"Fast?... A-Are you awake?"

My eyes cracked at the soft murmur at my chest, blinking down to see Jade resting her chin there and staring at me in the early morning gloom. I moved to look into the blue pools shining in dim light, immediately regretting it when my body reminded me it was awake now too with a wave of pain. Instead I settled for lifting a hoof to stroke her cloudy mane and sigh in contentment at just waking up with her.

"Mmmwake... wassamatter?"

She must have noticed that initial wince, worriedly holding me still and shaking her head against my chest. "Nothing is wrong... No...T-That is not true... but nothing additional is wrong... I am sorry to wake you, I was w-worried... I wanted to hear your voice, it is silly..."

"Nnn S'not silly... s'ok, talk, I'll say whatever you want..."

I sleepily noticed a small smile at that as she curled closer and fluffed her wing around us, thinking silently for a few minutes where I came dangerously close to nodding off again. "I will not leave you today... There is no point in wasting time apart in my clinic any longer. I am sorry Fast... I could not help you... Even still, you must be alright! P-Please?"

"Whatever Princess wants... will be fine, it'll be ok." I could lean up to kiss her horn at least, calming her enough to continue softly.

"I did not realize just how much you had come to mean to me until I became truly afraid of losing you... I... I have thought and felt things since you disappeared that frightened me... So much rage at those who took you and did this, I... h-have even lied to my sisters... simply because I do not wish to share you... A-Am I selfish Fast?" She whispered fearfully in the dark, making me wake all the way up and really focus, this was really bothering her.

"You're not selfish Jade, you're one of the most generous, giving ponies I've ever known. I think it's ok to be a little jealous of your special somepony, if our roles were reversed... I might be able to handle you being with others to save the species and all, but I wouldn't like it... Nope, not one bit... Is that what you and Ivy are fighting about?"

Her eyes widened in surprise and she answered with a reticent, shamed whisper. "Y-Yes... She thinks it was not right to ask you to keep things a secret without knowing why. That I am being unreasonable, g-greedy... That I should be willing to let you... h-help them... if the potion succeeds, to be logical... I know I should, once I would have been overjoyed at the prospect of you becoming one of us, happy to s-share you to fill the mother's wish... for the good of all of us... but I do not want to now."

"Thinking logically about the pony you love doesn't work... I don't think you're greedy or unreasonable, I can see Ivy's point... but I won't do anything to hurt you, if you don't want me to do... that... then I'm not going to. I like your sisters Jade, I love you."

I was rewarded a long kiss for that, reluctantly breaking away for her to lay her head beside mine and close her eyes in tired relief. "I love you too Fast, thank you for showing me how valuable that is. That is why you may not leave me, whatever your plans today... we are a family, we stick together, right?"

"Right, you're not getting rid of me that easy, don't worry. Get some rest Jade, busy day..."

Our morning was probably one of the best days we spent in Goodneighbor, giving me something positive to hold on to and soothe my battered body and tired spirit. Even in the spacious and luxurious Princess Celestia Suite, we were crowded with friends and guests.

Preston and his pegasus recruit stayed with us, though he had quite a few Minutemares outside of town nearby. Jade's sisters were still with us as well, except for Ivy who remained in her orphanage overnight. Sassy Saddles had also been invited to share our room while she was here, the least we could do since she came all this way to sell her clothing to Jade's sisters.

The ghoul seamstress looked like she had been busy while the rest of us slept, ghouls not needing sleep must be great for productivity, though it would be a lot of empty hours to fill. She had apparently spent last night sewing for Glitter in a feverish rush, the little filly was already proudly wearing her Nightmare Night costume and I doubted several of the others had requested what they wore on their own.

Glitter had her own version of Jade's Alicorn Angel costume now, an amazingly clean, white outfit and skirt with pink accents. The fake horn and wings she had stuck on hit a little close to home, seeing the filly almost convincingly made up to be an alicorn, but the tape on her horn wasn't quite hidden by her bouncy silver mane, and the wings looked soft but also stuffed.

She must have requested several, as Magnolia and Peri both plucked at nearly identical outfits uncertainly. Magnolia's featured a rich purple skirt, while Peri was evidently relegated to Alicorn Angel Yellow since Blue was already taken, her blonde mane and matching eyes complimented the sunny yellow skirt well.

Out of everyone in the living room, only Zed wasn't dressed up for the holiday in some way. As far as I could tell it wasn't just him reverting to his normally dour behavior, for some reason Nightmare Moon was a seriously touchy subject for zebras, a whole holiday celebrating her was viewed as a form of madness us ponies engaged in once a year.

He did take the time to explain that much, and didn't mind the rest of us celebrating, he just refused to participate and said the whole issue of Nightmare Night was a sore spot for zebras. Saying that 'collectively inviting the Nightmare from the stars to return every year was insane'.

Val was suspiciously absent, when I looked around for the normally loud griffon and didn't hear her still snoring from her rooms, I had to ask and smile at Jade's annoyed huff and roll of her blue eyes. "She refuses to come out of her room, still pouting over your decision regarding her winnings..."

I sighed at the upcoming battle and headed that way, I gave her plenty of time to accept it and whine, parting her from even some of the fortune of caps we'd taken from the King's Gambit wasn't going to be easy, but it was right. I gave her door a light tap and stuck my head in, goggling at what I found her doing with a surprised grin.

She was still in bed, though since the pictures weren't rattling from the walls at my approach I knew she was awake. Instead of sleeping the bright griffon was stretched luxuriantly across her large bed, rolling around and wiggling on her back with a blissful expression, every motion of her sprawled, supple and armor-less body causing jingles of metal. She had poured out thousands of caps on her bed in a bizarre nest and was rolling around on it naked...

"Val..." I tried to start softly, struggling to keep a laugh out of my voice as she wriggled around and drummed her paws against her treasure at my voice.

She flopped over on her belly and spread her limbs out over the mountain of bottlecaps like a dragon sleeping on its hoard of gold and jewels, pouting over at me waiting patiently. "Nnnnnn Nooooo! C'mon boss! Just a little longer!"

"Val, we talked about this... We cheated to get that, with help from Jade's sisters... We can't keep all of it, they deserve their share, they did the work, they should get paid too right? Like a contract? You agreed..."

I walked over to sit beside the bed while she kept rolling around, whining and looking up at me from her comfortable position. "Yeah I know... But this is like a lifelong dream of mine boss! Literally! Got it wrote down an everything! 'Roll around naked on a bed of caps' an finally checked it off! Ya can't take it away! C'moooooon... They don't even know much about money period!"

"No, but they're starting to need it now that they're leaving their tower. It's what's right Val, plus Ivy's running that orphanage now, still think they won't need caps? You get to keep half..."

Her long tail lashed back and forth, sending fans of bottlecaps jingling about as she groaned at the ceiling. A mischievous sparkle in her violet eyes wasn't quite enough warning ahead of her bounding forward and snatching me up her claws, rolling back on the bed with me in a tight embrace that sent more caps flying.

"See boss, isn't that niiiiiice... don't ya wanna keep em too? Soak it in, a whole bed of money! Ya know... just rollin' around on it wasn't my only life goal ya know... even better than rollin' around naked on a bed of caps would be a lil' slap an' tickle on it hmmmmm? Ya still ain't gimme my pay...." Val propped herself up over me and pinned me in place, fluttering her eyelashes and cooing in my ear.

While I had no doubt that fooling around on a bed of caps actually was on her list of major goals in life, I could at least tell she was just trying to get a rise out of me... er... tease me rather. Knowing she was counting on me getting flustered didn't completely prevent it with the seductive griffon doing her best to mess with me, but I could at least recognize the manipulation.

"Sure Val, I'm not really in the best shape to live up to the opportunity and all, but if it's a lifelong dream you may as well, since you are giving half of it away today after all... Matter of fact the sooner we get it out of the way, the sooner we can get to bagging it all up, so let's get to it hot stuff."

Even as flushed as I was sure I had to be, turning the tables on her was worth it. The stunned expression on her face made even funnier after wrapping my legs around her neck and stretching up and puckering loudly, making her turn a brighter shade of red than normal before sputtering and flopping to her back beside me. "Nnnngggh!!! N-No fair boss... Almost had me goin' fer a second... At least lay here on it with me an lemme enjoy it a little bit longer..."

That wasn't too much to ask for and I was already exhausted, so I stayed where I was beside her, staring up at the ceiling and trying to wriggle around into a comfortable position. I was glad she liked a bed of caps, but all the jagged bits of metal weren't very comfortable, fooling around on all this scrap would be even worse. Whatever made her happy though, she was unusually quiet and snuggled against me, giving a genuine embrace and stretching her foreleg under my head, which was much softer than her bed of cash.

