Most of my comrades were awake now. We stood in a line at the edge of the hilltop. It wasn’t a steep drop, which made the situation less tense than it could have been. Although the guns pointed at me more than made up for it. We had all been searched. From Opus, to Zeus, to Glimmer, our weapons lay in a pile before us. I would be defenseless if my attackers decided I wasn’t worth keeping around. And, yet, they weren’t nearly as terrifying as Shadow or Mirage.

Both of them had seen the syringe. While I couldn’t see Shadow’s eyes beneath her mask, I could feel her glaring at me. I could only imagine how disappointed those Lyra-like eyes looked right now. I didn’t need to imagine how Mirage looked. She was standing beside me. She wasn’t even looking at our captors. Her rage was solely directed at me. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”

No. I didn’t. They had snuck up on me. Even if I had been sober, I likely wouldn’t have seen their approach. True, I could have heard them. I also could have drawn a weapon. It was also highly probable I would’ve been shot if I had drawn a weapon. The gunshots would’ve woken my companions who would’ve been shot as well. An idiot? Hardly. I may have put us in this predicament, but I saved us from a worse one—why did my shoulder feel wet?

Packrat stood by my left shoulder. She had been nodding off. Now she was completely asleep. She was leaning against my shoulder, which she drooled and nibbled on. “Mhmm. Dionysus, that doesn’t go there. You need Savage’s permission first.”

I really didn’t want to know what she was dreaming of. I roughly shook my shoulder. Packrat’s head bounced off my shoulder. Her body swayed, but she stayed on her hooves. She also managed to stay asleep. She nibbled on her lip, as she drooled.

Her husband stood beside her. He was shaking in his hooves. His constant movement was rattling Templar’s chain. Templar, however, refused to be rattled. He showed no emotion in his face. I admired his bravery, but I wondered where it came from. Was it his faith that gave him strength? Or did he realize he’d die once he reached Vanhoover, so dying here meant nothing to him?

I glanced down at the filly behind me. Strings had fallen asleep at some point; I wasn’t sure when. Our captors had allowed her to stay asleep. It seemed a filly with a broken horn wasn’t considered a threat. Even still, it was nice of them to allow it. A little too nice. Not to the point of being suspicious, but it gave me an inkling that our captors were reasonable. Reasonable ponies, or whatever they all were, could be negotiated with. Which was a far better alternative than being shot.

The herd continued to stand in the shadows. One of them whistled. The whistle was met by a loud click of the tongue. It was soon followed by the sound of hoofsteps. The shadows parted, and two figures stepped into the firelight. It took me a few seconds, but I recognized the first one. He was the small pony with the hammer from Greco village. The group with ashes on their hooves. The White Hooves, I believed. I wondered how many of his companions had also attacked Greco Village. At least one of them had. The second shadow who walked into the firelight was instantly recognizable. From his mustard-yellow eyes to his guns: Anarchy and Tenacity. And, of course, the big dumb grin on his face.

“Symphy?” I cringed when I heard that name. That just made his grin even larger. “Symphy!” He sprinted towards me and tackled me onto the ground. He laughed and playfully pounded his hooves against my chest. “You big bastard. Where the flying fuck have you been?” I tilted my head towards the other ponies. Carbine looked at them. “No shit? You’ve made som—wait a motherfucking second.” He stood up and approached Mirage. Then he just sat there and stared at her.

“Can I help you?” she snarled.

“I’m just trying to remember if you’re the same flying bitch that shot at me and my boys.” There was a loud cough behind him. “Boys and girl.”

Mirage’s snarl intensified. “And what if I was?”

He shrugged. “You didn’t kill me, so I guess I can’t be too mad.” He started walking around Mirage in a circle. “You’re motherfuckin’ beautiful, you know that?”

“Yes, I do.”

Carbine grinned at her and then looked back at me. “Hey, Symph, can I keep her?”

“No.” The small pony answered. “At least not yet.”

Shadow finally spoke up. “Yet? Well, if there’s a yet and we haven’t been shot, then I think a sense a proposal.”

The small pony nodded and sat down beside our weapon pile. He waved his hoof. I saw the shadows moving. I presumed they were putting away their weapons. “Sit down.” We all sat except Packrat, who was still asleep. He didn’t seem to care. He pressed a hoof against his chest and began to speak. “My name is Samson, Prince of the White Hooves. I act on behalf of my father the King of the White Hooves.” He paused; I assumed this was time for any quick questions.

Shadow apparently thought so as well. “Your King’s name wouldn’t happen to be Pluto, would it?”

Samson’s body tensed. “What if it is?”

Shadow sighed. “Relax, Prince. I mean no disrespect. I just knew Pluto when he was still Hades.”

“Hades?” Happiness spread across Dionysus face like a disease. “Uncle Hades?” He gasped. “That means we’re cousins!”

Samson looked Dionysus up and down. He didn’t seem impressed. Samson returned his attention to Shadow. “The White Hooves follow a set of rituals when we find travelers or a settlement. We hold them up, search them for anything worth taking, and kill anything that resists. Then we take the strong ones back to Twin Mares to become White Hooves. Settlements remain a part of our Equestrian community. Travelers are allowed to go on their way.”

Shadow nodded. “Well, we’ve gotten through the first few steps. Now you’re going to take us to your leader?”

Samson shook his head. “Normally that would be the case, but this situation is different from the norm.”

“How so?”

Samson pointed a hoof at Packrat. “I’ve heard stories about her on Honest Jack’s channel. She’s the famed Hoarder. Am I wrong?”

Oh, right. I had forgotten about the radio channel and the famed mare who travelled the Wasteland. Funny enough, my adventures with Packrat had caused me to forget about the stories of the Hoarder. It was strange to know there were ponies who revered her. Not that she didn’t deserve their praise for her heroism, although she also suffered from chronic stupidity from time to time. To me she was simply Packrat. Seeing her as anything else just felt strange.

“What if she is?”

“Anyone who listens to that channel knows the Hoarder is affiliated with Boulder Springs. Pardon my language miss….—”

“—Shadow.”

“Miss Shadow. But the White Hooves know better than to fuck with Boulder Springs.”

Shadow chuckled. “Good to know that kid Pluto learned some manners. Do you mind if I stand up and stretch my old legs?”

