Mission Updated: Old Guns

Objectives-------
---Join the Brotherhood strike team
---Discover the fate of Recon Squad Rapier
---Clear Fort Loyalty of hostiles
---Find parts and ammo for Castle Equinox's weapons
---Escape Fort Loyalty

"What the fuck is this!? Where's the rest of them!?" The Brotherhood pegasus Knight Dervish stood shaking over our latest find, several suits of Brotherhood power armor empty and discarded in an old office of Fort Loyalty, tattered remains of the charcoal and red uniforms they wore strewn about as well, but no bodies were present.

By her reaction and my pip-buck's helpful flash of text, I was guessing this all belonged to the recon squad the Brotherhood sent to scout Fort Loyalty out in the first place. Caught in Virescent's trap before us, stripped and taken away to... somewhere else, presumably to be changed into the flawed mutant alicorns that had been attacking us constantly as we moved through the fort.

Val pushed past the pegasus mare and started rooting through the remains for loot, glaring at the noises of protest coming from her and several of her comrades. "They ain't here are they? Stuff's just goin' ta waste and we're runnin' low right? Bah! Not that there's nothin' worth takin' either, them mutants learned enough ta take their weapons and ammo, usin' em against us now."

I joined Val and started stripping the power armor, taking the helmets and the most advanced parts and gems, putting the pair of Enclave armor and single Steel Ranger helms in my packs with the Instititue made one I had taken from the Gunners in the Switchboard, while trying very hard not to think about that one too much. Making plans against a mindreader was infuriating, had to keep misdirecting and defending every thought, but I had a basic idea.

"Usin' em on most of us..." The Steel Ranger clad Knight Barrel added with a grumble, getting an angry scowl from Val and his commander Paladin Dance for his trouble.

He had a point though, we had been cut off everywhere we went by Virescent's army of mutants, constantly under attack and taking a beating. They were still going for non-lethal attacks where possible, which was still a lot of firepower against power armored soldiers, but they avoided even touching me, further isolating me from the others in their view, no matter how many I killed trying to help them.

Ugh... Virescent's mental voice wasn't helping things either, like picking at a scab, she kept right on offering her twisted commentary on my companions, piling on the stress and fear with her swarm of mutant drones, pushing them to breaking just to prove her point. I had no doubt she corralled us here just for them to find the remains of their comrades, set them to arguing and panic again.

The cloudy terminal sitting on the shattered desk up here must be what she meant. It gave me something to slink off to while they bickered again and to escape Virescent's taunts anyway, checking drawers absently before moving to crack the security. It had gotten easy to forget all of this was up in the sky inside the fort, pegasi made furniture and everything else out of fairly solid cloudstuff. Other than the shared color palette of mostly pale light blues and other pastels, it essentially looked like regular desks, file cabinets, chairs, bookshelves, etc, just rotting away to wisps of nothing instead of piles of junk.

Ivy moved away from the cluster of Brotherhood and Val renewing old arguments, sticking at my side supportively and nuzzling my cheek while I worked. "Try not to let it get to you Fast, they are under strain but still good ponies. Trust me, I have seen horrible thoughts in many, but often that's all they are, just thoughts. It can become too much to withstand, sour you on all ponies, a bit of a problem for many of my kind. Telepathy is not always a gift..."

"Is that what's wrong with Virescent?"

My green alicorn friend sighed sadly and nodded, "Virescent used to be a herald for the Church of Unity when our mother was alive, hence her penchant for religious zealotry. Even she wasn't all bad, but she was exposed to a lot of the worst of the wasteland in her duties. She was taught by the mother our kind was superior, to pave the way to raise all ponies up in unity and spread her glory, you can understand a bit of a superiority complex."

Both of us groaned at her immediate answer, as powerful as she was and with the trap she had sprung on us, the best way out was convincing her to let us go, but she was amazingly stubborn. She could put an end to this any time she wanted, but left us to run around her maze at her leisure, trying to convince me she was right while I did the same.

Ivy whinnied and tried again while I worked on the terminal, (If we are inherently superior sister, how did a normal pony destroy our mother? We have many advantages yes, but we are not superior. You want Fast, he was normal once, on the inside he is unchanged... mostly.)

(And if she doesn't want to be changed like I was? I didn't exactly sign up for it Virescent, it wasn't fun either...)

Getting through the terminal's security distracted me from her firm statement, perusing the records and wondering what she meant by 'something for me'. Judging by the office and the records contained on the terminal, this was the base's quartermaster, lots of shipping records and such, a few of which did jump out after scanning them.

Incoming Shipment #203420

Contents- 1 gross (144) 'eggs'
From- Ministry of Morale
Stored- Resupply bay
Notes- Are the ponies up top out of their fucking minds?! Eggs! Eggs!?! Smuggling in Trotson has to be a hell of a lot worse than they're letting on if they intercepted this many 'eggs', I understand storing them here where we can dump em if we need to, but if just one of those 'eggs' cracks... Why the hell are we keeping them at all? Following orders and leaving them where our upcoming guests can get to them, sooner those nuts from the school take them off our hooves the better. Lodging my complaint here though, I don't want anything to do with those things and want them off my inventory asap.

Outgoing Shipment #204920

Contents- 1 dozen (12) 'Eggs'
Destination- C.I.A.T. Reverse Engineering

Outgoing Shipment #204921

Contents- 1 dozen (12) 'Eggs'
Destination- C.I.A.T. Theoretical Imagineering

Incoming Shipment #205021

Contents- 4 dozen (48) 'Buckballs'
From- C.I.A.T.
Stored- Resupply bay
Notes- I was relieved when the Doc took some of those eggs away, never expected him to bring something just as bad back! Are the brass trying to blow Fort Loyalty out of the sky!?! Dragons still wing us you know! One of those brutes shakes things up to much, and there's gonna be a second sun off the coast. Officially complaining further up the chain if he doesn't take all that shit out of here when they come up for their next demonstration.

Eggs? Buckballs? I had no idea why the pony in charge here would be upset about sporting equipment, but I did know of one kind of egg that would put him on edge like that and could blow this place to smithereens. Balefire Eggs...

In answer to the thought, I got an image of wherever Virescent was, I was fairly certain it had to be the resupply bay mentioned in the records. A cavernous, cloudy chamber, lit in rippling rainbow colors and flickers of green balefire guttering on the walls and floor. There were ruined shelves full of varying crates and tanks for resupplying cloudships, big pipes leading up a vertical shaft above her view, but it was the forest of small glowing eggs scattered about that got my attention.

Virescent was sitting on a nest full of highly destructive, highly radioactive balefire eggs, some of which had obviously been damaged to fill the chamber with the intense power she was feeling. A heavily shielded metal crate lay open, stuck in the fluffy wall before her as well, full of small red buckballs, a few of which were glowing red as well and adding to the radiation. That explained one mystery, Scribe Wind couldn't figure where she'd find a source of radiation that strong on the base, apparently she didn't know about what they were storing down there.

Another rumble shook the island under our hooves, frightening the Brotherhood who weren't also assaulted by the rolling wave of lust coming with it that rocked me on my hooves. My wings sprang up and my eyes rolled under it, clenching my eyes shut and trying to keep her out only did so much.

She was being surprisingly patient, but being as overcharged as she was came with problems, made worse by knowing I was so close. I flushed at the knowledge she was down there taking care of herself, repeatedly... working herself up more and more as she soaked up more radiation and grew even larger in her lair. She was eagerly waiting for me to come down there and join her, coming closer and closer to just losing her thin control over her impulses entirely.

Unfortunately as much as I didn't want to, a good portion of me did. Having all that pent up desire broadcast to my brain was wearing down my defenses. The more power she absorbed, the bigger and stronger she got, seeping her way in as she abandoned any sense of restraint. I didn't particularly like Virescent, but I was having problems keeping a rein on the urge to do what she wanted anyway, go down there with all that radiation, leave these bickering Brotherhood behind and just rut the giant filly until I couldn't anymore.

"Fast... Don't listen, I know it's hard, but you were able to fend off all my sisters in Goodneighbor. Virescent is powerful here, but it is still unity, you can withstand it just like then." Ivy pushed my wings down with a foreleg around the shoulder, hugging me to her side and just riling me up more. She was right here, so was Val and Scribe Wind... I could just... STOP!

Beyond just chipping away at my own self control, every cloudquake she caused piled more stress on the Brotherhood. They didn't know it was just an oversized, undersexed filly beneath their hooves somewhere, to them it was a giant monster that had killed one of their own already. Every rumble and moan reverberating through the island increased their fighting and panic.

"L-Listen ta that... how we posed ta fight something like her anyway?! She's gonna take us all an' turn us inta..."

"We're already running low on supplies and ammo sir, my magic reserves are getting drained too much too, she'll wear us down and we'll end up like Recon Squad Rapier if we don't do something..."

"Sadistic bitch is playing with us! Still say we should just give her what she wants and get out of here, report back and bring an appropriate force to take her down. It's obvious she won't hurt him!"

"That's enough, you will not turn into a bunch of snivelling, frightened foals from a little shake now and then! We are still on mission, that creature changes nothing."

"We're not giving her Fast to save our own tails! Stop suggesting it Dervish!"

"GRRRAAHHHH! Dammit! All of you stop fighting please, she's trying to get you to do exactly what you're doing! It's not my fault she won't attack me, I've been covering all of you though haven't I? Took a pair of spells that would have knocked you out right Knight Dervish? Got that big brute off you Medic Poultice? I've been square with all of you, but I want the same Paladin Dance. She's sitting on a fuckton of balefire eggs and more, that's how she got like that and you knew about them, didn't you?"

Star Paladin Dance's helmeted face betrayed no expression, but his voice was wary and even his Scribe and the rest of his squad was surprised, turning on him as he answered slowly. "Affirmative... A large shipment of confiscated balefire eggs being smuggled into the Commonwealth was known to be here, we hoped to recover them and other ordinance for our campaign here."

"And you didn't think it was worth mentioning? We came for the weapons and parts here yeah, but balefire eggs? Zebra weaponry? And what about those buckballs..."

His helmeted head snapped over at that, still speaking with his voice distorted by his helmet's speaker but betraying a bit of concern. "Need to Know. You didn't. Our mission is unchanged, you want the parts and equipment from this place as well as our help for your war, we want those items for ours. Fair exchange Fast."

No. No it wasn't... I didn't like having things kept from me and was suddenly very glad I had wrote that little virus on the holotape game I gave my daughter. Glitter was clever and convincing, she'd find a networked terminal on the Prydwen to play it on and then we'd see what we would see. No more secrets. Of course that was the whole problem with Virescent, nothing was secret from her, making escaping look less and less likely.

I glared at Paladin Dance's implacable covered face and stormed out, Ivy and Val right behind me, Scribe Wind and the others following behind her. If the mutants here wouldn't hurt me, I may as well take advantage of it and lead the way, find them first for the others. Try to help, ignore the clink of chains in my head, the whisper of 'Be Dark...' being encouraged by Virescent.

Even the tactic of taking the lead had its own difficulties, after traversing a series of confusing hallways often blocked by piles of cloudy fluff, I walked out into a large shared office space strewn with deteriorating desks and file cabinets. A trio of mutants was waiting with a variety of weapons, but they simply stared back at me. If they'd attack then killing them wouldn't be a problem, but I couldn't just kill them for doing ...nothing... they used to be ponies...

"Please, don't make me do this, stop fighting like this, she's throwing you away. Don't make me kill you!" I pleaded with the dull eyed mutant alicorns, crestfallen at their blank look in return.

Virescent's reply held only the barest hint of empathy for the mutants she was using, I was still hoping to convince her to change though. (Dala intentionally made them flawed Virescent, she was done experimenting to get data to make a real attempt well before she changed me. The Institute is using you, you're being played by weak, normal ponies...)

I sighed and pointed out the mutants in this room for the others moving up behind me, trying one more time. (Read the memories out of my head then. See what Dala really thinks, she told me all about it.)

I felt the odd sensation of her rifling around up in my head, allowing it and trying to remember everything Moondancer had said. When the burly earth mutant opened up with a light machine gun on Val, I didn't have a problem getting back to fighting them at least. Diving forward in the way of his fire to make it stop, tackling it uselessly while the others moved up and engaged the new enemies. The large yellow mutant rolled and wrestled with me, trying to pin me in place with his bulk but not hurting me, making this worse 'Be Strong!'.

More of its kind galloping in the room forced my hoof, a pair of long horned spell slingers and a big winged pegasus mutant joining the fray and focusing on Val more than any other. Best Served flashed up between us and the mutant grappling with me lost its head. With weary resignation, the Terrible Shotgun and Vengeance floated up to join the knife in my mouth. The kinder voices of the Ministry Mares were pushed aside by the necessity of the single dark voice with them, a part of me that could kill these sad things, that could not feel horrible but ...enjoy it instead.

