"No...."

That was the only word I could croak out, frozen in place in Grandpa Fin's workshop while everyone explored the crazy display he left behind. My kooky Grandpa Fin... Grandpa Mobius...

NO! No, no, no, no, no, no, no.... It kept rolling through my mind, a negation of every dim memory of the strange pegasus that came back with some difficulty, only thanks to Ivy cracking whatever weird mental barrier that kept deflecting me from really thinking about him.

(Fast? P-Please calm down... it is alright...) Ivy spoke in my head, still facilitating a limited form of unity between herself, me and the anxious blue alicorn nuzzling for attention. Jade knew... could see the flashes of Grandpa... of Dr. Mobius going through my head rapidly, each one making my heart race faster.

My own Grandpa! My family! He was part of the evil Institute!?! He... he messed with my mind!!! Screwed around in my head, blocked off memories and made me forget! How could he!?! What memories I could drag up now were all positive, full of love and laughter for the crazy old pegasus, but the whole time he was...

'Betrayer...'

A dark whisper floated up and provided just the word for how I felt, betrayed... My own Grandpa betrayed me... used me... screwed with my head for whatever insane experiment of the Institute required it! Was I really just a guinea pig, even to my own Grandpa?

Glitter was playing with the Spring Gale in the breezie sized model of Sparkle World still tooting and chugging along in front of us a million miles away, the tinny oompa music and miniature rides whirling around the two of them while I quietly freaked out. Val hadn't noticed anything amiss yet either, inspecting the workshop with interest and vacuuming up loot as she went.

(Fast, breathe! You are becoming very upset, it is ok, I am here with you. Y-Your Grandfather... just breathe and take it in slowly, no one will be as upset as you are at the moment, we will talk it over and...) Jade tried to soothe the confusion and hurt storming behind my twisted grimace, only making me panic more.

(Don't tell anyone!! D-Don't... I don't want them to know, e-especially Lt. Dawn!) My mental yelp got me to jerk in place and drew Glitter's curious eye for a moment, thankfully returning to the carousel merrily spinning in Rarity's Classy Kiddie Kingdom.

Jade's flinch and concerned stare made it clear she didn't like keeping secrets, but I was still trying to absorb this bombshell and I really didn't want anypony else to know I was related to... to the Institute... Besides the wave of shame and anger at the thought, there was real fear where the Brotherhood pegasus was concerned. If the military group knew, who knows what they'd do...

(You were upset at me keeping my... c-condition quiet as I did Fast, and it was a mistake. Not one you should repeat, no one will think differently of you and you should let them know, we all care about you, they can help you... er come to terms I suppose. T-This is a bit much to accept, but it changes little.) Jade gave a prim nod to Glitter and Val, the rest of my family here with us.... she was right, but...

No wonder Zed said darkness surrounded me, I felt... tainted... dirty... corrupted just by my association with the vile group of mad scientists that created so much suffering in the Commonwealth. My Grandfather was one of them! What if I was no better? I did get obsessed and wrapped up in tinkering... had a habit of twisting the technology lying around the wasteland into deadly traps and constructs... How many places had I blown up? How many ponies had I killed through oh so clever means with a kind of manic glee? I was pretty smart, had I been using that goddess granted intelligence to be no better than... than my crazy Grandpa Mobius?

(I'll tell them, I promise Jade, b-but not Dawn, and later... we... shit! We have to go!)

Working through the revelation enough to begin to accept it, I realized we were sitting in the home of an Institute Division Head and yelped aloud, shaking off my stunned confusion and hurriedly rushing through the workshop, drawing Glitter and Val's attention completely at my frantic gallop.

"Er.... boss? Problem? Figured you'd be geekin' out 'bout all this junk?" Val followed my progress warily, and appreciative look at me floating every bit of arcano-tech that wasn't bolted down to my packs and making a rushed exploration of the workshop.

Glitter was more astute, her upbringing and lingering worry over any change making her hyper sensitive to my panic. The little filly had a worried look in her pink eyes, popping her head up from the tiny canyons of Applejack's Dry Cider Gulch and ignoring Gale whooping gleefully as she rode the little locomotive zipping by her face. "Daddy? A-Are you ok?"

"Fine! E-Everything's fine! Honest! We just gotta leave sweetie, like now... Grab everything you want and let's get going, Val, find Witchy and Lt. Dawn, w-we'll head down to the ground and meet the minotaurs! Won't that be fun Glitter?" I answered in a shaky rush, ducking my head down to dig under the workbench and pull out every dusty bin of talismans, frantically darting my eyes around the room and looking for more.

"Oooook.... Somethin's up boss, yer wiggin' out here, trouble comin'? Why you get all freaked out all'a the sudden?" Val trusted Glitter's instincts implicitly, looking between the worried foal and me as her violet eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"We just need to leave! NOW! Trouble might be coming, yes Val! Trouble I'd rather avoid! Just... i-it's like at Moondancer's cottage ok! I don't think we're going to be ignored here! We need to leave before something comes to deal with us intruding, so grab your loot, get the others and let's get going! Please!"

"The weird freakin' hut with all the books? Why would..." Looking up to the cloudy ceiling and scratching her head, Val paused in thought remembering the ruined home of another Institute head, and what had happened when we stuck our noses in there...

"Just because! Going! Now!" I shouted and squirmed my way around the large model Sparkle World, desperately searching for anything left behind that could explain... anything...

No terminals, no notes left behind, no memory orbs... just an empty pedestal tucked away in the back corner, a few flecks of clear crystal scattered around it and a web of gem tipped wires and tubes hanging down from above. For some reason that brought another twinge of pain between my eyes, but after discovering what lay behind that sensation in relation to Grandpa Fin, I wasn't sure I wanted to dwell on it.

"Ve take funny park thingy Fast Shroud? It breezie sized! Uthers like very much!" Gale fluttered over on her bright wings, landing on my hat and hanging off the brim to beam at me hopefully, at least the breezie wasn't put on guard by my behavior.

I had no doubt that... Mobius... had built that model for her people specifically... Probably had a hoof in building a lot of things back in the Ministry of Peace hub for them, the model train that ran throughout the hub for instance... Grandpa liked models... I never knew he was building them for breezies that could actually use them, I could only vaguely remember helping him assemble and paint his toys, never knowing what he was doing with them. How many had I passed by in the hub already? Was Gale's own little home built here? Did I help paint the little breezie's shingles for Celestia's sake!?

"W-We'll ummm we'll come back for it Gale... it's pretty big, have to take it apart and bring it back in pieces, no time right now. Don't worry, we'll be coming back here, ....I guarantee it... For now let's go! Move it everypony, go, go, go!"

I finished my rushed circuit of the workshop and started shoving Jade out with the others, ignoring Glitter's whines about wanting to stay to play with all the toys and the worry in her voice, Jade and Ivy's voices in my head speaking in soothing concern, all of it. We had to go, right now.

Almost... Once I shoved the big blue Princess out, I shut the door for a moment and glared out at the insane workshop, raising my head and growling out loud. "If you're watching... G-Grandpa... I'm coming, and I want an explanation. It better be a good one..."

"You wanna herd em!?! You are crazy little pony! I like it!!" Sledge Smasher boomed and pulled me into a noogie giving headlock, him and his hunting group chortling laughter at their camp in the ground portion of Rainbow Brook.

They were quite surprised by the rushing waterfall of rainbows now pouring down from above, filling the dusty pools and channels running through the town and spilling out into the dry creekbed leading through the woods. It was still just a trickle rushing off into the dark forest, but it was slowly filling up and speeding its way towards the hub.

Of course seeing the ruined and overgrown town closer to how it looked originally just made that twinge between my eyes flare up again, we had been here... would have come to the ground portion first with me and dad being unicorns... at the time... I still couldn't really remember, but I could at the same time, sure we had been here but uncertain over any specifics.

Distracting, but I still wanted distance from any part of Rainbow Brook while Jade, Glitter and Ivy were with me. Who knew what ...Dr. Mobius... might send in response to the intrusion. Meaning we had to hurry and deal with our Minotaur friends quickly.

Pulling myself free before Sledge could really give noogies to dislodge my hidden passenger, I gasped and nodded rapidly, setting my hat back on my mussed mane carefully as I answered. "I know it sounds insane, but I think we can. Those monsters will all try to avoid a swarm of breezidores coming at them right?"

"Mostly yeah! Not much good against hellhounds, they'll just dig under em... but otherwise any of em seein' somethin' like that comin' at em will turn alright! We can corral all them beasties together if you can provide the swarm Fast! You'll hafta go back to Salt Lick and talk to the chief though, that'll take a lot more than just us!" Sledge beamed with his crooked grin proudly, hooking a thumb back at his small crew already heavily laden with their catch on this trip.

"Alright... alright we can work with that. I have things I have to do first, but we'll come to Salt Lick and talk to your Chief, hopefully have a more solid plan when we do. Thanks for all your help Sledge, you've been a lifesaver. Er... there is one more thing, if just you could kinda... c-come over here for a minute..."

I shrugged over to a dilapidated gift shop away from the central park area and gazebo the Minotaurs made their camp in, Glitter bounding around me happily as I tried to unobtrusively slink off that way and ignore the rapid twitching under my hat.

Pushing open the creaky old door to a ruined storefront with a large tree growing straight through the building, I tucked behind the counter where the foliage and broken walls concealed us, looking up to the burly minotaur watching expectantly as I lowered my head to the dirty counter.

"Ok... don't freak out, there's someone I want you to meet and wants to meet you... mostly... but she's scared, so... no sudden movements or anything alright?" At Sledge's curious nod, I cleared my throat as Glitter scrambled up to the counter beside me, Jade, Ivy, Val and Witchy all forming a protective barrier nearby.

"I'd like to introduce you to one of your gremlins Sledge, presenting Spring Gale of the Breezie Nation... Come on Gale, it's safe, come out..."

Pulling my hat away resulted in some frantic rustling in my mane, Sledge looking at my mussy hair with a moment of disappointment that turned to wide eyed surprise when I felt hesitant movement by my horn, a squeaky, tremulous voice speaking up shakily. "H-Helloo Beeg Mino person... I is not gremlin... is b-breezie, Spring Gale, ummm n-nice to meet yu?"

"By the horns of Daedellus... a fairy!!" Hearing the shocked wonder out of the tough minotaur was almost amusing, distracting me from the steady run of obsessive thoughts that kept wanting to take precedent. Sledge's eyes were as big as dinner plates as he crouched down in my face, peering at the breezie nervously hiding in my mane.

"Er... breezie, I guess Fairy Breezie, but yeeeeah... Gale and her people live in these woods, they've watched you a long time and we thought you should be introduced. Careful, they're ...skittish."

At my urging and shake of my head, Gale fluttered out to land on the counter, closely watching the huge minotaur thumping his chin to the surface, staring at her eying his golden nose ring with wonder. "Granny was right... all her old stories were true! A real fairy! Oh! Fairy Breezie I mean little miss! Pleased ta meetcha!"

"N-Nice tu meet yu Meester Sledge mino... s-scary... but is nice! Fast Shroud say yu good person, yu help Breezie Nation?" Galp chirped back bravely, keeping one shivering foreleg in contact with my pip-buck on the counter nearby, but inching her way fairly close to the intimidating minotaur.

At his confused look, Jade tried to help fill in the blanks from my side. "The breezies are who we are doing this for Mr. Smasher, the breeziedores are a problem for them, and the monsters from the Glowing Sea are a problem for you. We hope to solve both at once. They are considering opening up to the outside world, since you are neighbors... We thought we could start with you two. So, are you willing to help us with our... admittedly crazy idea and make some new friends Sledge?"

Sledge's hearty clap to her broad back sent even the big alicorn stumbling a bit, a protective flare rising up at anyone making contact with the pregnant Princess that I had to stomp down on as she smiled back brightly. He wasn't trying to hurt her, he didn't know she was pregnant, no way to tell this early... just stop freaking out...

His booming answer made Gale flutter back to my mane anxiously, but it was all delighted happiness and agreement. "Hells yeah Princess pony! We always liked the forest spirits, just never knew they were... ya know, really out there, or so little! Dunno if anybody's gonna believe this back home, but I'll tell em fer sure! If we can help each other out little fairy, you can count on us! Gotta tell the others, somebody else has gotta see this! If that's ok I mean?"

Sledge was practically bouncing on his hooves at the doorway, looking out to his fellow hunters with longing and giving a pleading look above my head as I floated my hat back. The quiet answer from under the chapeau was wary and worried, but determined nonetheless. "Is ok... so uthers believe, not too many doh! Go slow please!"

Jade called after him and made him twitch, arresting his instant leap forward and looking back impatiently. "Perhaps your wise shaman would be a good choice Mr. Smasher. One at a time if you please. If you could give us a moment beforehoof too, it would be appreciated."

Out the door Sledge dashed, leaving us to watch his oddly graceful upright stride through the overgrown ruins and back to his hunters, shouting as he ran. "Sure thing Princess pony! Hey! Guys! You'll never believe it! Hold up!"

After planting a kiss to my cheek, Jade paused on her way back up and spoke softly to my hat. "That was excellent Gale, you were very brave. Sledge and his people have helped us a great deal, I trust them and hope you will grow to do so as well."

Before I could right my hat and pull away, Jade wrapped a wing around me to hold me in place and coughed primly, gaining the attention of all my friends here as she peered out the shattered windows, finding Lt. Dawn still impatiently pouting with the other minotaurs before continuing. "Now then, since we have a moment... Tell them Fast."

"B-But... later is better... we should really get further away from this town before..."

"I chose not to be that concerned about any threat from your Grandfather. Do not keep this secret, share Fast."

"Threat? What threat? Wheres? Yer Grandpa boss? Curious myself, why'd ya freak out like that? Thought you'd be happy, er... or sad and mopey... but not all wigged out. Wassa problem?" Val squawked and was instantly on guard at the word 'threat', not really dwelling on niggling questions about where or who as she drew her pistol and scanned the ruins outside.

I followed her gaze and my eyes lingered on the flowing stream of rainbows again, that was how it should look alright... except for all the shattered and crumbling buildings of course. But that was right, that was how it was...

I sighed wearily, looking up to the broken ceiling and the cloud town above hidden by the reds, oranges and yellows of the forest canopy visible through the gaps. "My Grandpa... m-my Grandpa Fin, he was... he is..."

Tears welled up in my eyes looking between all my friends and family here, choking on the rest at their concerned, caring looks back. Suddenly afraid all over again at admitting what I just realized myself, would that kind look from Witchy harden to anger or disgust when she knew? Would Val still be my loyal bodyguard and friend when she found out? All this time I kept insisting I wasn't a monster, even after everything that happened to me and how I had changed since leaving the Stable, but the whole time I had been related to one...

(Tell them Fast, you are not who you are related to. They will not change how they feel about you and they deserve to know. Let them in because they care, they will be more worried for you than upset at your familial relationship. Sharing is caring....) Ivy spoke softly in my head, gently nudging my cheek with her muzzle and getting me to look up to them with bloodshot eyes.

"My Grandpa Fin is... is Doctor Mobius... Head of the Theoretical Imagineering Division of the Institute. I'm... I'm related to the Institute..."

I winced once I spat it out, peeking out from clenched eyes as the non-unity members of our little group took that in with stunned faces. To my instant worry, Val's expression did harden, but she made it clear why quickly enough, flapping over to the door and powering up all her weapons, scanning the woods outside and shifting on her paws, ready for action at the least twitch out there.