After several long minutes of comfortable silence, she spoke in an unfamiliar tone that made me look up to her in concern, husky and somber, her shimmering violet eyes locked on the ceiling above her. "B-Boss... I, uh... t-thanks... for... for everything... Seriously, no joking, w-when I was little, I really did wish for a bed of caps, thought if I had that much money... I'd have everything I wanted ya know? Thanks to you, I not only got it... I found out what was worth more first. I umm... with you... an'... feelings an junk.... er..."

"I love you too Val." I could tell what she was trying to spit out after a lifetime of being a poor communicator, Val always had a joke or something to say, but saying something personal and true was as difficult for her as it was for me sometimes.

I did worry I overstepped by the way she tensed and fidgeted nervously before relaxing with a weary sigh, rolling to her side to hug me tightly with an uncharacteristic sniffle. "Yeah... I l-l-love you boss. Been on my own so long... t-that's still hard to admit. You an the kid an Blue... I ain't had family in a long time... Never thought I would again neither, s-so... so you can't go anywhere boss... ya better be ok..."

This final day was weighing on Val as much as it had been on Jade, the fear and worry in her voice for once not disguised by laughter or cursing. I returned the hug and leaned up to kiss her cheek, burying myself in her fluffy breast and enjoying the soft warmth as I murmured back. "I will be, family sticks together Val, I won't leave you."

She muttered back and her breathing slowly relaxed, I hated making those I cared about feel like this, whatever influence I had on how things went, I tried to will my body to make it true, I didn't want to leave any of my precious family again. I stretched out the warm embrace and tried to enjoy the moment, finally sighing and acknowledging the day was going to keep going no matter what I wanted.

"You still can't keep all the money though Val..."

"AWWWWW!!!"

We didn't come down to the streets of Goodneighbor until close to noon, the cloudy day was a bit blustery and cool, but dry at least, perfect weather for Nightmare Night. The streets were actually crowded even this early, a strange sense of excitement and tension in the air and reflected on the faces of all the extra visitors to the party town.

There were plenty of Shamrock's workers putting on the finishing touches and setting up outdoor games and stalls, along with a great number of caravans and outsiders who had come to Goodneighbor to make caps off the holiday. There were also a good number of those who looked like they were here for a different kind of 'fun', rough looking ponies that could easily be well behaved raiders, several groups of Gunners and freelance mercenaries, an eclectic mix of gangs from across the Commonwealth, even a few members of the Brotherhood of Friendship stood out with their power armored guards.

I took solace in the familiar and innocent though, there were plenty of common ponies from the surrounding areas that were here to celebrate. I spotted several families like the one I met back at the Finch Farm, parents and foals, wasteland settlers who probably only made a rare trip to a town as big as Goodneighbor, kids and parents both dressed in what costumes they could find or make.

The variety of costumes had me taking my time walking to Ivy's orphanage, passing a large striped circus tent set up near the makeshift stage Magnolia was to perform on later. There were plenty I recognized as pre-war characters or costumes along with several I had to guess were famous figures from the wasteland. Seeing I wasn't the only Shrouded Stallion in Goodneighbor was odd, at least three adults including a Shrouded Mare and a couple foal sized versions were wandering the crowd with me.

There were several Ministry Mares including a fairly accurate Pinkie Pie, a couple Power Ponies, a Space Captain Andromeda made from an old radiation suit, a Mysterious Mare do Well, and a ceaseless parade of creative costumes made from whatever would work found in the wastes.

I thought I saw the strange mare from the King's Gambit more than once, chasing after one pale filly with a black and red striped mane wearing an impressive costume of Stable-Tec Security barding with an odd blue and white patch on the flank, only to find she lacked even Miss Fish's 'compact' horn. I apologized and spotted another in a less convincing outfit, maybe Miss Fish was dressing like this character too?

At least I wasn't the only one to make that kind of mistake, a cute pegasus mare in a truly excellent ancient armor costume spun me by my shoulder, wearing a bright smile that faded once she looked me up and down. Apologizing and fluttering up on her wings so convincingly covered by slip on bat wings, she scanned the crowd with her slitted orange eyes and flew off after another Shrouded Stallion.

Whoever she was, she put some serious work in that outfit, the blue steel of the armor complimented her gray coat and purple mane, gleaming with polish and care, bits of fluff were stuck on the ends of her ears and she even found false fangs somewhere, she truly could be one of Luna's royal guard.

My thoughts lingered on the fake plastic fangs and sent my tongue running across my own teeth subconsciously, the tip hanging and probing at the new, sharp little nubs in there I had found while brushing last night. Not bat-pony fangs by any means, but not the flat, herbivore teeth I had since losing my last baby teeth.

Jade's smile always looked even and inviting, though thinking back I realized it got distinctly predatory and sharp when her blue eyes did that weird dragon slitted thing once she actually got angry. Having her explain alicorns being such well adapted wasteland survivors meant being omnivorous didn't make the pointy incisors in there feel less weird though...

I forced myself to stop poking at them as Jade pointed out some other costumes I didn't get for me. At least three Lightbringers were wandering about, the costume versions of Stable barding of varying quality and shades of blue, but all marked with a yellow 2. I had no idea how close the costumes were to the real thing, the general look seemed familiar from flashes I had gotten from Jade's sisters about 'The Destroyer'.

She favored me with a smile and informed me while one light grey mare was fairly accurate, all of them were too tall. "The real Lightbringer is only about your height Fast, so you are in good company you see?"

If that were true, I imagined she didn't take much consolation in attempts like that by her friends either... I smiled back and watched her trot off with a gasp, complimenting a pretty dark filly wearing red and yellow streaks in her pale mane as an excellent imitation of some other post-war pony she knew.

As I sat in the street waiting for her to return and taking in the crowd, I heard Glitter giggling beside me and raised an eyebrow her direction, curious what she found so funny and confused when she stuffed a hoof in her mouth and rolled her pink eyes behind her. Following her nodding glance, I was stunned to see that circus tent almost right behind us... wasn't that over by the stage? We just walked there a second ago actually...

I craned my neck back to look up to the rustle of fabric and snickering at the peaked roof of the big tent, finding myself looking into a big pair of blue-violet eyes sparkling with tiny hearts... "S-Swan?!"

Wiggling her huge head around let the giant mare force it through a large flap on the roof of the tent, her long pink mane pulling free and spilling down the sides of the striped canvas as she grinned and nodded happily. "Hello Fast! I fooled you! My disguise is good isn't it? Do you like it?"

"Umm... d-disguise? Oh! Your Nightmare Night costume? That's really clever Swan, you're a circus?" Staring up at the huge filly in the middle of Goodneighbor, I supposed 'disguise' was accurate too...

No one was paying much attention to a striped tent in the street, even one that wandered around on its own. Only a few passing close by and observant enough even realized a monster sized alicorn was in the crowd with them, most of those simply freezing in place or rubbing their eyes in disbelief. I spotted one old stallion gaping across the street who promptly tossed a half full bottle of vodka away and walked off shakily.

I wondered how long Swan had been sneaking around behind us, impressed anypony so big could be stealthy and concerned about how close she had followed... her nostrils kept flaring above us and she had that sleepy, lovestruck look in her eyes. At least she was keeping it under control, distracted by Glitter prancing around her, completing a circuit of the tent, poking her head in the front flap before returning to my side and shouting up to her.

"Wow Aunt Swan! That's really smart! I like your costume! I wanted ta help Sassy make a costume for you like Mom's an the others, so you could be Alicorn Angel Pink an we'd have a full set! We didn't have time ta finish yet though, cause of how big it'd hafta be! That's really good though! You can walk around in town without everypony freakin' out huh!?" Glitter at least didn't have to worry about what the oversized mare might get it in her head to do because of how she smelled, enjoying the chance to see her since she often couldn't with Swan staying near a source of radiation all the time.

Swan beamed and bobbed her head happily, giving a happy gasp and peering down at the tiny foal. "You were making clothes for me? Like yours and sisters Jade's? T-Thank you! Would they be pretty like yours little.... niece?"

The talking circus tent sounded unsure how to address Glitter, a reticent, hopeful tone in her voice when she ventured 'niece' in response to being called Aunt. Any concern she had was erased when the little filly bounded forward and hugged one of her huge legs through the red and yellow fabric, giggling happily when Swan's purple magic surrounded her and floated the tiny Alicorn Angel White up to her face to get a better look at her outfit, nuzzling her with a muzzle the size of her head.

Glitter enjoyed the affection and getting flown up so high above the streets, stretching her legs and pretending to fly with her costume wings, Swan caught on to the game and zoomed the filly around her head to overjoyed whoops as she laughed an answer. "Ya-huh! Aunt Magnolia's already Angel Purple, I hoped you'd be Angel Pink cause of your pretty mane!"