Virescent got through the memories of my time with Moondancer apparently, the island shook more than before, in fury instead of passion, a screeching roar rising up from below as all the mutants seemed to become less coordinated and more vicious for a moment. It made killing them easier anyway. A blast of lightning broke an earth mutant's weak shield, leaving it open for a rain of Knight Barrel's 5mm tracing up its neck and obliterating its square head, more death, more blood... just keep killing, don't think about it... 'Be Dark...'

A pair of .45 rounds from the big revolver drew an alarming amount of blood from one of the long horns, the other still ignored me and blasted Knight Dervish with a bolt of lightning, crashing her spell matrix and sending the Enclave armored pegasus to the ground. The pegasus mutant streaked through the air in the cramped quarters, diving for the downed knight and trying to scoop up the light load, dragging her by the armored scorpion tail of her power armor down a side door as she screamed.

Val was already battering down the remaining unicorn mutant's shield, the two Steel Rangers were occupied with a pair of earth mutants matching their heavy weapons against their own, only Scribe Wind, Medic Poultice and Ivy were charging after the speedy pegasus mutant dragging away the Knight, none of whom were combat specialists.

That gave me more than enough motivation, I wasn't going to leave them to it and Knight Dervish's cries struck right to the heart. The fear of being snatched away and turned into the same kind of creature taking her was intense and very clear. I tried to use my lightning walking spell, the arcing electricity surrounding my limbs and blackening the floor beneath me with a rumble, shit... I sped forward as far as I dared and canceled it, I had absolutely no idea what would happen if I turned a cloud island into a thunderhead with that spell, though it was an interesting little nugget I let roll around with my other barely shielded thoughts.

If it weren't for the cramped quarters, I'd have no chance at all of doing anything, those pegasus mutants were very, very fast. Its oversized wings got in the way here though, not enough room to really stretch them indoors, making it slower and clumsier. I still barely brought up S.A.T.S. before it got around a bend in the hall, thanks to my short and inadvisable burst of speed, freezing time and going with half a dozen shots from the Terrible Shotgun to center body mass, the best odds at hitting the slippery mutant without hitting the Knight.

Time resumed and the shotgun started barking at my side, three slugs hammering the mutant in the chest and knocking it out of the air, smashing against a cloudy wall and soaking it in blood. Knight Dervish was still screeching where it dropped her, struggling uselessly in dead armor. I flew as fast as I could, beating Summer, Poultice and Ivy there and stumbling to a halt beside the Knight, pulling out my pip-buck's patch cable and finding the port to reboot her armor as quickly as possible.

"Hang on! I can fix it, it'll be alright, just gimme a second!" I tried to soothe the struggling Knight, distracted by a unicorn mutant coming from the direction the dead pegasus variety had been trying to take her.

The silvery unicorn mutant paused on running into us, a bright silver shield appearing just ahead of Vengeance snapping up and emptying the cylinder against it. Its twisted horn glowed brightly and blue rings of force shot out, a familiar wave of numbness running through my body as I struggled to finish the reboot command, they could cast Jade's favorite anesthetic spell too... fantastic.

If it weren't for being able to magically operate the pip-buck via the heads up display in my vision, I wouldn't have been able to hit accept as I fell over. As it was, the pegasus in the black and red power armor scrambled back up with a hum of her systems rebooting, lashing out with that scorpion tail at the silver shield, putting a crack in it as she spun and unloaded with her underwing novasurge rifles.

The unicorn mutant dissolved into a pile of pink ash and Knight Wind checked the hall it appeared from, firing more blasts at whatever was down that way that I couldn't see frozen where I was. Summer and Ivy reached me and fretted over my condition, Poultice checked her first then a glow from his horn helped me shake off the spell slowly, stumbling back up against the cloudy wall.

"T-Thanks... Thought that thing had me for a second and... er... Just, thanks ok?" Knight Dervish sounded conflicted and relieved, still getting over that surge of terror, looking over to the pegasus mutant that tried to take her shakily and freezing. Her helmet slid open and back and she took a trembling step toward the mutant breathing its last, pinprick dark blue eyes locked on the warped bit of color on its flank. "Dive? D-Dive Bomb?"

One of the mutant's eyes rolled her way dully, what little light was there fading rapidly as she started crying, reaching a hoof out to the difficult to discern, warped cutie mark on its flank, she knew it before... My own voice cracked and I tried to offer some comfort, say something at least, "K-Knight... I'm sorr...."

FZZZZATTT!

Her underwing magical energy weapons fired and the dying mutant disolved into sparkly pink ash, the pegasus Knight wiping her dripping muzzle forcefully with an armored foreleg and letting the helmet cover her furious eyes again as she hissed. "I'd expect the same from him, put me out of my misery if I wound up like that, like you."

Ow... Her words stung as she tromped back off, rejoining the others finishing off the last red dashes on E.F.S., leaving me to stare sadly at the drifting cloud of ash. We weren't that far removed, I was just successful and he wasn't, but either way she felt the right course was to kill the result.

But I wasn't in misery to be put out of, were they? What were they even like when not controlled by Virescent or the Institute, they were ponies just like ghouls were once, didn't they deserve to live if they wanted? What if there was a way back for that matter? A cure for what Moondancer turned them into?

Medic Poultice gave a worried shrug as apology for his comrade, shoving back his round combat helmet marked with the cross and butterfly of healers. "Sorry, lots of troops have been disappearing since we came to the Commonwealth, pegasi troops especially... We're all on edge, wondering if that's what happened to them, now we know. I know it's not your fault, j-just... try not to take it too personally. Thanks for helping her."

"S-Sure... no problem Poultice, thank you."

I leaned against Summer and Ivy, returning to the others and moving deeper into Fort Loyalty with heavy thoughts weighing me down. Virescent's own finally joining them sulkily after scanning through my memories of Dala. She was still barely in control, but now it was frustrated anger at the forefront, instead of that scary lust that was still simmering in the background of her mind.

"Fast are you ok? C-Come on, you don't look so good, we found the General's office, go take a seat for a second ok?" Summer still worried at my side as we made our way towards a spacious waiting area, a larger office to the side marked 'General Tip Top' she was guiding me towards over the most recent mutant corpses.

The care was a lot more important to me than somepony to lean against, noting the last red dash disappearing. With another lull in the constant combat, I pulled out the current Steel Ranger helmet I was working on, focusing on the technical details of what I was doing. Wire the gems in series together... strip the radio frequency tuner from the comms and adjust it to match the others... tie it into the power supply... don't think about what it does... just finish this [radio] and move on to the next. Had to make one for everypony and hope they worked.

I sank into the general's fancy chair leaking cloudstuff at the seams and stared at the ceiling, trying to think of something beyond the helmets I kept working at, knowing Virescent could read it out of my head if I wasn't very, very careful, creating a constant mental strain. She had pulled away and I caught sight of a huge green shape flitting by the windows occasionally, a dragon sized pony reenacting real dragons flights around Fort Loyalty, swooping and diving from the overcast afternoon clouds, frustrated and angry at the Institute, plotting...

Instead of useful thought I just tried to let my mind drift on meaningless details while I worked, going over the cloud constructed furniture in here, marveling at the still fairly straight lines and graceful swirls and swoops decorating the walls. With her out and agitated, this was probably the best shot we had for doing our own plotting, but it wasn't easy.

The general's desk amazingly held a few caps for some insane reason, but little else of interest. A safe in the corner drew Val's attention immediately and she got to work by my side, claws raking the wispy tumblers of the lock that was impervious to any but pegasi and griffons, and me I supposed.

There was a display case to the side with a red metal ball I floated over to roll around on the desk by the current helmet and various parts. One of the things down there with Virescent, a metal buckball with seams and a hoof shaped dial, an empty shell apparently. Why would he put this on display?

"I'm fine Summer... good enough, this isn't working though. Virescent's ahead of us at every turn, she can read our minds for Luna's sake! I can't even try to come up with some kind of plan thing or stupid idea without her knowing about it. This is the time for any bright ideas you guys, she's outside and worked up, how do you beat a mindreader Ivy?"

The green alicorn slumped and shrugged, reloading her unfamiliar assault rifle in the well preserved office, while the rest of the Brotherhood spread out and took up defensive positions in the waiting room. They were still in earshot but avoiding us... me... for the most part, listening as Ivy spoke. "It is not easy... The Destroyer had to erase her own memories and use a zebra, but she was able to escape our mother's eye to make her plans before implementing them.

Coming up with something here? Directly under my sister's watchful gaze? I do not know Fast, the two of us can keep things from her like you had to with my sisters back home, focus on building mental defenses as much as possible. But as you know, it is a constant strain to not let your surface thoughts betray you, and if she really wants to know, she's strong enough to get the answers.

She doesn't have to try to learn from us either, anything the others know is an open book to her. Except Valkyrie of course, I imagine that's why her pawns seem so focused on her, she can't read the griffon's thoughts. Perhaps the three of us could work together? That's the best chance to get anything past her anyway, that or distracting her..."

"Distract how?"

Ivy looked away and blushed, answering in a quiet voice and wincing at Summer's reaction. "The best way to distract her is you Fast... you know our weaknesses when it comes to a male, if she were.... occupied... by you, I doubt she'd be capable of any other activity considering her current state and your.... prowess in that arena... She is already close to becoming completely drunk on power, it would take little to push her over the edge."

"Not happenin' boss, I'm still waitin' ta cash in on my pay, she ain't line jumpin' just cause she's tubby now. Ya ain't goin'..." Val growled from the safe she was working on, giving me a flat stare that said more than her teasing, she wouldn't let me even consider trying to deal with Virescent to save the others.

"Y-You mean just send him down there to... w-with her!?! No! That's what she wants! W-We can't just give in and do that! F-Fast can't... not with that giant evil bitch!" Summer yelped and got the attention of her comrades, returning them to the same argument again.

"That's w-what she wants!?! Just g-get down there and s-shag her already then! Let us get out of this d-damn maze and get b-backup!" The squad's medic Poultice piped up with a quaver in his voice, Virescent's games were getting to him.

Of course having a pair of long horned mutants freeze him and try to drag him off to turn them into one of them would do that, his armor was still frosty as he shivered in place. Virescent seemed to like pairing the mutants with their non mutanted counterparts, let them see exactly what was in store for them and increase their stress.

"Ya'll mean if he goes down there and just does the horizontal mambo, we can get outta here? Maybe that there's the best option sir, we know she won't hurt him right?" Knight Barrel latched on to the overheard conversation as they spread out and checked all entrances to the room we had cleared.

"Of course that's what the big bitch wants him for, what they all want him for! Why a male alicorn is so fucking dangerous!! They want to breed, to spread and take over everything! Replace the rest of ponykind! Why do you think they won't hurt him huh?! SHE CAN'T! She'll just keep sending her mutant freaks after us until she gets what she wants, unlike them he actually turned into what they needed all this time!

Letting him go to her only makes more of them too! The best option would be if the huge cunt just fucked you to death like that while we get out!" Knight Dervish screamed to her fellow soldiers, ever since she turned the mutant she recognized to ash, she had gotten colder and angrier.

Virescent was back to barely restrained mating urges again, making me gulp at all the mental images she was going through figuring out practicalities. She wasn't going to bleed off any of the power she had stored up by flying around outside, actually planning on returning to soak up more and grow larger instead, making Knight Dervish's hope a distinct possibility if she did get ahold of me.

"Escape isn't the mission soldier. If she's sitting on that stockpile, that's all the more reason to take it from her, that's what we're doing. If we have to take her down to do it, so be it, mind reading won't stop a missile." Steel Dance stamped down on whatever hope his fellow Steel Ranger was clinging to, still focused on his mission, including the things he hadn't bothered to share.

Ivy snorted at his simplistic plans though, giving a chuckle as she shot him down. "A missile in her state is a gnat, a minor nuisance at best. Provided she even lets you fire it, mind reading may not stop a missile, but it will turn you into a vegetable before you pull the trigger. I wouldn't count on her letting you go either, if you escape you'll alert the rest of your order to her trap. If none of you return, they'll send more into the same pitfall. With no protection of any kind, all of you are mere puppets to her if she chooses."

"She bleeds, she can die. No matter how big and powerful she is, we'll take her down and accomplish our mission. The Lightbringer killed one of your kind in that state, a squad of Brotherhood troops can do that much." Dance was getting frustrated, stamping his armored hooves, looking for any option and sounding like he looked forward to killing Virescent himself.

Summer was loyal to her Paladin partner and smart, going over the map and her knowledge of Fort Loyalty, looking out the small windows behind my seat to track the huge alicorn swooping along outside and venturing a suggestion. "There's the dragonslayer cannons sir... up above in the dome? She's flying right in range of them now! If we can get to them and get them working, they may be able to take her down..."

