Initial Report - Project Dream Redeemed
Professor Ziggaraut Carrot, Archaeology Dept. Commonwealth Institute of Arcane Technology

I've read the legends and studied this period of Equestrian history extensively, but making our way to the tomb has been more than I could have imagined! Original construction dates back to the exile of Nightmare Moon, a later addition to her autumn palace. The runes of binding and warding bear traces of eastern unicorn mages, while the chains and other metalwork are clearly the legendary work of master smith Damascus Steel. Everything about this place was designed to keep ponies out and the prisoner in, something that's easy to understand when standing in its presence...

I know Princess Luna tasked us with finding a way to purify her servant first and foremost, but the remains of the Shrouded Stallion give me the willies and I'm not sure there's any way to redeem ...that... Classified as a Level 10 magical artifact capable of Equestria wide disaster, every precaution is being taken to obey her decree while ensuring the safety of everypony working on the project. The lead stallion Professor Mobius is less inclined to such minutiae however, so I've been tasked with the 'busy work'.

Report #12065
Professor Ziggaraut Carrot, Archaeology Dept. C.I.A.T.

Initial safety procedures have been beefed up after early exposure and data. Touching the artifact is strictly forbidden and dangerous, but a perimeter has been established for the safety of the research team as well. Early tests to quantify the field of arcane force it's putting off have destroyed two Magic Spectrometers and burnt out three sensing type unicorn specialists, the last of which ran screaming from the room...

Specimen's origin as a living dream lends it certain psionic abilities capable of affecting ponies even in its dormant state. Not to mention the difficulties in testing something that both does and does not exist present a variety of problems. Ministry Mare Sparkle's research notes and data on the Tantabus incident have yielded useful information, though the two creatures are different enough even her information is only so helpful.

Report #12074
Professor Mobius, Head of Theoretical Imagineering, C.I.A.T.

Visit from Luna didn't go as well as hoped, so we cut it off early. Did make the instruments spike and all the spooky rattling freaked my poor lab rats right out. Would have liked to do some more testing actually, but Purple Martin pointed out her highness' frowny face for me. Interestingly enough, her sister Princess Celestia came as well and when she entered the tomb to lead Luna away, the needles went all jittery. Mr. Shroud doesn't like Celestia one bit.

Still believe the Elements are the way to go, the whole not having bearers wrinkle is very unfortunate, we should really be looking for new ones. Maybe a way to cheat... Approximate the same arcane signature? Researching their origins and playing with samples from the Tree of Harmony, perhaps something to act as a catalyst...

Report #12079
Professor Ziggaraut Carrot, Archaeology Dept. C.I.A.T.

Returned from research expedition to Neighlem Village and the Sandwich Borer's site. The zebras there were only so helpful, superstitious lot all got very tight lipped when the subject of the 'Nightmare's Servant' came up. Granted, I can see how they might be a little leery after their history, not to mention the more recent internment camp on their doorstep, but all the star nonsense is a bit much.

They've reached the top level of the ancient mines at the dig site and the sheer amount of zebra bones does add to their argument. Hoping finding an artifact of the Shroud's still down there may assist in our research however. If the legends are true, there are fascinating possibilities.

The military is getting impatient for results however. Professor Klein and Swirl's proposal for using it as a weapon have made it to the higher ups and they're grasping, but releasing the Shroud? Anything could happen! We're working under a deadline now, without something to show as an alternative, I'm afraid the Princess may agree.

Report #12095
Professor Mobius, Head of Theoretical Imagineering, C.I.A.T.

Had a bit of an incident and have to take over paperwork for poor Ziggy. Containment breach, when he's the one that put that lovely tape line all around it to not be crossed! Terrible what happened, but curious results.

Ziggy got too close and touched it... We thought he was fine, kept him under observation and did a full suite of tests, but everything seemed ok. Then somepony stole his sandwich from the break room fridge... The mystery snacker has been an annoyance to everypony on the team, even stole a delicious buttercup lettuce and tomato Res made for me, which I'm still kinda miffed about, but swiping lunches didn't deserve the death penalty.

Found Ziggy sawing poor Rosetta Stone's hoof off with a butter knife and raving about thieves' justice. Was nearly as surprised she was the lunchroom thief as I was by Ziggy losing it actually. Though yes, I think Ziggy going crazy wins now that I think about it. Checked him in at the MoP because of the bleeding sides and forehead, but they're transferring him to Parsnips Asylum.

The weird stigmata lends support to my theory about the interplay between body and soul. Ziggy appears possessed by a fragment of the subject's power, keeps raving about getting back and letting it loose. His son is on the board at the asylum and has been helping with the archaeological research, so we're studying the effects and looking for a way to fix him.

Makes the orders coming down over this Project Knightfall business all the more bothersome. Can hardly make any progress if we strap it to a missile and lob it at the zebras! Trying to gripe to the Princess, but she's been very busy with all this war nonsense. They're already crating it up and moving it out anyway, so taking it where I do my best pondering to work the problem in the meantime.

Final Project Report -- Project Dream Redeemed / Knightfall
Professor Mobius, Head of Theoretical Imagineering, C.I.A.T.

Shuttering this field lab and shutting down all research. Subject removed for further study in my personal labs. Project Knightfall will just have to be cancelled, still trying to reach the Princess, but not hoofing it over to anypony. Have to fix it. Have to save him.

"Well!? Where is it!? Tell us this instant pretender!" Lieutenant Wing had found his courage while I tapped away on the dusty terminal tucked away in the corner of the Shroud's tomb, shouting and stamping his hooves as I finished reading.

"Gone. Mobius' personal labs, that's all it says. It's not here anyway, so you can leave..." I growled in reply, clenching my eyes shut and rubbing my aching head.

Zed spoke up to distract the thestral throwing a tantrum that was just making my headache worse, nosing around on the empty pedestal the Shroud should be resting on with a distracted frown. "It hasn't been here for a long time, though the lingering trace left behind is very disturbing... To leave a spiritual scar this powerful after so long... you foolish ponies were playing with powers you would have done well to leave alone. Be grateful it's not here for you to compound your mistake."

"Shut up zebra! Nopony asked your opinion! You're probably hiding it to protect the stripe, aren't you!? The half breed told you about it and our orders, so you stole it!" The batpony Lieutenant from Dreadnot sounded almost panicked, grasping at straws over his failure to complete his mission here.

Jade's ears flicked at the rising rumble in the back of my throat, cutting me off from answering. "Do not be ridiculous. You saw the gate was barred and only unlocked with the key you brought with you, did you not Lieutenant Wing? We had no idea your people were dedicated to following such foolish orders to begin with. Witching certainly did not violate her honor or undeserved loyalty to Dreadnot. Though after hearing such an insane plan, I am glad it is not here and would not have allowed you to take it regardless. You will have to take your complaints to the Institute however. If you have no other business here, feel free to return to Dreadnot at your earliest convenience. We will visit there shortly and assure your leaders this failure is not your fault. Provided you mind your manners and cease your insults to our zebra friend and dear Witching, immediately...."

Unfortunately, he was too stupid or pig-headed to take Jade's warning, even with the rare tone of anger creeping into her melodic voice. The batpony stallion's voice rose to a squeaky pitch in his rage. "You can still thy tongue too wench! Do not think you speak with the true authority of a real Princess just because thou have stolen Goddess Luna's castle from us! Thou are not fit to question her divine orders! Thou are just a mutant abomination in her shape, consorting with the zebra enemy, holding the leash of a madpony pretending at being her knight and protecting a traitorous cow from the price for her dishonor! Ensign Hour is awol and must be returned to... t-to face..."

The tantrum Lieutenant Wing was throwing dried up as his fluffy ears twitched at the guttural snarl I was making growing louder. His silvery-violet, slitted eyes flicked up to the rusty chains overhead clinking and swaying, then to the glowing red dots of my eyes glaring at him from the shadowy corner.

I was satisfied to see him flinch back when I pulled away from the flickering terminal, backing away for each step I stalked forward as the Shroud's voice rumbled out of my mouth. "Leave. Now. Before you exhaust what little patience I have left. Jade is Princess of this castle, zebras aren't the enemy and Witching has remained true to her honor, none of whom are your concern... Run back to hide in your rusty scow again and be grateful I allow it, without taking that cruel tongue of yours first."

Speaking over the frustrated and angry chirps of the cowed Lieutenant's ensigns, Jade turned a worried look down to me and tried to trot between us, her voice an anxious but loving whisper. "Fast... I understand you are upset... f-for a variety of reasons... Taking it out on these unpleasant guests will not do any good..."

"It'll make me feel better... that's good, right? It'll teach this asshole a lesson he sorely needs to learn too! I am all the Shroud you will find here, and no less dangerous to ponies like you Lieutenant... Thou are guilty of disrespecting a true Princess well above your station, of abusing and tormenting a beautiful filly who has found a place at her side... Take my wife's gracious dismissal and leave... Or open thine hateful mouth to spew more insults and watch what happens..."

He shut up anyway, Lieutenant Wing cringed behind his two ensigns courageously standing between us, though even the two thestral mares took a wary step back when I prowled forward. The one with the purple in her braided mane squeaked a warning, drawing her curved sword and only coming up with the handle in her teeth. The rest of the blade already slashed through by a starmetal kitchen knife.

"Stay back! Thou will not harm the Lieutenant again mutant beast! W-We will not allow it!" I absently admired Ensign Fang's bravery, but a snarl her direction made her canter back without her sword to hide behind.

The other one with the pink tinge to her bobbed mane still had a complete sword however, holding it in her gleaming fangs with only a minor tremor. "K-Keep thine monster knight back! Tis as bad as the creature whose name he takes!"

The Lieutenant cringing in the back latched on to her thought, pointing a shaking hoof my way. "It is! Tis no pony, tis the very demon we were sent to collect! H-He's escaped! Yon mutant sitting the throne must have released the beast to serve her!"

"Do not be ridiculous. I would ask you all not to compare my husband to some mythological monster, thank you very much. Whatever was once housed down here, it was taken away long ago and beyond your reach now. Please be on your way if there is nothing further..." Jade held me back with a firm hoof to my trembling back, speaking in a regal voice and looking down her nose at the trio of thestrals.

I heard her voice and felt her touch, knowing I should stop and struggling to do so. All I focused on was their commanding officer hiding in the rear though, my head low and fangs out while I kept staring him down. My glowing, dragonish glare was locked on his turning to blank dots, willing him to say one more word so I could abandon my wavering control.

Seeing that polite conversation was out the window, Val shoved me aside to wave her pistol around and squawk at the trio from Dreadnot, cutting off any of the very bad things that could happen next with her bawdy orders. "Awright! You heard the boss an' Blue, scat! Go! Out all'a ya! Gots all the bats we need already, so piss off!"

With Val shoving the focus of the rage pounding in my temples away, I stared at the stone floor between my hooves, breathing raggedly and trying to calm down. The panic that wanted to rise up every time I looked at the empty pedestal and chains overhead kept feeding into my anger though. If you stuck a big, black stasis pod up there and wrapped the chains around it, as I was sure they had been around the statue of black crystal that should be here, this whole tomb looked far too much like the image in my head of where the voice of 'Be Dark...' was locked up.

Considering I had never seen this place before now, the similarities were all the more worrisome and I knew Jade saw them too. She had seen it thanks to Ivy... The waver in her kind voice told me she was thinking of it too as her wing lightly stroked my back and she cooed softly. "Fast... they are gone. It is alright. I know this is... u-upsetting... but it does not prove anything. W-We will... will figure this out dear, you will be fine... You are not..."

"Mobius took it! GRANDPA! He took it and played with it, like everything else! Because of his insanity it's stuck in my head! He sucked the memories outta my brain so I couldn't remember him doing it, but he did Jade! I know it! I can feel it in there! And it doesn't want to be comforted by you! It... I want to go rip that asshole's throat out and I'm barely able to stop myself."

Her answer was still soft and warm, but picked up hints of that clinical tone of hers that only made my anger brighter. "But you are able to stop yourself Fast. You are still in control of yourself, difficult though it may be. You are aware of right and wrong. You recognize being unpleasant and rude does not deserve..."

"Oh he deserves it! Ask Witchy! What did he do, huh Witchy!? Why did you smell so terrified whenever he talked!? Don't you want me to? Just say the word! Tell me you want him to pay and I'll stop fighting it and give him what's coming to him! Let me..."

The sad look Witchy returned with her shimmering amber eyes made me snort impatiently, keeping an ear trained on Val shoving the thestrals back down the halls. She thought about it... her eyes flicked up in contemplation, then down in memory with a flinch. Witchy bit her lip with those pretty fangs and shifted on her hooves, but when she finally looked up, it was with a pained and caring look, not the anger or agreement I was looking for.

When she wrapped her hooves and leathery wings around me in a strong hug, I tensed at her shaking her head softly. "N-No Fast. Please... Y-You are right, some part of me does wish to make Lt. Night Wing suffer, b-but not when it causes you to suffer more Fast. He is not worth it. You are better than that. I am sorry I made light of thine worries about... t-the Shroud, but you are not him. Thou art a good pony Fast, a kind stallion I l-love... not a monster. Do not lower yourself. Please..."

'Be Kind...'

A spike of pain stabbed right between my eyes as I struggled in the half earth pony's strong embrace. She was right... they both were. I knew it, knew it was wrong to stalk after the asshole and skin him alive... But ohhh I wanted it sooo much... Looking up from Witchy's purple mane and cute ears laid back miserably, I saw Jade nodding worriedly and trotting up to join the embrace.

Glancing over from her concerned gaze, I noticed Zed scooping flakes of black crystal from the pedestal and pulling out strange zebra fetishes. One of which, an unsettling pony shaped doll of twigs and branches, burst into blue flames as soon as he set it to the stone, getting a rare look of surprise out of the zebra. He mastered it quickly, poking at the flaming fetish warily, but it was enough to add to the panic, fear and anger making my pulse surge.

I didn't miss the cautious grey stare he kept on me and the way his powerful muscles were already tensed to move either, speaking in an even baritone he kept all emotion out of. "Just because the prisoner is gone, does not mean it's in you Fast. I've told you before, I cannot see how you can be possessed by a creature this powerful and not succumb to it. It does. not. happen. If it is true, don't do so willingly now that we've finally found some clue."

They believed me now... Somehow that concern and wariness just upset me more. Like they were orderlies dealing with a madpony in an asylum like the one in Grandpa's notes, speaking soft and soothingly while they got the straightjacket and tranquilizer shot ready...

