Ice cream...

It was a rare treat in the Stable, but here was a giant pink ice cream cone bigger than me in front of my eyes. Mrs. Ladle passed it over with a flourish, though for some reason she was wearing a snorkel and flippers...

Still, ice cream! I licked at the huge pink ball atop the giant waffle cone grasped in my legs and tasted strawberries. It felt wonderful on my throat and tasted like heaven. The massive cone was heavy and pushed me down into dad's old armchair he'd sleep in his office upstairs on, now sitting in the middle of the Stable diner. I kept licking at it, I'd just have to eat enough to lighten this thing, that was fine.

Oddly it wasn't cold, but warm, it wasn't melting at least. Actually it was... giggling?

My eyes opened and the pink was replaced by a lot of blue, I still tasted strawberries though... I gave another experimental lick.

A sweet sounding giggle came again, my eyes started to focus and the blue resolved into the graceful neck my tongue was stuck to. A cloud of bluish-white surrounded me and everything shifted slightly.

Jade's head was stretched up over me, my tongue was sticking out and pressed against her neck, just below her jaw. My eyes widened and I slowly pulled my tongue back mid lick. She giggled again and moved over me in response, pressing her neck against my muzzle, as she rubbed her own up and down against my ear. She pulled me closer, squeezing me in her forelegs and ruffling her wings over my chest in her sleep.

Trying not to shudder or move, I looked around in confusion and mounting panic. I was in Jade's bed... The big blue alicorn took up a good deal of the two small mattresses bound together, though it wasn't cramped since she held me tightly. An IV was hung to one side and a clear tube ran from it down to my foreleg, I was wrapped in bandages, a good deal of them on my lower half. Being frozen in place was probably pretty good right now, dull aches from everywhere told me moving would be a mistake on a number of levels.

"Mmmnnnn..." Jade whined over me, nuzzling against me and rubbing her neck in my face. I could see her closed eyes furrow a little and she pulled closer, pressing down on top of me.

Ow.. ok, oww... ribs... ribs still hurt from Crankcase's giant hammer. I didn't want to wake her up, for multiple reasons... but she kept insistently nuzzling and rolling on top of me, her neck pressing to my muzzle firmly. Whatever dream she was still having, she didn't like the interruption.

She tossed slightly in bed and hitched a hindleg over my flanks, pressing down more, "Mmmnnn!" she whined as a vertical 'I want' line appeared in her brow and I bit my lip, whimpering quietly. If this didn't stop she was going to crawl right on top of me...

My flanks burned as soon as she had put a leg over them, those legs were crippled and scorched last night and still unhappy with me. Desperate, I stuck my tongue out again and was rewarded with a sighing giggle, as she stretched her neck languidly above me.

Alright... think... my battered brain wasn't in any condition to do so to begin with, the current situation just made it impossible. I couldn't slip out of the embrace, the alicorn's heavy body was pressing me down into the mattress and held me too tightly to move. She nuzzled over me again and got another lick to keep her happy, whatever she was dreaming about, she reeeeally liked that spot on her neck. Sighing happily, she started nibbling at my ear and I stopped even trying to think.

"Little early in the mornin' ain't it boss?" A shaggy, red feathered head popped into the doorway, blinking purple eyes sleepily and looking down in amusement, "Hell she ain't even doin' it right! I expected ta walk in on somethin' a lot better than this! What's wrong with you Blue!?" The griffon mercenary Valkyrie woke the rest of the way up on taking in the situation and quickly resolved it.

Jade's eyes snapped open in the middle of demanding she get another lick and wheeled on the griffon in the door, "W-What?! What are you doing in here? It was very rude to wake me, I was... having a lovely dream," she hissed at Val, annoyance clear in her glare.

Val laughed uproariously, "Oh I know! I can tell ya were big stuff, bout to squeeze the life outta the boss there, but ya sounded like ya were enjoyin' yerself alright!" she hooted, leaning against the door frame and pointing over Jade's shoulder at me.

Jade turned back slowly, looking down at me under her on the bed. Her eyes got very big and her face turned a bright red, as she touched her neck with her hoof with dawning comprehension.

"Um... m-morning..." I wheezed weakly up at her, nearly matching her glowing crimson coloration.

Her gaze traveled down from my face, to the rest of me being smothered in her embrace sinking into the mattress and she leapt up into the air, flapping over the bed and sputtering, "F-F-Fast! Omigosh! A-are you alright!? I... I.. was just..."

Valkyrie had slid down the doorframe and tears were streaming from her eyes, "You were just what? Just what was that 'lovely dream' of yers Blue? I gotta know, c'mon spill it!"

"N-None of your business! You.. you get out of my room! I have to take care of Fast!" her eyes blazed down at the griffon.

Val laughed even harder, standing up and catching her breath, "Oh 'take care of him' huh? Do tell!"

I was starting to think she was trying to give the alicorn an aneurism, Jade shook in the air and her eye was twitching. "N-n-not like that! You are very l-lewd! Leave! F-Fast is still hurt and needs m-medical care!"

The griffon's cheeks puffed out, barely restraining another burst of laughter, "Ah well, I'll just leave ya to play doctor then! Hey boss, lemme know if you wanna second opinion! I'm a specialist!" she howled and sauntered toward me, swishing her tail.

A blur of blue slammed down to the mattress and I was bounced up in the air, Jade's wings spread wide and formed a wall between me and the griffon, as I thumped back to the sheets. "OUT! NOW!" her goddess voice boomed and Val was pushed out of the room in her magic.

"Wait! Wait! One more! Call if'n ya want me ta assist in the operation boss!" The bright griffon clung to the door frame by her charcoal claws, her purple eyes dancing with glee, "N-no, I got another, I'll be back for yer post-op sponge bath boss!" the door slammed in her face and I could hear her still laughing hysterically as she went down the hall.

Jade lowered her wings, panting and scowling at the door, while I tried to push myself up from where I landed. She turned on me with her eyes still burning and a furious blush lighting her cheeks. "I do not like that griffon! You will properly explain why..." she stopped short and her expression immediately softened watching me struggling back up. If everything didn't hurt so much, this whole morning would have been much more enjoyable.

I was gently surrounded by her magic, along with several pillows fluffing and stacking themselves against the wall, before I got propped against them. Her anger at the griffon evaporated and she pushed her forehooves together nervously, "Oh... Oh I am sorry Fast, I keep hurting you again. Your injuries... umm... a-are your ribs.. ok? I was... er... Oh, I am a big clumsy fool... I should not have, but you were hurt... a-and there was plenty of room... I just w-wanted..."

She was slumping lower and lower on the bed beside me, her hooves kept tapping together closer to her ducking muzzle. I couldn't stand seeing that, besides, I didn't want her discouraged about the morning. If I felt like a living pony again, this would have been a fantastic day already, actually it was anyway. Pain or no, I braced myself and leaned over to her quickly, planting a weak kiss on that spot on her neck before she could react. I fell backwards into the pillows immediately, even that had taken a lot and hurt like hell. The small gasp and shiver running from her tail to her mane it brought was worth it though.