It was a good idea that Paladin Dance latched onto immediately, going over her map with her and marking his new objective. It presented a bit of a problem for me though, Virescent was ...annoying, haughty, self righteous and superior, but other than flattening Knight Goose for attacking me, she hadn't really done much pure evil that would make me feel the same.

I disliked her, but I couldn't quite hate her. She ponynapped Jade, but she thought she was helping her at the time. She had attacked me for invading her church when I was still normal, but now she was adoringly friendly. She had been working with the Institute, which did raise a spark of anger, but she had been fooled and lied to, used... Like killing the non-hostile mutants, it was hard to want to kill a pony that only wanted to... I wasn't quite above flattery ok?

The leader of Trinity Tower's words still weighed on me any time I faced one of Jade's sisters as an enemy too, they might be able to reproduce now thanks to me (hopefully...), but there were still so few of them. Every one that died was an irreplaceable product of their mother the Goddess, a unique life that could do such good if they wanted. Watching her outside, I couldn't help focusing on how dark her coat and mane were, a green that was bordering on black, she had barely changed from her time under the goddess, didn't she deserve the chance?

Maybe it was partially her constant griping about species, not wanting to kill another alicorn like ...myself I guessed, but I just felt uncomfortable killing her if I could avoid it. She was misguided, had done bad things, but so had pretty much everybody here at one point or another. The Steel Rangers hording technology and ignoring the world for ages, the Enclave for closing the sky and invading after 200 years, Val for her time as a Gunner, Ivy for what she had done under her mother's control, me for.... for a lot. If we all deserved redemption then so did she.

(I'm trying not to hate you Virescent, that's not the same thing. Remember you hated me when I was still normal.) While the others were catching their breath and reloading, I took the opportunity to try reasoning with Virescent again, not that it had been very successful so far.

(So all it took was a pair of wings for you to change your opinion? I'm still the same pony I was before, hell I'm still short! Not quite perfection huh? All you're talking about is the outside Virescent. You hated me because I was normal, you love me because I'm an alicorn, is the outside all that matters? Don't you think or feel anything for yourself?) I asked hopefully, she was wavering and I could feel emotional turmoil vaguely, come on, just stop being crazy...

Our short conversation had left me glazed and staring at nothing while the others argued in the main room outside and the island shook again, Virescent crawling back down the mooring tower to her lair most likely. Ivy was watching carefully beside Val working on the wispy lock as I shook it off and blinked, coming back to reality. More red dashes were already moving around us and Virescent wouldn't answer anymore, other than the increasing rumbles under our hooves, leaving only one option for now, keep fighting and keep moving.

Ivy nickered by me and tilted her head as she spoke, "That was good Fast... you confused her. Virescent was exposed to far too much negative emotion out of ponies in her duties and clung to zealotry to protect herself, I doubt she's felt such warm emotion before. If you can get her to listen again, try to use that, you can be very sweet and caring, it is most likely completely foreign to her." 'Be Kind...'

"Aha! Got it, toughy boss, hmm buncha boring papers, old world bits... bah! Bunch'a crap is all." Val groaned behind me as the safe swung open under her expert skills, disclosing a bit of junk and preserved papers in file folders, stamped with angry red CLASSIFIED across them.

Val might not care, but Steel Dance tromped right over and reached for the files like he was on a mission, stymied by Val snatching them away and holding them back. He snorted through his helmet and glared blankly at the griffon, holding a hoof out impatiently. "You don't want those, I do. Give them over please."

"Ah, ah, ah... yer awful interested ain't ya Dance? Must be somethin' valuable, how much ya gimme? What's in these anyway? Hmmm... a ball?" Val dodged away behind my chair and rifled through the files, holding them sideways and upside down, her violet eyes flicking over the pages in confusion.

Considering the empty shell rolling on the desk in front of me, her mention of 'ball' got my attention. "Let me see that Val, I bet you're right and it is valuable..."

She slapped the files on the desk in front of me happily, moving to block Dance from coming around the desk and snatching them away gruffly. "Back off big fella, I opened that safe, that's mine an' the boss' till he says different. Still ain't too happy with you Brotherhood myself, yer runnin' low on the trust department. 'Cept shorty Scribe I guess, she's ok."

In exchange for the files, Val grabbed the red metal shell from the desk and tossed in playfully as I read, keeping Dance back subtly but relentlessly, the Steel Ranger seemed to be getting upset and worried... What was in these anyway? Hmm, advanced spell work, spell matrix design notations, an expoded diagram of the weird buckball Val was juggling... Design schematics, schematics for a weapon...

"More 'Need to Know' bullshit Dance? You seem awful interested in these, the Brotherhood planing on producing their own... Buckbombs?"

Paladin Dance's helmet slid back and I got to look in his stern grey eyes, daring him to lie to me with my burning red ones. This time he didn't at least, huffing angrily and jabbing a hoof out at the ancient files. "I was briefed on the possibility of those schematics being here and told to recover them if possible. I'm sure you can arrange a hefty sum for them griffon, but I need them, now."

"No. I don't think so, like she said, you're running low in the trust department Dance, and that hurts too, I thought we were friends. I'm keeping these for now, I'll decide what to do with them once you start being straight with me. Val, they're all yours, if he tries to take them, torch them."

My fiery friend was positively giddy at the orders, rubbing her dark claws together and forgetting about the Buckbomb shell she had tossed to the ceiling, letting it fall to the desk and break apart down the middle. It cracked like an egg and disclosed a hidden treasure to boot, a glowing orange ball...

Everyone froze a moment but Val, reaching out and grabbing it in her claws, another memory orb she tucked away quickly before I got ahold of it, grumbling under her breath. "Don't even think it boss, not zonkin' out with a giant filly on our heels. Reminds me though, I sorta... er... found another of these things in that funny house with the secret cave under the bed... forgot about it, heh..."

"You found a memory orb in Fairlines Val!?! Why didn't you give it to me yet! That was an Institute head's house if I'm right!!" I yelped back, at least distracted from our situation at the thought of the precious treasure she had been holding on to.

She did manage to look a bit shamed, scratching her sweaty plumage and grinning, "Er... well, I told ya I don't like them things boss. We was in a hurry, found it in the safe and tucked it away. Hadn't thought of it till we found this one... sorry?"

I frowned up at her from my seat, we were going to have a talk later about this later, but I wanted that ball right now, tempted to just order her to give it over when she danced away. I wasn't going to view it right this second... probably... but I wanted it. Dance cut her off with the same gesture, he wanted those files badly.

Scribe Wind managed to derail the oncoming argument between us, stamping a hoof at her Paladin before trotting around the desk to see what I was working on. "What are you doing to these helmets Fast? Is that the communication relay? Why would you wire it like..."

"RADIO! I'm making a better [radio]... If all these mutants are networked together through Virescent, umm thought we should have better way to communicate too... Don't think about it too hard Summer. Please..."

The pegasus filly raised an eyebrow at me curiously, but seemed to take my meaning and trust me. Looking away from the innards of the helmet I had pulled away from her view protectively and nodding rapidly. "R-Right! Radio, of course Fast. Well then, all this fighting isn't helping us, I suggest we go to the dragonslayer cannon array sir, see if it can be made operable and if that monster will even let us."

"Right, that's a plan then, show me the way Summer, I'll keep leading and killing..."

The dark Shroud in my head muttered at the thought of more death, keeping up my defenses against Virescent was weakening them elsewhere, the strain was getting to me just like it was the Brotherhood. Worse yet Virescent could hear it just like Ivy did, but it seemed to hide from her less, maybe because of her obvious interest.

(Leave it alone Virescent, it's not good for anypony. Maybe I'll come, if you behave...)

A series of running firefights brought us up and near the outer walls of Fort Loyalty, providing a bit more grey light from the overcast day outside to work by as we trudged on, closer to the round chamber on my pip-buck map. I still had a slight hitch in my step from what I firmly chose to believe was accidental friendly fire from our last encounter, a few 5mm rounds to the flank that itched as the healing potion pushed the bits of lead out of my hide.

The others had fared less well too, the Brotherhood's power armor was splashed with blood here and there and slowly trying to self repair with almost no metal around to strip for materials, a weakness to making almost everything out of clouds. If it weren't for the light green unicorn Medic Poultice, we'd all be in a lot more trouble.

By his sweaty face and sparking horn when he spoke up tiredly, he didn't have much left though. "Umm... excuse me Ma'am, but you said something about protection? Is there a way to keep her out of our heads?"

Ivy smiled sweetly to him and nodded back wearily. "There are ways, I am providing some protection for you already, though it is very difficult and not enough, hopefully she won't be able to just take one of you over as she likes. It takes a strong mind to keep one of us out though.

One of the best protections is a certain set of statues, but there are only 42 of them in Equestria. Barring that, mental discipline can keep us back somewhat, memory orbs like Valkyrie's earlier find would erase your mind from her view, but you'd be unconscious of course, or there are other options like..."

I facehoofed as she remembered the same thing I had been working on all this time, panicking at the racing thoughts and trying to shield them from Virescent. Had to keep it secret, don't think about it! Falling back on what I knew, I paused in the middle of the hall and started belting out a croaking song;

The Brotherhood troops all looked at me like I had lost my mind, it was the only thing I could think of though. Had to keep it a secret just awhile longer or Virescent would do anything to stop me. Singing was the only thing I knew for sure really messed with unity, the mares of Trinity Tower had still been humming the old world jingle under their breath the last time I saw them.

I had my eyes clenched against Virescent's probing thoughts trying to get past the barrier of the Sparkle World jingle, looking desperately to Ivy willing her not to continue her answer as she intended. She seemed to catch on without being able to read my mind, a benefit to spending so much intimate time together Virescent didn't have.

She nodded slowly and turned to the others with a short cough. "O-Other options like that, singing disrupts our efforts. It is thin protection for you, but helpful. Think of the catchiest, most annoying earworm of a song you know, one that gets stuck in your head and won't go away. It makes a kind of mental shield so to speak, that is what Fast is doing."

I nodded desperately to the others, waving with a hopeful, pleading look, encouraging them to reluctantly join in my continuing horrible rendition, I had Virescent singing along now... it was sticking in her head and messing with her, giving me room to breathe. Dragonslayer cannons, a room full of Balefire Eggs that could be dumped somehow, cloudy structures that could be turned to thunderclouds, and an overstimulated giant alicorn that barely fit in the passage to her lair... Maybe we could... Don't think about it, just don't think while thinking about it, no problem....

I could feel Virescent growing frustrated from her lair as Knight Barrel flattened his ears and chuckled. "That right there's pretty much already the most annoyin' damn song I ever heard, just hummin' along will help?"

Scribe Wind piped up in a small but pretty voice with no encouragment, joining in the old world jingle and shoving her compatriots into joining in too, fluttering from one to the other and raising her voice proudly with me in answer to Knight Barrel, nudging him into joining as well as she sang brightly.

So we made a bizarre little parade down the dusty halls, singing together and putting aside our differences to join our voices in song, keeping Virescent back as she kept mentally joining in despite herself. The Brotherhood made it through one rendition of the Sparkle World song, switching to a marching cadence I had to learn on the go with them, but was very familiar to them.

That seemed even better actually, something they sang in training, under all kinds of conditions, monotonously while marching. It made a low buzz that severely impacted Virescent's efforts as we headed for the domed structure containing the dragonslayer cannons. Unfortunately that left her frustrated and increasingly agitated, she was down in her lair again, soaking up radiation and getting even bigger, closer to going out of control the longer she sat there without relief, her thoughts becoming stronger and more simplistic every minute.

Kept hammering into my brain as we moved, more rumbles shaking the fort, no moaning though... she was moving again, flashes of her squeezing her way out through the increasingly tight fit of the mooring tower. Ivy looked up with others at the noise and wispy cracks forming on the walls, whispering warily. "She is reaching her limit... becoming less rational and more driven by instinct, this may be a problem Fast... you might have to help keep her focused..."

"Keep her focused how? What are you talking about green? You two plotting with that thing while we're trying to keep her out?" Knight Dervish growled between verses, still singing but still cold towards us.

"Certainly not, it is hard to keep her out completely though, we hear her. Believe it or not, it is keeping her from being much more effective. Absorbing that much power is intoxicating, we can lose our senses, fall to a... radiation stupor I suppose, become drunk on it and very simple.

Virescent is barely above that point and not a frequent drinker so to speak. If she loses control... well on the one hoof there won't be any clever mental games anymore..." Ivy answered in a lecturing tone, still watching above warily as the shaking stopped and soft flapping noises drifted in from the windows, the wind picking up outside.

Paladin Dance turned towards her to ask the follow up, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "And on the other? What?"

"On the other hoof... instead of being subtle she'd become very, very, VERY direct... like... oh dear... Sister.. don't...." Ivy's answer was cut off as she turned to the dirty windows lining the hall, the marching cadence of the Brotherhood dying on their tongues as they followed her worried stare out.

