I sighed again as I stepped off the stairwell, my hooves clip-clopping on the sterile white tiles, lost in my own thoughts.

I yelped as I rounded a corner and found myself tackled by a monochromatic blur.

"Zeed! You're finally back!" Ashes planted a kiss on my muzzle. "I was just starting to miss you."

I smiled and happily returned the kiss.

"Aye. Ah dunnae even know where ye were." Knives said. "Ye were gone fer almost two months."

My eyes widened as I suddenly remembered why I was here. "Nonono! Ash, get off! My mom will be up here any second!"

She rolled off me, and I felt a lump in my throat as I caught sight of the hurt look on her face. "I'm sorry I'll explain later please forgive me. Just not right now!"

"Zeedera? " My mother's voice bounced up through the stairwell and made my ears twitch.

"Je suis ici, ma mère. Je parle avec un ami." I said as cheerily as I could while I scrambled to my hooves.

The older zebra trotted around the same corner I had, to see me standing there with a forced smile. If she realized that it was forced, she didn't seem to care. Her blue eyes flickered over my friends before they bore into mine. "Ah. Vos amis en... poney. Hello. My daughter speaks highly of you."

"Hello, Mrs. Kazdri." Ashes said simply. "Pleased to meet you."

"Aye. Same here."

My mother snorted. "I am not 'Mrs. Kazdri.' I am 'Miss', thank you very much. Zeedera, je crois que je n'aime pas vos amis."

I hoped that she couldn't tell how hard my teeth were clenched. "Je suis désolé, maman. Je suis sûr qu'ils n'ont pas l'intention de vous offenser."

"J'en suis sûr. Bien que je n'aime pas ce que vous associez avec des gens comme... cela,” She glanced at Knives before letting out a snort. "En particulier que l'on ..."

My teeth felt like they were about to break.

"Je suppose que c'est mieux que rien." She turned and began to trot back towards our room. "Essayez de ne pas nous embarrasser."

"Oui, ma mère.” I stuck my tongue out at her as she left my line of sight and let out a snort. “Le seul nous embarrasser, c'est vous.”

“So, uh... what was that about?” Ashes asked.

I let out a sigh. “Désolé. Ma mère est juste d'être... ma mère. Elle n'est pas la personne la plus gentille au monde.”

“Ah didnae get a word ay that. What about you, Ash?” Knives smirked.

“Nope. Nothing.” The grey earth pony shrugged.

I blushed and grinned sheepishly. “Uh... déso- I mean... sorry. Kinda forgot who I was talking to. So... how come you were so excited, Ash?”

The mare grinned. “I finally gained enough weight! I’m not scrawny anymore! Well... I’m still pretty skinny, but I’m healthily skinny now! Look, I actually have a belly.”

I snorted a laugh as she poked herself in the stomach. “You’re probably the only mare in the world who would be happy about gaining weight. You definitely look a lot healthier.”

“Yeah, I feel a lot better. I also feel really energetic right now." She grinned mischievously. "And, I should be a lot more fun to cuddle."

My face turned red, but I smiled as she hugged me, and nuzzled into my neck.

“So how come you don’t want your mom to see us?” She gave me a curious look and I felt my heart jump into my throat.

“Well... uh...” I swallowed. She stared at me with her beautiful amber eyes. “She... uh... She... doesn’t actually know that I’m... ya know... gay...”

I grinned sheepishly.

She blinked at me. “Oh."

“How in th’ hell does she nae know yer gay?” Knives asked incredulously. “How many fillys did ye kiss before th’ two ay ye started datin’? And ye've been datin' fer how long, nao?"

My face reddened again. “Fifteen."

“How in th’ hell did she nae notice that?”

“Well it’s not like I did it in front of her. Even if I did... mom can...” I scratched at my neck for a moment, trying to think of the right words. “Mom is pretty dense.”

They both chuckled. Ashes gave me another kiss and started down the hallway, an obvious spring in her step. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m hungry. I’m going to try and pack on a few more pounds.”

