“All crew, that armor is too thick for any one H.E. round alone to take it down. I repeat, focus down those cats together!” Casemate shouted into her headset as she dipped back down through her hatch, shutting it with a slam that was loud enough to break me free of staring at the wreck. “Seriously, your buddy has all the intel, but leaves this out!?”

“Night, I did not know they were here!” Ping’s worried voice crackled through my headset. “Something else is wrong here. Those cats have been modified.”

“You think!?” I spat as I lowered myself down into the turret. I caught Casemate’s gaunt and pale expression. “What gave it away, Ping? The fucking armor, or the big ass guns!?” If she was worried like that, then we really were screwed…

“Not physically.” Ping almost growled at me. Woah, that was a first. “I should be able to access their core functions and shut them down remotely. The problem is that I am locked out of their systems!”

“That shouldn’t be possible.” Buck came across with more static than usual. “If they can’t be shut down, and our guns can’t pierce that armor, how are we supposed to fight them?”

Pa-ting!

I cringed as among the sound of firing cannons, another pair of gauss shots were followed by the blast of another tank in the line. The turret of the small T-8 tank near us blasted off, sailing through the rain before slamming down into the mud just ahead of the Chieftain. A smooth, hoof sized hole had been punched through the short gun’s mantlet, right through the top loop of the Eight in the painted on number 84. Which even more disturbing to see, was that the mantlet had been the thickest point of armor on the whole thing!

“Fucking hell, Eighty four is down!” Casemate shouted over her radio. “They’re hitting us right in the goddess damned ammo racks! All tanks, optimize your firing angles to get as much armor between those gauss rifles and your racks!”

“Night, I do not know if their prioritization parameters are the same as during the war, but they are designed to respond to whatever is the highest threat.” Ping paused as if he had to recall something that he wasn’t sure of. It allowed me just the briefest moment to glance at the smoking turret half buried in the mud. The gun on it was technically a cannon, but… there were bigger in the line. If it was going to go after the biggest threats, then why that tank? “There is also something else. An unknown signal coming in from outside the valley. These machines are already being controlled remotely by an operator, the same someone who is actively blocking my attempts to access them.”

“Great, how the fuck do we fix...?” Hispano growled before the BT-42’s cannon going off garbled the rest of her words. “Fuck this, I’m not dying in some tin can!”

“That is not advised, however it may be necessary.” Ping paused again. “Night, Hispano, Buck. If you three could each hold their attention, even if for only a few moments, it may afford the rest of us enough time to coordinate our fire and take them down one at a time.”

“That’s our best option then.” I called out. “Buck, pick one and see if you can get on top of it. Hispano and I will try to strafe another one and keep it’s attention split. Then when everyone else is ready, we’ll split away so the tanks can blast each one all at once.”

“Now that’s a plan I can get behind!” Hispano squaked as the heavy patter of rain against her flight goggles translated through her own headset.

Looking over at Casemate, she glared at me like I was crazy. “Do you have a problem with that idea, Commander?”

“No.” She shook her head before prodding at my chest hard. “Just make it quick, and don’t get killed.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I nodded to her before reaching my hooves up around the open cupola.

I clambered back out onto the turret, keeping myself low. My hooves nearly slipped as a horrendous screech of metal filled the air, and I flattened myself against the back of the turret. Frantic screaming came from beside us as I watched one of the non-gun wielding cats rip the turret of another of the small Cordite produced tanks right off of it’s hull. It’s steel claws glowed orange, plunging through the steel of T-8 number sixty eight like it was butter. The sizzling sound that filled the air sent a shiver up my spine as the heated claws turned the pouring rain into steam.

The cat bit down and tossed the shredded turret aside before looking down at the cowering crew. They gave off another panicked scream as the cat thrust it’s bladed face down into the tank with a mechanical roar. I was helpless to do anything but watch as it turned the inside of the tank into a blender, and the screams were lost to the sound of metal grinding together.

“Night, we need to get in the air!” Hispano called as she landed down next to me. I latched onto her voice, and used it to turn myself away from the carnage. “Come on, let’s go!” She snapped as she helped me push myself up.

The two of us flared our wings and took off. Already soaked again, my sore muscles protested as once more the frigid rain stripped away most of the heat from my body in mere moments. It was going to suck, but as we gained some altitude, the familiar stinging numbness took ahold of me like an old friend, and I could push myself to move without feeling it again.

Suiza opened up as Hispano pulled away from me. Her shots sparked off of one of the razor cats making its way toward the next small T-8 tank, stopping it mid six-legged stride and pulling it’s attention skyward. It let out a sharp snarl-like sound from it’s muzzle before turning it’s red eyed glare to the small tank in front of it.

The four pounder cannon on the Cordite built tank barked sharply, rocking the tank slightly on it’s suspension. The flash from the short gun was blinding, but all the same, I watched as the front right leg sparked and struggled to move. The cat itself seemed just as confused, looking down at its front leg and studying it, trying to make it move again.

The sight sent my mind reeling back to when Hispano and I had dropped onto Guiness and Zibar during the chase toward Pink Mountain. Wait, Hispano had used her gun to save me by jamming their turret. That’s it! That’s why they were going after the smaller guns! The smaller rounds could get through the gaps in the armor!

“So wait, some massive tank gun can’t even scratch it, but that piddly thing actually did something!?” Happy snorted over the radio as he lifted the driver’s hatch of ‘Legion’ to peer out. He gave out a short whimper as the impressively quick form of Buck clambered up onto the front of his tank.

“Stay inside, Happy.” Buck growled as he vaulted off of the front of the tank toward the armored cat. “I’ll keep this one distracted, Night! You and Hispano get the other one!”

“Got it!” I called out and rolled myself over. Okay, so if small guns were what we needed, we at least had a plan then! “Hispano! We have to jam up their joints! That’s where they’re weak!”

“Fuck, that’s gotta be why they’re going for the smaller guns!” Hispano called out as she shot past me heading the opposite direction. “Good thinking, Dum Dum! But now it’s time to quit slacking off and actually do something!”

I rolled my eyes as I tweaked my wet wings. With little effort, I inverted myself and glanced across the battle line. The other Razor Cat was busy clawing at the only other T-8 tank left in the line, it’s heated claws tearing right through the drive sprockets of T-8 number ninety two like they were wet paper. The crew inside fired off a snapshot straight against the cat’s face, blasting off part of it’s head armor and sending the robotic cat stumbling onto it’s back.

“Now’s our chance, Dum Dum!” Hispano called out as she dove down and opened up with her sister.

The full auto fire out of Suiza was inaccurate, sending both sparks and splashes of mud up as the rounds struck all around the cat. One of it’s middle legs gave a shrill pop as it was blasted clean off into the mud. Again, the cat roared out in what I could only hope was some sort of pain.

Not to let this opportunity slip by, I pitched down as I sailed right over it. I dropped myself into a sharp dive, quickly mouthing over my bit and releasing two grenades. With a pained cry of my own, I stiffened my wings and arched my back to pull out of the dive. There hadn’t been so much time to make fine adjustments for my aim, but I just had to hope that I got lucky.