A huge green head was peering in at us, glowing green eyes slitted like a greedy dragon's, full of heart shaped sparkles and radiating pink in the irises, glowing with triumph as it centered on me gawking at her. Her gaping maw opened and I spotted long fangs dripping drool as she shouted right on top of us, not in our heads but with a booming goddess voice that made all of us stagger back.

Her gigantic foreleg drew back slowly as the others scrambled, shooting forward and smashing through the wall behind us, collapsing the hall behind her while it wriggled forward, reaching towards us like a freight train. A hoof that filled the hall entirely, trailing wisps of cloudy walls and pushing rubble and junk ahead of it, shoving its way towards me.

I may have just stood there like a stone and let her grab me, the others were scrambling and running for our destination ahead, firing uselessly against the big hoof or out the windows, annoying her at best. Beyond just the fear she brought up staring in like that, smashing through walls and bringing a good portion of the fort down in her efforts, there was the smell... It filled my nostrils even from here, she had completely lost it and was now only focused on mating, no more psychological games, no more running through her maze, if she didn't get what she wanted she'd destroy everything.

Worse yet, part of me desperately wanted to give it to her. My mane itched furiously, my wings sprang up even as Summer tugged me away by the tail and Val joined her, leaning against their grip towards that heavenly female smell...

The little pegasus ran around to shove at my puffed up chest, slapping me across the muzzle and glaring at me, pushing with all her might as she screamed, pointing down the only escape left to us. "Stop it Fast!! MOVE!"

Right... run from the rampaging giant alicorn, not towards her... I staggered after Summer and the others, down the dim hallways of the crumbling fort, trying not to even look back at the reaching foreleg wiggling after us, the whining cries echoing in my head.

The force of even attempting to talk to her mentally made me sway as we kept going, joining the others and slowing slightly as we got far enough away to make it difficult for Virescent to follow. Not impossible though, her hoof withdrew only to smash another hole in the walls right beside us, a clumsy, flapping dive barely putting me ahead of it as we neared the round chamber on my map. The gun emplacement would serve as no barrier whatsoever to her even if we got there, if she didn't demolish most of Fort Loyalty before we reached it.

(Virescent! Behave!! I'll... I'll come to you! Down in your lair, I promise! Just don't hurt anypony! You're going to bring the whole place down! If you hurt any of my friends, I will never do what you want! I'll tell you what I told your sisters, I only find good and kind mares attractive, you're being bad! I-If you're good, I'll... I'll give you this!) I gambled and sent one frantic thought as we hit the locked doors labeled as 'Dragonslayer Dome', giving Virescent a direct download of the most recent gymnastic acts Periwinkle had come up with in her battered notebook from the Pony Sutra. Suddenly very grateful for the odd mare's long litany of things she had wanted to try with me over the last week, her creative demands gave me ammo to use...

We huddled together, Val picking the lock in a rush and diving into the echoing space beyond, slamming the door behind us uselessly as the shaking stopped. A moment's quiet that was slowly broken by a rising rumble and moan from outside, if nothing else, that did it. Virescent was still out of control, but now rhythmically shaking the whole island, voicing a wordless cry of bliss and relief just from the private memories of my time with Periwinkle.

Finally the cloudquakes tapered off, dust and fluff drifting down from the cracked, curved ceilings and huge loose shells for the impressive rusty cannons taking up the center of the circular space rolling around. A husky mental voice eventually spoke up weakly, still full of want and very distracted.

Phew... good enough, I slumped to the floor, exhausted just from brushing that out of control mind with my own, checking my most recent wounds and panting up to the others, looking up in terror at the gale force winds produced by her wings outside.

"O-Ok... bought us a little more time... not much..." I floated out the last helmet I was working on, tinkering with it between my hindlegs on the floor quickly while she was still barely in control.

Nopony else heard that private back and forth, but Ivy did and looked aghast. She shook her head forcefully and cried out in negation. "Fast you can't! S-She will never let you leave! If she actually has you in front of her like that... she'll lose control completely! She may actually hurt you by accident in that state!"

"Can't what boss... what're ya doin' with that telepathic nonsense!? You ain't goin' to her stupid! NOT HAPPENING!" Val hissed and was joined by Summer, all three looking furious and completely unwilling to even entertain the idea.

(My friends will need help leaving so we can... h-have p-privacy... three of them can't fly Virescent, I won't leave them here.) I tried to avoid their scowls and keep working on my plan-ish... thing... I was not thinking of, while also thinking of it. Trying to keep Virescent worked up and focused on what she wanted, rather than what I did.

For once that darker part of myself was helping, reaching out and in some kind of a feedback loop of lust with her. Schizophrenic possibilities aside, the warm voices of the Ministry Mares couldn't do what it was, tying Virescent's mind up with 'MINE' and 'MORE' while I tried to work. She answered absently, like whatever happened to the others was of no consequence at all, panting and moaning back mentally with a whine.

Knight Dervish tromped over at my raspy reassurance and that armored scorpion tail was at my throat, her helmet sliding away to reveal her sweaty red mane in her crazed blue eyes. "That's it, putting an end to you now before she gets you monster. Can't let more terrors like that cunt take over Equestria, have to get rid of you, fix our mistakes, restore the world..." The Brotherhood mare was shaky and terrified, having a gargantuan alicorn smashing the building around us had pushed her too far. She was working herself up to it, I did still look like a normal pony for the most part after all, not as easy as ending another mutant, but she was getting there.

Val, Ivy and Scribe Wind were suddenly right there, a boxy M.E.W. like Righteous Authority that she had given me in the pegasus' muzzle and aimed at her comrade's head, Val's cannon of a pistol joining it while her other weapons and Ivy's assault rifle covered the other stunned Brotherhood.

Summer yelped in a pained voice. "D-Don't do it Whirling! Don't make me... You can't!! Fast is good, I won't let you do this!"

"Take that fuckin' thing off the boss or I blow yer brains out bitch, I ain't got no problems like yer friend there..." Val growled and cocked the pistol in warning.

"All of you stand down! THAT'S AN ORDER! You will not fall to insubordination and barbarism! We still have our mission!" Paladin Dance tried to take control of the situation, ordering his furious Knight to lower her weapon and not getting compliance.

I looked up at her wearily, I was so tired of feeling her hate, my wounds taken trying to protect them so far still hurt, my mane itched, I had to get to work to save her and she wanted to kill me just for being... me. For existing... Is this what it was like for Jade and her sisters all this time? Why Jade had nightmares of being called a monster, of being alone? This kind of thinking had hurt her so much, she didn't have them nearly as much anymore, but I remembered them when we met.

'Be Kind...' Ugh... I sighed and stared at the trembling Knight blearily, my eyes watering at the furious hate in her eyes, the conflicted terror in poor Summer's, protecting me from her own... "Please don't do this Knight Dervish. I'm trying to help, really. It's not much, but I think I have a plan and it's the best shot we have. Please... I'm so tired and hurt already, I'm losing control of my temper and I don't want to hurt you or anypony else, I just want to go home, don't you?"

"G-Go home and make more of your kind! Mate with every one of those monsters you see! Fill the wasteland with them! Y-You can't be allowed to... There are terrorist groups back in the NCR harassing the Angels and Followers just for trying to make what you are, if they knew... I-I'd be a hero...

Star Paladin Dance, Knight Barrel, Poultice, you know I'm right! What would the mighty alicorn hunter say?! Would Steelhooves let a male live?! Senior Scribe! You saw the things they did! How can you forget Fillydelphia and... h-he's not a pony anymore! He's a monster!" The shaky Knight stammered, eyes flicking to her comrades repeatedly, trying to convince them or convince herself, it wasn't clear.

'Be Dark...' growled out, offering all the ways I could kill her now. She was trembling and twitchy, I could still take her and survive, a blast of lightning at point blank range would do it, diving forward into the blindspot of those rifles and biting her face off would too... The rattle of loosening chains rang in my head, a hiss of a black stasis pod opening wider as my eyes burned.

I moved... lightning arcing around me for an instant to propel me forward, tackling the crazed mare and stunning her as it crackled over her armor, barely noticing a shallow gash at my throat dribbling blood. I pinned her under me, feeling my fangs ache and staring at her neck as she struggled, earth pony strength overwhelming pegasus power armor.

"I AM TRYING TO HELP YOU DAMMIT! Don't make me hurt you to do it!!! I am not a monster! If I was I'd rip your fucking throat out right now and be done with your goddess damned whining! I can't help what I am, I can help you, if you'll just let me already!!"

I panted in place over her, getting control as her struggles slowly eased and she looked up petulantly, no one daring to move as my starmetal knife had somehow sliced off her barbed tail and found its way to her throat in all that. I stashed it away and tried to give her a kind look of apology, "Please Knight Dervish, please, I'm begging you. Trust me. I'm not a monster, just a pony like you. Put this on and see."

I hated tipping my hoof, but had to give up this secret while Virescent was still on the edge. I replaced Knight Dervish's insectile helmet with the one from the recon squad I had tinkered with, attaching it to the waiting ports and stepping away. I floated out the others I had made the same modifications to, using up most of my store of junk and spare parts in the process, giving one to Knight Barrel and the Institute made one to Paladin Dance, floating over a pair of basic headbands for Medic Poultice and Scribe Wind that should do the same thing.

As soon as I moved back, Val grabbed me by the scruff, yanking me to her side and hugging a little too forcefully, turning to put herself between me and Knight Dervish shakily getting back to her hooves. She still had her weapon trained on the pegasus Knight, barely restrained murder in her voice. "Let me kill her boss, bitch did it twice now, two times too many, she will again... Had me just about enough of you snotty Brotherhood assholes, boss is worth ten of any of ya."

"I-It's ok Val, it's ok, let it go." I buried my face in her fluffy neck to wipe away tears, being hated for just being what you were sucked...

I suddenly felt horrible empathy for Jade and her sisters, ghouls, zebras, pegasi, griffons... ponies could be so cruel if you weren't what they wanted you to be. I'd been lucky and been with friends since I changed, being exposed to true prejudice hurt, it hurt so much, and it fed that dark part of myself more hate...

The Brotherhood ponies all looked around warily, holding the helmets and headbands I had been working on this whole time without focusing on them while I did so. They had to trust me, turn them on... they wouldn't explode... probably... They'd work, it was actually fairly simple arcano-tech work, just not something anypony ever had to worry about in the old world, but not that difficult to copy once somepony else had built it and proved it worked.

"You heard him, put those on. I trust Fast, if you trust me, if you are true Brotherhood of Friendship and not well armed raiders... you will do the same, right now. Believe in me like I believe in you, nothing will change if we don't try right? Ad Victorium soldiers!" Paladin Dance removed his helmet and replaced it with the green and white advanced Institute version, letting it connect to his armor and slide back in place.

The others gulped and followed suit, only Summer had no trepidation, tucking the headband over her red Scribe cap and powering it on with a warm smile to me. Knight Dervish was last of course, glaring as it slid into place, covering her scowl and activating with a hum.

All of them seemed to relax just a hair, their postures becoming less tense as Virescent boomed from below us in surprise and fear. "What was that!! Where did you go! What have you done!!!"

(Insurance Virescent... I don't want you in their heads while they leave. I er... I want all your attention on me, they don't matter anyway right? Who cares if you can't read their minds anymore, you can still read me right, how do you like this thought to tide you over until I get there?)

Sending another of Peri's pages effectively ended her complaints, more moaning rumbles making rust drift down from the towering dragonslayer cannons in here that I stared at meaningfully to Summer. Virescent couldn't read their minds! It worked! But she could still hear me, blocking her was totally on my weakening defenses, not the clever psionic shielding gadgets the Institute had come up with. I had to tell them what to do, hope they understood without saying anything, trust them...

I trudged around the large, round room as I spoke tiredly, glancing at the condition of the cannons retracted and pointing straight up. I was glad to see they were in good condition, but couldn't think too hard about them. Instead I wandered about, checking the shelves full of huge shells for the cannons, crates full of parts I raided, causing my pip-buck to update as I talked;

Mission Updated: Old Guns

Objectives-------
---Find parts and ammo for Castle Equinox's weapons

"She can't get in your heads anymore, those things protect you so don't take them off. I got her to agree to let you go, they're pulling a sky carriage out from the motor pool to take you away. If you can get these big doors here open... you could just head right down where they're putting it..."

I stared and jerked my head at the huge curved doors in the dome over our heads, blinking rapidly at them and over to the rusty cannons, down to summer, back to the guns, down to Val and Paladin Dance, back to the doors. Come on... please understand...

"H-How'd you convince her?" Knight Dervish sounded less crazed, maybe I got through to her, maybe Virescent's presence had been messing with them this whole time, maybe she was even wearing down their inhibitions like she was with me. I hoped so...

