Vanhoover reminded me of home. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

We still had a ways to go before we reached the city gates, but it could be seen clearly through Packrat’s binoculars. The city was encircled by a stone wall. The wall was far too large to scale. I doubted Mirage would be able to lift any of us above it by herself. Packrat wouldn’t be able to levitate us over the wall either. That left the checkpoints.

To the left were the Steel Rangers. Their checkpoint was marked by a large steel gate. The gate showed signs of rust, but it looked pristine by the Wasteland’s standards. Try as I might, I couldn’t find any traces of graffiti. I wasn’t sure if the Steel Rangers conducted regular maintenance on the gate or if other ponies just knew better. If I had to venture a guess, I’d pick the latter.

Ponies clad in steel armor patrolled the parts of the wall near the gate. Each of them had a large weapon attached to their side. I wondered how often they needed them. I assumed they would work as a deterrence from most visitors. If their guns didn’t scare outsiders, the other gun probably would. There was an especially obtuse weapon attached to the top of the gate. On a spectrum of Owlowicious to Opus, this gun had a closer resemblance to Owlowicious. Assuming it was operational, I doubted most ponies seeking entry gave the Steel Rangers much trouble. If not, at least it made for an interesting decorative piece.

On the other end of the wall was the NCR. There were soldiers standing on the ground in front of the wall, as well as soldiers stationed at the top. According to Mirage, the NCR had snipers keeping watch as well. If anypony started shooting, so would they. It wasn’t as impressive as a massive gun, but I assumed it was just as effective. Unlike the Rangers, the NCR didn’t have a well-maintained gate. They didn’t even have a gate. According to Mirage, there initially wasn’t an entrance to the NCR’s portion of the town. So, they made one by blowing a hole in the wall and throwing a tarp over it. Ponies who made it through the checkpoint were allowed through the tarp and into the city. While it may have served its purpose, it made the NCR seem far less professional than the Steel Rangers. The Steel Rangers had the NCR beat in terms of presentation, which may have lured ignorant travelers to their side of the city.

There seemed to be a sense of order to Vanhoover. It might have been quite civilized, but it seemed so from the outside. It was like the Crystal Wasteland. Beneath its glittering veneer, the Crystal Empire hosted a cult who preached persecution and dreamed of genocide. Who knew what Vanhoover was hiding?

I passed the binoculars to Packrat. She put them in her bag and faced Shadow.

“What’s with that face, Squirt?”

Packrat was pouting. “Nothing….”

Shadow sighed, but I could almost hear her smiling. She patted Packrat’s head. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid, alright?”

Packrat nodded. She was still pouting, but the head pat seemed to assuage her a tad.

“As for you, Sparkles.” There was no hint of any warmth in Shadow’s tone. “I’m holding you personally responsible for Squirt. So, you better make damn sure both of you come back in one piece.” She spat on her hoof and extended it towards her.

I’d rather not. I tapped my hoof twice to show acknowledgement and nodded my head for extra assurance.

Shadow chuckled. “Alright you scamps. See you soo—”

Mirage coughed loudly.

“Hmm?” Shadow turned her attention onto Mirage. “Got something in your throat, Wings?”

“No. I’m just waiting for my goodbye message.”

“What goodbye message?”

Mirage scowled. “What do you mean, ‘what goodbye message?’ You had something to say to Packrat and Symphony. What about me?”

Shadow shrugged. “What about you?”

Mirage cast a glance at Packrat and me. “I can’t tell if she’s joking or not.”

Shadow groaned. “I’ll be honest, Wings, I don’t really have anything to say to you. I met you knowing you’d return to the NCR, so I didn’t bother getting attached. You seem okay; I don’t dislike you. But you’re their friend, not mine.”

Mirage’s scowl intensified. “So? You could still say something.”

“I think I just did.”

“That doesn’t count! Say something like, ‘Don’t die.’ That’d be nice.”

“Fine. Don’t die, Wings. Happy now?”

“No! It doesn’t work if you say it like that.”

Shadow turned towards me. “What do you think, Sparkles?”

I understood Shadow’s indifference. Shadow and Packrat had history together, so of course they would have words to say to each other. I had saved Packrat’s life, so I had some value in Shadow’s eyes. Some of that value may have been lost when I neglected my watch duty but value nonetheless. Mirage and Shadow had little history and owed each other no debt. Why should she give an emotional response when they parted? As far as Shadow was concerned, Mirage was losing nothing of value.

As easy as that line of thinking was, it didn’t sit right with me. I could admit that I travelled with Packrat, because I owed her for helping me with Lysandra. There was more to our relationship than that. It was the same for Mirage and Shadow. I wanted to think of them as my friends. I could admit that I didn’t care for Dionysus, nor did I owe him anything, but I didn’t want to see him dead. I owed Strings nothing, but I still felt some affection. It was the same with Missile. On that subject, my friendship with Carbine felt genuine to me. And as for Lyra….

To answer Shadow’s question, I shrugged.

Shadow shrugged. “Eh, fine.” She raised her hoof. “Take care of yourself, Wings.”

Mirage grunted. “At least you put in actual effort that time.”

The two mares touched hooves and that was that.

Packrat hugged a blubbering Dionysus. He tried to hug me, but one look from me put an end to that. He didn’t even try to hug Mirage; he seemed to be learning. He did hug Strings though. I expected her to shrink away from him, but she returned the hug. After hugging Dionysus, Strings made eye contact with Templar.

He dipped his head. “I suppose this is where we’ll go our separate ways.”

She returned the gesture. “I hope your Light gives you comfort in your final moments.”

Templar appeared genuinely surprised. “You remember that?”