“Go right ahead.”

Shadow stood up. She arched her back and stretched. “You don’t want to make enemies of us, but you still haven’t given us back our guns. I assume that means we won’t be getting them unless we agree to certain terms?’

“Correct.”

Shadow cradled her head with her neck and cracked it. There was a loud pop when she did. Dionysus and Samson both cringed at the sound. Carbine whistled and whispered, “She’s kinda hot too, Symph. You with any of these mares?”

I shook my head. Lyra may have been annoying me lately, but she was still the mare for me. I may have flirted with Shadow yesterday, but I didn’t mean anything by it.

Shadow sat back down. “What’s the job and the payment?”

Samson nodded in Carbine’s direction. “Carbine will explain.”

Carbine snickered and rubbed his hooves together. “Okay. There’s this village of deer about half a day north of here. We sent some of our friends into their village a few days ago to negotiate a surrender. But those motherfuckers captured our guys and sent one of them back as a message. Fuck. That. So, the way we see it, we have to rescue our companions and send a message of our own.”

“Hubbazahwhat?” It seemed Packrat woke up. She looked around, smacked her lips, and wiped away the drool with her hoof. “What’s going on here?”

Mirage pointed at Samson and Carbine with each of her wings. “Short version. A bunch of deer kidnapped their companions and sent one back as a message, and they want our help to save them.”

Samson chuckled. “It’s a little more complicated than that, but yes.”

Packrat sat down and yawned. “Complicated how?”

“Like I was telling your friends, we’re sending a message of our own. That we’re the baddest motherfuckers in the Wasteland, and fucking with us is not okay.”

“Send a message?” Packrat’s face soured. “You’re going to kill them?”

Carbine shook his head. “No no no. We’re not gonna kill ‘em. The White Hooves want to assimilate the Wasteland and create a unified power.”

“Sounds like the NCR,” Templar muttered.

Carbine’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “But we are gonna shoot ‘em.”

Packrat titled her head. “If you’re not going to kill, then why are you going to shoot?”

“’Cause it’s damn fun!” Carbine caught Samson’s disappointed glare. He didn’t notice the one I was giving him as well. He was being too loud and woke up Strings. Carbine rolled his eyes. “Oh, and because we need to keep the future citizens in line without killing them. Part of the routine.”

Routine? How many missions had Carbine been on? That didn’t seem to be the question Shadow had in mind. “I assume our job is to be insurance in case they start shooting back?”

Carbine clicked his tongue and winked. Odd combination. I wondered if that was a new habit he’d picked up or just something that struck his fancy. With Carbine I wouldn’t be surprised either way.

“And I’m also going to assume our payment is that you don’t kill or rob us?”

Carbine stuck out his tongue and shook his head. “Not at all. Like Samy said, we’re not gonna fuck with Boulder Springs. We’ll give ya 400 caps.”

“Only 400?” Shadow didn’t sound enthused.

Packrat didn’t appear very happy either. She looked unusually sour. “What do you think, Shadow?”

“I think we’re mercenaries, Squirt.”

Samson’s ears twitched. “Pray tell, what does that mean?”

“What it means, is that we do any job so long as there are tangible benefits. Usually that amounts to caps. But not getting shot and starting a potential partnership between Boulder Springs and the White Hooves sounds like a tangible benefit to me.”

Packrat lowered her head. “So that means we’re actually going to help them….”

“I thought you liked helping ponies, Squirt.”

I thought so as well. This wasn’t the Packrat I was accustomed to.

“I do. But the ponies we’d be helping are trying to hurt other ponies.”

“Hey!” Carbine stomped his hoof. “That’s not true at all. We’re hurting deer. Totally different from hurting ponies.”

I shook my head. You’re not helping Carbine.

Packrat didn’t buy that for a second. “That doesn’t make it any better.”

“No, you’re right. It doesn’t.” Samson turned his head around to look at Carbine. I couldn’t quite call it a glare, but it teetered on the edge. Carbine chuckled, but he did shrink back. Samson returned his focus on us. “Unfortunately, that’s the nature of conflict. Each side is trying to hurt the other to get what they want.”

“And that’s selfish.”

Samson shrugged. “I see no problem with being selfish. I’ve never met anyone—be it pony, zebra, or griffon who wasn’t.”

Packrat was indignant. “I’m not!” Shadow and I both snickered. Packrat groaned and ruffled her mane with her hooves. “Okay, I may be just the teeny tiniest bit selfish. But I don’t hurt ponies to get what I want.”

Samson smirked. “That’s not what they say about you on the radio.”

Packrat winced. “What do they say about me?”

“Your legend is still in its infancy. But every now and again Honest Jack will tell a story about the Hoarder. A brave mare whose sense of justice is only matched by her insatiable greed.”

She dropped her gaze. “Yeah, I guess that’s kinda true….”

Samson raised his hoof. “Not that it matters to me. Your reputation is your business. My concern is you provide some backup if things go south in the village.”

Packrat still didn’t look happy, but she didn’t protest any further.

Shadow relaxed and took in a deep breath. “I suppose it’s better than the alternative.” She craned her neck and addressed the rest of us. “Good news, kiddos. We’re taking the scenic route to Vanhoover. It’s a bit out of the way but more time for family bonding.” She turned her attention back towards Carbine. “Do any of you delightful equines know any good road trip songs?”

Packrat raised her hoof even though Shadow couldn’t see her.

“Put your hoof down, Squirt. I was being facetious.”

Packrat did as she was told.

Carbine leaned towards Samson. “What’s facetious mean?”

Samson ignored him and approached Shadow. “Forgive me for not being able to tell the difference between genuine rhetoric and sarcasm. Do we have a deal Miss Shadow?” She nodded and outstretched her hoof. Samson touched it with his own. “Good. Now let’s be on our way.” He took three steps before stopping. “Facetious or not, I do happen to know a few road trip songs if you’re interested.”

Songs. I glanced down at my cutie mark, but I quickly looked away. No. I was supposed to live in a way that brought me happiness. Reminding myself of my past life was no way to be happy. So then why do you take that poison?