"That.. was the best way... to wake up.. ever..." I groaned over to her with a breathless grin.

She rubbed her hooves in front of her anxiously and smiled back with sparkling eyes, scootching across the bed and sitting next to me, wiggling happily. "I-I am glad then... umm... It was alright? T-to sleep here...I did not hurt you? You were asleep when I came back and did not wake up while I treated you. I merely wanted to be close if you woke up, o-or needed m-medical care, that griffon's suggestions... she was w-wrong.. yes... r-r-ridiculous..."

That would sting, if she wasn't rubbing her neck absently and blushing.

Val's teasing must be infectious, I couldn't stop myself from smirking over to her. "Too bad... some were good... be fun..." I replied casually.

Jade turned an amusing red all over, shutting her eyes and shaking her head with a whinny. "F-F-Fast!" she squeaked and her hoof shot out to shove me, sending me sailing off the bed.

Jade's slender horn led her fluffy mane and big blue eyes, peering over the edge of the bed at me, past a circle of tiny laughing griffons around my head. "Oh dear...Fast?"

Jade's room was boring without her in it...

I was not allowed out of bed, left here by myself after she had changed my IV bag and forced me to drink a nasty zebra potion. She was very cross when she dragged the medically relevant parts of what happened after she left the Thundega factory last night. The recap of; big explosion, Hydra, Med-X, Dash and lightning bolt sent her into fits, stamping her hooves as she drew blood from me a lot less gently than I'd expect normally.

I tried to work my way to the edge of the bed and stand as she went to leave, but got floated right back to the pillows with a frown.

"No. You stay right there, you are obviously not to be trusted left to your own devices. You should be d-dead... You are going to sit there and rest, while I see what kind of damage you have done to yourself Fast. Stay still or I will make you," she lectured sternly and her horn glowed with that numbing anesthetic spell of hers to illustrate her point.

That was some time ago, I could hear Sanctuary coming awake and bustling to life outside the curtained windows, but was grounded here alone. Cogsworth bobbed in a few times to check on me and bring me what I wanted, if it was allowed apparently. The alicorn princess had already gotten to him.

"Just help me up... and to the porch Cogs!... I'll keep still, just outside... where I can see stuff!... C'mon buddy..." I whined at him.

"Absolutely not sir. I am afraid Miss Jade has ordered me against such action specifically." he replied, setting a bowl of Apple Sugar Bombs on a tray beside me.

Cogsworth took orders from her now? "Yeah but.. you're my robot! er... I mean, we're friends first just... your programing shouldn't mean... you have to follow her... orders right? Especially over... mine? C'mon, I'll tell her... I just overrode her asking you!"

The Mr. Handy waggled his eyestalks, "No Master Fast. You are correct you could normally order me to ignore her wishes, however she is a recognized medical authority. She has explained your convalescence is medically necessary for your well being. Your health takes priority over your boredom. Though I must say I agree with her regardless, I am glad you consider me a friend before property however sir. Could I help in some other way? Bring you something to read? Send for visitors?"

"Open the curtains?" I asked hopefully.

Cogsworth's limbs drooped, "I am afraid Miss Jade has told me not to do that. She seemed to think if you could see outside, you would be further inclined towards disobeying her orders."

I hissed in frustration, "Bring me my tools and... stuff from the workshop?"

"That would be working, which she also prohibited sir," dammit she had covered all the bases.

I kicked my legs on the bed in a tantrum, forgetting the stabs of pain that was going to bring, this wasn't fair! "Can you at least tell me... what's going on... out there?!" There were a lot of sounds and movements past the curtains, voices calling back and forth across the neighborhood, tools being put to work repairing things...

"That was listed along with opening the curtains as unacceptable for the same reasons sir, I'm sorry... I could Bring Miss Jade or Miss Xara here for you to petition, or ask for another acceptable visitor," Cogs looked disappointed he was being forced to deny everything I asked for.

If she got to Cogsworth, she probably got to anyone I could ask for too and they'd be unlikely to do anything he couldn't. I had a sneaky, rebellious thought though... "Go get me Val... Cogsworth. The big red... griffon lady?"

The robot drifted towards the door, bobbing anxiously, "She was explicitly listed as strictly off limits, in no uncertain terms sir. Though the griffon in question has also informed me she is to live here and I should obey her as if her words were your own? I wanted to confer with you about that claim. She has stopped in several times demanding I let her pass, Miss Jade ordered me to tell her you were sleeping however. I do believe the filly does not care for the griffon at all..."

I threw my hooves up with a wince, "Ugh! Fine! I'll just sit here... like a lump! If anyone... allowed to visit comes, send them... in please Cogs."

With a salute Cogsworth bobbed out the door and down the hall, leaving me to stew and pout alone.

I filled the time as best I could, managing a short nap for awhile, but soon enough I was sitting up staring at the curtained windows again. I crossed my hooves and huffed, then turned to my pip-buck to have something to do. The health reports were still unhappy with me in general, listing my multitude of injuries and showing a cartoon unicorn that looked half dead. My inventory was gone, it didn't even show anything under clothing since I was only covered in a mile of bandages. All my other items had been taken away, so I couldn't even amuse myself sorting out the junk.

The "Missions" tab had been changed slightly, however that part of the pip-buck worked it had been active while I wasn't. The mission "Stolen Sight" to rescue Mama Xara and Short Stack had been completed and crossed off the list.

That really strange one listed as "Because I Said So" was still there, as it had been since Jade asked me to get my family photos from Stable 111. For the last several days since I had completed the only objective it listed, it had just sat there. The photos hanging on the walls around me proved I had done as it asked, along with the crossed out objective, but the mission remained. Now it had a new objective added at some point;

Mission- Because I Said So

Objectives-
--Find Photos
--Stay In Bed

The entire missions thing was bizarre enough, but this one didn't even follow the normal rules the others did. Apparently, this particular mission just listed whatever Jade had demanded of me, which were few enough it would wait for the next one after the previous had been done. Ok...

I turned the radio on, having exhausted the options the pip-buck offered besides a random assortment of files taken from terminals I had run across. I could go through those, but so far most things I pulled off ancient terminals were just sad. If I was going to sit here and read I'd rather have something a little more enjoyable, a comic book maybe.

There was a bookshelf in the corner Jade had been collecting still intact pre-war books she found interesting. I searched the shelves for the thinnest spine possible and tried to reach out with my magic for it. Ow! Still a mistake, an arc of electricity ran down my horn, sparking and fizzling in the attempt. I winced and rubbed it, hissing, having a bolt of lightning blast right into your horn was not a good idea...

"Umm..."