Strings grimaced and nodded. “I’m not sure how or what it means, but yes.” She turned towards the wall. “I feel like I’ve ben here before, but I don’t recognize it at all.” She winced and rubbed her head. “My mind’s felt so hazy.”

“Trust me, you’ll come to appreciate the haze. It’s preferable to clarity.”

“How so?”

Templar gazed at the Steel Ranger’s side of the wall. “Because haze offers a multiple-choice past. Clarity confirms your worst truth.”

Confirms your worst truth? I understood what Templar was saying, but I hated how he phrased it. It sounded like a priest trying too hard to be moving. Vanhoover was really like home.

I was beginning to wish I was with Shadow and Dionysus. The trek to the NCR checkpoint was more difficult than I anticipated. The ground started flat but had gradually begun to slope the more we walked. I was starting to feel short of breath. My heart was beating so quickly I thought it would burst from my chest. I took a step, but my hoof slipped. I lost my balance. I was genuinely terrified I’d fall down the slope and have to walk back up. Luckily, I managed to keep from falling.

“Phew. I, um, thought you were a gonner there, Symphony.”

Packrat had bounded off with her usual enthusiasm in the beginning. I’d overtaken her about two minutes ago. Cadance not above, how much farther was it?

“Shit, have you two always been this weak?”

I glared at Mirage. She was glaring down at me from her spot in the sky. She hadn’t walked a step, yet she had the nerve to criticize me. I kept my eye contract as I spat. Mirage snickered. “Nopony likes a sore loser, Symphony.”

Nopony liked a smug bitch either.

I felt something nudge me. Probably Strings. I turned around to see the filly smiling at me. “We’re almost there. We can make it.” Great. Now the timid filly was giving me encouragement. Not that it wasn’t appreciated. It was simply proof of how pathetic I appeared to the rest of the world.

After losing enough sweat to submerge Boulder Springs, I made it to the top of the slope. I collapsed on my stomach. Even if it was on the hot ground, lying down felt so good. Mirage landed beside me. “You’re making an excellent impression on the snipers, you know that?”

Like I cared. I waited until Strings and Packrat reached the top to stand up. Mirage produced a canteen, and we took turns drinking. Of course, I was the last one offered. There wasn’t much left in the canteen, but I made sure to savor every drop of water.

The NCR’s tarp wasn’t far. It took a couple minutes for us to reach it and the ponies guarding it. I had four rifles pointed at me. The NCR certainly knew how to leave an impression. One of them, a pale-yellow unicorn standing on the wall, spoke up. “We apologize for the weapons, but we cannot lower them. Please, state your business.”

Mirage stepped forward. All the weapons trained on her. She grimaced and glowered at the pale-yellow unicorn. “I know I can be an ass sometimes, but do you really want to shoot me, Marigold?”

Marigold flinched. “I’m sorry, ma’am. But protocol says—”

“—Fuck protocol.”

Marigold shook her head. “No. If we ignore protocol then we’re no better than barbarians. The NCR is a symbol of order and hope in the Wasteland an—”

“—Congratulations, you pass.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am?”

“I was testing you. You pass.”

Marigold smiled. “Thank you, ma’am.” She motioned to a couple earth ponies standing beside the tarp. “Pug and Violet will escort you to the holding cell.”

“Holding cell?” Packrat didn’t sound happy; I didn’t blame her. “Are we in trouble?”

Mirage shook her head. “No, it’s just procedure. The NCR wants to keep the city safe. To do that, we hold visitors for a short amount of time and search them for any contraband.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Uh, bad stuff, I guess. Dash, Stampede, Party Time Mint-als. Balefire eggs. Slaves. If we find any of that we confiscate it.”

Slaves? I wondered how they confiscated those. Did they give the slaves freedom, or did they take them for the NCR? I wasn’t curious enough to ask, but it was interesting.

“Um, what about…-ya know?”

Mirage gave Packrat a baffled expression. “No, I don’t.”

“You know. Sexy stuff.”

“Do you have any?”

Packrat shook her head. “No. Mom doesn’t allow me to collect any. I’m just curious.”

“Honestly, it depends on the pony. Some will confiscate it, some will let you keep it. Some confiscate it, so they can keep it for themselves.”

The two earth ponies reached us. Each of them saluted Mirage. “Ma’am.”

She flicked her hoof. “At ease.”

The two relaxed and took their posts. A brown stallion stood beside Mirage, while a mauve mare stood beside me. She looked down at Strings and smiled. “Hi, sweetie.”

Strings stared blankly at the mare. She wasn’t hiding, but I wasn’t sure if a blank stare was an improvement.

The mare, who I assumed was Violet, aimed the smile at me. “Not much of a talker is she?”

I shook my head.

“Does that run in the family?”

Mirage answered for me. “She’s not family; she’s cargo.”

“Cargo?” Violet flashed an aggressive look at Packrat and I. “Slavers?”

Mirage snorted. “Do you think I’d be buddy-buddy with slavers, Corporal?”

“N…-no, Lieutenant. I only thought—”

“—You thought what?”

Violet lowered her head. “Nothing, Lieutenant.”

“That’s what I thought.” Mirage smirked. “They’re mercenaries. They helped me with my mission, so I’m returning the favor. They have a contract with Fairchild.”

Violet glanced at Strings. “One of his girls?”

“Something like that.” Mirage cocked her head towards Packrat and me. “These two are going to need visas.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Right away, Ma’am.” Violet whistled and the other soldiers started moving the tarp. “Lead the way, Pug.”

Pug started walking and led us past the tarp and into the city.

The first thing I noticed were how large the buildings were. They looked impressive through the binoculars but seeing them up close was a completely different experience. I could swear these buildings touched the sky itself.