Val grabbed my collar and lifted me up, shaking me like a rag doll and scowling at me. "Only one way that bitch would agree, ya ain't goin' boss! I ain't havin' it! You know what Blue would do to me if I let ya... I don't like it neither! I-I'm ahead of her! You can't... you don't wanna, I know you don't! Yer a big baby 'bout that stuff! Not lettin' ya whore yerself out just ta save these assholes!!"

I leaned forward and grabbed her feathery cheeks in my hooves, planting a long kiss on her beak gratefully. "I need you to trust me Val. It'll be ok, you're my faithful bodyguard right? You'll have your chance to guard my body, believe me. You have to be ready to fly, get them out of here... be in the air to support them..."

Non verbal communication was so hard, I made meaningful faces I hoped she understood, eyeing the guns and the big doors out, glancing back towards the source of all the rumbles. Please understand, we were closer than just telepathy, she knew me and I knew her, I knew she could get this.

Ivy helped, I think she could grasp the unformed thoughts I was shielding so desperately, employing her advantages over her sister. Intimacy trumped telepathy, she held a gentle hoof up to Val's shaking claws and got her to lower me to the floor again reluctantly. "M-My sister will do anything to get Fast to agree to come to her as he has apparently. She can no longer influence any of you or know what you are doing... We must believe in Fast and take this opportunity he is giving us, I'm sure it will work out if we all work together..."

I nodded to all of them and flapped up to dive at the beautiful green alicorn on my side, giving her own long kiss and stroking her mane, filled with appreciation for her unwavering trust. Letting go was hard, raging urges warring with Virescent's wanted any possible outlet, any mare, whoever was closest, had to keep them under control.... use them...

Tearing myself away, I flew back to the doors out, holding a hoof to my muzzle in a shushing gesture and pointing with the other foreleg, Summer, guns, Val, doors, Dance, Virescent's rumbles, outside, I just hoped they got it. I landed awkwardly at the small door out the way we came, tackled by a small, warm, yellow bundle of soft pony.

Summer pinned me with shimmering eyes, initiating her own kiss as deep as the ones I gave Val and Ivy on her own and glaring back at her comrades, daring them to say something. Her face was brilliantly red, but she stammered on anyway, giving a whinny and hugging me tightly. "Y-You... you do what you have to, b-but not... Y-You come back Fast! Come back and leave with us, all together. We'll be ready to go when you make your move, I believe in you. You all better too! T-This is a good pony, he won't let us down!"

Disentangling myself from her tight grip was so hard, she was so warm and kind, sweet and wonderful. I wanted her, not Virescent... wanted to make her 'MINE'.... Nnngh!! Focusing that voice was getting harder and harder, had to go now while I could. I gasped and pulled away, nodding to her but averting my eyes to stay in control. "T-Thank you Summer, I believe in you guys too. Y-You'll know it when it happens..."

At that I dashed away, running off alone down the crumbling, fluffy halls filled with cloudy rubble, wondering which way to go only for a few turns. A hulking yellow-green earth mutant was waiting, dull eyes staring down as it spoke with a gravely voice. "You come, this way. Lady Virescent wants."

"R-Right... lead on big guy..." I looked up at the mutant and fell in beside it, down into the depths of Fort Loyalty, towards the resupply depot Virescent had turned into her lair. Closer to the storm of want and need raging in my head.

"S-So... What's your name pal?" I tried to fill the trip down the dark hallways by speaking with my guide, still curious about what these flawed mutants were really like. I could have ended up like them after all.

It looked like it took him... her? ...it... a moment to process the question, blinking down at me and answering. "Strong."

"Strong? Er... Strong what? Strong Heart? Strong Back? Strong Buck? Strong..."

"Just Strong, cause I'm strong. No silly pony names. You strong too, kill lots of others, kill good for tiny pony." Strong faced forward again, leading us on unerringly, only seeming to speak because I pestered him into it. Virescent must be too busy to really direct all of them, I could feel her working herself up, giddy as a schoolfilly as I approached as slowly as I could.

"Umm... thanks, I guess? S-Sorry for... killing so many of you... I tried not to, but..."

The big mutant paused in the hall, turning slowly to look at me, heavy minigun battlesaddle following his glacial turn as he tilted his squarish head. "Why sorry? They weak, you strong. You success, we not. We serve, fight, die, what we for."

That... that sounded awful. Was that how they all thought? That they were disposable? "I-It's wrong to kill, especially if you're strong, you should protect the weak, not hurt them. Don't you want to.. do things for yourself? Do more than serve?"

"Strong beat the weak, how it always is, how meant to be. Why protect weak, they just die anyway, so easy to kill them. Weak serve strong, or weak die. Strong live. Strong is strong, but you stronger, Lady Virescent stronger, Strong serve both, Strong live. Don't see how puny pony is so strong though, why play with stupid junk?" The burly mutant looked down at the cloud of components I was assembling, using up several grenades and mines, a lot of duct tape and wonderglue, along with a rather rare remote trigger talisman.

"More insurance, that's all. Junk can be strong if you put it together right, just like weak ponies can be strong when they work together. There's more to life than... I wish I could make you understand Strong, I'd like to try to help your kind, but I don't know anything about you or how to help. I... You can be more, you can be stronger if you just... expand your mind a little I guess... I... lemme try something..."

Strong shrugged and continued on, leading me closer to Virescent at a bored pace as I tried to take advantage of her field of unity surrounding the island. I tried showing him things I had done, how I had felt, coming together and turning Sanctuary from an island of ruined prewar houses, into a kingdom that was doing real good in the Commonwealth. Meeting Preston, the last Minutemare, helping rebuild his order and using force to protect the weak. Getting the mares of Trinity Tower to rejoin the world, help in the battle of Goodneighbor and turn the tide. All the various ponies coming together at Castle Equinox to stand together against the stronger army of the Gunners. The fights I had been in with my friends, all the times I had been saved by them or done the same in turn. Every instance I could think of where us weak ponies had triumphed over the strong, the cruel, the raiders and Gunners, the Institute...

A little of that darkness still grappling with Virescent ahead of us leaked into my thoughts, catching Strong's attention where all the other mental shorthoof had gone mostly ignored. He turned sharply ahead of a final, heavy door labeled 'Resupply Depot', my pip-buck already chattering from the radiation ahead.

"You strong... very strong... Don't know how, want to know. You go to Lady Virescent, make happy, come back, talk boring words. Explain friendship thing, make Strong stronger." My guide grumbled, making up its mind slowly and nodding as it pointed to the door.

"S-Sure Strong... When I'm done I'll try, c-can't keep a lady waiting huh?"

Humor was lost on the hulking mutant, Strong shrugged and turned back the way he came, leaving me to the door and the giant alicorn waiting behind it. Ok... I could do this, I could stay in control, keep Virescent worked up and distracted, gamble and win... Just had to try.

I opened the door and the chatter from my pip-buck turned into a roar, flickering green light pouring out and lighting the hall behind me, stretching my shadow out behind me as I squinted against the glare. I took a tentative step forward, taking in the huge chamber and all the glowing eggs, lit with a sickening rainbow light, some of them leaking guttering green balefire that burned at the walls but never went out.

My searching view was short lived though, a powerful field of dark green magic surrounded me and I was yanked out of the doorway and up, a surge of lust and overwhelming joy pouring into my head as I was floated into the face of a very happy, very big filly...

"AT LAST! YOU HAVE COME! I KNEW YOU WOULD! FILL YOUR PURPOSE MALE! DO WHAT YOU WERE MADE FOR! NOW!!!"

I flattened my ears and winced, peeking back at the huge green eyes right in front of me, filled with sparkles and radiating pink irises, a long tongue coming out to lick her lips and slurp up a string of drool. Virescent was huge... she beat Swan at this point, sitting with her titatic rump buried in fluffy clouds spilling in from the broken walls, holding me in place in front of her head that was twice as big as I was, even discounting the towering horn above me crackling with power.

She had smashed and expanded this already cavernous space, made it into a literal nest that fit her gigantic stature. Her wings were spread across the walls and she lounged back, her fur slick with sweat glistening off her massive curves. Her mane rippled around her head and fluttered around my face as she started snuffling at me, planting eager, sloppy kisses, yanking my armor away piece by piece, though she did let me snatch each back to my bags at least, leaving only them and my hat on.

"E-Easy! Easy Virescent! Slow down!!" I yelped nervously, the dark Shroud in my head might be up for this, but I was definitely not, had to stretch this out as long as I could...

"NO! NO MORE WAITING, WANT! NEED!" Virescent ignored my struggles, working herself up more, thrusting her flanks in place and making the whole island shudder under her.

"Y-You said you'd be gentle remember!! You don't want to hurt me right!? Can't hurt the only male can you!? Y-You want what I showed you, you have to calm down, go slow, take your time and enjoy it! Please!!"

Her huge eyes clenched shut and I was slowly lowered, between her tree trunk hindlegs going up and down in a tantrum, but loose at least... She whined and moaned, but mastered herself slowly, panting down at me and crossing her huge forelegs over the rapid rise and fall of her chest. "WANT! I.. I want.. I want that, yes... I will try, but you must do as you promised, I want what you showed me, ALL of it..."

Phew... ok... I fluttered up cautiously, scanning the room and trying not to think of what I was looking for. At least 100 of the glowing balefire eggs were in here, littering the walls, shoved in cloudy corners and bits of fluff like very deadly candles. The radiation was as distracting as the giant and very willing filly in front of me, my rainbow colored rad meter climbing rapidly from green up to orange, filling me with power and my own needs.

I was walking a razors edge at this point, I didn't want to do this with Virescent, but I did.. and she was right here, so much of her too... an overwhelming cloud of delightful female smell fogging my brain, so much power down here, I could go on and on and on... NO! Focus... Distract her, look for the thing I wanted, hope the others were doing what they should.

I very carefully flew back up to her face and hovered there, reaching out with a foreleg slowly and stroking one burning cheek, getting a long, low purr out of her just for that simple contact. "O-Ok... I will, but slow ok? Gentle. You want more than mating Virescent, what I keep trying to tell you and all your sisters. You want normal pony things like love and care, not just rutting... though I think we both want that too. Just... umm... h-hold still alright, l-let me work and see how you like it. Try to listen to me for once too please?"

Flapping up to her ears and gnawing on the thick, sensitive bits of flesh made her very agreeable, grunting and shaking things up again as she wiggled further into her cloudy seat with a moan. "W-Whatever you say, just continue... I will.. I will stay still.. as much as possible... I will listen..."

Oh good... I could try to do this the nice way at least, 'Be Kind...' try getting through to her in a way words just wasn't. I took advantage of her flowing mane and slid down to her neck, hoping she shared Jade's weaknesses there and continuing in a raspy voice, holding back was getting harder and harder....

"We don't have to fight Virescent, you were fooled by the Institute, you know that now. Working for them is wrong, they won't give what you want, they just think of you, me and everypony as experiments. We're not though, we're all just ponies... and griffons, and zebras, all living beings that deserve the same things... We have advantages, but so do they, we are strong I'll give you that..."

Illustrating my point, my surging magic reached out and started selectively carressing the shivering form under me, a giant set of glowing blue hooves under my control to make up for how out of my weight class I was here. 'Be Strong!' I wasn't sure what she expected out of me with her so much bigger than I was, but I just had to keep her happy awhile and find... aha... 'Awareness!' a big red handle labeled 'EMERGENCY RELEASE', that was one thing down.

I felt her try to regain her concentration and follow that thought, but I was too far into this now, all it took was flapping over to her breast and letting my magic rove lower, elicting a sharp squeal that obliterated all thought for a moment. That gave me an opportunity to toss my little explosive insurance out to the open crate stuck in the fluffy wall, full of red Buckbomb things...

"What about the BuckbommmmssssaaaAAAAHHHH!!!" Virescent tried again, forcing me to step things up a bit, flapping up and away as she thrashed and bucked, long forelegs swinging out and shattering big dents in the already crumbling, cloudy walls, letting wispy fluff leak in the room more.

She eventually got through it, whining weakly and gasping after me flapping just out of range of her wild throes. "Y-You see, you agree, we are strong, we are superior! You would be dead down here with me if you were still weak, instead you are strong, able to do such wonderful things for such a tiny pony..."

"Y-Yeah, I enjoy the benefits Virescent, I'll give you that. But I could do this when I was normal too, m-maybe not down here or on this scale... but I made Jade happy, I was happy with her, you don't have to have me to have this. It's not because of what species I am, it's... f-feelings and stuff... that's what you want. You said you liked the concern and caring?"

"YES! I want more of that, and more of this! More of both! Together!" She wailed as I found another magic button on all that alicorn, squeaking as she grabbed me out of the air and hugged me to her heaving chest, arching her back as her wings flared and filled the room, slowly shoving me down...