Pa-ting!

The sharp report from the gauss rifle cat was cut off by a sharp pop behind me. My numb flank and leg exploded in pain as the early crack of my grenades caught me off guard. Not yet having leveled out, I screamed out as the feeling in my back legs disappeared and I lost control of my flight.

I think I blacked out, because when I opened my eyes again, I was staring up into the dark, stormy skies. The cold mud around me had softened my landing, but the sharp stinging from my wings told me that I’d come to a rough stop all the same. The soft ringing in my ears drained away quickly at least, and I felt the heavy thumps of the nearby Razor Cat easily tearing into T-8 number ninety two. Within moments, the thin steel tank hull had been peeled back, and again it’s crew gave off short lived screams.

“Such a pity.” Solomon childed as his pristine muzzle poked into my vision. “All that potential, all that trust placed in you, and what do you do with it? You squander it.”

“Fuck off.” I grumbled and forced my hooves to push down into the near freezing muck. Goddesses, I didn’t need this right now!

Pain ripped through my back as I moved, and I let out a breathless scream as I forced myself to sit up in the mud. I hoped, prayed for the pain to subside or numb, but it didn’t yield. Even as I struggled to pull in a breath of cold air, it felt like somepony was slowly flaying the hide from my wings.

Craning my neck back, I cringed and reflexively slammed my eyes shut from what I found.

“Awww, did the already crippled birdy hurt his wings?” Solomon’s childish insults sounded like they’d have been more at home coming from someone like Shimmer Pull’s muzzle back in Four Peaks. “Pathetic. And you think you’re tough enough to lead your friends? Don’t make me laugh.”

Opening my eyes again, I looked over my twisted wings. The flight suit had kept them from getting ripped off, but only just. The metal framework of my suit had been bent at almost a ninety degree angle just above my back, and the bloody bones of both my wings stuck out into the cold air. Pulling my eyes away, I glanced down to my other rear hoof. Hundreds of open gashes trailed up along it onto my nearly crimson colored flanks. It was already a lot of blood, and I almost felt queasy looking at it, but I knew Buck would patch it up like new. He had to, just as always, right?

And hey, at the very least I didn’t have to worry about bleeding out from two bum legs, right?

“Night!” Hispano called out as she ran through the mud toward me. She skid to a stop just short of me, heaving and nearly turning green in the face as she got a look at my twisted wings. Wait, where was her sister? “Ugh, I think I’m going to be sick…” She whimpered and recoiled like she’d never even seen blood before. “Seriously, why…”

I blinked as a silver line of metal flashed through the air behind her. One of the claws from the Razor Cat plunged down. Right before my eyes, it tore Hispano’s head clean off of her shoulders.

I screamed out as her headless body collapsed into the mud, and tears streamed down my cheeks.

No.. she… not again! Not like Violet, I can’t lose her! This isn’t happening!

“I told you, Night!” Solomon’s jubilant voice echoed through my mind as he let out a roaring laugh. “You’ll never lead anypony, at least, not anywhere but straight to their deaths at your hooves!”

The shock, the pain in my body, and the sight of Hispano’s death replaying a dozen times over in my mind drove me to rage. Before I’d realized it, I was back on my bleeding hooves and charging through the mud towards the now far off Razor Cat. The ripped muscles in my wings and back pleaded for me to stop, and my rear hoof gave out on more than a few heavy steps. But I would not be stopped.

I was going to tear that cat apart with my own fucking hooves for what it’s done!

I let out another howling yell as I approached the cat. It was either too busy trying to melt through the front of Legion with its claws to notice, or it didn’t consider me a threat. Either was the last mistake it’d make.

With a growl that pulled every ounce of strength I had in my three legs, I threw myself up onto the cat’s side. I found the hole where the motor and hydraulics for it’s now missing leg had been, and found that it was just big enough to stick the barrel of my subgun into. My muzzle came down around my firing bit hard enough that I think I broke a tooth, but I simply lumped that pain in with everything else and poured hot magical beams right into the side of the machine.

It let out a tremendous roar as sparks and smoke shot out of every damn seam and joint on this side of it’s metal armored body. I struggled to keep my hooves holding onto its side as it thrashed and threw itself from the front of Legion. But this cat was going to pay, and I was going to make it suffer!

“Just fucking scream in agony and die!” I howled from around my bit, pausing to shift my firing angle ever so slightly. Again, I opened up on it, sending more sparks and smoke from it’s rear. My subgun sputtered, shooting out magical sparks of its own as it cycled slower and slower with each shot. Something inside of both my gun and the beast gave a sharp whine before one of the two outright exploded, and I was tossed straight off of the beast.

This time, I remembered hitting the mud, multiple times.

I howled in pain as I bounced and rolled head over hocks uncontrollably across the ground. My wingsuit caught on what I’d assumed was one of the burnt tree stumps, probably the one I’d hit when I crashed into the mud earlier. I didn’t have the time to check, as I was too busy listening to the thick snap that filled the air as I was yanked to an all-too abrupt stop. I screamed as my back felt like it had altogether been torn straight off of me. Though, not even that lasted all that long as I got a muzzle full of mud as I finally came to a stop and flopped down.

It hurt to breathe, to move. But still, I forced myself back up to my hooves. Like before though, my hooves slipped, and I again found myself back down in the mud. Heaving in forceful, labored breaths, I braced myself against a charred tree stump. Pain ebbed through my body, slowly numbing either from the cold, or from my nerves basically burning out from overuse.

A static and broken sounding growl came from the Razor Cat as it’s one eye turned on me. It’s sparking and smoking body turned with shudders and unnatural pauses in it’s uneasy steps. I narrowed my eye, moving my muzzle to bite down on my firing bit again, only to find it was altogether missing. A quick glance down found it had been completely ripped from it’s mounting, and I assumed it was lost somewhere in the mud with my still missing prosthetic.

The Razor Cat stepped up, towering over me and opening it’s bladed muzzle. With a mechanical whine, it raised what I could assume was the same damn claw that had taken Hispano from me. Among all the pain, the anger, and the anguish from losing Hispano, all I had left in me was to glare down the mechanical beast and will it to death.

A trio of rapid fire cannon shots slammed into its head, forcing me to raise my hoof to shield myself.

It’s red eye flickered, while sparks shot from the newly broken joints in its jaw. Another sharp pop preempted the entire side of it’s head exploding outward, showering me with hot metal. It’s remaining eye went dark, and the quickly thrumming engine inside it’s armored body sputtered and died. Finally, with a deep metallic groan, it fell over into the mud.

“Celestia, Dum Dum! Where the hell did that rage come from?” Hispano’s voice sent my mind into a summersault as she fluttered and dropped out of the sky next to me. She brought the smoking muzzle of Suiza up to her beak and blew on it as I tried to work out just how the fuck she was alive.