I was always proud and amazed at the effect Glitter had on other ponies with just a few words, a flattered blush crept up Swan's cheeks and she gave a wide, genuine smile as she floated the foal back to my side, folding the tent she wore over to bend down and plant a kiss on the tiny filly's head, mussing her mane with a huge smack of her lips in gratitude. "Thank you niece Glitter! Real clothes for me... I would like that!"

Of course this also brought her head down right beside me as well, a fresh starburst of heart shaped sparkles in the big eyes that glanced my way made me gulp nervously as she took a deep breath. At least after seeing me get violently ill when she teleported us to Trinity Tower, the big mare seemed cautious about hurting me and she was exercising excellent self control so far, speaking softly to me. "Your daughter is very kind, like her father..."

Getting this close was still a bit much to ask though, after planting a grateful kiss on Glitter's head that big muzzle swung my way as well, trying to repeat the gesture and 'missing' the top of my head in favor of my cheek. The soft lips planted on my face were so wide that it didn't take much to shift over to my mouth, what started as a friendly peck quickly deepening as she pressed forward, voicing a rumbling, pleased moan and pushing me back to fall on my rump with a squeak.

Finally releasing me to breathe again in a long gasp, Swan paused to nuzzle my neck and chest, fluttering her eyelashes and sighing in contentment. One foreleg pushed open the flaps of the tent she wore absently, revealing the dark space beyond filled with a lot of purple alicorn.

Thankfully Jade finally returned from complimenting and giving pointers to the charcoal mare wearing medical box saddlebags that matched her own. She gave a flustered, forceful cough and gently pulled me away, curling a wing around me possessively and ignoring Val's hoots of laughter, addressing Swan's blinking stare patiently.

"Yes, they are both very thoughtful are they not sister? Miss Saddles has already gone to the orphanage if you would like to accompany us, with you here to measure I imagine she will be able to finish shortly. Fast is still ill you know, try to restrain yourself if you would sister..." My princess spoke kindly as always, but there was a note of irritated iron in her voice too that even Swan noticed as her eyes cleared.

"Oh! Yes sister Jade, sorry... Your little pony is nice, I forget I shouldn't play with him when he's close for some reason... We all look forward to when he is better and takes his potion so he can help us! I'll be good..." Swan apologized and ducked back into her tent costume, her horn and eyes peeking out of the flap as she crept along behind us.

Jade ushered me ahead at a safe distance, keeping a wary eye on Swan behind us and clucking at Val to catch up, still grousing over her costume. "I still can't believe you used one of my perserved Manticore stingers Valkyrie... that is still very dangerous you know! You should blunt the tip at the very least!"

Val's outfit was pretty amusing, despite the pout on her face as she dragged her feet and trudged behind us sullenly. She had gotten ahold of a pair of horns on a hairband from somewhere, stuck in her plumage were two dark prongs that curled straight up. A pair of slip on sleeves for her wings, like the mare dressed as a thestral royal guard earlier wore, gave them the appearance of leathery, crimson batwings. What Jade balked at was the too realistic stinger tied to the end of her tail, completing the image of a manticore... Close enough to make me shudder remembering the horde of the creatures back at Fort Haygone, one of which presumably supplied the stinger she wore now.

The Manticore-griffon muttered darkly as we neared the Friendly Foal's Orphanage, her overstuffed bags jingling with each pained step closer. "Wouldn't be accurate then would it Blue? Actually hopin' I get ta sting somebody with it, make me feel better..."

A crowd of alicorns outside the orphanage I heard in my head well before seeing them made me pull back with Val and give her a friendly nudge, making her bulging bags of caps jingle musically. A new folding table stood beside the Filcher's little guide service booth, I could barely spot the tall ghoul mare surrounded by even taller alicorns, all pressing forward in excitement and floating her wares up in a multicolored flurry of magic.

Most of the young residents of the orphanage looked like they were out enjoying the festivities already, only a few remained to staff their clever guide business or played in the yard under Ivy's watchful green eyes. Those that remained were dressed up in the some of the costumes Glitter had purchased at Knick and Knack's, a pirate colt and a mummy filly could just be seen dodging around the long legs of the crowd of alicorns, doing their jobs as well as they could in all the excitement, trying to explain prices and work out a deal with Sassy Saddles for various items.

I skirted the cluster of big mares gleefully examining Sassy's large selection of clothing that would fit them, trying to approach from behind the makeshift stall her wares were scattered over and call to her from a safe distance. At least my effect on alicorns came in useful for once, several stopped squabbling over what they hoped to buy and sniffed at the air in distraction, letting me get Sassy's attention successfully as she scribbled out several scraps of notes frantically.

Glitter didn't have to keep her distance, sprinting forward and hugging the ancient ghoul happily. "Hiya Sassy! We brought the one I told ya about, Angel Pink! She's really excited for her costume if we can still make it? How's it going? Everypony looks like they really like your stuff!"

Breathing a relieved sigh at the little filly interrupting the chaos, Sassy wiped her mottled brow and set aside her notepad and pencil, looking up to the circus tent staring down at her hopefully in surprise. "Glitter! So this is the famous Swan? My... you weren't exaggerating were you dear? I'm afraid I'm quite busy at the moment, your letter was an understatement Fast! These fillies are quite the eager customers! Trying to work with their limited budget has me a bit overwhelmed writing I.O.U.s for them!"

I smiled at the generous ghoul. As much as they wanted what Sassy was selling, the mares of Trinity Tower hadn't had any use for money before now, they simply couldn't pay and rather than turn them away she was trusting them to pay her later. The ghoulish mare lived up to the example of her old friend Rarity, knowing the bearer of the element of Generosity must have rubbed off on her.

I arched an eyebrow at Val pouting behind me and nodded to her significantly, such an excellent example of generosity was good for her. "Hang on just a minute Sassy, maybe we can help with that and make sure this is actually a profitable trip for you. Come on Val..."

Sassy watched us head into the candy cane fenced yard curiously, returning her attention to the crowd and looking grateful to Glitter who opted to stay and help her deal with her aunts. Ivy waited calmly on the stoop of the giant gingerbread house, the sullen colt Wicket behind her looking miserable with his hindleg still wrapped in its cast, brightening when he spotted Jade approaching to hopefully remove it.

The two alicorns exchanged pleasant greetings as Jade's horn lit up and her pale blue magic surrounded Wicket's leg, prodding and brightening with her mending spell. I had to shove Val forward with her claws digging into the dirt, eventually getting her to huff and hang her head in front of Ivy as I spoke up.

"Hi Ivy, we have a present for you guys and figured you're the mare to give it to, right Val?"

"Nnnnn... riiiight..." Val mumbled and slowly dug in her bags, dragging it out as long as possible before pulling a huge bag of caps from the depths of her inventory. She clutched the jingling bag tightly, giving it a lingering kiss before wincing and reluctantly setting it down.

Ivy and Wicket both stared at the treasure with wide eyes, the colt drooling a bit as Jade's magic focused to a tight beam and started cutting through the rough cast on his leg. The green alicorn's eyes flicked between me, the bag and the pouting griffon in confusion, "Caps? You are giving us money? Not that we aren't grateful, but why? Valkyrie does not seem pleased..."
(She is quite upset Fast, why are you giving us... ah... the winnings, I see... I do hope she gets over it, thank you Fast!)

Having her tap right into my head kind of ruined the surprise... at least that spike of pain between my eyes wasn't nearly as severe at being close enough to join in their unity today. I pressed on anyway for everyone else, grumbling over Ivy's apologetic smirk and shrug of her shoulders. I rooted around in my coat pockets and pulled the scrap of paper I had gotten in the King's Gambit out to join the bag of caps. I had compromised a bit with Val, letting her keep more than half our winnings in exchange for giving Ivy the dirty slip of paper.

"Don't worry about her Ivy, this is what you guys earned, we're not just giving it away. You helped us win all this and hurt the Kings, you deserve your cut. I thought you could share it with your sisters, since you never needed money before. Plus you can use it here, and we're letting you keep the share in the Combat Zone we won, so you should have a source of income to help get on your hooves."

As soon as his leg was free, Wicket dashed forward and clutched the bag of caps greedily, shoving his muzzle in the canvas sack and popping back out to eye me suspiciously. "Yer just givin' it to her? No tricks? I don't get it... why? What's the angle wanker?"

"No tricks Wicket... It's what's right, help her use it wisely since you're so good with money that isn't yours."

The colt and I took turns sticking our tongues out at each other, Wicket muttered under his breath as he dragged the heavy sack over to Ivy in reply. "Givin' away caps instead o' candy... What are you, stupid or somethin'?"

Val grumbled in agreement with a pout, "Been askin' myself that all day..."

Ivy gave Wicket a light swat on the flank as he returned with the treasure with a soft, 'tut tut' trying to correct his surly attitude, giving me a kind, mischievous smile and glancing back at the crowd of her sisters behind me silently. ("Oh sisters... Fast has decided to give us a great deal of money for your shopping spree, you should thank him properly...")