A tiny voice sounded from the doorway and I turned, somepony else! Cogsworth had left the door cracked open and a big pink eye was staring up at me from the hall. A soft voice called out nervously, as the white muzzle it came from nudged open the door.

"I... I could get one for you..."

The little filly pointed over to the shelf from the door, how long had she been there? I smiled sadly at the foal, Platinum Glitter, her dirty silver hair fell lankly in front of her pink eyes and she inched her way in the room. Looking at her, it was hard not getting flashes of her twin on the chopping block in that hellish kitchen back in Thundega.

"Sure, please... pick something good..." I croaked and waved a hoof, inviting her in.

She nodded her head vigorously and trotted over the shelf, running her head back and forth along the shelves before selecting something and pulling it free in her mouth. She turned and showed it to me, I didn't have the heart to say the Canterlot Journal of Internal Medicine was probably pretty boring... At my nod, she ran over and scrambled up the foot of the bed, tossing it up toward me.

Wanting to be grateful, I fumbled at the book with my hooves and finally propped it up in my lap. Yes this was incredibly boring, nevermind I was just looking at the foreword. I knew. I smiled over the top of it at her and tried to look interested, making little hums, ooohs and ahhhs of comprehension.

The filly just sat there watching me. Her eyes were red from crying and dried snot coated the dirty rags she was wearing, her ribs showed through the coarse material and she was filthy. I tried to focus on the book, looking at her and remembering her twin made that dark Shrouded little pony in my head start grumbling about punishment and retribution. Blood and fire...

"Y-you took his legs off and cooked him in his own s-s-soup, huh Mr. Fast?" the filly whispered from behind the book.

The dry tome dropped from my hooves and I stared at her, her pink eyes were shining wetly, but set in a determined line. "H-how did you hear..." Jade wouldn't have told her that, and she was the only one who saw what I did to the cook butchering her sister.

"Those raider ponies, they talked to each other... I heard. They were scared... W-was... was T-Twinkle in the s-soup that killed him?" Her voice was low and cracked from crying, there was real need in that question, but I wasn't sure how to answer. She was just a foal, but she grew up out here, there was an edge to her voice that spoke of things she had seen.

"I- I shouldn't say... you shouldn't... think about it... sweetie. It's done," I finally wheezed out, looking down at the book in my lap, away from those pink eyes.

"I hope she was. I hope she helped kill him. He was a bad pony... he took momma too...I'm glad you did what you did Mr. Fast," she spoke with barely contained anguish and rage warring in her. I knew where that led now though, that was the dark voice in my head talking, hearing it from such a young filly hurt. Tears dribbled down her muzzle, but didn't touch her voice.

I shoved the book aside and patted the mattress next to me, "It's just Fast... My dad was Mr. Times but... I'm just Fast... Sorry... not fast enough..."

She looked up at me anxiously for a moment before edging forward and sitting down next to me, her eyes staring straight ahead and her back rigid. She was still leaking tears, but seemed determined not to actually cry.

"It's ok, you came. You saved us. You made them all pay. I wish I could'a helped... When we left an' I saw all of those bad ponies, what you did to them, I was glad... Miss Jade tried to make me not look, but I did. I was glad," she hissed, staring at her hooves.

"I wasn't... wish I didn't have to... ponies weren't always like that... S-sorry for mom and sister... dad?" long conversation was just right out with my ribs burning on every breath.

The filly shook her bedraggled silver mane, sending little sparkles of tears out, "Don't know him. Momma never said, we was scavengers, moved around a lot. Dunno what I'll do now.. all alone..."

"I was too... everypony I knew... gone... taken... shouldn't be alone... stay here, safe..." I reached a tentative hoof out around her shoulder and she only stiffened for a moment. I couldn't do anything for her family and she didn't have anypony else, I could make sure she lived the life her twin couldn't.

She looked up slowly, her lip quivered and her face screwed up. "C-c-can I? S-s-stay? O-others are talkin' bout moving in here.. b-but they're grownups... I c-can't do much to pay... b-but I'll work hard!"

I shook my head, hurt that a filly had thought things through that far and assumed she had to pay. That she'd just be kicked out because she wasn't useful enough, had she been watching from the door for me to need something she could get? "No pay, work if... want... stay..."

That broke the dam, she wailed and started sobbing, burying herself in my side and grabbing around my chest, ow... She hitched and sniveled and cried herself dry, while I sat there gritting my teeth under the tight little hooves and head digging into my battered ribs.

"Pssst! Boss!"

I opened my eyes, groggily looking around the dim room. Sunlight dappled the bed, streaming in around the curtains, afternoon? I must have nodded off again, looking around for what woke me, I heard it again.

"Psst! Up here boss!" Val's voice called out quietly above me.

Her dark claws were hanging on the lip of the hinged door in the roof I had helped put in this room, for Jade to fly in and out if she wanted. Her fluffy red and white head was sticking in under the edge of the door, while I could see the shadow of her tail flicking in front of the window below.

"Wha?" I felt a little better than I last remembered, sleep and whatever was in the IV nearby had been helping at least.

"Boy you're a regular lady killer, ain't ya boss, every time I come in here some new pony is in here with ya," the griffon mercenary chuckled and pointed a claw to my left.

Following her gesture, I looked down at the foal still clutching my side murmuring awake at the noise. I guessed she cried herself asleep here. Glitter yawned and rubbed her eyes letting me go, blinking around at where she was before spotting the griffon and gasping. She scrambled up and buried herself in the pillows propping me up with a squeak.

I tried to look back to find her but she was pretty good at hiding, "Hey, it's ok... Val's a friend, right?" I looked up to the purple eyes questioningly. I still wasn't 100% on her status, despite how friendly and at home the griffon was making herself.

"Of course boss! Don't you worry kiddo. Now c'mon, I'm bored, get up!" Val nodded and started slipping into the room, "That big blue filly has been keeping you on lockdown with the goofy robot butler as her guard, first time she's gotten distracted enough to stage a jailbreak!"

The filly poked her head out of the pillows and whispered up to me, "She worked for the raiders!"

Val had dropped to the floor with a soft thump and gave her a wounded look, "Well, now I work for the boss, gots me an open contract. I didn't help 'em out with the sick shit they got up to either girly, just did transport once, an' hadn't planned on repeat business with that crew. Glad the boss laid that place to waste actually, but caps is caps."

Cautiously, Glitter crawled out further, still keeping me between herself and the griffon. "D-does she? Work for you Fast? Is she safe?"

"Good questions, I had a few along those lines myself Val. But yeah I think she's... safe-ish Glitter, calm down," I replied and looked up to the she-griffon, we still needed to have a discussion about some things.

Sticking her beak in the air she hopped on the bed and looked down through lidded eyes, "Hey what's that s'posed to mean? You offer me the contract and act like it's in question? No idea how you knew about that, but I'm pretty satisfied so far, lots of potential here, you kill ponies good, gots me a room full of loot, no backing out now boss!"