She giggled, and I laughed with her.

~~~

I bucked the door down and spun to face the equines cowering inside. They stared up at me in shock and fear as I gazed at them over my shades, my lab coat fluttering from my movements and the heat of the flames, revealing the laser pistol strapped to my foreleg. Gunfire and explosions sounded all throughout the city. I shifted my cigarette to the left side of my mouth, and dropped the bag slung around my shoulders.

“What are you waiting for? Freedom awaits.” I grinned, and threw each of them a weapon from the bag. “Let’s get going!”

Without waiting for a response, I ran back out, leaving them to chose their own fate. I saw dad doing the same thing on the opposite side of the street, followed by an entourage of freed slaves helping him with the larger buildings. I glanced back at my own following, and pointed down one of the side streets. Several of them nodded and sped off to start their own groups of escapees.

With a satisfied smile, I chased after dad.

"You alright, kiddo?" He grinned at me.

I grinned back at him. "Yup. No problems so far. You think we've got enough ponies to do this?"

"A full-on push out of the city? Are you kidding me?" He chuckled. "We've got enough to push all the way to Canterlot.”

“So... Uh...” I coughed. “You wanna start?”

Dad cleared his throat, and raised himself to his back hooves. “Hey! Can I get your attention, please?”

Everypony out in the streets stopped what they were and looked at him. He blinked. “Uh... Huh. Well... uh...”

He cleared his throat again.

“Insert dramatic motivational speech here!” He took on what could only be referred to as a ‘dramatic pose’.

As everypony stared at him in confusion, I burst out laughing.

“Dad, you are such a dork.”

“What?” He gasped. “How couldst thou calleth thine own father a mere dork. I am clearly the king of dorks! All dorks boweth before me and despaireth, for they shalt never becommeth as dorkly a dork as I!"

I barely managed to keep mysekf from giggling.

"Now let’s try that again. Slaves of Raftwater!” He interrupted himself with a chuckle. “Sorry, former slaves of Raftwater. We are about to do something incredibly stupid! But, it is something so incredibly stupid that there is no way that it can-”

“DON’T FINISH THAT SENTENCE!” I screamed.

“I was going to say ‘possibly work’, kiddo, calm down.” He turned back to the crowd. “There is no way that it can possibly work, which is exactly why it will! Because a stupid plan is often the best plan to use in my experience. Yeah, a few of you from Bladesville know what I mean.”

“So, according to our eye in the sky up there,” He pointed to Stock, who was on top of a building taking potshots at several fleeing Bone Eaters. “They’re clustering around the edges of the city, probably because they can’t actually see us.”

He grinned. “So we’re gonna stampede.”

"That's what we're doing?" One mare screamed.

Dad nodded, a smirk on his face. "I said it was a stupid idea. We'll have unicorns with guns in the front. No offense guys, but it's just easier for you to aim and run at the same time, and we just don't have enough guns for everyone. When we get close enough you'll fall back to the middle. Once we’re out, you’re free to go as you please.. Any questions?"

"Who the fuck are you?" A stallion yelled.

"Excellent question! Let's go!" With that, there was a cheer from the slaves, and they began to gallop down the street en masse. I could actually feel their hoofsteps thundering off the ground.

Dad smiled at me, and we both followed after the impromptu herd.

"I really hope this works, dad." I bit my lip.

“It should. Especially with Stock laying down suppressing fire." He motioned with his head towards the airborne ghoul, who was screaming war cries and dive-bombing things I couldn't see.

Gunfire sounded out in front of us. The unicorns in the front of the herd had started shooting. The rest of the slaves picked up speed. Through the sea of dirty coats and manes, I saw terrified-looking Bone Eaters clustered together and holding their weapons up in as threatening a way as one could while hiding behind a pile of auto-carridges.

Stock landed behind two of them, took them out with a few well-placed shots to their heads, and shot back into the air.

Dad grinned again. "See? I told you th-"

"SCATTER!" I screamed.

The herd reacted in time for a good number of them to avoid the incoming missile. Only three were caught in its blast, one of whom was thrown sideways. The smoke cleared, revealing two ponies with massive burns, writhing and screaming in pain.

I stopped running, covering my mouth with a forehoof as I let out a choked squeak.

"Axy?" Dad stopped and looked at me while the rest of the herd converged on the Bone Eaters.

I ran over to the closest one and jabbed him with a shot of med-x and started to examine his burns. Within moments, his screaming began to die down, replaced with panting.

"Second degree. Second degree." I muttered to myself as I went over the largest spots. "Third degree. Need potion. Nothing else. You'll be fine."

He hissed as I poured the liquid on him but I ignored that and rushed over to the other pony. I choked again.

Most of her face was missing. What was left was charred. She had severe burns all across her body.

I reached for another potion bottle when she let out a choking gasp and went still.

"Fuck..." My ears went down.

"Axy, come on." Dad put a hoof on my shoulder.

I sighed and hopped back up to my hooves. "Right... sorry..."

My hooves pounded on the ground once more, following dad through the fray. I winced at the sight of every single injured or dead pony I saw, but I kept after him as he charged a small cluster of Bone Eaters, scattering them like bowling pins.

"More incoming!" Stock dropped down next to another of the slavers and blew her head off. "Five o'clock!"

"Ah, crap. INCOMING! MOVE MOVE MOVE! LETS GO!" He once again charged through the streets, with me just behind him. The slaves dropped what they were doing and tagged along as well.

“Dad, why are they even listening to you?” I had to ask.

He grinned at me as he continued to run. “Raw charisma!”

With a cackle, he charged further ahead of me. A grin of my own on my face, I picked up the pace as well.

“Just a bit more and we’ll all be home free!” The herd let out yet another massive cheer at dad’s call. “Tally ho!”

I found myself laughing along with him.

“Alright, final push.” He muttered.

The slavers at the edge of the town didn’t even try to fight. They threw their weapons down and ran away, some knocking over their gruesome territorial markers.

And just like that, We were out of Raftwater.

We kept running for a while. Eventually, the herd began to slow down, and dad and I were soon left in the middle of a large group of tired equines, all panting heavily as they trotted on.

Stock landed beside dad and myself.

"Okay, I'm suspicious now." She said. "This went too smoothly."

Dad frowned. “I’d rather not question it.”

“That’s just asking for trouble, dad.”

“Yeah, well...” He shrugged and gave me a smirk. “If I questioned every lucky break I got I’d quickly turn paranoid.”

"So now what?" I asked.

"Now we head back to Bladesville." He grinned. "Kinda wanna see my wife again."

My ears went back and I bit my lip. "Oh... right..."

"What, we're just leaving?" Stock motioned with a wing towards the now-former slaves. "What about them?"

"They'll be fine. Most of them'll group together and travel in twos or threes." The stallion chuckled. "See over there? Guess we just introduced a new couple. Life or death situations tend to do that. Heh."

I saw the two he was talking about. A zebra buck and a pony mare were walking alongside each other, staring with what could best be described as 'bedroom eyes'. I chuckled as they trotted away from the herd together.

Stock deadpanned. "Cute. What makes you so sure they'll group up?"

Dad looked at her like she was crazy. "Equine instinct? Because we're... you know... herd animals? Our ancestors traveled in herds?"

"He's got a point, Stock."

The ghoul glanced around once more, and let out a sigh. "Right. Of course."

