"Guuugh, where the heck did I put those friggin' things?" Ashes slammed the box shut, pushed it aside, and moved to the next one.

"Ah doubt they're in any at th' boxes, Ash." I said, as I shut the lid of yet another box and stacked it with several others. "Yer messy, but yer nae that messy."

The grey earth pony sat on her haunches again as she tore through the box's contents. "Come on! I’ve been trying to find the dumb things for three days!"

"Are you sure they aren't in your room?" Zeed offered.

Ashes sighed. "Yeah, I looked there ten times, already."

"Dae ye really need yer glasses that badly?" I rolled my eyes.

"I do when I start getting a headache from looking at the other side of a room, yeah." She shoved yet another box aside and groaned into her hooves. "I can't believe I lost my glasses again!"

"Can't you get another pair?" Zeed asked, opening yet another box.

"Not for a week." The grey filly muttered. "Stupid doctor."

“I’m sure you’ll find them sooner or later.” Zeed said.

I snorted a laugh. “Your place is still a mess.”

Ashes huffed and hopped onto her sofa. There was a loud crack, and all our eyes widened.

Ashes’ eye twitched.

“Uh...” I said.

She slowly reached under her flank, digging around in the cushion, her eye twitching the whole time.

She pulled out her glasses, bent completely out of shape. As she held them up, one of the lenses fell out in two pieces.

The young mare's eye twitched again.

I scratched the back of my neck nervously. “Well at least...”

“FUCK! FUCKING FUCK!” Ashes screamed, throwing the glasses at the wall. “THREE FUCKING DAYS!”

Zeed jaw and mine almost hit the floor.

Ashes continued screaming as we stared at her in shock.

“Did...” I swallowed. “Did Ashes just swear?”

Zeed nodded.

Ashes stopped yelling and blinked at us. “What are you talking about? I swear all the time!”

“Nae ye don’t.” I coughed.

“Yeah, the worst thing I’ve ever heard you say is ‘buck’.” Zeed continued staring.

Ashes frowned. “Well, why are you acting like it’s weird?”

“It’s just... Ah’ve never heard ye... swearin’... before. It’s weird comin' from ye.”

"No it isn't!"

"Its kinda scary." I continued.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Actually, Ah dunnae think Ah've ever seen ye mad before, either."

Her ears went back. "That was my favorite pair. And I've been looking for them for forever. Of course I'm mad."

Zeed trotted over and gave her fillyfriend a hug. The earth pony leaned into it with a sigh. "It's okay, Ashie. You should get to be mad sometimes."

Ashes sighed, and nuzzled into Zeed's neck.

"Did ye ever consider carryin' spares?"

Both young mares gave me an incredulous look.