The look she sent back after finding nothing was heartening, no hate there, just care, worry and sound tactical thinking. "Shit... no wonder you wanted ta get movin', he's right gals, we just broke into one of them crazy Institute fuckers houses, who knows what he's sendin' at us. Er... sorry boss, m-maybe yer gramps ain't a crazy fucker? Better we get goin' sooner rather than later though eh? Good call buddy."

"You are related to... t-that does explain some things though, doesn't it Fast? I've always thought you were very clever, no wonder! You're related to a great genius of the old world! W-Who has done terrible things I suppose... but you haven't! How did you find out?" Witchy was supportive and curious, adding to my relief nopony was freaking out as badly as I was.

Glitter looked confused and settled for giving me a hug, not understanding the problem or much else besides the fact I needed it. As she worked it out, any other response she had was drowned out by the breezie ducking out from my hat and fluttering excitedly in my face, a wide, awestruck grin on her face as she yelped happily. "Yu is grandson of Great Dr. Moby!?! Vas his house!? No vunder buildings und park ting vas so perfect! Moby make many tings for Breezie Nation! Yu is related to great pony Fast! Vhy is mad? Mob is hero und savior tu all breezies!"

"Y-Yeah... I guess he is to you, I never knew he was 'Moby' though. He hid it from me... from all of us maybe. I'm really glad he helped your people out Gale, proud even... but he did other things too, and he works with... did work with bad ponies that have done awful things. I think he did things to me too, I don't know though, because someone messed with my head apparently..."

"Do what now? Yer own gramps fucked around in yer noggin boss?!" Val sounded angry now... but not at me at least, her response was simple for her, anyone that hurt me in any way was bad, being related to him didn't factor into it at all for her by the way her claws flexed on the grip of her pistol.

"Great Grandpa is one of those bad Institute ponies daddy? The brains in jars you told me about like the crazy lady? H-He's bad? But he helped Gale and the fairies didn't he? So maybe he's not?" Glitter worked through it slowly, giving me a hopeful look as she both realized she had a Great Grandfather, and that he might be on my hit list...

Jade stamped a hoof down for attention and returned her blue gaze from the window, making sure we were still alone for the moment before speaking kindly. "That is the question dear. I for one do not believe anypony related to your father could be evil, there must be some reason, some explanation? What do you know of this 'Mobius' Fast? You have said he is not like the other Institute heads in some way?"

The love of my life's unwavering support and grasping for any explanation helped me calm down and work through what I did know of Mobius, not thinking of him as just my Grandpa, but also as the Institute head I had been saving any scrap of information on. What did I know?

In response, the gruff voice of Kellogg drifted up from my memory, taunting me back in Fort Haygone. "One of my first jobs for the Institute and I missed one puny little pony, but they go nuts over it. That's when they really started going at each other you know, old Mobius was against the whole idea for the most part, when he heard how I took it and that I missed you, he really went off the deep end. That damaged pod of yours, figured you were awake and got wasted with the rest."

Bright Beacon reluctantly answering questions on the way to the Switchboard came back to me next, his nervous voice calling out as Ivy shook the answers out of him flying far above the ground. "Doc Mobius hasn't really done anything in ages. He used to be one of their best and brightest, had a hoof in almost everything they did prewar, an idea pony. Theoretical Imagineering took any crazy idea and ran with it, made shit just for fun..."

"...We got almost nothing on him and the synths we save know even less, only that the others view him as a taboo, nopony is even allowed to mention the old codger. ...he's been moving again and it's freaked them right the fuck out."

"Well... The other Institute heads are scared of him... Kellogg and Beacon both said after the Institute invaded my Stable, Mobius lost it and they had some kind of falling out... Maybe he thought I was dead? Maybe that's why he got mad... they both said about 80 years ago the Institute went through a big shakeup and Mobius was suddenly a threat that frightened the others."

"You see! Your grandfather cared for you, thought you were hurt or killed and turned on his comrades because of you! That does not sound like an evil pony to me Fast." Jade piped up and squeezed me in a strong hug, trying to find the bright side and be positive while I thought hard on every tidbit I had learned about 'Mobius'.

"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." Dr. Klein gloated in my memory... showing off the Buckbomb fruits of Grandpa's crazy ideas while the buck himself played with them in Fort Loyalty.

"He still went along with them for 120 years though! Was still part of their experiments, all the awful things they've done, the ponies they've hurt... He might not have meant it... I heard he was an idea pony, and Grandpa Fin was always kinda... kooky... M-Maybe you're right and he had reasons Jade, maybe he really didn't mean any harm... but he was one of them! Helped with their insanity that hurt so many ponies!" I growled as I continued, that lingering sting of betrayal giving the dark Shroud in my head something to focus on.

Despite my growing anger coming out in my voice, Jade looked implacable, remaining firmly focused on excusing my insane grandfather's choices for some reason as she tried to soothe. "The road to hell is often paved with good intentions Fast. He is your family... surely he fell into that same trap and did not mean to do so. You loved each other, yes? As our own family does? Is it hard to believe the best of your own grandfather, rather than the worst? Was he not a good pony?"

"I think so, but I can't even be sure can I!? He messed with my head!!! Made me forget him, or not even forget... screwed with my brain so I just didn't really think about him somehow! How could he do that to me!? Like I was just another experiment!?!"

Ivy took up Jade's brave attempt to look for the positive as she flinched at the fury seeping into my voice, laying a warm hoof over my own shaking on the counter. "Again, we don't know why Fast, there may have been a reason. He did not erase himself from your mind, which would have been much simpler than the impressive mental manipulation employed instead. If he did view you as no more than an experiment, removing all memories entirely would have been easier and more certain. Leaving them behind would suggest a reluctance to delete himself from his own grandson, more what somepony who cares but has no choice would do..."

"But not somepony who cares enough to find me since I woke up either! He has to know I'm not dead, that I'm out here looking for my family and what happened, but I haven't heard a peep from any Dr. Mobius about any of this have I?! If he cares so much then where the hell is he!?! Why'd I have to find this out on my own!?"

"Boss is right, just cause he's family, don't mean he ain't a bastard gals... trust me. W-What!? Just sayin'... I'm on boss' side here!" Val cautiously chimed in, still keeping one wary eye out on the woods and any potential threat, growing defensive under the annoyed stares of both alicorns.

Witchy looked up from under a furrowed brow, tilting her head as she ventured an unsure question. "Fast... if you are related to this Mobius, did the other leaders of the Institute know that? You said thou met one once, she did not recognize you?"

"No... No, Moondancer didn't say anything... I don't think she knew anything, the Institute heads all had fake names. I guess they didn't know each other's real ones. Just like Grandpa kept it secret from us. Secrets... too many secrets..." I thought and answered through gritted teeth, creeping suspicion making me wonder if mom and dad really didn't know either.

That's what I hated most about the Institute, they sowed doubt and suspicion everywhere, kept their secrets and played their games. As hard as I fought against them, everypony in the Commonwealth secretly worried anypony they met was one of their synths, stayed isolated and afraid because of the mad scientists hiding in the shadows, lurking in the dark behind robots and fake names... they could even make me doubt my own parents... Made me feel such fury and ...betrayal towards my Grandpa, my Grandpa who lied...

"T-There must be a reason Fast... there simply must. I cannot believe the grandfather of a wonderful pony who cares so much for family would do such a thing if there were not some explanation. Perhaps with Ivy's help we can discover it, can you undo what has been done to Fast sister?" Jade tried again to calm my shaking anger as I brooded on it, leaning in to nuzzle supportively and looking to Ivy hopefully.

"I... I don't know sister... It was difficult enough to uncover and break through what I have already, and... no offense Fast, but your mind is... a mess... I still contend you were right to ask for my help and should not send me away, even for a short time." Ivy answered and worked in another attempt at second guessing our admittedly poor plans, her concern for me flowing through her thoughts and just making her more insistent.

Refusing her when my heart wasn't in it to begin with was made harder by Glitter joining in, throwing up her puppy eyed stare again and hugging the green mare tightly. "See daddy! Aunt Ivy should stay! You need her to do all that funny tele-whatever stuff and fix your head! So you can remember right and see Great Grandpa is good!"

Breathing a long, sad sigh, I scuffed at the roots and junk behind the counter, floating up a dirty snowglobe that a little wiping revealed showed a miniature Rainbow Brook from before the war, as it was when I visited here at her age. I sent it to her waiting hooves and ruffled her mane with a tired smile, shaking my head weakly.

"I don't want Ivy to go either, especially now... But back during the war, there was a rule that the Princesses weren't supposed to be together unless it was super safe, so it was harder for both to be killed at once and leave Equestria without a ruler. I didn't get it then, but I sorta do now. We have our own two princesses here sweetie, it's safer if they're not together out here where it's dangerous."

"Keeping them and our foals safe is more important than what I want, or messing around in my head.... Grandpa was Mobius this whole time, knowing doesn't really change anything, and we have more important things to do than worry about it when there's not much we can do about it anyway. We have ponies and breezies counting on us right? When the hub is safe for her, we can stay put and let her fiddle around up there all she wants, but for now... we need to get going."

Jade, Glitter and Ivy all gave a collective "But!" as I trudged off, hating taking Ivy away even more now than before, but forced to shove it aside to do what was right. Finding out I was related to the Institute and all their madness still hurt like a fresh, raw wound, but I had to distance myself from it and try to keep going.

Right now, I didn't want to talk or even think about 'Dr. Mobius' (traitor...) anymore, or anything else. Especially not the steady thoughts 'Be Dark...' was whispering about retribution against my own grandfather. It seethed and burned down in that weakening black stasis pod in my head, promising that if they weren't right and there wasn't some kind of very good reason, our relationship wasn't enough to stop it from treating him like the rest of the Institute.

(We are not done Fast... You need my help, let me do so! D-Do not send me away like this... at least let me find another of my green sisters!) As we flew off into the night, Ivy had settled for silently continuing her insistent arguing through telepathy, keeping the topic of conversation safely from the ears of Lt. Dawn traveling with us.

Getting Jade to agree and return to the Ministry of Peace with Witchy had been hard enough, I was almost surprised Ivy didn't put up too much of a fight as we made our goodbyes to the minotaurs and each other. Only now, so closely connected mind to mind with her, did I realize she had no intention of actually continuing on, she was just along for the trip and coming back as far as she was concerned.

(Are any of them as good as you at this stuff Ivy?)

(Well.... some are my equal... Though trust and openness counts for a great deal, and you would need time to feel that way wouldn't you? Another reason I should stay! Actually, the only one of us in the Commonwealth I could truly recommend would be... er... V-Virescent actually....)

(Viresent!?) I slowed in our flight and goggled back at her, the crazy religious zealot alicorn? She was who Ivy would give a referral to?!

(Virescent is very talented when it comes to mental manipulation and telepathy with normal ponies, she has the most experience. She is to psychic ability as Swan is to teleportation, our most skilled representative here. Though not exactly a mare you trust... and who knows where she is now... I understand your reasoning, but I don't like leaving you like this Fast.)

I briefly wondered about the dark green alicorn whose skills she vouched for. Was Virescent alive? Would she help even if I did run into her again, or try to kill me? Or try to be ...friendly... instead? I wasn't entirely surprise to hear Ivy praise her skills on further consideration though, the first time we met Virescent went digging in my head and recoiled at what she found there. She was good enough to get right at whatever pushed her back out, maybe she found more of Grandpa's meddling before I ever suspected a thing.

(Ivy, you used logic to make me promise to umm... w-with you... and make that baby. I'm even glad you did, but you can't ignore logic now that you feel different and it cuts both ways. I don't like it either, I don't want you to go even for a little while, but I have to keep you both safe and Jade will never agree to get away from me. I'm asking you to be stronger than her and do this for our baby. As soon as it's safe, you can come back to the hub and we can keep working on this, I'm pretty damn interested in what all Grandpa did to my brain too you know... but you're more important.)

"You're being awful quiet back there you two... did something happen? Don't tell me you're being an idiot again Mr. Times..." Lt. Dawn broke up our psychic back and forth with a suspicious snort, leading the way east through the cloudy night.

The Brotherhood mare was sharp, thankfully still assuming any tension had to do with Ivy and Jade's condition, not revelations she had no business finding out about. The most positive outcome I could see if the Brotherhood learned I was related to one of the Institute's division heads was still not pretty. They already disliked me for a few things, learning I was the grandson of the focus of their mission here could easily be the straw that broke the camels back.

"A bit, yes Lieutenant..." Ivy whickered back, deflecting her question with an insincere bit of humor. (I am aware what you say makes sense Fast, but you must take responsibility for the results of insisting on caring and love instead of just mating. I am much less interested in logic when the stallion I care for is hurting and in need of my help. I can feel you trying to push everything down and bottle it up, that does not end well....)

(Tell you what, if I run into Virescent, I'll ask her to tag in up there until we can be together again Ivy. In the meantime, I'll stick with bottling things up and focus on what needs to be done. Jade's right, we have a responsibility to a lot of ponies, that doesn't change just because she's p-pregnant, it doesn't change because of what I found out about my Grandpa either. Besides, from what little I know, he's hiding somewhere beyond the Glowing Sea. Meaning the Gunners are between me and him, figuratively and literally. One problem at a time.)

(You keep trying to hide behind that as a shield Fast... I can see past it. Rather than alleviate your fears I have made them worse, you are frightened you are no different than the Institute... a mad scientist in the making? You are not. You are not like them Fast, you are not your grandfather, despite any similarities you share.) Ivy cut right to the heart of the things I was trying very hard to ignore, wincing hard enough for Glitter and her breezie passenger Gale to notice the midair hitch to my slow flapping.

"Daddy? Are you sure you're ok? You're not still worrying about Great Grandpa are you?" Glitter leaned up my neck to whisper in my ear, understanding the need to keep this little tidbit away from the Brotherhood mare leading us on.

Part of me wished she'd stop calling him that... already growing attached to a crazy pony she had never met, just because she never had extended family before. As far as the little filly on my back was concerned, the novelty of having a great grandfather overrode any concerns about what kind of great grandparent he was.

It made her happy though, gave her something she never knew before, the same as having a father when we found each other. I desperately wished for her optimistic view to be borne out, for Grandpa Fin to be worthy of her esteem and affection somehow. The more I stewed on it though... I didn't want her hurt if I had to kill him, and that darker part of me kept putting that forth as a distinct possibility.

My dwelling on how to answer was thankfully cut short by Val at my side, idly reaching out to punch my shoulder and glare significantly back at my surprised look. "Don't get all mopey boss... We'll deal with it one way or t'other..."

"Just thinking and talking to Aunt Ivy sweetie, I'm fine, r-really. No more worrying about Grandpa Fin, p-promise..." I lied to reassure her, thinking grim thoughts back at Ivy that clashed with my forced cheeriness for my daughter. (Too many similarities Ivy. An eccentric pony that doesn't really think beyond whatever he's obsessed with at the moment? Doesn't that sound uncomfortably familiar? What if I really am like... Mobius.... What if I'm passing on that kind of crazy to our foal!?)

(That would not be the horrible fate you imagine, you have wonderful traits to pass on and I am glad you are fathering this child with me. If you really are like this Mobius, then I agree with sister Jade. He can't be evil, because you are not. Ponies who are evil or insane don't worry if they are or not Fast, they just are and own it. If the Gunners must be dealt with first, then focus on that with a clear heart, but do not bury what you have learned about your Grandfather. As you yourself helped me admit, you have to accept the past to move on and-) Ivy's sage advice was interrupted by an explosion echoing across the ruins below, bringing my attention back to the here and now sharply and scanning below us in a panic.

