The initial shot was followed by two more in rapid succession. That left me with a plethora of possibilities. We could be attacked by three enemies, one enemy with a quick weapon, or two enemies. It was also possible there were more than three who had not attacked yet. And if that was the case, where were they? If I left the tent to investigate would I be ambushed?

I took a moment to breathe, and calm down.

Given how quickly the shots were fired the most likely explanation was one pony was using an automatic weapon, or a revolver. A revolver was more likely, as an automatic would have likely fired more than three. If my theory was correct, it added the possibility of Lyra being the shooter. In that case she had spent half of her chamber, and I had no idea what she was shooting. I was also unsure of where Missile was. Regardless if he was with Lyra or not, he was my responsibility. I had to protect him.

I approached the opening to the tent, and paused. Yes, I was supposed to look after Missile, but was it worth it? If Lyra was shooting, or, being shot at, then there was a foe of some sort waiting for me out there. Was it worth risking my hide for a brat I barely knew? I could feel my throat burning at the thought.

But that was the wrong question to ask. It was not about what I was willing to sacrifice, but what another pony already had. I found a question frequently hear during sermons pop into my head. What would Cadance do?

I rushed out of the tent.

Once I was outside, I was greeted with the sight of a ghoul. I had never seen one before, the decayed body parts around the campsite notwithstanding, but I recognized it instantly from my readings. Ghouls were ponies who had died after being exposed to massive amounts of radiation, but were resurrected by the Holy Mother as a show of mercy. Crystal ponies, however, were immune to the harmful effects of radiation. In actuality, radiation strengthened us and made our coats glisten. Therefore, all the ghouls in the Crystal Wasteland were outsiders.

What remained of the creature’s flesh was leathery, but I noticed many places where large chunks had rotted away. For example, its face. The ghoul had not yet noticed me, most likely because its eyes had rotted away. I loved my Goddess, but even I could admit this was a cruel mercy. Not to mention it reeked.

As the ghoul trudged past me, I lifted the sniper rifle around my neck.

The weapon was balanced on my shoulder, with my hooves cradling the barrel to keep it steady. I was not sure what to make of this behemoth. In its own way it was beautiful. The black paint was still smooth, and it appeared to be in good condition. But the length of the barrel, my approximation would be about twenty-four inches, made balancing the gun awkward. Not to mention it had the word “Savage” engraved into the barrel. Why did some ponies see fit to engrave words into a weapon’s barrel? Whatever the reason, I could not begin to fathom what kind of pony would christen their weapon Savage. Carbine notwithstanding.

I successfully lined up Savage’s scope with the ghoul’s head.

Should I take the shot? I had not heard any more gunfire since the initial triad of shots. If the battle had ceased, then what right did I have to initiate more conflict? It was entirely possible this ghoul was not violent. Reverend Bones’ statement indicated otherwise, but as a Cadanite it was my duty to offer mercy, even admittedly cruel mercy, to all of the Holy Mother’s children. Despite what Nero preached, outsiders were included. After all, thou shalt not kill.

I lowered the gun.

“Fuck me sideways!” Missile yelled.

"Missile, what did I tell you about using that wo—" Sombra was interrupted by the sound of gunfire.

I was prepared to conduct an analysis similar to when the revolver had fired. Sombra had stopped talking, so it was possible he had been shot. He had not screamed, so if he had been shot the wound was immediately fatal. There had also been multiple shots fired at one time, likely from an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. The most likely shooter would be Carbine, unless one of the ghouls had a gun. Or there was another enemy that was not a ghoul. My mind had been ready to go through all the alternatives.

That was until I witnessed the ghoul in front of me have its face vaporized by a barrage of bullets, which was quickly followed by a collective shout of, “Missile!”

In addition to, or instead of, finding Lyra, Missile had located a semi-automatic. It was likely he had found Captain Uziel’s personal weapon, the Uzi. I had not noticed it when I had discovered his body, but it was possible it had been there. Due to the concerned tones in the shouting of his name, I concluded the recoil caused by firing the gun had hurt him in some fashion. Analysis complete.

I approached my comrades.

My analysis had been spot on. Sombra was standing by the young colt, who appeared dazed but not seriously injured. At his side lay Captain Uziel’s gun; in front of him were three dead ghouls. While the one near the tent had been decapitated, these still kept their heads. At least, they kept the mushy remains of their heads.

Missile grinned when he saw me approach, and as he did so I noticed he was missing a tooth. “How do you like my battle scar, Symph? Doesn’t it make me look like a badass?”

Not in the slightest. There was no gash, or important body part missing. He had lost a tooth; he would lose more. Besides, it would grow back shortly disqualifying it from being a scar at all. Still, I had to remember to be nice to these ponies. He did have the Uzi after all.

I gave him a nod.

He chuckled before slumping over. Oh, how the mighty warrior hath fallen.

Carbine trotted up to the unconscious colt, whistling when he eyed the Uzi. “Now that sure is a beauty. It might even be more beautiful than Anne.” He levitated his own semi-automatic, which was no longer around his neck. He looked at both guns for a moment, before kissing the barrel of his gun. “Of course it’s not. Nothing will ever be more beautiful than my Anarchy.”

Anarchy? That was even worse than Savage. And I could think of something far more beautiful than his gun. Lyra stood nearby, holding Faith in her magic. She was reloading three bullets into the chamber, meaning she was the initial shooter. Once they had been placed into the gun, she spun the chamber and slid it back into place. Click.

“Ah,” she moaned. “I’ve always loved that sound.” That was certainly an odd turn on; I would have to remember it.

“And I’ve always loved that one,” Carbine practically sang.

I did not hear it right away. It was a low sound, but it gradually grew louder. A crescendo of growling. I really did not want to turn around to see a horde of growling, and possibly slobbering ghouls. One ghoul was disgusting enough.

Despite myself, I turned around to see what I would be dealing with.

A herd of thirteen growling, and slobbering, ghouls approached my companions and I. Okay, Symphony, we needed a plan. Missile was unconscious, and I knew I would be unable to kill any of them. That left our odds at three against thirteen. We did have the advantage of Anarchy and Faith being able to fire successive shots. The drawback was Faith had a significantly smaller chamber, and I doubted Carbine was an accurate shooter. He seemed more like a keep firing and hope I hit something type of fighter. The best strategy would to be provide both unicorns with an extra weapon. Magic allowed for dual-wielding, and I doubted the ghouls would survive an onslaught from four weapons at once.

I pulled the other magnum from my saddlebag, and tossed it to Lyra.

She caught it with her magic, not taking her eyes off the ghouls. She quickly glanced its way as she opened the chamber, and nodded once she noticed the rounds in the chamber. From where I stood I was able to see three. Assuming all of her shots were kills, Lyra could kill nine ghouls by herself. That left four for Carbine.

I glanced in his direction to see if he was prepared.

Instead of facing the enemy, Carbine’s eyes gleamed hungrily as he looked at me. Or more specifically, at my saddlebag. “Is that a shotgun?”

I nodded.

“Can… can I have it, Symph? Please?”

Only because he said please. Again, I nodded. And then he kissed me; he actually kissed me! I pushed him off of me, and wiped my mouth. I get that he was excited, but did he really have to use tongue?!

Carbine laughed as he fell onto the ground, levitating the gun and box of shells out of my bag. “I know that’s Thirteen’s job, but I just couldn’t help it. I just fucking love you so much right now!” He hopped onto his hooves, brandishing both Anarchy and the shotgun. “I am so fucking hard right now.”