~~~~

“Like I already said, Stock... I’m honestly surprised that they chose to join up with us.” Dad laughed. “But I was still right.”

I smiled and looked back at the herd. It had dwindled over the past three days, with some of the ponies and zebras simply getting tired of our generally slow pace and leaving, but said pace was necessary in order for some of us, myself included, to treat the injuries that had been taken during the fight. A potion could only do so much, after all. Dad and I hadn’t really gotten that many chances to talk, and Luna knew how much I wanted them, but I knew that we’d get plenty of them once we were alone.

“And yet, you are once again planning to leave them alone.” Stock frowned. “What is with you?”

“They can take care of themselves.” Dad waved a hoof dismissively. “They’re all adults.”

“Most of them are younger than twenty. Few of them are old like you and me.”

I burst out laughing, and dad blinked. “Old? I’m thirty-six.”

Stock scratched her mane. "Oh... wow... you do not look... that old... uh..."

"Heh, I'll take that as a compliment. Look, most of them are gone. If it means that much to you, go with them." Dad wrapped a foreleg around my shoulders and pulled me to him. "We'll be fine on our own. My camper's just on the Northeastern side of Bladesville."

"What the hell do you want to leave for, anyway?"

"I'd like to spend a bit of time with my daughter." He deadpanned. "Whom I haven't seen in eleven years "

The ghoul frowned again. "Hmmph. Fine, but I'm taking them all to a medic."