The distant and steady pops of gunfire hadn't been that unusual in the wasteland and mostly disregarded when they first started being picked up by my heightened hearing, along with the explosions now though, I realized they had been growing louder and closer as we approached Jamocha Plains. I could see the glow of the trading community now, and the flashes of firearms and magical energy weapons in the marshes and ruins outside the town, dark smoke difficult to spot in the night sky, drifting up from fires burning far below...

It was still too far for Eyes Forward Sparkle to detect anything, and hard to make out much detail, but alicorn vision let me see the specks moving in the ruins outside Jamocha Plains. Val's growl over the sound of her weapons powering up filled in the rest as I came to the same conclusion. "Fuck... Gunners boss, sounds like they figured out Jamocha Plains ain't part of their lil' empire no more..."

By what I could make out of the battle, I had to assume it wasn't just Cocoa's guards resisting the mercenary army. The Minutemares must have made it to town and be backing them up, I was hopeful anyway and glad to see the fighting was being kept out away from the town itself. Preston's troops were all dedicated to keeping innocent ponies out of the crossfire where they could, I just hoped they had been successful and everypony was ok down there as I sped up.

"Ivy! Stay back with Glitter! There are griffons up here with us and..." I floated Glitter and Gale riding with her over to the green alicorn hauling the skybus behind her, calling back over my shoulder while putting more effort into flapping forward, interrupted by a tremendous cannon blast below that made me spin in shock and seek out the source in fright.

A lumbering, turtle-like hunk of steel and weaponry was inching its way north from the marshes and advancing on Jamocha Plains, a pale puff of smoke drifting up from a long barrel poking from the front matching a fiery explosion near the walls. A tank... they had a freaking tank!?!

"Fuck me! Where the hell they dig that thing up!?!" Val sounded as surprised as I was, pulling ahead of me easily to put herself between me and the prewar military hardware.

The Gunners had armor... using the lumbering tank just like I saw in old war movies, supporting their infantry moving up behind the mobile wall of steel and ceramic plating as the long gun traversed slowly towards a new target. I'd like an answer to Val's question too, but the immediate threat was more important.

"Val! Clouds! Let's hit it with our own big guns before they spot us, help me!" I shouted as I climbed to the grey ceiling above us, shoving errant fluffs of heavily laden clouds ahead of me and trying to gain altitude, summoning a flickering aura of electricity that darkened the wisps under my hooves.

My loyal bodyguard needed no more than that, giving a manic grin and zipping off to gather more quickly, shoving them together and over the tank. I was actually glad the defenders of Jamocha Plains didn't look to include any fliers, it put them at a disadvantage until we had shown up, but it made the Gunners overconfident and sloppy, no longer looking up to the skies as a threat.

For the most part anyway, I had to amend that to include the single airborne defender I spotted a griffon commander chasing outside the walls. They were sending a lot of fire towards the bright purple ball zooming around outside the walls, but were keeping their distance and pretty focused on them. Whoever that alicorn was, she was giving as good as she got, while raining magical destruction down on the attackers with each pass over the battlefield.

She was also giving us cover and time enough to prepare an answer for the clattering tank now passing below, I gave our bundle of thundercloud one more hard kick before straining to climb above it, letting Val take over pushing it on target while I lined up for a lightning tinged dive back down on it.

I took one last worried look to Ivy and Glitter, hiding our sky bus in a cloudbank not far away and thankfully unnoticed, then forced myself to stop worrying over the two fillies and streaked down from the heavens. I was afraid for them and the ponies of Jamocha Plains (Be Kind...), but at the same time I was disturbingly happy to have enemies to take all my hurt and frustration out on (Be Dark...).

As I plunged through the crackling wall of black cloud bringing a bolt of lightning down with me, my eyes were burning with fury and grim satisfaction watching all the tiny Gunners below rushing up. I could make out their superior numbers, their new looking green combat armor and well crafted weapons, the slightly mutated appearance of a few ponies among them obviously under the effects of X-Cell, the surprised looks on all their sneering faces as the night suddenly brightened (Awareness!).

Blazing down with a bolt of power on my hooves, the voice of the Shrouded Stallion boomed out as I came down, a note of dark glee echoing through the ruins ahead of the rumble of thunder. "GREETINGS EVILDOERS!!'

KRAKA-THOOOOOM!!!

Slamming directly into the tank creeping its way over a ruined retaining wall, I put a dent in the thick armor plating with my hooves as a shockwave of electricity spread out from the impact point, arcs of electricty washing over the vehicle and nearby Gunners. To my great satisfaction, I watched a nearby suit of green painted power armor go crashing to the rubble strewn ground from the blast, the spell matrix completely fried.

What would have been a world class Shrouded Stallion entrance was somewhat ruined when the turret spun behind me, the long barrel knocking me down to the muck as the well trained mercenaries identified the new threat and responded. "It's him! Fall back and regroup, focus on the 20,000 cap twerp!!"

Ok.... Tanks weren't robots... the clattering, smoke belching machine wasn't disabled even after taking a direct hit from my best bit of lightning magic. Not enough fancy arcano-tech to scramble in this thing, just a lot of durable earth pony craftsmanship, that was now coming to bear on me...

A machinegun poking from the side firing port nearest me opened up with a chatter and sent me scrambling away, grateful the infantry Gunners nearby were still stunned at least. The Terrible Shotgun and Vengeance floated at my side as I bolted away from the war machine, zig zagging away across the broken streets outside of Jamocha Plains and thankful for the bright griffon swooping by overhead, Val unleashed a barrage of 25mm grenades through the Gunner's lines, giving me a path to the Minutemare defenders.

Pulling up S.A.T.S. let me target the three Gunners still standing that were on the ball, swinging their heavy battlesaddles my way. One had the bulging appearance of an earth pony about to split his armor with mutated muscle from the Institute's drug (Did Grandpa have a hoof in that too?...) and earned several slugs to himself, just to make sure he went down.

I couldn't resist the urge to yell "Timmmm-ber!" when the third round blew his head to paste and the hulking merc crashed to the street, giving me room to flap over his corpse and dive into a shattered health food store. Rolling away from the broken window I dove through for cover, I winced under the impacts of several heavy rounds against my armor and crawled under a rotting counter, shoving a multitude of dirty plastic bottles out of the way.

With a moment to breathe, I looked up to the green marks on E.F.S. I had ran for, spotting a pair of wounded Minutemares staring back like they were watching the second coming of Celestia joining them in their bit of cover. "Er... Hi guys, how's it going troops? Busy night?"

The lemon colored filly gaping back was first to actually find words, pointing a shaking hoof and stammering back. "G-General? What are you..."

Whatever she was trying to ask was drowned out by a roaring explosion from the tank's cannon knocking on the rotten door, blowing half the building we sheltered in to splinters. Thankfully not the half we were actually sitting in, but close enough to toss all of us like rag dolls and send a rain of shrapnel through the room.

Pushing my way free of a mound of brick and shelving, I looked around woozily and spotted her again tossed against the remaining wall. I ran over with her silvery-blue earth pony companion, joining him in shoving the detritus aside and wincing at the long shards of ancient wood driven into her neck, her chest, her flanks... I cursed not knowing healing magic and fumbled for a normal, purple healing potion as I took in how pale she looked, her bright orange eyes looking back in shock.

"K-Knew... you'd come... G-General... help town..." She croaked up at the two of us, hushed with a gentle hoof to the mouth before I yanked the shard of junk from her neck and pushed her companion's hoof to the wound to apply pressure.

"R-Right, here to save the day alright soldier... you got it. You just rest easy ok? It's alright now... just hang on! What's going on private? Any more surprises besides that damn tank?"

"We just started setting up our new chapter here the other day sir, G-Gunners showed up this afternoon, demanded Miss Latte send us away and surrender the town.... When she refused, they came back with that... that thing! Thank Celestia you're here General! C-Can you really do something about that monster?!" The Minutemare private jabbered back, his eyes wide on taking in his friend's horrible wounds and a quaver in his voice.

I was drawing the tank's attention down on them just by being here... I hurriedly dug through my packs for more rolls of magical bandages to wrap her in, she needed real care, soon.... I needed to get away from them too, before the Gunners decided to send another shell in after us. Not to mention that growing growl of 'Be Dark...' was all the way awake, I couldn't do anything about Grandpa Fin, but these Gunners were right in front of me to give that voice an outlet, one it was more than happy to settle for on seeing the pool of blood under this brave mare.

"Let's find out... As soon as your friend is safe, is there a medic in your platoon? Somewhere to take her?"

Given something immediate and concrete to latch onto, the buck mastered his fear and nodded sharply, pointing a hoof back towards the walls of Jamocha Plains. "In town! T-The mayor here, or whatever she's called, she's managing the defense. Our medic is working with the local doctor out of their clinic!"

Doctor Creme... Jade's newest Follower of the Apocalypse was getting her first real workout as part of the group of healers. I nodded back with a grimace and jabbed a vial of Med-X in the wounded mare's flank, thankful she drifted off to unconsciousness as I floated her up and to my back, flaring my wings and looking up to the shattered ceiling.

"Ok, I'll get her there, don't worry! Then we'll do something about that fucking tank, somehow... Just hang on private, the cavalry's here!"

Jeez, this filly seemed even younger than me, but she was a lot heavier and totally covered my back, forcing me to keep the dim glow of telekinesis around her prone form (Be Strong!). I could carry Glitter around fairly easily now, but a grown pony was waaaay too much for me. Luckily it was a short flight, one I needed to make as quickly as possible though, the glowing blue field of magic would make us a better target...

I crouched and tensed my legs, sending a prayer to the goddesses before leaping straight up with every bit of earth pony strength my limbs could provide, assisted by hard flaps from my wings that sent us rocketing up and out. Movement from the corner of my eye once I cleared the ruins was barely enough warning to spin in the air, putting my back and the mare riding there away from the steel grey griffon diving at me.

The chatter of his light machinegun sent several rounds into my chest, making me shudder in the air and suck in a burning breath as I flapped harder. My magical armor slowed most of the rounds from this distance, but a couple down my ribs got through and the rest still felt like half a dozen high speed bucks to the chest.

The Gunner griffon's sneer as he loomed closer and aimed again was stopped by a glowing purple arrow of magic lancing out from above, skewering through his wing and the green combat armor beneath. The bright violet ball of an alicorn shield followed behind and slammed into him like a freight train, the brave mare producing it screaming like a banshee as she drove off the attacker.

A lot of fire from the ground based Gunners rising up to focus on me was forcing me to juke and dive my way towards the walls, they were so concentrated on claiming my bounty, they were abandoning their cover to take potshots. The more military minded among them were smarter, screeching at their comrades for their stupidity as the Minutemares responded and fired on the exposed attackers.

A firecracker series of Val's explosions joined in behind me, my faithful bodyguard making a diving bombing run on the target rich ruins before the Gunners could take cover again. She looped around me with a snort and sent a rain of red M.E.W. bolts down as she flapped in place nearby, trying to draw attention to herself and away from me. "Move yer ass baby bird! It's just one filly, see I gots ta step up yer trainin' boss!"

I should be concerned at how much fun she appeared to be having, or the wounded mare in need of medical care she pointed at on my back, or the dangerous battle still raging around us, but really... her mention of more flight training was scarier than anything else at the moment...

With enough altitude to clear the walls of Jamocha Plains, I let gravity take over and dove over the barrier. Down, down was muuuuch easier. Still keeping my magical grip on the Minutemare filly, I swooped over the town's central park, now a focus of activity with town guards, caravaners and Minutemares racing back and forth, carrying ammo and medicine to the town's defenders, at the direction of a single mare shouting out with the aid of the voice amplification spell.

She looked up in time to follow my crash to the front of the local Helpinghoof Quik-Care, stumbling as I skidded to a halt and still managed to smash into the wall by the door, but I did at least keep my passenger from getting any more banged up.

"MEDIC! Help!!" I shouted as I shook off the tiny alicorns spinning around my rattled head, sitting on the cracked sidewalk to let my passenger slide off gently as a harried Dr. Creme and a Minutemare medic galloped up.

They took charge of the wounded mare smoothly, floating her off towards the overcrowded clinic and already administering treatment. I watched her go anxiously, wishing Jade was here to help, or that I could do something more useful than blowing things up. Though at the moment that was an important skillset too, one I was about to employ...

As I turned and spread my wings to go back to the chaos outside, I was stopped short by the mare in charge rushing up with a manic shout. "Mr Times! Thank Celestia! You said you'd have our backs, but I didn't think I'd get the personal touch! A good thing too, we're in this together partner, glad to see you holding up your end of the deal! I don't think my old customers are very happy with me!"

Even wearing battered grey combat armor and an old Equestrian Army helmet a couple sizes too big over her bedraggled two tone mane, sweaty and covered in dirt, blood and bandages, with a beautiful silver and pearl handled 9mm holstered at her flank, Cocoa Latte still managed to look stunning in the middle of a warzone. How could a mare radiating command and idly directing the frightened looking residents of her town, somehow manage to maintain her aura of sex appeal every time she looked back at me with those warm brown eyes?

"H-Hi Cocoa! Sorry for all this, what happened?!"

"The Gunners didn't like my new guards, tried to tell me how to run my town. I told them nopony tells us what we can and can't do. They came back to say they could with their ugly tank thing out there. Any way you can do something about that thing cutie?" Sweet Celestia, she didn't even flinch when said tank boomed again, a gout of flame visible even over the top of the junk walls as another part of the landscape was blown to tinders, while she simply fluttered her eyelashes like she was asking for a box of chocolates.

"I'll er.. f-figure out something! Don't worry, I promised we're allies and we'd protect your town, I meant it! I just gotta think of-"

My unsure agreement was drowned out by an amplified voice shouted out above in the lull that followed the latest cannon blast, drawing my eyes skyward to the walls of Jamocha Plains and the dark armored pegasus sedately flapping above the gates. "By order of the Brotherhood of Friendship, you Gunners cease and desist this attack immediately! You are interfering with a Brotherhood asset, any further aggression will be met by the full power of the Brotherhood raining down on you!"

Lt. Dawn? She was just hovering there, bold as day, her power armor helmet blaring out her commanding tone to be answered by a tinny, static filled response from the tank's own PA system. "Fuck off Brotherhood! This is Gunner territory and that little bastard is ours! Don't see no other power armored assholes to back you up neither bitch, get going or get dead..."

I flew up to the wall under Dawn in a rush, leaving Cocoa to gallop after me and climb the steps below to join me, while I drew the Last Minute and charged it to full power with a high pitched whine, taking aim at the tank pausing in its advance. Far above, Val had joined the purple alicorn above in an aerial dogfight with the Gunner griffons , leaving Lt. Dawn run of the sky above the tank, where she glared down and shouted back.

"I am a representative of the Brotherhood of Friendship, attacking me is no different than attacking the full might of the Brotherhood! I need that annoying bastard alive, unless you're willing to bring a world of hurt down on yourselves, I'd back off and leave now!" Dawn snorted back, she couldn't believe they'd actually listen... but she was effectively buying time.