I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry..."

~~~

"Goddesses, my legs'r sore." Vill whined for the umpteenth time. "Can't we stop for a minute?"

Yet again, my teeth ground together.

"Just relax. We'll be in Bladesville less than half an hour." Rai- Zim sighed.

"Awww, are you getting annoyed?"

I growled under my breath.

"Please? My fetlocks are sore as hell right now and the foal keeps kicking me in the ribs. It's really uncomfortable."

Zim gave me a questioning glance. I sighed and sat down on the cracked sidewalk, rolling onto my back.

The pegasus shrugged and sat next to me. "Fine. Wouldn't hurt to get the sand out of my splint."

Vill muttered a 'thank you', and sat on a nearby bench, where she started massaging her legs and stomach. "Owww... everything hurts."

"It was just walkin'." I muttered.

Zim gently elbowed my side. "I know she's annoying, but come on, give her a break. She's pregnant."

"Doesnae mean she needs tae complain constantly."

"Okay, you got me there." Zim laughed.

"Admit it. You're only annoyed because you're jealous."

"Still, though, just give her a break."

I sighed.

"Guys! I've been wondering when you'd get here." Cried a familiar voice.

I popped one eye open to see Zeed trotting up.

She blinked as she caught sight of Vill, who was suddenly looking nervous, then turned back to Zim and I with a smirk. "Who's your friend? You trying to replace me?"

"Aye. We figured another moody mare would work just as well." I snorted a laugh.

"Uh... h-hi... I'm Vill." The expecting teenager stammered.

"Zeed. Nice to meet you." She offered the other zebra a forehoof, which was gingerly shaken. "So why're you traveling with them?"

"Uh..."

"Apparently, Mr. Hero here couldnae bear tae leave a pregnant teenager in Raftwater after we got in a fight wi' her friends."

Zeed blinked in confusion as she looked at Zim. "Mr. Her-holy fucking shit your mane is rainbow-colored."

"I'll explain later." The pegasus sighed. "But yeah, I wasn't about to leave her like that. Not with a bunch of slavers

"Even though she's one ay them?" I growled.

With a grunt, I stood back up and stretched.

"Luna's moon, what happened to you?" Zeed gasped. "Half your ear is gone! And your horn is-"

"She shot mah ear off." I glared at Vill. "And Ah had tae use tha' weldin' spell tae get through a door."

"While we're on the subject of injuries, I think I may have broken my leg again." Zim poked the appendage in question. "I've been taking med-x, on and off, but I'd rather not rely on it."

Zeed gaped at us for a moment before her expression shifted to a frown. "Let me guess, Vill. You have some injuries to go along with theirs?"

The younger zebra shook her head. "Uh... no. Not unless being pregnant counts."

"Might as well check you anyway." Zeed muttered, trotting deeper into the ruins. "Come on."

"Aam goin' tae take a wild guess here and say yer avoidin' yer dad?"

She froze. "Uh... no?"

"Come on, Zeed. Ah know ye better than that."

“Anyway!” She said quickly. “I-”

“Sae, where’s Stock?”

“She’s making sure the ex-slaves get settled in. I just helped to make sure their physical injuries were taken care of. Now let’s go and-”

“It’s ‘cuz he got married again, isn’t it.” I didn’t even know why I bothered asking.

“I’m nervous, okay?” She yelled, giving me an angry glare. “Stop bugging me! I already met Kara, I’ll meet Misty later! Leave me alone! It’s not like the worlds about to end! Hell, it already did end! I’ll meet her when I meet her! Stop making a big deal out of it!”

I just stared at her with an incredulous eyebrow raised.

She held the glare for about twelve seconds before she shrank into herself. “Can you go with me?”

“Ah was waitin’ fer ye tae say that.” I smirked. "Ay course Ah'll go wi' ye. What else're friends for?"

“What just happened?” Vill asked.

“I think I’ve been living in Canturbury too long, cuz I don’t care.” Zim shrugged. “Though i think I’d like to meet Misty as well, considering she’s part of the reason I came here.”

“Well, I’m still going to check on you guys, so...” Zeed coughed into a forehoof in a barely successful attempt to regain her composure. “Let’s go. Especially you, Vill.”

The walk into Bladesville was uneventful and quiet, which I was glad for, being too tired and irritated by Vill's whining to think. We ended up simply going to Stock's place, which was apparently an old restaurant filled with guns and survival gear, and were greeted by the sight of a large number of equines gathered outside her house, while Stock hoofed out old-world camping supplies, apparently giving everypony large discounts. We pushed through the crowd and into the main building, receiving a happy wave and a smile from the ghoul. Zeed pulled me into a pantry that had been converted into a medical room, with first aid kits and random equipment all over the place.

"What th' hell dae ye have most ay this crap fer? Yer nae a surgeon."

The mare snorted. "No duh I'm not a surgeon. Doesn't mean I can't pull out a bullet. It's just your ear and horn, right?"

"Aye. Dae ye have a mirror?"

She nodded and pulled a hoof-held one off the shelf behind me.

My horn just looked burnt, which didn't particularly bother me, as I hadn't filed it in a while, anyway. What surprised me was that, as Zeed had said, half of my right ear was completely gone. I wasn't entirely sure how a bullet did that, but it looked like something had just bitten off the top of it.

Despite that, the first thing I said was: "Holy crap, Ah look awesome!"

"Uh... okay? I'm guessing you want to keep it like that, then?" Zeed gave me a confused look.

"Aye. Maybe Ah can get some scars tae go wi' it." I chuckled. "Ah'll start tae look like mom."