I gaped at the smirk she turned on me and the explosion of mental noise lodging right between my eyes in response. Jade gasped beside her playful sister and turned to me frantically as the sudden burst of voices in my head drowned out the thunder of a lot of hooves bearing down on me. (Fast?... Money!?... Can pay!.... Yay!... Nice ghoul.... can ask.. more... not feel bad... Clothes... Treats!.... Fun!... Fast!... Sister Jade's... Nice... When potion?... Soon!... Sure?... Fast loves!.... Will do!... Thank!... Thank!Thank!Thank!)

I had just a moment to turn and see the herd of big alicorn fillies bearing down on me at a gallop, turning to try to run for the orphanage and stumbling woozily gave them more than enough time to close the distance and tackle me. Getting pinned and manhandled by just one of the large mares was bad enough, half a dozen diving on me in gratitude was as overwhelming as Swan getting a little too forceful.

I could hear Ivy's tinkling laughter, I had to guess in my head as I was buried under a couple tons of alicorn all jostling to nuzzle and express their thanks, quickly getting a snootful of me and moving up to being even more affectionate as a mob. Val's gales of laughter were just out loud at least and I could hear Jade's worried yelp trying to push through the crowd.

Crawling through the forest of long legs, I managed to pull my upper half free of the huddle, straining against the ground to drag my hindlegs out and panting with a grumble at Ivy tittering to herself, holding a hoof up to her mouth to stifle the giggles and smiling at me staring at her incredulously. ("S-Sorry! I could not resist! Such kindness should be properly rewarded yes? You made them very happy, you should expect enthusiastic thanks if you're going to keep making yourself such a tempting target Fast...")

Jade turned and glared at her sister chuckling to herself watching the fun she had unleashed, giving a cute little snort of annoyance and trying to help pull me free. Her strong hooves tried yanking me loose to no avail, several of her sisters in the huddle having gotten the same idea with my hindlegs, leaving me stretched like taffy between them.

A raspy cough and laugh broke their intoxicated tug of war and I looked up to see Mayor Shamrock strolling into the yard, looking me over with a bemused expression and sweeping his tricorne hat from his wispy mane with a bow. "Ladies! Wonderful to see so many of you here today, you're not going to break my Head Technician there are you? I'm not normally one to interrupt a good bit of fun, especially this many fillies and one buck, but I need him in one piece you know! At least for today hmm?"

Surprisingly it was Swan who helped extricate me from the crush of excited mares noticing the newcomer sheepishly, wrapping me in her magic and tugging me free over the dazed whines of her sisters and floating me to Jade gently. Leaving me to wipe at my coat with a grumble, somepony had shown them lipstick apparently...

Dozens of bright red lip prints were plastered over ever bare inch of me, looking back to my flanks I blushed furiously and scrubbed, they had even gotten back there?! Red smeared all over my hooves as Swan lectured her sisters. "Fast is sick, no play yet sisters! Jade asked, if I can't, you can't!"

She stamped her hoof to drive the point home, sending a rumble through the ground that sent Shamrock stumbling. I wished she broke that up solely for my benefit, but I'd guess the huge mare took my side simply because she couldn't join in instead. The mayor of Goodneighbor turned around slowly at her booming declaration, craning his neck up to the striped tent he had apparently not paid any attention to on the way in as his jaw dropped taking in Swan watching him curiously.

"S-Sweet Celestia's flaming flanks!! Y-Your the guard I heard about!? You mares can get that b-big?! Princess Jade, who is this stunning creature and d-do you have more like her!?" Shamrock's milky eyes practically bulged from his head, taking in the giant mare hidden under her tent costume and blushing lightly at the attention.

"Good afternoon Mayor Shamrock, this is Swan. I apologize for the shocking appearance, she wore her clever costume to try not to cause a panic. She is indeed the guard of Trinity Tower I imagine you've heard stories of, she stays like this most of the time but I assure you she is very careful. There are not others like her at the moment... though you do know any of us can match her stature with enough radiation do you not?" Jade answered smartly, keeping her wing around me as the cluster of her other sisters started breaking up, shaking the sleepy look from their eyes and crowding around Ivy as she dispensed caps to cover their I.O.U.s to Sassy.

Shamrock spun on her and his eyebrows shot up, giving a stunned, appreciative whistle and looking from the group of alicorns and back to Swan contemplatively. "A-Any of you? My, my, my... I've played around soaking up rads over the years myself, ended up glowing green for a month once when I overdid it in the Glowing Sea... this though... How interesting...

You wouldn't be open to a little freelance work would you Miss Swan? Jeez you wouldn't even have to do much of anything, just accompany me and look... like you... Maybe a few of your sisters would be willing to... er... match you here and there too... A few of you gals your size would go a loooong way in some of my more tense negotiations..."

Swan tilted her head down at the Mayor in confusion, glancing over to me, Jade and Ivy and shrugging in contemplation. "Work? Like a job? For caps? Hmmm..."

Jade shook her head slowly up to the big mare, answering for her cautiously. "I believe that is something you and Umbra should discuss another time Shamrock. Hiring any of us for such work could send the wrong message, bringing Swan with you to intimidate other groups in the Commonwealth would be a very ...loud... message as well."

Swan looked momentarily disappointed, she liked being a guard-pony and fighting, working for Shamrock as a very big enforcer was probably right up her alley. She seemed to agree with Jade's assessment though by the run of her thoughts, nodding reluctantly down to the ghoul pacing around the big tent she wore. "Sister Jade is probably right... Ask Umbra though, that sounds fun!"

Shamrock beamed back at her, I had no doubt he'd be doing just as they said the next time he saw the leader of Trinity Tower. Completing his lap around Swan's tent, the mayor was nearly bowled over by Glitter dashing out from the front flap, stumbling as she pranced past. He turned back from tracking the little filly and nearly ran right into Sassy Saddles trotting out from Swan's costume in front of her, her longest measuring tape and notepad floating along beside her as she skidded to a halt muzzle to muzzle with the ghoul stallion.

"Oh! E-Excuse me sir, Mr. Mayor if I'm not wrong. A pleasure to meet you, learning one of my kind was in charge here was quite a surprise." Sassy gave a little curtsy to the ghoulish stallion staring up to the tall mare in surprise.

Shamrock looked stunned for a moment, regaining his composure and grasping one of her rotting hooves in his own, bowing low with his hat to his chest and planting a leathery kiss on the appendage. "And who is this? Another of your sisters Princess? That can't be right, she's as pretty as you ladies but wherever are her wings? The pleasure's all mine Miss...?"

Giggling like a school filly, I imagined the only reason she didn't blush was the lack of warm blood beating from her long deceased heart. "S-Sassy Saddles Mr. Mayor, aren't you a charmer!"

"THE Sassy Saddles? Of Ministry Mare Rarity's boutiques? Well, well, another beautiful celebrity to my town! I come to see Fast and the children, only to find an elegant ghoul mare instead! Once this young buck and I have a chat, maybe you'd accept a personal tour hmm? Leave these youngsters to their fun for a bit and favor an old buck with a bit of company for the party?"

Glitter looked up to the two ancient ghouls flirting with a huge smile, pushing Sassy closer over her flustered squeak. "T-That would be lovely Mr. Mayor! Er... I have a bit of work to attend to first, but I would love such a dapper escort to your wonderful town."

With a disappointed sigh, Shamrock winked to Sassy and flipped his hat up, catching it on his head with a sweeping bow. "Ah the call of duty conspires against us both then. I'll count the seconds until both of us are free to indulge in the party ourselves! First things first, I wanted to give you an update on finding a replacement caretaker here Miss Ivy, Wicket..."

Ivy looked as surprised as I was at the half dozen Filchers charging up to the the stoop around the green alicorn at that, appearing like magic from their escort duties in the yard and from within the dingy gingergrbead styled orphanage. The variety of costumed foals surrounded Ivy protectively, the youngest colt and filly hugging her long legs while the rest scowled at the mayor.

They looked to Wicket to answer for them after he finished subtly pushing the heaping bag of caps behind Ivy's wings, raising their voices in a shouted reply to start him off. "We don't wanna replacement!"

Wicket grumbled uncomfortably, darting a glance up to Ivy's surprised, blushing countenance and scratching his dark blue mane. "Don't bother... they don't want somepony else. Umm... i-if Miss Ivy doesn't mind..."

"She's nice!"

"She read stories!"

"We like Miss Ivy!"

Ivy's green eyes shimmered with happy tears she quickly brushed away, gazing down at her herd of admirers and giving Shamrock a determined nod. "I... d-do not mind remaining in place awhile... Sister Jade and Fast have taken steps to help us manage this place, there is no reason to... u-upset the children so soon after their recent trauma. They need stability, not to change things around again."