She flew off towards a small group of slaves and started talking to them while dad and I snuck off into another part of the ruins.

~~~

"Metric."

"Imperial."

"Metric."

"Imperial."

"Equestrian. Metric."

"Griffon. Imperial."

Dad pinched his brow with a fetlock, continuing to move along with three legs. "Why? I don't get it, why would you use Griffon Imperial? Even griffons don't use it."

"Dad, how many griffons do you know?" I rolled my eyes.

"Four. And they all use metric." He glanced towards the direction Stock and the ex-slaves went. "I mean, seriously... why? We don't have feet. We have hooves. Why would we measure anything in feet? Even griffons don't have feet, they have claws and paws."

"Because it's convenient and there isn't any reason to change it. Especially since the world is kinda... ya know..." I gestured around at the ruined outskirts of Bladesville. "Blown up? Not really much need for globalisation any more."

Dad laughed. "Alright. You've got a point there."

An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment.

"So... eh... how've you been, Axy?" Dad coughed quietly.

"Uh... good... I was working at the infirmary before we left..." I smiled. "It wasn't that bad. What about you?”

“I’ve been doing great.” He smiled. “Been taking care of Misty, Kara and the dogs.”

“Dogs?” I blinked at him.

“Yeah. Never actually thought I could put my glyph to use like that, but I got four dogs with me at the moment.”

I blinked again. With a glance at his flank I confirmed for myself that his glyphmark still, in fact, resembled a leaf.

"Dad... how are dogs related to your mark?"

He gave me a cocky smirk. "You'll see."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Sure, dad."

We were quiet again. Simply trotting through the street in silence.

I paused to wipe a bit of sweat out of my eyes, and grimaced as I caught sight of the dirt and grime that was on my coat. “Dad, do you have a shower at your place?”

“Sort of. We have a portable water purifier and a water heater in the camper, but they’re not that good.” He laughed. “We might even be able to take a couple hot showers when we get there, assuming Misty hasn’t used it all.”

“Misty...” I bit my lip and glanced at the city. "R-right... you... got married again, huh?"

Dad let out a happy sigh. "Yeah. She's a beautiful mare. Smart. Nice. I met her the first time I went to Open. Fell in love on the spot."

I smiled again, despite the pang of jealousy I felt.

"What about you, Axy? Any colts in your life?"

“Not really, considering I’m gay.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I shut it and clamped a fetlock around it, my eyes widening as dad stopped and gave me a surprised look.

“You are?” He blinked a few times.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! I wasn’t gonna tell him yet! What do I do, what do I do? I gulped, and nodded weakly. “Y-yeah.”

“You’re gay, as in: you are attracted to other mares?”

I nodded again.

He stood there, staring at me.

I found myself wishing that something would shoot at us, just to break the silence.

“Are you sure?”

“Uh... yeah. I’m... I’m pretty sure.”

After a moment of thought, the stallion trotted over to me, and dropped down to his haunches.

I stared up at him and swallowed again, my eyes misting up.

I jumped when he suddenly pulled me into a hug.

“I’m sorry, Axy. I shouldn’t have assumed anything. I’m glad you told me.” He smirked. “Even if you did just blurt it out. Saves on most of the drama, at least.”

I stared at him. My vision was blurred by tears.

"Are you alright?" His brow furrowed.

"You're okay with it?" I made a choking noise as I tried to keep myself from crying.

"Uh... yeah? Why wouldn't I be?" He said, like it was obvious. "Axy, what's wrong?"

I let out a quiet sob. "I missed you so much, dad."

A smile spread across both our faces as he drew me into another hug. "I missed you too, kiddo. I love you."

We stayed like that for a while.

"You're a strong, beautiful mare, Axy." He said, gently rubbing my back. "I know i haven't been there for far too long, but I'm proud of you, and I'll always love you."