"Suit yourself. Let's just make sure it doesn't get infected or anything." She gently pulled on my ear with a pair of tweezers in one fetlock, and another pair in her mouth. She used her free hoof to pour small amounts of water onto the ragged edge, or dab at it with an alcohol swab, making me hiss in pain. "Well, it looks like you just dumped a healing potion on it."

"We did. Why?"

"Don't do that. You got burnt hair in the wound."

"You dae it all th' time!" I hissed in pain again as she pulled on several hairs on the ear.

"I actually know what I'm doing. Hold still."

I grumbled as she continued checking on me.

"So... uh... how are you feeling? You seem like you're pissed at Vill." Zeed said.

I let out an angry sigh. "She's whiny, among other things."

"Oh... the fertility thing?" She started to wrap some gauze around my ear.

"Aye."

"Awww... poor widdle Knives."

"SHUT UP! Just shut the fucking fuck up! I swear to Celestia you have done nothing but talk for the last four fucking days, just shut up!"

"Knives, you okay? You're kinda spacing out."

"Aam fine."

"No you're not."

"Am Ah done yet?"

"Uh... yeah, sure. Can you send Raid in?"

I stepped out of the pantry and waved the pegasus in. Vill had fallen asleep in the corner while I was getting fixed, and was snoring lightly. The young mare shifted in her sleep, holding her belly protectively and letting out a scared whimper.

Plopping down into a chair and stretching made me feel much more tired and a lot more comfortable. I sighed and closed my eyes.

~

"Kniiiiiiivessssss. Oh, Kniiiiiivvvvvessss."

Heart pounding. Empty corridor. Run run run run

"YOU CAN'T GET AWAY THAT EASY, HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Help! Somepony help!" I scream. My hooves pound on the concrete. Tears flow freely down my face. "Mom! Zeed! Ashes? Help me!"

I'm thrown into the wall as she slams into me. I scream as her spit burns through my fur.

"Diediediediehahahaha!" Her tail rips into my-

~

I woke up with a loud yelp. After a second of panting and getting my bearings again, I sighed. "Can't Ah get some sleep without horrible nightmares?"

"Aaaaaah not the tentacles!" Some pony screamed.

With a confused blink, I glanced at Vill to see her panting and coated with sweat, a hoof on her bulging stomach and her eyes darting around as she whimpered.

"Tentacles?" I asked. "Ye alright?"

She jumped at the sound of my voice. After realizing that it was only me, she swallowed. Her voice was quiet when she spoke. "Y-yeah... I just...I dreamt that I... gave birth to this t-tentacle-thing and it... tried to kill me..."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Weird. Ah was gettin' chased down and slaughtered by a monster from mah foalhood."

"Oh... that sucks..." She rubbed her stomach again.

"Ye should tell Zeed about it."

"Tell me what? I heard you guys screaming. You okay?" The short zebra trotted out of the pantry, Zim not far behind.

"I had a weird dream." With a grunt, the pregnant mare brought herself to her hooves and sped into the pantry.

Zeed gave me a confused look, to which I responded with a shrug. She then followed the other zebra inside.

I rubbed a hoof across my eyes and yawned.

"You okay, Knives?" Zim landed beside me and gave his mane a nervous scratch.

"Aye. Aam fine. Yerself?"

"Got lucky. Just needed a new cast. Uh..." He coughed into his good forehoof. "We... we still doing that date?"

My face turned red. "Uh... if ye still want tae, aye."

He grinned. "Yes. Yes I do "

"Great! But..." I pointed to the pantry door and dropped my voice to a whisper. "We should deal with Zeed's drama first."

"Her drama?"

"Aye. At th' rate we're goin' we'll turn th' wasteland intae a giant soap opera." I rolled my eyes.

He blinked for a moment before he burst out laughing.

I let out a laugh of my own. "Sae, eh... did ye have any plans fer it, then?"

"Well... you like messing with scrap, right?"

"Among other things, aye."

"Well, I've always kinda liked scavenging, myself so... I figured we could go to the Bladesville Scrapyard?" A nervous grin spread across his face.

I eyed him for a moment.

He swallowed.

My ears twitched towards him. "Yer plan was tae go tae a scrapyard?"

His face fell. "Uh... well..."

"Ah like that idea." I gave him a mischievous smile. "Clever move."

He sighed in relief and smiled back. "Great. What are we gonna do about Zeed, then?"

"Drag her tae her dad's place if we need tae." I shrugged. "Otherwise we just give her a push."

"I'd really appreciate it if you two didn't talk about me behind my back." Zeed sighed.

Vill sat on the ground behind her, once again rubbing her stomach.

"Well, let's get goin'." I hopped up to my hooves again and started pushing Zeed towards the exit.

She protested loudly, her hooves scrabbling on the floor. "Knives! Hold on!"

"Nae. We're goin' while yer relaxed." I chuckled evilly. "It's also nae often that Ah get tae make ye dae anythin'."

"Knives!" She managed to latch her hooves onto the door. "I need-"

"Ye need tae actually meet yer dad's family and nae get depressed over it." I poked her nose for emphasis. "We need tae get this done before ye have another mood swing. Zim, can ye help meh out here?"

"'Zim'?" She glanced at the buck. "Why is she calling you 'Zim'?

"I'll explain when this is dealt with." The pegasus hovered over, slipped past Zeed, grabbed her tail with his good fetlock, and pulled.

"Owowow! Okay, cut it out!" We gently put her on the ground, where she rubbed her rump. "I like my tail where it is, thanks."

I heard Vill try, and fail, to suppress a giggle.

"Where are you guys going?" Stock asked, giving a bag to yet another slave.

"Dealing with drama." Zim called back.

The ghoul gave us a confused look before she shrugged. "I'll just stay here and keep doing this, then. Later, guys!"