Shamrock raised a singed eyebrow at her and gave a short, genuine bow of his head. Returning to his normal jovial manner and rubbing his hooves together as he approached me. "Very well dear, whatever you think best! Now then Fast, ready to get to work? No offense but you still don't look that healthy... sure you're up for this?"

Trying to hold my spasming hindleg still behind me, I nodded wearily and joined the mayor, checking the time on my pip-buck nervously. Once things started, everything had to go right to have a chance at opening the Ministry of Morale hub towering above us. As weak and sickly as I felt, my upcoming fight in the Combat Zone was just the hardest hurdle to clear.

"As I'll ever be Shamrock... Don't worry, it'll all work out... somehow..."

An enjoyable day in the festive atmosphere of Goodneighbor had slipped away all too quickly, now the sun had set and my nerves were on edge, the anxiety building as the fight in the Combat Zone became imminent. All of us were together, pausing in wandering down the service passages of the Wing Ding Circus Casino to stare at the armored steel doors hidden away down a disused passage.

I read the rusting sign on the imposing doors, glancing at the complicated terminal to one side and the glowing red eye of a camera staring at us, the advanced computer running the building was staring back at us...

Scooting a few dusty boxes aside with my magic to make a convenient hiding spot, I dropped off our extra baggage and looked to my family hopefully. Noting with concern the way my eyes swam and horn ached, the floating objects lurching wildly, that had been getting worse all day... Not a weakening drain like being close to burnout, quite the opposite in fact, my magic felt more and more as it had when I was a foal Glitter's age, struggling to learn control. My arcane power going wild was just one more problem,

"Alright, everybody remember how to get here in case we have to run for it, this is the only way in. Once Jade cuts the ribbon outside, if the fireworks go off then we know it worked, but we might have to get here in a hurry so here's where we meet if we get split up ok?"

Jade, Glitter, Val and Zed all gave determined nods in return, my little filly dumping some of her own bags with mine with an unsure question. "Ok daddy, but how come we had to get all packed up to go? Aren't we staying once all this stuff is done? I like it here..."

"I know sweetie, I do too... this is more just in case... I don't think we can stay much longer anyway, if we have to leave sooner rather than later, it's better to be prepared right?"

She gave me an unconvinced pout while the others stashed their own extra belongings in my hidey hole. I didn't want to get into embarrassing details with her, but with so many alicorns coming to Goodneighbor now and my... condition... I really couldn't see how we could stay here much longer.

Between driving every alicorn I got too close to into heat, hearing their thoughts more and more clearly and the pulsating lumps squirming on my back swelling ever larger, sticking around just wasn't very feasible. Even trying to think positive and plan for the best, if I did come through and actually turn into one of them, eventually they were going to find out about it...

Taking in the atmosphere in the streets of Goodneighbor just validated my initial thought of being ready to leave in a hurry too, as the afternoon wore on towards evening an electric tension charged the air. I may not be a local or understand complicated social workings very well, but you could feel it hanging over the town, an ominous storm threatening to break out at any moment.

Actually taking it in among the throngs of ponies who had nothing to do with the machinations of major powers in the wasteland, I couldn't help worrying and berating myself. My squabbles with the Institute, the Church of Balefire, the nobles of Diamond City, the gangs and raiders... all of it had consequences, innocent ponies were potentially going to be collateral damage from my actions.

I tried to do all I could to minimize that, planning for the unknown with the protection of others as a priority. But that still meant I was willing to make that kind of choice, put others' lives at risk for my own reasons. Jade worried she was selfish, but a little jealousy was nothing compared to selfishly putting others in harms way...

Pushing that aside with difficulty, I trudged down the hallways towards the Sideshow Lounge backstage area. I rapped on the door to Magnolia's dressing room as I pushed it open, my words dying on my tongue at the passionate embrace I stumbled on inside. With a sharp 'eep!' I spun and shut the door, hiding my burning face in my hooves as I heard rushed shuffling behind the door before it creaked open and a red faced Traveling Miles peeked out.

"F-Fast! Hey... Princess Jade, e-everybody... Is it already time? We must have lost track, j-just wishing her luck!" Miles voice cracked nervously as it used to on the radio, the lanky brown pegasus stallion's black cowpony hat was cocked at a crooked angle atop his dyed orange mane, another wasteland costume I didn't get.

Again Jade knew who he was supposed to be, complimenting him with a sly, knowing smile for him and a very flustered looking Magnolia who rushed to the door. She was still a bright pink and a little breathless, shuffling nervously in her elegant gown Sassy had resized for her. The solid black top hugged her broad torso in a perfect fit, the flowing, opaque bottom swishing around her hindlegs and tail, revealing her shapely blank flank beneath. Her long, reddish violet mane and tail were carefully styled, only slightly disheveled from what she and the DJ pegasus had been up to.

Magnolia was clearly anxious, gulping to herself and mustering up a determined look, nodding her readiness and following us down the twisting passages leading back out of the casino. Jade and her sister stayed back in murmured conversation, keeping Magnolia out of range of me while Miles trotted up to my side at the front, whispering nervously as we walked.

"Good to see you again Fast, Magnolia said you were sick... sure you're ok? Umm... n-no offense, you just don't look great..." Miles glanced up and down my trembling form, his eyes hanging on my misshapen back and the sheen of sweat on my face.

Well Magnolia kept my secret, even from Miles. "F-Fine... It's complicated, I'll tell you all about it some time, after tonight..."

Miles shrugged in reply, glancing back at the purple mare he had eyes for and leaning in to whisper quieter. "Sooo... M-Magnolia told me about that potion you found for her and her sisters... A-Apparently I'm on the short list of bucks being c-considered... pretty weird though huh? I mean... m-maybe I'd want to with Magnolia, s-someday! But a-all of them!? On the one hoof that's er... k-kinda exciting... but on the other it's pretty intimidating too... Heard you're their first pick so far, w-was just wondering what you thought about it, you going to take that potion and... umm... h-help them?"

I gulped thinking about it, looking up to Miles' waiting, nervous stare gratefully, at least there was one other stallion forced to consider my weird position. He was only worried about the compatibility potion anyway, not having to consider about how much worse it would be if he were turning into a full male alicorn.

"I don't know Miles, same thing, I want to have foals with Jade someday, all of them is a different matter altogether isn't it? I want to help them, but I don't think Jade would like sharing and the whole thing is weird... I'm sure there are plenty of bucks who wouldn't have any compunctions at all though, kinda wish I was like them huh?"

Miles chuckled with a bright blush on his skinny face, nodding in agreement and starting in surprise when I yanked his black hat from his head a little more forcefully than I intended. He watched in confusion as I took off my own Shrouded Stallion fedora and plopped his cowpony hat in its place, wrenching it around and rubbing it against my mane forcefully.

"Umm... Fast? Don't like my hat or something? I thought it was a pretty good Calamity costume, no reason to scrunch it up like that..." The DJ pony kept watching me tugging the hat down and scratching my mane roughly with it.

Glancing back at Jade and Magnolia before returning it to him with a smirk, I donned my own hat again and nodded mysteriously to him. "Trust me, somepony should enjoy this at least. Magnolia said she wished you smelled like this, I think you'll like it... Just uh... be careful getting close to her sisters while wearing it..."

Despite his questions, I stayed quiet as we made it out to the casino floor and approached the exit with Magnolia's stage ahead. Judging by what I walked in on, they were already close enough to enjoy a little borrowed scent. At least Miles could simply take the hat off once he figured it out, let him get a taste of what I was dealing with without the ability to put a stop to it.

We made it to the rough, backstage area up at the top of the stairs of the southern entrance to the casino, waving Magnolia up to Shamrock waiting at the sole microphone encouragingly. She looked struck by stage fright staring out at the huge crowd gathered in the streets below, freezing up until Miles came over and nuzzled her soothingly, assuring her she'd be great and planting a kiss on her cheek.

Watching her take a deep breath to steel herself, I finally got to see the effect I had from a distance. Her anxious, pinprick green eyes widened and lidded sleepily, instantly putting her at ease as she returned Miles' affection enthusiastically before tearing herself away and trotting up on stage.

Mayor Shamrock greeted her and tapped the rusty old microphone with a screech of feedback, flattening his wilted ears as it faded and chuckling out to the crowd. "Well that got everypony's attention didn't it!? Happy Nightmare Night folks! Glad you all joined the party! We've got a special treat this year, the fabulous Magnolia here was kind enough to put on a show, so let's all thank her and her sisters alright!? She's gonna kick things off with an oldie from my day, an anthem for Equestria of old, the land I loved!"

Adjusting the mike up to her towering level, Shamrock waved her forward and moved back, putting his hat to his heart and wiping a milky eye as the first sweet notes of Rara's ancient song rang out. I held my own hat to my chest as well, noticing not only Miles but a good portion of the crowd watching in reverent silence were doing the same, from raiders with ratty, bloodstained hats, to power armored Brotherhood ponies holding their helmets to their hearts, Magnolia's song touched everyone gathered in Goodneighbor.