"Easy! Gentle remember!! I... I do care Virescent, even if I don't like you much right now, I still care about you as one of Jade's sisters. I LOVE her, because of that those feelings extend even to you. I feel bad for you, want you to see how things could be, how you could change and be more than just this! Look at how dark you are still! Don't you want to change and grow as a pony? Er... m-metaphorically that is..."

"I AM PERFECT AS I AM! DRINK IN MY GLORY! YOU WANT AS WELL, I KNOW, I SEE! YOU HOLD BACK, KEEP YOURSELF REPRESSED! I WANT ALL OF YOU, I WANT LOVE, I WANT MATING, I WANT! NOW!!!"

She bucked crazily as my magic surged and responded against my will, I could feel her in my head, playing with that dark pod in the very depths of my mind, tugging it open in her raging passion as she shoved me further down, towards a lot of warmth and a delicious smell fogging my head. 'Be Unwavering' "Virescent! Stop! Don't mess it that! I-It's dangerous! PLEASE!"

"NO! WANT! NOW! MORE!!!"

I felt the chains loosen under her insistent tugging, could see that black pod #101 opening wider, inky shadows pouring out, creeping into every corner of my mind, answering her passionate cry of 'MORE!' with its own. I was already grinding and groping against her sweaty stomach, no longer fighting her hoof shoving me down, drinking it all in, feeling power suffusing every cell from all this wonderful radiation...

Ivy's mental message barely got through, fighting against the overriding voice of 'MORE!' tolling in my head along with Virescent's rising mental shrieks.

She was right, had to... had to control it... had to do what I came for... stop this... STOP! I focused as hard as I could, clinging to Jade, every wonderful memory of the mare I loved, thinking of my little daughter waiting patiently for me, what she would think if... That did it! I roared in the Shroud's voice and my magic reached out, grabbing that bright red handle on the wall and yanking it down to a blaring alarm.

The bottom dropped out of everything, literally... The resupply depot was at the bottom of the cloud island Fort Loyalty was built on, pulling that emergency release dumped almost everything out of the room as the fluffy floor just fell away, dozens of brightly glowing balefire eggs, shelves, fuel tanks, me and one very surprised giant alicorn, all fell out into the early evening air.

Virescent was shivering and moaning in midair, flapping her mighty wings to stop her plummet and stare down at her treasures falling to the sea. Giving me a confused look with her glowing, dragonish green eyes. "WHAT!? WHY!?! DO NOT STOP!!!"

I fluttered in place, panting and trying to keep a rein on the dark Shroud in my head, furiously agreeing with the huge mare. Demanding something to kill or someone to rut, I had to slap myself to focus, but shook my head and stared in those needy eyes. "No Virescent, no more. I told your sisters, I'll tell you again. I only like nice mares, you had a taste, if you want more you need to change, be better... please."

We hung there in the air together, junk raining down from her lair around us, huge green explosions going off in the sea, along with a few red ones of equal power... vaporizing the water and lighting it in baleful light. She looked like she was trying to process it, angry and frustrated and... hurt... "YOU PROMISED!!!"

I fell into that trap with Peri, not here though, I had been careful. The Shroud's voice leaked into my own, blaring loud enough for her to hear out here in the thankfully fresh air. "Enough temptress! I promised to come and I did, I promised memories and I shared them! Change your vile ways, repent and accept Luna's mercy! Become a good pony and then I may continue, there will be no more than that now. Leave Virescent, calm down and think! Don't do this the hard way!"

"YOU WILL FINISH!!!!"

So much for the easy way... now to hope my random and carefully hidden ideas rattling around in my head where Virescent hadn't gone digging would work. I cast my lightning.... aura... spell, it now flickered all around me when I brought it up every time, it still granted a boost of speed even in the air, and most of all...

I shot back up as Virescent lunged at me, aiming for the wide open resupply depot, blurring through Virescent's lair and noting how many glowing balefire eggs remained stuck in the walls, along with all those buckbombs and my little contribution... The room streaked by as I flapped crazily, hearing the giant Virescent crash back into the room behind me, flying after me towards the long shaft leading up to the cloudship mooring tower at the top of Fort Loyalty.

The brief flashes from her mind and all the rumbling when she went in and out proved out my hope, she had to squeeze her way up after me, grunting and shoving her way up behind me. She had been down there too long, absorbed too much radiation, gotten too out of control and more importantly, too big. She couldn't spread her wings, her gigantic rump kept getting stuck on the pipes and fuel lines running up to the ship docks, ripping them away as she kept climbing with her hooves after me.

That was one insane idea borne out, now to see if I was on a roll or not... I banked towards the cloudy walls leading up, staying ahead of her and tracing a foreleg against the soft surface of the long passage. The walls immediately blackened and rumbled, the roughly cut walls of fluffy, green tinted cloud turning into thunderheads at my touch. I still had absolutely no idea what would happen, but I hoped it worked like normal clouds.

If Virescent wasn't so sex crazed, this would never work... she'd read everything out of my head, use her shield and just plow through the narrow tunnel instead of wiggling her way up frantically, grab me with her magic instead of her desperately reaching hooves. I gambled on her being more out of control than I was, I was still barely winning, but I was nearing the top of the tower that was rapidly turning completely black.

The giant alicorn on my tail kept screaming and wailing, lurching forward with both forelegs and dragging herself up, hindlegs scrambling and digging big chunks of sparking cloud from the walls. I hit the top and soared up just ahead of her, free! Out under the open if overcast sky, the dying light of sunset in the clearer western horizon.

Still flying for all I was worth, I looked back to see the top of the mooring tower, ragged spokes of cloud and rusty pipes branching out for cloudships, all of it rumbling with thunder and roiling in dark colors. It made Virescent's howling exit all the more frightening, a bright green glow filled the open shaft as her forelegs reached out, gripping the edges and hauling herself out, her wings spread and a greedy, triumphant look on her face locking on to mine. One that was suddenly brought short in confusion as her gigantic, round ass wedged in the exit, cutting off her flapping momentum and forcing her to resort to reaching hooves, ones that were still going to overtake me...

"WANT MORE!!!"

"Move it stupid! Jeez you're a terrible flier!!" A dark blur shot past me, leaving a trail of its own thunderclouds and diving right at the tower, was that Knight Dervish's insulting voice?

She shot by me so fast I was left spinning in midair, slowing finally and just spotting the armored Knight slamming into the tower with both hindlegs, using that pegasus magic I was still unfamiliar with expertly. There was a huge crack of thunder and the tower was washed in lightning, blasting up to the sky around Virescent's massive body, crackling over her sweaty fur and frizzing her long, flowing mane out in spikes.

Overcharged and giant or not, that hurt. She was stunned and groggy, furious lust baking off her rattled brains. Knight Dervish dove by and smacked my bare flank, yelling on her way and diving down towards the sea below, past the open dome in the cloud fortress... "Now we're even! I said MOVE! You're so fucking slow up here! If this is gonna work then GO ALREADY!"

Virescent roared mindlessly, completely on a rampage now. Jade told me it could happen when her... our kind absorbed too much, but it was still a sight to behold. Her green eyes were narrowed, gleaming torches, her forelegs reached up and came crashing down, smashing the top of the tower to wisps of rubble and tugging herself free. The only thing even approaching a thought was the way her glowing eyes tracked me. She wanted, and she was going after what she wanted, nothing else mattered.

I fell like a stone after Knight Dervish, following the helpful trail of thunderclouds she was leaving as a contrail, a perfect path to stay where I needed. The hurricane Virescent's wings kicked up kind of ruined it and blew me off course, but I knew where I needed to be as she took to the air on my tail. We streaked down, diving to the sea and keeping the shattered front of Fort Loyalty to my left.

Again I felt that looming presence closing in, everything growing dark as her huge shadow overtook me, a victorious cry rising from her lips as her hooves reached out, brushing my tail.. Come on... just a little more!

The shockwave from the rusty cannons poking out of the now open dome sent me tumbling through the air, a flash of heat and light just above me as Virescent screamed and fell away, falling into a pinwheeling dive towards the base of the cloud island. She crashed right at the edge, not far from the ruined landing pad and the small sky carriage that had indeed been hauled there.

Val was with me before I even got my bearings, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me roughly, grinning widely and looking me up and down. Seeing only a sweaty pony in a hat and saddlebags, but unharmed for all that. "Oh my GAWD! Don't ever do that again! Even if it was fucking awesome!! Blasted that big bitch right dead square! Let's see her walk away from that!"

I hugged her back before pulling free, I hadn't gotten a good look at how Virescent was hit, if she was alive... I... I didn't want her dead. I set her up to be nailed by a pair of dragonslayer cannons, but I didn't want her dead. Unlike Knight Dervish diving at her already, or Paladin Dance and the other Brotherhood ponies leaping from the open dome and skidding down the clouds towards her.

"Down Val! Have to do something!" I dove with my griffon friend at my wing, crashing to an at least soft landing in cloudfluff being stained red by a lot of blood, right between the gasping, prone form of Virescent, and Knight Dervish powering up her novasurge rifles in front of her huge face.

Wiping away a beard of cloud, I staggered up and spread my wings in front of Virescent's weak face, glancing back at the pair of terrible wounds in her side. They were regenerating with as much power as she had, but they were nearly fatal in the initial assault. The giant mare was shrinking as they knit back together, Knight Dervish didn't look like she wanted to give her the chance to finish.

"No! Please don't! D-Don't kill her!" I winced under the pink glow of the Knight's underwing weapons, trying to aim past me and start blasting Virescent's head to a smoking stub.

"DON"T KILL HER!?! She killed Goose! Trapped us! Trapped the Recon Squad! Turned them into... that cunt deserves to die, right now! Get out of the way alicorn or I'll dust you too!" Knight Dervish screamed through her augmented helmet, dodging left and right furiously but not trying to kill me too anyway. Yet.

"Fucking kill the bitch boss!! Quick before she fixes herself and starts up again!!" Val joined me as the others were catching up, Ivy swooping down and helping me in protecting her sister ruefully.

"W-Whhhhy...." Virescent sounded almost as surprised as she was, croaking behind me weakly.

"B-Because! Everypony deserves a second chance! The Steel Rangers, the Enclave, you, me, everybody! S-She... killing her isn't right! It's just more wrong! I... I can't do it! Can't let you do it either... She deserves the chance to change. To be better!"

Still tied into her thoughts and feelings, I felt the rush of confusion and a fluttery, unfamiliar sensation of gratitude from Virescent, groaning and taking ragged breaths as her wounds kept healing. She was getting ahold of herself as she regenerated, coming back to her senses and trying to process things she didn't understand. (You... you help me, when you have won? When you are not forced to? You... c-care? For me?)

(I'm trying Virescent, I told you. Get out of here... slip off the edge and dive for the water, it's got to be radioactive as hell after all those eggs going off. Heal and get away, quick! Be better, be good and find me again someday, then we'll see. We're not superior, but we can all be better.) I kept wearily prancing in the Knight's path, answering silently and hoping Dervish wouldn't just start firing anyway.

(Do as he says sister, quickly! We disagree but I do not wish you dead, escape and think on what Fast is trying to teach you, please!) Ivy joined in, talking to the wounded behemoth the same way and bringing up a flickering green shield to cover her from the rest of the Brotherhood joining us.

Paladin Dance tried taking control, but had his own Brotherhood view of what to do that clashed with mine, aiming his weapons at Virescent's bleeding chest and shouting. "Both of you move aside! That thing is a menace, she has attacked and ponynapped Brotherhood personnel, it's our duty to end her! Quickly, before she is restored and attacks again!

(That would make me sad Virescent, I'd have to try to stop you, fight you, kill you... I don't want to do that. You liked the opposite right? Please, for me... just leave, escape now and go back to normal, think clearly, change your attitude a little maybe? I'm begging you, if you repent and change, if you do good to make up for the evil you've done... I... I promise you like I promised Ivy, I'll give you what you want. But not when you're like this, be a mare I want to be with Virescent, be a better pony. Now GO!)

The green wall of her huge bulk behind me shifted, beginning to slide over the cloudy edge of the island as the Brotherhood got angrier at the wide alicorn shield blocking them. Val obviously felt the same as they did, but she was forever loyal, guns pointed my way meant her weapons pointed the other.

Surprisingly, Scribe Wind was facing her own comrades beside me instead of joining them, her small yellow wings joining my bigger black ones as a weak barrier. "T-That's enough! All of you! She never hurt us! E-Except for Knight Grey Goose, but he hurt Fast! C-Can hardly blame her for... we won! Just let her go!"

"Scribe you are forgetting where your loyalties lie! That creature is responsible for the abductions and presumed mutation of Brotherhood troops, your brothers and sisters! Who knows how many she's helped take since we arrived! You know the numbers, how on edge everyone has been! MOVE!" Paladin Steel Dance was furious with his scribe, making me worry for her choice in joining me.