Violet must’ve noticed my awe. “Vanhoover was a busy city during the war. Their Ministry of Wartime Technology Hub was one of the leaders in R&D—yes?”

Packrat raised a hoof. “What’s R&D?”

“Research and Development.”

“Oh…-that makes sense.”

“The large amount of work brought ponies here from all over Equestria. With the influx of workers, other ponies came here to provide services. Food, clothing, sex, all kinds of stuff. ‘If you want it, you can find it in Vanhoover,’ is apparently what they would say. And with all these ponies, they realized the city wasn’t large enough to fit them all. They eventually realized if they couldn’t build out, they’d build up. Thus, the city you see all around you.”

I noticed a gleam in Packrat’s eye. “What kind of stuff did they R&D here?” Oh, no. She wanted to start stealing, didn’t she?

“Officially, a lot of general stuff. They worked on different types of armor and weapons. But unofficially….” Violet paused and glanced at Mirage.

Mirage shrugged. “What’re you looking at me for? It isn’t NCR business, so talk away.”

Violet smiled and focused on Packrat. “Unofficially, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack were collaborating on special projects. A type of armor that would make the wearer invisible. Artificial wings for non-pegasi. Artificial limbs that could give non-unicorns levitation magic—that one supposedly never got off the ground.” She chuckled. “But the biggest rumor is that they developed a gun that fires star metal.”

Star metal? This was the first time I’d ever that term. What was it? I nudged Mirage and raised an eyebrow.

“What? You’ve never heard of star metal?” I shook my head. Mirage groaned. “Violet, Symphony wants to know what star metal is.”

“Well, according to legend, a meteor struck near the old castle in the Everfree Forest. Princess Luna found the meteor and used it to forge a set of armor. The same armor she wore as Nightmare Moon.” Packrat shuddered at the name. Violet chuckled and continued. “Star metal is known as a mysterious, evil, metal. Especially to the zebras. It’s why they fought so hard after Luna became the ruler of Equestria. Supposedly, Twilight Sparkle got her hooves on some and sent it to Applejack to make a weapon. But that’s just a rumor.”

I glanced down at my saddlebags. I wasn’t so sure. I’d read Daring Do’s story about extracting a meteor from a temple. A story Shadow confirmed as truth. The meteor had been described as having an unnatural sheen, just as Glimmer did. If Glimmer was this star metal gun, that meant two things. One, I was carrying a weapon made of evil metal, which explained how powerful the bullets were. Two, this could be my chance to procure more bullets.

First, I had to get through the NCR checkpoint.

Pug suddenly stopped walking once we reached an intersection. Our group drew to a halt. Pug and Violet stood at attention and saluted. Ponies dressed in decadent regalia marched down the street. Each carried a rifle in their hooves and had a knife at their waist. Their vests were pressed; their boots were spit-shined. It reminded me of watching CDF processions with ‘Chestra. I really did feel back home.

While we were stationary, I began to take in our surroundings. The large buildings were far cleaner than other buildings I’d seen. There was barely any graffiti or grime. I could see ponies through the windows. I saw foals playing with their parents. I saw a unicorn playing an instrument. Another stallion was either dancing or having a bizarre seizure. That was barely scratching the surface. The ponies here didn’t appear trapped or afraid. They all looked happy.

“See, Symphony?” Mirage nudged me and motioned to the city with her wings. “The NCR really is a force for good in the Wasteland. We take care of our own.”

She didn’t say it, but I knew what she was implying. My invitation still stands. After seeing all this, I’d be a fool to not at least consider it.

The procession passed by, and we continued our walk through the city. We passed the area with the larger buildings. Now, the buildings were more what I was used to in terms of size and substance. A commissary, an infirmary, a barracks for the soldiers. The building for the barracks was minute compared to where the civilians lived. I didn’t know how large each individual dwelling was, but it at least gave the impression of putting civilians first. I quite liked that.

We finally stopped in front of an unassuming building labeled, “Immigration.” Pug opened the door, and we followed him inside. The main room wasn’t as large as I thought it would be. There were a few chairs, a table, and a fridge. Other than that, the only things of note were the doors. There were seven doors in the main room. I assumed each door led to a holding cell.

I heard a cough. My attention turned to a dimly lit corner of the room. A lithe blue unicorn slinked out of the darkness. He was wearing the same uniform as the others, but his hat specifically had the word, “Immigration.” “Finally. I haven’t had something to do in ages.”

“Don’t get too excited, Medley,” Mirage barked. “I still haven’t said goodbye to them yet. After that, they’re in your hooves.”

Medley’s eyes glittered. “Lieutenant. I didn’t know you were back. Has the Commander heard your report yet?”

“I’m on my way.”

He nodded. “Fine. Make your goodbyes quick then.”

Mirage snorted at him but grinned at us. “Is this going to be like Shadow, or am I getting a proper goodbye from you guys?”

Packrat frowned. “You really have to go?”

Mirage nodded. “Yeah. I’m needed at HQ, not Immigration. I can’t help you after here.” That was certainly encouraging. Mirage smirked. “Don’t get me wrong, Symphony. I know these ponies well enough to court martial them if they try anything against you.”

Violet quickly shook her head. “I wouldn’t dream of it, ma’am.”

“Calm down, I was only joking.” Although the sheen in Mirage’s eyes suggested otherwise. “I’ll try to come back to you guys after my report, but I can’t make any promises.”

“Then I think this calls for a hug.” Packrat bounded out the room and into Mirage. She wrapped her hooves around Mirage’s neck. “Stay safe, okay?”

“Yes, because giving my report is going to be sodangerous.” Mirage returned the hug. “You’re the one that needs to stay safe, Packrat. And make sure you keep an eye on Symphony. Who know what stupid thing he’ll do next.”