Thank you for that, Carbine. I did not know how I would have made it through the day without you informing me of this.

Any unwanted thoughts of Carbine were quickly, and thankfully, removed when the battle started. Lyra fired four shots, emptying the second revolver and using one round from Faith. My hopes of her killing nine ghouls were dashed due to her erratic gunplay. Two ghouls were hit in their legs, which slowed them down noticeably, while one ghoul was hit in the ear and clipped in the shoulder, which failed to slow it down at all.

If anything, Lyra’s attacks made most of the ghouls faster. Instead of walking towards us like a horde of mindless zombies, most of the ghouls began trotting towards us; two of them broke into a full gallop. Lyra fired wildly at the pair, missing twice and clipping one of their ears. She had two shots remaining, but there was no need to use them.

One ghoul’s head was turned to paste by a spray of bullets, while the other had their head destroyed by a blast from Carbine’s shotgun. The maroon stallion howled as the bodies fell onto the snow-covered ground. “Alright, bitches, who wants some Anarchy and Tenacity?” He pumped the shotgun, quickly refilling it with a pair of shells.

The ghouls seemed unfazed by the deaths of their comrades. More ghouls started to trot, though the two Lyra shot in the legs were noticeably limping, while the rest of them galloped.

Before they could reach us, Sombra scooped up Missile and tossed him into my hooves. “Symphony, take Missile into one of the tents and watch him. Lyra, go with them. You can reload in there. If one enters the tent blow its head off.”

Lyra looked uncertain, but nodded. “Understood. Let’s go, Symphony.”

I threw Missile onto my back, and returned the nod. I took the lead, and started running towards the tent with Starfall,

As I ran, I heard Carbine talking. “Well this is nostalgic, eh, Somby? Just you and me against the world. Any particular orders you’d like to give?”

“Keep shooting.”

Psychotic laugher echoed around the camp. “Those are the best two words I’ve heard all day! Hail to the King!”

Carbine howled as he fired, while Lyra and I made it into the tent. She immediately reloaded her twin revolvers, and pushed them against the tent curtain. “If one of them pokes their head through I’ll blow it off. That sound like a plan, babe?”

I gave her an approving grunt, and picked up the locked box with the Fallen Angel’s cutie mark.

“What have you got there?”

I dropped it at her feet, and mimed opening it.

“Um, kinda busy at the moment. You know, guarding the entrance.”

I rolled my eyes. I was not saying she had to open it now. I just wanted her to know I needed her help with something.

She smiled, and pecked me on the cheek. “I’ll see what I can do. But only after the ghouls are gone.”

Mad e sense to me. Now that I had given her a weapon and the box, it was time to find her some barding. Lyra’s flanks were larger than the average mare’s. Not ridiculously so, but larger nonetheless. Though as much as I loved her larger flank, I could admit it was difficult finding a uniform suitable for it.

Each time I found a possible match I carried it over to Lyra, and pressed it against her lyre cutie mark. So far none had matched. The latest one had come close, but was still a little too small. As I was putting it in the discard pile with the others, I heard Lyra scoff.

“Really, Symphony? You have a chance to put my perfect ass in a tight suit, and you pass that up to find something more form fitting?” She shook her head. “I’m disappointed in you, baby. I thought you liked my ass more than that.” She emphasized her statement by spanking her flank.

I had to admit her actions were making me reconsider passing up the last uniform. Alas, I believed function trumped fashion. Lyra needed the ability to run, and the tighter the suit the less mobile she would be. Though, that did not mean I could not take the smaller uniform anyway. It could always be used for more… intimate purposes. I moved the uniform out of the discard pile, and continued my search.

By the time I reached the bottom of the trunk I was no closer to finding Lyra a match, though I had found one for myself. It was possible I could find other intact uniforms in another tent, but neither Sombra nor Carbine had given the word to come out yet. Either the fight was taking longer than I had anticipated, or they were scouting for more ghouls. If there were no matching uniforms in the trunk, and I could not look for others outside, I was left with one other option.

Due to the surprisingly minimal damage she suffered, Starfall’s uniform was intact. If memory served, Starfall’s flank was similar to Lyra’s. There was no logistical problem giving Lyra Starfall’s uniform; the problem was personal. I would feel wrong disturbing Starfall’s body. I had closed her eyes, and removed the knife to give her peace. Taking off her clothes would have been a violation. I could not do that to a friend.

Lyra seemed to notice me looking at Starfall for she asked, “Did you know her?”

I nodded.

“Know, as in, the two of you had met each other before? Or, as in, you know her special spot?”

I narrowed my eyes at her.

Lyra chuckled. “Alright, baby, I get it. It’s none of my business.” Under her breath she muttered, “Which means the second option.”

Ignoring the blush in my cheeks, I stuffed the smaller uniform into Lyra’s saddlebag. While it would not allow the same mobility as Starfall’s, I could not bring myself to violate her body. I expected Lyra to make a quip about me preferring the tighter uniform.

Instead, she motioned me closer with her hoof. Once I was close enough she nuzzled my neck, though she kept her eyes on the opening of the tent. “Do you know why I love you, Symphony?”

I had a feeling I knew where this was going. Given how she passed up the opportunity to make a crude joke a second ago, I expected Lyra to make a comment about my body. I shook my head.

She chuckled. “Neither do I.”

She did not know why she loved me? That was an odd thing to tell me. Was she trying to say we should be incompatible, but she loved me regardless? Perhaps she meant her love was impossible to accurately explain. Or, knowing Lyra, she only said it so I would overanalyze it to find her hidden meaning. As I was now. Given the teasing smirk on her face, I would say the third option was a good guess.

I wrapped a hoof around her neck, and pulled her as close to me as I possibly could.

I had no trouble admitting how irritating Lyra could be. Despite her teasing possessing a degree of charm, I sometimes found myself growing annoyed with her. But… she had a special quality about her I could not quite describe. I found it in her eyes, her smile, and in her music. I remembered falling in love with her the first time I heard her music. I wanted to tell her that. She would have called me a big sap, but it was true. I had loved her since our first meeting. If I could not tell her that, I at least wanted to kiss her.

I cradled her face in my hooves, and inched my lips close to hers.

Our intimate moment was ruined when a ghoul burst through the tent curtain.

Lyra pushed me off of her to focus on her enemy. She fired each of her guns twice, each shot ripping into the ghoul’s face. Wait, if she fired four times why were there so many bullet holes in its head? As the ghoul fell over, Carbine stepped through the tent with wide eyes.

“Holy shit that was nearly me! Now I’m really glad I didn’t peek my head in first.” He turned towards me, grinning. “By the way, thanks for Tenacity, Symph. I’m glad Anarchy finally found herself a boyfriend.”

His guns were now in a physical relationship? Wait, his guns had genders? Even if I could have asked I would have refrained. I truly did not want to know how his brain worked.

“Are they all dead?” Lyra asked.

Carbine nodded. “Yeah. There were a few other stragglers, but Sombra took care of them.”

Sombra and Carbine were able to defeat a force that annihilated a base of soldiers? I had trouble picturing Sombra as a warrior, mostly due to the acolyte robe he wore. Given this success, it only made me more curious as to those scars he spoke of earlier.

“Sombra, really? I can’t really imagine him as a killer,” Lyra mused, echoing my thoughts.

Carbine shook his head with a laugh. “I was surprised the first time too, but he fights like a demon. It’s no wonder they gave him that name.”