It took some effort to pull away from Witchy's strong hooves, but I wriggled free before Jade got there and snorted angrily from the heavy wooden doors out. "Fine! I won't do anything, but I want to! Do you get it now!? I've been telling you something is wrong with me! I hear it! I want to kill that bat asshole! I want to kill my fucking Grandpa for doing this to me! I want to hurt somepony, right. now. I won't... I'm not a monster, but even you have to admit now I might have one in my head! I'm not crazy!"

Jade's sweet voice kept that wary tone as she paced after me, her horn already glowing with her anesthetic spell as she cooed softly. "I have never said you were crazy Fast. Only looked for more likely reasons for the symptoms you finally deigned to tell me about. With this discovery, I must admit the likelihood of you being... exposed... to what was imprisoned here has gone up however. I am as dedicated as ever to finding a treatment, but you must calm down..."

"What if I don't want to calm down!? Maybe I wanna be pissed! Maybe I've got a right to be a little fucking ticked off! Being possessed by some corrupted monster that drove that pony in the notes totally fucking bonkers is a little much to just shrug off!" I shouted back and panted, looking up to Jade's loving face flinching back from the fury baking off me.

I winced at the song of the Ministry Mares rising up, laying my ears and flared wings back miserably on seeing that hurt on Jade's face. I managed to stomp back down on the roar of 'Be Dark...' straining and fighting to get loose, backing away to the catacombs behind me and stammering an apology as I retreated.

"I'm sorry... I... I can't be here. I need to go somewhere else, alone. I'm sorry Jade, I'm alright, but being down here is messing with me and it's too much. I need to... t-to think! I'll be back when I stop freaking out and calm down, I promise. I just need some time...."

I managed that much and then turned to stalk off, flattening my ears against Jade's anxious cry echoing after me and speeding my pace up to a gallop threatening to turn into a blind run. I moved through the maze like I knew it, avoiding Val's path and eventually reaching the night sky, launching myself up and away with tears stinging my eyes.

"...And in more news from the northeast, the ghouls of The Slog and stripes up in Neighlem have sent out a call over increased activity. The hive in the Sandwich Borer's hole has been stirred up, so troops in the area should be on the lookout for a bug hunt, along with an increased presence of Gen 1 synths. Also in that neck of the Commonwealth, the hunters of Lynn Woods have informed us of a new gang in the area around Parsnips Creamery to be careful of. This crew has been focused on a stretch between them and the city, oddly selective about the caravans they hit and apparently jacked up on some new drug as nasty as X-Cell."

"That's it for Radio Freedom alerts in that area dear listeners, tune in on the next quarter hour for our southeast Commonwealth report, the southwest report in 30 minutes, or the northwest Sanctuary report at the top of the hour. As always, stay safe out there. If you've got a problem just remember to flag down the nearest pony in blue, the Minutemares are here to help fight the good fight as DJ Pon3 might say! Now here's an oldie but a goodie from the Ponytones, till your faithful DJ Dulcet Tones gets to talk with you again."

Perched below the cobbled together radio antenna poking from the high parapet of the Castle, I absently listened to the DJ pony I could hear moving around below me, unaware he had a monster on his roof...

It was an informative and helpful station anyway, the DJ did a good job balancing between keeping Minutemares abreast of dangers or passing info along, versus being somewhat entertaining so folks weren't too bored to listen. It was enough of a distraction to calm down at least, though my shadowy perch let me glare down at the trio of thestrals grudgingly getting shown the door and flying away back to Dreadnot. My glowing eyes followed them out of the courtyard and down the coast, while I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood and remained firmly rooted to the roof, letting them go... Much to both my annoyance and the hiss of 'Be Dark...'s.

With them safely gone beyond the range of even my enhanced vision, now I just pouted and stared out at the Celestial Sea. I could hear Jade and the others looking for me below, I even melted into the shadows beneath the blinking radio antenna when I saw Val making a swooping pass, looping through all the towers and hidey holes up here before darting in a window to continue the search inside.

Jade corralled my crew of fixers into looking too, so I got to see how Onyx and the others were doing. They even hauled my huge block of crystal and the radar dish from the Arcano-Cats off to their tower, clearing a workspace and already making plans to help build the teleporter I needed. The thought of working with all of them and catching up was tempting too, but the longer I stayed hidden and the more ponies trying to find me, the harder it was to come slinking back with my tail between my legs.

I also watched as a supercharged Swan come crawling out of the hole in the courtyard, the sight of the busy Minutemares and Followers prancing back from a giant filly in the alicorn angel outfit enough to bring a weak smile to my face. She shook herself off once she squeezed her way out, blinking those big blue-violet eyes and looking around curiously at Jade and Glitter there to send her off with Witchy and the old buck Burny Jets gulping up at her. She was looking for me... I could make out her whines from up here and my mane itched, that shadowy whisper in my head moving on from the escaped batponies to something else to take its attention, cajoling me with; 'MINE! WANT! NOW!'.

"Shut up... leave me alone."

A petulant grumble answered once she disappeared in a purple flash of teleportation, off to Goodneighbor with Mr. Jets and Witchy. After that they returned to searching for me, at least not shouting and searching frantically in front of all the troops, but wandering around the huge castle in a determined hunt. I felt bad about that... I actually wanted to go to Jade and just... I wasn't even sure, rant and rave? Cry? Try to forget my troubles in my wife's loving embrace? None of it seemed worth the talking and worried looks however.

Instead I watched from the outside, like I always had back in the Stable. Longing to be part of all that light and warmth, but feeling like I shouldn't, that no good would come of it, that I didn't belong...

The soft beat of a set of wings nearby made me cringe back to the shadows again, scampering away from the edge of the roof to hide until whoever it was went away. In this case however, the sweet scent of a mature female was mixed with an even sweeter, carroty snack cake tinged smell that made me hide harder. Not that it did any good, a victorious little cry rang out that made me feel better and worse all at once.

"There he is! See, I told ya! Daddy always goes ta hide somewhere high up! Hi Daddy! I found you!" Glitter pointed a hoof at me cringing in the shadows, forcing me to come out with my head hung and give a weak wave to my daughter laughing at winning her game of hide and seek.

Her ride winging her up here surprised me, landing lightly on the roof and giving a relieved puff of breath when Glitter hopped off her small back and pelted across the slippery rooftop. She looked different wearing Minutemare blue instead of the red of the Brotherhood of Friendship, but Summer Wind still wore a similar outfit. She kept her pocketed vest and toolbelt, finding a new blue cap for her goggles to rest on.

She also looked distressingly cute, wheezing at carrying the foal up here on a frame as small as mine. She caught her breath and let Glitter tackle me, gasping at the little filly flying across the tiles so far up with no fear whatsoever, then giving a soft smile at her hugging and nuzzling me forcefully. A little of the tension and anxiety Glitter was hiding communicated through her trembling hooves and pushy muzzle.

Not that she was shy about letting me have an earful either, pulling away to stare eye to eye and sticking her lip out in a pout. "You're bein' bad daddy! Mommy's really worried about you! I kept tellin' her I could find you, but her an' Auntie Val are all worked up an' told me to let them, but they wouldn't listen... So I asked Miss Summer for help! Smart, huh? So? What's the big deal? Why are you hidin' daddy?"

"N-No reason sweetie... I just... found some things out and needed to have a think over them, by myself. You should have listened to your mother and not bothered Summer, but I am glad to see you anyway... so I'll forgive you this time."

"You forgive me eeeeevery time daddy! It's mommy's fault for not listenin' and treatin' me like a baby. She never pays any attention to the locator tag thingys or knows how to work them, but I do! Besides, I didn't bother Summer, she wanted to help find you and see you anyway, I just helped her win!" Glitter beamed as if she had just won a game getting to me first, settling against me happily as her prize.

"It really wasn't a bother Fast. I was working down in the lower levels when you came back, so I missed you. Glitter is a hide and seek champ though, everypony is looking for you and... I wanted to see you too... So I was happy to help!" Summer took off her cap to wipe the sweat from her brow and flutter over on her buttery yellow wings, tossing her short brown mane and smiling as she sat beside me.

"Still, sorry for making you haul her around to find me. I know what kind of passenger she can be. So sorry if she wore you out Summer. It's good to see you too though, I wanted to find you and talk, just.... not right now."

Putting her cap back on and giving a curious tilt to her head, Summer blinked her vibrant green eyes and sidled a bit closer, leaning into my face worriedly. "I'll leave you two alone if you want Fast. Everypony is worried though, Jade... I mean, the Princess, has troops quietly looking, and Val is sending those griffon kids out too... They won't say what's wrong though, are.... are you ok?"

"Yeah daddy, are you mad about somethin'? Or sad? I don't like it when you go hide and feel bad alone... it makes me scared sometimes... You should talk about how you feel, that's what mommy always tells me when I'm upset!" Glitter spoke in an anxious voice and snuggled closer, making me feel worse that my behavior frightened the little filly.

"I'm... ok sweetie. I just need to think by myself sometimes. I'm sorry I scared you, usually when I go to be by myself, it's because I don't want to do just that. I guess it's dumb to think I can hide stuff like that from a smart filly like you though, huh?"

Glitter giggled at the praise and the tickling hoof to her tummy, wriggling her way around the tickle attack to stare eye to eye. "That's right! It's super-duper dumb daddy, so you should just tell me everything, since I find out anyway. It's something about the basement isn't it? About your comic book pony that's down there? Like in your book of stories? How'd it get there anyway dad, I wanna story!"

"That's a sad story from the end of the book though sweetie, I... haven't wanted to read that one. Though I guess we should now... I promise, you'll get a bedtime story and we'll find out together. If we can't find out how it got out, we can at least read how it got down there to start with."

"Out? Wait, that real Shrouded Stallion all the locals tell ghost stories about really was down there?!" Summer yelped listening to us, standing up to prance on the roof and looking at her hooves and the castle below warily, her teeth chattering as she continued in a rush. "I knew there was something spooky down there! Every time I go down to work underneath this place, my tail stands on end! You never said there were g-ghosts in this place Fast!"

Glitter and I turned to watch the amusing sight of the pegasus mare grimacing and fluttering her wings, looking all around her like some specter may come screeching out of the night. "It wasn't a ghost Summer, not really... Boy, you're as big a scaredy-filly about that stuff as Jade, huh? You afraid of spoooooky ghosts too Summer?"

"H-Hush up! It's not funny! The Enclave told us all kinds of horror stories about the world beneath the clouds when I was growing up Fast. That it was a haunted wasteland full of the spirits of the dead infesting the ruins, ghosts that'd snatch us up and eat us if we ever fell to the ground." Summer whinnied back, just making Glitter and I snicker more.

"Well... I guess that's not totally inaccurate. There are a lot of undead ponies that would eat you down here. No ghosts though, that I've seen anyway. What was... was supposed to be under the castle, wasn't really a ghost though. It's complicated, but it was more like a... spirit? It was something Luna made, that got corrupted by Nightmare Moon, then locked up down in the dungeons a long time ago. Nothing to be scared of now, especially considering it's gone..."

Taking in the misery and bitterness in my voice, Summer put on a forced smile and trotted across the tiles to a hatch on the other side of the tower roof, opening it with a creak and waving an inviting foreleg down to the light and music spilling out. "Glitter, would you like to meet our new DJ here? Dulcet's really nice, so I bet he'll let you pick songs or talk on the radio to everycreature in the Commonwealth. You are an important pony with the Minutemares after all little miss Ambassador of Cuteness, isn't that right Dulcet?"

A smooth voice called up from the hatch as Glitter scampered her way over and stuck her head in with a grin, answering Summer and speaking to the foal with buttery tones of surprise and delight. "Oh ho! The little Princess herself, in my studio? Are you kidding Fixer Wind, get her down here already! We gotta do an interview little lady!"

Glitter hooked her forelegs on the hatch and swung down faster than Summer could help her, bounding off into the brightly lit tower with a happy squeal. Slowly closing the hatch after unsuccessfully lunging for Glitter to keep her from a fall, Summer huffed and trotted over again in privacy, rolling her eyes after the filly. "How do you keep up with her Fast? I know pegasus kids who aren't so daring."

Thinking back to Goodneighbor where Swan, Witchy and Burny had returned to, I shrugged in a shuddery answer with the memory of her falling from the King's Gambit Casino replaying in my mind's eye. "She is a hoofull alright. She's just always has someone to catch her..."

The petite mare snorted at that with a chuckle, sitting next to me again in silence for a few minutes. The quiet allowed us both to hear Glitter rooting through music and talking to the patient DJ Dulcet Tones below us. Hearing her down there helped keep me calm and away from sinking into depression, grateful to my little filly for that much and starting to feel worse about hiding up here. The pretty pegasus filly at my side was a welcome distraction too, making my mane itch at her presence and giving the hungry mutter in my head something else to focus on.

After a long enough period of soothing calm to pass for Glitter's first request of her mother's favorite Velvet Remedy song to start, Summer carefully broached the quiet with the first upbeat notes sounding out beneath our hooves. "So... What about this g-ghost... er, spirit, whatever, is bothering you Fast? There really was a Shrouded Stallion down there?"

"There was... It's gone now though. Those batponies that left earlier wanted it and had the key, but nothing was there, it was taken away a long time ago by the Institute. What they... he did with it after is what's bothering me. I found things out about them since I saw you last Summer, about the Institute, Professor Mobius... I think... I think it's in my head, as crazy as that sounds. I've been scared thinking that for awhile, but when we saw it wasn't there, that it really was gone... I freaked out. Now I just don't want to go back, it's too hard."

At least Summer didn't look at me like I was insane, giving a curious look and curling her soft wing over my back in a supportive hug. "You think a ghost is in your head? ...Becaaause of the Institute....? I don't get it Fast. What does the creepy thing in the basement have to do with them, or you? Do you mean you think your... p-possessed? Like in the Exorcist?! And who's Mobius?"

Looking back to her puzzled but honestly interested and kind expression, I sniffled and let out a tired sigh. It was easy to forget how deep I was in Institute conspiracies and prewar secrets, until somepony on the outside pointed out you might be drowning...

"Jeez... I guess it's all a really long story. And a crazy one..."

Closing her eyes in a cheery smile, Summer put her hoof on mine and wiggled her rump to a more firm seat beside me, twining her tail with mine as she spoke softly. "Well, I'm listening Fast. I won't drag you back, but I'm not going anywhere either. Soooooo?"