~~~

"Deep breaths, Zeed. Deep breaths." The stripy mare repeated the mantra, her eyes shut tight.

"Relax, Zeed. Ye'll be fine." I said.

"I'm just gonna meet her." Another breath. Her eyes popped open. Her jaw dropped. "Holy crap, dad lives in that?"

Sitting at the bottom of the incline was a construct that looked something like a giant melon that had been hollowed out, cut in half, had wheels slapped onto it, and a small house stuffed inside. It was surrounded by three tents, around which were two zebras, one of whom I recognized as Nezan, and four bizarre-looking creatures about the size of a pony, with six legs and a head that bore a passing resemblance to a dog's. Three were varying shades of green, but the fourth was red, with yellow stripes that I could see clearly even at that distance. The way they were shaped reminded me about a book I once read about something called a grasshopper.

"What the hell are those things?" Vill squeaked in fear.

"Oh cool, vinedogs." Zim grinned.

Vill blinked. "Those are dogs?"

"That's what I said." Zeed threw her forelegs into the air. "The green ones slimed me!"

She shuddered. "I can still feel it."

The smaller zebra by the... melon... house... thing... threw a stick, which the vinedogs all chased after.

"Okay, now I just wanna see the dogs." Zim hovered towards our destination.

I glanced at Zeed, who swallowed and went after him. Vill and I stayed close behind.

"Axy! I was starting to think you forgot about me." Nezan called out after telling the vinedogs to stay put. The green ones sat there and stared at the sky, but the larger red one watched us carefully.

"Hi Zeed!" The smaller zebra, a filly in a blueish jacket, waved frantically.

"Uh... h-hi d-d-dad." Zeed gulped again. "How've you been?"

"Great! We were actually figuring out some plans for the birthday filly while Misty's taking a nap." Nezan ruffled the filly's mane. From what I could see of her stripes, they still had some of the brown color of a younger zebra. "Gotta make up for missing her actual birthday."

"It's okay, dad!" She smiled and hugged him. "You don't have to do anything."

"Don't have to. I want to." The stallion said. "I'm sort of surprised that you don't."

My ears went down a bit as I watched the father-daughter moment, feeling a pang of longing. The corner of Zeed’s mouth turned up into a smile.

"Anyway, I'm guessing you're here to see Misty?" He smiled hopefully. "She's been dying to meet you."

Zeed blinked. "S-she has? Uh... okay."

While Nezan went inside one of the larger tents to wake up his wife, I gave Zeed a reassuring pat on the back. "Ye'll be fine. She's just yer stepmother. She's nae goin' tae bite yer head off."

The mare took a deep breath. "Right. I just need to stay calm."

"Not hyperventilating helps." Zim said.

"I'm nervous, okay?"

"Nervous? Why are you nervous?" The filly adjusted her denim hoodie and sat down next to Vill, who was trying very hard to look like she wasn't there.

"Uh... well..." Zeed stammered.

"She's worried about meetin' yer mom."

"Knives!"

The filly blinked. She then proceeded to burst out laughing. "You're scared of my mom?"

"Uh..." Zeed's expression changed to one of confusion.

"Mom is, like, the nicest person, ever!" The filly guffawed. "She gets along with everyone."

Zeed chuckled, and I could see some of the tension leave her shoulders. "Oh, really?"

"Hey! Misty, wait!"

The tent flap opened again, and out stepped a small mare, only slightly taller than Zeed. She had a blue striped coat and a pair of wings. Her middle bulged out in a way that could only mean one thing. My jaw dropped as I stared at her.

She was pregnant. She was a zony, and she was pregnant.

"Well now, this is interesting."

She blinked her blue eyes, she smiled at Zeed. "Hi, uh... I'm guessing you're Zeed?"

"Y-yeah. It's-"

"Holy crap you're pregnant." I blurted.

The mare looked at her swollen belly and winced. "Shoot."

Nezan stuck his head out of the tent, a thick duster held in his mouth. "Yeah. You forgot this, honey."