Whatever the consequences, the petite pegasus refused to move, staying just where she was as Virescent's head lolled over the edge and the rest of her started sliding off, one giant wing giving a weak flap to propel her as she spoke weakly, aloud so the protected Brotherhood could hear her. "Institute... lied, wanted you... I... I was fooled... I am... I am s-sorry... will do better... w-will try... no more fighting... you win."

I glanced back to see her round rump and hindlegs slipping over the edge, the long flowing tail last to disappear as she fell towards the sea, most likely a highly radioactive bit of sea. She should live, hopefully she'd do as she said. Everypony deserved a second chance.

Ivy's shield vanished and the Brotherhood raced to the edge, watching her fall until she disappeared. Knight Dervish wheeled on me, furiously shaking me but not going for her weapons at least. "I knew it! Fucking alicorn's sticking together! Let that cunt go!?! You son of a bitch!"

"I'm sorry Knight, I had to... I'd do the same for you in her place, or try to. Don't think it was easy, or because of what she is, it was because of who she is. Hate me if you want, I don't hate you." I replied sadly, taking part of the wind out of her sails so she released me, before Val got there and did something drastic.

Paladin Dance stood still, glaring at me through his blank helmet, at his scribe, his troops, the island, finally over to the waiting sky carriage, following the flight of the remaining mutants vacating the island. With no Virescent here, they were leaving, to go after her or back to the Institute I had no idea, but they were going.

Mission Updated: Old Guns

Objectives-------
---Clear Fort Loyalty of hostiles

"I'm disappointed... in all of you. This has been fubar from the word go, but we're still here and still on mission. Dervish, Barrel, get back in there and start loading ordinance into that carriage. We're taking what we can and returning to the Prydwen, let the Elder and Captain sort this out... Fast... do what you want, take your share, just stay out of the way." Paladin Dance sounded a lot less friendly, and that authoritative disappointment was like getting caught by dad doing something bad, no yelling or punishment, just the guilt and shame of making a good pony that thought better of you so disappointed.

"I'm sorry Dance. I did what I had to, what I thought was right. C'mon Val, Ivy, there's supposed to be a motor pool they got that carriage from, let's see if we're lucky and can find another."

I trudged off, trying to keep control and maintain, fighting back the aggression that wanted to surge to the surface, yell and scream at Dance, challenge him as an authority figure. How dare he lecture me! He kept things from me! Brought us here for weapons we could both use, but really wanted the balefire eggs and buckbomb things he didn't bother telling me about! I should fight him! Show who was dominant, who was in charge, who was right!

Summer Wind's light touch at my side broke me out of the anger raging behind my burning eyes, whispering sadly and nudging me on with Val and Ivy, sticking with us and not the Brotherhood. "Come on Fast, I'll help you. I don't like some of the things I saw here... how my comrades acted, what they think about you... L-Let's just go ok?"

Considering my rainbow colored rad meter was still jittering at the lethal purple end of the dial, I still had to fight back my urges, but at least they weren't violent in the presence of the short pegasus, the lithe griffon nodding and slapping my bare flank with her claws playfully, and the tall green alicorn nodding gently in agreement.

"A-Alright, sorry Summer. Thank you. L-Let's just get the hell out of here, umm be sure they take everything they want and as much as we can Val. It may not be here long..."

Since the mutants had opened it to haul out the single sky carriage for the Brotherhood to use to make their escape, the motor pool wasn't that hard to find. A cloudy hatch near the shattered landing pad, I tried to avoid looking at the red splotch marring the scorched and bent metal disc, still covered by burning fragments of vertibuck.

Instead we walked down the long ramp leading into the cloud island, noting the few rusting sky vehicles in fairly good condition, protected down here and basically untouchable by the ponies of the Commonwealth below. I tried to pull ahead of the others, stamping my hooves with each step in agitation, trying to keep away from the caring females surrounding me before I pounced on one of them... all of them... 'MORE' We needed to leave, quickly...

I found a troop carrier in good shape, a little repair work would get it to lift easily again and it offered plenty of room to load up shells for the weapons back in Castle Equinox. One of us would have to haul it, but it shouldn't be an issue once the levitation talismans were running well enough. I turned to share my thoughts with the others, brought up short by a dash on E.F.S. down here with us, a green dash though...

I held a hoof up to the others in warning and called out to the cavernous garage full of flickering lights and shadows, "Who's there? What do you want?"

The hulking form that tromped out made my jaw drop, while Val and the others brought their weapons up in a panic, forcing me to call them off before they attacked the currently non-hostile mutant. Strong... he... it hadn't left? Its minigun battlesaddle swung on the others slowly, but it kept staring at me, deep, slurred words speaking out slowly from its twisted muzzle. "You strong... stronger than Lady Virescent... You lead now, you tell more things, make Strong strong, like you said."

"Er.... w-what?"

"What the fuck boss?! Where'd you find this thing? How come it ain't all... mean and brainless like the others?! Do we kill it?" Val's magical energy weapon hummed and crackled, waiting for the order to go in confusion.

Ivy walked forward slowly, tilting her head and trotting around Strong, an unsure look on her pretty face. "It... it views Fast as its leader now... how odd. You talked to this one previously Fast? Shared things with it?"

"Umm... I tried... you know I'm not great with the whole unity thing, I wasn't sure anything really got through... Is he safe Ivy?"

"I... I believe so. As far as it is concerned, you defeated Virescent, making you its new master. Its thoughts are very simple, I sense no duplicity or plots. You are strong, it will follow you." Ivy came back and shrugged, a slightly impressed look stirring me up more as she smiled down at me.

"Oooook... You want me to lead? Tell you more friendship stuff and make you stronger huh? Ummm.... how about this then. We need to get this sky transport back to a big castle down the coast Strong, full of heavy weapons and ammo to use in a big fight against bad ponies. Would you like that? Helping and getting to fight strong enemies? Protect the weak and fight the strong bullies? That's the kind of thing I was trying to explain earlier."

The earth mutant nodded slowly, stomping over to the large troop transport and stepping into the harness in answer. "Strong fight. Strong learn from little pony, learn pony friendship lessons, be stronger. Will do what Fast pony says."

Well.... I guessed that solved one problem, considering he obeyed and behaved, every bit of help was needed back at the castle. I nodded and helped hitch him up, calling Summer over and chuckling at her prancing cautiously in a wide arc around the mutant, speaking breathlessly when she joined me to get to work. "A mutant... you made friends with a mutant... Sometimes Fast, you are pretty impressive, or crazy... I can't tell."

"Crazy most likely. Thanks Summer, ok guys, let's get to work. Hopefully that'll help focus me, I'm still overcharged from all that so... m-much as I want to, best if all of you keep your distance ok? Stop me if I try anything... let's just get out of here and get back to the others."

All three of them smirked mischievously, but nodded and got to work. Ivy and Val flew back up to the dome containing the dragonslayer cannons, grabbing all the ammo and parts they could, stuffing them in the transport as I fixed it with Summer, being very careful not to get into any cramped quarters or close to her at all if I could avoid it, though she made no such attempts to help, seeming to enjoy my wings springing out at odd angles at her presence.

After a rushed bit of frustrating work, we were good to go. Strong obediently lifted off, his tiny wings a blur on his broad back as the old transport took to the skies. The Brotherhood flew ahead in their own carriage being hauled by Knight Dervish, staying to themselves as we did the same, only Summer stuck with us, flitting over to them occasionally and coming back unhappy.

We flew together, heading for the bright lights of the Prdywen and the skyport in the distance, standing out in the gathering gloom of a cloudy, chilly evening. I kept trying to think of what was waiting when we got there, how this was going to end up, why the Brotherhood had kept things from me... I needed more answers before we got there, there was one scrap of info I think I needed to see before I talked to the Brotherhood leadership again, one Val was holding.

This would be tricky... my rad meter was still firmly in the red and all I could think of when I looked at the griffon by my side had nothing to do with boring old world secrets, everything to do with her muscular feline form, swishing tail.. soft feathers... Nnngh!! NO! I flew close by her and cautiously flew between her beating wings, dropping to her back gently and hugging her neck, unable to stop my hooves from roving up and down the fluffy feathers going down to her breast.

"W-Whoa! H-Hello there boss! T-Thought I told ya, I want the whole nine yards, silk sheets and what not... n-not that I don't like that... but er... ain't we kinda busy?" Val squawked under my insistent caresses while I fought with myself, managing to stop by punching myself repeatedly.

"S-Sorry Val... really... I know you won't like it, but I need to see that memory orb before we get back. The orange one from that metal buckball thing in the general's office? Sorry to ask you to carry me while I zonk out, but I think it might be important, please? It er... would let me not be awake and so frisky too..."

She grumbled and chuckled, but nodded slowly and dug the glowing ball I wanted out in her claws, holding it up where I could brush it with my magic and activate it. "Alright boss, just this once. Only cause I think yer right, them Brotherhood kept stuff secrets from us... Still ain't happy with that Knight bitch, threatened you three damn times and got away with it... Go ahead goofy, sound like ya could use a lil' nap anyway, yer gonna get me goin' if'n ya don't stop that.... OH! o-or not..."

Nuzzling and nipping at her cheeks got a squeak out of the tough griffon that delighted a still raging part of me, Virescent had kept tugging that sealed, dark stasis pod in my head open and it hadn't closed all the way again, she had weakened the chains and barriers around it, worrying me and making me grateful for the escape the memory orb offered.

Using up all my willpower, I tore myself away from those soft red feathers and reached out for the orb with my magic, feeling the world and my out of control body fade away into the past and whatever secrets were to be found there.

Oh that was such a relief... I was no longer in my hormone driven body, but in a older pegasus stallion long ago, free from mutation driven urges and that insistent dark voice in my head. Whatever was going on out the real world, I was unplugged completely.

A resounding explosion drew my full attention, following my host's view down to the base of the cloud island a perfectly intact and clean Fort Loyalty occupied. There was something going on down there, right at the edge, below where the landing pad stood new and unsmashed, right where the giant alicorn that did it had fallen and slipped off.

Gleaming griffon-chaser flying machines were parked around it along with some fancy sky carriages, a crowd of specks were moving about on what bizarrely looked like a buckball field, rings etched into the clouds with a line bisecting them, most were peering over the edge at the huge ball of a red explosion on the sea below.

"Impressive... These toys of yours match the stripe's damn eggs Dr. Klein?" My ride's view shifted from the open gap in the clouds he was looking down from, the hatch of the dome that the big set of dragonslayer cannons was poking out of. Over to the pony who he named that completely had my focus.

Klein... A tall, rich brown earth pony stallion with a white muzzle and shaggy lower legs, dark mane, sharp green eyes behind a pair of horn rimmed glasses, head of the Institute's Advanced Systems division, standing right by the pegasus I was in and looking at the activity below. He wore a blindingly clean lab coat over a sharp blue suit, jeweled cufflinks seemed to be providing the cloudwalking spell for him to be up here safely and he tapped notes into an advanced pip-buck like device on his leg.

He didn't bother answering until he was done, making both me and my host impatient by our tapping hoof. Nodding down at the commotion below and the crackling noise from a small intercom box by the open, curved panel, finally hoofing a button on it and speaking in a deep voice. "Very good Doctor, another please when you're ready."

A little more movement from the crowd and a small red speck was sent sailing off the cloudbank, sinking slowly down to the sea and a rusty scow of a barge floating below. Whoever the pegasus was that flipped it that way, he was a good buckball player, it landed right on target and exploded in a red flash of heat and crackling light, completely vaporizing the barge.

The warbling shout from the static filled intercom caught me by surprise, a joyous whoop at the fireworks. "Wooohoo! Did you see that Klein?! Told you I was good in my youth, all coming back to me now, these came together quite well! Love seeing what you practical ponies make of what we come up with! Would these be a mini-megaspell? A medi-spell maybe? I'm gonna do a few more practice flings!"

Klein sighed in resignation and waved a hoof out to the blurry specks below, I must be in General Tip Top's memory and he needed glasses, but didn't want to wear them apparently. "As you can see, the destructive power meets or exceeds the zebra weapon. It results in a powerful solar flare storm, magic our spell casters can create unlike that foul zebra necromancy, condensed down into a convenient package most of our troops are familiar with already, with the added benefit of disabling all electronics in an extended blast zone. Forgive Doctor Mobius, he's ....eccentric, but rather clever when properly guided towards the right ends. Dottering old buck rarely thinks of how these things would be used practically, but that's my business. I assume you're satisfied?"

Another blinding explosion went off before my ride answered, swallowing to himself at the power displayed and nodding sharply. "Hell yes Klein, they irradiate the battlefield just like those damn balefire eggs right? Give the fucking stripes a taste of their own medicine for once! How soon can you go into production?"

"The Institute isn't really in the mass manufacture business General, if we have a deal then I can have Vega provide you all the details and schematics, connect you with friendly MoWT businesses, six months from now you can have a steady supply easily. Provided we get what we want of course..." Klein answered while still adding more notes to his pip-buck thing, somewhat like the one that was part of Kellogg's cybernetic foreleg actually.

