Chapter 22 - Going Home
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

The light seared through my eyelids, forcing me from sleep. Well, it wasn’t exactly sleep as much as it was having passed out. I didn’t remember much after the fourth full glass of Wild Pegasus. Stoneclaw wasn’t pouring drinks, he was pouring quadruples. And, of course, it had to be Wild Pegasus 101. Man did that shit always mess me up, and it had been a while since I’ve had anything that strong. Where Stoneclaw got a hold of three bottles of it, I don’t know and, right now, I didn’t care.

I picked my head up and the sudden lurching of the room made me put it right back down and close my eyes tightly. The impact with the ground made my head pound in pain. I could feel my heartbeat in my temples, strong enough that it made me imagine a sound to go with it. The deep bass line was just feeding back into the throbbing and making it even worse.

Opening my eyes more slowly helped a little, but even the reduced light felt like needles being driven into them. From what I could make out, I was not lying in a bed and I definitely was not in the medical tent.

Something shuffled next to me. I looked down and saw that my hooves were wrapped around a dark grey body with wings. Wait, if I was able to see her fur, then where was her armor? Then again, looking down at my body, where was mine? Looking past the sleeping form wrapped in my grasp, I saw a black mound which must have been the pile of our two sets of armor.

What the fuck did I do last night?

“Ugh, can you please turn off the Luna damned light,” Gertie groaned, covering her eyes with a claw.

“Good morning, Gertie,” I groaned uneasily.

“Good morning, Dust,” she croaked back. “What the fuck are you doing in my… wait, this isn’t my room, and where is my armor?” I felt her body go rigid as she put the pieces together. She shot upright, which was probably a bad idea, as I watched her clutch the sides of her head and press her eyes shut. “For Luna’s sake…” she groaned. She reopened her eyes after a few moments, and she refroze in shock. “Dust, did we, um, you know?”

“Gertie, I really don’t know, I don’t remember anything from last night either,” I shook my head, causing the room to start spinning again. “Where are we?”

Gertie looked around the room in a panic. When I saw her head freeze and her beak drop open, I followed her gaze and saw the desk in the room… Stoneclaw’s desk.

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” Gertie mumbled staring at one of the openings between two sections of the tent.

Groaning emerged from the opening to the other part of the tent. Gertie’s eyes widened in apprehension as Stoneclaw came stumbling out of the other room. His head raised slightly as he made eye contact with the two of us. He shook his head and then stumbled out of the tent into the daylight.

Gertie and I looked at each other. “That can’t be good,” we both said simultaneously.

“Let me go talk to him, maybe I can calm him down,” I shrugged. “What’s the worst that happens? He kills me?” I said, sarcastically. “At least the hangover will be the least of my concerns.” Gertie did not laugh.

Stumbling through the tent flaps, the daylight assaulted my eyes, forcing me to squint hard. The needle like feeling came back and I realized how bad an idea this was. I began to, slowly, work my way over to the mess tent. Somepony dropped something nearby and it sounded like a sonic boom to me, causing my head to throb. Today was going to suck.

Shambling through the opening to the mess tent, I was overtaken by the smell of roasting meat. The smell was different than the trays I had been receiving in the medical tent. It was more enticing here, being fresh off the fire. I scanned the tent and saw Stoneclaw facing away from me, his face buried in his claws.

Since I was in the mess tent anyway, I figured I might as well grab a bite to eat. Walking my way to the rear of the tent, I came across the surprisingly clean stainless steel serving table. There were large platters of brahmin meat and roasted vegetables, which, I assumed, were pulled from cans. I heaped a few helpings of the vegetables onto my plate, having never really gotten comfortable with eating meat. At the end of the table was a silver colored urn which was giving out the heavenly aroma of coffee. But this was better than any coffee I saw in the Enclave or in the Wasteland thus far. Grabbing a nearby tin cup, I filled it with the brown liquid.

Carefully carrying my tray, I walked over to Stoneclaw’s table. “Is this seat taken?” I asked, quietly.

“Ugh, no, just keep it down,” Stoneclaw mumbled through his claws.

After putting my tray down, I slid into the bench across from Stoneclaw. He looked up from his claws and I saw his golden eyes were bloodshot and very hooded. “Oh, it’s you,” he grunted.

“Good morning to you, too,” I responded in kind.

“Rough night last night?” he asked with a grimace.

“I guess, though I don’t remember much of it,” I groaned. “This hangover is kicking my ass.”

“Here,” he said, pulling a small flask out of his vest. After unscrewing the top, he poured something into my cup. “The coffee will help, as well as a little of the hair of the dog.”

“Anything, as long as it helps kick this,” I muttered and then took a swig. The bitter taste of the coffee mixed with the sting of the Wild Pegasus was an interesting combination. It was probably all a placebo effect, but I started to immediately feel better. “Where did you find coffee this good?” I asked after a few sips.

“A couple of our mercs came across it in a warehouse while working on a contract,” he informed me. “In exchange for a discount on our services, we negotiated that we were able to keep the coffee.”

“Oh,” I said, thinking of how I was going to broach the next topic. “Um, Stoneclaw, look, um, I’m sorry that you had to find Gertie and I…” I started to say.

Stoneclaw started chuckling. “Dust, you don’t remember what happened last night, do you?” he asked between alternating bouts of giggles and groaning.

“No… I don’t”, I said uneasily, running a hoof through my mane.

“Oh, Luna!” Stoneclaw laughed, punctuated by a grimace. “Dust, yes, you and Gertie got very, um, touchy-feely last night. Hell, she even stripped you both out of your gear… but then you passed out cold. She tried to shake you awake but you were out.” Stoneclaw was outright laughing at this point. “You’re a goddess-damned lightweight! Nothing happened! I feel bad for you!”

I could feel the blood welling up in my face. “Oh, um, wow,” I stuttered. “So Gertie and I didn’t…” I started to ask. “That has never happened before.”

Stoneclaw waved me off. “No, Dust. You two didn’t, but not from lack of wanting to,” he said, still chuckling. It all must have caught up with him as he pressed his claws against his temples. “Oh, this hurts so much, but it’s too funny.”