"Alright... you asked for it. Just don't go run screaming back to the Brotherhood when you find out..."

Giving a scoff and dubious look at my lame joke, Summer waited patiently until I opened my mouth and started. Then she just listened, calmly and quietly as the madness came spilling out, never reacting much more than a widened eye or frown here and there, with the occasional question or gentle nudge to keep going thrown in. Never pulling away or acting nervous, even through the most insane fears and raving.

We just sat together and I talked, staring out to the sea and the stars as the waning moon rose higher, shining its narrow sliver of Luna's moonlight down on her castle and the wasteland below.

After spitting it all out and getting Summer Wind up to speed on our madcap adventures, I was surprised Summer still didn't look phased. She had listened intently and reacted through the course of the story, but now that it was over, she simply arched her back and stretched her wings behind her in a long yawn, snuggling a little closer when she finished with a smack to her lips.

Having her so close was distracting, especially with the very voice I warned her about now whispering yet again at having a new and unconquered filly nearby, but it was at least comforting that she wasn't scared of me or the things I'd done. Though I wished her thoughtful smile and nose wrinkle my way was a little more informative when finally I looked over to her, waiting for the other hoof to drop.

"Well?"

"Well, you wanna go inside now Fast? Take a look at the radio room? Dulcet's on a break with Glitter, so you can probably slip through without being wrangled in for an interview like her." Summer stood suddenly and nodded cheerily, waving over to the hatch on the roof and Glitter's voice drifting up.

"W-What? But what about... I mean... D-Don't you have anything to say about all of... that!?"

Still smiling cutely, Summer nodded and shut my jaw hanging open with a hoof to my chin, giggling as she fluttered by and opened the hatch with a sweeping gesture. "Mm-hmm! It was a lot to take in, I'm just taking a breath to process it. C'mon repair-pony, you know as well as I do, getting worked up over a problem just makes it harder to solve. You have to take a step back and really troubleshoot the whole thing sometimes."

"B-But... You... y-you're not... scared of me? Whether I'm crazy or really... r-really have a monster inside me? Neither case is very good and..."

Before I continued she laughed out loud, a short tinkle of laughter that made me blush in embarrassment over being taken so lightly. "I'm not scared of you Fast, don't be silly. Come on, you should really talk to Dulcet a second. I promise to keep you safe, just come down with me."

I gave an unconvinced nicker, but she had already flitted behind me on her agile wings and proceeded to shove, forcing me forward over my grumbles. I managed to catch myself on my wings before falling through the open hatch, then one got tangled in a wire strung from the rafters of the parapet, sending me lurching off to get a hindleg hooked by a thick cable between two towering consoles full of blinking lights. With several undignified grunts and yelps, I crashed facefirst to the ground when the cord holding me up by the hindleg came unplugged.

I could do without Summer's giggles following me down, Glitter's initial gasp turning to matching titters of laughter just rubbed salt in the wound. Though the happy filly took the opportunity to tackle me, since I made such a tempting target already in a heap on the stone floor. Groaning as I pushed myself upright under the strong little filly, I blinked up in embarrassment to the third pony in the room, the Minutemare's own DJ, Dulcet Tones.

For a moment I thought I must be mistaken, though when I stood and shook myself off from the crash, I found myself looking down to the grizzled unicorn stallion and simply goggled. A pony shorter than me?! He really was... a short, stocky little fireplug of a palomino stallion, wider and more densely muscled than I was, but indeed a few inches shorter.

His white and chocolate brown spotted coat was clean and marked with scars. His brilliant orange eyes were wide beneath his brown and red mane and his mouth worked soundlessly, his scruffy bearded chin bobbing up and down with little strangled noises.

The raspy, cockney Trottingham accent he finally managed to shout out made me even more confused, and a little overwhelmed when he rushed forward to grab my hoof in a surprisingly powerful shake as he did so. "G-General Shrouded Stallion sir! 'Ave ya been listenin' to the broadcast this filly helped us cobble tagether? T'was just talkin' ta the lil Princess about you sir, and here ya are! 'Ope we're doin' ya right proud sir! H-Honor ta meet ya in the flesh it is!"

"Errrr.... Nice meeting you too? Umm... a-at ease? Really, it's ok umm... Dulcet?"

The odd buck still quivered with excitement, grinning while I absently surrounded the web of wires I had crashed through, resorting and straightening them as I fixed the cable I had unplugged. Doing so let me get a better look at the cramped tower too, which was stuffed to the gills with flickering, beeping, blinking equipment of wasteland engineering. My eyes also hung on a Shrouded Stallion poster from the radio show pinned to the wall.

My normal happiness at finding another fan was a bit muted with all my conflicted feelings on the Shroud at the moment, but it explained a little of the stallion's excitement. His square jaw and lined face marked him as a fair number of years older than me, but his bright eyes were full of foalish glee, flicking over the dark coat and hat I wore and taking in every detail.

Seeming to understand the interrogative end to my answer, Dulcet finally shook his head and gasped, giving a short cough to clear his throat before answering. To my amazement, it was in the smooth, buttery voice from the radio instead of how he had spoken so far however. "Ah! Sorry about the confusion sir, you were expecting this?"

His horn didn't glow... He did that without using the voice altering spell, only adding to my stunned look and slow nod back. "S-Sorta... That's amazing! How do you do that without..."

"Usin' magic ya mean, what?" His reply dropped back to his old accent instantly, then he floored me by continuing in the high pitched, manically happy voice of Pinkie Pie. "It's my special talent sir! Not super duper useful surviving out there, but great for a job like this! Though I did get my mark by convincing a heap of raiders there was a whole crew of mercenaries holed up in the ruin I was hiding in as a colt not much older than your filly! So it comes in handy!"

Glitter nodded manically along and beamed, vouching for his talent happily. "Mr. Tones is awesome daddy! He can do aaaaaanypony! I been testin' him, you should hear him do mommy!"

The older buck flushed immediately at Glitter's endorsement, shuffling nervously under my raised eyebrow. "Oh... i-it's not that great sir, s-shouldn't be impersonatin' the Princess or makin' fun, I just er... the filly was askin' and..."

"Ok, now I have to hear it..."

Gulping at my interested look, Dulcet looked back to Summer and Glitter and seemed to find his courage with their nods of approval. He turned back and closed his eyes, straightening up and sticking his nose up in a good imitation of Jade's regal posture, then he opened his mouth and nailed it. "Ahem... W-We must all be better together, yes dear troops? In the interest of such, I have ordered my Followers to provide remedial sexual education courses to all you fine Minutemares, because you are all plainly awful at it."

.........Dulcet gulped in the silence that met his perfect impression, looking up to my eyelid twitching and me biting my lip and shaking in place nervously..........

Much as I tried, I couldn't hold on to the gruff pose to mess with him just a little. My shaking increased as I snickered and choked, the eventual guffaw of laughter exploding out of my clenched teeth as I threw my head back and howled. "Bwahahahahaaha! T-That's perfect! That's... she... ahahahahahahaha!!"

Tilting his head and breathing a sigh of relief at me physically rolling on the ground in laughter, Dulcet held a hoof to his pounding heart and gave a shaky smile. "Phew... s-scared me for a minute sir. Right glad the stories are true an' yer a good natured sort sir...eh?"

'Scared' and 'good natured' jumped out at me and reminded me of the heavy thoughts I had been getting dragged down by, that the welcome gust of laughter had partially blown away to my cautious relief. Glitter still giggling merrily at the eerily good impression of her mother gave me the warm glow of that important virtue to hang on to and I took the lifeline to heart, looking over to Summer's soft smile and wondering if that wasn't the whole point to getting shoved down here.

"I wouldn't get mad over an impression that good, or funny. Though it is a little disturbing hearing my wife's voice coming out of your mouth, it's a really amazing talent soldier. Just don't let her hear jokes like that in her voice, I think she'd die of embarrassment."

Still chuckling nervously, Dulcet shook his head frantically in reply. "Oh no sir! I just do that ta give the troops a laugh or a lil' encouragement here and there. Would never insult her highness though, Luna forbid! Princess Jade an' you are a proper inspiration to us all sir! Ah! Actually that reminds me, I 'ave just the thing since yer back in the castle!"

I watched him scamper off to a cluttered corner near the stairs down, curious at the pile of canvas sacks he started rooting through and dragging back with a broad grin as he explained. "Fan mail sir! That lot down in admin sends 'em all up here ta me, since I'm the voice of the Minutemares an' all, but it's all yours. Course the Princess' pile is a tad bigger, but quite a lot for you too sir, eh what?"

I cocked my head in confusion trying to take it in, looking from the pile he gestured to for Jade, then back to the second that was nearly as big. Summer trotted to that one and opened the sack, revealing a pile of dirty slips of paper, then picking one out with her teeth and cantering over with it.

At her, Dulcet and Glitter's urging, I took the folded scrap uncertainly and opened it as Summer pranced back for more, floating it down for Glitter to practice her reading as I scanned the first few lines;

'Dear Mr. Shroud,

Thank you from saving me an' mommy from that bad place full of fire and smoke, and getting rid of the Burned ponies there. We live in the neat Robot fair place you told us about now and I wanted to thank you for...'

Before I finished, Summer dumped more at my hooves, forcing me to float them up one after the other and reading the letters that had been stacking up with nowhere to deliver them to. Each making me feel both proud and sad, my eyes getting misty at each grateful reminder of the places I had been and things I had stumbled my way into.

...If it weren't for you, those slavers would've....

...culd'a kilt me with the rest of my old crew, but yu...

'...saved my colt and his step father in the Roost...

'...stopped those raiders...

...saved our town...

...brought my brother back...

"Are you getting the point yet? Or do I need to drill a pilot hole in that thick head of yours?" Summer speaking with a smirk got me to look up from the rain of letters floating by, wiping my eyes in confusion.

"I... I don't do stuff looking for thanks or fan mail Summer..."

Floating the sacks of mail up and stuffing the loose ones still echoing in my head away, I managed a short hoofshake with Dulcet hurrying back to his microphone as the current song ended. I escaped his silent waving to the airwaves in hopes of an interview by trudging for the door, calling Glitter to come along behind me.

Before I could get very far down the winding spiral stairs leading down from the tower, Summer had fluttered down and barred my path, hovering in the way with her forelegs spread wide and a stern expression. "All those weren't about you getting thanked goofy, they're about the ponies thanking you. Ponies you helped that needed it and never got a chance to say thanks, because you don't hang around to ask for it. Like a real hero would, like the Shroud from the comics. Don't forget, I know just as much, ok... almost as much about the comic books as you Fast, and that's who you're like. That's the Shrouded Stallion you are, not some creepy ghost from a thousand years ago."

"Yeah daddy! Please don't be sad and scared, you're a really awesome hero who saves everybody! You... you saved me too, you scared an' killed all those bad raiders that.... that took my mommy and sister... but you saved me by being like your comic guy! I thought it was amazing and wanted to thank you back then too, then you said I could stay and... and... And you're the bestest hero and daddy in Equestria! Way better than even that Shroud in all your stories. I love you daddy!" My daughter scampered down the stairs and joined Summer's blockade, throwing her legs around my neck and speaking through the pain of memory to try to help me feel better, which meant all the more.

All those other letters of thanks were nice and helped, a reminder of everything the voice of 'Be Dark...' had helped me do, albeit in a somewhat psychotic, destructive and deadly manner. Reading them had even affected that voice somehow, quieted it with a strange species of pride and... sadness... which was unusual by itself. The most important pony would always be my little filly though.

Seeing what the raiders had done to her poor sister had probably been what unlocked that vicious voice. It was the first time I remembered really losing control and doing things I didn't consciously think about beforehoof, but it had saved her and brought us together. Whether it was the real Shroud or not, if I was being honest it had been a hero not just to her, but to me.

Glitter burrowed into the firm hug I wrapped her up in, sighing contentedly at my wings curling around her as I whispered in her ear shakily. "I love you too sweetie. Very much... You're one of the truly good thing I'm sure I did out here. If... being like the Shroud helped do that, I guess it's good too. Whether it's just me going crazy or really is that bad old ghost somehow, it's worth it for you."

Giving a soft smile at the filly hugging me so tight, Summer waited a moment before speaking in a quiet voice, spreading a wing to touch us both in support of the touching scene. "There now, that's better, isn't it? Definitely the Fast I know. So, let's get you back to the Princess and you can figure out this whole... g-ghost business together. Ok?"

My eyes stung looking up to her own lidded green gaze shining back hopefully, but I managed a weak nod before returning to nuzzling my precious daughter. "Ok... in just a minute... this is more important."

"An A-01!?! You found one!? Intact!? WHERE!?!" Summer's voice turned to a high pitched squeal echoing down the dusty hallways we trotted down and her eyes gleamed, getting me to chuckle at her excitement over the ancient piece of arcano-tech I filled her in on as we traversed the castle looking for Jade.

"With the Arcano-Cats, like I said. Actually one of the reasons we came back to the castle was to get you to help work on it, if you want to that is. I need to get it working and ready for Jade to pilot by the end of the week, and you're a lot more experienced with power armor than I am, so I thought..."

"I can work on it!? Really!? Ohmigosh that's amazing Fast! A suit of A-01 armor! I've only seen a few mentions of it in technical papers Proctor Quiz is always collecting from around the Commonwealth. An actual, functioning suit though! That's awesome! When can we start? Let's go now!" Summer wrinkled her nose and snorted giddily, her glee over the daunting project lifting my spirits along with her fluttering on her wingtips happily.

Finding safer topics of conversation was easy with the fellow repair-pony and Summer took the hint, avoiding darker topics with Glitter prancing along with us on the ratty red carpets, poking at the ancient suits of armor lining the halls and waving cheerily to everypony we passed. Getting 'found' by the Princess of the castle was surprisingly hard. We kept getting stopped by those who had been seeking me out, but none of them knew exactly where Jade was to bring me to, since she was looking too. Now we were simply going off the last location that Bruno had offered when he came flying through a window to tackle me, climbing steadily up the castle towards Princess Luna's chambers.

"We were going to go back in the morning, so thanks for your help Summer, it means a lot. You'll probably like the Arcano-Cats too, they've got a lot of awesome armor and are really good at fixing and souping them up. There's a whole town of pegasi too."

Her happy reply came with her perspective as a former member of the Brotherhood. "Ah, Rocketburg, right? We were briefed on those 'Cats' ponies. They're sitting on the old Shadowbolts base and the Brotherhood really wanted that site, they weren't too happy to find out it had been looted and claimed a long time ago. They actually hate how they 'defiled the sacred technology of the past'. The pictures they showed were supposed to make us all agree, but I loved all the modifications and cool paint jobs. Although when Dance saw them he said..."