Listening to the soaring melody I hadn't heard since before the war, I had to wipe my own eyes and reach out to gently hug Jade and Glitter beside me. I could see the effect the beautiful music had even on wasteland ponies who had never heard it before or had any patriotic feelings for the dead nation, for those like myself and many ghouls I spotted who actually remembered the old world, the effect was more pronounced. Magnolia brought the land she was singing about to life in my memories, my eyes swimming with images of the green and vibrant world ponies like my daughter had never known, annoyingly interrupted by my pip-buck throwing up text in my vision;

Mission Updated: Strike Up the Band

Objectives----
---Trigger the Grand Opening Gala

----Stage performance of Equestrian National Anthem and concert

----Meet minimum attendance requirements

----Meet minimum party level (8.9)

Two more requirements down... Writing a patch of code between my pip-buck and the computer running Goodneighbor had added a new gauge in my vision for the third reading: Current PL = 5.8. I had been watching it fluxuate anxiously all day. Leave it to Pinkie Pie's Ministry to have codified standards for a party... Kind of hard to plan around when I wasn't sure what criteria it was using to rate this party, I only hoped we'd meet the threshold soon.

The performance ended on a somber, clear note that stretched out magnificently, echoing down the eerily silent streets as she finished and came back to herself, looking around nervously at the perfect stillness. If she was worried the lack of noise meant they didn't like it, her ridiculous concern was quickly blown away as the crowd erupted in rolling cheers and applause, rowdy hooves stomping the asphalt as even some of the roughest looking customers wiped their eyes and whistled for more.

Miles shook the lovestruck look from his face and fumbled at his new pip-buck, the DJ found his own uses for the arcano-tech device I had given him, ending the current recording and hurriedly trying to set up a new one for the next song. He managed to get it started in time to look up to Magnolia blushing and beaming to him, flapping up to ecstatically cheer and encourage her over the roar of the crowd.

Fluffing her wings, Magnolia looked a little more comfortable addressing the microphone this time, her posture relaxed as she got into it and called over the diminishing cheers as she spoke. "T-Thank you! Thank you all very much! That is a lovely song isn't it? Though I know another a raucous audience like this may enjoy even more, one of my sister's favorites from a mare she admires, something a little more lively and new?"

The drunken crowd cheered louder at that, quieting to a dull roar as she started stamping one big hoof on the wooden stage rhythmically, the onlookers joining in and matching her quickly. A sea of hooves stomped and shook the streets in time with her own tapping as an upbeat song swelled from her glowing horn, her long reddish mane swishing around it beautifully.

Her long horn lit up brightly, a swelling orchestra sounded out and motes of multicolored light sparkled in the air above her. One thing she had confided she enjoyed most about coming to Goodneighbor, was learning the variety of entertainment magic she was putting on display now impressively.

I vaguely recognized it from the radio, something post-war that Jade always enjoyed when it played. My princess gasped happily hearing her sister's rendition and she swayed in place to the music, stamping her big hooves along with Glitter's tiny ones as I weakly tried to join in with one twitching foreleg.

With Magnolia and everyone else lost to the beat, I imagined I was probably the only one with the right angle to notice the glow shining through the sheer, see through fabric draped over her swaying flank. Gaping at the sudden gleam of color showing on that wiggling rear, I stood stunned and glanced over to Jade, her own heart and crown cutie mark showing under her alluringly short alicorn angel skirt as she danced beside me obliviously. She had her mark... it happened again...

There were enough alicorns spread throughout Goodneighbor now, I was tapped into a weak, whispery version of their unity no matter where I went. Thankful it wasn't nearly as painful or distracting today, I took advantage of the field of telepathy to silently let Jade know over the overwhelming noise.

Her blue eyes popped open in surprise, locking on Magnolia and widening until the big, sparkly azure pools filled her overjoyed expression and she swept me up in a crushing hug. (Her mark! Her mark! She has a mark too!! Look Fast!!)

"Ack! I s-see honey! C-Can't breathe... l-lemme tell Miles before we leave..." She released me with a worried 'Eep!' and let me stumble over to Miles, leaning up to call over the noise directly into his ear, hopefully not ruining his recording. "Miles! We have to get ready for something else, when she comes down, point out her flank for her! You should tell her, she'll be happy!"

The lanky DJ pony raised a quizzical eyebrow to me, squinting to peer at the swaying rump I pointed out and staring in wide-eyed surprise when he caught the indistinct splash of color on her purple coat. I gave him a hoofbump in parting and led the way, forced to drag Glitter away from the show.

That was going to be a big deal, not only for Magnolia herself but for all the mares of Trinity Tower, Jade proved it was possible to regain a cutie mark, now Magnolia demonstrated it wasn't an isolated event. Miles should definitely be the first to point it out for her, remembering Jade's overjoyed reaction when she got hers, it was only right Magnolia get to share it with him.

As much as I wanted to stick around and watch both the concert and the show sure to follow, time was running out. The Combat Zone was waiting...

Staring up at the huge, makeshift cage built around the old boxing ring, I crunched a bitter pill of Buck under Jade's disapproving gaze and gulped it down guiltily. The pre-war combat drug filled me with a surge of energy, letting me stand up straight and still the constant spasms twitching down my muscles.

Wincing under her annoyed huff, I jabbed my burning back with a vial of Med-X as well, sighing with relief as the powerful painkiller eased the growing agony at my sides. My tumorous 'wings' had swollen uncomfortably, tightening the soaked strip of bandages hiding them all day until they were now pinching my chest tightly.

Ignoring her concern was harder than paying no mind to the medical alerts my pip-buck howled with, the doctor alicorn and the arcano-tech computer on my hoof both telling me what I could plainly feel. Whatever Moondancer's potion was going to end up doing, it was ratcheting up in intensity as it reached its ill timed climax.

My heart was pounding, sweat poured off me under my armored coat, my skin itched and burned all over, my magic growing increasingly wild and difficult to control, my vision kept blurring and clearing while I trembled and stared around at the packed crowd surrounding the arena.

I really hoped at least part of all that was nerves from being here, the Combat Zone was packed to the rafters with a rough looking crowd, more than half of which made it pretty obvious they weren't rooting for me and Zed... At least Glitter was safely with Ivy and the Filchers and away from this, enjoying Magnolia's show and bobbing for apples, getting candy and doing what a little filly should on Nightmare Night, not watching her father get pummeled...

Trying to convince Jade to stay with her as well went over like a lead balloon though, she made her displeasure at this whole bad idea known at every opportunity, but insisted on coming anyway. Considering she was right and I was likely to need emergency medical care soon, I couldn't really argue.

Her and Val were having one of their rare moments of complete agreement too, making this harder. The angry griffon paced around us by the ring, keeping a wary eye on the Kings and anyone who got too close, huffing and grumbling in annoyance at me and Zed standing passively beside me.

"She's right boss... this is crazy! If you was feelin' better maybe... I don't like it, if this gets outta control I'm blastin Bishop's goons right here!" Her violet eyes narrowed, scowling at the big clump of Kings members surrounding the Diamond City noble and his robed prize fighters before turning on me.

Jade's pale blue magic washed over me while she nodded her agreement, inspecting me closely with an unhappy whinny. "I concur Fast, at the first sign of trouble I will put an end to this foolishness! I do not care about opening the Ministry hub, it is not worth risking yourself."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry ok? Both of you. W-We don't even have to win anyway, the program just says 'stage a championship fight', not win... It'll be ok, I need to do this, please?"

Zed stretched a foreleg behind his head, crouching and arching a hindleg around him in unconcerned preparation and trying to reassure them thankfully. "I intend to win... I will protect Fast, the two of you need not worry."

The two of them eyed him dubiously, their replies both cut off as the announcer Cat Paws sauntered her way through the crowd, knocking back a shot as she joined us and paused at the stairs leading to the gate of the cage. "You lads ready? Hafta put on a show as good as the one outside eh? Course maaaaybe I'll look the other way on the judgin' and what not, cain't believe you got the King's stake in me little enterprise here back an didn't lemme buy it back..."

Even joking around, that was a mistake Val immediately pointed out, growling and pouncing right in front of the tipsy red unicorn mare. "This better be the fairest fight ya ever called Cat... anything happens ta the boss an havin' a new silent partner's gonna be the least of yer worries..."

This was one of the only times where Jade didn't try to pull the aggressive griffon back, huffing and arching an eyebrow down at the suddenly nervous mare. "You could not pay its worth, thus why the Kings held it to begin with. I do not approve of this bloodsport of yours, though Mayor Shamrock has convinced me ponies will engage in such dark indulgences despite how I feel.

That being the case, having some good come of this place is a fair compromise is it not Miss Paws? Sharing your profits with an orphanage and needy foals is better than your previous partners. You could have no profits or business at all instead... if my Fast comes to harm due to your actions, you could find out what that would be like..."