I didn’t know how to respond, I was so embarrassed. I could only imagine the horror he was feeling watching his daughter trying to get it on with a pony she had met under trying circumstances. But then, the pony passes out and frustrates his drunk daughter. And to think, both were drunk enough not to remember any of it.

“Dust,” he said, breaking me from my inner thoughts. “Leaving today?”

“Assuming Asclepius clears me?” I answered, nodding. “Yes. I need to get back to my friends, assuming they are still my friends.”

“And then?” he continued.

“Well, I have to take care of Muddy, with or without help,” I said, overwhelmed by the thought of what that entailed.

“How would you like a Talon mercenary at your side?” he asked.

“We both know I can’t afford that Stoneclaw,” I answered, thinking of my limited funds.

“What if cost wasn’t an issue?” he proposed. Before I had a chance to respond, he continued. “Look, I know Gertrude wants revenge for what Muddy did to her… and to be honest, so do I. Tartarus, a lot of the company want revenge, too. Normally, I would send a squad out, but you have insight and experience we don’t. Besides, even a company as large as ours would be no match for a division of the Enclave. A small operation would be more successful here. So, I’m prepared to give you a merc for a steep discount.” He looked at me, steel in his bloodshot eyes. “One cap.”

‘Wait, what?” I said, stunned.

“Even as company commander, I can’t just give you a merc,” Stoneclaw stated. “But I can negotiate a fair price. And I can’t imagine a price more fair for all parties involved.”

“Um, wow, I don’t know what to say,” I said, still in shock from the offer. “Thanks doesn’t seem like enough.”

“You’re welcome, Dust,” he said, placing a claw on my shoulder. “Just promise me something. If possible, let Gertrude have the kill. And if not, just make sure he suffers as much as she did.” Stoneclaw clawed me a wicked looking combat knife.

“I will do my best, Stoneclaw,” I swore. “But I may have no choice. Muddy is probably surrounded by a squad of Enclave trained combat flyers. But I will try.”

“That’s all I ask, Dust,” he said, giving me a few pats on my shoulder.

A short while and walk later, Stoneclaw and I found ourselves re-entering his tent. Gertie must have removed herself to her portion of the tent and took our armor with her. Stoneclaw rounded his desk and sat down with a creak of his chair. He gestured to one of the chairs opposite him and I took it.

“Gertrude, will you please join me out here,” Stoneclaw called out. The sound still made my head throb a little, but not nearly as much as it had before.

“Ugh, Dad, not now,” Gertie groaned from beyond the flaps to her space.

“Gertrude, it’s important,” he said, flashing a wicked grin to me. “Besides, this is an order from your company commander.”

You could hear the rustling starting from her room almost immediately. “Y...y...yes, sir! Be right there sir!” she called back. She stumbled through the flaps into the main room, still straightening out her Talon combat armor. She tripped over her own claws, stumbling a few steps, before falling flat on her face. “Son of a motherless…” she exclaimed. She quickly stood back up and brushed herself off.

“Talon Gertrude, reporting for duty,” she said, stiffening up at attention. Her eyes, still severely bloodshot, flashed from her father to me. Her face twisted into confusion as she made out who was sitting at her father’s desk. “What is going on?”

“Gertrude, Dust here,” he said, gesturing towards me, “has contracted our services to help him deal with a pony of interest. One Muddy Waters.”

Her face now twisted into controlled rage. “And how are we dealing with him?” she said through grit beak.

“That decision will ultimately be up to Dust,” Stoneclaw indicated. “Are you interested in this mission or should I give it to one of the other Talons?”

“That won’t be necessary,” she grumbled. “I’ll gladly take it.”

Stoneclaw nodded his approval. He reached for a drawer in the file cabinet that was under his desk and pulled it open with a squeal. He removed a piece of paper, a quill, and some ink. After writing a bit on the paper, he passed it across the desk to me. It was a contract indicating that I was the client, Gertie was the assigned Talon and it was for the neutralization of Muddy Waters.

There were three signatory lines at the bottom of the contract. Stoneclaw had already signed as company commander. There was a line for the client and one for the Talon. I quickly grabbed the quill in my mouth and signed my name. Spitting the quill out, Gertie took it in her claw. She took a deep breath and then signed the contract with a grin.

Stoneclaw took the contract and folded it up before putting everything back into the filing cabinet. Stoneclaw stood up and rounded the desk. “Good luck, Gertrude,” he said while wrapping her up in a hug. “I know you will make me proud. And Dust, good luck to you, too.” After breaking the embrace with his daughter, he extended a claw and I shook it with my hoof.

Gertie looked at me with barely constrained joy. “So when do we leave, Dust?” she asked.

“As soon as the doc clears me,” I said, grimacing. This should be fun.

I got my armor back from Gertie’s room, put it back on, and then made my way to the medical tent. Fortunately, the doctor’s examination was very brief. Besides suffering from a little bit of dehydration, Asclepius cleared me to leave.

“Dust, before you go, I just have two things I want to say,” he said, completely straightfaced. “You have taken a lot of abuse. I’ve repaired everything I can. But remember, you are not invincible. I don’t know how much more you can take before you won’t get up again. By all rights, you should have been dead twice over already, and that’s only the injuries I’ve personally treated.”

“Doc, trust me, I have been doing everything I can to avoid injury,” I deadpanned. “And what is the other piece of advice?”

“Please take care of Gertrude,” he pleaded. “I know she is a very capable fighter, but I would hate to see anything happen to her.”

“Doc,” I said, solemnly, “trust me, I need all the friends I can get. I will do everything in my power to make sure she doesn’t get hurt.” The doctor nodded in approval. “And doc, thanks for everything you’ve done. You definitely put the doctor back at Coltington to shame.”

“Thanks, Dust,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

After taking all of my gear back and stowing it in my armor, I made my way back to Stoneclaw’s tent. The main area of the tent was unoccupied and I made my way towards Gertie’s room. As I drew nearer the opening, I could make out the voices of Gertie and Stoneclaw.

“Now, Gertie, remember, you need to take care of your equipment,” he lectured her.

“Dad, I know,” she replied, clearly aggravated.