Her voice faltered from happy memory to pained present on mentioning her partner Paladin Dance, making me realize I had been so wrapped up in my own problems again, I forgot about others'. Most of the reason she had decided to leave the Brotherhood had been because Steel Dance turned out to be a synth and suspicion had turned on her as well.

"Summer... I'm really sorry about Dance. I had to promise the Brotherhood I'd try to find him, but I would anyway for you. I'm sure he's... that he's ok."

Sniffling a little and wiping her shimmering eyes, Summer nodded back sadly. "It's alright Fast. I'm really worried about him, but I'm sure there's an explanation somehow. Dance would never betray the Brotherhood. I saw the evidence and have to agree he's probably a synth, but... there's just no way he'd be a spy for the Institute."

"I can't imagine it either, Dance was too loyal. Some synths are alive Summer, are ponies just like us. I'm betting he's one of those, I'm sure of it."

She gave a grateful smile at that, turning back to our slow pace down the halls and murmuring in thought. "You know... I bet Dance feels a lot like you do right now Fast."

"Hmm? How do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, everything he believed about himself is in doubt. Who he is, what he is, why he did the things he did, his memories, everything is all up in the air for him I bet. I imagine finding out you're a synth is a lot like being possessed, just by the Institute instead of a ghost. He's probably scared and angry too, I just wonder how he's dealing with it all alone." Summer's reply was soft and thoughtful, worry over both her old partner and me clear in her pensive look.

"Probably better than me, but I'm glad I'm not alone... At least he has proof one way or the other. We can have a long talk over it when I find him Summer, compare notes and share a few laughs, huh? Synth spy to possessed and/or insane pony."

That looked to brighten the somber little pegasus up a bit and she shook off her worry visibly. Her faith that I'd help somehow was heartening too, though I had to firmly ignore the blinking text in my vision prompted by the conversation;

Mission: Blind Betrayal

Objectives------
---Find Paladin Dance

Optional Objectives---
---Kill Dance
---Bring Dance in to the Brotherhood

The idea that killing Dance was still listed as a viable option was bad enough, the fact that the darker voice in my head had no problem with that course of action was worse and I kept any sign of its thoughts out of my weak smile back. We had made our way up to the highest and most opulent wing containing Luna's chambers, meaning Jade may be just ahead, making me slow my pace to an anxious trudge. The large rooms we passed were those for noble guests, one of whom I could guess at when I tipped my hat to the scowling white griffon Freya, standing guard at a huge door engraved with seaponies and seashells.

Spotting the largest and most ornate door at the end of the hall standing open a crack, Glitter dashed forward to explore what had previously been a sealed room. Luna's chambers... By the light spilling out and shifting shadows, I was guessing Bruno may be right and Jade was there alright, making me gulp and cling to any distraction.

I was definitely grateful when Summer returned to our shared interest in tinkering and matched my pace, like she sensed my trepidation. "So, other than getting to play with an A-01, we get to build a teleporter too, huh Fast? I saw the girls clearing space and going over the schematics, where'd you even find plans for such a junkyard teleporter array?"

"From a refugee Institute scientist. It's not exactly his area of focus and we have to work with what we can get, but I've got almost everything I need. Er... about half anyway. I still need a Magical Beam Emitter, which probably means going to those assholes in Dreadnot... Then a control console capable of running it, which I can probably win at the weird robot races at Easy Filly Downs."

"Pfft! You!? At the Downs!? You'll get eaten alive stupid! You have more important things to do before getting yourself killed over old junk too! You have to save my snuggleboo!" I flinched at the haughty, whiny voice ringing out behind us, turning back to Freya's guarded door to find her employer Fancy Star glaring back at me.

She was wrapped in an amazingly clean and fluffy robe, strands of her wet golden mane escaping from a turban of a towel on her head. She also smelled clean and extremely feminine, her pale coat was a blinding white and the scent of soap, shampoo and rose scented perfume wafted off her.

The room that she was just exiting was full of steam and the echoing sound of water, catching my curiosity that Summer answered before I asked. "You again! We said you could use the royal baths too, but not every few hours! Go away, Fast is busy and doesn't have any time for your whining!"

"Shut up you shrimpy featherbrain, I need a lot of baths alright! Everywhere out here is filthy, I'm going to take advantage of facilities up to my standards while I have them. If you don't like it, I can tell all those grubby soldiers you fix-it ponies got the fancy bath up to snuff and have been keeping it quiet! You all use it plenty yourselves!" Fancy sneered back, engaging Summer in what appeared to be a standing argument between the two mares.

"It's a royal bath! We've just been getting it fixed on our off time so it would be ready for the Princess! A-And maybe using it a little... but us Fixers get really grimy and dirty working on the castle! We need a place to get cleaned up without waiting in line or getting peeked on down in the lower showers. Come on Fast, just ignore her!" Summer shouted back, leaving me to watch the odd back and forth in confusion.

"Wait a second, putting the battle over the bath aside, you said you needed help by the new moon Fancy. I promised and I keep my promises, but there's still time. We have other stuff to do first, so you'll just have to be patient. I see you've been making yourself at home anyway..."

Fancy gave me an odd look getting between them, mostly her standard pouty, whiny face, but a little warmth and curiosity mixed in that complimented her freshly cleaned state and actually made her pretty. "So what if I am, you're the one who left me waiting! Anyway... Hi again stupid, n-nice to see you're not dead I guess. I see that stuff they stuck you with worked, huh? I heard about it, but figured you were probably all ugly like those mutants of theirs. You're uhhh... n-not though... Hey, maybe I really should've let them shoot me up too."

"Still not a good idea Fancy... What you saw of what it did to me wasn't the half of it. It nearly killed me, plus it hasn't worked since, they've been trying... Apparently there's something... weird about me..."

"Well... I guess it's a good thing you got me outta there then. Er... t-thanks, I'm glad that stuff didn't kill you. C-Cause I need you to help me is all though!" I barely focused on Fancy's almost nice reply, frowning in thought now that I had actually been reminded of something.

'Unknown variable'... That's how Klein put it. There was something different about me that let me survive the Institute's I.M.P., without turning into one of the twisted mutants they churned out. I had always just thanked the goddesses for my good luck and left it at that, the stuff hadn't exactly worked smoothly after all, but after visiting that tomb a new piece of the puzzle was there to turn in my hooves.

Corpus, Mentis, Soma... Body, Mind and Soul, that's what my insane Grandpa Mobius theorized about, how they combined and worked together to make a pony a pony. How one aspect affected the others... I read over all the snippets of conversation the Great Tree of the MoP Hub had in its long memory and barely understood the idea he was getting at. If I had the Shroud in me though, a spirit in the shape of an alicorn... Was he the reason I survived?

Having my wings suddenly grabbed short circuited the thought and I yelped at the unfamiliar hooves, scrambling to get away before getting a knock to the head and snort. "Oh quit whining you big baby, I just wanna see. This really could'a been me, so I'm curious. Wow... they're pretty big, you can really fly with these? Why do they stick up like that?"

"S-Stop that! It's very rude to just grab a pony's wings! T-There's no reason they stick up you need to worry about either!" Summer saved me by shoving the pushy mare away, turning a bright red at the cultural cue that meant a lot more to her as a pegasus than Fancy or I as unicorns, or former unicorn anyway.

Freya gave a warning cluck at Summer touching her boss, but settled for leaning down and whispering behind her claw in Fancy's ear. By the way her pale face turned pink, I got the idea my stupid wing's behavior meant the same thing in griffon circles and she had just explained it, forcing me to try to turn the embarrassing conversation around.

"N-Nevermind any of that, I came back to check on you among other things Fancy. So, tell me about Neighson since that's all you care about, where is he?"

"Of course that's all I care about, and I need your help so here we are. I just... don't know where he is right now." Fancy's firm reply shriveled up as she spoke, slumping slightly at her admission.

"What!? You said you knew!"

"I said I knew where he was going to be, not where he was... that's what I need help with. Svengallop Manor, on the night of the new moon, that's where my Neighson and that asshole Vega will be and when. It's their 'ancestral home' whatever that means and he's going to do something awful to Neighson! But it's swarming with those robot ponies already..." Fancy gave a sharp retort that faded to fearful misery, making me feel for the rotten mare who had improved her attitude just a little anyway.

Mission Added! - When Visitors Attack!

Objectives-----------
---Travel to Svengallop Manor
---Kill Professor Vega

Optional Objectives--------
---Save Neighson Svengallop

Shaking off the text scrolling in my vision against the backdrop pouting filly, I was unsurprised my map wasn't updated. A quick check of my pip-buck confirmed I already had that marker, an empty outline of a house blinking with an objective marker to the northeast, on a small island connected to the mainland by what looked like narrow sandbars and roads. I learned about that place back in Goodneighbor, from the letters of the singer Rara left behind in her dressing room. To think Vega would go back to his prewar home wasn't that hard to believe, though for what I couldn't guess.

It probably wasn't a good idea to let Fancy know my pip-buck viewed saving Neighson as 'optional', so I focused on the mare herself since it would be some time before the moon darkened completely. "I guess that's why you brought that gaggle of cleaned up raiders then, huh? Alright Fancy, like you said, I promised. I didn't forget. I came here to check in beforehoof, but we still have other stuff to do."

I tried to head off her inevitable tantrum over all the things that took precedence over herself, so Fancy's flabbergasted snorting in response was fairly muted when she managed to sputter it out. "What!? What 'other stuff'!? What could be more important than saving my snuggleboo!?"

"Not that you're actually interested, but I'm building a teleporter to go after the Institute and kick their asses. I've been out getting the plans and parts for it. I'm still only halfway there too, so, like I said, I have other things to do with the time between now and when Neighson will be where you say. You'll just have to amuse yourself Fancy."

Her high pitched whine was expected, but the way it echoed down the halls made me lay my ears back at her pitching a fit. "But whyyyyyy!? I don't care about those crazy assholes, except killing Vega... Why can't you just hurry up and get done alreadyyyyy!? How hard can it beeeeee!?"

Gritting my teeth, I glared to hush her and threw my forelegs up. "Building an advanced arcano-tech teleportation machine out of 200 year old junk isn't as easy as it sounds, alright!? We have more to do too, but it's easy in comparison. Be glad I know where to go for what I need. One of those places is the Downs actually, so why not try being helpful and telling me why you don't you think I can go there?"

Freya actually answered for her, holding a claw up and ticking off points by raising the digits as she huffed. "Number one, that place is a favorite hangout of all the worst assholes in the Commonwealth shorty, an' none of em like the Shrouded Shrimp. There's no fighting at the Downs unless May says so, but that won't stop them from being... creative. Number two... They cheat. Them Rust Devils control all the robots runnin' in the races, if they wanna change the winners, they will. Even if ya bring yer own, they'll send all of theirs after it to make sure it doesn't win. Get it now?"

I hadn't followed up on the Rust Devils and their strange robot focused business slash base in Easy Filly Downs. Beyond what little I gleaned from captured raiders from their crew. The one I spoke with sounded reasonable enough and said my caps were as good as any others. Fancy had actually been there though, while she was still untrustworthy and snide, I didn't think she or Freya were lying. Which left me with a wrinkle in my plans I struggled to cope with, we were too busy to get hung up now.

Fortunately, a sneaky idea popped into my head and I turned an evil grin on the smirking Fancy. "I can't win, but you can..."

"W-What!? What do I care about winning your junk for you! Not that it will work, We just told you they cheat!" Fancy shouted back, but I had already seen the vague form of a plan taking shape.

"I can cheat better. You said it yourself, I can't stroll on in openly and do this fair and square, if I have to cheat then you're the best mare for the job Fancy. You go in, enter our robot and place the bet for what I want, I'll make sure you win. You can even place your own bets and make a lot of caps if you want. I guarantee victory. It's a win-win."

"Fast! You can't trust her! She's been a terror since she got here, there's no way she'll actually pull this off!" Summer yelped, but didn't dissuade me in the slightest, only adding to the rough plan with her complaints.

"You can go with her though. You know the parts I need and would make a convincing tech, just take AssaultJack with you and you'll be able to pull it off easy Summer. This will work... this is something we can do, something I need to do..."

Summer seemed to take in the desperation in my voice and reluctantly nodded. I couldn't do anything about finding the Shroud's tomb empty or what that might mean, but going out and accomplishing something that may lead to answers helped put that aside. Now that I had thought of it, I clung to the idea.

Turning away from her, my slow prowl towards Fancy made her shrink back, yelling back in rejection I really wasn't listening to. "You think they'll take the loss well stupid?! This has nothing to do with Neighson, so why should I care!?"

"You should care because until I get what I want, I can't go running off up the coast to save him. You should care because once I build this teleporter, I'm going after the Institute directly, not just Vega, aaaaaall of them... The ones who locked you up and wanted to experiment on you, remember? Finally, it's the least you could do Fancy. You've been sitting here in the castle and making yourself at home, instead of finding some ruin out there to play house with your tamed raiders. Hot baths, good food, an army to hide behind... You owe the actual Princess of this castle rent for strutting around and acting like one in her absence, I'm here to collect. You want help, you can help in return."

"Ahem... While I had not considered charging rent, after hearing from some of the troops and Followers helping me search the castle, I must agree you could do something to repay the generosity and hospitality they have shown in my absence Miss Star..." Jade's voice speaking up behind me got everyone to freeze, turning to the beautiful blue alicorn standing at the door to Luna's chambers with Glitter at her side and continuing in a soft murmur. "Hello dear... I have been looking all over for you and quite worried. I am very happy to see you..."

Scuffing at the tattered carpet with my hoof in shame, I peeked from under the brim of my hat and muttered back. "Ummm... Hi hon... S-Sorry to run off, I just... needed time to think. I'm better now though, Summer helped get my head straight and we were just er... discussing going out to get more parts I need."

Her blue eyes were tired and worried, but seemed to brighten with a bit of relief at my remorseful tone. When she answered it was soft and kind, giving a little whinny as the tension ran out of her. "I heard, at least some of the conversation at least. It was quite loud Miss Star... I believe my Fast is correct, his idea does not seem like too much of an imposition to ask and he needs those parts. Thank you very much for finding him and helping calm him down for me Summer, I am in your debt."