Packrat laughed. “I’ll do my best.” She stepped away and smiled at me.

I supposed it was my turn. I approached Mirage. She grinned and gestured to the city around her. “It’s not too late to change your mind about staying here.”

She was right. It truly seemed like a nice city. However, I couldn’t leave Packrat to handle the casino by herself. Especially when I might learn more about Glimmer. After all that, I was free to decide whatever I wanted.

I shrugged.

“Yeah, of course you would.” She hissed and shook her head. “If the grandeur of Vanhoover can’t convince you to stay, then I don’t know what will. Although I suppose I could find you a mare if I looked hard enough.”

I shrugged a second time.

Mirage frowned. “Okay, I’m running out of things to say. Good luck. Don’t die. Hope to see you again.”

That sounded good to me. We exchanged a quick embrace and that was that. Packrat and I were herded back into the Immigration office, while Mirage took off on her own. Medley pointed to the doors. “Welcome to Immigration. I’m Captain Medley, head of this office.” He tilted his head towards the closed doors. “Behind each of those doors is a holding cell. Each of you will pick a room. While you’re in there, you will be searched for contraband and interrogated.”

Interrogated? I didn’t like the sound of that.

Medley groaned and shook his head. “Sorry. That was a poor choice of words. I mean, we’ll just ask you a few questions. What’s your business in the city? How long do you think you’ll be staying? Just gathering basic information.”

I supposed that wasn’t too bad. I glanced down at Strings. She was glancing around the room. She seemed more curious than apprehensive. She looked at one of the doors and the apprehension was clear on her face. Not that I blamed her. I didn’t much care for being stuck in a small room with a pony I didn’t know either. I gently patted her head. It wasn’t much, but I hoped it could give her some kind of encouragement. She raised her head and smiled at me. I smiled back and prayed to whatever god that wasn’t listening for things to go smoothly.

Medley’s horn glowed, and three doors opened. A quick glance told me each was exactly the same. Each room had a bench, a chair, and a bucket. And I thought this room was lacking. He gestured to Violet and Pug. “It’s our policy at Immigration to make foreign ponies feel as safe and comfortable as possible. So, you may choose which of us searches you.”

Packrat pointed at Pug. “Eeny meeny, miny, moe….” Once she’d finished the whole rhyme, she was still pointing at Pug. “Okay. I’ll take him.”

I pointed at Medley. Violet seemed to be the friendliest pony available. That’s the pony Strings should be paired with. Medley nodded. “We’ll take the room on the left.” He quickly ushered me into the room and closed the door behind me. I assumed the desk was for him, so I sat in the chair. Hmm. It was more comfortable than a church pew but only just.

However, Medley had yet to take his seat. “Symphony, right?”

I nodded. He must’ve overheard Mirage saying my name.

“Stand up, Symphony. I have to search you first.”

Okay. I stood up and removed by saddle bags and battle saddle. It was going to be a major pain to put it back on. I wasn’t sure why this required me to stand. Medley was smirking. “Sorry if I wasn’t clear. This is a body search, Symphony. A full body search.”

Oh. I was going to hate all of this.

As it turned out, I did.

“Congratulations, Symphony. You’re a clean stallion.”

I didn’t feel like one. My hindquarters ached. I gingerly put my patchwork barding back on. I still thought of it as CDF, but there were so many patches from other barding that it was almost recognizable. It was so bizarre to think tha—ow! I tried putting my barding on too quickly and aggravated my aching flank. I managed to finish putting on my barding, but I still felt uncomfortable.

Medley was sitting at the desk. He pointed to the chair. I shook my head. I didn’t want to sit anymore. “Suit yourself, Symphony. I have a few questions for you.” He produced a pen and a piece of paper. “Given your situation, I’ll keep them multiple choice. Are you ready?”

I nodded my head. Hopefully the questions wouldn’t be too nuanced.

“What’s the purpose of your visit to Vanhoover? Are you sight-seeing, hoping to immigrate, or is it for business? Nod your head once for sight-seeing, twice for immigration, and thrice for business.”

I nodded thrice.

He wrote down my answer. “As to the nature of your business. Are you a trader?”

I shook my head.

“A mercenary?”

I nodded.

“Are you here to receive payment or to carry out the job? Nod once for payment and twice for carry out.”

I nodded once.

“Is your contract with the NCR, Steel Rangers, or Fairchild? Nod on—”

I nodded thrice.

He chuckled. “Glad you’re catching on.”

I wasn’t sure why he seemed so impressed. This wasn’t remotely hard to follow. Carbine could do it.

“What is the length of your stay? Is it a long or a short stay?”

I nodded my head twice. The current plan was for a short stay. I supposed if the city really did grow on me I could apply for another visa.

“Do you have any connections to the Steel Rangers?”

I shook my head. The only one I was aware of was Templar. Given how he was not a current member of the Steel Rangers, I decided not to count him.

“One last question, Symphony. What’s the nature of your relationship with Mirage?”

I’m sorry, what? That was a personal question with nothing to do with my business in Vanhoover. It also couldn’t be answered with a nod or shake of my head.

Medley smirked. “Relax, Symphony. I’m only joking. You two seemed close is all.” He paused, as if he were waiting for me to react. I didn’t. He seemed almost disappointed. “I can tell you there is no problem with your visa. I’ll need a few minutes to write one up. Before then, I need to search your saddlebags.”

It wasn’t as if I had the choice to say no. Medley opened my bag and levitated out my effects. I watched my possessions dance through the air. There were far more syringes then I cared to admit. Although some of them had Med-X, so there was a legitimate use for them. My necklace of grenades and Glimmer’s bullets clinked in the air. I hoped he was careful with that. The necklace was followed by pens, sheets of paper, Glimmer, the Daring Do manuscript, the vial of Goddess and….