“And listen to what Dust says,” he added. “Not only is he the client, but he has a lot of experience. More than I think he is letting on.”

“Dad, please, I know!” she whined.

“And another thing,” he started, but I knew I had to end it.

“Gertie! Are you here?” I called out, acting as if I just entered the tent. Stoneclaw quickly stopped his lecture.

“Yeah, Dust! Back here,” she called out, clearly relieved for the interruption.

I waited a few seconds simulating walking across the tent, and then I made my way into her area. “There you are,” I said. “Doctor cleared me, so whenever you’re ready to go…”

“I’m ready now!” she responded, perhaps a bit too eager.

“Good luck, Dust, Gertrude,” Stoneclaw said, a tear forming in his eye.

Gertie slung a sleek sniper rifle and assault rifle across her back. The pockets of her armor were clearly packed. With what, I had no idea. Gertie looked around the camp, taking it in for what would probably be the last time in a long time. I saw her eyes start to water.

I put a hoof on her shoulder. “Are you, OK?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said, turning to look at me. “I just never thought that I’d see the day I leave on my very own contract.”

“Take as long as you need,” I said, remembering the day I flew down from Fort Canterbury. “I don’t think anypony is ever really ready to leave the place they call home.”

“It’s OK, Dust,” she said, looking over the camp wistfully. “It’s not like I’m leaving forever, right?”

And with that, we took off for Coltington.

Glancing at the map on my Pipbuck, I estimated we’d be airborne for the majority of the day and getting to Coltington right before dark. Oddly, the first hour or so was flown in silence.

“Dust, tell me about your friends,” Gertie requested.

“Oh, well, first there’s Wilted Flower. She’s nice enough, if a little rough around the edges. Good fighter, good friend. And then there’s Brown Root, or Brownie. He’s a really nice stallion. Most honest and forthright pony I know. He’s no Asclepius, but he’s a damned good medic. Oh, Flower and Brownie are an item,” I described my friends to her.

“And who is Silver?” she said, more awkwardly than her previous request.

“Well, she’s, um, I found her in a stable,” I started. “She was being assaulted by Muddy and I broke it up, which is what started all this nonsense. She’s a groundborn pegasus and,” I started, but paused and took a deep breath. “She’s my special somepony.” A wave of sadness flashed through my body. “Or maybe, was my special somepony might be more accurate now.”

I could see Gertie’s features deflate momentarily. However, she quickly pushed it aside. “And what do you think they’ll think about a griffon mercenary?”

“Well, if this was before, if I vouched for you, it wouldn’t be a problem,” I said, my voice trailing off a little at the end. “But now? I don’t know if they’ll trust me, and by extension not trust you. But you are a Talon,” I paused when I saw a small grin flash across her face, ”and that carries with it a certain reputation.”

“And what if they don’t trust you?” she asked.

“Well, that’s the problem,” I admitted. “If they don’t trust me, it’s just you and me against the Enclave.”

“Oh,” was all that Gertie said, and I really couldn’t blame her.

We flew the rest of the way making small talk. She would tell me tales of her upbringing in the Talon camp, her father’s stories of missions he had been on, and even Gloria’s victories. She was particularly proud of her sister’s achievements. During that portion of the flight, her claw never left the Talon mark on the armor. In return, I told her stories of my boring career in the Supply Corps. Things picked up when I told her about the training I had endured for Special Operations. She had remarked that it was a lot like the Talon training she had to endure before she could go on missions.

We made better time than I thought and it was a few hours before sunset when I saw the silhouette of Coltington creep up along the horizon. “There it is,” I said with a point of my hoof. “I think we should land close to town and walk in. I don’t want to attract everypony’s attention at once.”

The altitude challenged my memory of Coltington from my time living there. The haphazard layout looked even more random from the air, if that was even possible. It was as if a foal was given building blocks and was asked to make a town. We both leaned forward and began a dive towards the ground. As we drew near the earth, we both flared our wings and came to a soft landing. I tucked my wings up against my body and gave Gertie a terse nod.

“Let’s go,” I said to Gertie with a second nod towards the town, “and remember, these ponies last saw me as an earth pony, so some odd reactions are to be expected.”

We trotted towards town and the first interaction with the townsponies was almost immediate. A couple of ponies were milling around outside their shack. It was Odds and Ends, a husband and wife who sold scavenged junk. I saw them do a doubletake when they saw me trotting in. You could see they recognized me, but the confusion on their faces was visible. They muttered something to each other as Gertie and I approached. I saw Odds’ purple magical field envelop his pistol as we drew near.

“Hey, Odds,” I said, sheepishly. “It’s me, Dust. Look, I know you probably have a lot of questions, but it’s really important I find Brownie or Flower or a pink pegasus who is probably with them. Do you know where they are?”

“Dust?” Odds responded. “You’re a… a pegasus?”

“Yes,” I answered. “I know. But again, it’s really important I find Brownie or Flower.”

“Y… yeah, they’re home,” he said. “They moved in together in that vacant shack at the other end of town.”

“Thanks, Odds,” I said, as I turned and trotted away.

I could hear Odds and Ends mumbling to each other behind me. Gertie shrugged. “I didn’t think that went that badly,” she said.

“Let’s hope it stays that way,” I said as I trotted off towards Brownie’s house.

We trotted around the edge of town. I wanted to avoid the crowds and a million smaller conversations until I had a chance to meet my friends. The trot took a few minutes, but we soon found ourselves standing in front of a large, two story shack. Well, large in comparison to most of the shacks in town. A lot of the houses were small, one floor houses. This house had been built by a family with a few foals who had moved on a few months before I came down here. However, different as it was size-wise, it still had the old scrap wood and sheet metal construction that the rest of the town had. It had always been vacant as long as I remembered.

“Alright, let me try this on my own,” I said to Gertie. She simply nodded in return.

I strode up the the door and raised my hoof to knock. First, pausing shortly to take a deep breath, I then knocked on the door. The door swung inwards with a creak and I was standing face to face with Brownie. It was good to see his face again. The deep, soulful eyes were something I’d missed.
“Hey, Brownie,” I said, sheepishly, “how are you doing?”