I had the feeling I hadn't really understood what I had invited by saying that oath Auntie Broom taught me when I was a foal, but I was desperate at the time. So far Val had been acting as if I were her contract holder and been perfectly pleasant, but other than what she had taken herself I hadn't paid her. I knew griffons were funny about things like money and honor, that if they thought you were the boss then you were. Usually it involved payment though, it was weird for one to not be so concerned with money. She had left Crankcase on his own, even took his hostages away, mainly because he hadn't paid her.

"Er.. I wasn't going to... Just curious about some things, about that contract. W-What's it mean exactly?" I scratched my mane and looked up at her.

For a moment I thought her eyes would pop out of her head, she goggled down at me incredulously for a long moment. Then she started howling laughter and flopped to the bed beside me on her back, literally rolling. "Y-y-you don't know wh-what it means!?! Bwahahaha! Oh I knew it, y-you are hilarious boss! H-how the hell did you even know to s-say it!?!"

She didn't have to make me sound like quite such an idiot... "Auntie Broom taught it to me. Umm.. Brunhilde Steelfeather, a griffon friend of my mom's when I was little." I had to speak up, grumbling over the raucous laughter while the griffon rolled next to me, bouncing me around on the bed.

"So some griffon t-taught you that?! As a k-kid!!! Stop please! Yer k-killin' me boss!" This was getting insulting...

"Yeah, so? I told her I wanted to hire her so she wouldn't have to work for somepony she didn't want to... I just didn't have enough money..." I crossed my hooves and pouted, it wasn't that funny...

"D-Don't tell me... she w-wouldn't take yer widdle piggybank?" Val asked, trying to get her breath back.

"No... I offered all my toys too..."

The griffon sputtered and exploded in fresh gales, clutching her sides and smacking me with her wildly lashing tail, "ALL YOUR TOYS!! BWHAHAHAHAHA!!! S-Stop! I c-can't b-b-breathe!"

Glitter had crawled out from behind me and was watching the griffon spasming on the bed with a frown, "So? What's so funny! Stop makin' fun!" she huffed and started pushing the mercenary angrily.

Finally Val got herself under control, wiping her eyes and ruffling the little earth pony's mane, "I'm not makin' fun kid... ok a little... You ponies just don't understand, what kinda griffon would teach a foal that oath?! It's hilarious, I gotta meet her! Worked out for me anyway!" she tittered and rolled over, resting her head in her claws.

I cocked an eyebrow at her, annoyed. She better not be making fun of Auntie Broom, I liked her.

"Fine I'll explain! Quit givin' me the stink eye boss! I hope you know 'bout griffons takin' contracts, it's important to us right? We decide to work for somebody and so long as we get paid, we do the job, to the letter right? Client gets exactly what they pay for, nothin' more, nothin' less. An open contract is different, not about the pay or specifics beforehand. More... an investment basically."

"Somebody offers one, it's not for what they can pay, it's for what they're worth, you are the payment. Means you gotta be worth somethin', or will be, an' it leaves both sides open in ways a regular contract don't. You're still the boss and could order me to do anything really, but I can take what pay I want, equal shares. Whoever this Brunhilde is, she must'a thought you were valuable or she wouldn'tve taught you that oath. Pretty much you just offered yourself up to me for my services." her voice evened out as she went through the explanation, despite her amusement, this was serious to the griffon.

Ok, that explained a few things, she wasn't hanging around waiting for payment of the pip-buck I promised her. She had decided the pip-buck was the first payment she wanted for right now... "Soooo... You're hired based on me paying you with... me?"

Val smirked and pushed Glitter down the bed with a wing, crawling up to my face and fluttering her eyelashes. "'Zactly so boss, I could ask for anything I want outta you... or you could ask for anything you wanted..." she cooed and traced a claw over my bandaged chest, err.... I gulped, she was getting very close. ..

Just as I was getting nervous, her lavender eyes sparkled with laughter and she hopped up, crouching over me, "An' right now I'm bored, I want you to get up, go get me my pip-buck thing! Take a walk outside, you been in here all day an' all those ponies out there are all skittish. They'll listen to you, security in this place is pitiful an' I don't want my new home invaded on a daily basis. Weekly is fine, boring otherwise, but every day is too much. Can't stash our loot here if it's not secure."

Wiping sweat off my forehead, I looked up at the crazy griffon bouncing lightly on the bed over me, "T-there's a lockbox in my room..."

"Our room!"

"R-right... our room, go get it. Kept a dozen pip-bucks in there where I could get to them, locked the rest up better. Need my tools too," I answered shakily and gestured out the door.

She bounded off the bed and stuck her head out the cracked door cautiously, whispering over her shoulder, "Where's that robot... aha, be right back boss!" and she was gone with a swish of her tail through the door.

Glitter sat at the foot of the bed, listening with me to the clatters and thumps from across the hall, "That griffon lady is silly," she snorted with a small smile, at least she could smile again. That was good.

Moments later Val had returned, setting the heavy trunk down and tossing my saddlebags on the bed. She was looking over the lock on the trunk as I hoofed at my bags, "Key's in here somewhere, hang on..."

"Key? Who needs a key boss?" Val grinned and brought one of her black claws to the lock, her tongue stuck out of her beak as she scraped at it and nudged it around with her thumb. In just a few seconds the lock clicked, popping the trunk open, revealing the dusty pip-bucks stashed inside. That was impressive... "What'd I tell you 'bout security, pretty dinky lock boss. Gotta find somewhere better to stash these. You know what we could get sellin just one of these things?"

The griffon held one she selected up and stared at it avidly, greed flashing in her eyes. I could see how a pip-buck was pretty valuable and would probably sell for a lot, but... these weren't for sale. I dug the orange handled pip-buck tool from my bags in my mouth and gestured for the one Val held.

"Glitter, pick one out too and bring it here," the filly's eyes widened and she dashed to the open trunk, sticking her head in and rooting around excitedly.

A couple clicks later and Valkyrie wore her own pip-buck on her claw, she held it out and looked it over with a broad smile, lowering it back down to me to finish setting it up. The new user sequence went through some additional pages of text I had never seen, then the health status home screen flickered. I always wondered about this, but the pip-buck recognized griffons without issue, the cartoon earth pony was quickly replaced by a cartoon griffon.

"It's pretty simple, health is..." I started to give the brief tutorial, only to be waved off as Val clicked buttons rapidly with her claws.

"I got it, I got it... Lemme figure it out." she said distractedly, absorbed in her new toy.

Glitter had crawled back up and held her own pip-buck in her mouth, dropping it in front of me, she looked up in awe, "I can really have it?" she asked quietly.