That caught my attention. I had assumed Sombra to have been his birth name. True, I had found the notion of a parent naming their child after the Black King farfetched. On the other hoof, I found it less likely a Cadanite would take the name of their own free will. What could have driven him to take such lengths? It was distressing how little I truly knew about the ponies I entrusted my life too. Even worse was any attempt to know them better was obstructed by my inability to speak. Again, thank you, Orchestra.

“Perhaps he could teach Symphony a thing or two. I think he’d be more suited to hoof-based combat. What do you think, babe?”

She had a point. I had struggled while handling Savage. If the ghoul had noticed me, it could have killed me before I had lined up a shot. Though on the other hoof, once I had a shot I was unable to take it. Even if I learned Sombra’s style of combat, I did not trust I would be able to kill another with it. However, perhaps I would not need to kill another pony; I could use his teachings only to incapacitate.

I shrugged.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Lyra gave me a kiss on the cheek, then turned to Carbine with a sly smile. “Now, you take Missile.” She moved the unconscious pegasus onto Carbine’s back with her magic. “And leave me and my stallion alone together. He has some tight barding he’s dying to get me into.”

Carbine’s eyes drifted towards the pile of Cadanite uniforms, before briefly sweeping over Lyra’s flank. “Can’t say that I blame him.” He winked at me. “Enjoy your private time, you two.”

Idiot. I held up a hoof, and retrieved the map from my bag.

“What’s this, Symph?” Carbine asked as I passed it to him.

I puffed my chest out as far as I could, and frowned.

Carbine looked from me, to Lyra, and back to me before he threw his hooves up in the air. “I have no fucking clue what that’s supposed to mean. Any ideas, Thirteen?”

“He probably means Sombra. He’s puffing out his chest to resemble an earth pony; the frown is because Sombra rarely smiles. I’m guessing he wants you to give that to him.”

I nodded. While I did not know much regarding his personal life, I knew enough to judge Sombra as a reasonable pony. I trusted him to make good decisions concerning the well-being of our group. Thus, it only made sense for him to have the map as it would lead to more informed decisions.

Carbine opened the map. “And what have we got here, Symph?” As he looked over it his eyes grew wide. “Oh shit, this is a map. Fucking sweet! The King will be happy to know you found this.” Carbine gave me a salute, and skipped out of the tent.

Lyra whistled softly, but loud enough for me to hear. “I wonder how he would look in one of these uniforms.”

I ignored her, instead focusing on putting on my barding. I had all four of my hooves in the sleeves, but was having trouble with the zipper. It was located on my back, in a place almost impossible to grip with either hooves or teeth. A truly genius design choice.

“Need help, oh great warrior?”

I nodded with a grunt.

Lyra chuckled, and trotted towards me. She ran her hoof across my back, before leaning towards the zipper with her mouth open.

I pointed at her horn with a cocked eyebrow.

“Because there’s no intimacy if I use my magic. Now hold still.” She paused to wink. “I wouldn’t want to bite you on accident.”

Oh, I sincerely doubted that. But I was not in the mood, so I stood still. She gave me a teasing grunt, but thankfully did not bite me as she did my zipper.

“You’re good to go, soldier.”

I stepped away from Lyra, and began to pace around the room. The uniform was incredibly comfortable. It fit my body perfectly, and I was able to move without too much difficulty. And, as an added bonus, it did not itch.

“You look nice in uniform.” I rolled my eyes, anticipating a lewd punch line. “No, I mean it. You look really nice.” She hesitated a moment before adding, “I’m sure your sister would have been proud.”

…She would have been. Orchestra had been coaxing me into joining the CDF for years. She nearly had me convinced when she spoke of the CDF’s choir, who toured from base to base performing for the soldiers. If I had not met Lyra, I more than likely would have joined. For all I knew, I would be beside Orchestra in Nero’s cult.

I truly expected to see disdain in Lyra’s eyes as she mentioned Orchestra. After all the insults and attempted homicide, she had every right to hate my sister. Instead, she looked somber. I reached over to gently touch her cheek with my hoof.

She chuckled, and held my hoof in hers. “This is going to sound bad, Symphony. Really, really bad. And I want you to give me a second to explain myself before you get angry with me. Promise you’ll let me finish first?”

I hesitated a moment, but nodded.

Lyra sighed, kissed my hoof, and looked me in the eye. “I’m glad Orchestra hit you with that knife.”

She was right; her statement did sound terrible. I understood what she meant, though. If I had not taken the hit Lyra would have been horribly injured. While Lyra knew doctors who were not biased towards non-crystal ponies, I could count the ones I knew on four hooves or less. Orchestra certainly would not have helped me save her. If Lyra had been hit instead…

She touched her hoof to my neck as she continued. “I’m not glad that she hurt you, or anything like that. I miss hearing you singing to me, talking to me. It’s been so long I’m starting to forget how you used to say you loved me.” She wrapped her hooves around my neck, holding me close.

“But if that crazy cunt didn’t do this to you I would have lost you. You can tell me otherwise all you want, but we both know it’s true. You would have joined the CDF, and probably would have fallen in love with some wonderful Cadanite mare. Maybe you would have gotten back with your former lover. All I know is I would have been alone without you, Symphony.”

I felt tears splash against my neck. Even if I could speak, I was unsure of what I would have said to her. This outburst was too sudden for me to have anything prepared. But, I was glad it was sudden. It meant this was not manufactured to get some reaction out of me, nor to influence a particular decision. All it meant was she loved me, which was plenty.

I kissed her horn, and returned her embrace. I felt as though I could have stayed in her hooves for generations. I felt at home, minus the leaky roof and terrible food.

“Symphony, could you come out here? I’d like to speak with you.”

But alas, duty called. Since I was wearing a CDF uniform I felt compelled to answer the call.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have changed by the time you get back,” Lyra winked.

Despite my stallion urges convincing arguments telling me to stay with her, I left the tent to speak with Sombra. As soon as I exited the tent a hoof collided with my cheek. I had not been kicked so much as punched by Sombra. The impact knocked me into the snow with a soft crunch. No wonder he had been able to take out the ghouls. His hoof was as solid as a block of ice.

Lyra burst her head through the tent, glaring at Sombra as if he were the actual Black King. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Just a bit of sparring, Lyra. First lesson, Symphony, always be on your guard,” he said with an outstretched hoof.

I should have expected this. Of course lessons would be hooves-on, and, given our environment, the sooner I learned the better. I just wished his first attack would not have been so hard. A warning would have been appreciated as well.

I reached out to grab his hoof.

Sombra snaked his leg around mine, and twisted my leg around to my backside. “Second lesson, Symphony, be sure to keep control over your enemy.” He released me, and pointed to the knife in my bag. “That knife should serve you well. When you find yourself in danger hold it, but don’t intend to use it.”

While rubbing my sore leg, I cocked an eyebrow.

He outstretched his hoof again. “Do you mind if I see your knife for a second?”

I hesitated. If I gave him the knife he might have tried to use it against me. Even if these lessons were for my benefit, I want to be played for a fool. More importantly, I also did not want to be stabbed.

Approval filled Sombra’s eyes. “Your hesitation shows me you’re learning, Symphony. Very good. But in all seriousness, I do require the knife for a demonstration.”

Even still, I refused. He may not have stabbed me, but a hit from the blunt end of the knife would hurt as well. The lesson would most likely be to never trust your enemy. I seemed to have already learned it. I glanced at Lyra, and cocked my head towards the knife. She nodded, and used her magic to float it to Sombra. He grabbed the knife in his mouth, and gave the two of us an approving nod. He motioned for me to approach, and I obliged.