“D...Dust?” he asked, clearly surprised as he looked me up and down. I saw his focus shift behind me. “And is that a griffon with ya?”

“Yes, on both counts,” I said cautiously. “Can we talk?”

“Sure, Dust, come on in,” he said, his voice wavering.

After a few steps, I was inside Brownie’s new house. They had it looking pretty good with a few personal touches here and there. The feeling of a cold, metal barrel being pressed against the side of my head took me by surprise. Without turning, I looked to that side and saw Flower holding the pistol. “Flower, c’mon, is this necessary?” I pleaded as Brownie began to rifle through my saddlebags, taking my weapons.

“Yes it is, Dust, or whoever ya really are,” Brownie said, his voice tinged with anger. “Now, call out ta yer furry friend out there ta throw her weapons down in fronta her.”

“Brownie, Flower, c’mon, you know me,” I tried to reason with them. The gun was only pressed more firmly against my head. “Alright, alright,” I said. “Gertie! They want you to throw down your weapons in front of you. Please do it, and don’t do anything rash!” I shouted out.

“But, Dust!” she began to protest.

“Gertie, this is all a big misunderstanding. I don’t want anypony getting hurt. Just do it!” I ordered her.

A few seconds dragged out into an eternity until I heard the sound of a gun rattling against the ground. Shortly after that, a second weapon rattled to the ground also. Hoofsteps moved in behind me. “Now, why don’t ya have a seat over there. Don’t do anything stupid.”

I slowly made my way over to a chair against the far wall and sat down. For the first time in a long while, I saw Flower’s face again. Her yellow coat and amber eyes were still as oddly vibrant as usual. Of course, there was fear and anger in her eyes, as she still leveled the pistol right at my head.

“Flower, please, this isn’t necessary,” I pleaded with her. Gertie entered the shack with her claws at her side. She had been stripped of everything that could be used as a weapon. If only they had seen what she had done to the raiders and Enclave officers with just her bare claws. Brownie came in behind her, leveling her own assault rifle at her. “Take a seat next to Dust, hairball.”

Gertie bristled at the insult. “Gertie, let it go,” I pleaded. “Just stay calm.” I saw her body relax a little as she sat down next to me.

Brownie dropped the weapons in a pile and closed the door. He turned to face the two of us. “Now, let’s start this right. Who are ya? Are ya Enclave? Dashite? Groundborn?”

“Brownie, it’s me…” I started and then sighed and lowered my head in shame. I had to come clean, it was the only way this could go. “My name is Updraft. I am a former Enclave soldier who was sent down here to observe Wasteland life for a secretive branch of the military. And this is Gertrude. She is a Talon merc who saved me from that secretive branch of the military.”

“Ah wish ah could believe ya, D… I mean Updraft,” he started.

“Please, just call me, Dust,” I said morosely. “There is no pony called Updraft anymore,” I droned, my eyes glued to the floor. The more I dwelled on what I had done, the worse I felt.

“OK, Dust,” he said, with acid in the words. “Yer former Enclave? And were sent down here ta spy on us?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it spying,” I said, looking up at his choice of words before Brownie’s glare shot daggers at me. “Yes, I was spying.”

“Fer what reason?” he asked.

“A branch of the Enclave is looking to see if there is any way to cooperate with Wasteland ponies,” I told him. “There’s a food shortage up there. They’re looking for ways to boost food production.”

“And that’s all?” he said, still glaring.

“Yes, that was all,” I explained. “Observe and report.”

“And where have ya been the last several weeks?” he asked.

I told him the entire story. I started with the infiltration of Fort Canterbury and getting captured in the general’s office. I spared him some of the gorier details of my imprisonment and torture at the hooves of Muddy. And then I finished with my time at the griffon camp with my convalescence and raider attacks.

“And ya?” he said, turning his gaze towards Gertie. “What’s yer story?”

“My name is Gertrude Stoneclaw of Stoneclaw’s Talons,” she said proudly. “I was hired by Dust to help him deal with Muddy, and, if I’m being honest, to get revenge on Muddy for what he did to me.”

“And ya swear this on yer commission?” Brownie asked.

“I swear it on my honor as a Stoneclaw Talon,” she proudly declared.

Brownie turned towards Flower. “Flower, do ya know anythin about the Stoneclaw Talons?”

“I know they usually stick ta honorable contracts, as far as mercs go,” she said. “Regardless, a Talon swearing on their honor is a big deal.”

We sat there in silence as Brownie mulled over everything. Eventually, he nodded. “It’s alright, Flower,” he said. “Ah think it’s safe ta assume he’s not here ta hurt us.”

Flower lowered her weapon and Gertie and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Brownie, you have no idea…,” I started but got cut off.

“Now, now, Dust,” he interrupted. “Just because we think ya won’t hurt us, doesn’t mean we trust ya yet. Why didn’t ya tell us the truth? Especially after Muddy tried ta kill ya twice?”

“I was afraid, Brownie,” I explained. “I was afraid you all would turn your back on me,” I said somberly. “After Muddy betrayed me, all I had was you guys. I wanted to tell you as soon as we left Coltington, I really did. But when I thought about it, I thought you would abandon me, and then I would have had absolutely nothing down here.”

“How much of it was an act, Dust?” Flower asked me. “Was it all an act? Did you lie to One?” She shot me a very serious glare. “Did you lie to Silver?”

My heart dropped in my chest. “No… all I lied about was my name and where I was from. I am the same pony you worked with for so long. I am the same pony that left in search of Muddy. That mourned Foggy and still carries around the guilt for that. That mourned One’s death and still feels guilty for it.” I paused when Silver’s pink face and green eyes flashed through my memory. “That fell in love with Silver.” Tears were forming in my eyes.

“If I may?” Gertie said, cutting into the conversation. Flower nodded. “I have known Dust now for several weeks. Most of it at the mercy of Muddy. Dust and I have gone through torment the depths of which I hope you never experience. He could have ended it very quickly. All Muddy wanted was for Dust to turn his back on the Wasteland. But Dust refused. Over and over and over again. And with each refusal, Muddy’s cruelty only got worse.