"You'll get what you want, completely off the books as agreed, well worth it too! Can't believe the Ministries won't look into making our own version of those damn eggs, but now we won't be outclassed anymore. Hard for them to turn their noses up when the finished product is staring them in the face! I'll get you your power armor contracts and military access, hook you up with friendly contractors and grease the wheels for your secret projects, so long as you keep producing results like this for us! You're indulging Rainbow Dash as well right? Happier the Ministry Mares are with Trotson the better." I felt my mouth say, the general was behind some of the nasty deals with the Institute...

Klein nodded absently, "Yes I believe Dala has had some success in Ministry Mare Dash's request on tests of the local tortoise population and their hibernation habits. A frivolous request, but I expect no more from the Ministry of Awesome..."

My racing thoughts at the idea of TWO Institute heads in this memory was completely shattered by the trembling voice squawking out of the intercom, much younger and cracking in panic. "Doctor Klein! The Doc is playing with these things.... m-maybe you could tell him not to mess around with the high explosives like they really were Buckballs? Please!?"

Even with the older General's weaker vision, I could see that pale blue speck fluttering around the buckball field, juggling several red specks madly while the other pastel pony shaped spots backed away slowly. He was kicking those things around?! Was he out of his mind!?

"Oh what are you whining about!? It's perfectly safe! I made them buckballs so everypony would know how to play with them! Buckbombs aren't dangerous in the slightest unless you stick your hoof here like this, then turn counter clockwise like this and.... oh... oh dear. Hit the deck!" The first manic voice crackled from the intercom at a distance, the blue speck below flying up and spinning gracefully, sending a red ball off the cloud only to explode halfway to the sea. After a moment, it fluttered back down and looked to call over to the crowd that had fled. "Sorry bout that! Purple Martin! Take a note dear, a safety button may be a good idea after all, and maybe a 3 second timer instead of 2.5?"

"Yes Doc, got it..." A tired mare's voice answered below and Doctor Klein facehoofed beside my host, lifting his dark framed glasses and rubbing between his eyes.

"As I said... eccentric... A bit of a hoof full really, but brilliant I assure you. I'll have a shipment fabricated and sent up here for you to demonstrate with. You can dispose of the remaining eggs I imagine, bit of a waste though, always other projects if you're willing to hang onto them for us. You can understand our reticence to take them all though, much safer storing them out here over the sea." Klein groaned and held a hoof out to seal the deal.

I raised my own foreleg up with my ride and returned the gesture against my will, wanting nothing more than to take over and start pummeling the stern looking stallion for all his crimes to come. Instead I had to choke on the words coming out of our shared mouth and hate the feeling of our broad smile. "Can't blame you there, don't worry, got a pony down there all the time, slightest twitch out of those things, we'll hit the emergency release. Dump the whole stock down to the water, let em blow down there and we'll come up with some excuse, fuel supply malfunction maybe. No worries Klein, I think we'll have a long and prosperous relationship beating back the striped menace!"

That's how the balefire eggs got there... what the buckbombs were and where they came from, why Dance wanted those schematics Val still held... They hoped to use me to get their hooves on a powerful bit of old world tech, make more, use them... Now I was sure, much as I hated the fact that Virescent had had a point, I couldn't avoid it either. Distrust had its place in this world, I was going to have a little chat with Elder Macson, soon....

I was still amazed, but Strong obeyed any order when I woke. The mutant took the large troop transport faithfully south, heading for the dark speck of Castle Equinox with a note and instructions for Preston, along with orders to obey the Minutemare leader until I got back. He was sure to cause a stir when he arrived, but I wasn't turning my nose up at help, no matter where it came from.

We finally drifted down to the tarmac of the Trotson Skyport, Jade, Glitter and the others waiting impatiently. I scooped my daughter up when she slammed into me, not bothering to completely land when I saw her pelting towards me, but swooping up with her in my hooves. She squealed in delight at the ride, laughing and nuzzling at me as I hugged her gratefully, doing a graceless loop and diving at Jade, only somewhat crashing into the beautiful blue alicorn for a long hug with just the three of us.

"My word, I am happy to see you as well Fast, I hope everything went alright? You are quite affectionate, what happened?" Jade cooed happily, wrapping her wings around both of us and squeezing back, sighing at my roaming hooves and rushing muzzle.

"Be careful, he is quite charged up at the moment sister. It is a very long story you should hear, but I believe that should come later. Fast is anxious to leave aren't you?" Ivy spoke for me, helping me tear myself away and nod sharply, looking up to the Prydwen overhead.

"Y-Yeah... long story, no fun... l-later... We need to get out of here, I'm going to talk to Macson before we go, but they might not be too happy after I'm done so... Umm... Glitter, want to help your mom get ready and get going? Find somewhere else to stay for the night?"

My little filly leapt from my embrace and saluted happily, "You got it daddy! It's nice enough here, but I was hopin' we'd leave soon anyway. The Brotherhood ponies are nice, but kinda mean too... it's weird. I'd rather go somewheres else with just us! Ok everypony! You heard daddy! Let's go already!"

She immediately started nudging Zed and Witchy up and into moving, gathering gear and indulgently following her yelping commands, she had spent too much time around all these military ponies, best to get her out of here anyway. I smiled at her and adjusted my hat, making sure it was at its proper jaunty angle and not hiding my horn. I wasn't hiding what I was anymore. If ponies wanted to hate me for it, then at least I'd know, Jade and her sisters had dealt with it, so could I.

I gave Jade a reluctantly quick peck on the cheek and fluttered up before I got going again, gesturing to the Prydwen above. "I'll be right back, this isn't a job for a Princess hon. We'll get out of here and all I want to do is be with you after, I'll tell you everything I had to do, but I need to settle something real quick ok?"

I could see the concern in her blue eyes cocked suspiciously, but she nodded and smiled sweetly. "Very well, I trust you, if you say we should go, we will go. We will wait for you where we were before coming here, the ruined apartments? Then we can decide where to go from there, yes?"

A tired, relieved smile answered her and I flew up, waving Val off to guard them instead of me. I would be concerned at trying to find Elder Macson, were it not for the arrow on my compass telling me just where to go, he had become the new objective and my pip-buck led me to him unerringly.

Mission Updated: Old Guns

Objectives-------
---Join the Brotherhood strike team
---Discover the fate of Recon Squad Rapier
---Clear Fort Loyalty of hostiles
---Find parts and ammo for Castle Equinox's weapons
---Escape Fort Loyalty
---Return to Elder Macson

Optional Objectives------
---Give the Brotherhood the Buckbomb Schematics
---Destroy Buckbomb Schematics

Swooping around the giant cloudship, I was happy to find the big red stallion out on one of the catwalks ringing the steel tanks atop the old Enclave vessel. He was standing as still as a statue, staring at the dark towers and crumbling skyscrapers of Trotson. Paladin Dance was walking away by the time I found him, he had given his rushed report and wasn't sticking around... I hoped he wasn't that mad at me, that I hadn't ruined our tenuous friendship, that he hadn't, that there was still something there...

He probably wouldn't be happy with me after this, but seeing his Elder standing there letting the chill breeze blow his orange mane from his stern face.. all that frustrated anger and aggression had a target. I fought back the dark voice growling at the big male as I landed, trying to stay in control and get through this.

"I care about them, you know. The ponies of the Commonwealth... Sealed away, denied even the purifying magic of Gardens of Equestria, living in an irradiated hell under the hoof of the Institute. I want to help them Fast." Macson surprised me by speaking as I opened my mouth, waving a foreleg out at the dark city.

"Care about them? I thought you were preparing to bring war to the Commonwealth, still up to the Steel Ranger's habit of collecting technology too huh? Like buckbombs maybe? Digging up old world weapons to use again... using me to get them without telling me?" I grumbled back, keeping my distance and trying to will my fangs back to being nubs.

The perfect double of Big Mac turned and stared at me unperturbed, answering in that deep, slow voice. "The Brotherhood is here to prevent a war by starting one of our own, the same as your conflict with the Gunners you wish us to join. The difference is ours is for the fate of Equestria, not a squabble with some local tyrants. You didn't need to know about our other objectives on Fort Loyalty Fast, you haven't joined the Brotherhood.

I was honest in what was there that you needed, you took your share I understand? More than your share, you have certain schematics we hoped to acquire? So, are you like your griffon? Do you want pay? Or will you do the right thing, give me those dangerous plans, let me use the weapons of the past for our fight in the present, save lives?"

"Save lives?! By letting you make more of those things!? They're as powerful as balefire eggs, they spread radiation! They knock out electronics too... that's what you want isn't it, you're fighting robots after all. You're willing to use these things, let them get out when they've stayed a secret of the Commonwealth all this time. Willing to lie to me, use me! I don't like not being told things like that, you let me walk into a trap I could have been better prepared for if you had just been honest with me, a lie of omission is still a LIE Macson! Applejack would not be proud!"

"A necessary lie then. You are an unknown, a product of arcane science like myself, even I had to prove myself over many years, work up the ranks to my current position. Is your loyalty to ponykind as a whole, or just your mutated branch of it? You let that monster escape... Though you provided my troops psionic protection and saved them too, that little bit of tech will make Proctor Candygram happy and busy awhile, protect my troops from being at the mercy of another green like that.

I thank you for that Fast, once we take Fort Loyalty and send crews in with radiation suits to collect the balefire eggs and buckbombs that are left, we'll be in much better shape to take on the Institute." Macson returned to staring out at the city, disregarding me and my complaints, his own plans swirling behind those steely green eyes.

That was it, even if I didn't give him the schematics, he'd scour that tainted place, take every remaining balefire egg and buckbomb that was left stuck in the walls of Virescent's lair, search every office and locked safe or terminal for more information, find a way to make more... Not that it wasn't tempting, having that kind of firepower would be useful against the Gunners... But it would turn the battleground into an irradiated waste, hurt the ponies of Eclipse village, even if it wasn't a problem for me. How would the Brotherhood use them? Who would suffer from them?

Nobody...

I flapped up angrily, putting myself between Elder Macson and the view of the distant cloud island over the sea, drawing his gaze my way as I spoke gruffly, the Shroud's voice seeping into my own again. "No. Some things should stay buried in the past, no more weapons like that. Not if I can help it. I'm sorry if you hate me for this, I hope we can still work together Macson, but I don't like being used and I don't like the idea of making more of those things. I'll help you and work with you where we can, but that is not happening Elder Macson."

"Oh? And how will you prevent it? I hope to continue having a good relationship as well, but we have the resources to take that island. A crew is already being assembled to head out now that it's clear, thanks to you we'll have a stronger presence in the Commonwealth. Not to offend, but you can't really stop us from taking it Fast." Elder Macson replied in a drawl, not being mean about it, but making clear his intentions.

"Putting a crew together, meaning there's nopony there now. Good. Because actually... I can stop you, like this..."

I pulled out the small rune etched gem matching the remote trigger I had used back on my way to Virescent's lair. My magic touched the red gem and the rune blackened, followed immediately by a blinding explosion across the sea. My little insurance package blew up in the crate of buckbombs stuck in the cloudy wall, detonating all the remaining balefire eggs with it in a rapid, firecracker string of green and red fireworks that consumed the island.

The roaring sound rolled across the waves and reached our ears, the light slowly fading as Macson gaped, his mouth hanging open until he turned on me, hovering on the other side of the railing with a smirk as he scowled. "You! You destroyed it! It's all gone!?!"

"Ayup..." I nodded back with my own scowl and dove away, flying off to rejoin my Princess and leave the Brotherhood behind.

Mission Completed: Old Guns

Objectives-------
---Return to Elder Macson

Optional Objectives------
---Give the Brotherhood the Buckbomb Schematics (failed)
---Destroy Buckbomb Schematics

Mission Updated: With Our Powers Combined

Objectives----------
---Seek an alliance with the Brotherhood of Friendship

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

Mad Bomber-----
---You have a habit of blowing places up wherever you go! Your penchant for high explosives and big ka-booms allows you access to new explosives schematics to build at a sufficient workbench. Time bombs, remote detonations, tin can and MFC grenades, Balefire mines and more are now at your disposal you pyromaniac pony!

Reputation Change!--------------------------

Brotherhood of Friendship- Smiling Troublemaker
---On the one hoof you came through and worked with the Brotherhood, achieved your goals that they bothered to tell you about and shared the booty. On the other... you kinda destroyed a major prewar installation... again... Plus you are definitely known to be an alicorn by all of them, so you may get mixed reactions from the Brotherhood now. At least you have a couple friends and hopefully changed a few minds before you pissed them off!

Author's Notes:

Wow... er... sorry it ran long, will try to go back to normal length of around 15k, just didn't want to split this one up. Maybe I need an editor.