While Summer smiled at the true Princess of the castle bowing her head to her, Fancy glared up at Jade and huffed in annoyance before storming off. "W-Whatever! I'll help because I can make a load of caps if you can really fix the race, but I'm not putting my neck on the line for you! If we're going you all better get ready, the Downs gets going after dark and runs late, but you want to get there before midnight if you want the real high purses. C'mon Freya, let's get ready to do this stupid waste of time."

"Ummm... I-I'll just go get ready too your highness, probably wouldn't do for me to go in wearing Minutemare blue, huh Fast? I'll go find AssaultJack too, so you guys just er... talk... Take care of him Princess, don't be too hard on him, but maybe get it through that thick head of his that he's a good pony, not some evil ghost, right?" Summer surprised me by planting a quick peck on my cheek before trotting off, turning it pink around the lingering warmth as Jade nodded and giggled into her hoof.

With just the three of us left, Jade and I stood that way a moment, facing each other down the hall and communicating silently. There wasn't any fear in her kind blue eyes, just understanding and concern, anxiety and a lot of love I didn't feel deserving of. She had been worried and still was, but understood me well enough to go along with my need to do something positive, rather than veto it as I could see part of her wanted to.

For my part, I stared back with an overwhelming sense of love and devotion to the mare of my dreams. I ran away because I wanted to keep anything bad away from her, even myself. Stupid, I knew, considering the way she sniffled in relief now, but she and Glitter always came first for me.

Finally Glitter broke the silence, holding the ancient book of myths in her little hooves and staring up with those bright pink puppy eyes. "If you're goin' out an' leavin' me behind again mom an' dad, I. Wanna. Story."

Both of us let loose a shaky laugh at her pouting, Jade smiling lovingly and nuzzling her silver mane in agreement. "Y-Yes... A story is just the thing. Why not take your book into the room you have already claimed as your own and get ready for bed dear, we shall be along in just a moment."

When Glitter pelted off into the room with a squeal, Jade and I came together in a long, lingering embrace. Neither of us spoke about all the thoughts swirling between us, keeping everything at bay for a few precious minutes where the only thing that mattered was each other. We just held and took comfort in each other during the blessed moment of silence and peace, until it was finally ended by Glitter's impatient shout making us chuckle and move forward again, together.

Luna's chambers had been sealed along with the Shroud's tomb, so the Minutemares had been unable to claim the room for their patron Princess so far. This was the first time I got to see where the night Princess once dwelled and I simply stared for a moment with a stupid look on my face when we first entered.

The main chamber was a sitting room, just ahead I could see the polished wooden table and tarnished tea set Bobbing Cane once sat at and sipped tea with Luna herself near the shuttered balcony, discussing turning her ancient servant into a modern comic book hero more than 200 years ago. Age had done little to wear down the furnishings, though a heavy layer of dust covered everything. There were sconces full of dead and desiccated lavender on the walls, along with more hoof shaped torch holders and crystalline chandeliers providing the light.

Glitter dashed around to explore while I gawked, running off to the side rooms to breathlessly report on 'the biggest bed ever!' in one, then galloping off to the others while I paced my slow way in with Jade. One was nothing but a huge closet apparently, full of 'lots of pretty dresses', while another was a small library and a third was a lounge Glitter claimed for herself with a impatient squeal for us to catch up.

Once Glitter had been wrestled into submission and properly groomed by her mother, she came pelting in to the very large and overstuffed couch I had hastily made up into a bed for the night. The way she launched herself at me and the couch, then proceeded to snuggle in as a squirming little ball rooting around under the ratty covers, kind of undid most of Jade's work however.

Settled in and cuddled against me with Jade left to curl up half on and half off the already crowded bed, Glitter grabbed the heavy tome floating in my magic and flipped it open on our shared laps, turning to the end and an illustration that gave me the willies. On one side was a stylized Celestia with the sun at her back, arrow straight rays of light crossing the page. On the other... it was done in the same ancient style, though without any of the awe and majesty of Celestia's depiction. Instead it was crude and menacing, a blob of blackness like an ink spill in the rough shape of a pony, an alicorn with shadows writhing at his hooves and a pointy toothed snarl under his red eyes, a shadowed and wilted landscape full of skeletons behind him.

"You sure you wanna read this one sweetie? How about one where the Shroud goes to the Dragonlands instead? Or Yakyakistan? Auntie Swan knew yaks, I bet she'd love to hear about that one when she gets back..."

Glitter blinked up at me with those wide pink eyes in answer, shaking her head and putting her hoof on my trembling one. "Nuh-uh, I wanna hear this one daddy. I wanna know how he got down in the basement. Don't be scared, I'm right here with you and I love you!"

Jade's big hoof joined her little one and she gave a warm nuzzle to both of us from her elevated vantage, snuggling up and nodding firmly. "We are both here and love you dear. Read the final story."

Sighing in defeat, I kissed them both gratefully and turned back to the book with a gulp, my voice raspy as I started. "Once upon a time..."

"...in the magical land of Equestria, the land was shrouded in darkness and misery. The threat of Nightmare Moon had been sealed away in the night sky as the Mare in the Moon, much to the sadness of both Celestia and the populace over losing their dear Princess Luna. Her corrupted servant only made things more difficult in an already trying time however.

Once a paragon of justice, the Shrouded Stallion had fallen like his mistress and become a monstrous creature of the night. Every evening when Celestia raised her sister's prison into the sky, so too did the Shroud rise again and again, seeking a way to free Nightmare Moon high and low. In the process he brought great suffering to the land and fought Celestia and her forces at every turn, chased from the Hollow Shades, to the Appleloosan Wastes, the Ghastly Caverns, the Shores of Eternal Night and every other dark corner of Equestria.

Eventually, he wound up on the Celestial coast, bringing terror to the village of Trotson and surrounding communities. Following a prophecy that the stars would aid in Nightmare Moon's escape, the Shroud had sought out a foul zebra witch of a star cursed tribe in a tiny village known as Yuan the Wicked.

The skies darkened with storms the local pegasi could not clear, crops failed and rivers turned foul. Every solider loyal to Celestia in the rural and isolated area was brutally murdered, hung from trees with their coats flayed and their tongues torn out as a warning to the locals to remain silent. Or even worse, raised from the dead to roam the land, while the dark partnership festered under Celestia's nose.

In exchange for stealing an evil tome of necromancy for the witch, the Shroud gained her assistance in his quest. Yuan demanded his help in subjugating the area and enslaving her own village under the hoof of her cult in return, forcing the zebras and ponies living there into digging a great mine nearby.

"If Nightmare Moon you wish freed, it is the metal of the stars you need. To seal Celestia's fate, a fearsome weapon we shall make. A power to rival the sun, with that her reign will be done." The witch Yuan tempted the Shroud with her promises of a way to defeat Celestia, barely keeping the raging spirit in check each night as her plots proceeded.

The power of the stars was exactly what was sought by the enslaved villagers, worked to death digging deep into the earth until they found it. A meteorite had fallen and buried itself long, long ago, but the foul Yuan could sense its power. She used the mines as they grew closer and closer to empower herself and her vile necromantic magic. Those miners who fell were raised again to undeath to continue, their souls captured to fuel even more depraved rituals.

Given more time, the witch's dastardly plan may have even worked, but the spiritual wounds forming a growing blight on the land eventually came to Celestia's attention. They reached the buried star and built a cathedral and great forge around it, performing their hideous rites as they worked the magical star metal. The witch's cult took the Shroud's sword when he reappeared on the chosen night of the new moon, the darkest night best for evil magic. The ethereal blade of nightmares and star metal were reforged together, creating a terrible weapon that melded the two.

Fortunately for Equestria, Celestia and her solar guard descended on the vile nest of evil before their work was presented to the Shroud. A brave and loyal soldier named Bronze Star, who had trained at the hoof of Flash Magnus himself as a raw recruit, snatched the prize away at the cost of his life. Under an onslaught from the Shroud's dark magic, he tumbled through a rift in the deep mines with the evil blade in hoof, lost to the the darkness forever.

Under siege from Celestia's forces and locked in a desperate battle with the solar Princess herself without his weapon, the Shrouded Stallion was forced to retreat. Their battle raged across the land, leaving deep scars in the earth itself and causing suffering to many. The Shroud had become a powerful creature of blackness and shadow that took pleasure in the pain he caused, but was steadily driven back by Celestia's light.

Their terrible battle wound up at Castle Equinox, Luna's autumn palace and the last stronghold of the Shroud. Locked in the deadly combat with the furious monster, even divine Celestia took a great number of wounds fighting a creature of shadow and dreams, but the Shroud lost track of the time in his rage and made a fatal mistake.

When the time came and Celestia led the battle up to the towers and parapets of the castle, the sun rose from the Celestial Sea at her back. The Shroud hissed in fury and tried to retreat, but with the power of the sun swirling at her horn, Celestia cast a spell of imprisonment on the beast before it could disappear.

Even as the fallen Shrouded Stallion crashed to the courtyard with black crystal growing over rippling form, the creature snarled a warning promise to the exhausted Celestia. "I shall return... I shall escape. My mistress will be free of thine betrayal, I shall return to her side to bring her wrath and destroy her enemies. This I swear..."

Frozen in crystal and still emanating dark magic, Celestia took his warning to heart and had a great tomb built in the castle. The Shroud was bound and sealed away in the dark, buried deep in a crypt riddled with runes of warding, bound in enchanted chains, locked away and mostly forgotten over time.

The area became known as the Commonwealth afterwards, for the ponies, zebras and everycreature that suffered from the battle were brought together under Celestia's hoof and shared in the recovery. They did not forget however. The Shroud and the witch who escaped had left festering wounds on the land that never completely healed. Everycreature that had lived under the shadow of the Shrouded Stallion, lived with a deep sense of dread, fearing the day his promise came true and he escaped to wreak havoc again.

But that, is a story for another day..."

It took some effort for Jade and I to extricate ourselves from the warm pile we made under the snoring little filly between us, but a lot of careful, inch by inch sneaking past her sleepy murmurs managed it. Gently levitating a pillow in to take my place, I joined Jade in just staring at her a moment, enjoying the circle of love we formed as Jade pulled the covers up and we slipped away.

Val was waiting just outside the door to Luna's chambers when we left, surprising me with a fast smack upside my head for making her search the castle for me by, "Pullin' that disappearin' shit again dammit!", but even the grouchy griffon seemed a little tame and concerned after going down to the Shroud's tomb.

Zed was apparently still down there, investigating what was left behind with his strange zebra voodoo and very absorbed in whatever he was doing. I only got it secondhoof from a Minutemare willing to run down for us since I had no interest in going there again, but after reading the story of the Shrouded Stallion's imprisonment, I had to wonder about his intense interest.

I thought about it quite a bit as we got everyone together and flew to the west, crossing the river and coming closer to the ruins of Trotson than we had been in awhile. A zebra witch... a book of necromancy... Zed had once admitted his own ancestors were as tainted as my insane grandpa Mobius, had done terrible things in the village of Neighlem he still felt he needed to atone for.

It was a bit much for mere coincidence and I again wondered about his belief in the spirits guiding creature's lives, fate and my own cutie mark that Jade believed was connected to it. Being in the right place at the right time sounded nice, but it felt like being out of control, tossed along by the whim of spirits, destiny, goddesses... However you wanted to put it, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

If it really was the same witch, which seemed pretty damn likely, how had Zed felt this whole time? Watching me play the role of the Shroud, when the real thing had been connected to the evil in his family tree? Usually he just gave an indulgent roll of his stern grey eyes at my antics, but he was always watching closely, even if he didn't say much... I had a feeling I needed to have a talk with the stoic zebra, soon.

Flying along and joining Jade in telekinetically hauling the heavy robot AssaultJack with us gave me time to think anyway. I was rather surprised I could do so clearly too, but all of the voices in my head were behaving for the most part. Our flight led by both Val and Freya competing for who was in charge slowed down, getting me to shake it off and look down, spotting the oasis of light and activity we were approaching. Location Discovered: Easy Filly Downs blinked in my vision just to drive it home and I gaped at the strange ruins below.

It was obviously a race track, time had done little to wear down the form of the place following that function. A large, oval track of packed earth, surrounded and defined by crudely repaired rails, bathed in scrapyard spotlights. On one side was a large building with tall stands attached to the side facing the track, broken up in the middle by an entrance to the crumbling edifice topped by an open tower overlooking the track above the doors.

The wasteland era additions stood out starkly, the open area in the middle of the track was full of shacks cobbled together from junk, rising to two stories tall in places and connected by rickety looking walkways. The largest of these was surrounded by junk and parts, while all manner of bizarre robots filtered in and out of the salvaged garage door on one side.

I saw why Val veered away and aimed for a nearby ruin of an apartment building overlooking the place soon enough too. My sharp eyes could pick out enough of the rowdy crowd to make me leery of Jade being here at all. Fancy was right, it was a hive of the worst scum and villainy from around the Commonwealth. Raiders and gang members of dozens of groups, even a fair number of Gunners. All strolled around openly with regular wastelanders, filling the stands and streaming in and out of the main building to place their bets.

As soon as we touched down on the half collapsed rooftop, I turned from peering down and taking it in to see Fancy still clinging desperately to Freya's fluffy white neck. Her eyes were clenched shut and half buried in the dense feathers, only warily cracking open when the loyal griffon primped her wings and gave her a nudge.

Fancy hopped off as soon as she leaned over and saw solid concrete beneath her, almost hugging the ground and snorting at my raised eyebrow. "S-Shut up! I don't like flying! I came from a Stable, having all this sky that goes on forever is weird!"

I joined Jade and Summer both snickering quietly, turning away and whistling innocently when her scowl blazed our way. I could somewhat understand since I came from a Stable too, but I wasn't born there like Fancy and I had a pegasus for a mom. Flying by myself took some adjustment at first, but trying to consider her point of view, I imagined it probably was worse. To be born and raised down in the bunker I grew up in... to never see the sky, the sun and moon, the stars... It probably was hard for her.

"Sorry, I get it Fancy, nopony's making fun of you. So, are you guys ready to do this? I gotta admit you were right, that is a rough looking crowd..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just have to know how to talk to them dummy. Well, that and not pissing them all off by murdering them regularly I guess... I'll place your bet, so long as the little fix-it mare remembers all that stupid junk you want and doesn't freak out. You aren't too scared, are you chicken?" Fancy huffed in reply, turning to Summer anxiously looking over the edge of the roof with me.