“And I wouldn’t even be standing here if it weren’t for him and his selflessness. I was willing and waiting to die at Muddy’s hooves. But Dust refused to leave me behind. Even when his rescuers protested it, he came back for me and dragged me out of that hell. He has put himself in jeopardy multiple times to help others. It wasn’t his fight. Hell, he probably wasn’t in any condition to fight. And for Celestia’s sake, he took a knife to the heart to save me. Does this sound like the actions of Updraft, an Enclave officer, or Dust, your friend?”

Brownie and Flower glanced back and forth at each other. Brownie walked towards me and just looked at me while I was now at a full cry. He wrapped his two hooves around me and hugged me. I instinctively hugged him back while I completely broke down. Soon another pair of hooves wrapped around me and squeezed. Followed by a third set of legs.

“Hey, I couldn’t resist,” Gertie said with a sad giggle. We all just sat there while I cried it all out of my system.

After several minutes, I was able to collect myself and withdraw from the group embrace. “You all don’t know how much this means to me,” I said, still sniffling a little.

“Now hold on thar, Dust,” Brownie said, a few tears still running down his face. “Ah think ah speak fer Flower when ah say that we understand what ya did, but we’re not happy with it. Ah think it’s going ta take a while before we can forgive ya.”

“And I’d understand if you never did, Brownie,” I agreed, “but I hope you can. You have no idea how much your friendship means to me, especially now. And I need to talk you all about what’s going on, but there is something more important to deal with first. Where’s Silver?”

Flower and Brownie looked uncomfortably at each other. “Silver is out on a delivery,” Flower informed me. She must have seen the confusion that colored my face. “She’s a courier. One of the fastest around. She should be back later today,” Flower explained. “But you need ta go talk to Big Boss. If he hears you’re back in town, he’s gonna send Last Stand after ya. Come with us.”

I had completely forgotten about Big Boss. With everything else going on, it was the least of my concerns. However, hearing Last Stand’s name still sent chills down my spine.

Fortunately, we were a short trot away from the company’s office at the outskirts of town. We entered the overhead doors where several ponies were working on sorting through the scavenged loot. The ponies would look up and look at me in shock. I could only imagine what was going through their minds.

After we had walked upstairs, we came to Big Boss’ office door. Brownie knocked on the frame. “Big Boss, sir. You asked that if anypony came across Dust they were ta bring em right ta ya?” he said. “Well, here he is.”

Big Boss turned around in his chair slowly. “So, I’ve heard rumblings you were back in town. Rumors spread quickly around here. So, Dust, long time, no see,” he said, obviously judging me. “Thank you, Brownie, I’ll take it from here,” he said with a wave. Brownie backed away from the door. Big Boss gestured towards the chair opposite him. “So, Dust, to be honest, I never thought I’d see you again. Then again, I never would have figured you for a turkey, either. And, if you don’t mind my saying so, you look like Tartarus.”

“You should have seen it all before it was all healed,” I started, while sitting down in the offered chair. “Look, Big Boss, I know I have a lot to answer for.”

“Well, that remains to be seen,” he said, steepling his hooves in front of him. “Tell me what happened once you left Coltington.”

“But, haven’t you heard this from Brownie and Flower already?” I asked, confused.

“Yes,” he said, “but I want to see if you have anything to add.”

I described all the events between leaving Coltington and escaping from Muddy’s hideout. I left out everything at the Talon camp since it had nothing to do with Muddy. At times, he would ask questions for clarification, and I answered. I had nothing to hide, not anymore.

After I was done, Big Boss leaned back in his chair. “So, I guess it would be fair to say that the bounty hunt was a failure, then.”

“Well, so far,” I said. “I still plan on going after Muddy.”

“Interesting,” he replied. “Well, I’m glad to see that you’re OK, Dust. We all thought you were dead. Believe it or not, you are a valued member of this company.”

“Seriously? How can you mean that?” I asked, a little surprised. “And you’re not going to ask me more questions about being a pegasus?”

“Dust, how many times do I have to say this,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t care about your past, just what you’ve been able to do for the company. Others may have other concerns, but not me. You’ve been a very valuable worker and have never done anything against us. In fact, after joining us, our profits skyrocketed since you were able to scavenge technology and gain access to parts of buildings we normally couldn’t. I just feel bad that the others never really trusted you enough to never question that. As far as your past, there could have been any number of reasons you hid your Enclave background from us, but it doesn’t really matter to me. Your actions since joining us have spoken volumes. If I questioned everypony’s past and excluded ponies hiding things, I probably wouldn’t have any employees left. I would ask if you were coming back to work soon, but I assume you’d say you were busy.”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “I have to go after Muddy.”

“Oh, before I forget,” he said, getting out of his chair. He walked over to his wall safe and opened it. Pulling out a small sack, he tossed it towards me. It hit his desk with the unmistakable sound of caps. “This is your paycheck for the several weeks you’ve been out hunting. Don’t ever let it be said I’m not fair,” he said with a laugh.

“Thanks, Big Boss,” I said with a smile. “Thank you.”

“Oh, there is one more matter we have to settle, since you aren’t coming back to work,” he added, scaring me a little.

“And what is that?” I asked cautiously.

“Well, there is the matter of the weaponry you still carry,” he said. “And then there’s the Pipbuck,” he added, pointing at my hoof.

“Well, I can give you the weaponry back, if you want,” I started. “But, I don’t know how you’d get this off of me,” I added laying my hoof down on the desk.

“Well, to be honest, the weaponry is the least of my concerns. I’ll let you work that out with Firing Pin,” he said with a wave of his hoof. “It’s the Pipbuck that’s worth more. But, to be honest with you, it’s not worth very much to me if it only turns on when you’re wearing it. And it’s not even worth scrap since those special models were hand made and the parts are not interchangeable. So it’s worth no more than one of the broken models you brought in, except to a collector. So, how does one hundred caps sound?”

I nearly choked at the amount. He was right that a working Pipbuck was worth thousands of caps to the right pony. A non working one was still worth at least a couple hundred. And one that was ostensibly made for Rainbow Dash herself? What was he thinking?

“Are you sure?” I asked, clearly confused by his motives.