Glancing over to where I’d crashed before, there was… nothing. No body, no sign she’d ever been there in the first place. Had I… just hallucinated that? Like I did with Solomon?

Fuck it, I don’t want to know, I’m just glad to have her back! I whimpered as again I moved without thinking and dove right into a blood and mud coated hug. I squeezed her tight, making absolutely sure that this time she was the real Hispano.

“Woah, easy there, Dum Dum. Still in the middle of a fight, ya know.” She whimpered as I squeezed her. “Shit, you’re pretty torn up. You aren’t going to bleed out on me, are you?”

“I… I don’t know.” I whimpered as well as I let go of her and sat back. Looking down over myself, I found that not only had my bit been ripped from me, but my subgun was missing from my saddle as well. “My gear is fucked though, and I’m still missing my leg.”

“Ah, that’s fine… but uh… don’t turn around, alright?” Hispano forced out a laugh as she spun in place for a moment. Before I could reflexively turn, she gripped me tightly and held me where I was. “Seriously, don’t.” Her voice was stern enough that I figured that it was better if I listened to her for now. That, and before I could really question it, her expression brightened. She let go and all but dove into the mud between me and the downed metal beast. With a rummage of her talon, she dragged my mud caked prosthetic up into the air. “And look, I even found your leg!” She winced as she looked between it and me again. “Why don’t you get back in one of the tanks and try to lay low for a bit? At least, until Buck can get you patched up and put back together a bit.”

“Ah… alright.” I grunted as my body reminded me that if I gave the wrong answer, it might just decide to quit on me right here and now. “I’ll head back to the Chieftain, you go help Buck…”

Almost as if on cue, a static filled roar came from the Razor Cat down along the Cordite formation. The six legged mechanical cat stumbled much in the way as the one Hispano and I had fought did, nearly throwing itself off of the front hull of the Boom Bear. It bucked hard in the mud, shifting sideways and slamming against the side of the BT-42. The overtaxed suspension sheared the road wheels straight off as the cat braced itself, pushing the smaller tank over onto its side to maintain its own ballance.

Geeze, Poppy just couldn’t catch a break when it kept to keeping that tank upright, could he?

With an amplified roar of his own, Buck’s mechanical paws gripped around one of the rear legs of the beast as it finished steadying itself. With the incredible strength they afforded him, he jammed his mechanical paws into the joint and tore the entire leg straight off the cat. The beast went down hard into the mud, writhing as Buck easily took the severed leg and swung it around, using the cat’s own glowing claws to rend deep gouges through its armor.

All the pain in my body, the distress I’d been in, all but disappeared as I watched in awe. It was… amazing to watch him so fluidly move from one attack to the next. Even when the cat had regained the ability to stand on its legs again, Buck didn’t relent. For being a fraction of the size, Buck easily moved out of the way of each blade strike, countering with a swing of the severed leg.

“Okay, I think he has that covered…” Hispano I think did her best to collect and tear herself from the amazing display, but I couldn’t look away. Goddesses, he was the most amazing… “Snap out of it, Night.” Hispano moved between Buck and I, lowering her deadpan expression into my view. “We both know that Buck is so violently handsome right now, but getting your bang on isn't what's important! We’ve got work to do!”

“Wha…? Right!” I shook my head and looked over toward the chieftain. “I’ll…”

Pa-ting!

Shit.

A pair of holes opened through the massive metal door that had covered the front of the Chieftain. The backside of the Chieftain spouted a cloud of black smoke and emitted a terrible grinding sound as it’s arcane engine died on the spot. For some reason, it hadn’t exploded like the other tanks, but the hits still didn’t bode well.

There was a roar from an arcane engine as the El Alemane pulled out of the firing line. They rolled forward, tracking right past Hispano and I through the mud. As they rolled by, I watched as the Gauss Cat shifted its attention toward them.

“What are they doing!?” Hispano gasped. “They’re making themselves easy targets… that’s suicide!”

“No, I’m sure there’s a plan.” I spat out as I tried to think. Why, why would they pull its attention… other than it’s exactly what ping said we were supposed to be doing. “It’s an opening.” Looking about at the other remaining tanks, those that were still intact moved almost in unison. The collective roar from their engines caught the attention of the Gauss cat again, and it’s articulating guns spun around on their mounts.

Pa-ting!

The twin gauss rifles fired again, and the Boom Bear disappeared in an explosion that nearly blasted Hispano and I right off our legs.

“We need to help, Dum Dum!” Hispano offered as she looked along the line of tanks. Her eyes went wide as she glanced over at the discarded and nearly totally shredded turret of one of the T-8 pattern tanks. I couldn’t even read the number on it anymore it’s armor was so melted and mangled. “Here, take my sis and open up on that thing as a distraction! I have an idea!”

She dumped Suiza into my hooves before fluttering off towards the turret. I had a feeling she was going to try to get its gun operational again, but before I could protest I found myself struggling not to dump her sister into fetlock deep mud. She might have been a durable gun, but like any machine, she wasn’t going to work all that well if I jammed her up full of gunk.

Looking around, I glanced back to the tree stump that had so roughly stopped my short flight earlier. I paused when I spotted something crimson and blue wedged and hanging in the neck of the charred stump. All at once, I realized why Hispano had told me not to turn around, and looked around at my back.

A trough of ripped, bleeding flesh that ran halfway down my back, and a white nub of bone, sat where my right wing always had.

Okay, don’t freak out, Night! Now is not the time! Buck can fix it, right? Right!?

I doubled over and threw up.

A million thoughts raced through my mind at once. Was I ever going to fly again? Could it even be put back on? What would other pegasi think of me? How… how would Hispano look at me if I couldn’t fly anymore? How was I going to protect her from the ground!?

“Night!” Hispano’s sharp voice called over to me and knocked me from my thoughts. “Yes, the wing thing sucks, but bigger picture here! Get. Shooting. Now!”

“Right, she’s right…” I heaved, gripping tighter around Suiza.

My legs were stiff, and protested with each step. I did my best to keep my severed wing out of my vision as I made my way around the old stump. With a heavy thump, I laid Suiza across the charred wood and maneuvered my hoof around the odd griffon-styled grip. I lowered my head down, peering through the large sight ring and putting the front post directly on the side of the Gauss Cat. Curling my forehoof up against the side of Suiza, I pressed her against the raised branch that held my wing to steady her.

The short cannon on the El Alemane barked, engulfing the rear half of the Gauss cat in a bright blast. The other remaining tanks in the line opened up, completely erasing the metal beast from my view and obscuring it from view in clouds of black mud and smoke. But as before, the beast was mostly unphased, and it’s bright beaming red eye pierced the wafting smoke.

Hispano let out a sharp call as she got the gun on the turret working again. It let out a sharp report, and the light round punched right against the side of the cat’s head. At the same time, I opened up with Suiza. The quick, heavy thumps she gave as I squeezed the trigger sent a line of glowing rounds across the beast’s neck. Sparks shot from under the jaw of the cat, and it spun itself around in place, presenting its other side to us.

