’t meet his gaze. She cast her eyes my way. “What do you think, Savage?”

Given the pain in my side, my shoulder, and the burning sensation in my face, I wanted a pain killer more than anything else. My only response was to grimace.

Packrat smiled at my silence. I didn’t appreciate her smiling at my expense, but it was nice to see the spark returning to her face. Even her tears were starting to dry up. “Sorry. Mirage, would you mind fixing him up?”

Mirage huffed again. “Hey, Mirage, mind using all your medical supplies to help us out? Sure, no problem! I mean, it’s not like I’m going to need them when I go after the Legendary Breezadore.”

“The what now?”

Mirage groaned. She fumbled through her stash of supplies. “Me and my patrol were given a mission.” She retrieved a healing potion and a bandage. “We’re supposed to find the breezadore hive. Or the vulpas as the locals call it.” She pressed the bandage against my side, and she force fed me the potion. “Our job is to kill the big one. One less threat in Northern Equestria.”

Lamentation stood up. “You’re from the NCR, aren’t you?”

Mirage snorted. “And what if I am?”

Lamentation smirked. “It means their standards are even lower than I thought.”

Mirage raised one of her claws. “Want to run that by me again?”

Lamentation ran his eyes up and down Mirage. He grunted and turned towards me. “I know where the hive is. I can take you there if you want to help the flying rat.”

I ignored Mirage’s hysteria and nodded to Packrat.

Packrat returned the nod. “One last thing. Do you know where Failed Wish is?”

“Failed Wish? That slaver town by Manehattan?”

“Do you know how to get there?”

Lamentation shrugged. “I have an idea of how to get there. It’s not my usual territory, but I could find it.”

Packrat tapped him on the shoulder. “Welcome to the group, Lamentation!”

Mirage crossed her front hooves and muttered something to herself.

Lamentation smirked. “What was that?”

“I said fine. You can come with us. But I don’t like it, and I don’t have to like it.” She stashed away her shotgun. She gulped down a healing potion. Her small wounds began to heal. She inspected her wing. She moved it up and down with her hoof. She grunted and flew up towards the second floor. “Anypony want the minigun?” Lamentation raised his hoof. “Anypony but the raider?”

“I’ll take it!” Packrat bounded up the stairs. I heard her gasp. “Oh, yeah. I’m taking that for sure.”

Lamentation rolled his eyes. He nudged me and cocked his head towards the second floor. “That mare of yours is an odd one.”

I shook my head. Packrat and I were friends, but she was not my mare. I preferred to keep our relationship as a strict friendship.

“Savage, can you do me a favor and carry the minigun for me? Pleeeeeeease?”

I sighed. Fine. I wouldn’t hear the end of it if I said no. The sooner I accepted, the sooner we could move on.

“We’re here.”

Were we? Lamentation had led us to an inn in the middle of nowhere. The building was surprisingly nice. The word “Inn” was not faded. There was no graffiti in sight. Or severed heads.

Mirage pointed towards the inn with her wing. “He’s in there?” Her voice dripped with distrust.

Lamentation blinked. “Yes. The Legendary Breezadore is in a well-maintained inn.”

Mirage’s brow creased, as she scowled. “I don’t like your sarcasm.”

“I don’t like your species.”

“What?!”

Mirage lunged towards him with her hoof claws extended. I rushed behind her and held her back before she could cut into his face. She struggled in my grasp, but I was able to hold her in place. Lamentation nonchalantly stepped away from us and towards Packrat. “Our destination isn’t far from here. I thought it would be smart to rest the night before assaulting the hive.”

Packrat nodded. “Rest sound—” She was interrupted by a long yawn. “—s good.”

Once Mirage finally relaxed, I let her go. She slithered away from me and flashed a glare my way. She also stuck her tongue out. Mirage: the paragon of maturity. Using techniques befitting of Missile.

Packrat touched her hoof to the door and opened it. She walked inside. Lamentation followed, while Mirage and I brought up the rear. The first thing I saw was a pony getting bucked in the mouth. His tooth was knocked loose and flew into another pony’s drink. Which they promptly downed. Ugh, ew.

The second thing I noticed was the group of ponies. They were gathered in a circle. Inside the circle was a stallion, with impressive facial hair, hoof wrestling a lime-green mare. The stallion’s muscles were straining, while the mare was casually drinking a large glass of alcohol. She almost finished her drink, but she stopped with a skosh left in the glass. She then slammed his hoof onto the table.

The stallion held his face in his hooves, and he slunk away. The mare stood up and raised her hooves in victory. Ponies booed and whistled in equal measure. Some threw money at the table. A couple more lit cigarettes. Most had another drink.

“Anypony else think they can take me?” Her eyes fell upon me. “How ‘bout you, handsome?”

I shook my head.

Mirage scoffed. “Coward. I’ll take you on.” She trotted to the empty seat formerly held by the stallion. She stretched her front hooves until they were a sharp crack. “What’re the stakes?”

The mare looked Mirage up and down. “If you manage to beat me, you and your friends get free board and drinks for the night. If you last until I finish my glass.” She paused and her glass was filled up. “You get free board. No drinks.”