"Thanks. That means a lot." I sniffled, and let out a laugh. "This... this went a lot better than with mom."

"Wait, what? What?" His expression changed to one of confusion. "Since when does she have a problem with that?"

I snorted. "Apparently I'm just going through a 'rebellious phase'."

Dad's jaw dropped. "A reb... she... buh... WHAT? What the fuck? How is that rebellious?"

I crossed my forelegs across my chest. "Apparently because I won't 'continue the family line'."

He gaped at me. "Have I ever told you that your mother's an idiot?"

A smile worked its way onto my lips. "No, but it's nice to hear."

"Well... oh, Luna's moon, that made my head hurt. Okay, uhhh... something happy, something happy..." he rubbed one of his temples. "Oh! You know about Misty, but did you hear about Kara?"

"Uhhh... yeah." I bit my lip and started trotting again. "I... uh... heard you have a ten year old daughter..."

"Heh, she's eleven now. I think you'd like her." He grinned. "She's a big fan of pre-war sci-fi stuff. She's got all kinds of old posters on her walls back in Fifteen."

“Oh...Uh.. Alright...” I coughed and glanced around in an attempt to find a topic that was far less awkward for me.

It came in the form of four specks heading down the street at top speed, one far in the front, and the other three far in the back.

"Dad? Uh... dad we have incoming."

He turned to see where i was pointing and squinted at the quartet of dots. A grin threatened to split his face in two. "I know who it is. Come on."

With that, he dashed off, leaving four small plumes of dust where he'd been.

"Ah- dad, wait!" I ran after him.

“C’mon, Axy!” He called back.

“Dad! Dad, wait!” I yelled, chasing him down as fast as I could.

He kept going, a look that somehow combined amusement and determination on his face.

I groaned and picked up as much speed as I could manage. The specks grew larger at a rapid pace, until I could tell that the one in front was a small zebra in what looked like a denim hoodie that was way too big for her.

"Oh..." I had a fairly good idea who it was. "Uh..."

After another moment of running, I caught sight of the thing following her.

Large greenish things with far too many legs, and long, whip-like tails. Their heads resembled those of an ironwolf.

"D-dad?" My eyes widened.

I looked to see him and his other daughter tackle each other, rolling on the ground and laughing happily.

"Dad, you're back!" The striped filly hugged him tightly. I could see that the back of her jacket was covered in patches, most of which showed random things from the old world.

"Of course I'm back." Dad ruffled her mane and flipped the blue hood over her head. "What, you really think I'd leave you guys?"

"Mom was pretty scared. She almost thought you died." The filly grinned and pulled her hood back. "But I knew you'd be okay. You're too dumb to die."

My eye twitched. I couldn't decide whether to run from those things or stay. Dad and the filly didn't seem to mind, but dad wasn't known for being the most observant stallion in the world.

Dad laughed and pulled her into another hug. "Good to see you too, Kay. Hey, there's someone I want you to meet."

Her ears perked up. "Who is-"

"What the hell are those?" I yelled, panic finally getting the better of me as the weird-looking creatures approached.

Kara snorted. “Those’re our dogs, duh.”

“Kay, be nice. I didn’t know what those were when I first saw them, either.”

I gaped at them I looked at the things, which were close enough for me to make our some details. I looked back to the two zebras. Again, I stared at the monstrosities, now only a block away, and snapped my head to look back at Dad and Kara in shock. “Those are dogs?”

“Yup.” Kara chirped. “They’re vinedogs!”

"What the hell is a vined-oof!" I was thrown to the ground as the dogs leapt on me. "AAAAAAAAAAGETITOFFGETITOFFHOLYSHITAAAAAAAA!"

Their entire heads opened up, with their noses splitting in two, and their lower jaws in three, while heir tails whipped about behind them as they licked me with slimy green tongue-like appendages.

"Carver, Hooke, Mendel, heel! Come!"

The moment dad shouted, the things all leapt off me and scrambled over to him.