Faith. I hadn’t seen it in quite some time. I’d forgotten I still had it. It wasn’t anything special on its own. It looked like almost any other snub-nosed 629 magnum revolver. Its only defining trait were the four words engraved on it. “In Cadance we trust.” It was ironic how a weapon like that ended up belonging to Lyra. A small piece of her I carried with me. So small I forgot I had it.

“I’ve never seen a gun like this before.” For a brief moment, I thought he was referring to Faith. That was until I realized he was staring at Glimmer. Medley glanced at me. I shrugged and pointed at Faith. “It’s just a large shiny revolver?”

I nodded.

Medley put the items back in my bag, but he continued to levitate Glimmer. He opened the empty chamber and looked inside. “Hard to find bullets?”

I shook my head and motioned to my battle saddle.

“Ahh. Not your primary weapon. I understand.” He put Glimmer in the bag and picked up something else. The vial of Goddess. “Mind telling me what this is?”

I coughed. I made sure it was the wettest most disgusting cough I could. I then pointed at the vial.

“Cough medicine?”

I nodded.

Medley glanced back at the vial of vivacious crimson liquid. “This is cough medicine?”

I nodded once again.

He didn’t seem to believe me. That showed he had common sense. Still, he put the vial back in the bag without saying anything else about it. The next item he retrieved was Daring Do’s manuscript. His eyes widened when he saw the title. He glanced up at me. “Is this a real Daring Do story?”

It was real in multiple senses of the word.

“Do you mind if I skim through it?”

I shrugged. Be my guest.

“Thank you.” He chuckled. “Alicorn’s Shadow is my favorite.” That name was familiar. If memory served, Packrat had complained about it before. Medley started to flip through the manuscript. I noticed him sneaking a few glances at my bag. He may have been linking the meteorite in the story to Glimmer. After a few minutes, he levitated the manuscript onto the ground but not in the bag.

“Would you excuse me for a moment?” It was a rhetorical question. Before I could answer, Medley stood up and left the room.

I pressed my ear against the door. I could hear his hoofsteps, as well as some static. I assumed he was using a radio.

“Yes, Captain, what is it?”

“Director, I believe I found it.”

“It? Could you be more specific, Captain?”

“My apologies, but you don’t seem to understand, Director. I found it.”

“Oh…. Say no more, Captain. I’ll be there shortly.”

It? I glanced at my belongings. There wasn’t much that was special enough to be identified by one vague pronoun. I doubted it referred to the vial of Goddess. It was special; there was no question about that. I could still remember how good it felt to use it…. However, Medley wouldn’t know what he was looking at. Goddess was Doctor Zimri’s creation. Nopony outside of Packrat, Mirage, and Carbine should know of its existence.

The second option would be the manuscript. Since it was a manuscript and not a published novel, I assumed it was rare. Possibly one of a kind. Perhaps the Director was a Daring Do fan. It’s also possible they could use the book to confirm the rumor of the star metal gun and try to find it.

That’s why Glimmer was by far the most likely option. The manuscript was evidence of the star metal gun’s existence. From the way Medley was ogling it, he seemed to believe Glimmer was the gun in question. Knowing what it was capable of, I agreed. I looked down at Glimmer. There was a good chance this would be the last time I looked upon it. I doubted I’d be allowed to leave with a weapon coveted by the NCR. Hopefully they’d give me the option to sell or trade it before resorting to threats. Mirage said she wouldn’t allow them to take advantage of us, but I wasn’t sure how much power she’d have over the Director.

I supposed losing Glimmer wouldn’t be the end of the world if push came to shove. I received it from a stallion I barely knew, so the sentimental value was extremely low. It was useful, but I had only used it once. Losing Savage, Memento, or my grenades would be far more detrimental considering how often I used them. I honestly would barely notice if Glimmer was gone. I didn’t want to give it up, especially not with answers so close. There were far worse things that could happen to me than losing Glimmer.

Finally, the door opened. The pony who walked in wasn’t Medley but a black pegasus. I assumed this was the Director. He wore the same armor as the other soldiers with one exception. He also had a red sash with the words “Northern Canterlot Republic” printed across it. He smiled at me. “Good afternoon. My name is Fickle. I’m aa Foreign Relations Director for the NCR. Do you mind if I speak with you?”

Did I have a choice? I nodded towards the desk.

“Thank you.” He sat across from me at the desk. “I was speaking with Captain Medley outside. He says you’re a friend of Lieutenant Mirage. Is that correct?”

I nodded.

“I’m sure I’ll hear the details when I read her report, but I am curious about something. Did her other companions make it?”

I shook my head.

“Did she accomplish her mission?”

I nodded.

So did he. “At least her story isn’t all bad. I’m sorry to say we’re going to need to keep Mirage to ourselves for a while. We need to debrief her on her time outside Vanhoover. She could also be an instructor to other soldiers before they enter the field. Though, I do have good news. On behalf of the NCR, I would like to extend our gratitude for helping Mirage on her assignment. Normally it would take a couple days to secure a visa, but I was able to expedite the process as a sign of gratitude.” He slipped one of his wings into a pocket in his armor and retrieved a document. He extended it towards me, and I took it. “It says you have business in Vanhoover. As a show of good faith, I’d like to offer you an escort. Two of our corporals who can take you around the city.”

I assumed this would be where he offered me a trade. An escort for Glimmer. It wasn’t a terrible trade. Having an extra pair of guns to watch our backs would be nice. It would be best to accept the deal before he altered it.