I ignored the question and began to walk. Samson was in the lead. As I walked I was able to see the other creatures with Samson and Carbine. One was a buffalo, while the other was a griffin. Everypony else and Dionysus were bunched up behind them. Mirage was walking on my right. If her smirk was anything to go by, she was a happy pony. “So…-Symphy?”

Happy at my expense. I glared at her. The only pony who called me that was Carbine. And even then, it was a nickname I hated.

She nickered. “No wonder you changed it. It’s definitely less intimidating than Savage.”

“It’s so weird though.” Carbine was stomping on my other side. “You never seemed like a ‘Savage’ when I first met you. But I guess it fits after what you did to that priest.”

“What priest?” Packrat asked.

Carbine laughed. “Oh, it’s a long story. But Symphy—”

“—Wait, wait. Is Symphy his name or, um, a nickname?”

“His name is Symphony.” Carbine put a hoof around my shoulder and touched his cheek against mine. “But I’ve been calling him Symphy for as long as I’ve known him.”

Packrat nodded her head. “Symphony…-I like it.”

He was nodding like an idiot. “I like him too.”

Mirage nudged me. “This guy’s been quiet when it comes to his past. What kind of stories can you share with us, Carbine?”

“Oh, boy, where do I begin?! So, the two of us travelled the Crystal Wasteland together, while being chased by his crazy ass sister.”

“You have a sister?!” Packrat was way more excited than she should’ve been.

I nodded.

“When do I get to meet her?”

It’d be for the best if you didn’t. I shook my head.

“Oh….”

Carbine drummed his lips. “Oh, she’s not dead. She just tried to kill us a few times.”

Mirage gasped. “Wait a second. Was that the mare you were talking to that night at the inn.”

I was surprised she remembered that. I nodded.

“She didn’t seem that bad to me.”

Carbine snorted. “Yeah. She doesn’t look like much, but you’d be surprised what that bitch can do.”

“So aside from Savage’s—” Packrat giggled. “Sorry. Symphony’s sister, what else happened.”

“Oh, you know. We fought some Cadanites. Symphy found out his whole religion was total bullshit. We went to the Flash Sentry Museum—”

I heard a squeal in delight at the sound of Flash Sentry’s name. The squeal both gravelly and raspy. No, it couldn’t be. I looked behind me. Shadow had covered her mouth with a hoof. She cleared her throat and shook her head. “What? I was a young mare in my prime when his movies came out. I was a big fan.”

Carbine looked back at her with a grin. “Do you want to see something cool?” Before Shadow could answer, Carbine levitated a plastic toy ray gun out of his bag. “Do you recognize this?”

“Owlowicious.” Shadow snatched it. She turned it around in her hooves. “This is an exact replica.”

“No, it’s not. It’s the original.”

She turned her head towards him. “Okay, how much?”

“Sorry, I can’t sell it. It was my little bro’s.” He smiled sadly and levitated Owlowicious back into his bag.

I hated to see a dejected Carbine. I touched a hoof to my heart and then tapped Carbine on the shoulder. I didn’t know what that exactly meant, but it was something.

“Thanks, Symph.” He hugged me, and I hugged him back.

“Now…-kiss.”

I glared at Packrat.

“What? You two get on so well. And you share history. And you’re hugging. What am I supposed to think?”

My glare intensified.

“You’re going to smack me again, aren’t you?”

I was thinking about it.

Carbine laughed. “That sounds like something Thirteen would’ve said.”

What did he just say?

“Thirteen?” Packrat looked at each of us. “Who’s that?”

“Thirteen was Symph’s mare.”

Mirage’s ears pricked. “Oh? Now this sounds interesting. Tell us, Carbine, what was this bundle of joy’s marefriend like?”

“Oh, she was the best. She was funny, flirty. She couldn’t shoot a gun for shit, but nopony’s perfect. She also had an incredible fla—”

I struck him in the face with my hoof. My hoof smashed into his nose and knocked him on his back. A series of guns were trained on me. The griffin’s trigger talon twitched.

“Wait!” Carbine got to his hooves. He rubbed his nose and sneezed blood. Of course it landed on my ankle. Ew. “I deserved that. There’s no problem. Right, Symph?”

Yes. As long as he knew better than to talk about Lyra. I nodded.

“But I’ve gotta say.” He massaged his jaw and spat out a few drops of blood. “This motherfucker’s got a mean kick to him. Were you always this strong?”

I shrugged.

“Little bro!” Mirage’s eyes sparkled. “That’s gotta be the foal.”

Come again?

Mirage pointed at me with her wing. “When we were trapped in the Greco’s shithole of a village—”

“—Hey, that’s my home you’re—” Dionysus stopped talking the second Mirage looked at him. He shrank back and fell in line behind Shadow.

Mirage snapped her head back towards me. “When we were in that shithole you said something about travelling with a foal, right?”

Technically I never said anything, but I remembered. I nodded.

“So, I’m thinking this foal has to be Carbine’s bro. Am I right?”

Carbine answered for me. “Absolutely! Missile was the best. He was such a fun kid to be around. Especially whenever he started talking about his comics.” He whistled. “He loved those things. And he could swear almost as well as I could.” He laughed. It started off as a normal Carbine laugh. It was full of energy and far too loud. As the laugh continued, it grew more and more strained and sad. I needed to change the subject. I tapped Carbine on the shoulder and motioned to his comrades.

“Oh, right. I haven’t told you about us.”

The griffin cocked her shotgun.

Carbine rolled his eyes. “No. I’m not going to tell him everything.” He titled his head and whispered, “Crescent’s really sensitive when it comes to her privacy.”

I could respect that.

“Anyway. So, you disappeared, and I got attacked by a herd of assholes.”

The buffalo snorted.

Carbine laughed. “Yes, you were the biggest asshole there.”

“Any reason why those two aren’t talking?” Mirage asked.

Samson answered. “It is the White Hooves way to remain silent unless spoken to or making threats.”

“So, Carbine’s only allowed to talk because we’re talking to him?”

Samson sighed heavily. “No. He just doesn’t know how to shut up.”

“Damn straight I don’t. Anyway, the herd of assholes kept hitting me, but I didn’t let those motherfuckers keep me down. They took me to Twin Mares—no, I’m not going to tell them where it is. Don’t worry. They took me to Pluto, and he told me I could join him or die. And Samsy and I’ve been inseparable ever since.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

Carbine didn’t seem to hear him. “What’re you guys up to?”