"Oh my! Such interesting guests you bring to my town Fast! First alicorns and now Brotherhood ponies! You er... don't happen to have more of them hiding out there somewhere to back up her big brass lady balls, do you?" Cocoa panted as she made it up to the walkway at the top of the walls, peeking over the barrier and tilting her oversized helmet up to peer up to Dawn overhead.

I wished Lt. Dawn did have her full compliment of troops with her, even without them though, she drew the tank commander out... the cupola atop the turret opened with a squeal and a smirking cyan stallion poked his head out, hoofing the broadcast button on the mic in his hooves and sneering back. "There's only one of you and lots of us cunt, can't exactly report to yer pals if you die here and now. Kill em all boys! Make sure that bitch doesn't get back and..."

That was enough... Lt. Dawn had taken the time to try to end this peacefully, putting herself in danger and now making herself a big target. Jade would approve... at the least, that filled my Princess' desire to always give even the most rotten ponies a chance, now I was free to do what I wanted...

I took great satisfaction at the flat crack of the Last Minute blowing the tank commander's head off, he made a small target peeking out of the turret, but Dawn gave me plenty of time to prop the gauss rifle up in the window and line up the shot.

The armored vehicle lurched as the crew still inside panicked, the cannon spinning towards my firing position and firing wild with another roaring blast. If the shot hadn't been so rushed, we would have been splattered instantly, as it was the southern gates of Jamocha Plains became more a suggestion of a gate. One scrapmetal door was lost completely in the explosion, the other blasted in and windmilling through the weedy park, decapitating one unlucky wastelander when it landed with a quivering thunk into the ground.

I had a stomach churning view of the poor victim of chance, flapping hard at the blast of the cannon and wrapping my forelegs around Cocoa, the shockwave of hot air propelled my inexpert course forward faster than I could keep up. The scorching gust pushed my wings forward and dragged me and the screaming mare along for the ride, the most I could do was wrap myself around Cocoa and take the brunt of the crash, relying on lots of experience when it came to crash landings.

A rain of hot shards of metal pinged of the large chunk of corrugated steel that landed on top of us when we came to a rolling stop, making me not mind have to grunt and shove my way back to my hooves with it on my back, the twisted steel groaning as I managed to stand somewhat straight and tremble in place, looking over a stunned looking Cocoa under me.

"Y-You... ok?" I strained out through gritted teeth, relieved to see those almond eyes stop spinning and widen in surprise.

She looked a little flushed and bruised, but not bleeding significantly from anywhere and lucid enough, gulping as she nodded back and crawled her way clear. "F-Fine! Thanks partner, I owe you one! M-Mighty fine heroics there Shrouded Stallion! So... about that tank...."

Giving a hard buck let me dislodge the chunk of steel over me and scamper out before it fell with a crash, shaking off the dizzying dive as I dusted off my hat and set it back to its proper angle, nodding back to her. "Yeah... let me get to work and fill that little request of yours. One dead tank, coming up..."

I felt steady enough to stretch my wings and leave her to help her people recover, soaring straight up and trying not to linger on the damage caused by just that one shot. The image of that poor stallion losing his head kept replaying in my mind, not even in the line of fire, just too close to a weapon of mass destruction. Collateral damage...

Being anywhere near that cannon firing was too dangerous, even clumsily flying out into the open and tempting the lighter weaponry was preferable to letting it blow more holes through the town's walls. Vengeance and Best Served joined the Terrible Shotgun as I flapped my way out and drew the spinning turret away from Jamocha Plains, diving and spinning through the Gunner's breaking cover to shoot at the tempting target and grateful for the Minutemares popping up to cover me.

The Shroud's voice boomed out on my weaving course, trying to rally the Minutemares and draw the Gunners attention on their own lines and away from them and the town beyond.

"THOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THE BROTHERHOOD MARE! YOU REFUSE LUNA'S MERCY! NOW SUFFER HER WRATH! JAMOCHA PLAINS IS UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE SHROUDED STALLION EVILDOERS, THE BROTHERHOOD IS THE LEAST OF YOUR WORRIES NOW!"

I only somewhat crashed into a set of sunken steps leading down to the flooded subway lines down the street, plowing into a trio of surprised Gunners and lashing out with Best Served in close quarters, slicing the overly long horn off a dirty grey unicorn, before Vengeance bucked him in the chest and sent him down to the brackish water at the bottom of the stairs.

A pair of metal apples clunked down the stairs at my hooves, forcing me to flap up and out in a rush to a lot of waiting fire already zeroed in on the bit of cover. The wide spread of a combat shotgun peppered my wing with buckshot from a Gunner that had been behind a rusting mailbox nearby, sending me flopping back to the ground and completely exposed in the middle of the street.

Before I could try running for it, accepting I was going to take a lot of damage in the attempt, a bright purple flash appeared and a glowing violet shield surrounded me, protecting me from the barrage of fire that was quickly left behind by the expert beating of powerful wings dragging me away.

"You are alright Fast!? That was close! I don't like fighting down here like this!" A familiar voice yelled as I was floated to a broad lilac alicorn back, the purple alicorn who had been helping defend the town when we arrived... A green tinted healing potion was shoved in my sputtering muzzle as I fought with the long pink mane whipping in my face and goggled at my savior.

"S-Swan!? Is that you!? Y-You're so... so...."

"Tiny... I know... don't remind me! It's your fault Fast! Hurry and drink!" A non gigantic Swan pouted back at me as she dove through the lances of M.E.W. beams and glowing tracers trying to catch her agile flight, her rich blue-violet eyes worried and annoyed.

I wouldn't call her 'tiny' by any means... A normal sized alicorn was still plenty big, but she wasn't huge for once. If it weren't for the situation I'd take more time to really marvel at the novelty actually. I'd never seen Swan normal sized, even bearing wounds that marred her white and pink Alicorn Angel costume she was still wearing with blood, the strange mare was stunning and much more approachable when she wasn't the size of a small building.

Of course I wouldn't mind her being in her normal state at the moment, a giant Swan would make short work of this attack, or at least take on the tank on equal terms. Before I could catch up or ask anything, the 'fwoosh' of a missile coming our way made her flap hard and bank sharply, diving towards a clump of red sheltering in the ruins until I heard another 'fwoosh' behind us.

Her ears flicked on hearing the second missile like she was waiting for it, then the world lurched in a bright flash of light and we were suddenly somewhere else, close enough to see the missile she left behind impact the wreckage of an old newsstand and blow it and the Gunners within to smithereens.

With my wing mending under the potions effects, I flexed it experimentally and pulled away from Swan's back slightly, still stuck inside the shell of her shield as she soared low to the ground and sent glowing magical arrows out to any threat. Swan's acrobatic maneuvers forced me to cling to her neck and shout over all the noise, pointing a hoof past her cheek and towards the tank trying to track her progress.

"Swan! Get me under that thing if you can! I think I can fit! Have to disable it!!"

The warrior filly gave an unsure whinny at my request, but did pirouette in the air and spin back to the tank, doing a barrel roll over the line of heavy machinegun rounds tracing their way after us. Before I had time to ask, there was another purple flash and I was suddenly in the mud directly in front of the tank's plodding progress, throwing myself to the muck of what had been a small yard and crawling into the dark gap between the treads chewing up the landscape.

There had to be an access panel, escape hatch... things I could take apart to slow this thing down somewhere! I'd never had the opportunity to mess with much military hardware, but certain design principles were shared across the board right?

My tools floated out and lit the darkness of the cramped space, full of clanking, grinding noise and thick smells of grease and steel. Anything and everything I could spot in the dim blue glow was disassembled, hydraulic lines spewed foul smelling fluid that stained my coat, control linkages were torn out and left to grind against themselves, as much damage as I could inflict by making like a gremlin under the huge machine. I had taught the Tinker-Tribe plenty about fixing things, but they had taught me lots about breaking in return.

The tank sputtered and started making some very unhealthy noises, enough for the Gunner crew remaining to figure out they had a problem as it ground to a halt. Suddenly the space I was in brightened somewhat, lit by an escape hatch from the cabin opening up and a large automatic pistol poking out in the grip of an upside down, sweaty brown Gunner glaring all around for the saboteur.

I had no room to move and no time, rolling against the frozen treads on the right as his angry glare found me and the pistol crashed in the echoing space, stinging my ears as I pushed against the treads with my hooves and slid towards the hatch. A previously occupied screwdriver zipped away from the panel it was in the process of opening and darted right at his face, sinking all the way up to the handle into his furious eye.

Screeching and flailing back into the cabin, the wounded Gunner gave me room to take up his vacated space and lunge after him. I couldn't really hear what was going on beyond the cacophony of the tank, it was even louder on the inside! I had to hope the others were fine and focus on removing this threat though, pushing with my wings to tackle the driver wildly bucking around his cramped pilots compartment.

Blood was pouring down his face, the coppery smell filling my nostrils as I slammed him against a jagged wall of gauges and levers. A smell that dark Shroud savored as my fangs sprang out, giving me a weapon to use so close to the struggling buck that it happily employed. Going for his throat splashed the small space with blood, his torn jugular fountaining up through the gap leading to a shocked mare in what I had to guess was the Gunner's seat, judging by the scope she had been peering through before being in the splash zone of her friend's blood tore her attention away.

The scarred orange unicorn mare had a momentary look of horror, looking down to the driver's seat and finding an abattoir. Her terrified eyes met mine burning back at her for an instant, then she started scrambling out of her seat and up, shoving at the dangling legs of the tank's commander still hanging out of the cupola.

Vengeance snapped up before she could get far, the roar of the heavy revolver ringing off the thick steel walls of the tank and laying my ears back. Enhanced hearing wasn't always a blessing... that was the last nearby red dash so I had a second to hold my deafened ears and try to shake off the high pitched whine filling them.

Panting as I staggered and crawled my way back out and under the dead tank, I stuck my head out from the front and had to duck right back under it again, pinned under a lot of gunfire that had figured out where I was and wasn't willing to let me get airborne again. The Minutemare defenders were rallying and forming better lines not far away, but the Gunners were only trying to hold them off, focusing much more firepower my way.

Carefully leaning out with the Last Minute to take what shots I could manage, I spotted Val making diving runs at the Gunners swarming around the tank, the Gunner griffon on her tail blasted from his pursuit by Swan and Lt. Dawn swooping in from the sides, the griffon, pegasus and alicorn combatants all working together to take him out of the picture.

A hulking earth pony wearing a missile launcher / grenade launcher battlesaddle sprang up as I winged one of his comrades nearby with a blurring 2mm slug through the flank. I gulped and tried to scramble to the back of the tank on taking in the grenade launcher coming to bear on me, lobbing explosives under here with me would turn me to hamburger in an instant, and he looked to know his business.

The arc of the explosive rounds was surprisingly stopped by a brightly glowing green field surrounding the tank, bouncing off harmlessly and exploding against the barrier with barely a flicker. My rush of relief was at war with the idea of Ivy putting herself in danger to save me again, until an unfamiliar goddess voice tolled out above my hiding spot...

"ENOUGH! YOU WILL NOT HARM THE MALE!"

Shit...

I wasn't used to being rescued and coddled... no wonder Jade and Ivy were getting tired of my overprotective behavior, I'd have to remember to apologize to them again...

The big hero of the Commonwealth, the Shrouded Stallion... and here I sat safely in the shadow of the disabled tank, watching through the brilliant green glow of my companion's strongest shield as her sisters proceeded to mop up the remaining Gunners with Val, Swan, Lt. Dawn and the Minutemares.

A full wing of Jade's sisters had shown up, whether brought here by Swan or just on their own I couldn't tell, they were a bit too busy to do anything other than psychically coo and assuage my frustration at being locked up, while they joined the Minutemares and us in defending Jamocha Plains.

My only company inside my cell was the strange green alicorn providing it. She was sitting perfectly still atop the tank's turret, her yellow and teal mane tied in a loose braid spilling over her shoulder and down her simple yellow sundress, completely impervious to any of my attempts to wake her from her meditative state to lower the glowing, angular shield surrounding the tank. The most I had gotten from my alicorn jailor was a short, unity made introduction of 'Fern' and apologetic warnings to stay put.

Even Val angrily throwing herself against the shield that kept me sealed off once things calmed down made no difference, forcing me to try to calm her down from this side. At least she had pockets of Gunners to take her frustrations out on, but she kept returning and kicking at the shield angrily.

Not that I didn't feel the same way initially, for awhile I had raged and fumed, blasted the shield with lightning and bucked at it uselessly, paced back and forth like a caged dragon, screamed in the face of the green making it nearby and slapped her serene face repeatedly. All of it was useless, but that dark Shroud in my head grew almost panicked at being locked up, a steady refrain of 'LET ME OUT' beating behind my burning eyes. Eventually though, the fighting outside tapered off and I was forced to just accept my companion and her sisters weren't going to let me go any time soon.

Lt. Dawn eventually landed outside while I was pouting at the barrier, releasing her helmet with a smirk and tossing her sweaty mane as she paced around it. "You're in quite the pickle there, aren't you Mr. Times? I'm not sure whether to be happy watching you squirm, or annoyed you managed to drag me into your problems already... Where in the world did these Gunners get a working tank? Our intel didn't suggest this level of military hardware."

Poking at the flickering wall between us, I sighed and shrugged back. "Where does most of the tech still functioning in the Commonwealth come from? I haven't checked it over yet, but I'd guess the Institute... (Grandpa...) of course I am kinda obsessed so take that with a grain of salt. Er... thanks for helping Dawn, you were really brave and awesome back there. Jade would have been proud of the way you tried to stop the fighting peacefully."

Telling when a red mare was blushing was hard, but a bit of pink lit her cheeks as she stuck her nose up proudly. "Yeah well... worked about as well as most of her 'let's all get along' nonsense didn't it? Not like I was doing it because I actually believed in it either, just trying to get the hell out of here and back on mission. Speaking of which... getting taken prisoner by a bunch of sex crazed fillies is going to put a damper on you filling your end of the deal, do I need to break you out of there?"

I looked back to my statuesque jailor sitting crosslegged atop the tank with a sigh, scratching my mane and giving a shrug. "I'll er... figure something out. You helped plenty already and need to go make your report right, you have my list of junk?"

After fishing out the dirty sheet of paper taken from the MoP offices, Dawn puzzled over it again and nodded. "Not that I can pronounce or even know what half this crap is, but yeah... You know, you could just tell me how you plan on getting into the MoWT, then you'd be free to go rut yourself silly with your new friends."

"Nice try Dawn. Go on, report back to Macson and offer my terms. Having the data you wanted to hoof over ought to make him willing to give us another try anyway. Take the list to Scribe Wind, she'll know what to do with it and I'd like seeing her again. I'll see you back there in a couple days, er... if I'm not there, I guess you know where to find me..."

The Brotherhood mare gave a snort of laughter and slid her helmet back down, fluttering up overhead and looking around the ruins and all the dead Gunners. "Right then, off to explain how I lost almost my entire squad, lost another Ministry Hub, entered negotiations with a crazy male alicorn and ended up drawing us closer into open conflict with this army of wasteland rabble... Still, I'm glad we could help here, if these Gunners are working with the Institute and got this tank from them, try to find proof Fast. I don't think my superiors would be able to ignore them if they knew that. See you soon!"

I watched her rocket off into the night through the shield keeping me safe and locked up, heading east towards the sea and the Brotherhood's Prydwen on the horizon. Following her progress as she diminished to a speck, I turned to see Ivy descend into Jamocha Plains itself now that it was safe, our sky bus drifting down beyond the walls and her anxious thoughts trying to reassure me. (Hold on Fast! Glitter and I are safe inside now, Miss Latte is here as well, let me talk to her a moment and we'll try to come up with a way to get my sisters to let you go.)