"I-I'll be fine... No problem, honest. I'll have Val and AssaultJack with me, right?" Summer answered reticently, gulping at the task before her.

She looked cute in her civilian disguise though, even with her face pale and her wings fluttering anxiously. Her cap and goggles were abandoned, leaving her brown mane free to fall into one bright green eye. She wore a red dress broken up by crude leather armor pieces over her barrel and legs, lending her a wastelander appearance. It wasn't nearly as ostentatious as the sparkly, frilly, gold and black evening gown getup Fancy wore, which she assured us was 'armored by some ugly ghoul that charged a ton of caps', making me and smile thinking of Sassy Saddles turning a profit off the spoiled filly.

Trying to comfort Summer and nearly as leery of sending her into that madhouse as I was for Jade, I stretched a wing over her shaking shoulders, joined by Jade's larger blue one blanketing both of us. "You'll do fine Summer. You know what to ask for, you're tough and brave, and like you said, Val and AssaultJack will be right there with you, along with me and Jade nearby. Isn't that right everybody?"

The gleaming copper robot AssaultJack turned from its appraising stare down to the target area, tipping its cowpony hat cheerily and answering in that eerie simulation of Ministry Mare Applejack. "Shore thing little filly! Ya'll are now keyed as a right proper V.I.P. fer protection and authorized Mistress, ain't nobody harmin' a hair on your lil' head!"

"Still don't like this shit boss... makin' me work with the ice queen and leavin' you on yer own is bullshit. Let's just wreck the place and steal the crap ya need!" Val scowled at Freya checking her weaponry and pale blue armor, ruffling her feathers in indignation at being forced to work with her old partner again.

There was more to it than just what she complained about though, I could hear the masked hurt and hope in her voice and leaned up to nuzzle her frowning face, relieved to get an affectionate nip to my ears in return. "I know you don't like it Val, but you're both professionals, you can do this. Besides, she's your friend, maybe working together again will remind you both about that. Plus I need you to keep an eye on the two of them, I still don't exactly trust them and you'll know a lot sooner than I would if they're up to anything down there. Get Summer's back and be ready for anything, ok?"

"Do please try to refrain from any senseless violence as well Valkyrie. They appear to be an unsavory sort down there, but as far as we know they are a fairly legitimate establishment. There is at least a truce in place there I would not see broken by us first." Jade joined in as well, peeking down at all the activity with a disapproving huff.

"Awright, awright Blue, I'll behave if'n ya stop yer naggin'. C'mon you lot, let's get this show on the road already. Gots me a nice fluffy bed in the castle ta get back to, wanna try them royal baths out too. Maybe make the boss scrub my back ta pay me fer this nonsense." Val squawked back and dove off the roof with a playful flick of her tail in my face, the bit of fluff making me wrinkle my nose and blush at Freya rolling her eyes and scooping Fancy up to follow.

AssaultJack simply jumped off the four story ruin and down to the rubble choked streets, while Summer put on a determined expression and fluttered off behind them, leaving Jade and I alone on the rooftop and waiting to play our part. She sat beside me at the edge as I pulled out the Last Minute and followed them through the gauss rifle's scope, panning over the race track and picking out more details.

It wasn't just the track we had to worry about, this was Rust Devil territory and it spread into the dilapidated ruins nearby. Roving patrols of the robot accompanied gang could be spotted all over, one of which investigated Val and the others walking up to the races briefly. A closer look at their destination ahead of them also picked out more defenses, the place was practically festooned with auto turrets... probably pretty good incentive to keep the rowdy crowd on their best behavior.

The crude wiring strung all over the place by some of the pegasi and griffons in the crew I spotted flitting around was hard to backtrack, not exactly being a neat or professional job using wasteland junk and rough patches. Enough was there to get the gist though, it all ran through two places, the shack of a garage in the middle of the track, and the tower overlooking it all in the stands.

Through the scope I could see the pony sitting up in the latter, a pale green unicorn mare with a gold and rose colored mane. Her hooves and bright yellow magic flew over the controls and computers crammed up in her perch with her, while a floating microphone by her head let her call out commentary on the races being run by all the weird robots below. She wore very ornate armor of the same robot style as her minions, though the the distinct shape of a pip-buck on one foreleg caught my eye. A Stable dweller?

"Fast... are you sure you are alright? You are up to doing this without losing control? Is.. is that voice of yours speaking to you?" Jade's soft whisper got me to look away from the scope, turning to her tapping her hooves together nervously with a scrutinizing stare.

"Umm... I think so Jade, it's being quiet anyway. You believe me now, huh? Are... are you scared of me?"

At my anxious question, Jade launched herself at me, clutching me in her hooves hard enough to make my ribs creak under her prodigious strength as she gasped back. "N-Never! You were never frightened of me Fast, I could never be scared of you. I am scared for you however. I have always believed you, I must consider all the possibilities, but I have never doubted how you feel when you do decide to tell me. While I am still uncertain if you are under the influence of some.... g-ghost... I can see the effect it has on you and am reluctant to allow you to put yourself in situations that may exacerbate it."

Returning her embrace with a wheeze that got her to loosen up just a hair, I kissed her favorite spot on her neck and chuckled. "So far I don't see much to worry about down there, so it should just be in and out. You sound as spooked as Summer though hon, it's not the first time I've heard you sound like that when it comes to ghosts either. You a big, beautiful scaredy-filly?"

Jade gave a cute little full body shiver and whinny in answer, undermining her initial denial. "N-No... Well, p-perhaps just a bit... There is such a thing as ghosts I would have you know! Things much worse than ghouls and balefire exist. There are many frightening stories in the wasteland of h-haunted places and angry spirits who envy the living."

"I guess that one we told Glitter didn't help either, did it?"

Taking in me slumping against her, Jade leaned down to rub noses supportively, answering in a hushed tone of worry. "It was... most i-informative. P-Perhaps a little frightening as well, yes. So I do understand your fears over such a terrible creature dear. I assure you however, you are not that monster by any means, no matter what. You are Fast Times, my special somepony, Glitter's father and my loving husband, a hero to the Commonwealth and a brilliant repair-pony. Most of all you are mine and I am yours Fast. We will get to the bottom of this Shroud business together, yes?"

"Yes Jade, I know we will. As long as I've got you two I can be positive about anything, that voice is even quiet when we're together like this. I think... I think love affects it somehow, so I thank the goddesses for you and her, for Val and Witchy, Zed, your sisters, everybody..."

She pulled away and gained a pretty pink blush at that, giving me a warm smile beneath sparkling blue eyes that were wide and dark before kissing me passionately, finally pausing for breath to whisper softly. "Then I shall simply have to provide all the love you need, so we need not worry about it. I do love you Fast, very, very much... Learning about that from you has changed my life for the better, so take heart and never doubt I feel the same way."

"I won't, I love you too Jade. Even when I'm scared or lose control, you're always there to pull me back. Whether it's some ghost or me being crazy, knowing you're there keeps me going, keeps me sane... gives me something to live for."

Slipping a hoof under her lab coat to stroke her tummy both got a giggle out of her that brightened the mood and made clear just what I meant. It was still a long, smooth expanse of silky blue fur down there, but I could almost swear there was a gentle curve now. That was mine... ours... that was all I'd ever need to fight for, making a better world for our foal, for Jade and Glitter.

"Alright... much as I'd love to just stay right here with you all night, we better get going Jade. You ready?"

Giving one last parting kiss, Jade stood and nodded firmly, the light blue magic at her horn swirling around us and making us fade from view. I reached out and fumbled for her hoof as I fluttered off the rooftop, tracing over her warm body and holding it as we flew towards the race track together, hoof in hoof and heart to heart.

"...5 minutes to post everypony and we've got a late addition to the lineup! Place yer bets on the newcomber AssaultJack wearing number 9!" A bawdy shout over the loudspeakers surrounding the Downs made me sweat and hurry up, hacking away frantically at the terminal tucked away in the cluttered stable/garage for the robots.

Jade got us in to the heart of the Rust Devils empire without incident, slipping into the sturdiest shack and even knocking the grizzled looking technician buck out with her anesthetic spell, who was now stuffed in a locker nearby. There were a couple weird robots in for maintenance in here and a mountain of parts I itched to start swiping, but my focus was navigating the junkyard network and taking control of it, a task that was harder than I thought it would be.

They looked like crude raiders, but at least some of them were intelligent and skilled. Hacking my way through their defenses was taking too long, a point Jade added to nervously. "Fast... they are lining all the robots up at the strange gates on the track, you must hurry..."

"I'm trying... I don't know who set this up, but they're either brilliant or stupid... Why the hell is this filed there? The drivers for all the robots are non Robronco code? They rewrote everything!?"

"Oy, Eager! Make sure Clamps is fixed up and ready to go for the big post race show after this one, gotta be a good one right? Finally get a little payback on that Mechanamare bitch!" A coarse voice from outside made us both gulp nervously, blinking to each other in panic.

Coughing and holding a hoof up to mask my gruff reply of "Ayup", we both breathed a sigh of relief hearing the pony outside walking away without investigating. The jingle of chains and mention of the hated 'Mechanamare' pulling my attention away from the terminal to peek out, finding him leading a frightened looking peach mare out of the shack next to this one and towards the stands.

I frowned at the poorly tended wounds obvious on the prisoner and the shackles forcing her to follow despite her obvious fear, wondering what the hell the Rust Devils had prisoners for. The loud bugle suddenly blaring out sent me scrambling back to the keyboard and tapping away furiously however.

"...Aaaaaand they're off!" The now recognizable voice of the leader of the Rust Devils, May Flowers, shouted out from her tower above the stands, a clanging bell sounding out just ahead of the thunder of a lot of robots pounding down the track.

"Coming into the first turn it's Arcano Dreams, followed by Tin Buck, Mare o' War and Ol' Rusty hot on his heels, with the newcomer AssaultJack moving up from the pack and gaining fast! Will we see an upset, or will the newbie wind up a pile of scrap!? Oh! An agile dodge from Iron Maiden's beam attack!" The running commentary and Jade biting her lip at the door was distracting, but I trusted AssaultJack to handle any threat on her own for a minute.

"Aha! Got it!" Thankfully, I worked well under pressure and finally broke through to the controls over the system. I could see the admin access taking control over the blinking dots representing all the bots moving around the pixelated oval, focusing their attacks and movements against the red dot that must be AJ out there. "Let's see how you like this..."

"The newbie takes out Ol' Rusty in a stunning display, but what's this? Fusion's Folly is charging up for his signature kamikaze attack from the rear, this could be... could be... er..." I grinned at the voice over the loudspeakers faltering when their chosen commands were overwritten, leaning out to peek through the gaps in the walls to spot the robots racing by.

I spotted AssaultJack charging forward through the second turn and slashing a surprisingly speedy Ponitron's head clean off with her foreleg blades in a graceful leap. As soon as her metal hooves touched the dirt again, she sped up and gave chase to the lead Mr. Handy, flailing its limbs and shooting useless gouts of flame back at her. Once they hit the back stretch with room to really get running, there was no way AssaultJack wouldn't overtake first. As it was I wondered if she was intentionally holding back so she could scrap anything in range. Meaning I could essentially just sit back and watch if I wanted, while the mare in charge frantically tried to find a way around the lockout that kept her hooves off the controls.

With the race well in hoof now, I explored the system and made a few adjustments just in case. The turret network was intimidating enough I wanted some insurance, plus I enjoyed surreptitiously fiddling with the messy code, openly snorting giggles of laughter at the running commentary turning sour. "And Ol' Rusty... turns around on the Goddess damned track while the dark horse entry AssaultJack takes first!?! Can any bot stop her or will she take it all? One of them better stop fucking tap dancing into each other and stop her... I mean... it's anybot's race!"

A blue muzzle fading into view over my shoulder and nuzzling my cheek added to my enjoyment of the situation, until a rather bubbly voice spoke up instead of Jade's. "Like, ohmigosh! I found the male!"

"Gah! W-What!?"

My wings flapped frantically and I hit the ceiling scrambling away, knocking down a forest of replacement robot limbs hanging from the rafters as I spun and took in the strange mare. An alicorn... shit... A blue one like Jade, nearly her color, though her pale green and teal mane was styled and swept up in a ponytail and she wore a thick and threadbare dark blue sweater along with a short skirt.

Her bright teal eyes followed me crashing back to the ground in front of her, closing in a happy smile as she spoke. "You're totally not who I'm looking for, but nearly as good! Wow! I'm like, really lucky! Hmm... though now I totally don't know what to do..."

"Grrr... and the surprise winner is the outsider #9, AssaultJack! Settle your bets in the clubhouse and place new ones for the mid-race show coming up!" The obviously frustrated and angry voice over the speakers came with the ring of a bell and loud cheers and boos from the stands, ending the race but not the trouble we were in.

Jade warily interrupted the alicorn scratching her two tone mane in thought, trotting between us to speak in a whisper and looking all around to make sure we were still undiscovered, other than by her that was... "Er... H-Hello sister... umm..."

"Neon Lights. Hello sister Jade! Umbra's like, super mad at you!" She answered Jade's faltering question cheerily, letting Jade continue while I peeked outside.

Val, Summer, Fancy, Freya and AssaultJack were all at the entry to the building behind the stands, AJ wearing a wreath of withered flowers and wires oddly enough. They were speaking with the May Flowers in front of the doors in. A pile of parts and a suitable Robroncro class 8 universal console were stacked up and Summer was already inspecting them all and bundling them up.

I didn't like Fancy's smirk as she spoke to the Rust Devil in charge counting out a bag of caps, picking up the words; "Let it ride" from the back and forth and cursing to myself. This wasn't the plan... actually the plan was rapidly falling to pieces considering we had been caught not by the Devils, but by one of Jade's sisters. Fancy making it worse was just par for the course. Of nearly as much interest was the prisoner we saw led off getting shoved to the track before them and unbound, cowering before one of the undamaged racers that didn't move away with the others to the gate being hauled back to the track. What were they up to?

"Y-Yes... I am aware of sister Umbra's displeasure. Perhaps we could discuss it elsewhere, getting discovered here would not be very good sister Neon, as I imagine you know considering you snuck in as well. May I ask what you are doing here?" Jade was valiantly trying to salvage the situation, though she didn't see the gaggle of robot armored Rust Devils approaching the shacks we sheltered in.

"Hmm? Oh yeah! These bad ponies have a friend of mine. I'm s'posed to find him, while my other friend totally distracts all those grody robot loving ponies out there. I guess he's not in this building though. I should probably hurry up to the max, but I found the male... hmmm... what to do..." The oddly cheery Neon answered, interrupted by a pair of Rust Devils nearing the wide garage door out and turning invisible along with Jade and I.