Nodding, I unlocked it and slapped the arcano-tech device to her hoof, watching it power up and adjust to fit her slender leg. The filly at least let me give my spiel on how it worked... Though as soon as I was done she hugged it to herself with glee and bounded around the room. While they were both here, I made sure to grab both locator tags from the newly reassigned pip-bucks, their names added to the list on my own. I could now find both of them so long as they functioned, that was reassuring.

A snort of confusion was followed by Val plopping down next to me, she shoved the pip-buck to my face and pulled me in with a wing. "Alright, questions... gimme the boring tutorial boss," she groaned, rolling her eyes. Glitter stopped her bouncing and dashed up to join us, squeezing in between the two of us to stare at the screen.

"You could have let me to begin with... I'm guessing Val's questions are more combat related too Glitter," the griffon nodded happily, yes that was what she was interested in. "You shouldn't have to learn this stuff, so it's just for the sake of knowing it, not using ok?" The young filly bobbed her head and held her own pip-buck up below Val's.

I took a moment to hoof through the menus and changed the color to pink and purple to match their eyes, that got a gasp of wonder from the little filly as she looked around through her adjusted HUD, while Val seemed mildly impressed at least. "Ok, you need to know a little about pip-bucks..." I started just as the door swung open behind us.

"Fast, I brought you lunch! You have been good, so I thought we could eat outside, are you awake in..." Jade filled the doorway, floating a tray of puny Stable apples and two bottles of Sparkle Cola, one the red Rad! variety. On taking in the crowd gathered around me on the bed, her eye twitched, her glare locked on the griffon snuggled up against me to fiddle with her new pip-buck on her wrist. "WHAT IS THIS!?" yup... there was the goddess voice.

I threw my hooves up into the air in surrender, smiling up at her nervously, "I haven't gotten out of bed! I behaved, this isn't my fault! Don't hurt me!"

Once she had chased the griffon away and dragged an explanation out of me, Jade relented and floated me out to the porch to eat a late lunch. We sat together, watching Platinum Glitter playing with Short Stack in the front yard. Well, on the patchy ground in front of the house, I couldn't really call it a yard anymore.

The blue alicorn was munching on an apple and glaring at Valkyrie flapping around haranguing Preston, who was barking orders at three ponies in some kind of drills or speech. The influx of newly freed prisoners left the last Minutemare no longer the last it seemed, he was whipping his new recruits into shape in a rusted playground towards the center of the island.

"So, she is staying here?" Jade asked between bites, clearly annoyed.

"Umm... yeah... We do have a contract it seems. She explained it to me," I answered nervously.

"Yes, young Glitter explained as well... This open contract thing, she can just take what she wants?" yeah, she was mad.

"S-sorta? We're like... partners or something? I'm the boss though apparently, but yeah, she can ask for whatever payment she wants," how much had the little filly explained? Jade was very good with foals...

She huffed and narrowed her blue eyes at the griffon looping in the sky, "So I understand. She said you paid for this contract with yourself? That she could ask for anything... or the reverse was true? The implication I was given was the griffon had a broad definition of anything Fast..."

I gulped, "S-She was teasing me... I-I think it's more... um... whatever she wanted to be paid with, li-like the pip-buck!" yeah that's the ticket.

Jade's blue eyes loomed in front of me, inches away, "She views your room as hers? She refuses to move?"

"Er... well... f-for now I guess? We'll clear out some of the upstairs so she has her own space, I-I'm sure she'll take her own room, m-maybe her own house if she wants it?" Yeah, giving the idea of the griffon moving into a separate house was good, nevermind it seemed unlikely.

Her eyes narrowed down at me now, "That seems unlikely..." were alicorns able to read minds along with turning invisible?

Ok, ace in the hole time, she was right in front of my face after all. I leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on that magic spot on her neck. Darting back, I watched her close her eyes and smile with a little shudder, before shaking her head and trying to put a scowl back on.

"Th-That is not fair Fast... I wish to be upset with you..." she gasped.

"Sorry! V-Val's really not bad, she helped save Mama Xara and Short..." I nodded to the colt tumbling around the dirty yard with Glitter. "I didn't know what else to do at the time, if she hadn't taken them away from Crankcase, I dunno if we could have gotten out of that. Auntie Broom taught me that because I wanted to hire her with no money, it just popped out. Besides, she's right about some stuff, if security was better here they wouldn't have been taken to begin with. I think it's good to have her around, she's actually pretty nice..."

A blue nose rose imperiously to the air and snorted, "I do not like her. She is crass and lewd and teases... If she refuses to vacate your room, you are not allowed to stay there. You will stay where you are, she has no claim on my room, yes?"

I got to stay in Jade's room... I could feel my face heating up and shuffled, trying not to look completely ecstatic. "I guess not? It's yours, so I can't give it to her..."

Jade nodded and took a drink of her radiation flavored beverage, "Then that is where you will remain. You will simply have to find a way to... m-make up for your foalish decisions," she kept nose held up and eyes closed in a haughty expression, but leaned sideways, slowly putting her neck in my face. Well, the filly knew what she liked, I planted another quick kiss she fully enjoyed without trying to hang on to being mad. She gave a little giggle involuntarily and looked over from the corner of her eye, "Yes, that is a start."

"So, what's going on out here? You made sure I didn't get to find out how everypony was doing or help..." I grumbled.

My complaint was roundly ignored, "Those in the worst condition have been cared for, luckily their worst wounds paled in comparison to yours Fast..." she was still unhappy with me over that. "Many are planning on returning to their homes tomorrow, after another night of rest and regaining their strength. Several have requested to stay and join the settlement however."

"You see those who have opted to join Preston's Minutemares, he can be quite inspiring when he wishes and they are concerning themselves with securing Sanctuary as well, without the griffon's pestering... Sturges has organized the others who wish to stay into work details, already they have cleared out two more homes well enough to provide housing. Though he has said he is waiting for you to feel well enough to join him in the more complicated repairs and work, despite my informing him he would have to wait some time. Many have brought their own skills to contribute and wish to make a place for themselves, Sturges has expressed concerns about financial considerations though."

"Cogsworth has been most helpful feeding these starving ponies, thankfully we have a good surplus of food from the Stable, but feeding a settlement will be a cause for concern eventually. He has also proven adept at manipulating the remaining Ponitrons that made the trip from Thundega with us. He is able to think circles around them and has cornered them with logic into acting as guards patrolling the island. We sent a couple volunteers to follow our trail here and collect the ones that fell on the way for parts, Cogsworth seems to be waiting on you as well to provide more permanent repairs and reprogramming on them."

"Ponies are looking to you as a leader now, I have been quite busy shooing away visitors. I believe you are on your way to your goal of bringing ponies together, building something better in the face of the Institute's desire to keep them apart. This is a good first step, I have seen such things succeed back in Equestria since the day of sunshine and rainbows. I am proud of you Fast."