(Ok Ivy, just stay safe, I'm fine for now. Er... try to get them to let me out already though... E.F.S. doesn't show much of anything now, they don't have to keep me shielded like this...)

Ivy's mischievous giggle replied in my head, picking up on my earlier thought and relishing the irony. (Now you know how we feel hmm? Having somepony worry and want to protect you can be nice, but too much can be a bit smothering, can't it?)

(Har, har, har... I get it, I'm sorry... I'll try to do better, just get them to let me go...)

Left with nothing else to do but stew and obsess about my Grandpa, who I still really didn't want to think about, I turned to the only other things inside the shield with me, the tank and the dead Gunners inside. The tank crew didn't have a lot of gear to pick over, they weren't loaded for bear to go out and fight themselves, just sidearms and such that would fit in the cramped tank.

The vehicle itself was more interesting, enough so for me to become absorbed taking it apart and going over everything, following Lt. Dawn's advice and looking for proof of what I suspected. At least the calm, meditative state I reached tinkering helped me push aside thoughts of Grandpa ...Mobius, though I did briefly worry he got the same way while coming up with his insane inventions and gadgets.

It was mostly prewar Equestrian Army, but a good portion of it looked quite a bit newer. Like they had found a partial prewar tank somewhere, then fixed or finished putting it together with new parts. Tearing enough of it apart eventually revealed what I expected, the panel on the fancy targeting system control console bore the spread eagle pony emblem of the Institute...

That made power armor (with psychic shielding no less) and now tanks that the Institute was providing the Gunners for some reason. Somewhere within Gunner territory, they had a link to the Institute and somewhere to build or ship this stuff to them. Giving me another reason to take the fight to the Gunners and invade their little empire. There had to be a teleporter out there somewhere that led to the Institute, that led to ...Grandpa...

Before I had a chance to start obsessing about 'Dr. Mobius' again, a soft, husky voice spoke overhead, making me bang my head against the cramped console I had it stuck in. "It is safe now male... It is too small in there, quit playing with that junky tank thing and come out where we can see you..."

Rubbing my head where I had bashed it, I wriggled back out of the open panel and looked up into the bright blue-green eyes of the green alicorn that had been sitting on top of the tank. Now she was awake again, sticking her head down into the open cupola and clearly unable to squeeze her way in any further, despite her obvious attempts to do so. The heart shaped sparkles in her eyes made me wary about going out where she could reach, so I stayed put and stared back nervously.

"It's Fast, not 'male'... and you're Fern right? Er... thanks for your help, I'm sure the ponies of Jamocha Plains want to thank you too, I can leave now right? How about we go talk to them and see?"

The green mare got a wide, ...hungry... smile at her name, bobbing her head rapidly and unsticking herself from where she was wedged in the hatch, cooing and waving me out with a hoof as she spoke in my head. (It's true! You can hear us as well! How wonderful! Yes, please come out umm... Fast, come out and we will ...talk...)

That mental evasiveness just made me more cautious, despite her welcoming attitude and wave to the clear skies outside. I couldn't stay in the tank forever though, I had to get back out to Ivy and Glitter, not to mention get away... I was glad this trio of alicorns had saved the day, but I had been purposefully avoiding running into their patrols seeking me out for a reason.

Moving slowly, I climbed back out the top of the tank, eyeing Fern suspiciously as she fluttered back and gave me space, continuing to coo and draw me out with a come hither look in her eyes. I paused halfway out of the hatch, blinking around at the battlefield and all the ponies on it.

Ivy, Glitter and Val were nearby, the griffon thankfully guarding the pregnant mare and foal since she couldn't reach me. She looked pretty pissed though, a very sour look on her face as she rushed my way, now that the barrier was gone and I was out.

"Boss! 'Bout time! Been bitchin at these goofy mares ta let ya out, seriously pissin' me off! I'm the bodyguard dammit, don't need their fancy shields buttin' in!" Val squawked and shoved her way forward, pouncing up to the tank's turret and yanking me out.

She got here through simply bulldozing her way as usual, Ivy and Glitter however were held back by a tense argument going on between us. The normal sized Swan was face to face with another purple alicorn, this one with a spiky red-orange mane and wearing an old red buckball jersey stretched to its limits. Beside her was a blue sister, her long, deep purple and cobalt blue mane was curled and styled, only a little mussed from the combat somehow and complimented by her flowing, sparkly purple gown.

Surprisingly, Fern let Val lead me towards the others, though she stayed right on my heels and had that dreamy, lovestruck look on her face the whole time. I tried putting a little distance between us, stretching my strides out in a slow creep, then leaping to the air and flapping for all I was worth to run for it. I was brought up short however, yanked back by my tail and flopping back to the ground, weakly grinning back at the green mare blinking back sleepily, with my grey tail held tight in her mouth.

"S-Sorry... er.. just wanted to stretch my wings a bit... yeeeah.."

Val grabbed my collar and put me back on my hooves with a huff, swatting at the soft smile curling Fern's muzzle to release my tail. "Go on, leggo ya goofy mare! Nice try boss... don't think it's gonna be that easy though."

A mouthful of me just made those lidded eyes staring back sparkle more... Whether just excitement over catching me, or because of how furiously my mane was itching as soon as I was exposed to three new alicorns, the result was the same... Even the one arguing with Swan paused in their back and forth as her nostrils flared at our approach, this wasn't going to be good...

Swan gave a little shake of her head too, but was distracted by Glitter dashing under her long legs to finally get by and tackle me, that and angry.... very angry. "But I said not to follow me! It's my turn, I can take a vacation if I want! This isn't fair Tiger!"

By the way she shoved forward and made the other purple mare take a step back, I was glad Swan was the same height as this Tiger, under normal circumstances I'd expect her to just kick her opposite aside with one sweep of her hoof. The tail end of the argument didn't bode well, Ivy's concerned look as she leaned down to whisper to Cocoa didn't look good either...

"Daddy, that thing was scary! It was all Ka-Boom!! all over the place! What is it huh? How'd you beat it up!? I knew you would, so I totally wasn't worried! M-Mostly... I'm really glad mommy's sisters saved the day though huh! These aunts were really brave an' cool! Thank you!" Glitter didn't have anything to be nervous about, a bright smile completely innocent and grateful looking back to the two not currently in a shoving match.

Following Glitter's example for what was acceptable behavior, the elegant blue moved to join Fern, both sniffing and nuzzling closer from either side at my daughter's unthinking invitation. If the foal was allowed to happily hug and jabber about her view of the battle while nuzzling for reassurance, then Fern and now the blue (Nocturne...) seemed to think that was ok too.

While this could be considered pretty pleasant and already had my wings springing up to their delighted inspection, they were still two strange mares who were getting awful friendly, crowding into my personal space with my daughter and smothering me with affection.

At least they were staying in control and liked their niece, answering between the long sniffs at my mane and carefully checking for wounds. Fern puffed up proudly and fluffed her wings with a whinny, grinning back to Glitter. "You're very welcome little niece! We've gotten to like helping ponies, I'm glad we were here to lend a hoof here! Did you really think we're cool?"

"Oh yes, please do tell darling! Were we stylish and dashing? We've been practicing our heroic rescues. Fern can show you our exploits as good and kind mares, sure to impress Fasty-wasty!" Nocturne's sparkling silver eyes fluttered down at me while she addressed the foal, her attire and style going along with the cultured voice to remind me of Ministry Mare Rarity, this was a blue who clearly liked the taboo on wearing clothes being lifted.

Tiger had to be in charge, she tracked her two sisters and her stare hung on me tensed up between the two big mares looming overhead. Her long horn immediately lit up and a long length of rope snaked out of her saddlebags, slithering towards me like a snake. Pinned as I was under Glitter and between Fern and Nocturne, I didn't have much chance to do anything but squeak as the rope twined around my hooves and wings, zipping around rapidly and expertly hogtying me.

"Hey!"

"What are you two doing!? You heard Umbra, he's slippery! Probably just looking for the chance to disappear again!" Tiger snorted and tried yanking me to her side, stopped by her own sisters grabbing hold tightly and whining back.

"Tigerlily! We could at least ask him first, no reason to get so pushy right off the bat!" Fern held me down from floating away in the field of purple magic and gasped at their leader's rough treatment.

"Really dear, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar! I'm soooo sorry Fast, we are on a bit of a mission though... Umbra was very insistent we bring you back, try not to think too poorly of us." Nocturne apologized as I struggled against my bonds, gently pushing Glitter's mouth reaching for the knots aside.

"You two spend too much time down in your jobs in Unityville and Goodneighbor being nice! He's not gonna agree, we had to hunt him down because he keeps running away, you really think you can flirt and get him to change his mind? We're taking him back to the tower, then you can play around with him all you like. Now let's get go-" Tigerlily trying to bark down their complaints and take charge was working fairly well, right up until the click of a big pistol by her ear forced her to pause and dart her eyes over to the griffon holding it.

Val did not look happy, at all... Of course the purple alicorn tying me up and announcing her intention to ponynap me probably had something to do with that. "That's enough o' that then missy, let the boss go, right now..."

Much as I appreciated my single minded mercenary not caring who threatened me or in what way, I couldn't let her even give the impression violence was an acceptable answer here. They didn't want to hurt me, and I didn't want them getting hurt either, leaving us at a bit of an impasse. "Val, put it down, we're not fighting Jade's sisters, especially when they just helped us out here."

"But boo-ooss! I ain't lettin' em take ya away! Bad enough they locked ya up here just when it was gettin' good!" Val squawked back in frustration, but did reluctantly lower her weapon.

"We're taking him back to Umbra right now you two, worry about being nice to him where we can keep him properly safe and let others deal with these Gunner assholes. They were very focused on hurting the male specifically, which is not gonna fly. We're gonna report on them to Umbra and see about destroying them for you Fast, your griffon can amuse herself telling us how to do that. This battle just proves it is too dangerous to let the male wander around on his own with such ...insufficient protection..." Tiger tugged me away from her pouting sisters and spread her wings, brought up short from her attempted takeoff again when Val scowled at her dangerous insult to her bodyguarding skills, winding a dark claw in the ropes binding me and pulling me back down from her telekinetic grip.

"What was that bitch? Must'a had somethin' in my ears honey, I'm sure ya didn't say I ain't a good enough bodyguard..." Val had a silkily dangerous edge to her voice, forcing herself to holster her pistol, but clenching her free claw repeatedly as she joined Swan shoving up against the bossy mare.

"Val..."

"Shaddup boss, ain't shootin' her am I? This is a matter o' griffon honor, stay outta it. So, I misheard, riiiiight?" Val dismissed my worried voice completely, sneering up at the tall alicorn huffing down her nose at her.

"Yes, you did. I didn't say you weren't a good bodyguard." I released a shakily held in breath at Tiger's initial answer, sucking it back in with a wince when she continued. "I said you were completely insufficient, I didn't see you actually guarding him at all. Any griffon that'd let the precious male throw himself at a tank has no claim to the title of bodyguard."

Ooooooooo.... If I weren't completely bound, I'd try throwing myself at Val and hope that'd be enough to stop her from trying to beat the smirking Tiger to a pulp, the miniature balefire bombs going off behind her violet eyes promised nothing good as she opened her beak and balled her claw into a fist, yanking me out of the field of Tiger's magic and shoving me back to Glitter with an angry snort.

Swan wasn't helping either... stamping a hoof by Val's side and grumbling back. "You're being mean and messing with my vacation Tiger! It's my turn and you snuck around to try cheating me! You're not taking Fast... I'm really sorry Fast! I told them not to follow me!"

"How did they know where you were going Swan?" I replied to the worried purple mare, trying to turn the tense conversation before Val blew her top. I had hoped she'd be able to slip off quietly without alerting Umbra to what she was up to. Sort of silly in retrospect to expect a giant alicorn to just sneak off... but she had proven surprisingly stealthy when she wanted to be.

"Oh, I told Umbra I was going to play with you and that I needed a vacation! I told her I'd be back soon though! I made her promise not to follow too!" Swan's cheery answer made me groan and wish my hoof was free to smack my forehead... She told Umbra she was going to see me, and expected her not to send her sisters out to follow her...

Tiger snorted and shoved back at Swan's out thrust chest, jabbing her with her hoof and pointing back at me. "You were fine with him being selfish, just because he agreed to mate with you! What about the rest of us! He could have been killed out here, playing around and only agreeing to do his duty one mare at a time! We don't even know if it'll work because of how stupid you're both being, we're taking him back and you can wait like everypony else! You can't push us around and get your way right now Swan!"

This was rapidly going to hell, Fern and Nocturne crept forward and pulled me back to their waiting hooves with Glitter, just trying to stay out of the way and apologize for the leader of their wing over my struggles. Before they could really get going and this devolved into a full on brawl for all the Minutemares and Jamocha Plains defenders watching curiously to see, Cocoa Latte and Ivy seemed to finish their conversation and rushed up, interjecting themselves between the two sides that looked ready to get down in the mud.

Ivy took the right, raising her wings to block off Val and Swan's view of the mare that had pissed them both off as she spoke kindly. "Actually sister, I can confirm Fast is a viable male, I am already pregnant, just as the mother wished."

The jaw dropped stares from all three that turned on me at that made me wince, wiggling against the ropes holding me and really wishing I could just disappear entirely like Jade. It did at least wipe the angry look off Tiger's face, her mane swishing as she turned from Ivy to myself repeatedly.

Her sisters squealed in delight and pranced forward, looking a blushing Ivy up and down curiously and trying to find some sign to back up her claim. A bit of back and forth unity between them seemed to fill in the blanks and those bands of pink showed up in their irises as they turned lusty gazes my way, oh wonderful... good going Ivy...

(Hush... We want them less focused on taking you away, trust me.) Ivy nickered and thought at me silently, leaving me no choice but to do just that. Not that I didn't trust Ivy, I did, completely.

I just didn't trust her sisters...

Especially the way they were stalking forward with one thought on their minds, clear as a flashing neon sign on their foreheads...

'

While Tiger looked as stunned as the other two at the news, she at least shook it off and stamped a hoof, glaring at them each taking a cheek to nuzzle happily. "I-If this is true then Umbra must be told immediately! All the more reason to take him home and keep him safe, along with sister Ivy! A baby! We will finally fulfill the mother's dearest wish, if he can do it to one of us, he can to all of us! Let's go sisters!"

Her magic tugged at me in her sister's grip again, forced to peel Glitter away when she leapt to my lap and tried to weigh me down. Tiger was already flaring her wings to leave immediately, but her attempted takeoff was again stymied as Cocoa trotted right out in front of her, gently guiding Tiger back to her sisters with a friendly hoof and salespony's patter, while I was left bobbing along behind them. "Ladies! No reason to go rushing off or argue with each other! We've had enough fighting here tonight already, now we celebrate with our heroines! And there's ways to use all that energy that are soooo much more fun! Allow me to thank you three for your help, I'm an expert negotiator and veeeery grateful, let's see what we can do hmm?"

Tiger looked confused, allowing herself to be led away reluctantly and trying to keep up with the smooth mare at her side. "Er... no thanks are needed, we do like helping now. There's nothing to negotiate either, we're taking the male with us, thank you for your o-offer though."