Sombra tilted his head towards me, aiming the knife in my direction. When I adjusted my position, he tilted his head again. He continued to do so each time I moved. No matter where I went the knife was always pointing at me. Not only did the threat of being stabbed keep me at a distance, which gave Sombra time to plan his strategy, but it also influenced my movements as I was trying to avoid it. Being on my guard and controlling my enemies were important lessons to learn, but what was the plan if an enemy did not adhere to my will?

The next time Sombra turned his head towards me I moved closer towards him.

Sombra’s throat rumbled, almost as if he were purring. It seems I had made the correct decision. He moved onto his backlegs, spreading them apart. He held one of his front hooves in front of him, with the other pressed close against it. My assumption was the second hoof was placed to steady the initial one. The first hoof was prepared to either punch or block me. Or perhaps it could lock me into place, and the knife could stab me. Aside from having no protection against firearms, I could not detect an obvious weakness in Sombra’s stance. Though, to be fair, I doubted there was any stance that could provide protection from bulets.

I mimicked his stance, and drew closer.

Sombra, however, grunted, and plunged the knife into the snow. “You’re picking up the basics, Symphony. That’s enough progress for your first session. Now, we have to plan our destination.

As I placed the knife back into my bag, Sombra retrieved the map from his.

“This map is a great find. Not only does it give us a layout of the Crystal Wasteland, but it also informs us of danger areas.” He pointed to the red circles, before pointing to the border with Equestria. “This is our destination.” His hoof moved towards Ghoul’s Point. “And here’s where we are. As long as we can get to our destination safely I don’t mind which route we take. However, I would like to go here.” Sombra put his hoof on the Cemetery, a red circle.

Lyra grimaced. “But isn’t that a danger area? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Sombra nodded. “Yes, but I believe it’s worth the risk. I’ve been listening to Reverend Bones for a good year now. He shares my sentiments when it comes to Nero’s cult. Not only would he welcome us for a night, but I feel it is my duty to warn him about the CDF’s intentions.”

I pointed to the map, and recreated Sombra’s fighting stance.

He shook his head. “I have no intention of fighting anypony I don’t have to. If the CDF attacks us while we’re there I’ll defend myself, but I don’t intend on doing anything more for the Reverend than warning him.”

That sounded reasonable enough to me. I was in no hurry to sacrifice my life for this Reverend Bones, but he seemed like a stallion I would like to meet. According to my knowledge of maps it would be roughly a week, give or take a few days, to reach our final destination. In that case we needed provisions. We head weapons, ammunition, and some of us had armor, but we were not exactly abundant on either food or water.

I tapped Carbine on the shoulder.

“What is it, Symph?”

I nudged his saddlebag, and opened and closed my mouth.

“And, why do you want to bite my bag?”

What I was attempting to ask was whether he had been able to scavenge any food. Fortunately Lyra had seen my attempt, and verbally asked him for me.

Carbine grimaced. “Kinda.” He magically lifted two cans out of his bag, and passed them to me. “I was able to fill up those two with fruit and some veggies, but there wasn’t much to work with. The other four are still empty.”

This could become a problem. Lyra and Sombra still had some food on them, so we were not in danger of hunger fatigue anytime soon. However, stopping to resupply needed to be a priority. There was one town on the map I recognized as a trader’s town. It was close, and on the way to the Cemetery. I pointed to a small dot marked “Hospitality,” and pointed to Carbine’s cans.

“Hospitality? What’s that mean?” Carbine asked.

I considered answering his question, or I would have if I was capable of speech, until I noticed the grim smile on his face. Funny, I did not know Carbine was capable of irony. Well played.

His comment also caused me to ponder for a moment. What would my life have been like if I were born as a non-crystal pony? What would it be like to be looked upon as inferior by so many others, or to be hunted like an animal? I may not have liked Carbine very much, I was still not sure if I liked him at all, but my heart went out to him in that moment.

“Hospitality is the friendly reception a host shows to their guests. So unless the name is ironic, this is probably one of the friendliest towns in the Crystal Wasteland.” Lyra explained.

“Oh really? Maybe some of the mares in town will be glad to show us a friendly reception, right, Symphy?” Carbine winked.

I retracted my empathetic thoughts. Whether or not Carbine had endured hardships, he was still annoying. I mean, really? Symphy? It was closer to my name than Symph, yet it also removed all of the dignity. I did not bother snorting at him; rather, I gazed at Sombra as I awaited his decision.

He nodded, though his eyes did not leave the map. “I’m familiar with this town. There are peaceful ponies there; I doubt our non-crystal companions will run into any trouble.”

Carbine grimaced, crossing his hooves like a spoiled child. “That’s no fun, Somby. I don’t like going places where I don’t get to shoot things.”

Lyra chuckled, and sensually stalked towards Carbine. “Yeah, but look at the bright side. If this is a town that really does live up to its name, then there will be plenty of young mares wanting to make you feel as welcome as possible.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to shoot my guns at pretty mares. Even I know that’s counterproductive, Thirteen.”

I was surprised the word counterproductive was even in his vocabulary.

A mischievous twinkle lit in Lyra’s eyes as she asked, “Who said you’ll be shooting them with your guns?” She angled her eyes downward for a brief moment. “Seems to me that you’re packing something pretty impressive in that holster between your legs.”

I never liked the word ew; I had always found it juvenile. Yet as Lyra discussed Carbine’s… stallionhood, ew was the only word going through my mind.

Carbine’s eyes returned the twinkle. “Damn straight. It’s impressive and fully loaded!”

EW! That time I could see the word in capital letters in my mind. Still, at least I was not seeing images of Carbine’s… too late. I turned away from the conversation, burying my face in my hooves.

“Hey, what’s wrong with Symph?” Missile asked, finally waking up.

“I think he’s had about enough of this conversation as I have. When you two are done flirting with each other I’d like to get a move on,” Sombra growled.

The two flushed slightly, and Carbine flushed harder when Lyra nudged his flank with hers. “I don’t think I’ll ever be done flirting with other stallions, right dear?”

I nodded without looking at her.

Lyra chuckled, and gave me a peck on the cheek. “Sorry I wasn’t able to put the suit on. I’ll do it sometime tonight.” Her eyes turned grim, and she began to trot away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go see if I can get to that opening that box for you. And while I’m out and about, I might as well erase all my tracks to throw off the Great Cunt.”

Since her back was turned Lyra failed to notice me flinch. It was not her actions which bothered me. I had listened to Orchestra speak of Nero’s cult enough to understand how he operated. He used parties of four to hunt for heathens. These groups consisted of a priest, a tracker, a ranged specialist, and a melee specialist. Even if everypony had their tracks covered, I had little doubt she would find signs of our group eventually. She did have a professional tracker on her side.

However, if just Lyra were to hide her tracks, it was possible the tracker would think we were just a group of stallions. And any signs of life could be attributed to the four of us. Orchestra may have been brainwashed into believing all non-crystal ponies, and their associates, deserved to burn, but I doubted she would follow any trail she knew did not belong to Lyra. This was a personal hunt.

That was the reason I flinched when I heard Lyra refer to my sister as the “Great Cunt.” I was far from forgiving her for cutting me. Very far. Yet, she was still my big sister. This was the same pony who played “Hush Now Quiet Now” for me on her flute when I was a foal. Yes, her ideologies were twisted beyond comprehension, but she was still trying to protect me from something she saw as evil. Could I really fault her for looking after her little brother? My heart told me no; the scar on my neck told me yes. For now, I remained undecided on what I truly thought of my sister.