I just stared at her with my jaw dropped. "Bu-bu-but y-you're a zony! How are... what?"

With a sheepish smile, the striped pegasus took the jacket from her husband and slipped it on. "Great. Awake for, like, a minute and I mess somethin' up. And I was all amped up, too."

I continued to stand there, spluttering, my emotions flipping between shock, confusion, and joy. "B-b-but... zony! Foal! In belly! You! How?"

The mare scratched her neck nervously.

Zeed coughed into a forehoof. "I'm... kinda curious too... to be honest. Sorry."

Misty sighed. "No, it's cool. I guess it is kinda... surprising. Uh... yah... I guess I can have foals. Boss, right?"

"Awww. Isn't it nice to know that zonys can have foals? Just think about it! All those fine gentlecolts you courted." She laughed. "How about Butter Crisp?"

My jaw dropped even further.

"Ooh! Or how about Xiphiz? He was fairly nice, especially when he set you up for all those delightful little pranks of his!"

My eye twitched.

"Knives? Are you okay?" Zim asked.

"And think of the foals you could have had with Bucket! Oh, what a charming buck he was, with that nasty disposition of his."

The only sound that left my throat was a quiet squeak.

"Zeed? I think we broke Knives." Zim said, attempting to comfort me by rubbing a hoof along my back.

"Oh... probably my fault." Misty sighed again.

"Oh, but Oil Rag, oh what a handsome buck. I loved it when he had the entire class laughing at you the entire day! What fun!"

"Actually, I think she just remembered how many of her coltfriends were assholes." Zeed said. "She has that kind of look on her face."

"W-well, I think I just got a bit of schway. I don't really get it, but the doctors said it's, like, a one in a million chance. Um... Knives?"

"You could have had a cute little foal with any of them! Isn't that nice?"

I blinked as I felt a poke in my side. Zeed was giving me an amused smile. "Knives, if you could have foals, don't you think you would have by now?"

It took me a moment to process what she’d said, but when I finally did, I let out a nervous laugh. "Right! Right, of- ay course... aheh..."

"I really don't know how it happened.Well... I, like, know how it happened, but I don't know how it happened. I mean, I'm glad, and I wouldn't give Kara up for the world," Misty hugged her daughter. "It's weird how some'a the kooks look at me when they find out."

Nezan pulled both into a hug of his own and kissed the mare. "They just don't know how beautiful you are."

Misty giggled and kissed him back.

"Ewww!" Kara stuck her tongue out and made a gagging sound. "Gross."

Zeed let out a small laugh.

"Well, I guess I should, like, introduce myself then?" Misty cleared her throat. "It's nice ta meetcha. I'm Misty."

She offered a forehoof, which Zeed shook merrily. "Zeed. So what do you do for a living?"

"Well, I run the shop while we're at home. We're just headin' back home after bringing a pack of vinedogs to Cormrant." The zony said. "You?"

"Uh... well, I was trying to get a medical licence before I left the prison with Knives." Zeed pointed to me. "We met up with Raid shortly after. We've been looking for dad, her dad, and a friend of ours that got exiled a while ago. And... I guess Knives and Raid picked Vill up in Raftwater."

"H-hi." Vill waved. "Uh... nice to meet you?"

Misty smiled wider. "Hi!"

"So, how'd you meet dad?"

"I was in Open, and I saw him makin' some deal with the sheriff. We hooked up pretty quick from there. It was, like, six years ago?" She thought for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah. That's right. He actually gave me Schwann on our first date."

With a giggle, she nuzzled the stallion's neck.

Zeed blinked. "They don't... creep you out at all?"

"The dogs? Nah. They look a bit trippy, but they're nice. Unless you're a roach'r a rat. Schwann!" She whistled. "C'mere, brah!"

The large, red vinedog moved slowly over, apparently keeping a close watch on everything around it, but the second it approached, it started panting, its tail whipping about as it gave Misty a lick with a thin, vine-like tongue.

Zim grinned. "Gnarly. Can I pet it?"

"Sure! Just don't go too quick. He's pretty chill otherwise."

Still grinning, Zim flapped over and scratched under the bug's chin with his good forehoof. It licked him as well. "Epic."

"See? They like people."

Zeed shuddered. "Eugh. They still creep me out."

"But they're cool!" Kara said, looking at Zeed like she was crazy.

"They're still weird." Zeed rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

While she and the rest of the family continued to chat with each other, with Zeed gradually becoming more and more relaxed, I moved over next to Zim. "Ah think this went well."