“Now, Dust, I won’t be bargained any lower on this,” he said, laughing. “One hundred caps,” he repeated, this time, adding a wink. I couldn’t count out the caps fast enough.

I turned and left Big Boss’ office as quickly as I could. I didn’t want him remembering something that could create trouble, now. Brownie, Flower, and Gertie were waiting for me at the top of the stairs.

“Well, what did he say?” Flower asked.

“Surprisingly, it was all good. He basically wanted to know what happened, what I planned to do and he apologized for putting me through all this,” I said to varying levels of shock. “Plus, he sold me this,” I said, raising my hoof, showing off the Pipbuck. “Got it for an awesome price, too. Oh, and he gave me my paycheck. Anypony feel like a bit to eat, on me?” Everypony nodded in agreement, quickly.

Before leaving, we made a quick stop to see Firing Pin. As we entered his workshop, we saw he was hunched over a rifle of some kind peering through a magnifying glass and manipulating small tools.

“Excuse me, Firing Pin?” I asked with trepidation, not wanting to disturb him.

The small tools levitated to the table as he looked up from his work. He looked me up and down and a small grin crossed his face. “Ah, before me, who do I see? The earth pony Dust, it must be. But what is this, I spy on his side? A pair of wings, he surely did hide. Returning now, after much time has burned. I hope he brought my weapons to be returned?”

“Yes, Firing Pin,” I nodded as I hoofed the weapons over to him.

His face soured when he saw the shotgun and pistol. “These weapons surely can’t be mine? The condition of which, surely are not prime. Who had weapon care as their main goal? Surely these were cared for by a foal!”

I grumbled at his accusation. “Firing Pin, look. I don’t really have the time to argue with you. Big Boss sent me down here to either return them or settle with you somehow. What do you want to do?”

Firing Pin inspected the weapons very closely. “The state of these guns, surely is sad. The condition of them is incredibly bad. To fix them would take much of my time. A hundred caps should rectify this crime.”

I hoofed the caps out of the little pouch Big Boss had given me and gathered up the weapons and left. We all made our way to Horseton House for a bit to eat and something to drink. The ponies had roasted vegetables, probably from cans, and Gertie ordered a Brahmin steak. We also ordered a round of the local swill that passed for beer. It was no Wild Pegasus, but it was good enough to drink.

Brownie, Flower and I caught up while we ate and drank. To be honest, I was really more on the periphery of the conversation. My brain kept drifting to thoughts of Silver and her beautiful pink face and enthralling blue eyes.

“Dust, ya still with us?” Brownie asked, snapping me out of my own thoughts.

“Ah, leave the lug alone… can’t you see he’s in wuv,” Flower teased me with a punch to my shoulder. I couldn’t help but to see Gertie’s expression droop a little at the tease.

I was able to pick up some bits of the conversation, between periods of inattentiveness. Brownie and Flower had decided they shouldn’t keep their relationship a secret anymore. As soon as they got back to Coltington, they sold their individual abodes and moved in together.

“Dust, we have bigger news than all that,” Flower said, nearly squeeing as she spoke.

“Ah’ve asked Flower ta marry me,” Brownie said, smiling from ear to ear. “The next time the travelin’ preacher is in town, we’re gonna ask her ta marry us. After almost dyin a few times, we figured it we couldn’t live without each other, so we’re makin’ it official.”

“Brownie, Flower, that’s great!” I exclaimed. “This calls for a celebration!” I turned towards the bar. “Pot Luck! What do you got back there for a celebration?”

“All I got is apple whiskey,” Pot Luck answered, without putting down the glass his magic was cleaning. “Fifteen caps.”
I fished the caps out of my bag, plus a generous tip, and Pot Luck levitated them over after putting his glass down. A few moments later, a bottle of apple whiskey and four glasses floated over to our table. “Thanks, Pot Luck!” I called over.

I poured four drinks into the glasses and we all raised our glasses up. “To Brownie and Flower! Shall they have a long and happy marriage!” We all clinked glasses and downed our drinks. We all gasped a little as the liquid burned its way down our throats.

The conversation turned away from the pending nuptials. In the weeks since I had seen them, they got back to work after Big Boss gave them a week off after our little trip. Apparently, Big Boss felt bad for all they had seen and been through, and wanted them to rest before rejoining scavenging teams. Once they were back on the job, most of the outings were typical. They did tell me about the one bunker they began to search but the damned Steel Rangers showed up and forced them out since the company wasn’t prepared for that level of armed resistance. Although, they did lose one pony when his nerves got the better of him and accidentally fired a shot at the Rangers. One laser rifle shot turned him into pink dust but, fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and there were no more casualties.

Flower and Brownie were in the middle of a conversation with Gertie, asking about her journey on becoming a Talon. Most of the stories were her early training missions and were pretty routine stuff. Escort missions, search and recovery, things like that. Most of the early ones had little to no combat and went off without a hitch. Then, of course, they were the other missions. The failures. The mood did darken a little bit as she retold those stories. Brownie offered a toast to fallen comrades, and we drank again.

After a bit more conversation, mostly about our adventures together in the Talon camp, we were all feeling a little tired. Gertie and I gave Brownie and Flower a little hug and we went our separate ways, with plans to get back together in the morning.

We all stepped out of the inn and the sun must have been close to setting, but the sky was still a light gray. Gertie and I began to make our way to the inn. “They seem like nice ponies,” Gertie commented nonchalantly.

“They are. They are the nicest ponies I know down here. They were always willing to help out another pony in need,” I commented.

Some movement in my periphery caught my attention and I looked up. Up in the sky I saw the outline of a pegasus flying overhead. As the shape got directly overhead, I was able to make out some details. It appeared to be a pink pegasus with a green mane. “Silver?” I muttered to myself.

“What was that, Dust?” Gertie asked.

“I have something I have to check out,” I muttered. I pulled a bunch of caps out of my bag. “Here, go to the inn and get us two rooms. I’ll catch up.”

I didn’t even wait for a response and took off after the pegasus. I kicked up and flapped my wings to get some altitude. Silver had a good head start on me. Flapping my wings as hard as I could, I did my best to catch up. She banked to the left and began to descend towards the shacks on the outskirts of the city. I followed as closely as I could, but her lead was still sizable.