Hospitality was not what I expected it to be. I was familiar with the town, yes, but had not visited it myself. Orchestra was always complaining about how accepting the town was of “heathens,” and “infidels,” so I knew it would be accepting of all of my companions. If there was one thing I could always rely on my sister for it was gossip. In addition, of course, to near fratricide… it was going to be a while before I would get over her attack.

What I truly needed was some time alone with my thoughts. It would take more than one session, but I believed the only way I would be able to accept my situation would be to reconcile the two extremes. Sadly, every time I found a moment to think there was always a distra—

“Look, Bro, a comic vendor!”

—ction. Just like that, I was returned to my original train of thought concerning Hospitality. I had expected a small dot of a town. There would have been a few houses, a town hall, which may have also doubled as either the church or the schoolhouse, and nearly every mare would have worn a bonnet. That had been my image of Hospitality.

“Give me back my money, asshole!”

“Fuck you, ya cock-eyed shit.”

Clearly I had been mistaken.

The streets of Hospitality were lined with traders and vendors trying to sell their wares. I found a unicorn selling zebra love potions, two fillies selling scented candles, and a crystal earth pony peddling crystal jewelry. There were so many more I had trouble keeping track of them all, mostly due to the noise caused by all the negotiating.

Though that was not the only major cause of noise. In the town square was a marble statue of the Great Defector. Prior to the Great Zebra War, when the Old Empire was under the control of the Black King, the Empire had been saved by a dragon. He had been christened as “Great and Honorable S—e the Brave and Glorious." But when the war started he abandoned the Old Empire in favor of the Shadow Goddess.

His treachery was so deep nopony dared to speak his name, and only identified him as the Great Defector. The statue I saw in Hospitality must have been erected as a testament to his heroic side that had yet to be taken down. Though I had to admit, I was glad it remained. The craftsmanship used was impressive.

Though the craftsmanship was not why there was a crowd in front of the statue. No, that honor went to the young pegasus mare. She was using the statue as a pole, and was conducting various tricks. Her favorite trick was to use slide down a finger of the statue’s claws, and use her wings to propel her to the next one. Her athletic prowess, along with her incredibly beautiful grey coat, would have made for an entertaining show. What made the show… memorable, was her choice of clothing. The mare was wearing a lacy pair of black panties, and bright pink socks on each of her legs.

I tried to look away from the vulgar display, but found it impossible to ignore the grey pegasus.

So did many others. Passing mares looked on with disgust and envy, and occasionally interest. The stallions whistled, many throwing bits at the statue’s feet. One such stallion was Carbine.

“Hopefully she’ll show me some hospitality later!” he hollered.

Some in the crowd laughed at his statement, while others yelled similar phrases. I decided to retain my silence, although my scar was not the reason why. Being unable to remove my eyes from the pegasus was no excuse to make an ass of myself. Now, Symphony, mind your language.

Speaking of rear ends, she was crawling up the statue’s face with her behind facing towards me. My cheeks were growing hot, and I felt the urge to contribute to the pile of bits.

Carbine gave another whistle, and prodded Sombra. “How do you like the show, my King?”

A deep rumble came from Sombra’s throat. “A stallion of Cadance knows better than to watch such a thing.”

“Oh, then why are you still looking?” Lyra added.

The older stallion grunted, and turned his back on the performer. “I’m going to find us an inn to stay for the night. You three can stay here and enjoy the show if you wish. Missile, you’re coming with me. You’re too young to watch this.”

Missile was perched on Carbine’s head, with his wings fully extended. He was even slightly drooling. “Aww, can’t I stay with Bro? At least for five minutes?”

Sombra turned Missile’s head, and looked the colt dead in the eye. “No.”

Argument over.

Missile flinched, and fluttered onto Sombra’s back with a lowered head. Sombra gave the three of us a curt nod before walking off. I caught Missile trying to catch one glance at the performer, but, once he saw Sombra’s glare, he threw up his hood.

The older stallion’s eyes softened after a moment. “You did well earlier today, Missile. As a reward I’ll take you shopping after I’ve found us a place to sleep. Didn’t you say something about a comic vendor?”

Missile peeked out from under his hood. Once he realized Sombra was serious, he beamed. “That’s right! They might have the next issue of Flash! Hopefully this one won’t end in another cliffhanger…” The rest of their conversation was lost in the sounds of the town.

“For this next part I’m going to need a partner. Do I have any volunteers?”

The pegasus was now standing on the statue’s head, surveying the crowd. As her eyes fell upon my area of the crowd I began to feel apprehensive. As a stallion, I wanted to participate with her. As the coltfriend of Lyra Heartstrings XIII, my hooves were tied.

Lyra put a hoof on my shoulder, grinning like an idiot. “What are you just standing around for? Go get her, champ.”

She shoved me forward with such force that I barreled through the crowd. I landed on my belly, and looked up at my surroundings. The ponies around me were laughing, Carbine especially. My glare instantly shut him up.

I rose to my hooves, dusted myself off, and turned to make my way back into the crowd when I felt a hoof on my shoulder.

“Aww, now don’t be like that, soldier. They’re just laughing because they’re jealous. Aren’t you, boys?” That shut the rest of crowd right up. The pegasus giggled behind me. “Won’t you turn around to look at me? It’s rude for a soldier to ignore a lady.”

“So, he’s brash and he’s cute. What’s your name, stud?”

I pointed to the scar on my neck.

She gave me a solemn nod, before following it up with a grin. “Strong silent type, huh? I like that. Tell me, stud, do you dance?”

I knew where this was going. I had taken a few classical dance classes before with Orchestra as my partner. It had been awkward, yes, but I had learned to love the tango. However, I doubted this pegasus had a tango in mind. I shook my head.

She giggled again. “Don’t worry; I’ll teach you.”

I did not like the sound of that. At least, not as Lyra’s coltfriend. Granted, she seemed to have no qualms about me enjoying myself with this pegasus, but I still felt uncomfortable. I looked over at Lyra, not sure how to proceed. Still grinning, my marefriend gave me a wink as she trotted away. Oh, no. I was not going to allow her to leave me alone. There was no telling what I would do with this mare if I went unsupervised.

I gave the pegasus an apologetic glance, and took off after Lyra.

“Hey, where are you going?” the pegasus demanded.

“Yeah, Symph.” Carbine was pointing towards the performer. “The hottie is back that way.”

I ignored him, continuing my pursuit. It took a few minutes, but I spotted her speaking with a vendor. He was a stout cerulean stallion, with thick round glasses. His stall had the word “Insterments” written on the bottom, along with pictures of various instruments. Behind his stall was a tent, which I assumed was where he did his work. I hoped his musical talent surpassed his spelling.

“May I see it?” the stallion asked.

“Of course.” Lyra opened her saddlebag, and levitated her lyre out.

The sight of it brought back a string of unpleasant memories. I could still hear my sister screaming as Lyra smashed the lyre into her head. I also recalled hearing a crack, though I was never sure if it was Orchestra’s skull or the lyre. Given my sister’s screams and Lyra not playing her instrument since, I had assumed it was most likely both. Now that I could see the lyre firsthoof, it was definitely both. There was a large dent in the base of the instrument, two of the strings had snapped, while a third was badly frayed. I had always known my sister to be thick-headed, but I had never thought she would be able to dent solid gold.