“Escorting prisoners.” Shadow tilted her head towards Strings and Templar.

Carbine waved at Strings. She turned her head away before quickly glancing at me. I gave her a reassuring smile and nodded towards Carbine. She tried to smile back, but it didn’t quite work out.

“Where you takin’ ‘em to?”

“Give me Owlowicious, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Carbine shook his head. “I’m not that curious.”

Shadow chuckled and turned her head towards Samson. “Tell us about this village.”

Samson nodded to the griffin. “Crescent.”

She returned the nod. “I scouted the village last week. There’s a small patch of forest that’s not far from here. There’s a clearing in the forest with about twelve houses.”

“Twelve houses?!” Packrat gasped. “How big is this clearing?”

“Quite large. It’s more of a clearing surrounded by trees than a forest with a clearing.”

“What kind of weapons do they have?” Shadow asked.

“From what I saw, they have two types. The first is their hooves.”

Mirage snorted. “They have a mean kick? Big deal.”

Crescent returned the snort. “It is a big deal. They sharpen their hooves against rocks, bone, and antlers. I watched their hooves cut through bone.”

Through bone? Why were there spare bones lying around a deer village? They weren’t carnivorous. Not unless they had been mutated the same way Seabreeze was. That was a sobering thought, though not literally. Lyra was still in the corner of my vision, but she was gone each time I tried to sneak a glance at her.

Dionysus shuddered and looked down at his own hooves. “That’s crazy.”

Packrat gently kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t worry. They can’t get us with their hooves if we keep our distance.”

“That’s why they have battle saddles that shoot spears.”

Mirage rounded on Crescent. “The fuck?! They can shoot spears.” When Crescent nodded, Mirage turned towards Shadow with wary eyes. “Yeah, about this whole mission thing….”

“Would you rather these fine citizens rob us blind?”

Mirage’s wary glance fell upon Samson and his companions. She seemed to linger on their weapons. “Not particularly.”

“That’s what I thought, Wings.”

Dionysus still looked uncomfortable, and Mirage sneered at him. “What sounds worse? Getting your leg cut off by their hooves or being shot in the eye with a spear?”

He actually squealed. “A spear to the eye sounds much worse!”

“Does it?” Mirage covered one eye. If my memory was correct, it was the same eye she clawed out after it was hit with Seabreeze’s venom. “Trust me, an eye is no problem. All we need is some Med-X and hydra, and I could fix you right up.”

“Really? You’d do that for me?” Without waiting for a response, he hugged her. “Oh, thank you, Mirage. You’re such a good friend.”

“Hey, get off me.” She slapped him with her tail repeatedly until he let go.

Dionysus recoiled and rubbed is face. “I’m sorry….”

“Don’t be. Wings is just being a bitch.”

Mirage snorted and started muttering to herself.

Shadow nodded. “So, houses and weapons, Anything else?”

“No. That’s the extent of my knowledge.”

“This day just keeps getting better and better.”

“I’ll say!” Carbine grinned at me. “I’m really happy to see you again, Symph.”

I nodded and smiled back. You too.

We had reached the entrance of the forest. Although I felt almost dirty referring to this as a forest. There was a multitude of trees, but the trees were withered. There wasn’t a hint of green in sight. I saw brown, grey, and white, but no green. I hoped none of the branches fell on anypony. Well, I wouldn’t have been upset if one fell on Samson. From the little I’d heard from him, he seemed to really buy into his father’s plan for a united and better Wasteland. It reminded me of my sister’s blind devotion of Nero. The less zealots in the world the better.

Shadow turned towards Samson. “What do you suggest?”

“Our flyers fly over the woods. They’ll stay out of sight and provide us with cover.” He flicked his gaze onto Crescent and titled his head towards the sky.

She nodded her head. She roughly nudged Mirage with her shoulder and pointed do the sky with her claw.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard your boss.” Mirage grimaced and followed Crescent into the air.

Samson glanced at Carbine. “We’re splitting up. I’m leading one group into the village to meet with the deer. You will take those two.” He paused to indicate Packrat and me. “The three of you will sneak around the village and ambush them from the back if need be. That leaves me with Riverbrooke, Shadow, Dionysus, and the prisoners.”

Strings quickly glanced in my direction. The worry on her face was infectious. I wasn’t sure what I should do to calm her down. I tried to smile, but it felt fake. That likely made her feel worse. Packrat’s smile, however, managed to be at least somewhat comforting. “Don’t worry. Nopony or deer is going to hurt you.” She tapped her chest and then flicked her horn. “I swear on my heart and on my horn.”

I’d never heard that phrase before. I wondered if that was an actual saying or something Packrat was making up for Strings’ sake. The latter seemed to be the more likely option.

Strings looked at Dionysus. “What about the zebra?” she murmured.

Packrat drummed her lips. “My hubby won’t hurt you. He’s too sweet and gentle for that.” She jumped beside him and kissed his cheek. “Can you look after Strings for us, please?” He nodded emphatically. “See, Strings. You’ve got nothing to fear.”

The ghost of a smile crept upon Samson’s lips, but it was gone before anypony could comment on it. “One last thing before we split up. If you hear a loud whistle, that’s the signal to move in. If you hear a second whistle immediately after, that’s the sign to attack.”

Carbine saluted. “Gotcha, Samsy.” He hummed and started walking off.

I took that as my cue to leave. I nodded to Shadow and smiled at Strings. Dionysus was waving. I decided he was only waving at Packrat and didn’t wave back. Templar bowed his head. I wondered if he were praying. Hmph. Let him waste his time. I walked with Packrat and Carbine into the woods. The journey was easier than I thought it’d be. I’d expected there to be guards of some kind. The closest thing to guards were the looming trees. Considering how dead they looked, this did not bode well for the deer.

Packrat looked through her balloon binoculars and held up a hoof. “Okay, I can see the village from here. Just keep walking straight, and we’ll be good to go.”

“Whoa, can I see those?”

“Mh-hmm.” Packrat levitated the binoculars in front of Carbine’s eyes.

“Holy shit, these actually work! This is so cool.” He pushed them back towards Packrat. “What’ll you trade ‘em for?”