I nodded my head. Goddess not above, I was doing a lot of that today.

“Splendid. I’ll have Medley call Deployment for me.” He started to stand, but he hesitated. “Oh, one more thing before I forget.” Here it comes. “Medley told me you had a rare effect in your bag. Do you mind if I take a quick peek?”

Go right ahead. I gestured to my bag.

“Thank you.” He opened my bag and slipped his hooves in. As I expected, he pulled out Glimmer. He mulled over the gun in his hooves before placing it back in the bag. Hmm? I wasn’t expecting that. I assumed he’d look at the gun and ask I give it to him. A show of good faith to match his. Was he really interested in something else?

Yes, he was. Director Fickle’s eyes lit up like Packrat’s when they fell upon the manuscript. “He wasn’t mistaken.” He glanced up at me and smiled bashfully. “Sorry. I’m a big fan. I’ve read every book in the series multiple times. I’d heard rumors that there was a manuscript floating around somewhere. I never thought I’d get my hooves on it. Do you….” He coughed. “Would you mind if I borrowed this while you’re in the city? I’ll happily return it to you before you leave.”

That was surprisingly reasonable. I would much rather keep Glimmer than the manuscript. I bowed my head to show my acquiescence and gratitude.

“Splendid.” Fickle grabbed the manuscript and stood up. “I’ll allow you to put on your battle saddle in peace. I’ll be waiting outside.” He walked out the door and left me alone.

I was grateful for that. The damn thing was so bulky, it was almost impossible to get on without embarrassing myself. My tender rump wasn’t going to make this any easier. As I struggled with the battle saddle, I listened to Director Fickle on the radio.

“Deployment? Yes, this is Director Fickle…. Contact Corporals Ripple and Echo and have them come to Immigration, would you please.... No, there’s no trouble. We have guests who helped Mirage with her mission, and I want to see them escorted to Fairchild’s casino…. Yes, thank you…. You too. Goodbye.

“Now, Captain Medley. I have business elsewhere. Please give my regards to our guests.”

“Not a problem, Director.”

I heard the shuffling of hooves and the sound of a door slamming. By the time the door slammed, I had gotten the battle saddle on. I exited my small room to find Medley sitting in a chair.

Medley glanced at me. “The Director just left. He said he had some business to attend to. Your escorts will be here shortly.”

Shortly roughly translated to half an hour. By that point, Packrat and Strings had come out of their rooms and received their visas, while Violet and Pug had been dismissed and returned to the entrance. Packrat was bouncing on her hooves; Strings sat quietly by my side. Once the half hour was up two ponies appeared at Immigration. One was a black earth pony mare, while the other was an ash-grey unicorn stallion. They wore the standard NCR armor with a bright red 21 on their shoulder plates. The two saluted when they saw Medley. He saluted back.

“At ease, Corporals.” He motioned to us with a hoof. “These are the ponies you’ll be escorting.”

The stallion raised his hoof. “Corporal Echo of the Royal 21^st.”

The mare did the same. ‘Corporal Ripple. Also of the Royal 21^st.”

Medley smiled at me. “Do you need anything?”

I glanced at Packrat and Strings. Both mares shook their heads, although one was far more enthusiastic than the other.

“Very well then. I wish you safe travels on your journey.” He nodded to the corporals.

“Sir!” They saluted and spoke in unison.

Echo led the way, while Ripple brought up the rear. I walked with them through the NCR base until we reached a large, rusty, iron gate. Ripple motioned to Echo. “After you.”

Echo grimaced. He used his magic to open the gate and led the way through.

Almost instantly, I was overcome with a sense of nostalgia for the NCR base. Outside the gate felt like a completely different city. This was the real Vanhoover. The decay on the buildings was more in line with what I was used to in the Wasteland. This part of the city was absolutely filthy. The dust was so thick I mistook it for snow. There was garbage everywhere. Broken down vehicles and shards of glass from broken streets lamps littered the streets. A river of grease flowed from an alley into the main street. Aside from my small party, not a soul stirred. In a word, it was desolate. Now Vanhoover looked like a place that had seen the apocalypse.

One of our escorts whistled. Ripple pointed to an alleyway. “This is the quickest way to the casino.”

It was also the mouth of the grease river. I sighed inwardly. Of course it was. Ripple led the way, while Echo brought up the rear. Strings walked by my side. She seemed as thrilled as I was. No, she wasn’t dreading the alley. She was dreading the casino. I didn’t blame her. If I were in her hooves, I wouldn’t want to be escorted off to Candace doesn’t know where.

I thought about the contract. Fairchild wanted her alive. No, not her. He wanted Slaughter. There was a chance he wouldn’t accept Strings. I didn’t want him to hurt her. It would have rendered our journey almost entirely pointless, which would be annoying. That being said, it would be in Strings’ best interest. I could only imagine what Fairchild wanted Slaughter for, but Strings…. Our eyes met. She smiled. A smile I returned. For the briefest of moments, I saw Missile smiling back at me. I kept the smile on my face, but I could feel it lose its warmth. I had lost one foal on my watch and had seen the bodies of countless others. If I could save this filly, I was going to. I wouldn’t let Fairchild hurt her. That was a promise.

“Whoa, sweet!” Packrat was practically salivating. I assumed she was staring at somepony’s derriere. I was wrong. It was Packrat’s true vice that caused her to salivate. Coincidentally, it was also the source of the grease river: a dumpster. Before somepony could tell her no, Packrat dived inside.

Our escorts, as well as Strings, exchanged concerned and confused glanced. I sat down and waited for her to finish. I certainly had no intention of following her inside.

Echo kicked at the dumpster. “Hey, we’re on a tight schedule here.”