I stayed where I was, hooves held over my face as I shivered from the sensation of the slime-spit on my fur. My eye was twitching violently.

"Uh... dad? Is she okay?"

"Axy? Axy can you hear me?" Dad gently rubbed my back. "I'm sorry about that. They... kinda like new people."

I brought myself to my hooves, though I continued to shiver violently. I raised a forehoof and stared at it as slime started dripping onto the ground.

"Ew." I whispered. "Oh dear Luna... I think it's moving."

The zebra filly passed me a towel from her sandbags. I accepted it gratefully and wiped the slime off.

"Anyway... uh... Kara? This is Zeed." Dad smiled weakly. "Zeed, this is Kara."

The filly's eyebrow went up. "You're dads older daughter?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow... how come you're so short?"

"Wha- Kay!" Dad spluttered. "Come on!"

"What? You're really tall and she's really short!" She said defensively. "It's kinda weird."

I snorted a laugh. "She has a point, dad. I get it from my mother. She was even shorter than I am."

Her eyes widened. “B-but my mom’s short... D-does that mean I’m gonna end up short too?”

“Eh... I don’t think you need to worry about that.” Dad chuckled.

She seemed to shrink into her jacket as she pouted. “I don’t wanna be short forever! I wanna be big like dad...”

I laughed again.

“Kay, you won’t be short forever. Alright?” Dad patted her on the back. “We keep telling you this. Don’t worry about it. You’ll grow when you grow.”

“I know, I know...” She sighed.

“So what are you doing out here, anyway? Where’s your mother?”

“Uh...” She grinned sheepishly. “I dunno?”

Dad gave her a blank look. “You don’t know.”

“I thought she was behind me! I swear!” She whined.

“Kara, you know your mother can’t move particularly quick right now.”

“Give her a break, dad. I’ll bet she was scared something happened to you and got excited when she saw you.” I looked at the filly, who nodded vigorously.

“And Schwann’s still with her!” She chirped.

“That’s not the point. You still ran off on your own.”

“B-but I had them with me!” She pointed to the three vinedogs, who were all standing in that same spot, just staring at the sky... not moving at all. I still felt a bit violated from being slimed. “A-and Hooke can beat up ironwolves!”

Dad sighed.”Again, Kay, not the point, though that does help a little. They’re just plants.”

I blinked. “Uh... don’t you mean animals?”

He grinned. “Well, technically ‘plant’ isn’t accurate either, but it’s easier than saying ‘fungus-bug-plant’. I think they’re more plant than anything else, anyway.”

I gave him a confused look. “What?”

"Anyway, let's find Misty and go home." Dad smiled.

He started down the street, with me, Kara, and the dog-things in tow. I swallowed hard.

So... I'm actually doing it. I'm actually going to go and see dads... wife... I'm actually going to meet her.

I glanced at Kara, the filly was talking with dad, trying to get him to tell her about where he'd been.

Well... Kara doesn't seem so bad. I think I kinda like her already... so I guess her mother can't be... that...

I gulped again.

I can't do this...

"Uh... dad?"

"What's up, Axy?" He paused and turned to look at me.

"I... I think I'm gonna go and help Stock with... with all the sl- I mean ex-slaves." I let out a nervous laugh, one that was almost a whinny. "I'm guessing she could probably use my... uh... help."

His gave me a concerned frown. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, you font need to come with me. Just... uh... go home and..." I swallowed again. "Be with your family."

He tilted his head in confusion. "Axy, you're my family too. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Really! I just..." I sighed. "I'll be back, okay? I promise. I... uh... just wanna help them out."

Kara gave me a suspicious look, while days simply gave me a sad smile. "Well, alright, then. If you really feel like you should. We're on the east side, in a large white cart. You can't miss it."

I nodded.

"Be safe, Axy." He gave me a quick hug, and trotted off again.

My ears down and my head hung low, I trotted in the opposite direction.