Not far away and trying to move the opposite direction, Ivy was whispering to Swan and Val in a rush, waving for Glitter to stop trying to hop up to me floating over her and join them, her thoughts harried and apologetic as they reached out to me. (Hold on Fast, y-you probably won't like this, but just go along with it...)

I was a little worried by that when Cocoa continued smoothly, only adding to the cold sweat that sprang up on my coat. "Oh there's always something to negotiate! You're running off with my partner, so I even happen to know a thing or two and think I can help. Please, consider it my way of thanks and let me pitch you gals anyway? I understand you want Fast for something we're experts at here hmm? A little fun with a male of your kind?"

At my urging, Glitter trotted over to Ivy, giving an unsure look back to my frantic nods. By the sultry tone in Cocoa's voice and the way her warm magic was roving over Tiger being irresistibly drawn with her to her sisters, I didn't want the foal hearing any of this...

Tiger gave a wary nod of confirmation, a little shiver running up her spine at Cocoa's mastery of magical seduction already working on her. "Y-Yes... Not for fun though, for the survival of our species. We are to take him back and have him do the mating with our sisters..."

The sexy tan mare beamed and cantered around me like I was up on her auction block, nodding along with Tiger's cautious answer happily. "Oh my, but that does sound fun doesn't it? No reason the survival of your species can't be enjoyable too! You're making it sound so clinical and boring!"

Much to my embarassment, Ivy joined in at Cocoa's side, nodding and sending a lot of high speed bursts of telepathy to them that made all three of her sisters whinny as she continued audibly. "Miss Latte is correct, I felt the same as you initially, but all of Fast's whining about there being more to mating has turned out to have some merit. It can be veeeery enjoyable sisters..."

Cocoa picked up her musing while they were trying to absorb whatever Ivy had sent them, her horn brightening with her warm magic that coiled out and twined around Tiger's hooves as she spoke, probing and stroking wherever it touched. "Oh, but it sounds like there are a lot of you all wanting a ride hmm? Not that I blame you there, just between us girls, I've had my eye on this cute little stallion too and I know just how stubborn and selfish he is, so unfair! But if you take him back right away, will you get to go first since you found him?"

"O-Our leader... Umbra would decide... oh!" Tiger gasped as Cocoa's magic started working, I really had to ask her to teach that spell to Jade... Even the bossy alicorn looked weak in the knees and flushed after just a moment of exposure to Cocoa and her wiles along with Ivy backing her up telepathically. They were working together...

"Umbra would probably go first... Then choose who she wanted to go after..." Fern thought on her question and answered with a hint of disappointment, making me hopeful Cocoa was making progress, but really wondering where the hell she was going with this.

Piling on to the doubt I could feel nibbling at them, Ivy snorted in derision and agreed. "I know Umbra's thinking well enough sisters. She'd definitely go first, then she'd most likely start making lists of the most essential sisters to go next, stagger it out in stages so not too many of us would be incapacitated at one time. Perhaps you'd be part of the first group, if you're lucky I suppose. Though I doubt she'd allow nearly the time for fun I and sister Peri have enjoyed..."

Turning to the green and blue alicorns flanking me with a wounded gasp and hoof to her heart, Cocoa's magic spread out to them as well as she nodded along. "Just what I thought, that hardly seems fair does it? You ladies did all the work, swooped in and saved my town and him, you deserve a reward! As I said, we just so happen to be experts in just what you want too, while... no offense... but you three seem a little inexperienced. So how about this, stay here for the night and take him back in the morning. In the meantime I can personally teach you all about ....mating... so you get the most out of it! Consider it my personal show of thanks hmm?"

Despite my squeak and renewed struggles, Cocoa's expert spell casting spread out to include me too, her talented telekinesis groping her favorite bits and making me groan, along with the soft, shared moan of the other three alicorns. My mane suddenly felt like she had shoved a beehive under my hat and I noticed all three graduate up to radiating bands of pink in their irises above me.

"Cocoa! C-Cut it out! This isn't funn-" I yelped and quickly had a ponicured hoof pressed to my mouth, mumbling around it in a panic that even Ivy's psychic voice couldn't completely calm.

(Easy Fast! W-We have a plan... of sorts... Cocoa doesn't want to alienate our sisters by openly helping you, we can't run and we can't fight them. Trust Miss Latte and I, just go along with it.)

That was easier said than done with a fog of lust filling my brain and Cocoa's specialized arcane skills expertly playing my nerves like a violin. I could never tell when she was harmlessly flirting from when she was being serious, she was that good at her former role of a mare of the evening.

Of course it wasn't any easier with how convincing she sounded, leaning down and loosening my bonds enough for my wings to spring straight up stiffly, to the ooohs and ahs of the alicorns getting worked up around me. "See ladies? Seems a shame to rush off and waste the opportunity catching a fine stud like this presents doesn't it? I can teach you three soooo many wonderful things, make him happy and he won't want to run away! Have your green friend take a peek at what I'm offering, I promise, I have a wealth of experience to draw on..."

Fern's horn lit up at the invitation, the green alicorn taking a look in Cocoa's head and instantly swaying in place before her knees buckled. Whatever Cocoa put up front of her powerful mind, it overwhelmed Fern and quickly spread through unity to the other two, panting with matching pink blushes lighting their cheeks.

"W-We should listen to the nice mare sister... It won't hurt... why should we wait?" Nocturne moaned to Tigerlily, clearly willing to go along with whatever Cocoa said at this point.

Tiger had to be pretty strong willed, shifting in place on her hooves anxiously and trying to shake it off. "But... Umbra... We're supposed to take him back immediately. W-Why would we trust you little unicorn? You're partners with the male? Are you trying to trick us?"

I was worried whatever Cocoa had planned would falter at that, despite how overwhelmed Fern looked, she was still a living lie detector like Ivy after all. Either Cocoa was so slick she could successfully lie to a psychic, or she wasn't lying when she replied however. "Trick you? Oh no! As a matter of fact, I empathize with you, I'm business partners with him and he still won't enjoy a little roll in the hay with me. I'm a mare that's used to getting what she wants though, I told you I'd get you eventually, didn't I Fast?"

"Mrrrhmm nnn mmm!"

Tiger was smart enough to smell a trap, even as riled up as Ivy and Cocoa working in concert had managed to make them. She turned on Ivy suspiciously and arched an eyebrow at the green beauty whispering back to an agitated looking Val, Swan and Glitter. "You are telling the truth sister? You seem awful attached to this little male now... why would you give him up?"

Ivy didn't miss a beat, blinking back primly and holding a gentle hoof to her cream dress at her stomach. "Well, I've already gotten what I wanted haven't I? I was on my way to Goodneighbor anyway, Fast doesn't want me around anymore. It makes no difference to me if he mates with you three next instead of Swan. I just thought it a shame to not share the possibilities with him."

Ow... Even knowing and being reassured immediately that she was acting, that kind of hurt... Ivy pretending she got all she wanted and was done with me, that I was finished with her too... that stung... One closed eye cracked up from where she had her nose stuck up above me, looking down and softening at the sad look I could feel on my face and my drooping ears.

(I'm so sorry Fast, explaining love to them will take too long... but I love you. I want much more from you and we're not done with each other by any means. Pretend... go along with it and you'll have the opportunity to escape soon, I promise.) Her haughty, disinterested expression didn't change, but the rush of emotion transmitted psychically meant a lot more, helping me shake it off and nod back with a sniffle.

"Come along ladies, step into my parlor and let's see about celebrating your valiant victory here! I promise the best accomodations, a nice, big, comfy bed... lots of toys and accessories to play with, frilly things to try on, come see what I have to offer anyway, please. I promise you won't regret it, take him back after we've all had our fun hmm?" Cocoa stepped up and wiped away Tiger's furrowed brow as she debated. Her magic focused on me and brightened, grabbing the loose end of the rope to drag me across the muddy ground and cracked asphalt, leading the way back to Jamocha Plains.

I looked to Ivy and the others with a gulp, Glitter had to be held back in Ivy's hooves and watched with cockeyed confusion, whispering up to the tiny pair of eyes peeking out of her silver mane. Ivy was being kept busy tensely whispering back and forth to a very angry looking Val and Swan, but was holding them back and took the time to give me a firm, sure nod as they fell in behind us.

Tiger was just wary enough to ask one more question in a husky voice as we walked through the shattered gates of Jamocha Plains. "You would give your partner up to us? Teach us these mating things... give us lodging and help us? Let us take him back... i-in the morning? Why are you being so nice? If he's your partner, w-wouldn't you take his side?"

"We're business partners honey, and this is most definitely pleasure, not business. I'm being nice to be friends dear, to say thank you and hope to see more of you in my town, you certainly pulled our fat out of the fire by being in the neighborhood today! I think we can come to some arrangement everypony will be more than pleased with, especially Fast! Bucks are silly and usually don't know what's best for them anyway. He'll be so happy and worn out, you'll have no problems taking him home with you!" Cocoa smiled back, making me shudder at her proud look of anticipation.

Before that last shred of Tiger's doubt could rekindle, Cocoa's telekinetic grip focused and massaged a growing response she had been getting out of me. The unbidden, low, growling moan she elicited made my mane redouble its itching as my fangs sprang out in a leer.

The sound and smell was enough to overwhelm even Tiger's caution as I whimpered and got dragged onward, all three alicorns following with drooping ears and sleepy, lidded looks, made into alicorn bait that was passing through the main street of the battle scarred town in a strange parade that drew a lot of embarrassing looks, heading directly for an edifice of flickering neon.

The 'Starbucked' brothel...

I was somewhat surprised by the brisk trade going on in the local cathouse right after a pitched battle against the Gunners. Though on taking in the number of wounded and dirty Minutemares and guards celebrating, I understood better. Near death situations did lead to a lot of friskiness and 'happy to be alive' fooling around, the mares of Jamocha Plains looked to know all about that...

Quite a few of the relieved looking Minutemares ducked under tables or behind their escorts when they spotted the 'General' of their group in the pleasure house with them. Most of them peeked out curiously when they got a good look and saw I was bound and dragged through by the leader of Jamocha Plains, and followed closely by three large alicorns goggling at everything the business had to offer.

Ivy and the others were nowhere to be found in the huge former coffee shop, at least they were keeping Glitter away from all of ...this. The local Starbucked had been pretty damn big for a beanery, what I could puzzle out of the leftover prewar layout and decor made it seem like a small bookstore / hangout place, lots of tables were arrayed around the old counter, plenty of cushy seating that looked original ringed the room too.

Of course it all had a wasteland makeover, the complicated coffee machines behind the bar were rusty and dead, except for one impressive specimen still chugging along. Instead of coffee and hot cocoa, the pretty 'barista' now served harder drinks to rowdy, happy ponies, celebrating driving the Gunners off. Gorgeous fillies and a few handsome bucks in leather and lace danced on the tables or right in front of seated customers, wandered the crowd looking for lonely ponies seeking a bit of company and generally put themselves on display.

I noticed the beautifully dressed and primped Nocturne losing her focus at each new bit of lacy, frilly lingerie or black leather on display, stretching her long neck above the partially dressed crowd to get a better look here and there. Fern seemed much more interested in what was going on in the partitioned side rooms leading off from the central counter of the old coffee shop, now turned into the bar where all the 'getting to know you' drinks and price haggling was done.

Tigerlily stayed much more focused on her mission, her dark red eyes never leaving my own pouting back at her for more than an instant. Not affording me any opportunity to try escaping, even if I could, or wanted to.... which was becoming iffy rapidly.

I avoided places like this for a reason, heightened alicorn senses could pick up every variety of perfume, musk and heavenly female scent in here. My ears flicked at each passionate moan and grunt from the curtained rooms here on the ground floor for private dances, and the much louder ones coming from upstairs, where the sounds squeaky springs were coming from. Most distracting of all however, there was the hypnotic sway of Cocoa Latte's glorious rump right in front of me, leading the way merrily and looking back to her stunned guests.

"Like what you see girls? We cater to almost all types here, any of my fillies could give you personal lessons that would make boring old, mechanical 'mating' a whooooole lot more fun. And since I taught most of them everything they know, you're in good hoooves right?! So, getting any ideas? Can I interest you in any accessories or particular lessons?" Cocoa never dropped that silky, seductive tone, looking between them with warm and inviting brown eyes that kept flicking down to me mischievously.

"Oh those clothes are darling... Miss Saddles doesn't sell much like that... I-Is there anything that would fit? Do males like them too?" Nocturne stared at a petite, pale earth pony filly leading a Minutemare customer towards the stairs with a hoof under his chin. The blue alicorn pointed hopefully to the tiny web of black lace standing out starkly against her white coat, the curve of minuscule panties under her swishing orange tail leaving her crimson lip print cutie mark clear to see as she sashayed her way through the crowd.

"I'm sure we have a selection that will work in a pinch hon. That's the good thing about playing dress up like that, there's no such thing as too tight! Males definitely like it, just ask him, isn't that right Fast? You like?" Cocoa giggled and flipped her still battle tattered dress up, giving an even better view of her jiggling rear and the silky red undergarments down there, getting an immediate dumb nod back despite myself.

Nocturne seemed to like that, trotting forward to pose fetchingly and give an unsure look down where I was bound and sliding across the dirty tiled floor. "You would like such things on me? Would find it a-attractive? Want to mate?"

Whether I liked it or not, the image of the deep blue mare in that outfit sprang to mind and my wings twitched in response, my cheeks burning like I had stuffed them with hot coals like a chipmunk. "Y-You'd look really pretty, yes Nocturne... I'd still rather you let me go though..."

Taking in the goofy look plastered on my face, Cocoa loosed a tinkling laugh and called over the busy brothel floor as she continued. "See!? Drives them wild, trust me! Oh Foamy! Why don't you take my guest backstage, find something more comfortable for her to wear? Good girl!"

At her call, a younger yellow-orange unicorn cantered out from behind the bar, ducking under the dancer atop the surface's wild gyrations and running right over, leading Nocturne back the way she came. With her gone for the moment, Cocoa turned back to the remaining two and I had a glimmer of hope, maybe she really could get me out of here...

She caught Fern staring to a dim corner, watching a bandaged Minutemare filly getting a graceful, sensual private dance. The slender pink unicorn mare putting on the show was amazing, rubbing against her customer like a friendly cat, all warm flanks pressed against ever more exciting areas, long legs swinging and holding the delighted mare still in her seat, flips of the dancer's long red mane draped over her face, her tail swishing out and tickling her all over.

Flicking her gaze back to the show repeatedly, Fern stroked her own long, braided mane and looked down at herself anxiously, arching an interested eyebrow over to me and Cocoa in turn. "Dancing? I like dancing... is that kind like a mating display? Males respond?"

"Of course dear! They don't call it the horizontal mambo for nothing! Oh yes, you've got the legs for it too, if you like dancing you should give it a try, I'm sure our little friend here will ...respond... won't you Fast? Oh look, he already is just thinking about it!" Cocoa giggled again, leaning down to nip at my neck and point out my ahem.. growing shame.

Another commanding call over to the dancer as she finished up diverted Fern away as well, led off by the enthusiastic mare already showing her what kind of sway to put in her flanks as they trotted off. That left just me, Cocoa and Tigerlily slowly heading upstairs... and the purple mare didn't look like she'd go for any kind of diversion, the only thing that really seemed to have her interest was ...me.