Even the drunken Cat got that silky threat, gulping and holding her hooves up in surrender. "Eeeeasy there Princess, just jokin'! Jeez, neither o' you lassies has a sense o' humor! It'll be a fair fight, honest! Would'a been even when Bishop held the note here, whether he liked it or not, least yer sis ain't tried to tell me ta cheat fer you like he did. Course don't blame me if'n he gets hurt, it is a fight ya know!?"

Pushing past Jade's annoyed pout, I thanked Cat and shrugged out of my saddlebags, what I was allowed to take in my pockets feeling woefully inadequate. Trying to console her, I left Jade with a long kiss and hugged Val, joining Zed as he followed Cat through the rusty gate and under the ropes of the boxing ring.

We stood at center ring as the crowd quieted slightly into interested murmurs, drowned out when Cat's horn lit up with the voice altering spell, booming over the noise as she addressed the crowd. "Alright you lugs, ready fer the main event!? That's right, it's FIGHTMARE NIGHT!"

She paused for the wave of applause, stamping hooves and jeers rattling the ancient building until they tapered off and she continued. "First our challengers! Fightin' fer the honor of their scary Princess over yonder, we got two bucks from the Kingdom of Sanctuary! The zebra we all saw the other night, Zed what knocks em dead! An' as a special doubles fight, his partner quite a few of ya are hopin' gets knocked down a peg, Luna's avenger, the Shrouded Stallion!"

A mix of boos and cheers rang out at that and I tried not to blush or shrink under the stares, wearing the character of the Shroud as armor effective as his costume. The ratio was more towards cheers when Bishop's pair of fighters made their way into the ring, the huge Hulking Rock squeezing his way through the ropes, while his partner Rowdy Rouser shot up into the air and nearly banged the top of the cage with one flap of her strong wings, landing in front of me with an unsure smirk.

Taking in both of our opponents without the silken robes, my mind raced taking stock of what I was looking at, the weird drug injector I caught Bishop dosing Rowdy with making more sense with a pit of dread in my stomach. Rowdy's wings were bigger... Not as big as her body like the Institute's pegasus version of their mutants, but noticeably larger than the last time I saw her.

Taken together with the massive earth pony stallion rippling with even more muscle beside her, I had an idea what the drug 'X-Cell' did now... I overheard Bishop saying he got it from Svengallop's gang, Svengallop meant Vega... It all clicked together, the head of the Public Relations division of the Institute would find a way to monetize Moondancer's experiments with the I.M.P., drugs were one of his favorite ways to experiment on the Commonwealth, getting ponies to pay for the privilege of his poisons.

Jade would have to examine the single vial of the stuff I stole, I had no idea if Vega found a way to dose more ponies with Moondancer's imperfect, mutant creating serum, or if they had altered it into a strange kind of steroid to enhance a single trait of ponykind, either way it put this fight in a different light.

The amber pegasus Rowdy crouched down and sneered, spreading her huge wings and tensing for the bell to ring as Cat continued her smooth patter and made for the exit. "Your dead shrimp, gonna enjoy this, test these babies out..."

"R-Rowdy... That stuff Bishop's giving you, your wings... It's a potion that turns ponies into..." My pleading warning was interrupted by the bell, the pegasus mare I was trying to help rocketing forward and slamming into me, sending me flying to smash into the cage.

Trying to catch the breath that was knocked out of me, I barely made out Zed darting forward and throwing both forelegs forward into a resounding strike to Rock's chest, the big stallion grunting but not dropping to Zed's surprise. Rowdy drove a foreleg against my throat, pinning me in place as her free hooves pounded my chest, my gut, my ribs... Hammering away, ensuring all I could do was whimper breathlessly and swipe ineffectually with my legs.

"That stuff is awesome! Thought that last one might'a been too much, but I feel great! Shut up squirt! We're just gettin' started!" She gloated and easily avoided my pathetic hoof to hoof attempts, tossing me to the center of the ring as Hulking Rock drove Zed towards a corner despite the agile zebra's dodging and powerful strikes.

I barely had time to suck in a burning breath, trying to shove myself to my hooves and find where Rowdy disappeared to, catching a streaking amber blur circling the round cage just as it veered right at me, a searing line of fire drawn down my side at her passage. Wincing and holding a hoof to my ribs, I felt a disturbing amount of warm liquid flowing down my side, saturating the suddenly looser bandages under my self repairing trenchcoat with an eye-watering smell.

Rowdy hovered above me and laughed wickedly, a barely visible gleam of metal dripping crimson from one oversized wingtip. She had a hidden blade concealed in her feathers... cheating! and slicing me open easily with one speedy pass... "Boy, the great 'Shrouded Stallion' is pathetic! Gonna carve you up like a pie before we're done!"

Her sneering boasts distracted her a second too long, a blurring ball of striped hooves bounded off the back of Hulking Rock, spinning through the air and bringing a hindleg down on her head like a hatchet, driving her to the mat before diving back at the earth pony stallion charging after him.

That gave me a moment to get my legs under me, resisting the urge to unload a bolt of lightning on the prone pegasus. My eyes swam and I stumbled woozily, casting my lightning walking spell, the crackle of electricity at my hooves only affected me, so it wasn't against the rules at least.

Rowdy was already pushing herself up angrily, before she got airborne again I blasted forward, lowering my head and ramming into her side at full speed. She was on the receiving end of being smashed against the thick metal fencing surrounding the ring this time, paid back for her illegal weapon cutting open my side by my horn puncturing her wing and shoulder beneath it, a spurt of blood washing over my face as she howled.

Weakly trying to keep her pinned wasn't going to work, a couple of pitiful hooves driven into her midsection just looked to make her annoyed as she hissed in my face. "Oh you are so dead!! You, your brat, your mare!"

Threatening those I cared about brought the dark Shroud in my head roaring to life, my eyes burning as I shot another strike into her stomach with slightly better results. "Shut UP! YOU WON'T TOUCH THEM! I'm trying to help you you stupid bitch! That drug turns ponies into..."

She took advantage of my blinding rage to wrap her forelegs around mine, pinning my hooves against her body and twining her legs around to brace on my shoulders. A warning flex of her powerful limbs stretched my legs out in an angle they just couldn't accommodate, creaking in protest as I screamed. I felt more than heard first one crack, then another, my vision spun and grew white, spared passing out by virtue of the increased pain when she pushed off the cage, spun rapidly in mid-air and released me to go flying again, bashing into the top of the cage and falling to the mat in a heap.

Groaning and trying to put weight on my fractured legs unsuccessfully, I was dimly aware of Zed's furious combat with Rock going on around us. A normal pony should have fallen long ago from the brutal dents and damage left by Zed's expert hooves, Rock was still up and pressing Zed though, no help to count on there...

A blurring amber streak shot by, bucking me in the face before zipping off to rebound off the cage and attack from a new angle, cackling and continuing her taunts with each pass. "That's right!.... WHAM! First I kill you!.... WHAM! Then your mare gives back... WHAM! the caps you stole... WHAM! ta get back!... WHAM! Yer bratty filly!... WHAM!

Searing, dark rage flared even stronger at the last thing she said, echoing in my head over the distant buzz of the old scoreboard above buzzing the 1:00 minute mark. Jade giving back the caps to get Glitter back? As in ransom? As in foalnapping my daughter!? Her rain of vicious blows felt numb and unimportant as another smashed my muzzle and a series of beeps like a mine preparing to go off sounded above.

Rowdy paused in her assault to follow the noise, grinning sadistically and adjusting her angle to come flying hindlegs first, knocking my wind out again and sending me sailing towards the sound. "How bout a bath Shrouded Shrimp!"

Flopping uselessly on the ground, I had a bare instant to look up at the corroded yellow barrel welded to the cage above me before it opened, a torrent of green goop pouring down on me as I gasped and held my breath pointlessly, sure I was dead or about to be in serious pain.

The crowd gasped and ooohed loudly, quieting to hushed mumbles beyond my clenched eyes. Opening one cautiously and peeking out from my hooves covering my face, past the pip-buck chattering madly at the radiation. I realized I wasn't burning or melting under the toxic sludge... actually I felt... better?

Rowdy was as frozen as the crowd while I stumbled back up, shaking my head in a fan of sizzling green droplets and holding a slime coated foreleg up, experimentally flexing it and sighing with relief at the fading pain. "W-What the fuck!? What the actual FUCK!? How?..."

Drawing on the surging strength I felt from the tingle of radioactive goop covering me, I poured more magic into the lightning crackling at my much steadier hooves, floating out an inhaler of Dash from my pocket and scowling at the shocked pegasus. "I got the real version of that drug, I don't care what it does to you now Rowdy. You are about to suffer LUNA'S WRATH!"