“If I lose?”

“When you lose. If it’s before I finish my drink, I get to fuck your handsome friend.”

Hey!

Lamentation stopped me from confronting the mares. “Have a little faith in her. Besides.” He was admiring the other mare. “I’d hardly call her winning a loss.”

That was easy for him to say. He wasn’t being used as a bargaining chip.

“Go!”

It seemed I was too late. The game was afoot. Mirage and the other mare locked hooves. Mirage’s hoof was flexing, but the other mare didn’t budge. “Oh, shit.” Mirage relaxed her hoof.

The mare grinned. “Giving up already?”

Mirage clicked her tongue. She grinned right back and showed off her fangs. “I’ve just decided to play defense instead.”

“We’ll see if it works.” The mare started to chug her glass. She paused when there was barely any left. That was when she made her move. She jerked her hoof, and Mirage’s hoof almost hit the table.

The batpony gritted her teeth and kept her hoof in the air but only just. The mare’s expression was casual, while Mirage was sweating. I could see a vein bulge in her hoof and her head. Guttural sounds were coming from her mouth, as she fought to keep her hoof from touching the table.

“You’re tough,” the mare mused.

Mirage cracked a grin. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

The mare finished her glass and slammed Mirage’s hoof down. “Congratulations. Free board for you and your friends.” She clopped her hooves together. Two large stallions flanked me and the others. “These handsome gents will you escort you to your room.”

“Room, singular?” Mirage gagged and pointed towards Lamentation. “I’m not sharing a room with that one.”

Lamentation’s lips twitched into a tiny smile. “Funny. I was going to say that about you.”

The mare shrugged. “One room should fit two of you comfortably. I'll give you two rooms to share as you see fit.” She waved Mirage off, and the Nocti rejoined us. “Now, does anypony else want to challenge me?”

The stallions escorted us up a small, curving, flight of stairs. As I walked up the stairs, I watched as a yellow mare shouldered her way through the crowd. She sat down on the chair and ripped off one of her boots. She placed her hoof on the table. I didn’t need to see her eyes to know the steel-like stare they were giving the innkeeper.

The innkeeper smiled. “You seem confident. I like that. I’ll make the stakes more fun. You don’t get a glass. You just have to beat me. And when you don’t—”

“You mean when I do.”

The smile became a full-fledged smirk. “When you don’t, I get your knife.”

“And when I win?’

“Assuming the impossible, you get a free night, free drinks, and five hundred caps or bits. Your choice.”

“Deal.”

Lamentation noticed that I had stopped walking. “Who are you betting on, Savage?”

I pointed to the challenger. I knew her better than anypony. There was no chance of her losing.

“Really now? Okay. I’ll take the innkeeper. Loser bunks with the bat.”

I hoped he wouldn’t be too bitter about that.

The hoofwrestle began. Well, to a certain extent. Neither the challenger or the incumbent seemed to be exerting much effort. That, or they were equally strong and deadlocked. Neither hoof was moving. The innkeeper used her other hoof to push her drink aside. It seemed she was getting serious.

The challenger snickered. Her back hooves began tapping on the ground. “Where’d all that confidence of yours go?”

The innkeeper’s smirk had faded into a grimace. Her hoof was starting to waver. “You’re tougher than you look.”

She had no idea. The innkeeper’s hoof was slammed onto the table. The challenger took the innkeeper’s mug and drained it. That was my cue to leave. The show was over. I’d rather avoid being part of the after party.

Lamentation put his hoof on my shoulder. “Hey. How did you know she’d win?”

Because she was my sister. I knew better than anypony how much she hated losing.

I sat against the wall and watched over Packrat as she slept. I knew what it was like to be under the effects of vulpa venom. Or breezadores as they seemed to call them. She was putting up a brave front, but that didn’t show while she slept. She tossed and turned in the bed. She kept muttering names. Moonscape. Sunshine. Dartboard. Her body would grow tense with each word. I had to calm her down a few times by patting her head. At that point the only name she’d mutter was mine. It also led to a lot of drool.

Watching over a sick pony was exhausting. I was starting to fade. I needed sleep for the raid tomorrow, but Packrat needed me awake in case she worsened. I wondered if one of the other two would mind watching her for me. I quickly decided Lamentation wouldn’t do. He hadn’t been willing to fight with the raiders. I took that as a sign he didn’t care too much for companionship. That left Mirage. No doubt she’d complain about it. I was quite sure she’d do it though. She had been willing to give us medical supplies when we were complete strangers. Now that we were companions, she didn’t have a reason to say no.

I slowly walked towards the door. I opened it an—

“Oh.” Orchestra had raised her hoof, as if she were about to rap on the door. She took a couple steps backwards. “Hi, Symphony.”

My eyes immediately examined her boot. No kirpan.

“I’m unarmed.” She walked in a circle; I presumed she wanted to show me she had no weapons hidden on her person. She leaned against the wall and groaned. “Listen. I saw you walk in, and I didn’t know what to do. But now Purity’s asleep. And I’m drunk. And…-can we talk? Do I get to do that?”