She landed and I could barely make out her walking into one of the shacks. I was so happy to see that she didn’t go back to hiding in the stable. After clearing the last building, I flared my wings as descended to the ground below. Touching down, I transitioned right into a trot and went right up to the front door. Steeling myself, I knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, the door creaked open. It was Silver. Her beautiful pink face and piercing blue eyes were looking at me. “Hi, Silver,” I said sheepishly.

“D… Dust? Is that you?” she stuttered, her eyes widening in shock. She sidled out the door and closed it behind her.

“Oh, Silver, I’ve been waiting so long for,” I began to say, moving in for an embrace. She moved so quickly I didn’t see it as she swung her hoof at my face. It struck with more force than even the time she slapped me back at Fetlock Flats. “Ow! What the fuck was that for?”

“Why, Dust? Why did you take off and leave me behind, again?” she growled at me. “You promised me you’d never do that again!”

“I know, I know,” I began to defend myself. “I wasn’t thinking. I was so full of anger for One, and for Midnight. I had to catch him. I saw the opportunity to finally get to him and I took it. I wasn’t thinking about anything else.”

“That’s all you have to say about that!?” she grumbled. “You took off and disappeared for weeks!” I saw her move again and braced myself for another strike. Instead, she wrapped her hooves around me and gave me a hug. I went in to kiss her but she pulled away. “Where the hell were you for so long?”

“Muddy caught me and tortured me for weeks. You don’t want to know what he did to me,” I recalled my voice trembling. “All I could think about during it all was you. Of how I had to survive to get back to you. I almost gave up over and over, but then I knew I’d never get to see you again.” I could see some emotion wash over her face, but I couldn’t identify it.

“My mom and my best friend from up above broke me out,” I kept the story going. “I made my escape with a griffon who was also being tortured but got hurt. The next couple weeks I spent in a Talon camp healing up and getting into two gunfights and healing all over again. I got here as soon as I could!”

“Oh, Dust,” she began, tears forming in her eyes. “I thought you were dead or were staying up above. I held out hope for weeks, hoping you’d come back. I can’t believe you’re here.” She glanced over her shoulder at the shack and then back at me. “Dust, I have something you need to know…”

The door behind her creaked open and a deep blue earth pony stallion with a gray mane and violet eyes appeared. He was wearing a leather duster and a cowpony hat. “Sweetheart, is everything OK out here?”

“Yes, dear,” she answered the stallion. Sweetheart? Dear? “Scrapyard, this is Dust Cloud. Dust, this is Scrapyard, my stallionfriend.”

“St… stallionfriend?” I said as I felt my heart plummet in my chest.

“Is this your old special somepony?” Scrapyard asked.

“Scrap, please wait for me inside,” she requested of him. “I want to talk to Dust for a second.”

Scrapyard shrugged. “Sure thing, hun,” he said as he turned and went back inside.

“You moved on?” I asked, my voice struggling to make it out of my throat.

“Dust, you have to understand. I waited weeks, and no sign of you. I was a mess. I met Scrapyard and he helped me pick up the pieces,” she said, her voice growing strained also.

“I… I… don’t,” I stammered before giving up. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

“Dust, look. I’ve had a long day and I need rest and I need to talk to Scrapyard,” she said placing a hoof on my shoulder. “Can we please get together tomorrow morning and we can talk all about it? I promise?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” I said numbly. Silver moved in and tried to kiss me on the cheek. I pulled back and shuddered from the attempt. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Dust, please don’t be like this,” she pleaded, her voice cracking.

I simply shrugged as I walked away.

My body was numb and my brain couldn’t focus on anything besides Silver. And Scrapyard. How could she just give up on me? She had to know I would make my way back to her. But no, she gave up on me and moved on. To Scrapyard.

My mind went in circles about Silver, Scrapyard and me. The next thing I knew, I stumbled my way into the inn. Somehow, I ended up with another two bottles of apple whiskey in my bags. Room Service greeted me as I walked into the building.

“Hey, Dust…” Room Service started, but stopped. “Is that really you, Dust? You’re a pegasus?” she started.

“Listen, Room Service,” I grumbled back. “I know you have a lot of questions, but I am not in the mood to answer them right now. Yes, I am a pegasus. If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk about this later. Did a griffon come through earlier and rent a room?”

“Y… yeah. Your griffon friend already got you a room. Unfortunately, all the singles were full, but she got you a room with two beds. Top floor on the left.”

“Yeah, whatever, thanks Room Service,” I grumbled as I stumbled up the stairs. I got to the room and inadvertently slammed the door against the wall.

“Holy shit, Dust, you trying to scare me to death?” Gertie shrieked as she turned to face me. When she saw me, I saw her features soften as she scrambled over to me. “Are you OK? What happened?”

“It’s Silver, she gave up on me and started seeing another pony,” I explained as I pulled out a bottle of apple whiskey. Biting the cork off of it, I took a long swig. The burning was still painful and barely made a dent in my thinking. I offered it to Gertie.

“Dust, I don’t think that’s a good…” she began to object.

“C’mon, I can’t drink alone,” I said while proffering the bottle again. Gertie reluctantly took the bottle from my grasp and took a small sip. “C’mon, you can do better than that!”

Gertie looked back and forth between the bottle and me. “Ah, what the hell,” she grumbled and took a big swig.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” I cheered. I grabbed the bottle back and took another long pull. “Burns so good!” The reality of the situation started to wash over me as I felt my eyes beginning to water. “This sucks, Gertie. This really sucks!”

“Dust, what happened?” she asked as she took the bottle and drank again.

“I followed Silver back to her house,” I started. I took another drink. “She asked about where I was and that’s when he appeared. Scrapyard, that son of a bitch! He stole my special somepony.” My tears began to flow more freely and I began to sob. “I love her Gertie! I really do. And for the first time, I thought somepony cared for me back… and I threw it all away by leaving. And for what?” I looked at the bottle, which was now empty, and hurled it across the room. Gertie caught it before it shattered against the wall or floor. I fumbled with my bags and took out the second bottle.