She shook her head. “No way would I trade something this cool.”

“Oh, come on! I’m sure I’ve got something in this motherfucking bag.”

I chose this time to start ignoring them. I watched the village through Savage’s scope. A pair of deer were speaking with each other. They appeared jovial, as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Ignorance was bliss after all. That meant Samson hadn’t made his appearance known yet. I raised my head. Mirage and Crescent were circling above like vultures. I wondered if griffins considered that to be a slur. Oh well. Mirage caught me staring and shook her head. It wasn’t time to move yet. Either that or she thought I was leering and expressed her displeasure.

“So, um, Symphony?” Packrat giggled. “That feels so weird to say.”

“Really? I think him calling himself Savage is weird.” Carbine tapped my shoulder with Anarchy. “Why’d you start doing that?” I didn’t bother trying to respond. “Hey, Symphy, did you hear me?” He kept poking me. I pulled away from the scope, so I could glare at him. He gulped and grinned. “Yeah, guess you could hear me. So, you gonna answer my question?”

I didn’t get the chance. Not that I would have. I heard a whistle. That was the signal for us to move in. I hesitated to see if there would be a second whistle. No, just one. We hadn’t received the signal to attack yet. I tapped Packrat and Carbine each on the back. I was staying here, but I had their backs.

The two of them nodded and made their way towards the village. Savage was best used at a distance, but what I really needed was a good vantage point. I motioned to Mirage and Crescent. Mirage swooped down and landed beside me.

“What?”

I pointed a sturdy looking branch on one of the trees.

“Is there something up there?”

I shook my head. I pointed to myself and then to the branch.

“You’re not asking me to carry you, are you?”

I nodded.

Mirage shook her head. “No offense, Symphony—wow, that’s weird to say. I’m sticking with Savage for now. No offense, Savage, but I think you’re too heavy for me.” I looked up at Crescent. Mirage seemed to understand what I was thinking. “Hold on.” She flew up towards Crescent. The two of them had a quick conversation before flying back down. Without saying a word, the two of them grabbed me and flew me to the branch. I nodded my thank you and readied Savage.

Things were starting to get interesting down there. I could see a herd of deer pointing spears at Samson. Samson was sitting on the buffalo’s, I believe Samson called him Riverbrooke, back and held his hooves in the air. Shadow stood beside them with her hooves in the air as well. The three of them looked unfazed. Dionysus, Templar, and Strings stood beside Shadow. Templar had his eyes closed, and his hooves rested in his lap. He seemed to be meditating. Dionysus and Strings were on the other end of the spectrum. The two of them wouldn’t stop shaking. Be a stallion, Dionysus! Do it for the poor filly beside you.

I focused on Samson. His mouth was moving. Who was he talking to? I moved my scope to look at the deer. They clearly didn’t look happy. A couple of them were sharpening their hooves near the back. They’re all focused on Samson and the others. That was perfect for Carbine and Packrat. They had wasted no time. They trotted quickly but not so quick as to draw attention to themselves. They reached a wooden house at the back of the village and used it as cover. I aimed for the deer closest to them. I heard the second whistle from above, and I shot the buck in the leg.

I could not call what followed a battle. Since there were no casualties, it was no massacre either. Still, I never thought for a second the deer stood a chance. Mirage swooped down with shotgun at the ready. She shot a deer in the side and knocked it onto its side. One of its comrades fired a spear at Mirage. She lashed at the spear with her tail and caught it before it could hit her. She thrust the spear into the first deer’s side. The deer roared and collapsed. The second deer fired its second spear, but Mirage avoided it by taking to the sky.

I heard Dionysus’ shrill voice shrieking. I swiveled Savage to check on him. A spear was lodged into the ground beside him. It had missed but only barely. He squirmed in place but seemed too afraid to move. I tried to find the deer who had shot th—Cadance not above. It seemed Samson had found him first. Even from this distance I heard the wet, sickening, crunch of Samson’s hammer striking the deer’s leg.

The deer’s scream was laden with profanities and unintelligible rage. Every other deer with a battle saddle had their sights set on Samson. They weren’t paying attention to Carbine, Packrat, or the fliers. This couldn’t have gone any better. None of my companions had been harmed or were currently in danger. Meanwhile, a potential threat to us could be removed. I moved Savage’s scope so that it was trained on Samson’s head. I wasn’t stupid enough to pull the trigger. It would be obvious I had fired the shot since none of the deer had bullets. Then we’d be caught in the middle of a complete and total clusterfuck. Not to mention we’d likely be at war with the White Hooves. Killing Samson wasn’t worth the consequences. Although it was tempting.

Samson stared at the deer coldly. He lowered his head and dropped his hammer on the ground. “It seems we have reached an impasse.”

The deer with the largest antlers shouldered his way to the front of the others. He looked at all the wounded, but very much alive, villagers. “Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t kill you right now.”

“Just one? I can give you three. First, because I don’t want to kill you. I would much rather have you join the White Hooves and contribute to our society. So, killing me would be unfair. Two, because three of your own will die if you give the order to kill me. You will die. This poor buck will die. And whoever was unlucky enough to fire the killing shot will die. My comrades will make sure of that. Third and lastly, my father will not stand for me being murdered. Especially not while trying to rescue captured comrades. If you kill me, he will come after you. He will kill all of you. And he will burn everything so there will not be any trace left of you in all of Equestria.”

I was suddenly very glad I didn’t decide to pull the trigger. I also moved the scope away from Samson’s head to avoid an accident.

The large-antlered deer hesitated before speaking. “And I don’t kill you?”

“You’ll return our comrades. One of them is our doctor. He can treat your wounded and fix their injuries. My companions and I will escort the leader of this village—which I’m assuming is you—to my father. He will explain to you what it means to join the White Hooves.”

The deer whom Samson attacked spat. “We will not be slaves to some pony—”

“—My father is a zebra.”

“It doesn’t matter!” He glared defiantly through his pain. “Our people will not be slaves.”

Samson regarded him with indifference. “I never said anything about being slaves. Joining the White Hooves means becoming a citizen.”

“Of what?” The eyes of everyone present turned to the small green unicorn. Her revolver levitated beside her. And it was aimed at Samson.