"Cheah. It went totally chill." He grinned at me, patting Schwann on his sectioned muzzle. Noticing my surprised look, he blinked. "What?"

"Wow. Stock was right. Ye dae have an accent."

"What're you talking about?" He gave me a confused look.

"Eh... never mind?" I said.

He shrugged. "'Right then. So, do you wanna go to the scrapyard now or later tonight?"

"Let's gae later tonight. Aam pretty sure walkin' through a desert's made meh kinda stink. Ah definitely feel gross." I grimaced as I wiped a glob of sweat-dampened sand off my leg. "And Ah look terrible."

"Nah. Ya look great. Even if you're covered in damp sand." He said nonchalantly, making me blush.

"Th-thanks. Sae, are there any showers or anythin' around here?"

"Dunno. Hey, Misty, there any showers around here?"

"Oh, yeah. It's set up on the other side of the wagon."

"Thanks." I smiled, and trotted off.

~~~

Wretch coughed as she swatted at the hoof pinning her to the wall by the throat. The earth pony pinning her pulled a hoof back to punch the unicorn and roared.

She gagged when a loaf of hardtack was jammed into her mouth.

"Taste the fury!" Xixixix cheered as he punched the rock-hard bread further into her gullet.

She reared back, clutching at her throat as she tried to spit out the bread. Wretch fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Xixixix leapt into the air, and landed on the earth pony's stomach, knocking the wind and hard-tack out of her.

He rolled off her and popped onto his hind legs, taking up a boxing stance.

The mare stood up and growled at him.

"Buck..." Xixixix groaned. "Why won't you fucking drop, already?"

She charged at him with a scream of drug-induced rage, only to rush past him as he side-stepped. She stopped, spun around, and snarled again.

"Olé!" He cheered, and smacked her on the nose.

She reared back and threw a hoof towards his face.

She stared in surprise and confusion as he took it full on, moving with the punch, rolling along his spine until he was standing on his head with his hind legs sticking straight up, and continuing to roll until he was back on his hind legs, his forelegs crossed in a dramatic pose as he smirked.

"Nice shot. Try again." He chuckled, absent-mindedly rubbing the spot where he'd been hit.

She lunged once more, only to fall to the ground when something hit her in the middle of her back.

"Hey, Green! Where've you been?" Xixixix waved at the filly, who was hovering over the writhing mare and holding a sledgehammer with a horrified look on her face.

"I... I..." The pegasus stammered. "I just..."

"C'mon, Green, hit 'er again!" He called.

The earth pony made a weak lunge at Green, who squeaked in terror and swung the sledgehammer into her skull, sending her sprawling on her side, her eyes unfocused.

"Nice shot! Let's tie her up." Xixixix hopped away in search of rope, making sure to bounce off the mare's chest.

Wretch coughed. "Green? Are you okay?"

The filly stared down at the sledgehammer still clutched in her fetlocks, her wings still keeping her in the air. "I just hurt somepony again..."

Wretch forced herself to her hooves and stumbled over to the filly and hugged her. "It's okay."

"I think I broke her back."

"It's okay Green, don't worry."

The two were quiet as the zebra returned with a coil of rope held in his mouth and merrily hogtied the earth pony.

"I... I think she deserved it..."

Wretch blinked and looked down at the pegasus. "What?"

"She... she wanted to hurt Barkeep." Green pulled away from Wretch and swallowed. "She kept chasing him. I... I think she would have... gone after sompony else too..."

"You're probably right." Xixixix said from his perch atop the tied-up mare. "And don't worry about her spine. You just cracked the ribs. She'll heal. Eventually."

The pegasus filly nodded. "Sorry I... ran off. I needed-"

"It's okay, Green. We needed the help." Wretch frowned. "For some reason."

Xixixix trotted between them, and patted Green on the head. "You did what you had to. Relax. You're still better than most of the wasteland. Let's get dummy here locked up."

Green nodded, and the two ponies followed the zebra through the Mall.

~~~

Footnote 1: Diamond Knives
Exp: 75%

~~~

Footnote 2: Zeed Kazdri
Exp: 10%

~~~
Footnote 3: Raid (???)
EXP: 42%

`

To-Do List:

Active Quest:

O’ Father, Where Art Thou?:

Infiltrate or assault the Bone Eaters’ base near Bladesville.

Complete

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:

I should know better than to say when I'm going to do something. I really should. Stuff always gets in the way.

Anyway thanks to Kkat for creating this fantastic sandbox, and thanks to Matkingos for making sure this thing doesn't completely suck.