Again, I squeezed the trigger. Another set of shots trailed across its side, sparking and sending tiny fragments of metal into each and every little exposed joint. I let go of the trigger as heat sizzled off of Suiza in the rain, and the pause was just enough time for me to watch as Hispano fired the four pounder a second time. The shrieking shot lodged itself into the base of the cat’s neck, locking it in place.

The cat let out a softer, wailing growl as it struggled to turn its neck. It spun itself in place again, swinging it’s two gauss rifles between all of the remaining tanks as if it didn’t know what to aim at. The moment it’s rear was facing me, I opened up again with Suiza. The line of shots scraped across the cat’s left side. Sparks flew as the line of shots severed each of the already damaged and overtaxed legs on that side one after the other.

With another loud, static filled cry, the cat dropped into the mud on it’s side. It’s remaining legs flailing to gain any sort of traction. But after a moment, it looked to have given up, and a high pitched whine began to pick up from its central engine. The armor around it began to glow a soft orange, and clouds of steam formed around it’s side. I didn’t need to be convinced to duck under cover, but as I did, the whole of the Gauss cat disappeared in a prismatic blast.

The explosion both looked and felt like a mini megaspell, instantly drying off my soaking coat, and sending an unhealthy feeling of warmth over my body. As the ringing in my ears drained however, I pulled myself up from the muck to watch a small, rainbow colored mushroom cloud rise into the air where the Gauss Cat had been.

Cheers came from the rest of the tankers as silence fell across the muddy battlefield. I glanced over at Hispano to find her smiling and cheering with the others. It was over. We’d done it. We’d survived.

“Not all of you.” Solomon’s voice was a whisper in my ear, and it sent a sharp shock down my spine.

Again, shit.

Pulling myself to my hooves once more, I pushed past my severed wing and made my way over to the smoking form of the Chieftain. It hurt like hell, but I clambered my way up the door that still lay across the front of the hull. Poking my head over, I looked down into the still open commander’s cupola.

It wasn’t hard to tell that the pungent smell of cordite was coming from inside the tank, but what was harder to figure out was if the smell of blood was likewise coming inside, or just emanating from my own wounds. Leaning forward, I stuck my head down into the hole. Water and wet powder caked half of the interior surfaces, as well as a healthy dose of crimson.

Unfortunately, the stench of blood was coming from the headless corpse of Huckleberry, who sat slumped in a puddle of crimson water. Likewise, blood drained down into the bottom of the tank from the severed stumps of Casemate’s rear legs. The hole that sat right behind were her stumps were, drained the grains of waterlogged cordite from the shredded and destroyed charge bags inside the ammo hold.

“Hey…” Casemate gave out a weak cough as she struggled to keep her eyes open. “Did… did we win?”

“Y-yeah…” I stuttered as I glanced down at her bleeding stumps again.

Shit, if she was still alive, she wasn’t going to last long without help. Pushing my head back up, I looked over across the tank formation. It wasn’t hard to find that still glowing and almost completely melted form of the other normal Razor Cat sitting in the mud, but… I didn’t see Buck anywhere.

“Buck!” I called out for him, really hoping that he hadn’t gotten himself killed fighting that other cat. Or that the cat didn’t fall on him, because even though we had more than just Hardcase this time, it would require more than a single unicorn’s magic to pull something that size off of him. Thankfully, I watched as a pair of metal ears perked over the edge of the fallen cat, shortly followed by his glowing blue mechanical eye.

Oh, thank Celestia, he’s alright. Waving him over, I pointed my hoof down into the turret. I know that Buck would want to help me, but… I could wait.

“Just hold on, Casemate. Help’s on the way.” I offered as I dipped my head back down into the turret. Looking down, I saw a weak smile pull across her muzzle.

“It’s okay.” Her voice was soft, and growing weaker with every word. “I… always knew I’d die… in a tank.” She shifted her far away glance over, letting a sad look cloud her teary eyes. “Help… the others…”

“Nope.” I growled as the sight of Hispano dying hit me again, quickly followed by the loss off Violet, and the rest of the convoy. “I’m done losing.”

Pushing myself over across the turret, I wrapped my hooves around the top of her hatch and yanked. With a squeal, it gave, nearly throwing me off balance and right off the turret. And as Buck’s heavy pawsteps grew closer, I worked my way around the edge of the hatch and reached inside.

“So what if you’ve fucking lost your legs, you’ll live.” I growled as I wrapped my fetlocks around her barrel and pulled hard. “I lost a leg… and I turned out… okay!” I groaned as slowly but surely I lifted her up out of her seat. “So you can fucking… suck it up then… alright?”

She gave a weak laugh before groaning and going limp in my hooves. No, not now, not so damned close! With a final yank, I pulled her up and onto the back of the turret.

“Alright, that’s good enough, Night.” Buck called out as he reached us. His metal hindpaws scraped against the heavy door as he walked up it, and both of his forearms gave whirs as various points opened up to thread out medical tools from them. “Let me stabilize her, then I’ll get to work on you.”

“Okay…” I sighed, letting go of her and taking a step back. Sitting down hard, I took a few deep breaths before looking around again.

Thick black smoke still poured from inside the old world mountain complex, which I could only assume now was nothing more than a burning deathtrap. The bodies of the defenders laid scattered around in the mud and rubble of the utterly destroyed defensive wall, destined to be long forgotten. Burning hulks of tanks still roared flames high into the air, with the remains of their crews still sitting inside.

This attack had succeeded, but it had cost so damned much. So many lives lost here, and for what? The destruction of one minor faction in the wasteland? Yeah, they’d been pretty shitty ponies, but… so what? Did that really justify this much suffering?

“You already know the answer to that.” Solomon shook his head as I blinked and he appeared next to me, surveying the carnage just as I was. “This is the cost of progress, Night, and most of you is willing to pay it. Still, a part of you still foolishly clings onto the hope of a better way. And while there might yet be, that’s not how you’ll make any headway coming after me.”

“You’re right, you play dirty.” I huffed as the patter of rain began to draw off. Looking up, a rumble of thunder carried across the distance, but the clouds above me lightened slightly as they shifted. “But while I know the costs, I never want to be comfortable with them. Not like you are.”

“Are you alright, Night?” Buck shifted his head over to me with a frown while his mechanical arms didn’t even stop working on Casemate. “Are the hallucinations back?”

“Yeah.” I nodded to him before looking back up at Solomon. “But right now, it’s just talk. I know he’s not real, just... focus on patching everypony up.” Looking back up to the sky, I watched as small gaps cleared in the overbearing gray clouds. Nothing too big, but just enough to let shafts of bright sunlight beam down. “Today isn’t over, and we’ve still got a lot more to do.”

My eye fluttered open as the sound of flapping cloth met my ears. Bright daylight poured through the wafting seam in the opening of the small tent I seemed to be in. I made the mistake of trying to sit up, and was rewarded with an intense throbbing in my head.