“Oh, shit fuck.” Carbine pointed both Anarchy and Tenacity at Packrat. “Don’t kill Samsy; I actually like him.”

“Squirt.” Shadow’s voice was calm, but I could hear her straining to keep it that way. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, Shadow. Just talking with a client.”

The deer exchanged confused looks with each other. So did everyone else. Crescent was pointing her rifle at Packrat, while Mirage was pointing her shotgun at Crescent. The only people who were keeping their heads were Samson, Packrat, and Shadow.

“Oh?” Samson sat down and stared at Packrat with fierce eyes. “What exactly would you like to discuss?”

Packrat didn’t flinch. Her eyes had their own steely glare. “I want my friends and I to leave. I don’t want to be associated with you anymore.”

“That isn’t what we agreed upon.”

Packrat’s only response was to cock Opus.

Samson narrowed his eyes. “I’m not sure if I should be impressed by your bravery or enraged by your audacity.”

“I think you should take a third option and go fuck yourself.”

Shadow groaned.“What Squirt means to say—”

“—Is that we’re done here. You’ve injured them to the point they can’t fight back. You’re going to get your friends; you made your point. But I’m not going to be a part of whatever this is.”

“Are you really going to shoot me, Hoarder?”

“No.” But she didn’t lower her gun.

Samson turned his head towards the deer with the large antlers. “If these ponies and their zebra leave, will you still submit?”

The deer clenched his teeth. “I never said I would in the first place.”

“You do realize if they leave, my companions will have to fight harder to ensure their safety. In those circumstances, they may disobey my orders about keeping you all alive.”

“I am aware.” The deer’s voice wavered.

That seemed to be enough for Samson. He looked at Shadow and waved his hoof. “Our business is concluded. The Boulder Springs ponies are free to leave.”

My time in the Wasteland had made me wary. I returned Savage onto Samson. I’d risk his father’s wrath if it meant keeping Packrat safe. If Samson made any violent act or signaled his companions to attack, I’d kill him. Luckily for him, he didn’t make any such movements. I checked Carbine and Riverbrooke. They were both following Samson’s orders. I raised to my head to check on Crescent.

She strapped her rifle to her back. Mirage swooped up to meet her. Without saying a word, the two of them helped lower me from the tree. I nodded my thanks. Mirage grimaced; Crescent returned to the skies. Mirage and I entered the village from the rear. I passed Carbine on the way in. I smiled at him and put a hoof on his shoulder.

“Yeah, you too. See you around?”

Who knows?

Mirage and I trotted past the injured deer. The apparent leader rubbed his sharpened hooves together as he looked at us. I considered smiling at him but decided against it. Even if I properly conveyed sympathy, it would likely anger him further. The last thing I wanted was to add further fuel to his inner fire. At least while I could still be attacked.

Mirage and I joined the others. Packrat didn’t even smile at us. The only one who did was Strings. Shadow was frowning; Templar looked tired, and Dionysus’ lip was quivering. Packrat moved to my side. “I’ll bring up the rear.”

A tiny smirk appeared on Samson’s face. “Are you afraid I’ll shoot you, Hoarder?”

Packrat didn’t reply, and the quiet that followed Samson’s question remained with us well into the night.

Our group trotted in silence. That wasn’t saying much for Strings or me. A quiet Packrat, on the other hoof, was strange. Given that the last time she had been quiet was when she was contemplating suicide, I was worried. I nudged her.

Packrat shrieked and jumped into the air.

Mirage had her shotgun out immediately. “What happened?!”

I raised my hoof and then tilted my head towards Packrat.

Packrat chuckled. “Sorry about that. False alarm. I’m, um, a bit jittery.” She whispered to me. “I keep thinking Shadow’s gonna yell at me.”

“Don’t you worry, Squirt. I will.”

Packrat gulped.

“The problem is I’m not sure how angry I should be. We were strong-hoofed into a situation we had no business being involved in. You managed to get us out with no pony—or zebra—getting shot. That being said, you turned a simple job into a near clusterfuck. Not to mention we didn’t get the caps either. If you pulled something like that during the war you’d have been court-martialed or shot on the spot. That’s not okay.”

Packrat lowered her head. “I know.”

“And that’s the worst part. We both know you know better, and you still fucked up. So, tell me, Squirt, what was going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

“Um, I wanted to save the deer he hit with the hammer.”

“You mean the one he wasn’t going to kill?”

Packrat winced at Shadow’s harsh tone. “Yeah…. I didn’t believe him.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Mirage looked disgusted by the question. “She cares about other ponies, that’s why. Without her hero complex she wouldn’t have saved me.” I snorted. “Oh, yeah. I supposed he helped too.”

Dionysus stood beside his wife. “She also didn’t want to shoot me or my siblings, because she didn’t want any pony or zebra to get hurt.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Packrat is best pony.”

“Awww.” Packrat giggled and kissed him back. “And you’re best zebra.”

Shadow turned towards me. “I assume you have a story of her being a hero too, Sparkles?”

I did. She shot Lysandra in the face and helped me fight the hellhound. She followed me into the building because she thought I might be in danger. Mirage was right about Packrat being a good pony. That being said—or thought—there was also a fine line between heroic and stupid. Packrat came dangerously close to crossing it at times.

She entered a potentially dangerous building alone with no way of knowing if I were a raider or not. To save Mirage, Packrat travelled across the border while knowing nothing of the Crystal Wasteland. Not to mention neither of us knew if Mirage’s distress signal was real or a trap. She spared Lamentation despite him being a raider. Fuck Lamentation. She volunteered to help fight Seabreeze just to keep her mind off shooting Moonscape. And she refused to fight the Grecos. An act that put my life and Mirage’s in danger. Packrat was a hero as much as she was an idiot. Above all, she was lucky. She had suffered, yes, but this was the Wasteland. Even the luckiest of ponies couldn’t avoid suffering forever. I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer Packrat’s luck would keep her, and by extension the rest of us, alive and mostly well.

I shrugged in response to Shadow’s question.

I could almost feel Shadow rolling her eyes. “I understand the point you’re all making. Here’s mine. Squirt put us all in danger back there; I’m not happy about that. If there’s some reason for her hero complex, I want to know what it is.”

Packrat shook her head. “That’s not fair, Shadow! You can’t just demand I share my personal life without giving me anything from yours.”