Keeping up with her summation of how things were going was made more difficult by my pip-buck. As always, it was paying attention and offering its opinion on what I should be doing. This time it was a litany of objectives following along with the points Jade was making. It doing this weird nonsense on its own was strange enough, it could at least follow some kind of internal logic and be consistent though. Instead of multiple new missions it started flashing just a list of objectives under one heading;

Mission- Miscellaneous

Objectives--
--Get to know new settlers
--Speak to Preston about the Minutemares
--Speak to Sturges About Repairs
--Speak to Sturges About Finances
--Deal with Robots

She smiled sweetly and furled a wing around me, sighing happily as I shook my head trying to clear all the text. It wasn't the Stable, but I was happy, there were ponies around that needed help fixing things and I was a repair-pony, fixing things was what I was good at. Being able to help felt good, having friends was good, making a home was good, all of it was worth anything I had to pay in a place like the now abandoned Thundega Factory.

Thinking of that dark place, I looked over to Glitter chasing Short in a game of tag, Jade followed my gaze and looked over sadly. "I wish I could help her, she has not spoken to me much, but she does not seem to have any family. I had hoped to take her to relatives waiting for her somewhere. She is so young to be on her own, she would not leave the house, so I left her with Cogsworth to rest. I am glad she talked to you, she seems much happier..."

"Her mom died too, doesn't know her dad. She wanted to stay, but was scared since she couldn't pay... I asked her to stay." I had no idea how she'd take this, but I made the decision already.

She was staring down at me with a funny look in her blue eyes, "Y-you did?"

I shuffled and looked down to my hooves, "Yeah.. um... I dunno what to do really, she said she'd work hard, but I told her I didn't care about that. M-maybe she can stay with Short's family I guess, if we can't take care of her? I could ask anyway, I probably should have thought about it first, but she doesn't have anypony and... I couldn't leave her alone like that. I should have talked to you to see if you had any ideas..."

"S-she can stay with us? We... we can keep her?" Jades eyes were getting big and sparkly.

"Yeah? I mean of course, I wanted to anyway. Cloudy and Long were the only other idea I had, though I haven't met any of the new ponies staying. I couldn't just stick her out in some empty house alone, she'd be safe here, but... being alone like that's no good. Is it ok with..." I tried to answer, but was tackled to the porch in a heap.

Ribs creaked under a large blue alicorn smothering me with nuzzling attention, she was laughing and sniffling on top of me, "Of course! I w-wanted to! I did not know how to ask and she seemed so sad! She would not talk! I have been worried about her all day, the others we rescued were all taken care of, she was the last and you...I told Cogsworth not to let you work on anything, but y-you fixed something anyway!"

"Ugh... g-glad your happy..." I wheezed under her.

She leapt off me and picked me back up quickly, "Oh! Oh no! I did it again! I-I am sorry Fast!" wings were brushing me off and she was inspecting me with concern. I really wished I was in better shape to stand up to alicorn affection, the ticket was costly, but I liked the ride.

As my reward, I was allowed to stay on the porch instead of going back to the dark bedroom. Well, that was part of my reward, as far as I was concerned the real reward wasn't just getting to sit out here, but all the pretty alicorn attention. Jade was kept busy by all our guests needing care, but she returned as soon as she could each time. Plus every time she left or came back, I got nuzzled or hugged, so I was ok with the frequent demands on her time.

The ratty old lawn chair I was in was deemed insufficient and the armchair from the living room was floated out for me, a train of pillows and a blanket followed and I was fretted over, making sure I stayed warm and comfortable out in the fall air. Sitting outside was nice, I got to wave at ponies as they passed and chat with guests I was now allowed.

Many of the prisoners we had freed from the raiders came up in twos and threes to offer personal thanks. I still wasn't good with strange ponies and had to stumble awkwardly through social niceties, but Jade was always nearby and would often come to take over.

A great many viewed her as the Princess I did and I had to think about it from their perspective to get it. Besides being an alicorn, she had protected them in the cells when I unleashed hell on the factory, she healed the injured and had a crazy dark pony who brought all the death to the raiders call her Princess in front of them, she led them to freedom protected by her own retinue of robot guardians, and she went back after they made it here to get me and the others back.

She was completely adored as far as I could tell, the ponies who came to see me were full of respect and admiration too, but I could see a tiny spark of fear in their eyes. Glitter told me the raiders talked around them about the gruesome things I did to their cook, I lured the raiders into a trap by playing the Shrouded Stallion talking about divine punishment for their crimes, then I followed up on it by turning the factory into a killing floor. I had been brought back looking like a dead pony and had been off limits all day.

My visitors were all nice and grateful, but I was watched carefully like I could spring up from the bandages and blankets mummifying me and just start slaughtering ponies randomly any second. Of course having a large griffon bodyguard perched nearby probably added to that image... Val was personable and laughed easily, but she watched anypony who came close with carefully hidden suspicion, and sharp claws, and lots of weapons...

At least my friends didn't look at me that way. Mama Xara came and sat on the porch with me in the abandoned lawn chair, forcing me to drink one of her zebra brews. This one she had been making all day just for me apparently, she said it would help heal some of the more severe damage I had done to myself and hopefully speed up recovering my magic. I really hoped so, I was pretty clumsy only with my hooves and mouth, every time I tried my horn I got another jolt from the lightning.

As the afternoon wore on towards evening, Preston and Sturges made their way to the porch and the two stallions started dragging tables out to the yard in front of me, insisting the evening meal be made a party I could attend. They had been busy all day and put off celebrating while I was locked up. A blast from Cogsworth's flamer ignited a bonfire out in the street and several ponies joined him in cooking a practical feast, the smells wafted up set my stomach rumbling.

Jade had come up and whispered in my ear for a bit, glancing down at the foal Glitter playing in the dirt around the gathering ponies with Short Stack and the other younger ponies being watched by their families. All the excitement and company had been good for her and for the time being at least she had recovered from her ordeal well, able to smile and play. I caught her attention after Jade finished explaining to me what she wanted, and the small filly dashed up the steps to the porch, eager to help. I hoped she wasn't still thinking she had to make herself useful to have a place here.

"Yes Fast? What'cha need?" she bounced in front of me, hugging her new pip-buck that had made her the envy of some of the other colts and fillies.

I smiled down at her from my chair and nodded to Jade watching anxiously behind me, "You know Miss Jade right? I told her I wanted you to stay with us."

The filly glanced up at the blue alicorn and nodded, "Y-Yes'm I won't be any trouble... me and... I-I'm used to bein' out scavenging, so I'll find somewhere to stay out of the way..."

"No! I- We... Fast means we want you to stay here, not just in Sanctuary, but this house, w-with us... if you want..." Jade stammered at the foal acting afraid of being kicked out if she didn't keep herself out from under hoof.

"R-really? I can? Yes! I mean... I'd like that a lot miss..." she yelped happily before reigning in her evident joy.