As I groaned and laid back down, a welcoming warmth spread over my barrel as a pair of olive colored feathered wings stretched out and wrapped around me. A small peck on my cheek pulled my attention over to Hispano’s relieved expression as she sat beside the cot I was laid out on.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” She offered with soft words and a firm grip of her talon along my fetlock. “After all the screaming you did, I wasn’t sure how long you’d be out.”

“Screaming?” I scrunched up my face as a deep wave of confusion ran over me. “What happened? How did I even get in this tent?”

“You… don’t remember?” She asked, smirking like she knew the answer to whatever inside joke this was. Cocking her eyebrow, she let my hoof go and prodded painfully at my barrel. “You’re telling me you don’t remember anything about taking the Hydra earlier?” Wait, what on Equus was she talking about? “The screaming, that freakish double wing that sprouted out of your back? The fact Buck had to cut it off and try again? Which by the way, made you full force kick him square in the face?” Cringing, she rubbed under her beak stiffly. “It’s a good thing his jaw is made out of steel, you know?”

“What the fuck are you talking about!?” I flailed myself up, which of course, didn’t help my headache, but allowed me to unfold both my wings from under my back. Freezing mid flail, I caught the sight of my left one, which looked perfectly normal. The plumage was in a good need of preening, but it didn’t look all that bad. My right wing however… was just a skin covered limb of bone and muscle. There wasn’t a single feather to be found. “Wha… wha…”

“Hydra works miracles, but it doesn’t replace everything right away.” Hispano rolled her eyes and shoved me back down onto my cot. “Buck says he might have something for rapid feather growth back in his main kit in the Factory, but if you ask me, you should just be glad to have your wing back at all.”

“I… I…” I stammered, forcing my eye shut to keep from staring at the weird freakish looking featherless limb. It’ll be okay, Night, she’s right. At least you’ll be able to fly again, which is more than…

I gasped as I remembered the state of things before I apparently passed out.

“Shit, Hispano!” I shot up off of my cot and wrapped my hooves around her sides as she tensed up. “Is everypony else alright!?”

“Well, I guess?” She offered a noncommittal shrug as she carefully plucked my hooves off of her sides. “I mean, Cordite lost a lot of ponies in that fight. But outside of you, Buck, and Casemate, no serious injuries really. Well, there maybe some lightly bruised bodies and egos...”

“So, did Casemate make it?” I groaned as the rush of sitting up finally caught up with me. My head pounded for a few moments, and reflexively I jabbed my forehoof against my patch covered empty eye socket. Like always, the pressure helped to mildly dull the pain, but thankfully the bulk of it passed fairly quickly.

“Oh yeah, though she’s pretty pissed off about it.” Hispano chuckled as she rolled her eyes.

“What? She’s pissed about being alive?” I groaned. Really, after everything, you’d think she’d at least be thankful.

“Yeah, well, she kept going on and on.” Hispano leaned forward and hooked her talon around my back. With her help, I got off that stiff cot and back onto my sore hooves. The cold and wet ground underneath the canvas tent had soaked through, and the dampness nipped at my hooves. However, at least I wasn’t standing directly in the mud, so there was that. “It was something about being destined to die in a tank like her dad and mom did. I dunno, it’s all crazytalk to me. I think she must’ve hit her head or something in the fight. That, or it’s the bloodloss talking.”

Stepping forward, Hispano reached up and pushed the tent flap open. Amber evening sunlight streamed into the small tent, and the sounds of ponies moving about drifted through with the cold breeze. I shielded my eye with my hoof as the both of us stepped outside, and the first thing I felt, was the warmth of the large bonfire going just on the other side of the nearby El Alemane.

Sitting on the engine deck and seemingly playing a game of chess, were Guiness and Zibar, with Ping watching with an unusual focus on the game. A steaming pot of some sort of hot drink sat beside the three of them, which Poppy attended to between puffs from the old pipe in his muzzle. Moving around the backside of the tank with Hispano, I got a better look at the bonfire that was going, and recoiled as the stench hit me.

Bodies, piled into a mass nearly as big as one of the T-8 tanks, burned brightly. Ponies wearing the Pentex combat outfits stuck out the most, as most of their gear seemed to be pretty damned fire resistant. But there was one leg that stuck out from the pile that was different. Charred, blackened and ashen, the cloven hoof that I’m pretty sure had belonged to Huck sat amongst the others.

I hadn’t really known him at all, but still I felt it wasn’t really fair. None of that fight had needed any of the Cordite ponies to die, or the Pentex ponies for that matter. But we couldn’t change that, and like Ping said, the wasteland should now be a better place without Pentex in it.

“Hey.” Casemate called out from around the fire to me. Her burning glare was more intense than the roaring flames as she leaned just into view. “Come here. We need to talk.”

“And here she goes again…” Hispano sighed before giving me a firm pat that honestly I couldn’t feel due to the fact that my skin was still numb from the cold. “I’m going to go get Buck and tell him you’re up, alright?” I nodded to her and watched a warm, soft smile part her beak. “Just try not to get hurt in the meantime, Dum Dum?”

With a flutter of her wings, she took flight. Returning my gaze to the fire, I found that Casemate’s steeled glare was still locked on me. Right, I really hoped that Hispano was wrong, and that this really was just to tell me that she would give the Chief her approval for our deal rather than rant at me. Picking up my sore hooves, I walked around the fire, wincing as my hooves squished and slopped through the near freezing mud. As she came into view however, I stopped mid step as I found two heavily bandaged stumps sitting where her rear legs used to be.

“Wait, your legs are still missing…” I spat out before thinking, and got the response that I deserved for it.

“Yeah, and how’s that new wing of yours doing?” Casemate grumbled as she crossed her forehooves and shifted her glare to the fire. “I know, I shouldn’t be angry that the doc didn’t bring enough Hydra for the both of us. I know how expensive that shit is, seeing as our Stalliongrad-built tanks have an insatiable hunger for loader forelegs…” She gave out a shudder before blinking and pulling her eyes from the fire. “But... you saved me. You saved all of us, really.”

“I… didn’t save everyone.” I muttered and sat down next to her with a sigh. She moved to speak, but before she could, I cut her off. “I know that I couldn’t have. It’s just… a shame that Huck and the others had to die.”

“Yeah, but… Dash Fantastic and I made it through, along with plenty of others that Pentex will never hurt again.” She unfolded her crossed forehooves, pointing off around the other side of the fire. I leaned over, getting a glance of a little bright yellow filly laughing and giggling with a pink stallion with a blue and white striped mane. The stallion was missing his right forehoof, but from the look of it, it wasn’t a new injury. “Those of us at Cordite may call ourselves a family, but… those with actual family should always get to come home. We mourn those who can’t, but… that’s just part of the job. For me, Huck, and the rest of us who don’t have a family, we all know what we signed up for.”