“I can, and I will.”

“Then I can and won’t answer your question.” She plopped down and crossed her front hooves. “See? How do you like it?”

“Fine, then. How about a compromise?”

Packrat was trying to appear upset, but she was doing a terrible job. “I’m listening.”

“I’ll give you the chance to ask me one question. It can be any one question, and I promise to give you a legitimate response. If I do that, you have to tell me about your hero complex. Deal.”

“Deal.” Packrat didn’t hesitate. “What’s your real name, Shadow?”

Shadow sighed and rubbed her neck. “I was really hoping you wouldn’t ask me that one.”

“Would you prefer she ask you about your wings?” Templar asked.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Tin Stallion. Your contract does say alive or dead.” Templar didn’t seem bothered by Shadow’s threat. That caused her to sigh again. “Fine. I’ll tell you, but only on the condition that you never call me by my name.”

“Even if I like it?”

“Even if you like it.”

Packrat narrowed her eyes and rubbed her chin. “You drive a hard bargain, Shadow, but I accept.” She spat on her hoof and extended it.

Shadow did the same. Dionysus squirmed at the sight of them touching spit-covered hooves. Good Goddess not above. If he couldn’t handle a little saliva how was he going to handle the Wasteland? The two mares scraped their hooves against the ground and sat across from each other. Shadow touched her chest with a clean hoof. “I’ll start us off then. My designation during the war was Shadowbolt 007. Codename Prism—”

“—Hey, I wanted your real name.”

“I was getting to that, Squirt.”

Packrat instantly shut up, zipped her mouth closed, and threw away the key.

Shadow looked at all of us. “Are there going to be any more interruptions?”

Mirage glowered. “Are you going to keep stalling?”

There was a deep sigh. “Lightning Dust.”

Packrat’s eyes widened. “Can you say that again?”

“No.”

“But it’s so cool!” Packrat plopped onto her haunches with a sour face. “You all have such cool names. Even Strings sounds adorable.” Strings averted her eyes at the mention of her name, but I did notice her small smile. “Why’d I get stuck with the name Packrat?”

“Don’t know, don’t care, Squirt. Hero complex. Go.”

“Oh, right. That. Um….” She tapped the side of her face. “I grew up in Stable 76—”

“—I already know that, Squirt.”

Packrat pointed to Strings and Templar. “Yeah, but they don’t.”

Mirage frowned and furrowed her brow. “I don’t know if I knew that either.”

Shadow waved her hoof. “Fine. You grew up in 76.”

Packrat nodded. “Mh-hmm. For those of you I haven’t told, Stable 76 was run by a council of ponies. Every four years the council was up for election.”

“The fuck is an election?” Mirage asked.

“It means we could vote on if they should keep their jobs or not. If somepony lost, they’d get replaced with another pony.”

Mirage shook her head. “That’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Templar nodded. “I’m surprised I’m agreeing with an NCR pony, but it does sound peculiar.”

Yes, it did. I wondered how different the Crystal Wasteland would be if Nero lost one of these elections. Lyra would likely still be alive, and my sister wouldn’t have cut my throat. Hmm. These elections didn’t sound so bad.

Packrat, on the other hoof, didn’t seem as enthralled with the subject. “I know it sounds weird, but the elections didn’t really matter. The ponies who had power tended to stay in power. They had the resources to keep their competition quiet. Me and my friends were at the bottom of the Stable’s hierarchy. We were orphans. We didn’t have a lot of food or possessions. It was easy for the other ponies to just ignore us.” She grinned. “Which made it easier to sneak into places and steal stuff.”

“That explains the greed,” Shadow muttered.

“Hey!” Packrat pointed a hoof at Shadow. “That’s not—” She hesitated and turned to the side. “Actually, I think that is true.” She put her hoof down. “Sorry for pointing at you.”

Shadow shrugged. “Believe it or not, I’ve had worse done to me.”

Packrat shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

I knew she was joking, but she sounded sincere. I cast a quick glance at Mirage. She wore the same slightly confused look as I did. We shared a shrug.

“Anyway, my, um, hero complex-thingy. I guess I was so used to looking out for my friends that it became second nature.” Packrat blinked, and the balefire bomb went off in her gaze. “I really hated the ponies who ran my Stable. They made our lives miserable just because they wanted more power. What Samson was saying about making the deer citizens and stuff reminded me of them. When he broke that poor deer’s leg….” She blinked again, and her eyes had their usual spark. “So, um, are you still mad at me?”

“Of course I am.”

Packrat lowered her head. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

“But you’re not the only one.” Shadow then turned towards me. “And what’s your excuse?”

Pardon? I cocked an eyebrow.

Shadow reached into her saddlebag and dropped a syringe on the ground. “Look familiar, Sparkles?”

I kept my silence.

“Thought so,” she grunted. “And even after I told you drugs were dangerous. But clearly nopony listens to me anyways.”

“I listen to you, Auntie Shadow.”

Templar rattled his chain. “I have no say in the matter.”

“You know, surprisingly, that didn’t make me feel any better.”

Dionysus looked legitimately hurt by her sarcastic tone; Templar didn’t appear bothered in the slightest.

Shadow sat down and gazed towards the horizon. “It was dumb luck this village wasn’t too far out of the way. We’ll have to make up some time trotting back east, but we’re on schedule as far as north goes. And after that clusterfuck, I’d rather not have to do any travelling tonight. I’m old; my bones ache. We’ll make camp soon and leave first thing in the morning. And I mean first. If any of you lollygag, I’ll leave you behind. That goes double for you, Sparkles.” She kicked the syringe towards me. “If you want to kill yourself, do it on your own time.”

I stared at the syringe. Kill myself? Hardly. I was finally enjoying myself. I had no intention of dying in the near future. Right about now, I wouldn’t have given two shits if Shadow dropped dead…-okay, that wasn’t true. We might not be on good terms right now, but I still liked the old buzzard. This had just been a long day with emotions running high.

I glanced at her. Lightning Dust. I wondered what kind of mare she was back when her name meant something. What had she looked like? Had she been beautiful? She certainly still had the figure. My eyes wandered towards the nubs on her sides. She’d had wings once, hadn’t she? She had them in Ms. Do’s story. What had happened to them? I had the impression she’d never tell me.