Packrat poked her head out. Her mane was already greasy and sticky. She didn’t seem bothered by that or by Echo kicking the dumpster. She was smiling. “You guys’ll never guess what I found in here.”

“Garbage?”

Packrat scoffed. “No—well, yes. But it’s so cool! Symphony, do you wanna come see?”

I quickly shook my head.

“Oh, okay. How ‘bout you, Strings?”

“W—why?”

Packrat giggled. “Because it’s fun, ya goober.”

Strings took a step forward, hesitated, and looked at me. I shrugged. That was all she needed. She climbed into the dumpster. She and Packrat disappeared into a sea of garbage and grease.

Echo spat and started pacing. “This is stupid. Why are we stopping for literal garbage?”

Ripple chuckled. “You’re fussier than usual. Seeing somepony tonight?”

He nodded. “I’m hoping we’ll go all the way tonight.”

“Oh, lucky her. Just try not to throw up while—”

“—You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?”

“You? I’m not going to forget it. I was cleaning chunks of tomato soup out of my parts for weeks.”

What in the fuck was I hearing? No, don’t think about it, Symphony. You don’t want to risk victualing it. I’d rather swim in garbage.

Packrat emerged from the garbage and…. I covered my mouth with my hoof, but it didn’t stifle my laughing in the slightest. Packrat had found a powdered wig, which she was of course wearing. It was stained in various spots and didn’t quite fit. She didn’t seem to care. “Hey, Symphony, do you have room for a stroller?”

A stroller? Those were quite bulky. Perhaps if I—no, don’t enable her, Symphony. You’re not Packrat’s pack mule. Hmm. Was that racist? I supposed it didn’t matter if nopony or mule heard it. I shook my head.

Packrat frowned. “Damn. How about a baby rattle and a toy train?”

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Oh, come on. Please?”

I maintained my stare.

She tried batting her eyelashes and pouting. I didn’t budge. So, she reached down and pulled Strings out of the garbage. “Come on, Strings, help me out here.”

Strings saw my unflinching glare and immediately turned away. Shit. I wasn’t trying to glare at her. “Please, Symphony.”

I added a frown to my glare, but I made sure it was directed at Packrat.

She flinched. “What’d I do?”

You know what you did. I lowered my shoulder and titled my head toward the saddlebag. “Huzzah! Thanks, Symphony!” Packrat hopped out of the dumpster. She cantered nonchalantly towards me. A baby blue rattle and a small toy train levitated beside her and found their way into my bag. I pointed to the powdered wig. She shook her head. “No way! Winston’s’ staying on my head.” Winston? I wasn’t expecting her to name her wig, but I couldn’t say I was surprised either.

I felt something nudge me. Strings carried an umbrella in her mouth. The umbrella was white with a pink flower pattern. Like Winston, it was also stained with grease. It was also shredded in places, and the wooden handle was chipped. She set it on the ground. “I liked it….” She didn’t need to any anymore. I picked it up and dropped it in my bag.

“Thank you, Symphony.”

You’re welcome, Strings.

Echo’s nose wrinkled. “Does this mean we’re ready to go?”

“Mh-hmm.” Packrat nodded emphatically. “Lead the way, Corporal.”

Echo started walking ahead. “Ripple, you take the rear.”

“You mean downwind,” she grumbled.

That was a good point. I made sure I was upwind of Packrat and Strings. Strings flashed me an apologetic smile. Packrat, on the other hoof, was distracted with making sure Winston fit properly. We walked through the alley without incident onto a highway. The highway was a much cleaner portion of Vanhoover. There were still abandoned buildings and vehicles, but the streetlights weren’t shattered. They didn’t work either, but it was still an improvement.

Packrat trotted towards the railing. I followed her and gazed out onto the city. The view took my breath away. I couldn’t tell from outside the city how bizarre the architecture was. Vanhoover wasn’t one cohesive city. From where I was currently standing, I could see that the city was built on multiple levels. The lower levels had large buildings as well, which created the foundation for the next level. From what I could tell, I was currently on the city’s fourth level. The casino was one level below me. I turned around. I wanted to see how many levels were ahead of me, but the buildings were so large I couldn’t see their tops. Violet was right. they stopped building out and started building up. Just how high did this city go? And what was at the highest level?

I turned around and gazed at the casino. It was massive but not in the same way as the other buildings. The casino had been built outwards and upwards and formed a pyramid. There was a neon sign across the top of the pyramid with the word “CASINO” flashing in an array of blues and greens. There was a large billboard behind the neon sign. The sign displayed a mare wearing a revealing velvet dress posing in front of a stallion. The stallion had a cigar in his mouth and was clutching a bottle of whiskey. The two of them were showered in golden bits. It felt nostalgic to see bits rather than bottle caps.

Packrat pointed towards the casino. “How do we get down there?”

Ripple whistled and pointed to a—sweet Cadance not above! There were skyscrapers but this tower penetrated the very heavens. I quickly glanced down to the lower levels. I couldn’t see the bottom of the tower, but it seemed to reach the city depths. “Vanhoover Central Station. In the years during the war, that tower was a train station. The only reliable way to get between levels was to take a train.”

“We get to ride a train?!” Packrat was beaming.

Ripple shook her head. “The trains died who knows how long ago. The tracks are still there though. We’ll have to take those down.”

I looked at the station. It wasn’t exactly close by. After we made it, who knew how long it would take to reach the casino’s level, let alone the casino itself. It wasn’t as bad as walking from Boulder Springs to Vanhoover. However, the past few days of walking was starting to take its toll on my hooves.

Echo growled. “If you’re done sightseeing, I’d like to at least make it to the station before dark.”