~~~

Barkeep the Fifth sighed.

Her foal was kicking her in the ribs again.

"Y'alright, darlin'?" Her husband asked.

"Mmph." She gave her bloated stomach a hard poke, hoping to dislodge the hoof. "I feel blugh..."

She sighed again, this time receiving a kiss from Amaretto. "It'll be alright, don' worry."

The mare's eyes flicked over to her son, who was messing about with some of the junk on their cart. "Easy for you to say. You try being beaten up from the inside."

Amaretto laughed, and wrapped his forelegs around his wife, kissing her again. “Ah know, Ah know.”

The mare rested her head against Amaretto’s chest and closed her eyes. Within a minute, she’d fallen asleep.

She woke up ten seconds later when Green suddenly appeared beside the cart, hovering in the air, panting, and generally looking frantic.

“Fight... Wretch... help... need... I need...” She gasped.

“Woah, woah, calm down, miss.” Amaretto put a hoof on the filly’s shoulder. “Just breathe.”

Green did as asked, her breaths gradually slowed down, until they had become almost normal, but she still remained hovering.

“Alright, now what’s wrong?”

The filly took a deep breath.

“Wefoudntheponyyouwho’stryingtogetyoubutshe’sattackingWretchandXixixixbutshewasreallyattackingmebecauseIhelpedBarkeepandIhitherintheheadwithatrashcanwhileshewasdistracedbut-” She took another breath. “Itdidn’tworkshejuststoodthereandyelledatmebutWretchgotherattentionandIflewoverheresoIcouldfindsomethingtohitherwith!”

Amaretto and both Barkeeps blinked at her.

“Miss, would ya mahnd slowin’ down a bit?” The stallion spoke slowly. “We can’t understan’ja when yer talkin’ lahk this.”

“I need something I can hit her with!” Green yelled.

Barkeep the Sixth pulled something from the pile of junk he was sitting on. A large sledgehammer. “Will this work?”

Green zipped over and grabbed the sledgehammer. “Thank you!”

With that she zoomed off, leaving the family staring at her in confusion.

----

Footnote 1: Diamond Knives

Exp: ???%

~~~

Footnote 2: Zeed Kazdri

Level up! (12)

Energy Weapons: Maxed

Science: 67

Future Mare (3/3): Your love of comics has given you insight into the use of lasers, plasma, and rail-gun type weapons. You gain +5%(+15%) critical chance and +5%(+15%) critical damage per rank of this perk.

~~~

Footnote 3: Raid (???)

EXP: ???%

`

To-Do List:

Active Quest:

O’ Father, Where Art Thou?:

Infiltrate or assault the Bone Eaters’ base near Bladesville.

Escape Raftwater.

-Completed

Sifting Through The Dust:

1) Find information on the location of Ashes.

2) Find information on the location of Obsidian Knives

3)Find information on the location of Nezan Kazdri

Author's Notes:

Hooray! More gratuitous French! Eh... I meant 'Prench'... is... what I meant to say...

Uh...

Quick Johnny! Play me off!

Speaking of French, if anyone happens to see any problems in the French I'm using, please for the love of all things purple, correct me!

Thanks to Kkat for the sandbox, thanks to Mattkingos for making this suck less than it could, and thanks to you for putting up with this crap.