“Indeed we do!” Poppy laughed as he lowered himself down from the El Alemane, carefully holding onto a steaming cup of tea in his rotten fetlock. “You know, there was an old chap I knew in our first formation, shortly after Cordite had formed, mind you. A charming young stallion with a stomach bigger than his eyes.” He chuckled as he slowly walked through the mud, careful not to spill a single drop of his tea. “You see, he’d once thought it was a good idea to eat one of the old emergency rations for a snack.”

“Oh, I remember this story.” Casemate laughed and used her forehooves to brace and lean herself back a bit. “Didn’t he throw up all over the Chief’s boots?”

“Of course, and how could you ever forget the smell of it?” Poppy chuckled as he carefully came to sit down right next to Casemate. Slowly, he offered her the steaming hot cup of tea, which even from here smelled wonderfully like fresh flowers. “Do you remember what the Chief told him, and what she has repeated to all new cadets since?”

“Everything’s got an expiration date.” Casemate nodded as she carefully took the tea from him. She paused, almost staring through it as she held it in her hooves. “Including you, me, and everyone we know.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t try to stave that off as long as possible!” Buck spoke up as he stomped his way through the mud. Hispano sat curled in his arms, and I was instantly jealous of how warm she must feel right now.

“Right, and it doesn’t mean that the cost of the battle wasn’t worth the reward.” Casemate offered before taking a sip from her hot drink. “Countless lives have been saved today. And with Pentex out of the way, the entirety of the Misery range is nearly free of threats. With the noted exception of the skyraiders, of course. But as you’ve implied, that specific problem is about to be solved as well.”

“And a new era of peace may well dawn upon the north.” Ping now spoke up as he easily dropped right off of the top of the El Alemane into the mud. The splash sent up a wave of steam as it doused some of the roaring bonfire, but his bright smile beamed through it.

“It doesn’t replace those who were lost,” Poppy turned to look at the bonfire as Ping trotted around to his side, and offered almost a reverent bow of respect to it. “however, the promise that our deaths may one day bring peace back to Equestria was how a lot of us older ghouls used to get through the day to day of the war. Because how else would peace once again grace us, if not through the sacrifices of those who wanted it the most?”

“And what book of terrible wartime poetry did you steal that from, Poppy?” Casemate snorted and rolled her eyes. Even as she did, a wide smile pulled across her muzzle that made it incredibly difficult to hide behind her cup of tea.

“My word, the nerve, Miss Casemate!” Poppy scoffed and put his hoof pretentiously against his chest. “Why I’d never…” He eyed down out her with a sly smirk crawling out from around his impeccably groomed mustache. “It’s unbecoming of an officer to slander her subordinates, especially when her accusations haven’t got a leg to stand on!”

“Hey, that’s commander Casemate, and I’ve still got two of ‘em!” Casemate laughed and flailed her forehoof at him sharply. “Two’s more than enough to kick your moldy old flank back into line, buster!”

The two of them glared at each other for a moment before bursting into roaring laughter. I couldn’t help but find myself joining in, even if laughing meant that my back and legs sent up tingles of pain. But how could I not feel good? Yeah, that fight sucked, and we lost ponies, but... we’d won. And like they said, the wasteland would be better off for it, so I’d say we’d all earned the right to laugh a little.

“Alright.” Casemate did her best to calm herself from her laughter, waving a forehoof in the air above her. “I think we’ve all collected ourselves enough, and it’s time to head back to base before it gets dark. Those whose tanks are too damaged to move, settle in. We’ll have the engineers here at first light tomorrow. Until then, secure this site, and do your best to prepare it for the salvage teams.”

“Hey, guys!” Happy’s exuberant voice wasn’t something I’d expected, but for once was glad to hear as he trotted around the side of the El Alemane. You know, most days I’m probably a bit too hard on the guy, seeing how much he’s actually stepped up and helped recently. “Cordite HQ says that we did a good job here, and that there’s a party tonight in our honor! Free drinks on them!”

Then again, there’s plenty of good reasons why I’ve been hard on him. Though, like the rest of us of course, he’d earned a bit of happiness, so I could let it go. This time.

“So then, Miss Bombay,” Poppy cleared his throat as he approached me. “I do suppose that this is farewell.”

“Geeze, you make it sound so final, Poppy.” Casemate rolled her eyes at the old ghoul again.

“Well, it’s just that my crew will be here for the night, and I assume that Mrs. Night and company will simply be moving on.” Turning a sideways glance on Casemate, Poppy waited until she shrugged and nodded before turning his mustached muzzle back toward me. “It’s been quite a ride to share since we first caught a glimpse of your convoy in Filly Crossing. You don’t suppose you’ll ever be back up in this part of the north, do you? Things certainly have been a lot less duller in our travels with you lot up here sharing the roads with us!”

“Not if we can avoid it.” I smiled and glanced over to Happy, who nodded his own confirmation to me. “Like with you and Pentex, we’ve got our own demon to chase down. So yeah, I guess this pretty much is goodbye.” Reaching my hoof out to the old ghoul, he took it firmly and shook it hard. I couldn’t feel it at all with the numbness in my skin, but I did feel the warmth from the look of respect he wore. “But, you take care of yourself and your crew, Poppy.”

“Likewise to you and your own, Miss. Bombay.” The old ghoul smiled before turning his attention one by one to Buck, Hispano, Ping, and then Happy. “Though, I suppose with what you’ve managed to pull off so far, you don’t need an old ghoul to wish you luck. Doubly so seeing as the moment you cross the mountains, you’ll be out of the cursed Misery Range and all the rubbish luck it brings.”

“Hey, I’ll take all the help I can get.” I laughed, pausing as he pulled his hoof away and brought it up to his beret in a stiff Salute. I did my best to mirror it, but again, probably managed to make myself look like a fool. Old Poppy let off a wheezing laugh before turning and trotting back off around the body bonfire. “Alright everypony, let’s help pack up and get back on the road.”

“One… last thing.” Casemate reached out and grabbed my attention, “I thought your name was Night. Why does Poppy call you Bombay?”

I opened my muzzle to speak, but Hispano dropping out of the air next to me forced me to pause. Which of course, gave her the perfect opportunity to speak up first.

“Night has an odd propensity to gather nicknames.” Hispano smirked as she eyed me with a smile across her beak. “Feel like tacking yet another one onto the growing list?”

“I’m sure there’s an interesting story behind that, but I think I’ll pass. For now, I just want to get home.” Casemate chuckled before pushing herself back a bit from the fire. Turning and looking up at Buck as he towered over her, she reached out to him without a single hint of the same nervousness she’d held with him before. “Alright, big guy, let’s go.”

The sun had just set as we got back to Cordite, and the sounds of celebration and old world tunes leaked out of the visitor’s center. The others had all gone inside to get in on the party before we headed back to the Arcturus, but I didn’t feel like celebrating. No, I was contented to sit and feel the visitor center’s lawn under my hooves, and stare up at the clouds as they passed across the star filled night sky.

The thoughts of moving on had stuck with me at the bonfire earlier. The idea that pretty soon here we’d be headed south again hadn’t really sunk in until now I guess. Which was odd. A few months ago, I’d never even dreamed of ever seeing anything outside of Four Peaks ever again. Now? I was so far down this road that it’s hard to even know where I was anymore.