I walked away from the railing. Packrat followed, but she’d lost some of the spring in her step. Something had to be bothering her. I tapped her on the shoulder.

“Ahh!” She jumped and laughed it off. “You’ve gotten really good at scaring me, Symphony.” She finished laughing. “It’s nothing big. I’m just thinking about Mirage’s map. Ya know, the one she drew back at Boulder Springs with all the circles and stuff?”

What of it?

“I was just thinking it didn’t do the city justice. It’s so much more than circles.” She laughed again. “But it would’ve been really hard to draw all this with just her hooves and some dirt.”

I supposed she was right on both fronts. Hmm. I thought of Mirage’s crude map in 3D rather than 2D. the NCR didn’t control the right half of the city but the upper half. Likewise, the Steel Rangers owned Vanhoover’s depths. Fairchild’s territory wasn’t a sliver of land in-between the two factions; he owned an entire level of the city.

I wondered briefly how many levels Lysandra owned before her exile. I also wondered if I’d encounter her soon. I had a feeling it would happen at some point given her vendetta against Packrat. She survived her exile, being shot in the face, and then being attacked by Lurker. I doubted anything would stop her from meeting us again. I hoped to whatever divine power wasn’t listening that we didn’t find her here. She may been an exile, but Vanhoover was still her territory. She’d have the advantage if we met here.

I shuddered at the thought.

By the time we arrived at the train station, the sun was beginning to set behind the cloud cover. It was decided we would set up camp on the tracks. As Ripple put it, “Only idiots travel Vanhoover at night.”

Our escorts took the first watch. They recommended we keep watch in pairs. Currently, I was on watch duty with Packrat. We stood back to back. Packrat levitated two guns. Opus levitated beside her; Faith levitated beside me. I realized she’d get more use out of Faith than I would, so I gave it to her. After she finished squealing with delight after getting more loot, she suggested we stand like this. If I fired Savage or Memento, she could fire off an extra shot. Since she’d be firing blind, I doubted she’d hit anything. But I supposed that while her idea wasn’t likely to help, it wasn’t harmful either. It could be an effective scare tactic at least.

I rubbed my face with my hoof and yawned.

“Still awake, Symphony?”

Barely. I blinked and gazed ahead of me. There wasn’t much to behold. The rusty tracks, the peeling paint on the walls. The darkness in front of me. I stared into the unending black for who knew how long until I saw something different. Blue. It was gone so quickly I wasn’t sure I’d seen it. I believed I saw a shade of light blue. I’d seen that particular shade before in the eyes of a demon.

I squinted and waited to see if my eyes were playing tricks on me or not. A demon’s natural body was black. Given how dark the inside of the station was, a demon would have natural camouflage. If it decided to get aggressive, I would be in trouble. I had to find it before it could get close enough to attack me. I peered through Savage’s scope. That created a brief moment where I couldn’t look in front of me. That one moment could be innocuous or be the final moment of my life. I took the risk.

From Savage’s scope, I saw what occurred in that moment. Another pony appeared before me. It was a mare with a wavy brown mane. A mare with a dull golden coat and silver eyes. With a discoloring on her lip and a right nostril slightly smaller than her left. She wore familiar barding with the emblem of the CDF on her flank. Just for good measure, she had a knife sticking out of her boot. The crystal mare smiled at me. “Hey, Symphony.”

Hello, Orchestra.

She frowned and started tapping her hoof. “Is that any way to greet your sister? Put that gun down.”

I didn’t move a muscle.

She groaned. “Come on, little brother.” She took a step forward.

I fired with no hesitation. I watched as the bullet sailed through the air and struck my sister’s head. It pierced her temple and tore a hole in her head. The same spots where there should hae been stitches. A second bullet from Faith managed to strike her in the throat. The demon choked as blood flowed from the hole in its neck. Packrat spun around. She was about to fire again, but I quickly shook my head. Since the demon didn’t have the decency to transform to its original state, I was forced to watch my sister die. Even though I knew what it really was, I didn’t want to see her hurt anymore. I watched with equal senses of dread and sickness as my sister died in front of me.

“We heard gunfire.”

“Is everypony okay?”

Everypony was doing just fine.

Ripple glanced at the body of my sister. She nodded solemnly. “It was a changeling, wasn’t it?”

Changeling? That must’ve been what demons were called on this side of the border. It was vulpas and breezadores all over again.

Packrat tilted her head. “What’re changelings?”

“Monsters.” Echo turned his head and spat. “Changelings look like a cross between a pony and a bug. Nasty little fuckers.”

Ripple continued the explanation. “We see them all over Northern Equestria, especially Vanhoover. Nopony knows where they came from or where their lair is. What we do know is that they can shapeshift. Changelings take the form of a pony you love to lure you in and then kill you once you’ve let your guard down.”

Echo nodded his head. “Like I said. Monsters.”

Couldn’t say I disagreed.

Ripple gestured to Packrat and I. “Whose is she?”

I raised my hoof.

Ripple offered me a weak smile. “Sorry you had to see that then. Fuck of a thing to see. Get some rest. I’ll take over your watch.”

I nodded my thanks. I walked silently with Echo along the tracks. We reached our makeshift campsite. I laid down on the tracks and closed my eyes. Try as I might, I couldn’t get the image of my sister’s corpse out of my head. Ripple was right. Fuck of a thing to see before bed.

Author's Notes:

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.

Unfortunately, I have some bad news. I'm taking the bar at the end of the month, and I will be spending more time studying than writing. Sadly, this means Crystal Hearts will undergo a temporary hiatus. I hope this is only for the next month and will resume in August, but I don't want to make any promises. I hope you guys will understand and will return to Crystal Hearts when it returns. Thank you so much, and I'll see you in the next one!