"Of course! We would like that very much as well Glitter. There is something you need to do though." Jade replied with mock seriousness.

The little filly put on a determined look, ready to perform whatever task asked of her and nodding sternly. "Ok! W-what?"

Jade snatched her up in a field of blue-white telekinesis and intoned her sentence, "You are very dirty, even before you went rolling around in the mud with the others. Fast and Sturges have repaired the hot water here, you need to be cleaned."

That look of determination disappeared and Glitter started struggling madly in the air, "Nooooo! No baths! Lemme go! Fast help!" she squealed as Jade dragged her inexorably to the door.

"Sorry sweetie, you're on your own," I gestured down to the armchair I was stuffed into, I was still not allowed to move.

Jade smirked back at the two of us as she entered the house, "Do not worry about Fast, he is next. Not only is he filthy as well, his bandages must be changed and his wounds cleaned. A little shower is nothing compared to what he has coming so count your blessings from Celestia and Luna."

Wait what? I started struggling weakly against the blanket pinning me to the chair.

"Do not try it! Cogsworth, keep him there!" the alicorn filly called from the house, above the squalls as the shower turned on. My traitor Mr. Handy saluted and hovered nearby.

Val's shaggy head popped down from the porch roof above, grinning, "Want me to bust you out boss? Or just want a shower buddy? You didn't say you had HOT water, I want one."

I frowned up at her and sighed, I may as well accept this, it wasn't worth the fight. Thinking about the tattered rags Glitter was wearing though, I did have a job for the griffon mercenary. "No... You can get me something though, it's... in the house next door."

That piqued the griffon's interest and she landed with a thump in front of me, "What, the one no one is allowed in? Sturges and your robot been waving people away from that one all day, what's in it? Loot?" she rubbed her claws together greedily.

"Sorry, it's just an old friend's house. There shouldn't be anything in there of any interest really, I was just hoping you'd go up there for me. The filly that lived there was right around Glitter's age at the time, there's probably something nicer she can wear up in her room. Mmmm... up the stairs, down the hall, second door on the right. I'd go but..." I gestured down again, walking over to Sunset's house was out, let alone going upstairs and back again.

Val cocked her head, "You know a lot about it, looks like that place ain't been touched since the war. How you know what'll be in there? What old friend?"

"It's a long story, I promise I'll get you all caught up, just trust me for now. The filly that lived there liked pretty dresses, hopefully there's something left," I shrugged up at her, I would have to explain some things to the mercenary. Maybe she'd even have some insight into what happened to the Stable and The Institute.

Val grumbled with such a mundane task, "Yer sure there's no loot in there? Gems? Gold? Guns? Nothin'?"

"We can go explore it when I feel better if you want, I never paid a lot of attention to the grownup stuff at the time. It's off limits because it belongs to a friend of mine, that's all. She's... she's out there somewhere, I wanted it to be the same when she got back, but I don't think she'll mind this." I shrugged to the fiery griffon.

Satisfied with the explanation, Val spread her wings and shrugged back, "Ok, whatever you say boss. I won't toss the place, I am gonna take a quick peek around though, just in case. Be right back boss!" With a gust of flapping wings she flew over to Sunset's house, pausing only a moment to run her claw through the lock before strolling through the door.

Jade came to collect me after a lot of thumping and shouts from the bathroom before Val had returned. I was a little disappointed, I hoped to have something to give the young filly to wear other than her rags when she got out of the shower. She wasn't dressed back in the filthy clothes at least, as I was levitated through the living room, I spotted her pouting on the couch, a large towel wrapped around her now brilliantly white coat and another in a turban perched on her head.

"Do not move Glitter, stay there and dry off until I return. If you get dirty again you will just go back in..." Jade called over to her as we passed, she scrunched her face up and stuck her tongue out at me bobbing in the air.

Jade was very wet, she was wearing a dripping Stable bathrobe and her mane and tail were hanging limply around her. If she hadn't been directly in the shower with the filly it sure looked like it. We headed down the hallway, drifting through the air in lazy circles I was staring at the alicorns rump sashaying in front of me, the too small robe was very fetching plastered to her like that.

When she turned and brought me into the bathroom I looked around blankly, I had expected Cogsworth or even Preston or Sturges in here to help me out. Instead I was met with a scrub brush and an open medical box dispensing alcohol and peroxide floating up to join me. A gleaming pair of scissors bobbed over as well once I floated above the shower floor and started clipping away at the bandages wrapped around me.

"Umm... Jade... isn't Cogsworth coming?" I asked slowly.

The beautiful blue filly hummed and snipped, absently looking up. "Hmm? Why would he?"

"Preston? Sturges?" I ventured.

She paused and looked up quizzically, "No... why do you expect someone else to join us?"

"Er... s-shower? Right?" I was having a hard time figuring this out, I had accidentally walked in on Jade coming out of the shower the other day and she reacted as I'd expect, turning herself invisible for the first time I had seen and pushing me out, embarrassed. At the moment however, she was simply humming while I twisted lazily in the air, pulling stained bandages off me and inspecting the wounds underneath with disapproving noises.

"Yes, you are still covered in filth and gore from that awful den of raiders. I have only had the chance to give you the most cursory of cleaning to dress your wounds and keep them clean. Do not feel insulted, but as pleasant as having you nearby is, you stink. You may not sleep in my bed again with such an odor. Oh, your poor tail is singed horribly too..." the scissors moved from the nearby bandages and started clipping frazzled, scorched hair.

"Exactly, so shower...you... me... shouldn't somepony else help me out here if you insist I can't on my own? N-not that I mind the thought!" I asked, trying to figure out what I was missing.

Jade cocked an eyebrow and smiled, "This is part of your medical care Fast, not... shower f-fun time... you have been spending too much time with that griffon... Trust me, this will not be pleasant..." she punctuated that last by floating the very stiff bristled brush up and peeling away the last of the bandages painfully. "Your wounds must be debrided, close your eyes..." she ordered as the water came on at her magical direction.

"W-what? Wait if this isn't a fun shower then why?" this didn't sound good, but I was still missing something.

The cinch around the waist of her robe came undone in a glow of magic and moved toward my head, "Because I am going to have to be in there as well. I am able to be a professional and tend your wounds without distraction, you are... plainly not. I do not have to blindfold you, do I Fast?"

I tried to struggle feebly as I was dunked under the water and my wounds screamed at me, what kind of double standard was this! She got to do as she pleased in the shower, but I had to close my eyes? I had been consoling myself that the pain surely waiting for me would be countered by who was giving it and where. Her robe started to flap open and she stared down at me, waiting patiently.

"This isn't fair..." I grumbled, clenching my eyes tightly.

"Yes, yes, I know... If it makes you feel better, this merely makes us even, you did come waltzing in on me. Besides, as I said this won't be...pleasant!" she spoke softly over me until the last word, when the brush made contact with my oozing wounds and scrubbed vigorously.