I was surprised at the booming threat echoing through the packed building, that really did sound like the Shroud... The all consuming, dark anger pounding in my temples made it an unimportant curiosity though, taking the dose of Dash let me enjoy the stunned expression on Rowdy's face for a few relative seconds as it slowly morphed to fear, her oversized wings taking a lazy, slow-motion flap to try to escape.

"Oh no you don't..." I growled, blasting forward and tackling the vile mare before she could take off, rolling across the mat with her and not trying to strike her, just wrapping myself around her as tightly as possible.

That dark part of me took great satisfaction at feeling her screaming struggles around me, savoring each stretched out second that she bucked and fought, the green sludge coating me was harmless to me now apparently, but was burning her coat with a sickening stench everywhere it touched.

The small voice of my normal, rational personality watched my vicious assault almost completely detached from the rest of me. Not thrown out of control exactly, more standing aside as a passenger and letting the Shroud guide my actions. Quietly worrying whether it was body or brain that prompted me to snap out with my muzzle, I chomped down on her wing and felt those disturbing, sharp new teeth sinking in.

I barely registered the distant taste and sensation of blood pouring in my mouth, thinking disjointedly about bacon and hearing a rhyme from my childhood floating up, realizing I was mumbling it out loud around the mouthful of feathers insanely. "Nightmare Night, What a Fright, Give me something sweet to bite!"

A long, drawn out ringing noise filled the air, the droning buzz hard to recognize as the buzzer from the scoreboard reading 2:00 with everything slowed down. The dark Shroud in my head wasn't confused though, my burning eyes rolled towards the lockboxes atop the cage, darting between the objects drifting lazily to the ground.

A set of spiked shoes that Rowdy favored, a huge chunk of concrete and rebar vaguely shaped like a club, a thick pair of brass shoes Zed had offered up and there... A security baton borrowed from one of Shamrock's pink barded city guards. I released Rowdy to roll around on the mat, screeching and wiping the sludge and melting flesh off herself and giving a surprisingly forceful buck before I scrambled off towards my weapon.

Zipping forward and leaving a trail of electricity in my wake, I snatched the tumbling baton from the air in my magic, grabbing the club and shoes of our opponents while I was at it and flinging them away forcefully. Rowdy had managed to get up and airborne again, rocketing around the cage and counting on her speed, the gleaming tip of her concealed weapon arrowing out at me, suddenly she wasn't enjoying dragging things out and tormenting me anymore...

I let her get feet away before revealing she wasn't as fast as she thought she was, still riding the slow motion euphoria of Dash, I could keep up with her without much difficulty now. I swung the security baton out in a sharp, flat arc towards her head, darting left so she tried to follow right into the path of the weapon.

Her eyes unfocused and spun at the crack of the baton against her skull, a fan of blood soaking her mane on that side and seeping into her right eye, blinding it. I couldn't rebound off the walls of the cage surrounding us like she could, but the ropes of the ring were still springy and sturdy enough to catapult off of. Giving the woozy mare a taste of her own medicine, I blurred past from multiple angles, bashing her with the baton each time, pretending the familiar length and heft of the weapon was Best Served instead.

Slashing at her with the blunt baton was effective enough, though I was disturbed to find the raging Shroud in my head lusting for the fans of blood and gore the knife would be producing, over the angry, pained cries and cracks of bone. Kidneys... WHACK! Bleeding left wing... WHACK! Hindleg inseam where the femoral artery would be... WHACK! Foreleg... WHACK! Throat.... WHACK!

She choked and sputtered weakly, clutching her bruised throat and trying to roll away as I loomed over her, the Dash fading away leaving me panting as I floated the baton high above her head. "You won't touch my daughter! NONE OF YOU!"

(FAST! STOP!)

Jade's goddess voice tolled directly in my head, short circuiting the maelstrom of hate going on up there. I shakily came back to myself, the gentle voices of the Ministry Mare statues with me helping Jade rein in the dark impulses that threatened to take over. "Be Unwavering." "Be Strong!" "Be Kind..." rising up softly to soothe the furious Shroud muttering "Be Dark..." sullenly.

Blinking in confusion, I swayed on my hooves, the sweet, supportive thread of Jade's thoughts guiding my red eyes to her wide blue ones head and shoulders above the crowd. She looked horrible, fear and worry etched on her face as she clutched Val's neck tightly, the griffon struggling in her grip and watching with a mixture of amazement and concern.

Frantically scanning the crowd, I saw Bullet Bishop and his Kings had disappeared, a few trailing members storming out of the Combat Zone. (GLITTER!!! Go find her! She said...) My panicked thoughts lurched back into gear in response to Jade's mental plea.

(What? But you are hurt... Ivy is...) I saw her ears flatten against her head and she looked around the crowd anxiously, spotting several other alicorns watching the fight blinking and looking around in confusion. I knew I wasn't supposed to answer back where her sisters could hear me, but my fear pushed any concerns about being found out aside.

(NOW! They threatened her!! Ransom!) My racing thoughts must have filled in the blanks, I saw her eyes widen and she flew out of the room without a word, leaving Val looking around in confusion between us and ignoring the stares of several of her sisters, looking from her to me with looks of dawning surprise...

(Fast?...Fast?...What?!...Fast!?...How?...No...Couldn't...)

Swinging my head around slowly and trying to shut out the growing chorus of voices in my head, I saw Zed driving Hulking Rock back, his skills apparently tested by the bruises and bloody damage he had taken. Somehow he was moving even faster than normal, unleashing a spinning dance of destruction against the bulging wall of muscle.

I could practically feel the impact as blows rained down on Rock, Zed abandoned finesse and nerve strikes for an brutal stream of hammer-blows that was slowly pulverizing his enemy's skull, denting it into a radically different shape. Stumbling over Rowdy as Zed ended his most recent barrage and the huge stallion finally crashed to the ground, I took an unsteady breath and shivered taking in what I had done.

Rowdy and her skimpy armor hadn't fared well, angry pink burns showed through several patches of scorched and melted fur. Both her wings and shoulder were bleeding in a puddle beneath her, eyeing the crescent shaped gouges in one wing I felt my stomach flop as I realized I could still taste some of that blood... Her sandy blonde mane was matted and stuck to one side of her head in a sticky mass of blood, her leg and wing were broken and deep purple bruises were springing up all over.

Rolling her one clear eye to see her partner fall, she sneered weakly at me before Cat's amplified voice called out over the roaring cheers, coughing up a spatter of blood. "J-Just delayin' what's comin'... Goodneighbor's gonna belong ta the Kings... yer brat... gonna..."

"Shut up. Right now. Or I'm going to kill you, I won't be able to stop..." I clenched my eyes shut and tried to keep in control, breathing deeply and conserving my strength, mentally prancing in place waiting for the cage door to open.

A flash of text appeared on the back of my eyelids, coinciding with Cat's voice calling out loudly;

Mission Updated: Down With the King

Objectives---
---Weaken the King's influence in Goodneighbor
---Reduce the King's wealth
---Reduce the King's weapons trade

Optional Objectives---
---Eliminate the Kings
---Eliminate Bullet Bishop

Mission Updated: Strike Up the Band

Objectives----
---Trigger the Grand Opening Gala
----Stage 'Championship Fight'

Current PL = 7.6

"Whatta fight, whatta fight! Huh folks!? Let's hear it for our new champions from Sanctuary, the..." Ignoring the gentle tug of Cat trying to hold my hoof up high, I opened my eyes and dashed for the open exit to the cage, shouting as I streaked through the crowd with my lightning spell still active.

"VAL! ZED! COME ON! GLITTER'S IN DANGER!" I heard Val squawk behind me as I hit the doors, less dodging and more plowing through anypony in my way, rudely knocking well wishers aside and dodging past the mare dressed as a batpony fluttering in my path with a wide smile. Frantically taking in the scene outside, my eyes were drawn skyward immediately by two things.

First, the Ministry of Morale hub was lit up brighter than normal... The sealed, vacant floors powering up in anticipation of opening and the mellow glow of the pink shields beneath the glass intensifying. Second was the howl of a pair of Vertibucks swooping by overhead, the static filled voice blaring out just audible over Magnolia's loud concert.

"Ponies of Goodneighbor, don't be alarmed, the Brotherhood of Friendship requests your cooperation!"

Gunfire broke out in answer and the crowded streets grew even more chaotic, E.F.S. started flickering with dashes of red among the sea of green, the skies were suddenly filled with pegasi, griffons and quite a few alicorns. None of that was important though, the only thing I cared about was the blazing green shield that had sprung up over the Friendly Foals Orphanage and whether Glitter was safe behind it or not...

Slayer--------------
---The Slayer pony walks the earth! You're still no prize fighter, but losing your temper and surviving the Combat Zone has improved your martial skills. The speed of your hoof to hoof or melee attacks is increased by 25% and you have an increased chance for critical hits with such attacks!