It stung to realize the last image I would ever have of my sister was of her screaming with a split head.

The stout stallion took the lyre in his hooves, giving it a thorough inspection. He cast a suspicious glance at Lyra. “May I ask how you managed to damage your instrument?”

Lyra gave him a sheepish smile. “Well, I went to visit my coltfriend and his sister. She said some things, I said some things. She pulled a knife, and next thing I know her brother’s bleeding from the neck, and I’ve hit her in the head.”

The stallion smiled wryly. “In-laws, huh? I can empathize.” He placed the lyre on his stall, and adjusted his glasses. “While I do feel for you, I’m afraid I can’t give you a sympathy discount. The strings can be replaced without much of a problem, but the dent is quite extensive. I can have it repaired by this evening, tomorrow morning at the latest. But the job costs two-hundred bits.”

Lyra slammed her hoof on the stall. “Two hundred? That’s outrageous! I’d be willing to part with 150 at the most.”

“150?” The stallion took another long look at the lyre. “I’d have to cut a few corners for 150, but the job can still be done. If you want it done right, 180.”

“160,” Lyra offered.

“175,” he countered.

“Would you be willing to do the job for 165?”

He shook his head. “One hundred-seventy-five bits. That’s my final offer. If you don’t like it you can take your busted instrument someplace else.”

Lyra scowled. “Fine, deal.” She shook the stallion’s hoof, while levitating a sack of money from her saddlebag. “This is disappointing. I was hoping to get something special for my coltfriend.” Lyra dropped a pile of coins in front of the stallion. “Do you know anywhere cheap?”

The stallion shook his head. “This is Hospitality, not charity.”

Lyra’s scowl deepened, and she rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the tip.” Before leaving, she gently stroked her lyre. “Mommy’s going to be gone for a little while. But when she comes back you’re going to be nice, and shiny, and pretty again. And we’ll perform a song Symphony will never forget.”

Seeing Lyra cooing at an inanimate object bordered on Carbine levels of strange. Though the promise of an unforgettable song more than made up for the bizarre behavior. I approached Lyra, tapping her on the shoulder.

Her eyes widened as she turned around to see me. “Symphony! I thought you were still in the town square.”

I shook my head.

Her nose wrinkled, and her eyes narrowed. She stepped towards me, and poked me several times in the chest. “And why aren’t you over there? I told you to have fun, didn’t I?”

Why was she upset? I had shown my loyalty to her. As far as I was concerned that was a good thing. There was always the possibility she was joking with me, but I doubted it. Her poking was a tad too hard for teasing. I pointed to my heart; then I pointed to hers.

She replied with a mirthless smile. “’I belong to you,’ huh? That’s why you didn’t stay with the performer?”

I nodded.

She raised her eyebrow, as she looked me up and down. “There’s just no corrupting you is there, Symphony?”

Not quite sure how to respond to her question, I shrugged.

“Is this the stallion you were speaking of?”

Lyra wrapped a hoof around my neck with a shake of her head. “Indeed, he is. He may be the most self-righteous pony in the Crystal Wasteland, but he’s all mine.”

The most self-righteous pony in the Crystal Wasteland? Please, had she met my sister? My throat burned at the thought. Oh, right, she had.

The stout stallion rubbed his forehead as he regarded me. “Self-righteous, you say? In that case, I’d recommend visiting the green unicorn by the fountain. She’ll have something perfect for him.”

Lyra chuckled, and flashed him a grin. “So much for not living in charity.”

The stallion smiled back. “What can I say? I have a soft spot for couples.”

Lyra reached a hoof into her bag, retrieving a bit. She flipped it towards the stallion. “Thanks for the tip.”

He tipped his glasses, presumably because he was not wearing a hat, and retreated into the tent with the lyre. When he was gone, Lyra gave me a playful shove.

“You heard him. To the fountain we go.”

“He was right; this is perfect for you.”

Lyra and I had arrived at a tent, which held shelves stocked with figurines inside. I was currently examining one I held in my hoof. While some had been carved from crystal, this particular one was made of porcelain. It depicted the Holy Mother with her hooves together, as if she were leading a prayer. It was a fitting pose given the inscription on the pedestal she stood on. “Have Faith,” it read.

“Are you going to buy that, Mister Soldier?”

The speaker was a lime-green crystal earth pony. He was wearing a green cap, with a brown vest decorated with badges. I recognized that uniform; it belonged to the Colt Scouts of Equestria. That explained the figurines. They must have been for a merit badge.

I looked over at Lyra, and raised the figurine.

She replied with a good-natured sigh. “Figures. You would pick the figurine of Cadance.” She slipped a hoof into her saddlebag. “How much do I owe ya?”

The Colt Scout glanced at the figurine for a moment before answering. “That one? It’s sixty bits with the CDF discount.”

“Sixty?” Lyra sounded surprised. “How do you figure that?”

He smiled innocently at her. “Because I worked really hard on that one. And it’s really high quality."

I gave the figurine another glance. Upon closer inspection I began to notice some of the flaws in the work. One of the Holy Mother’s wings was chipped, and the color had begun to fade from her horn and right hoof. They were minimal mistakes, but did slightly diminish the quality of the work. Though it was still quite good, especially for a Colt Scout.

Lyra smiled at him, taking a hoof full of bits out of her bag. “Alright, but only since you worked really hard on it. Sixty it is.”

She dropped the bits into a pouch attached to the colt’s cap. He gave her a friendly tip of the cap.

“Would you like a case for it? It’s free.”

I nodded without any hesitation.

“Okay, I’ll go get it.” The colt trotted behind the counter, quickly returning with a lacquerware case in his mouth. He placed in Lyra’s hoof, smiling. “Will that be all?”

“Yes.” She opened the case, and placed the figurine inside. “Thank you.” She flashed him a smile, as we trotted out of the tent.

Like the square, the fountain area was heavily populated. In addition to the vendors and performers, there was also a set of benches, a group of children, and a tavern. A rickety sign was hanging above the doorway reading: The Stumbling Stallion.

Chuckling, Lyra cocked her head towards the door. “Care for a drink?”

My immediate reaction was to say no, or at least shake my head. I had heard enough sermons on alcohol to observe a strict temperance. The only time I had broken my rule was when I was of legal age, and at my sister’s persistence. I wished I could say whether I regretted it or not, but the whole night remained a blur. All I could remember was my sister waking up in the middle of the night to throw up, and immediately falling asleep after. Needless to say, my one memory was not exactly pleasant. Still, it was better than remembering her screaming.

Following my initial instinct, I shook my head.

Lyra shrugged, and walked towards an empty bench. “If you won’t drink with me, then the least you can do is keep me warm.” She hopped onto the bench, sitting on her hindquarters as her back legs dangled off the side. She tapped the empty space next to her. “Come on, Symphony. It’s rude to keep a lady waiting.”

Lyra, a lady? That was certainly an overstatement. I followed her onto the bench, chuckling. At least, I tried to chuckle. Instead, I only managed a faint rasping sound. Getting used to my injury was going to take a long time…

“It’s because you make me smile.”

I gave Lyra a perplexed look.

She rubbed her muzzle against my neck. “That’s why I love you. It’s because you make me smile, Symphony. Voice or no, you’ll always be my special somepony.” She tapped off her sentiment with a kiss to my neck.

I wrapped a hoof around her, gently rubbing the back of her neck. She practically purred, as she continued to kiss me. I wanted to kiss her back, but was suddenly aware of a pair of yellow eyes staring at me.