"Hey, Eager! Where ya at? C'mon, May's already pissed enough at some glitch that lost her a big bet. Countin' on Clamps to cheer her up tearin' that buck we caught to pieces after the next race. Don't tell me yer out takin' a shit now of all times." The first, a skinny orange unicorn buck wearing a lot of Ponitron parts peered around the garage lazily, pausing to take a drink from the beer bottle floating along beside him.

The second was more sober and aware however, a large brown earth pony mare who wore the chestplate of a Sentry-bot welded down to fit her. She blew her dirty red mane from her eyes and flicked her tongue over the firing bit for battlesaddle nervously, squinting suspiciously at the parts I had knocked down.

"Eager wouldn't pop a squat after that race, especially not with a good massacre comin' up... Something ain't right here... Go get..." Whoever she wanted her partner to get remained a mystery, Neon reappeared behind her with her hooves gripping her cheeks, giving a short, sharp jerk that snapped the mare's neck with an audible crack.

The unicorn gaped at his partner falling in a heap and the grinning alicorn standing over her, barely regaining his wits enough to begin to draw a .38 revolver before Deliverer fired and put two rounds in his head silently. I reappeared with the smoking pistol floating in my magic to Jade's gasp, shrugging helplessly at the situation and understanding her frown of concern.

"I couldn't let him shoot... that was all me Jade. Blame your sister there, what the hell umm... Neon? We're trying to just slip in and out here!"

"Oh, sorry! All these Rusty ponies are bad though, they captured my friend, so I'm like, totally rescuing him!" Neon obviously didn't understand Jade's strangled little noises of displeasure over the casual and frighteningly efficient bit of murder.

"What a race, huh folks! Just goes to show anything can happen at the Downs, we run a square contest, despite what some assholes might say! Place your bets now to see if the surprise champ can pull a repeat performance, since her owner was kind enough to give poor old May a chance to win some of her caps back! Until then, enjoy the midrace show!" The Rust Devil leader's voice warbled out over the speakers again, making me facehoof at the knowledge Fancy had actually gone ahead and entered AssaultJack in another race.

Looking out to scowl at the greedy mare as I couldn't do much else, I froze along with Jade peeking out the door above me on spotting what the 'entertainment' was. The prisoner was now unshackled completely and holding a crude shock baton in her chattering teeth, the Rust Devil guards surrounding him and the flamer equipped Mr. Handy formed a rough ring at the finish line. An arena...

The contest, if you could even call it that, was over before I could get over my shock and move. The same clanging bell that started the races gave the robot permission to attack, spewing a torrent of flame on the poor mare that was roasted alive even while trying to dodge away. As I heard Jade sob overhead, the modified robot jabbed a spike covered limb forward and skewered the blackened pony, thankfully silencing her screams, though the roaring cheers of the crowd rose to replace it.

'Murderers.... Let me...'

The furious growl in my head taking the opportunity to tempt me wasn't rejected out of hoof. Bloodsport... This place wasn't just about simple robot races... They were raiders at heart after all, meaning any reason to continue trying to keep this peaceful went out the window. Every laughing face in the crowd was marked along with the Devils themselves, they laughed and enjoyed the torture, like it was a game... just another fun night at the Downs...

They all deserved to die...

I managed to fight back the impulse to go outside and just start shooting, assuaging the growl of 'Be Dark...' by stomping back to the terminal and adding a few new lines of code. So long as there was going to be blood, that voice was willing to cooperate, and as far as I was concerned there was going to be a lot of it...

Jade was still sputtering as she staggered after me with tears in her eyes, wiping them away to keep a close eye on me. She looked away anxiously when Neon galloped over to a window of cracked and dirty glass to point out at more Rust Devils that had split off from the two dead ones in here with us. "Ah! There he is! Like, hold on just a sec, I should totally go save him before they do that to him too!"

The rich red-violet earth pony buck they were dragging out of the shack next door had clearly been beaten worse than the previous prisoner, his red and blue mane dirty and matted with blood. The limited view of the locked shack now standing open behind his weak struggles brought the voice of 'Be Dark...' closer to the surface with a spike of pain in my head. There were quite a few more prisoners in there...

I ran for the door and found myself behind Neon's flowing tail already ahead of me. I didn't really think, charging out into the dirty lot in the middle of the track in clear view of the Rust Devils and every other raider and scumbag here for the show. I just wasn't going to let them take one more unfortunate pony from that shack to be murdered for their entertainment. Fortunately, the distraction Neon mentioned seemed to go off before we took two steps, a rumbling series of explosions on the far side of the track turned the heads of the crowd and the trio trying to pry the beaten buck off the doorway.

Neon simply plowed ahead and bowled two of them over under her hooves, stamping and bucking at the surprised jailers while the murmurs and yells of the crowd focused on the explosions and bright beams of magical energy weapons. With them off balance, I activated S.A.T.S. and started queuing up shots with Deliverer.

I was surprised and morbidly delighted to find the idiot Rust Devil who had threatened Redheart was the third who was still standing. His missing foreleg had been replaced by a battered looking cybernetic limb, frozen in the middle of pointing at me coming right at him with a surprised expression turning to anger.

I saved him for last... The silent 10mm pistol couldn't penetrate their thick robot casing armor, but their unprotected heads were at point blank range and trying to dizzily focus on the large blue alicorn tapdancing on them. Only the standing buck, Jagged... that was his name, had a chance to see death coming and I savored seeing him realize it as time resumed.

When Deliverer stopped firing, I turned back to where Jade was hidden after taking a better look at the beaten buck Neon was turning to nuzzle and the others locked up in the shack. "Jade! There are hurt ponies in here, we have to..."

Another even louder explosion interrupted me, shaking me on my hooves as one of the shacks on the far side of the track was turned to flaming tinders and an amplified mare's voice called out. "Rust Devils! Your robotic tyranny went too far when you ponynapped my friend! Now you face the Mechanamare's righteous robots of justice!"

"What the hell...?"

I fluttered up to peer over the walkways and second story shacks with my weapons drawn as Jade charged under me, hurriedly releasing and healing the prisoners below, after helping her strange sister release the buck she came for and tending his worst wounds. Thankfully he went along with Jade and convinced Neon to do so as well, the three of them shuffling around in the shack I guarded, while I took in the chaos on the eastern side of the track and the mare at the heart of it all.

It was the Mechanamare... My surprise at running into a comic book character attacking the place with a horde of robots and speaking in character left me dumbfounded. Now I had an idea how ponies felt when I acted out the Shroud... it was slightly insane after all...

She was a real pony though, a mare, though it would be hard to tell if it weren't for her voice shouting orders to the throng of brainbots, Ponitrons, Sprite-bots and a pair of Sentry-bots. She wore the bulky steel armor of the Mechanamare from the comics, topped off by a bucket like helm with dark goggles for eyes and a slitted muzzle, with weird little radar dishes for ears and a big red M on the forehead. The rather large magical energy rifle floating in a field of bright pink magic near her looked a little ungainly and cobbled together, but was devastatingly effective at turning Rust Devils to piles of sparkling ash from her perch atop a ruined convenience store overlooking the track.

"Kill that fucking cunt! NOW! Tonight's biggest purse goes to the one who brings me her head! This ain't part of the show, the rules against starting shit are hereby suspended! Fire away all you assholes! Where are my fucking turrets!" The loudspeakers screeched with feedback from the raging voice of May Flowers screaming from her tower, getting an immediate response from both the Rust Devils and all the spectators.

While this weird Mechanamare pony came with a small army of shiny and new looking robots, it wasn't enough to hold out against every raider, gangster and Gunner in the stands whooping and firing on her say so. If the robots and turrets were actually functioning properly (as the head Rust Devil was just finding out most definitely wasn't the case), she'd be torn to shreds in short order.

Looking down to the captives running out and escaping as Jade and the others released them, I guessed what Neon said was right. This was supposed to be a distraction to let them rescue the bloodied but brave buck below me ushering the others out instead of running himself. In that case and considering I had already promised the snarl of 'Be Dark...' a slaughter, I felt no compunctions adding to the chaos.

I spared a determined look down to Jade's worried one before flapping my way up to the top of the precariously stacked shacks nearby, gaining a good vantage point to take in the battlefield, safely away from Jade and the prisoners and where Val and the others could see me. They sheltered together and had their weapons drawn, but wore confused expressions and weren't joining the fray yet. I was relieved to see Summer had already tied up the pile of parts and loaded AssaultJack down like a brahmim. Putting on a bit of a show would let them find us and get out of here hopefully.

"Greetings Evildoers! Tonight's just not your night, for you face not only the Mechanamare, but the Shrouded Stallion as well!" The wall of dashes on E.F.S. paused and the crazed battle stilled for an instant at the Shroud's voice booming out, resulting in a brief lull I tried to take advantage of. The only concession to Jade's anxious look I could manage. "I offer you Luna's mercy only once. Thine sadistic bloodsport has brought down my Princess' wrath and you would do well to flee. Continue this madness and it will not go well for you..."

Val zeroed in on me instantly, shoving the others away from the stands and crowd gawking at me. The Rust Devil leader May and the Mechanamare found their voices first, the surprised and angry shout from the heavily armored Mechanamare taking me somewhat by surprise. "YOU!? What the hell are you doing here you son of a..."

Before she could finish, May Flowers shouted down from her tower, pounding her hooves on her consoles and terminals up there in a fit. "The fucking Shroud too!? Fuck it! Kill them all! Get those fucking turrets back online! Robots attack!!"

She turned red and smashed one panel of controls under her hoof when the robotic racers simply stood still and didn't obey. Then gaped when the first shots started focusing on me, only to be met by the so far silent turrets spinning on each new red dash on Eyes Forward Sparkle and opening up in a roar that nearly drowned out my reply.

"Oh. I changed that! I prefer the default settings, much more elegant! The command you're looking for is; Robots, Terminate."

As soon as they got the command, every robot on the Rust Devil's network joined the turrets in keying on my E.F.S. and attacking anything red, of which there was a lot to chose from... There were still plenty of plain old ponies wearing their clunky armor, but a large portion of their fighting force had been turned against them and their audience. With them included, we had somehow managed to turn this into a three way war with us squarely in the middle, meaning it was time to go.

Val led the charge across the racetrack and to the warren of junk shacks as the last captive hobbled out into the ruins, grinning maniacally and firing her pistols at anything getting to close to her and the others following behind. "Holy shit boss! An' I thought this would be borin' 'cept for the gamblin' an' what not! Who the fuck is this mare?"

Blinking her wide teal eyes at Val's claw in her face, Neon floated the last beaten captive that she had come for in the first place to her back, tossing her mane as she turned to Jade and I in turn. "So like... I need to get him out of here so my other friend can totally stop and get away. But I found the male... Could you like, wait here and I'll be right back maybe?"

Her odd accent and tilt to her head was cute, but not enough to hang around in a warzone... Though Val sized her up instantly with her bizarre request as, "One of those..." and huffed, turning to lob grenades from the machinegun on her flank, while the others ducked from one bit of cover to the next to join us. I was interested to see that Freya freezing a pair of Rust Devils pounding across the wooden walkways had taken the rear, while Val took the lead, a formation they seemed to have taken up with unspoken, practiced ease.

Maybe they were even rekindling a bit of their old friendship, considering the same crazed gleam in Val's eyes was present in the snowy griffon's blue ones as she squawked and fired a long magical energy rifle. "Fuck me firecrotch! Yer boss always end up in this kinda shit? Ok, consider me a lil' jealous!"

Even with everycreature and robot attacking each other in a crazed melee, I spotted several Gunners from the stands focusing on our meager cover and gulped. I had a good idea nothing was more important to them than taking me, Jade and Val out and they were moving with purpose. Several griffons in green combat armor already filling the sky and trying to close it off.

Fancy was cringing under Freya's protective guard, though she occasionally peeked out to give me a dirty, 'I told you so' look and even fire a gold gilded M.E.W. floating in her matching golden magic. Summer on the other hoof was having to call AssaultJack back from zipping off too far, fading from view to go tear some new target to ribbons before reappearing again nearby. Especially impressive as she had a tottering pile of parts stacked on her back while doing it. If a robotic killing machine could be described as happy, she was, though I was more worried for the fragile parts than the coppery robot.

All of them looked to me keeping Jade under the best cover of the prison shack and firing armor piercing .45s from Vengeance to penetrate the Rust Devils dense armor. "A-Alright, time to get going. Neon, sorry but no... just, no. Not at all. Nice meeting you two and all, but I'm not sticking around and neither should you. Get your friend out of here, say hi to your... Mechanamare buddy over there for me."

Her lip stuck out in a pout was comical considering the circumstances, but pointing to the weak earth pony draped over her back seemed to remind her why we ran into each other to begin with at least. The odd mare gave a parting whine, while the buck on her back waved weakly before they both faded from view, a gust of sweet scented air the only sign she had flown off already.

That just left us, which was more than enough to worry about. "AssaultJack! Take those parts back to the castle and try not to let anything happen to them! Everybody else, let's get moving!"

With the Mechanamare and all the fire focused on her to the east, Gunners circling above and Rust Devil reinforcements running up from ruins in the south, west was the way to go and we made a break for it. Jade's glowing shield brought a little unwelcome attention, but better she have it up as she flew low to the ground with us than not. Summer and Fancy stayed at her side as we pelted across the racetrack, while Val, Freya and I kept up an outer guard continually circling around them.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" I could do without Fancy's puffing insults as we ran, though the whine of the Last Minute drowned her out between shots.

Taking a peek through the scope while flapping backwards just above the ground, I saw the leader of the Devils screaming our way, fiddling with her own pip-buck. May Flowers and her crew of raiders were having a reeeeeally bad night, though I was a little concerned about the consequences of this little escapade for settlements in their territory like Redheart, as we had definitely made her an enemy.

I should have been more concerned about more immediate consequences however. The mystery of what she was tapping away at the arcano-tech computer on her hoof was about was solved as we hit the streets, the rumble from a collapsed two story building that was basically just a pile of rubble making me gulp as some fresh horror burst from beneath the camouflage hiding it.

An Ultra-Sentinel... The faded and chipped sky blue and rainbow accented paintjob was standard issue for only one kind of robot I had ever read about, though I'd never seen one of the terrifying machines before. Essentially a bigger, stronger and 20% cooler Sentry-bot, this thing rising from the ruins definitely wasn't on the Rust Devils network... Some kind of ace in the hole the raider leader had hidden away for emergencies.