“Dust, why did she…” Gertie started.

“She thought I was dead,” I interrupted. “And even if she had thought I was alive, she would have had no idea when I would possibly be coming back, or even if I was coming back.”

“Well, Dust, you can’t really blame her,” she tried to explain.

“Dammit, Gertie, I know! That’s the frustrating part,” I said, taking yet another swig from the newly opened bottle. “As much as I want to hate her for it, I just can’t. She’s right. I just wish I could do something to get her back!” The room was starting to spin.

Even though her features were starting to blur a little, I could still see she was uncomfortable. “Um, Dust, I don’t think there’s anything you can do,” she said, trying to comfort me. She also gingerly took the bottle out of my hooves. “You may just have to move on as well.”

“I dunno, Ger, Ger, Gertie,” I struggled to say and downing another swallow. The whiskey didn’t even burn anymore at this point. My open sobs turned into outright crying, which lasted quite awhile. “Mebbe sheeel be da only pony to love me.”

“Dust, I don’t think that,” Gertie tried to comfort me, as she put her claws around me.

“I know, Gertie,” I slurred. “Yoove always been there, been there for me.” I nestled my head against her shoulder. She gently placed her claw on my face and began to caress it.

I looked up at Gertie’s face, which was becoming very difficult to do because of the blurriness and spinning. She was looking down at me longingly with a small frown on her face. “She doesn’t deserve you if she gave up on you so easily, Dust,” she argued. “You should only be with somepony who will stand by you, no matter what.”

She leaned her head down and kissed me on the cheek. It was a weird feeling, being caressed by her beak. But I don’t know if it was my inebriated state, or my emotions running amok, or maybe both, but it felt really comforting. I let go of a mildly satisfied moan, which elicited a grin from Gertie.

Without any conscious thought, I leaned into her and kissed her right on the beak. She jumped a little in surprise and withdrew a little. However, after a short pause, she leaned right back in and kissed me right back. Her dry, smooth tongue was a really different feeling than kissing a pony. That was the last thing I remembered before I blacked out.

A loud knocking at the door startled me awake. What was probably gentle rapping sounded like major construction going on.

“Ugh, stop the knocking,” I shouted towards the door.

Somepony shifted from right next to me. Fighting to open my eyes against the assault of light, I saw that it was Gertie… again. And both of us were out of our armor… again. But this time, we were both wrapped in each other’s embrace. Ugh, what happened last night? My eyes scanned the room and fell upon the two empty bottles of apple whiskey. Oh....

There was more knocking at the door accompanied by a slight creaking. “Dust, are you in here?” Silver’s voice nervously asked from the other side of the sheet metal door. “The door is unlocked.”

“Wait, gimme a second!” I tried to shout back before the door opened all the way.

“Dust, are you in…” she began to say as I saw her head appear around the edge of the door. Her eyes locked on me and Gertie. “... here?” she said awkwardly. “Oh… oh, I see.”

“Wait! Silver! It’s not what you think!” I shouted as I saw her face disappear behind the door. “Shit, shit, shit!” My head began to throb worse than it already was.

I extracted myself from Gertie, eliciting an aggravated groan from her. I stood up, perhaps too quickly, causing the room to spin. “Ugh, two days in a row…” I muttered as I climbed down the stairs as quickly as I was able.

I stepped outside the inn and saw Silver’s pink form trotting away. “Silver! Wait, please!” I began to trot after her. “Silver!” She stopped trotting, but she didn’t turn to face me. “Silver, please.”

As I caught up with her, she turned to face me and I wish she hadn’t. You could almost see her facial muscles tensing and her jaw clenched. Her glare could have cut the air. “What do you want to talk about, Dust? I asked you if we could talk about us in the morning and what do you do? You hook up with that griffon friend of yours. You couldn’t even wait one night. ONE NIGHT!”

“Silver, I’m sorry,” I tried to explain. The throbbing in my head got worse, and I had to press against my forehead with my hoof to get any relief.

“Hungover?!” she growled at me. “Do you even remember what you two did last night?”

I stopped and thought hard about it. I remember kissing Gertie, but that was all my memory could drag out of the depths of the whiskey. “We kissed, that’s all I know for sure,” I admitted.

“Grrr!” she growled between her clenched teeth. “And to think, I broke it off with Scrapyard last night!”

“You… you what?” I muttered in shock.

“Yes, I broke it off with Scrapyard,” she shot back, beginning to pace. “When you appeared on my doorstep, all my old feelings came flooding back. But then I also felt guilty, because immediately I knew I had to leave Scrapyard.” Tears started to form in her eyes. “And what did you do? You went out and got together with her!”

“Oh… Silver, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I was devastated when I saw you living with Scrapyard. I thought I had lost you forever, again.” Tears were starting to form in my eyes as well. “Can you forgive me? I love you, Silver. I think I always will.”

“I don’t know, Dust,” she said after an awkward silence. “You hurt me. I mean, I can understand why you did what you did, but I don’t know if I can forgive it. I don’t know if I should.”

It got really quiet between us. The sound of early morning life in Coltington became more noticeable. The trotting of the security ponies changing shifts. The sounds of laughter as the fillies and colts trotted off to school. The low rumbling of a Raptor-class airship flying by… Wait, a Raptor class airship?

Silver and I both looked up and watched as the round, dark black cloud that made up the body of a Raptor class ship emerged from the lighter gray cloud cover overhead. Arcs of lightning pulsed around the two smaller clouds the jutted out like wings on the outside of the ship, outlining the whole thing in an eerie glow. Four smaller elongated Cumulus class troop transports appears around the Raptor. Smaller black specks appeared, keeping in place relative to the Raptor. I could only imagine they were the armored flyer escorts.

“What is the Enclave doing?” Silver gasped, her gaze transfixed on the ships above us.

After completely emerging from the cloud cover, the ships continued moving east.

“I don’t know, Silver,” I muttered, “but I can promise you it’s not good.”

Level up!

Medicine - 40

Perk Obtained: Boozehound - “Here’s to alcohol. The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.” When intoxicated, you now have -2 INT and -2 CHR, except to griffons where you gain +2 CHR.