The eyes belonged to an earth pony filly around Missile’s age. She was wearing a tattered white tunic, which was nearly black from all the dirt. Her expression was weary, her yellow mane full of grime. The filly outstretched her brown hooves, both slightly bruised. She did not say anything; she just stared at me with her piercing eyes.

I caved, and dropped a few bits into her hooves.

Even with all the dirt and grime on her face, the filly’s ensuing smile was truly a beautiful sight. She tightly wrapped her hooves around one of my legs, dropping most of the bits, and gave a shrill squeak. To the best of my knowledge, she was trying to say thank you. She quickly retrieved the fallen coins, and scampered off with a wave.

I felt good doing that; something, I had not felt in some time. As I watched the filly run off, I could feel the ghost of a smile creeping on my face. I held both of my front hooves in front of me, and gently tapped my chest.

“You’re happy?” Lyra asked.

I nodded.

She patted me on the back. “Then I won’t burst your bubble.”

I gave her another puzzled glance.

She grimaced slightly, and pointed with her hoof. She was pointing at the filly, who was now standing beside an older stallion. The stallion appeared to be around my age, but was unusually gaunt. He was not so thin that his ribs were showing, but thin enough for me to assume he had not had a decent meal in quite some time. The stallion patted the filly’s head, as she dropped the coins into a purse. Picking up the purse, the stallion trotted past us into the tavern. Once he had disappeared, the filly galloped towards the town square.

“Do you see?”

To be honest, I had no clue. My interpretation was the filly had been begging on another’s behalf, but he used the money to buy alcohol instead of food. I supposed it was possible he would be ordering a meal at the tavern, but I could smell the alcohol on his breath as he walked by. But I was not sure if I saw what Lyra was implying.

“It’s common courtesy. He was older, and probably working this area before she came along. If she hadn’t have given him the money he likely would have taken it from her.”

I opened my mouth in a silent gasp.

Lyra just scoffed. “Oh, please, don’t feel sorry for her. The dirt on her face hadn’t caked yet, so it was relatively fresh. She probably added it before the snow fell. That grime was probably just mashed up food she used for effect, and the tunic was probably thrown into some dirty water. She wasn’t skinny enough to be starving, either. She’s well fed and just trying to earn some extra coin. Probably found enough soft hearts to prey on.” She chuckled, and nudged my flank. “Soft hearts, like somepony I know.”

I supposed I should have felt upset that I had been manipulated. Even more so that my charitable donation had most likely been spent on booze. Yet, I still felt happy from that filly’s smile. No matter how fake the dirt on her face had been, that smile was real. The scar on my neck was proof ponies were capable of evil deeds; the filly’s smile showed me they still had good in them.

Perhaps that was the beauty of Hospitality. It was not a utopia, my recent encounter taught me that, nor was it exactly charitable. Despite this, there seemed to be enough for ponies to stay and be happy. They had to be happy; nopony could smile like that if they were not. I looked over at Lyra. She was still grimacing, but there was that twinkle in her eye. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I assumed she felt it too. Hospitality was certainly not Haven, but it was better than travelling.

I held my front hooves in front of me, and thrust them downward.

Her eyes widened. “Stay? Symphony, I don’t think I understand.”

I raised a hoof, and gestured to the town around us.

“Here?” She hopped off the bench, and glared at me. “Symphony, that’s insane.”

Turns out it was wishful thinking.

“Sure the town is nice enough, but we’ve only been here for a couple hours. Probably not even that! Do you really think we should just stay in a town we barely know?”

That was not my exact thought, no. I merely figured if the town was suited to Lyra and I, then we could stay. If not, we would continue our travels. I was not sure how to present my thought process to Lyra, so I went with a simple answer. I curtly nodded.

She rubbed her temples, and continued to groan. “Okay, for the sake of argument, let’s just pretend I don’t think this plan is completely stupid. What about the others?”

I snorted.

She gave a conceding shrug. “Okay, so they’re not the best friends you’ve ever had. And we haven’t been travelling with them for long. I’ll give you that. But they stuck their neck out for us. They let us join their group, and Carbine and Sombra fought those ghouls to protect us.”

I mimed flipping through a comic.

She groaned. “Yes, they were also saving Missile, but because they trusted us with him. Like them or not, Symphony, we’re practically a family.”

Family. I could feel my scar throbbing as I thought of my family. My real family. I hoped Lyra would pardon me if the word family left me feeling wary rather than loving. I turned my head from her, gently rubbing the scar.

In my peripheral vision, I saw her flinch. She reached out a hoof, hesitated, then returned her hoof to the ground. She took a few steps towards the square, before looking back at me. “I’m going to find Carbine. We probably shouldn’t have left him alone. Are you going to come with me?”

My only response was to continue rubbing my throat.

“Alright. I’ll see you later tonight. Love you.”

I listened to her hoofsteps as she trotted away. They clopped loudly, but they gradually grew quieter. Eventually, I was unable to hear them at all. Still, I did not turn around. I placed a hoof on my face, and shook my head.

Why was I being so stubborn? Staying in Hospitality was definitely a possibility, but not one I wanted to fight over. I had no problems with an argument, but once she referred to Sombra and Carbine as family… perhaps Orchestra had damaged more than just my throat.

As my eyes wandered, I found myself staring at the case in my saddlebag. Even though I could not see her, I still felt the warm gaze of the Holy Mother. “Have Faith.” Faith, huh? I did have faith, faith in her teachings. I also had faith in Lyra. I had… that was all. I wanted to have faith in ponies, in that filly’s smile. But I did not. Aside from the Goddess and Lyra, I was all out.

Have Faith.

I reached into my saddlebag, pulling out the radio. If there was one thing I needed right now it was a sermon. I had only listened to Tombstone Radio once, but Reverend Bones sounded like a reasonable stallion. Hopefully he would tell me the words I needed to hear.

I switched on the radio, and fiddled with the antennae until I received reception.

“So hold me 'neath the thunderclouds, my heart held in your hooves,

Our love will keep the monsters from our door.

For I know tomorrow will be a better day.

Yes, I believe tomorrow can be a better day..."

"Welcome, my little ponies, to Tombstone Radio, where the dead talk, and pray the living listen. This is Reverend Bones coming to you live from the Cemetery. That was a classic from Sweetie Belle, one of the classiest mares I ever knew. He paused for a raspy chuckle. That’s right, listeners, I actually got to meet the face of Stable-Tech; I even knew Rarity too.”

Again, he paused. It was almost as if he had remembered something troubling, and had to gather his thoughts.
“If you would all indulge me, the Reverend has a parable he’d like to share. Once upon a time, a good two-hundred years ago, there were two sisters. The younger sister loved the older, did everything she could to make her happy. But the older saw the younger sister as an annoyance, and eventually drove her away. When she realized just how much she missed her little sister, the older one did everything she could to get her back. She endured unimaginable ordeals for her the sake of their sistership. And in the end, she got her sister back.”

A raspy sigh left his throat. “The older sister learned an important lesson that day. Family isn’t always easy; but there’s no doubt it’s worth fighting for. Take it from me, listeners, it’s a lesson I wish I had learned before it was too late.”

A ludic saxophone and piano duet began playing. There were no lyrics, but I had no trouble connecting to the music. It was relaxed and joyous. I was not sure if the Reverend picked the song at random, or if it was meant to simulate a cozy feeling. The kind of feeling normally associated with family.