I nodded to her. Of course I did. The last time I had seen my sister was supposed to be the last time. Yet, she was unarmed. If I had the choice, I’d rather our final meeting not be one where we tried to kill each other. However, I had some business to attend to first.

I knocked on the other door. A groggy Mirage opened it. She wiped her face with her hoof and yawned. “What do you want, Savage?”

I pointed to Mirage. I then pointed to my eyes. I stepped aside and titled my head towards the door.

“You want me to watch the door?”

She was close. I tapped my forehead and extended my hoof to resemble a horn.

“Watch Packrat?” Her eyes narrowed as she scowled. “Why can’t you do it?”

I didn’t know if she could read lips, but I mouthed my answer to her. “Family.” I then walked down the hall with Orchestra beside me. Neither of us said anything as we walked down to the bar. Our silence followed us outside. The two of us sat on the ground and looked up at the stars.

It was amazing to see them again. I had taken them for granted when I grew up. Not seeing them for so long made me realize how much I missed them. This same feeling did not apply to my sister. I missed her, but I knew that I was glad to be away from her. I wanted my last memory of her to be a different one, but I needed there to be a last memory. Hopefully that would be tonight.

Orchestra lied on her back. She tapped her hooves against her chest. She was scowling, but she wasn’t looking at me. If I had to guess, she was scowling at herself. “I….” She turned onto her side. Probably so she wouldn’t have to look me in the eye. “I miss you. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

No, she wasn’t. She hated what had become of our relationship. She was sorry that the two of us had tried to kill each other. I agreed with her there. But she wasn’t sorry for the deaths of my friends. I knew without a shadow of a doubt she wasn’t sorry for orchestrating Lyra’s death. And I didn’t forgive her. I think she knew all that. That’s why she couldn’t look me in the eye.

‘Chestra half sighed and half groaned. “I know you don’t forgive me. You’re too stubborn for that.” To my surprise, she laughed. “It’s funny. I actually felt closure when you left the waystation. So much for that, right?” She sniffled. I saw her rub her face with her hoof. “I don’t even know why I’m doing this. It’s clear you don’t want to see me. I just…-I…-you’re my brother, Symphony. I couldn’t just let you walk out of my life again without at least saying hello.” She stood up and shook her head. “This is stupid.”

‘Chestra padded towards the door. I didn’t follow her. I did turn my head around when I heard the door creak. ‘Chestra was halfway inside when she caught me staring. She gave me the saddest look I had ever seen. “Love you.”

I tapped my chest twice and pointed towards her.

Orchestra smiled. It wasn’t a particularly large smile, but it didn’t have to be. It was warm enough to melt the snow after a blizzard. She kept on smiling, as she disappeared from sight. Now that was a memory I could cherish. There was no screaming. No bleeding. No dead friends. Just a smile….

I didn’t know how long I sat there. I lost track of time as I watched the stars. Gazing upon them gave me comfort. Something I sorely missed in the Wasteland. I suddenly felt something warm wrap around me, which snapped me out of my reverie. I turned to my left. Mirage was sitting next to me. Her right wing was wrapped around my shoulder.
“You looked cold.”
I smiled at her before resuming my star gazing.

She grunted. “In case you were wondering, Lamentation is watching Packrat. He said he didn’t trust me to not suck her blood. I told him I didn’t trust him not be a dickhead.” I nodded my thanks, but I didn’t pay her much heed. She scoffed. “What is it with ponies and stars? They’re just twinkling lights. And if you want to go further, they’re just burning balls of gas. It’s stupid.”

I didn’t bother answering her question. It wasn’t one that could be answered. It could only be felt.

“Thanks.”

Hmmm? I cast my eyes in her direction. Mirage was looking up at the sky, and I noticed a faint blush on her cheeks.

“I had been playing that message for a few days. My unit and I got ambushed by raiders on our way to that vulpa nest. After all the bugs and bastards, I was the only survivor. You two didn’t even know me, but you came to save me. And I hadn’t thanked you yet. So, thanks.” The corner of her mouth turned into a smirk. “Of course, I had to save your asses just as much as you saved mine. And now I have to put up with that other pain in the ass. So maybe you haven’t been that helpful after all.”

There went that moment. Mirage didn’t say anything after that. Despite what she was saying earlier, she watched the stars with me for the rest of the night.

Footnote: Level Up!
Perk Added: It's How You Use It-You tried your first big gun, but it just wasn't your thing. No shame, no judgment. But on the bright side, you're more sure than ever that you like lighter guns and melee weapons. Weapons under ten pounds do 5% more damage in a critical situation.

Author's Notes:

Authors Notes: Thank you to Kkat, other authors, and my readers. And to all of the above, Happy New Year. Or at the very least, Happy Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Rooster in a couple days, which is my year, and I'm super stoked about that. I'm also stoked about the new Overwatch skins. Hope I get some good ones. Whatever you do for Chinese New Year, even if it's treating it like just another day, I hope you have an excellent one!