Cresting the stairs and weaving down the busy hallway, Cocoa switched to a smooth, quick pace and tone, acting for all the world like a used chariot salespony sealing the deal. "Now you're a mare who's all business, I appreciate that Miss Tigerlily, so let's get right down to it. You can't really keep him tied up the whole time, well... you can, if you're into that kind of thing... but it's sure to be more fun if you let him loose. You don't want to be distracted keeping an eye on him the whole time though, so how about we lock him up in room #7. No windows, only one way in or out, plenty of room to give him a good workout and keep him tired. Take a look and see what you think!"

At her invitation, Tiger did poke her head in the offered room down the dirty hallway, warily walking in and looking all around for any escape route, but like me, finding none. Her careful inspection of the candles and soft drapes over the lights kept hanging at the huge bed too, walking by and shoving at the tired springs experimentally. She eyed it closely and spread her wings for a comparison, seeming pleased it could accommodate her full wingspan, as she looked back to me at the door and licked her lips.

"T-This will do. The other two can guard the door when they finish with their silliness, I will go first. Thank you for your hospitality Miss Latte. You... you will perform, won't you male?" Tiger tried a rough version of the pose Nocturne used to such great effect, not nearly as practiced or confident, but cute for her tomboyish uncertainty, enough so to get a reluctant, weary nod back.

'MORE...' growled in my head again and I found myself leaning forward against my bonds, my ears straight up and focused on the blushing mare. On the plus side, I wasn't thinking about my grandpa being an evil mad scientist anymore... Though that dark voice was getting pretty riled up with all the killing, then all the pretty, willing... fillies....

"I-I'm getting there... You're supposed to talk to Jade first though... this isn't right... J-Just lemme go Tigerlily, this isn't fair, I agreed to with Swan and that's it... If you do, I'll er... p-put you at the top of the list after... how's that?"

Before she could argue with me over it, Cocoa strode confidently in the room and held a hoof up, reaching up to stroke the stubborn alicorn's back as she spoke. "Hold on there Tiger, I'm all for being friends and showing a new girl the ropes, making your first time special and all, but I want my own bite you know... Besides, he's still all whiny and reluctant, even if you get him to cooperate, it'll be over and done way too soon! You want him warmed up and raring to go! Why not let me go first, I am the expert after all. We have history, he wants to with me already! Trust me, by the time I'm done, he'll be a quivering puddle in your hooves. I bet I can teach him a thing or two too, want him to know what he's doing to have the most fun possible, only have one night to explore the possibilities and enjoy yourself before you haul him back home, right?"

Tiger tried to shake off the starbursts of sparkles and pink in her eyes with little success, slowly allowing herself to be led back out the door and sitting with a thump right outside. "But... You are sure? I don't want him stopping too soon... but... I suppose, if you think it best... W-We have never.... you will teach us?"

With a wide grin, Cocoa nodded and floated me roughly to the bed behind her, reassuring Tiger repeatedly and inviting her to stay just where she was. "Of course! Another good reason for me to go first, gotta know what I'm dealing with to teach you girls properly! You guard that door just like you said and let me have my fun, we have a long, full night ahead of us Tiger, we'll all get everything we want. Feel free to listen in for a taste of things to come!"

Once the door clicked shut, I breathed a shaky sigh of relief as Cocoa reached under her skirt and pulled a small knife concealed in her garterbelt on her hindleg. Though I was still a little nervous at the way she prowled forward and climbed up to the bed, standing over me struggling to free myself and slowly sawing through the knots binding my front and hind legs together in one bundle.

"P-Phew... thanks Cocoa, you're brilliant, now h-how do I get out of here?"

Her ears cocked and her head tilted at my whispered question, a sly grin spreading on her face. Making no move to continue untying me, she instead shoved my tied forelegs up to the rusty headboard and hooked the knot over one of the posts. That left me stretched out on my splayed, twitching wings under her, squeaking nervously when she wiggled her way atop me and cooed back.

"Out of here? What makes you think you're getting out Fast? I told you I get what I want, and I want a delicious little Shrouded Stallion snack... Having my own personal hero swoop in and save me has my heart all aflutter you know..." She gave a nip to my neck and tittered, sitting up on her haunches and planting her forelegs at her flanks in a bold, commanding pose, as she slowly rocked her hips against me. Far too many heart shaped sparkles were twinkling in her almond eyes...

"W-W-Wait a minute! N-Not funny Cocoa! I thought you were helping us..."

My cracked voice yelping back was shut up by the press of her warm lips against mine, an agile, chocolate flavored tongue, pausing at my aching fangs before withdrawing to lick up my cheek, nibbling my ear and whispering softly as her hooves roamed under my coat. "Ssssh... hush up, have to put on a good show... ravish me already..."

"WHA-" My surprised shout was again cut off by a deep kiss, my bound forelegs twitched and strained, wanting to either push her away, or grab that ample rear and urge her on, I wasn't quite sure at this point.

When she broke off this time, she held a hoof to my mouth to keep me quiet, then arched her back with a gasp and gave a long, low moan to the ceiling, speaking in a raspy, overwhelmed voice that sounded like we were much further along than we were. "Oh! Oh my Fast! Yes!... Mmmm! Nnn! Just like that!"

Cocoa tossed her long chocolate and cream mane as she wailed back towards the door, increasing her pace idly and working up a light sweat, as she looked down with a lidded smirk and whispered. "Mmm.... oh my, that actually is quite nice... Come on Fast, you could get into it a little more you know, you're starting to hurt my feelings... How do you expect them to believe you overwhelmed little old me with your amazing ardor and prowess hmm? Go on, make it believable... to fool them right?"

Rational thought was getting further and further out of reach, but I vaguely followed what she was saying, and she was floating her knife to cut away the last ropes now that she had finished teasing me. She must have some way of getting me out of this locked room, if that was the case, then yes, what she was playfully explaining made sense.

At her hoof twirling impatiently and her nod over her shoulder to our audience outside, I finally figured out my role and stammered nervously, not nearly the actor she was. "Oh! Er... y-yeah umm b-baby... nnngh, ungh..."

"Sweet Celestia... can't you do any better than that? Don't you know any pillow talk Fast? The poor Princess..." Cocoa's whispered scoff made me blush and stammer back defensively, rubbing my wounded pride.

"I don't p-pretend to do this stuff ok! I don't know what noises to make, I just sorta make them ...d-during.. I-I'm not an actor alright!"

Cocoa gave her own exagerated squeal as she cut my forelegs free and my hooves moved of their own volition, the passionate growl of 'MORE' taking over the limbs still tingling with pins and needles from being bound above my head. I wished I could feel the numb hooves better actually as they forcefully squeezed her amazing rump, urging her movements on faster as I gave a genuine, deep moan.

"There, that's better! Just like that silly, bounce the springs a bit too, be right back... 'OH! MMM! MMM! YES!" Cocoa grinned at my performance, not realizing or not caring I wasn't acting and that rumble of 'Be Dark..' was doing all the grunting and groaning.

I leaned up after her as she bounded off the bed, giving a couple short hops to make the springs squeak rhythmically under me and shoving me down in place to keep it going as she jumped down to the floor. I had to shake my head and thunk it back into gear with a hoof slowly regaining feeling, sitting up to bounce in place with my wings giving lazy flaps to keep up the pace.

Watching Cocoa shrug out of her dirty dress just made me start leaning after her again, that insistent pulse of 'MORE' whining as her warm presence moved away to the wall. She gave a light tap to one of the water damaged wooden panels covering the walls, bedecked with a Ministry of Awesome poster, showing a soaring Rainbow Dash in armor that forcibly reminded me of the departed Lt. Dawn. Right... had things to do... important stuff... get it together stupid.

A series of musical taps from the other side the of the wall responded to Cocoa's knock, which she answered with her own staccato taps with her hoof before giving another convincing wail to the door. That done, she turned to the wooden panel opening before her, waving me on to give another unconvincing groan and increase my flapping bounces, as she spoke to the pretty silver earth pony mare on the other side.

"Good work Steamy, take over for my partner there. Are our guests alright?" With a wave of her hoof, the exasperated looking filly slipped by her and hopped up to the bed.

Bouncing on her hooves and keeping up the squeaking as I slid off gratefully and straightened my dishelved armor, she tossed her pale mane and snorted. "I had to fight to keep the griffon from blowing the wall down, and the purple one is trying to squeeze that big rump through the window, we might need a crowbar to get her out..."

I tucked my hat back down and moved to peek past Cocoa into the next room curiously, shivering as she loosed another one of those very realistic moans to the door right in my ear before whispering back. "Thanks doll, we'll get her out and let you get back to work. Have to take care of our partners though, right?"

The look the younger Steamy returned was full of awe and loyalty, Cocoa was admired by all the ponies she took care of, it was easy to see with just that, making me glad we made friends with her. I turned to thank her too, managing only 'Than-" before a dark claw shot past Cocoa and grabbed my collar, yanking me into the next room with a yelp that probably sounded ok with Cocoa's performance aiding it.

"Boss! Thank Gawd, couldn't stand listenin' ta that much longer, let's get the fuck outta here already! Tell that goofy mare ta unstick her ass and move!" Val struggled to keep her screech down to a whisper, shaking me in her claws and shoving me towards Swan flailing at the window, the upper half that wasn't currently full of purple alicorn showed the dark alley outside.

As soon as Val shoved me in her face, Swan stopped shoving with her forelegs against the wall to either side of the small window, reaching out to grab me in a crushing embrace and nuzzling my cheek anxiously. "There you are Fast! Sister Ivy said she and the unicorn would get you, but I was worried! It's my turn, they shouldn't have followed! I'm very angry! If I was still normal I'd sit on them!"

Sputtering under the affection, I gently tried to pull away, getting a better look at just how far Swan had squeezed her wide rear into the tiny window. She'd have no chance to even attempt getting stuck normally, so another reason her being normal sized wasn't so bad, that and the health of her sisters... "Er... it's ok Swan, let's just get out of here, You can't blame them for following when you told them where you were going... Just kinda... try to shove your way back out ok?"

Swan tossed her long, silky pink mane and pouted, trying to reverse her direction and pop back out the way she came. Grunting and scrambling with her hindlegs outside, she looked back from just how tightly she had managed to wedge that glorious posterior in the creaking windowframe and gave a shamefaced request for a little help.

"Fer fucks sake ya daffy mare, what made you think you'd ever get through!" Val spit in her claws and rubbed them together, spreading her paws and looking for a good grip to shove in an irked whisper.

"I'm tiny... I thought I'd fit...." Swan's whimper back just made the griffon hoot muffled laughter, getting a good hold of her foreleg and directing me to the other side.

Val and I both had to throw our shoulders against Swan's chest and shove, making me glad for earth pony strength and Glitter's lessons on how to apply it. I had to plant my hooves and strain, but eventually Swan wiggled her way back out and crashed to the alley outside, letting me lean out of the window and find Glitter and Ivy waiting beside our bus.

"Daddy! Are you ok? Those aunts were bein' awful silly! Are they gonna be mad?" Glitter hopped up and down, waving her little hooves happily and bringing up a good point.

I looked back to Cocoa as she leaned back into the other room to moan and cry out to Tiger waiting behind the door before she turned back and smirked. "Don't worry, I'll tell them you blew my mind and teleported out in the afterglow. They'll probably be a little upset, but I'll make sure to make it up to them and keep my promise about giving lessons... They should leave our little town very happy Fast, though they might get a little more determined to track you down..."

"Er... they'll be fine sweetie! Just a little disappointed, Miss Cocoa will say goodbye for us. Could you send your little friend up to meet her before we go? I promise it'll be quick."

A very anxious looking Spring Gale fluttered up to the window from Glitter's mane at my urging, we were more rushed than I would have preferred, but I had wanted the breezie to meet the mare in charge, they were practically neighbors after all. With a little encouragement, Gale flapped up to my hat and let me bring my head back into the room, turning to Cocoa strategically mussing her mane and making steady, mewling noises back to our unaware guard.

"Umm... Cocoa, there's someone I wanted you to meet... I wish we had more time, but she's working her way up to dealing with ponies slowly, so short introductions is probably best for now anyway. Gale? Come on out, Cocoa's a friend, I trust her..."

The ruler of Jamocha Plains got a warm look in her eyes when I assured the breezie of my faith in her, mixed with a bit of confusion as I appeared to be talking to my hat. Her gaze widened in shock and then pure joy when I felt movement on my head, a reticent voice quavering out in a squeak above me. "Is ok? Pretty pony is safe Shroud Fast? Uther beeg-beeg ponies vant take yu away, she not helping dem?"

Cocoa had to shove a hoof in her mouth to stifle a surprised squeal of delight, prancing forward and staring up to my horn in awe as she managed to tone her shock down to a whisper. "A fairy!! A real fairy! I heard all the old stories as a filly, but t-they're real!? I can't believe it!"

A light weight slipped off my head and Gale fluttered overhead cautiously, daringly drifting down towards the mare and squeaking back. "Is breezie pretty pony! Er... fairy breezie is ok too... I-Is nice meeting yu, if yu is friend of Shroud Fast, yu is gud pony, yes?"

It seemed like Cocoa's wide eyes filled her whole head, a childlike squeal bitten back as she carefully raised a foreleg up to meet Gale's shaking hoofbump. "The pleasure is all mine! Ohmigosh she's adorable Fast! How..."

"Long story, I'll tell you when we're not escaping... Gale's people are thinking about trying to deal with ponies though, and I thought you'd be a good one. They're your neighbors, since you're running Summerset Plantation now, they can probably help a lot. We'll be back soon and I'll explain, just a getting to know you kind of thing, umm... let it sink in while we're gone. They're people, really small people, but people."

Having braved meeting both a minotaur and a pony in one day, Gale flittered off, back out the window and to Glitter in a hurry. "I-Is nice meeting beeg pony who is gud, ve see again prety pony! Ve go now doh! Hurry Shroud Fast!"

"Move it boss! Let's get while the gettin's good!" Val slipped out the window after Gale, waving me on impatiently and disappearing with a flick of her long tail trailing behind her. That left me and Cocoa... alone... with her swaying her flanks and giving absent moans back to the door as she prowled forward.

I staggered backwards, my rump making contact with the wall and leaving me nowhere to go but pressing against it nervously. Cocoa pounced and quickly had me pinned, fluttering her eyelashes and bumping noses with me as she cooed. "Alicorns, Brotherhood, fairies... you bring such interesting guests to my town Fast, good as your word aren't you... Jamocha Plains really can become the gateway to the south, be a big, prosperous town. With its own Shrouded protector hmm?"

"I-I keep my promises Cocoa, w-we're friends so umm.. I t-told you I'd do everything I could to help you, r-right? I'm sorry those Gunners came and your town suffered for it, with the breezies help though, I'm gonna try to make up for it... make things better, like I said I would."

"Yes you did, you even saved me... Really know how to sweep a mare off her hooves, don't you Fast? I'm glad I took a chance on you, you were definitely a good investment. You better come back soon, for more than just talking to cute little fairies... We didn't even get to celebrate Miss Ivy's good news! Now go on, get out of here for now, I'll take care of those fillies and give you a nice head start."

The long, deep kiss she finished up with took me by surprise, not professional and skilled like before, but slow and sweet and ...honest. My forelegs wrapped around her and squeezed back, stretching the strangely hesitant kiss for a long time, leaning into the warm pony pressed against me.

She pulled away first, booping my nose with a giggle and giving one more wailing cry back to the door that set my aching wings flapping, literally driving me up the wall with that sexy voice calling out in a way that was so much more ...real... than any of the others.