But there was something that bothered me about moving on, a nagging feeling like the moment we crossed out of the Misery Range, it was like I was leaving the north behind forever. Even though I knew that it was superstition, and that my own damned luck was at fault for everything that happened, this range wasn’t somewhere I wanted to live my life. This wasn’t my home, no matter how familiar it felt to me now, nor how much moving on worried me.

No, our future lay ahead somewhere far to the south. We were still a long way from Brahman Beach, hell, I’d think we were still a long way from Solomon. But as daunting of a fact as that was, it was nearing the time to face it head on regardless of if I was ready or not.

“Ah, there you are.” The gravelly old voice of the Chief spoke up as she pushed around the corner of the visitor center. The soft glow of the cigar in her muzzle was pretty much the only way I could see any of her features in the darkness that covered the Cordite base. “Not much for parties, are ya’?”

“Just… thinking. Planning.” I offered to her as she slowed to a walk and sat down on the lawn next to me.

“Yeah, never really been much of a party mare myself.” She groaned before she took a long drag off her cigar. Pausing to hold in the smoke, she pulled it from her muzzle with her fetlock and offered it to me. I simply shook my head and she shrugged, exhaling the large cloud into the cold air above us. “Not much of a story mare either, truth be told. The only stories I tell around here, most folk know that I saw it happen with my own two eyes. Which is why with the stories I’d heard about you and your crew, I was hesitant to believe them.”

“And now?” I smirked at that and turned my eyes back to the starry skies.

“Some of them still seem a bit... improbable.” She shrugged and looked up to the skies with me. “But after today, I’m more inclined to believe them. I got word fifteen minutes ago that the last of your raw materials arrived. And while I’m not going to question how you could manage it so quickly, we’ll hold up our end of the bargains, as promised. I’ll get on making the necessary calls tomorrow. But, know that Cordite still owes you a great deal for the help you provided in eradicating Pentex.”

“Yeah, well, if what Ping said about them was true, then I’m just glad they’re gone from the wasteland altogether.” I sighed and glanced down at her just in time to catch her curious gaze. “So, with them wiped out, what’s next for Cordite?”

“Nothing different.” She snorted before puffing on her cigar again. “Outside of our arrangement, it’ll be business as usual. But…” The Chief paused as she reached her hoof up, taking the now stubby cigar from her muzzle and tossing it off into the grass. “I’ll be honest, I hadn’t thought we’d be so successful against Pentex. And really, it’s only thanks to you and your crew that we were. That said, we’ll probably have a bit of an easier time watching over the roads, so I’m going to make you an offer. Anytime you need help, and you see a Cordite tank, just ask and they’re yours for as long as you need them.”

“That’s kind of you to offer, but...” I began, but found a rotten hoof clamp over my muzzle.

“Let me give you a hint, you don’t refuse a gift from a tanker. Some of our tanks have naval guns on them, and others? Artillery. Which means, you aren’t necessarily out of range once over the horizon.” She let out a gravelly laugh as she let go of my mouth. “Seriously though, if you at all need one of my crews, even just as a favor for somepony else, just ask.”

“Thanks, Chief.” I nodded to her and watched as she seemed contented with my answer. Both of our gazes were torn from each other as the door to the Visitor center slammed open, and a very drunk looking Guiness stumbled out.

“Well, I may not like parties, but I have a feeling I’m going to have to step in early and start cutting a few ponies off. I still want to have a somewhat functional staff by sunup.” The Chief sighed as she pushed herself back onto her hooves. Pausing, she reached out and gave me a pat on the shoulder. “You take care on your trip. Find that Saddle Arabian bastard from the stories and give him hell, alright?”

“Oi! Lassh!” Guinness called out as the Chief turned and trotted back toward the door. He stiffened up, almost tripping as he threw up a quick salute as she passed by him. But the moment she was gone, he resumed a wobbly course right toward me. Getting to my hooves, I turned and started to head towards the section of the lawn where the Remora was still parked. “Oi, w-wait up!” Goddesses, I did not need this right now…

Despite my head start and clear headed steps, he picked up his own pace and easily managed to nearly swerve right into me at a trot.

“What do you want, Guinness?” I did my best to sound polite, but I could already feel that pit in my gut forming to tell me that this was somehow going to end badly.

“Ah… ah’m shorry.” He slurred his words, letting out a foul smelling belch that reeked of old scotch. “Fer tryin’ ta kill yah.” He gave a short laugh that to me, punctuated just how far gone he already was. “Shince you stopped us, Z-Zibar an ah, we have shtability in our livesh.”

“That’s… great. You were given a second chance, to do better.” Really, I didn’t mean to sound rude, but every moment we talked, I could feel that pit in my chest growing, and I did not want to screw anything up when today was so close to just being over. “Just don’t waste it. Help others instead of hurting them for once.” Turning away from him, his hoof shot out and grabbed around my neck, stopping me dead. Okay, here we go.

“Ah do want ta help yah, lass.” He groaned and giggled. I cringed as he pulled me tightly up against him, and dispite my struggles, I couldn’t budge his brutish hooves from around me. “Yah see, Ah’ve got a shecret ‘a Solomon’s!”

I froze at that.

“A… secret?” I asked, perking my ear and a half as I continued to struggle against his hoofhold, but to no avail. “What is it?”

He gave another giggle that devolved into a long, stretching yawn. Stumbling backward, he lost his balance, and was forced to choose between holding onto me or keeping upright. Thankfully, he made the right choice and let me go, but wasn’t coordinated enough to keep from collapsing onto the grass with a filly-like giggle.

“Sholomon has a weaknessh…” He paused as his stomach gave out a loud gurgle that worked its way up his throat and out as yet another loud belch. “Shomething he… he cares for more than… more than...” Again, Guiness yawned, but this time rolled onto his side and almost curled up like he was trying to…

“No no! Don’t you dare pass out on me!” I snapped at him sharply. But he didn’t even flinch as I’d raised my voice, and instead, the fucker closed his eyes and smiled! “Then what? Than what!?” I gave the brick of an earth pony a swift kick with my forehoof, which got him to snort and crack open his eyes, if for just a moment. “What does he care for!?”

“More than… anything else he brought…” He half-muttered half-mumbled out his answer before dragging his forehooves up under his head. “Just… gonna rest mah eyes a…” His words dropped off the moment his eyes shut again, and a light snoring came from him.

“No, what is it!?” I had to find out! Lurching forward, I all but climbed up on top of him and shook him as hard as I could. Only a louder snoring met my ears, and forced my eye to twitch as my rage boiled just below my skin. “What the fuck is it!?” No, I was this close to having something to use against him!

The worst thing about all this? Was the fact that the pit in my stomach was only getting worse. Fucking fantastic...