“And before I leave you all with this hit from the Echoes, I have a verse from the Good Book I’d like to share.” The sound he made when clearing his throat sent chills down my spine. “’He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.’ Just a little food for thought, listeners. I’m Reverend Bones, and you’re listening to Tombstone Radio. May the light of the Crystal Heart guide you on your path.”

Finally having time alone to think, I let the song play on while I contemplated the sermon. Was it possible the parable of the two sisters was applicable to me and Orchestra? While I would not consider myself an annoyance to her, there was no doubt she had pushed me away. Was it possible she was desperately trying to find a way to make it right? Even if she was, should I accept her efforts?

“Family isn’t always easy; but there’s no doubt it’s worth fighting for.”

Was he right about that? If it was truly worth fighting for then I should forgive Orchestra in a heartbeat. Though it did beg the question of what constitutes a family. According to Lyra, Carbine could be considered family. Dealing with him for survival reasons was doable. Difficult, but doable. If Carbine was supposed to be a brother, then Reverend Bones was right. Family was certainly not easy.

I was as undecided as I was this morning. Orchestra was my loving sister, as well as “The Great Cunt.” The younger sister did accept her sister’s love when the ordeals had been finished, but I doubted the older sister had maimed her with a knife. I truly was going to need more than one session alone to work out my problem.

“Hello, Symphony.”

My focus returned to the world around me, specifically onto Sombra. He had multiple bags tied to his robe, and Missile was sitting on his back. The colt was intently reading a comic: Flash! Savior of the Universe: Issue 118.

Missile held up a hoof, waving in my direction. “Hey, Symph.”

I nodded, although I doubted he noticed me given how engrossed he was.

“Do you mind if I sit down?

I scooted over to make room for Sombra. He gave me a polite nod, as he sat down. Not looking up from the comic, Missile fluttered down beside him.

“How’s this issue looking so far?” Sombra asked.

“Mhmm.” Missile turned another page, and his eyes narrowed after a few moments. “So even though Flash saved her life, the zebra spy still betrayed him. Fucking bitch.” A look of pure terror appeared on his face, and he glanced at Sombra. “I mean, uh, um, that darn…” He sighed, and held out the comic. “I’m re-grounded, aren’t I?”

A sigh rumbled in Sombra’s throat, as he gently pushed the comic back towards Missile. “You’ve had a busy today. For that, I’ll give you a free pass.”

The colt’s eyes and mouth widened with pure glee. He briefly hugged the elder stallion’s hoof, before returning to his comic. That got a good humored grunt out of me.

Sombra turned his attention towards me, and motioned to his bags. “Curious to know what we bought?”

I performed the gesture for food and drink.

“Insightful as always.” Sombra’s eyes clouded for a moment. “We should be good on medical supplies after Lyra found those potions and healing bandages in that box. And our food should last us for a while now as well. Even amongst four grown ponies and a colt, we should be fine until we clear the border. However…” He cast a melancholy glance at his saddlebag. “We are starting to run low on funds. The inn was more expensive than I realized, and the others weren’t much cheaper.” He closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

“We could always just do the thing again, Somby. Bro would be up for it.”

When Sombra opened his eyes, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Luckily for Missile, his comic was blocking the older stallion’s face. It took a moment, but Sombra relaxed. He raised his eyes upwards, and touched a hoof to his heart.

“Forgive me.”

That was certainly not a good sign. I had no notion as to what “the thing” was, but I had no trouble believing it was something bad. Sombra seemed to notice my concern. He touched a hoof to my shoulder, careful not to touch my neck. He gave it a firm, yet friendly, shake, and stood up. “We should head back to the inn. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I for one would enjoy a good night’s sleep.”

I followed as he and Missile, who had fluttered onto his back as soon as Sombra was standing again, began their walk towards the inn. I followed them through the streets of Hospitality, and up the inn stairs until we parted ways at our rooms. Sombra was sharing with Carbine and Missile, while I would be alone with Lyra.

I hoped she was not still upset with me for our earlier row. I needed to make up with her, to let her know what I really felt. She needed to know I did not care about Hospitality; I just wanted to be with her. Regardless of my thoughts on Orchestra and Carbine, Lyra Heartstrings XIII was my family.

I opened the door, contemplating how to get my point across.

“Hey, stud, what took you so long?”

Lyra was lying on the bed, giving me the most suggestive stare imaginable. She nonchalantly stretched so that her flanks were facing me. And she was wearing the Cadanite uniform. The tight Cadanite uniform.

Or, as a possible alternative, I could always express my emotions in a more physical way.

I was singing again. There were no words, only notes. Yet, there was still so much passion in my voice. I sang of my love for the Holy Mother and her teachings. For the love I had for my sister, and for my dearest Lyra. I sang of the fear I had of dying when the knife had sliced my flesh, and of travelling with Lyra. I even sang of Carbine, the brother I was only starting to know.

Most of all, I sang of faith. My song weaved a tale of trials and tribulations, and how I overcame them all. It spoke of the Holy Mother’s guidance, and the affect her words had on me. Finally, I sang of my faith in ponies. There were horrible ponies in the world to be sure, and good ponies who made dire mistakes. But there were plenty more who were willing to live their lives with grace and honor. Ponies willing to go out of their way just to see a filly smile. With one final note, I pleaded for others to follow their examples and create a better Equestria.

When I had finished, I collapsed onto my knees. Never before had I put so much passion into my voice. It was almost as if I were afraid I would never use it again. As I looked ahead of me, I could see a crowded amphitheater. It was full of ponies, new and familiar alike. They stood for me; they stomped the ground furiously with applause. Lyra and my new companions were in the front row, while my old friends filled the rows behind.

The only pony I could not find was Orchestra. She was not sitting in a seat, nor standing in the back. Even High Priest Nero was attending my concert. How could my sister shun me?

Suddenly, I felt hooves wrap around my waist. When I turned around, I saw my sister. She hugged me close, hot tears falling onto my shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, brother. I’m so sorry.”

I wanted to ask her, “For what,” but found that I was unable. Blood began to drip from my neck, and onto Orchestra’s bloody knife. Once again I collapsed, but nopony applauded for me now. I watched my sister turn her back, and trot away, repeating how sorry she was.

I struggled to my hooves. Hopefully I could find somepony who would help me. Rain began to fall, pelting me back towards the ground. Yet, I continued until I was standing again.

That was when I realized the amphitheater was empty. In my time of crisis, they had all left me. Even Lyra. I collapsed again, but this time I did not get up. If my life meant so little to them perhaps it would have been best to just die. Yes, perhaps death was a better alternative to a difficult life…

I awoke to see Carbine standing over me. Lyra was already awake, still wearing her barding. I wanted to tell her to take it off, or gesture something to that effect, so Carbine would not be able to see. However, I found his gaze was locked on me; the grin on his face perfectly matching the one he wore during yesterday’s firefight. Once again, the Holy Mother’s providence gave me an ominous feeling.

“Wake up, Symph. It’s Sunday; you’re going to church.”

Footnote: Level Up!

Perk Added: Walk among the Tombstones-sneaking is more effective during combat.

Quest Perk Added: Hammerhoof Level 1-damage dealt by hooves or melee weapons does 3% more damage.

Author's Notes:

Thank you all for reading this. I hope you enjoy Crystal Hearts, and will support the story by leaving feedback in the comments. As always, I’d like to thank Kkat for the original Fallout: Equestria, and other writers who continue to contribute to the universe. I’d also like to thank my editors and pre-readers for the feedback they give me.