"WAAAAAUUUUGHHH!!!! DISCORD FUCK ME WITH A PURPLE POLKA DOTTED PEACOCK!!!!" having a very stiff brush viciously scrubbing dead tissue away from the burns and wounds the grenades had shredded my flanks with was as bad as getting them to begin with.

"Fast! Language! Glitter is just down the hall and I believe the entire island of Sanctuary can hear you!" I heard Jade gasp, but the scrubbing didn't even pause. How could such a gentle, caring filly be such a sadist!? Keeping my eyes shut wasn't difficult though. Clenching my eyes shut to blackness was a natural reaction, I did manage to change my screams up to a random string of nonsense instead of one long unending curse at least.

I heard the door crash open, but couldn't open my eyes even if I wanted as the scouring just kept going, "What the fuck is going on in here boss! You ok!?! You... wow Blue, didn't know ya were into that kinda thing... as you were then..." Val had burst in to the bathroom and quietly let herself right back out. Traitor...

A wet snort sounded behind me, "That griffon has a one track mind, she knows perfectly well what I am doing Fast, do not let her tease. She appeared quite green at the sight." Jade muttered while continuing to flay me, unphased.

An eternity later the torture stopped, leaving me a gibbering puddle on the wet floor, "There, that wasn't so bad was it? This will all be much nicer in comparison now Fast," a much softer, sudsy brush started gently scrubbing my coat once I was floated free of the hot water again.

Jade was humming cheerily, far too pleased with herself. The soapy brush left, but I heard it continue scrubbing behind me as she sang melodiously in the shower. I felt her hooves in my mane raising a lather that dripped over my face, she was making sure I didn't open my eyes now that I could...

The gentle ministrations moved down to clean my scorched tail and I twitched, listening to her singing slow down and fade to distracted humming, it sure didn't sound like professional detachment anymore.... "You're enjoying yourself now! I'm opening my eyes, this isn't fair!" I yelped.

I barely heard a quiet "eep!" before I was hovered under the stream of water and rinsed off, sputtering in the steaming torrent. "I am sorry, what was that Fast? Just hold on, nearly done!"

Finally the water shut off, I moved through the air and was set down on the tiled floor, an old Stable towel wrapped around me and started energetically shaking as she called out over the flapping noise, "Alright, you may open your eyes again."

Jade was sitting before me, wrapped in towels in an identical fashion as Glitter in the living room, turning her head critically while the towel continued drying me. Several packs of bandages floated over, unrolling in the air and winding around me after any given area was splashed with peroxide, followed by purple healing potion dribbled liberally that slaked the horrible stinging.

I wanted to flop to the floor and just curl up in a ball, this was the most I had been allowed on my own hooves today though and if just fell over I'd never be allowed to move around on my own. I managed to keep my forelegs under me shakily, while the bandages finished turning me into a mummy again and a brush floated through my mane yanking my head back, Jade was humming with an appraising eye tugging the grey mess one way then another.

"Not fun..." I grumbled under the attention.

Sniffing delicately, Jade floated me up and out the door, "Helping others heal is so fun Fast. Honestly, you whine more than the foal outside, you both smell much better though. You may attempt to walk down the hall while I finish up, I know you have disliked being bedridden. You should not force yourself though, stop if you tire, we will decide what to do based on how you feel." She smiled under the towel wrapped around her head and turned back, shutting the door, leaving me to finally try walking under my own steam.

I sat in front of the door a moment trying to brace myself, every experiment with my hind legs had been painful so far just sitting around doing nothing. I had been crazy to get up and move all day, but the pain helped reinforce Jade's strict orders I not do so. She had also made it clear she would paralyze me and strap me to one of the medical beds if needed, but other hurt ponies were using them in the clinic, so if I insisted on being selfish I'd be putting somepony else out. The alicorn knew how to really lay on the guilt if she felt like it...

Now that I finally could move, it was daunting, I looked down the mile long hallway and could hear Val and Glitter talking that way. I also realized when the humming and shuffling behind the door stopped, I wouldn't get another chance for awhile if I was just siting here without moving at all. I had to make some kind of distance, the further the better.

Hoping for quiet, I shoved myself forward and just tried getting up on all fours over with in one go, that was stupid... As soon as my back legs were asked to take weight, they shrieked at me and I started falling forward, I scrambled with my forelegs so I didn't land on my face at least. A series of weaving stumbles thumped me against the wall, three steps forward and nearly sideways right into the other wall. I decided to take that as a win and slid down the wall, biting my lower lip to stifle a whimper.

"Are you alright out there Fast?" Jade called from behind the door.

One eye clenched, I looked toward the door shaking and tried to sound normal, "F-fine!" I yelped, yeah... smooth... the sounds in there picked up. Three steps, I'd be stuck doing nothing another day if I didn't manage better than this.

A mad lunge propelled me down the hall again, this time I managed five steps before I tripped on the threadbare, ratty carpet and went pinwheeling forward. Back to the first wall, I bounced off it like a pinball and skidded to a halt on my stomach near the halfway point.

I could see the griffon Val leaning off the couch in the living room, peering at me and waving to the explosion of color around her that Glitter was rooting through. Hoping for compassionate concern was too much to hope for from the mercenary, she looked amused and called down to me, never shifting from her seat. "I found some! Just brought everything boss! C'mon, are you a pony or a radroach!? Quit crawlin' around down there!"

Crawling sounded good, I could manage that, maybe a nice trudge... I better make it to the living room at least, I couldn't have much longer and not even making that goal would be pitiful. This time I opted for slow and steady, wincing up again and dragging my hooves along the ground carefully. One step at a time. My legs had worked well enough when I had a stew of drugs running through me, the delayed cost for that little tactic was pretty annoying though.

The gleaming white filly bounded down the hall and up to my side. Glitter's now clean silvery mane bouncing and she had a simple pink play dress on that matched her eyes. Val had apparently found something she liked at least. "Lemme help! Um... here keep goin'!" she settled on leaning against me anxiously, leaving less space between me and the wall to weave around in. I was almost there, just another couple steps and I'd technically be in the living room.

I brought my hoof down for that last step, about to make contact with the change in carpeting, but it kept going well past where the floor should be. I was lifted away from it inches away, come on! Jade trotted up briskly behind me in her clean lab coat and looked me over, taking in my shaking legs and sweaty brow.

"Hmm... not bad I suppose. You may enjoy the party, If you could not reach the couch without help, you need another full day of rest however," she announced, finality tolling in her prescription. The couch!? All the way across the room I made it to? That filly was insane, now I was faced with another day? I hung limply in her telekinesis and whined.

New Perk Added!---------------------

Local Leader--
--As a leader everyone turns to, you are building a settlement that can actually be something, well... it's being built around you anyway... Trade lines can now be established from Sanctuary to the rest of the Commonwealth.