As she finished she pulled me back down by my forelegs and gave another peck to the cheek, sighing softly before shoving me to the window. "A reward for my hero, just like other 'fairy' tales I used to dream about. Princesses, heroic knights and magical fairies... what other dreams do you make come true I wonder?"

"I'll er... l-let you know when I come back Cocoa. Thanks again, r-really..."

I struggled against that possesive voice roaring to continue, scrambling out the window and falling to a dumpster below in my haste to get out while I was still in control. Cocoa Latte was enough to drive any stallion wild without even trying, hearing that genuine tone of desire in her sultry voice was almost indistinguishable from her practiced seduction she used as a weapon and a shield, but the difference was there and meant a lot more.

After being dragged through a whole brothel of ponies taking pleasure in each other and being teased and flirted with by three strange alicorns, then Cocoa herself, I didn't really trust myself anymore... That demanding, frustrated shout of 'Be Dark...' was getting louder and louder...

We flew north from the bright lights of Jamocha Plains, staying low and nearing the river and the towers of Trotson ahead. I hoped to make it to the labyrinth of the southern outskirts before stopping for the night, unwilling to brave the bloodwings I could see swarming around the broken skyscrapers and winding monorail lines of the city.

Ivy started losing altitude not long into the trip however, making me worry something was wrong with her and fight myself trying to check on her without being smothering. She waved off my concern with a warm look though, sighing and looking back down to the riverside streets growing closer below and seeming to settle on a slightly leaning, four story building near a forest of broken masts of rotting sailing ships strewn on the muddy shore.

Discovered Location: Seaward Shoals Yacht Club flashed in my vision as Ivy landed the bus atop the hole riddled roof, the rest of us settling around her, the others just curious while I was struggling not to start hovering over the pregnant mare unhitching herself calmly.

"Hey, wassa deal Ives? Probably wanna get a little more distance from them crazy sisters of yers, Cocoa Mc Sex Pot ain't gonna be able ta keep em occupied forever." Val chuckled to herself and immediately started securing the roof, prowling from one gap in the roof to the next and peering down into the gloom, whistling at what she found and amending her warning. "Wooo.... fancy place, ok... we can take a break to go lootin' I guess, but still."

"Aunt Ivy? Are you ok? You look kinda... sad..." Glitter pranced up to her aunt anxiously, eyeing her closely and giggling relief at the soft kiss to her forehead she earned for her concern.

Ivy ruffled the foals mane and looked up to the rest of us, fluffing her wings and sitting down as she gave a resigned look. "I'm fine dear, nothing for anypony to overreact about..." The way she arched an eyebrow at me made it clear she was keeping tabs on the racing thoughts in my head, a storm of worries for her and our foal being beaten back with some effort.

"Er.. sorry, then why stop here though? W-What is wrong Ivy?"

"I... I believe here is where we should s-split up Fast. It is still a short trip back from here to my sisters in Jamocha Plains. After talking with them and telling them about my condition... they were right, Umbra should be told. If I return, I can help Miss Latte calm them down and get them to forgo pursuing you in favor of escorting me, h-having them guard me will assuage your fears as well, won't it Fast?" Ivy tried to keep that reticent tone out of her voice and put up a brave face, but I had gotten pretty used to sharing a mental connection with the green alicorn, I could feel the pain she felt at the reluctant decision.

Despite my desire for her to go home and be safe, or how rational and reasonable what she said was, or that this was the plan the whole time, faced with it now I didn't want her to go... A surging grumble of 'MINE' wasn't helping as I cursed not being able to make up my mind, but it was true.

I wasn't the only one either, Glitter stopped her interested exploration of the ruins off the edge of the building and charged back, throwing herself at her aunt and hugging her tightly. "Nooooo! I don't want you to go Aunt Ivy! Stay and go on adventures an' stuff with us more!"

"I would love nothing more dear, but you saw my sisters and how they reacted to the news, don't you think I should tell the rest? I do need to return to Wicket and the others as well, get them ready to move to the Ministry of Peace once it's safe. I have faith in your father that it will be no time at all before we're all together there again. My sisters give as good a reason and time as any to get our time apart out of the way. After seeing those nasty Gunners here, even I wouldn't mind an escort home too, and I know your father would feel better. Wouldn't you agree Fast?" Ivy hugged and reassured the foal, speaking softly to her ears laid back in a pout and looking over to me for support.

"Er... Y-Yeah... I'd feel better if you were with your sisters instead of going to Goodneighbor alone, I guess..." I hid under the brim of my hat and scuffed a hoof at the soggy rooftop, unable to meet either of their eyes with mine trying to water.

Ivy nodded primly and trotted with my daughter over to Swan, giving a gentle nudge to her rump to propel her on to her purple aunt as Ivy smiled looking eye to eye at Swan. "You see dear? It will be fine, and it's for the best. You'll have Swan here to play with so no frowns or tears, she'll need your help Glitter. The same is true in reverse sister, watch and protect our little niece and her father for me while I'm away."

Swan nodded back rapidly, putting on a stern look and drawing the little filly to her waiting hooves. "Ok sister, I like guarding! Tell Umbra I'm really mad at her sending them to follow me too! That was no fair!"

Chuckling at Swan's naivete thinking the leader of Trinity Tower wouldn't follow her, Ivy smiled and hugged her sister, stepping back with her hooves still on her shoulders and looking her up and down with a lingering grin. "I will sister. My, it's interesting to be able to do this with you, I've never seen you down at our level. You'll have to tell me sometime what in the world prompted you to finally come down to normal size, but being able to hug you is nice sister."

In answer, Swan sent a pouty look my way and huffed with a grumble, hiding under her long pink mane and blushing embarrassment. "It's all his fault..."

While I was wondering what the hell I did now, Ivy giggled and strode over to Val. The griffon finished tickling the rusty roof access door with her talented claws and looked up, shifting uncomfortably and scratching her plumage. "Soooo... guess I'll see ya later Ives... er... be careful out there, boss likes ya an I ain't gonna be there to help watch yer ass for him. Better tell them sisters of yers ta do a good job, yer carryin' a little mini-boss around now, so yer... k-kinda like part of my job now too..."

"I'll miss you too Valkyrie, you're a wonderful griffon and brilliant bodyguard, and you're a very, very good friend too. I know you'll take care of him for me, don't let Fast get too sad or stuck on negative thoughts, you might not have my gifts, but you can tell as well as I can. Something only the best mercenary partner and friend could manage." Ivy rubbed where Val's friendly claw thumped her shoulder, then leapt to a more pony expression of affection before she could get away, grabbing her in a crushing hug the griffon squawked and struggled in for a moment before relaxing.

"Yeah well... I am awesome and all... Umm... take care of yourself Ivy, really... Don't want nuthin' ta happen ta one of my f-friends, ain't got many sos yer pretty valuable... Now lemme go ya sappy mare! You ponies an' huggin' all the time... jeez! Hey kid, goofy, wanna go help me take a look around downstairs, do some lootin' an shootin'? Let's give these two a little time ta say goodbye all private like..."

Both Glitter and Swan gave matching 'Awww!''s of frustration, struggling against the griffon smirking and gruffly shoving them along to the door she unlocked, E.F.S. showed a few roving red dashes my heightened ears said were probably shuffling zombies, not any problem for the griffon and warrior alicorn, just enough to occupy their time awhile.

After Val's pushing and screeching for her two charges to 'stop whining and move it!', she reached back to shut the roof access door with a sly wink, leaving Ivy and me alone in the light drizzle that started up. While I shuffled in place sadly at the thought of Ivy finally, truly leaving, the green beauty herself blushed and nodded over her shoulder at the parked bus with a demure smile.

"Before I go Fast... You are quite agitated after what we had to do to get you out of there... I er... m-must admit I am as well, just making psychic contact to conspire with Miss Latte is enough to leave anypony a bit frisky, and she showed such enticing images to convince my sisters... W-Would you care to see a lady off with a proper goodbye, instead of a sad one?" Ivy grinned and tossed her blue mane, sending a fan of sparkling droplets of rain off and cantering in place by the door, spreading her wings and giving them a shake to dislodge more beads of rainwater that ran down her curves alluringly.

That drove a lot of the worry and depression away in a dumbstruck instant, my own wings standing straight up and fluttering me closer to the big mare squeezing her way into the bus' small door with a tinkling giggle. After being driven to the edge by Cocoa and Ivy's sisters, the rumble of 'MORE' was in total agreement with the rest of me, more than happy to make our last memory together for awhile a good one as I followed her swishing tail with a fang enhanced leer.

What followed was a little rushed and a little cramped, but sweet and passionate all the same. Ivy made me wonder what all she had found digging around in Cocoa's brain with some of the new gymnastics she added, and more than once I worried we were going to tip the whole bus over and have to crawl out the emergency exit, but we managed to stay upright somehow.

Even the normally quieter Ivy ended up producing some rather loud shouts that echoed away in the rain pinging off the metal roof of the bus, finishing with a shudder and dragging me with her to flop on the floor, curling around me in the afterglow and nibbling my ears as she whispered huskily.

"Oh my... I will have to ask Miss Latte for my own lessons after that, she is very knowledgeable on the subject... I will miss this Fast, but I will miss you more. Are you sure you will be alright? I do worry..." Ivy cooed softly and hugged me with a worried shiver, still locked in the strong mental connection that came from being so intimate with a psychic.

"I'll... I'll be fine Ivy. G-Good enough anyway, but I'll miss you a lot too. I love you Ivy, I'll worry about you every day we're apart, sorry to be overprotective and smothering, but that's the truth."

That got a titter and a long, soft kiss she was able to continue speaking through even with our lips otherwise occupied for quite awhile. (I expect no less, it can be endearing, so long as you remember not to go so far. I meant to ask if you'll be ok with... other things... You wanted my help for a reason, and you were right to ask for it. Your Grandfather and his meddling for one, and... and I do worry what you said Virescent told you was correct, you are a good and kind stallion Fast, but you have another side, something in your head that can be dangerous... I don't know if it is because of M-Mobius and whatever he did to you, or something else, but you need to be careful not to let it get out of control. I do wish you had at least chosen another green sister instead of Swan, she is more likely to revel in violence with you instead of advise restraint.)

(You're the only mare I'm comfortable with fiddling around in my head Ivy. I'll be careful and make do until we're together again. I'll be o-ok about Grandpa... or try not to obsess about it too much until you can go digging around and find out what he did to me. I'll have to get through the Gunners between us before I can try to ask him myself, but I'd like you with me when I do.)

She broke off with a gasp at that, blinking down at me leaning up after her and already moving against her to continue. With a soft, wistful sigh, she stilled my roaming hooves and brought her own pip-buck up between us. "Yes... about that... I kept it from you after our exciting 'date' in the Switchboard, but I did tell you the Gunners had a Stable. Considering it lies between you and the Glowing Sea, I should tell you where before I leave. If you promise not to recklessly throw yourself at it though, you have to survive to get past them and find this 'Forbidden Zone' where your Grandfather hides, t-to take me with you."

Map Updated... blinked in the corner of my eye when Ivy showed me the screen of the arcano-tech device on her hoof and the map displayed there. Just as she said, Stable 75 appeared on my map, at the edge of the Glowing Sea and deep in Gunner territory.

"I'll be careful Ivy, thank you. We'll definitely go together, if Grandpa really is a brain in a jar, it ought'a be easy for you to rip the lies out of his mind right?"

Giving a worried nicker at the anger in my voice, Ivy stood and started shrugging into her simple cream dress, tilting her head down at me warily. "I know you are hurt and feel betrayed Fast, but do try to keep an open mind. I don't share sister Jade's unwavering faith, but perhaps there really is a good reason your Grandfather did the things he did. Don't let your love for him turn to hate without knowing why. I demand another promise from you Fast, you will not let that anger consume you and do foolish things, I like your mind filled with love much more than when you succumb to that rage trying to tempt you away from me."

I followed her back out of the bus and grudgingly helped her hitch herself back up, finding it hard to look her in the eye as I muttered a response. "I'll try Ivy, I promise. But you promise to take care of yourself and be careful, I know what you mean about being smothering now, but I still feel protective and worry. You're mine... er... my umm... my other special somepony, one of them... er... this is confusing. I need another word for having more than one special somepony, but I love you and our baby as much as Jade and hers, I'll miss you a lot and want us to all be together when... when all this is done somehow and it's safe, we're all one big family, right?"

Ivy giggled and spread her wings, leaning down to nuzzle and kiss my cheek in parting. "Yes, we are. We'll think of another term for it, 'Mistress' doesn't feel quite right and I imagine you'll need it for more than just me and Peri soon. I've seen your very pleasant dreams of all of us living a happy life together in Sanctuary and look forward to making that a reality, in the meantime we'll do what we have to, even if we don't like it. G-Goodbye Fast, I'll see you soon! I love you!"

She sniffled and wiped a tear away as she gave a hard flap, launching herself and the bus into the sky with a gust and shouting back on her way, forcing me to leap and wave after her, yelling back with a hoarse, thick voice. "Bye! I love you too! Be careful! See you soon! I love you Ivy!"

I watched her fly away sadly, keeping my sharp alicorn vision on her until she disappeared to a speck heading to the lights of Jamocha Plains, then just staring at where her locator tag showed her arrow on my compass. It had taken no time for Ivy to become so important to me, she left a big, empty void now that she was really gone.

A void that, despite her warnings and the lingering warmth of our hurried tryst together, was attempting to be filled by 'Be Dark...' and a rush of tempting thoughts. Gunners and their secret Stable, the Institute and my own (traitor) Grandpa, raiders and monsters, all deserved to be hunted down and destroyed to make a better world for my Princess... Princesses... for my foals to come and my daughter waiting below.

A quiet whisper of 'Be Kind...' took up the slack for Ivy, snapping me out of my brooding at the edge of the rooftop, hey... just like the Shrouded Stallion from the comics! I was getting the hang of this whole dark hero bit after all, all I needed was a dramatic flash of lightning, maybe a little wind to make my coat flap around me...

As if in answer, the rain just picked up and fell straight down, making my hat droop with my ears and soaking me quickly, ruining the mental image I was going for. At least it pulled me away from doing just what Ivy warned against and giving that darker voice reign to sneak out of its cage. I bottled it back up and shook myself, trotting over to the door down and the sounds of magical energy weapons and happy whoops of things turning to ash.

Joining Glitter, Val, Gale and now Swan in exploring a wasteland ruin would lift my spirits and get me out of the rain anyway, hoping it would pass soon so we wouldn't be soaked when we continued on. Even with Ivy going back and keeping her sisters occupied, it was probably best to put more distance between us.

I stopped at the door and gave one last, lingering look to the cloudy horizon and Ivy's arrow in my vision, sighing and chosing to replay all the happy memories I had of the smart, caring and brave green alicorn. Whispering in a choked voice to nopony. "See you soon Princess."

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

Lone Wanderer---
---Who needs friends anyway? You do! But learning how to say goodbye and when you have to go it alone grants you +20% damage and +50 to your carry weight when traveling without a companion.

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

Jamocha Plains -- Idolized
---Coming to the rescue in proper Shrouded Stallion fashion and proving you and the Minutemares will defend the growing settlement has made you a true hero in the eyes of the residents, not to mention their appreciative leader! Being on the front lines of the Gunners territory makes this town an important outpost that's sure to expand and prosper, so getting the best prices and always being welcome is a good thing!