“I am glad to see that you two have reconciled your differences.” Ping’s confident voice came from the direction of the Visitor Center, and I looked up to see his ever beaming smile almost lighting up the darkness. A soft red glow was faintly visible from behind his eyes for a moment, but faded as he walked closer. “However, it is time to leave, Night. The others will be out shortly, and I have informed the Arcturas of our impending arrival.”

“Celestia, damn it.” I growled and shoved myself back from Guinness. “I was this close to finding out, Ping.” The curious expression that crossed Ping’s face was understandable, but also infuriating given the fact we really did need to head out. “He was trying to tell me that Solomon has a weakness, something he cares about more than anything else.” With a groan, I sat down in the grass hard and crossed my forehooves. “I was hoping we could use it for leverage, but now…” I looked down at the sleeping jerk and sneered. Couldn’t have given me just one more minute of coherent thought.

“Solomon’s power in the north has come from the estimated value of the Saddle Arabian kingdom’s many possessions.” Ping’s curiousness flipped into a dull and disappointed frown. “While one could categorize them based on approximate value, there is still a significant margin of error due to all of the possessions we do not know about.” He curled his forehoof under his chin and furrowed his brow at the ground. “That is also not accounting for the variability of any ‘sentimental attachment’ he may have to any one specific possession.”

“We were just so close.” I growled and kicked at the grass. It didn’t help to stem my anger, but a small clump of it was torn up that rolled across to hit Guiness in the barrel. “Whatever, we’ll just have to take Solomon down the hard way.”

“Yes, well, Mrs. Hispano still has Mrs. Delilah’s book, does she not?” Ping offered, flashing up a different kind of smile to me this time. It wasn’t his normal exuberant one, but it wasn’t his forced nervous grin either. No, this one felt different, filled with what I could best approximate, was hope. “With it, there is still a chance…”

Ping went stiff, and his eyes flashed away. Blue scrolling code rolled down them at an alarming rate, faster than I’d seen it the last time it happened. Even more alarming, was the fact that after a few moments, the code turned completely red.

“Oh no…” Ping blinked a few times, stumbling backwards as the red code was replaced once more with his normal eyes. His whole body flashed, somehow looking more pale than I’d ever seen from him, and the look of horror across his muzzle… that chilled me to the core. “It has happened. We must warn them!”

“What, what’s happened?” The pit in my stomach took a deep dive, tearing through me and locking my legs to the lush turf even though I wanted nothing more than to just take a single step towards the horrified looking Ping. The wind picked up, bringing with it a soft wailing sound through the air.

“There was… a catastrophic breach of a defensive line, the perimeter failsafe system…” He shook his head and locked his terrified eyes on me. “You need to cover your ears and board the Remora! I shall retrieve the others!”

“Ping!” I called out as he spun around and darted to the Visitor’s center. He didn’t even slow down as he slammed the front doors straight off of their hinges. Before I could even process anything, a crackle came from many of the speakers around the Cordite base.

With little warning, the old air raid sirens for the base went off. The piercing wail that filled the air forced me to bring my hooves to my head, and I finally felt my gut free my body just enough that my body took over and brought me across the lawn to the Remora.

What was he talking about? A breach, where? At the Factory? Had the Steel Rangers located the base, or...

I clambered into the open hold of the Remora as the others came rushing out of the Visitor’s Center, along with half the damn Cordite staff. They all looked just as confused as I was, with the unique exception for the terrified look across Buck’s face that hit me harder than even Ping’s had. But all of that was shoved to the back of my mind as the Remora jumped up and hovered just off the lawn as the others worked to Climb in. With all of us onboard, the doors didn’t even have room to shut as we pulled away from the ground.

The higher we rose, thankfully, the more the sirens under us drained off. They were still loud enough that they kept any of us from being able to talk to each other. Still, my eye was locked up on Buck’s as he swung it down. I tried to offer him a forced smile, but he simply shook his head to me, and that killed any hope I had that this was some sort of problem we’d even have a chance to solve.

The further the Remora skimmed us away from the base, the quieter the sirens fell behind us, but the louder the ones in the distance got. The slight glow that came from the center of Cantercross must have been where they were coming from, but if they also had some sort of warning going on, then it had to be…

It hit me all at once. It wasn’t something that had happened at the Factory.

A defensive line had fallen for the Skyraiders.

The Remora twisted as it approached the obscured and well clouded form of the Arcturas, slowing itself down as it lined us up to drop us off at the top hatch. As we hung there for a moment, I noticed in the distance that another glow had appeared on the horizon, almost like the glow that Cantercross’s still powered lights gave off. However, this glow grew brighter, and a prismatic orb flashed up over the distant mountain tops.

All of us in the Remora held our breaths as one after another, glows lit up the far reaches of the north, expanding and rising into massive prismatic fireballs. No, we’d worked so hard, done everything we could! We… we couldn’t have been too late…

Buck’s metal paw moved quickly, covering my face just before a bright flash lit up the not so distant sky. The light drained off, and Buck moved his paw away just enough that I could see the glowing magical fireball rise up and completely beat out the bright lights of Cantercross.

The rainbow orb was both terrifying and awe inspiring, just in it’s sheer scale and eerie, silent beauty. Even having lived through the disaster at Four Peaks, I hadn’t seen the explosion. This… I couldn’t quite comprehend the immense scale of the blast, even given the distance we were from it. The fireball shifted, rolling up into a mushroom shape like all the old films and pictures of tests showed, a familiar sight that had always been in the backdrop of wartime and post-war life.

But this… this was different than just seeing it as something in school, or as part of a design for some wartime advertising or product. It was tangible to me now, like a living and breathing being that had just expelled two centuries of pent up rage. The feeling of being so insignificant compared to it, knowing I could do nothing but gaze at the sight of it... it was all that was firmly etched into my memory. I’d skipped right past being intimidated, and was already half a world past being afraid. Watching Violet and the Convoy die was similar, a nightmare to behold, but it had already been confined inside my own mind. This… this was a living nightmare, one that all of us in the Remora now shared.

From where the plume dimmed and rose into the night, I at least found a thread of solace. The megaspell looked like it had missed Cantercross, and had detonated somewhere out in the already blasted planes to the northeast. Still, while Cantercross may have been safe from the strike, my heart reminded me that with the amount of blasts we’d seen, I’m sure there were plenty of others who weren’t as lucky.

After some amount of moments had passed, the heavy krack of the megaspell going off shook the air. It was louder than I’d expected, but trailed off like that of a burst of thunder. And just like that, the sound was gone, not even echoing off of the southernmost mountains of the Misery range. A rush of wind swept through the trees and across the Arcturus, but seeing as we were a good distance from the blast, we’d escaped anything worse than a mild afternoon’s gust. And then that too had passed, leaving us all once more with only the sound of the evening breeze.

So that was it then. Once again, I’d failed.

“A pity.” Solomon’s voice whispered into my ears, “and here I thought you’d said you were ‘done’ with losing.”

Author's Notes:

As always, a huge thanks to TheFurryRailFan for all his help in looking over these chapters!

And of course, thanks to Kkat for allowing us all to run around this wasteland with our own stories!