With so many targets to choose from, the huge robot went with indiscriminate slaughter. A pair of multi-tubed missile launchers flipped up from its back and fwooshed out a hail of high explosives, while twin miniguns at its sides opened up with a roar and raked the crowd with us almost an afterthought. We managed to dive for shelter behind a series of rusting carriages and a wrecked Ditzy Deliveries van, everyone flinching from the wall of heat and noise as the Mechanamare's forces were decimated.

My ears were still ringing when it died down, half the racetrack was engulfed in flames and battered robots clattered through the fire like broken windup toys. The warbling noise of Fancy still screaming finally sank in, focusing my attention on the van riddled with holes Freya had tackled her behind. The bright red blood was easy to spot on the pale pair, soaking Fancy's freshly cleaned side and running into her face from her disheveled golden mane. A few wounds oozed from under Freya's armor and soaked her feathers too, though the griffon was keeping her claws firmly clamped on her employer's wounds and trying to shove a purple healing potion down her wailing mouth.

Jade was beside me, though her shield had cracked and failed during the onslaught. She was torn between rushing to the injured behind the van ahead of us, versus fretting over Summer's bleeding and bent wing. Shrapnel had peppered all of us, though the wounds were fairly minor, they bled a lot and the sight of Jade's crimson soaked and scorched lab coat made the very thing she had worried about a very real possibility. I could feel 'Be Dark...' straining the leash and trying to take over, only roaring louder when she tried to take a staggering step towards Fancy and Freya, only to flinch back from a hail of 5mm rounds chewing up the cracked asphalt.

'Be Strong!'

'Be Unwavering!'

'Be Awesome!'

'Be Kind...'

NO! I bashed my head against the rust covered carriage with several hollow bongs, drawing more blood from my forehead, but managing to barely hold on. Letting go was tempting, but mindless destruction wasn't going to help here. There had to be a balance, some semblance of sanity and a plan...

"Think dammit..." I muttered to myself quietly, getting the attention of Jade, Val and Summer sheltering with me from another rain of gunfire, along with the beams of magical energy weapons lancing down from Gunners overhead figuring out where we were. "Ok... It's ok... Same plan, the streets, take it down the streets where it can't follow as easy, find somewhere to hide. Jade, you're in charge of the wounded, keep running, no matter what, I'll keep it busy..."

"Not alone you won't dammit! Hey, Ice Queen, you up ta a lil' fire n' frost action? Gots ta run some interference for a strategical type retreat!" Val wound her claw around my tail firmly, preventing me from moving while she shouted to Freya.

Even in the midst of all the destruction and the ominous rumbling of the Ultra-Sentinel rolling out to the street, Freya turned back with a conflicted look between her screaming boss and Val, before giving a firm nod. "Right! Hey Blue! You take care of the boss for me, yer good at that healin' an' what not, right!? Let's wreck this fucker Val, like the old days..."

"Fast you may not..." Jade whimpered quietly, but Val was already tensed to move and had released me when lightning started flickering around me and zapped her claw.

"I'm... I'm still in control, don't worry about me Jade. You guys have to go, you're all wounded, Summer and Freya need you and you'll be going slower than us. I can manage without losing it, but only so long as you're safe. Now go!"

I took off with a flickering contrail streaking behind me before she could object further, joined by Val and Freya darting off to the sides while I got up in the huge robot's face and drew its fire away. One positive to apparently being marked as a priority target by the giant killing machine, was the hail of 5mm rounds chasing after my looping course hit the Gunner griffons above trying to get close enough to kill me too.

I was definitely glad for Mr. Jets taking the time to teach me as a Junior Speedster at least, between his remedial flying lessons and the whoop of 'Be Awesome!' harmonizing with 'Be Dark...', I stayed mostly ahead of the thing's furious attacks. Of course I'd probably already be dead if it weren't for the agile pair of griffons diving around me and attacking in concert with stunning precision.

Freya swooped down to the cluttered streets and the strange cryogenic flamethrower thing on her flank pulled the same trick it had on me in Stable 114. The sheets of ice forming on the street caused the Ultra-Sentinel to slip and crash into a ruined building. As soon as its thick, knobby wheeled foreleg slid out from under it, Val was right there, lobbing 25mm grenades at the underbelly and joints of the massive thing.

Keeping one eye on Jade leading the others away to the maze of twisting, narrow Trotson streets, I took advantage of the robot flailing and using the metal husks of carriages cluttering the street to self repair, looping around to its back and picking out vulnerable components with the Last Minute.

A rather brave Gunner knocked me off course with a stinging shotgun blast, the buckshot bouncing off the flapping tails of my long coat and biting into my exposed hindlegs. It also had the fortunate effect of taking me off my predicted path when the Sentinel loosed another stream of missiles from its back however. The cream and charcoal colored griffon exploded in a puff of feathers and gore, while I careened onward and dodged for all I was worth.

Val and Freya were much more nimble than I was and not the focus of the attack making their former Gunner comrades pull back. They soared together in perfect harmony, Freya freezing the bulky launchers on the robot's back, then Val following up with high explosives that shattered the now brittle parts in an avalanche of ice and metal.

Freya was keeping as close an eye on Fancy as I was on Jade, glancing to the bleeding mare draped on Jade's back before swooping close as the Sentinel got back up on its repaired leg and lurched after us. "Gonna take more ta take this fucker out shrimp! Not ta mention the crowd of assholes chasin' us! Best we can do is slow it down and run like hell!"

"She's right boss, much as I hate admitin' it! I say we hit the big bastich with everything we got, then make a break for it! Hide out in the ruins till this shitstorm dies down! I knows somewheres they won't follow up ahead, but it's risky..." Val made a pass nearby to agree, pointing to the north and the forest of leaning and broken buildings.

"Somewhere they won't... awww shit, fuckin' really Val?! You wanna go there!? That school is a friggin death trap! This is just like that time you decided ta go slip off inta Pickmare's sewers and we wound up meetin' that psycho pony!" Freya followed Val's claw and scowled back, picking up old gripes in the middle of a fight.

"We got away, didn't we!? Killed that crew of raiders for us even! It was a good plan!" Val screeched back, prevented from continuing by the Sentinel forcing us to scatter from its remaining weaponry coming to bear on us.

"Alright! Anywhere is better than here dammit! Stop arguing and let's go with Val's idea. You help me get some altitude, then go tell Jade where to go Val! Freya, can you slow that thing down for a few seconds on your own?!"

The white griffon gave an offended snort in reply as Val soared off, "I can trip it up all damn night on my own shorty! Just do somethin' useful!"

She dove to the roadway at that, laying down large swaths of ice between the wrecks cluttering the road starting to rise towards an onramp for the elevated highway system circling the Trotson ruins. Freya wasn't just boasting though, the Ultra-Sentinel slipped and slid trying to keep going up the incline, losing traction and accuracy as it kept firing after me climbing overhead.

I had to divide my attention and tax my telekinesis quite a bit to keep gaining altitude while taking advantage of Freya's delaying tactic. At least I didn't have to totally lift one wrecked carriage after another as they shrank beneath me though, the ice forming a thick crust on the slope made it easier to just shove the rusty traffic jam to go sliding towards the Sentinel already struggling to keep going.

Going up made me the circling Gunners more of a threat than the robot I was leaving behind, earning me several fresh wounds from more experienced fliers easily keeping pace with me. They were still too leery of the Sentinel to close to a more lethal range, but blood loss and pain were making the ladylike cheer of 'Be Unwavering!' reluctantly work with snarling 'Be Dark...' to keep me going.

I felt lucky there were already scattered clouds in the sky as I finally reached their level. I had no time or energy to gather enough to use myself. I spared a final glance down to the Sentinel tripping on the pile of dead wrecks at its spinning wheels, relieved to see Jade and the others already well ahead of the target zone and Val waving Freya off in anticipation of what was coming.

A hurried loop of kicking hooves blackened the cloud I made it to, priming my weapon to fire just before the chatter of a light machinegun stitched my right wing with searing pain that greatly reduced my agility in the air. Fortunately all I needed to do next was fall... Well, that and pull up in time, but too late to back out now.

The blinding bolt of lightning I brought down struck the Ultra-Sentinel square after I pulled away from sending it on its way with a scream, my wing didn't want to let me level off quickly enough and I wasn't sure how much time I'd have to do it however. I managed to clear enough distance for Val to catch me and yank me away at least, my loyal bodyguard figuring out what I was up to and adding a series of grenades just for good measure as she swooped away with me in tow.

Hanging woozily from her claw by my tail, I got to see the already smoking and hissing hulks of wrecked carriages surrounding the rebooting Ultra-Sentinel. I tried to add my own wingpower to Val's to get further away as her 25mm grenades tumbled through the air on target, making a beeline for Jade and the others before the first spark battery cooked off enough to blow.

Like firecrackers from Tartarus, the pile of dead vehicles exploded around the Sentinel one after another until the roaring noises overlapped into one long, unending blast of heat and light. Any of the Gunners flying in our backtrail or unfortunate enough to be too close were either tossed aside by the shockwave, or roasted alive. Even when the noise started to lower from deafening, it was joined by a squalling, squealing rumble of the rising ramp collapsing under the robot.

While all that still might not be enough to stop it for good, the Ultra-Sentinel went crashing to the lower streets and was quickly lost in a rising plume of dust and rubble. The mass destruction also had the added benefit of offering us cover to dive to the concrete canyons of the city, rejoining the others and making our escape in the chaos.

Location Discovered: D.B. Technical School. Catching my breath, I watched Jade finally moving on from healing Fancy's wounds under Freya's watchful stare for a moment, only a little guilty I felt glad when the annoying mare had passed out from blood loss. Thanks to Jade what had been a non-lethal, though still serious enough, series of wounds should be fine.

Her ear splitting screaming and cursing both everyone in general and me specifically would have made hiding out here impossible however. The explosions and destruction that covered our escape could muffle a lot, but not that level of racket, especially since we had left it behind on entering the ruins of Trotson. The universal rule of not flying among the broken towers of the city at night did at least give us a degree of safety from the Gunners flying after us.

I peeked out from under the half crumbled brick archway marking the entrance to a large and silent ruin. The rusty sign above the wrought iron gates set in the brick walls surrounding the place was bent and missing quite a few letters, but enough remained to work out the full name of; Daybreak Technical High School.

I ducked back from another patrol of Gunners and joined the others under the hole riddled roof of the entryway, looking up to the peeling double doors leading inside. I was somewhat curious both why we hadn't gone in to hide better, and why merely being under the bit of cover just inside the grounds seemed to be good enough. Beyond Gunner griffons flying by, a few groups of raiders and Rust Devils both had passed by on the street outside, but none had ventured onto the grounds of the silent school itself.

The way Val and Freya kept prowling around the small shelter outside of the building with distinctly twitchy expressions was just making me more curious, that and highly concerned what made them both look so nervous... Anything that made the two fearless mercs look like a pair of school-fillies out on a dare had to be pretty damn bad.

"Hurry it up Blue, we need ta get goin' soon..." Val's tense whisper just added to the goosebumps I felt watching them pacing without even a snide look or shove between them.

Freya only added to it by agreeing without complaint or insult in a gruff and impatient voice. "We need ta be gone already. If'n the boss is ok ta travel, I'm takin' her outta here next good break we get, whether you fucks are ready or not."

"It will not help your employer to needlessly rush Freya. She is stable for now, allow me to tend to Summer's wing, then everyone else while she recovers." Jade was calm and collected in comparison, wrapping Summer's wing in a splint with barely a look up.

The shared groan of annoyance between the two griffons finally pushed me over the edge, looking all around warily and still seeing nothing as I whispered. "Ok, I have to ask, what in the name of Luna is freaking you two out about this place? It seems ok... quiet even."

"Of course it's friggin quiet shrimp! It's haunted!" Freya's eyelid twitched as she hissed back.

Under other circumstances, Jade and Summer both yelping, "H-H-Haunted!?!" in unison would be funny and adorable, but both griffons nodded seriously back to my amazement.

"Yup, why they ain't checkin' this place out boss. Might'a been my idea, but the bitch is right, less time we're here the better." Val shrugged to my mouth hanging open, apparently not just messing with me.

Val gave Jade a nudge from behind to get back to work, getting a sharp 'Eek!' from her and Summer both, who immediately stuffed a hoof into each other's mouths and shivered together under their blue and yellow wings flapping and coming up to hide behind.

"I t-told you Fast, there is so such a thing as g-ghosts!" Jade recovered and peeked out first, returning to healing in a rush with her teeth chattering.

"Er... not that I have room to doubt when it comes to scary spirits or anything, but seriously? Ghosts? Not feral ghouls or ancient magical spirits, but ghosts-ghosts...? And the reason nopony's found us here yet is because..."

"Because nobody's stupid enough to hide here, except for this idiot! Jeez Val, ain't ya taught this twerp nothin'?" Freya answered and scowled at Val for suggesting this place.

"It worked, didn't it!? An' shaddup, boss still has lots of catchin' up ta do. I'll tell ya all about it when we're gone, fer now let's get movin' before..."

Val's face actually paled when she was interrupted by a long, clanging schoolbell from the building, her reaction a lot scarier than the fairly innocuous noise considering we were at a school. Even Freya audibly gulped, though it was difficult to hear over the shared squeal Jade and Summer voiced together on getting spooked by the sudden and loud noise.

"Fuck me... Healed or not, time ta..." Freya croaked and moved to pick up the unconscious form of Fancy leaning against the wall in, then froze when the door beside her opened with a long, creepy creak and the echoing sound of approaching hoofsteps on tile coming from the darkness beyond.

Her wings flared to take off as she dove for Fancy, only to flop to the ground like a sack of apples, followed by Val before she got her pistol clear of her holster. I was already moving to try to protect Jade when she and Summer fell over next, the terror at seeing Jade falling bonelessly short lived at least, as I followed right behind with a sharp pain at my neck.

The last sight following me into the darkness was terrifying, but it wasn't some slobbering wraith or ghost. The black leather coat and sunglasses the very alive looking pony inside wore clashed with the tattered orange sash reading, 'Hall Monitor' she bizarrely had over her chest. A Courser...

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

Intimidation-------------
---Time to show everycreature who's boss! Training your weapon or dragon eyed glare on any sentient creature below your level and gain a chance to pacify them.