“You can stop ogling me, Sparkles.” I rolled my eyes; she laughed. “While flattery is appreciated, but you’re still on my shit list right now.”

Mirage’s nose wrinkled. “You have weird tastes, Savage.”

This wasn’t worth arguing when I could just ignore both of them. I continued to ignore them for the next three hours, as we continued to make our way east. As it turned out, Shadow’s bones didn’t ache as much as she let on. We only stopped to make camp when the sun set. Mirage had the first watch of the night; I was expressly forbidden from keeping watch at all. I wasn’t sure if Shadow was attempting to guilt trip me or if she intended to give me free time to indulge. I supposed it didn’t matter. So long as I didn’t lollygag, as she put it. Ugh. An impressively stupid word if there ever was one.

“Hey, Symphony?”

So much for Mirage sticking with Savage. My body shuddered at the sound. Strange. It didn’t do that before. Perhaps being around Carbine made the name seem normal. Now it felt foreign. No wonder Shadow didn’t want to be called Lighting Dust.

“You awake?”

I tapped my hoof against the ground.

“Same here.”

Really? I couldn’t have guessed.

“Keep me company, would ya? It’s boring being awake by myself.”

I supposed I might as well. I wasn’t tired yet. I approached Mirage and sat down.

“So…-Savage, Symphony, or do you not care?”

I tapped my hoof once.

“You prefer Savage?”

I nodded.

“Symphony it is then.”

Fuck you too, Mirage.

“So, Symphony.” She seemed to relish how much I hated hearing that. “Why do you take that shit?”

I didn’t answer. It wasn’t any of her business.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to tell me. I’ve got my secrets too.”

Oh? I nudged her and nodded.

She scoffed. “I’m not tellin’ you shit. You want secrets? Ask Squirt—” Shadow whinnied loudly in her sleep. Mirage shuddered. “Ask Packrat.” She chuckled dryly. “I can admit it does hurt just a tiny bit. I mean, you’d rather inject yourself with poison than come to the NCR with me.”

I scoffed.

She rounded on me and jabbed her wing at me. “How else am I supposed to interpret that?”

Not like an idiot. I shrugged and looked away.

“Wow. What an intelligent and well thought out answer. I’m so glad we’re having this talk.”

I glared at her; she rolled her eyes at me.

“Are you planning on doing it again, tonight?”

I glared at her. That wasn’t her business either.

She met my glare with one of her own. “Oh, shut up. I have every right to ask that, and you know it. As long as we’re travelling together, your survival is important to mine.” She groaned and tapped her hooves lightly against the dirt. “Besides, you and Packrat saved me. I feel responsible for the two of you. Like I owe you, ya know?” She shook her head. “Look. I’m not going to stop you if you are. My job is to watch out for our enemies, not our friends. Just don’t kill yourself while I’m on duty, alright?”

If she was trying to be nice, she was doing a bizarre job. I supposed I could do her that small curtesy. Though I had no intention of showing the same restraint when Dionysus was on duty. I pointed to him.

“Yeah, sure. Fuck him.”

The two of us laughed, and I lied down. Mirage almost looked jealous when she looked down at me. “You look so comfortable down the—” She yawned loudly and rubbed her face with her wing.

I tapped the space beside me with my hoof.

“Don’t tempt me, Symphony. I’m pretty sure Shadow would flay me if she saw me slacking off.”

In that case just switch out. I titled my head towards Dionysus.

Mirage shook her head. “I can’t. I was taught as a kid to always pull my weight for the betterment of the majority.” She yawned a second time and smacked her lips. “I can do another hour. Mind waiting to kill yourself for that long?”

I did mind. I could feel my muscles twitching in anticipation. I closed my eyes and imagined the sensation of the venom coursing through my body. It sounded horrible; it felt amazing. It was enough to hold myself at bay but only just.

After what felt like far longer than one measly hour, Mirage moved. She arched her body backwards and rolled her shoulders. “Okay. It’s been about an hour. I’ll see you in the morning, Symphony.”

I waved my hoof. Good night.

Mirage stood over Dionysus and jabbed at his chest with her wing. His body writhed at her touch, but he remained asleep. Mirage jabbed him again, but he still would not wake. Mirage threw her head back and groaned loudly. Frustrated, she kicked the back of his head. His eyes snapped open, and he jumped to his hooves…-only to promptly curl into a ball and cover his head with his hooves. Mirage and I shared a glance. She jabbed her wing at his hoof.

“It’s just me, stupid.”

Dionysus turned his trembling head around. Once he saw Mirage, his body relaxed. “Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid I—”

She held up a hoof to silence him. “Honestly? I don’t care. Just go up on that rock and keep watch. If you see something, wake up Shadow or Packrat.”

“Shouldn’t I wake you up too?”

“Not if you want to live.” When Dionysus whimpered, Mirage sighed. “Sorry. I’m just really tired and cranky, alright. Just let me sleep.” Mirage lowered her head and wrapped herself in a wing-cocoon. Within seconds I heard her snoring.

“Good night,” Dionysus whispered. He slowly trotted onto the watch rock.

I wasted no time. I took a new syringe from my bag and filled it halfway. I hadn’t had any today, so this would be a more potent session. I injected the syringe into my leg and allowed the venom to work its magic.

Author's Notes:

Author’s note

Hey, all. Sorry that this one's late. I had a final yesterday and forgot to upload it. My bad. I'm also sorry there wasn't an author's note at the end of the last chapter. I was really tired when I uploaded the chapter, so I just skipped it that time.

In terms of actual notes, I deliberately decided to decrease the frequency that Symphony gets levels. It's not a major thing, but if you're expecting a new level and footnote at the end of each chapter you might end up being disappointed. Since he's a higher level it would take more experience to level up, and it might be a while till he actually earns enough experience. Probably once they reach Vanhoover, which will happen soon. I've had some fun experimenting with the look of the city. I hope I can convey what I'm seeing in my head, because I think it's really cool. I hope you will too, and that you're enjoying Appetence so far.

As always, I want to thank Kkat for writing the original story, other authors for contributing to the universe, and to the readers who care about Symphony and his companions. Thanks a lot. I mean that. See you in the next one!