After all our traveling, waking up in Castle Equinox was like living in the lap of luxury by prewar standards, let alone those of the wasteland outside. Jade rated the royal treatment and her army of devoted Minutemares laid it on with their patron Princess returned, starting with breakfast in bed to our shared surprise.

The young private buck who had apparently fought for the honor of delivery had his tentative knock answered by Glitter, already up and bored while we slept in. Our little filly bursting in and jumping on Luna's massive bed was something I had gotten used to, but I felt like finding something to throw at his cracking voice stammering his manners to Jade sitting up and yawning.

The smell of bacon, muffins, scrambled Miretank eggs, mutfruit juice and more got me to peek out from the pillows clamped to my head I was trying to hide from Glitter under. Apparently word of Jade's condition had spread and even the castle cook Greasy Spoon was making sure she was well cared for.

Nice as that thought was, looking over to the young earth pony who had delivered his efforts brought a strange sliver of annoyance. His eyes were as big as dinner plates, looking up to the radiant alicorn smacking her lips blearily. Jade's cloudy mane was stuck out at wild angles and the floof of thicker fur on her chest was a tangled mess. Her wide blue eyes sparkling at all the food were sleepy and her wings disheveled, but she still looked gorgeous and I could tell the young stallion agreed. He tried valiantly to keep his gaze up with hers so far above him, but his wide orange eyes kept flicking down to all that bare blue hide and his face was a brilliant red.

Shut up... It was morning dammit... painfully so even... The possessive grumble of 'Be Dark...' was sleepy, but not silent, stoking an ember of jealousy over the amiable young buck being understandably overwhelmed. I groaned under the pillows at the unwelcome voice, glad Jade mistook it for simply not wanting to be woken up for anything, even the delicious smelling food or Glitter snuggling between us.

"Oh do not mind my husband, I am afraid he is not a morning pony at all in the best of times Private, and he had a very rough night he is still to focus on recovering from... Thank you so much for bringing this up to us, do thank Mr. Spoon for us as well! My this all smells wonderful!" Jade clapped her hooves together and licked her lips, smiling brightly to the Private scrambling to help as she started floating dishes from his heavily laden back.

I didn't miss her implied threat either, burrowing deeper under the blankets with a grumble, even though I couldn't really argue with her. I felt like death warmed over, somewhat literally in this case as I had nearly drowned / frozen to death the night before. That accounted for how exhausted and sore I felt, not to mention still sniffling and trying to muffle a sneeze from her sharp ears.

"O-Of course your HiIIghness! You're very welcome, m-my honor PriIIncess Jade! General FaAAst, little Princess. Good to haAve you back!" The private thankfully bowed his way out at that, every high pitched crack of his changing voice making me wince at the dull headache I had.

I was a lot more willing to put up with Glitter dragging me from the warm covers than some awestruck buck ogling MY Jade, though still grumbled at the strong little earth pony filly pushing and shoving happily. "C'mon Daddy! Wake up! Tell me what happened last night, mommy sounds maaaad... Did you fight a bunch of robots at that racing place? Or those nasty Gunners? Oooh! Or a dragon!?"

"Nnngh... worse... We went to high school..."

The cute tilt to her head when I surrendered and sat up made me chuckle, ruffling her silver mane still messy from sleep and floating over the bacon I knew Jade wouldn't touch. Glitter blinked curiously between us in confusion at my cryptic answer, but I smiled at the way she stuck her tongue out at the word 'school', accepting that as a truly terrible ordeal without details.

When she spotted a bit of red tangled in the dark blue sheets and fished it out, Jade turned a crimson nearly matching the short cheerleader skirt the filly held up curiously, sputtering around her muffin. "Y-Yes, we went to a school of sorts dear, it was v-very trying, we will tell you all you missed, I promise. Y-Your father managed to injure himself yet again as you would expect, s-so I would like you to keep him out of trouble and from overdoing things while we remain at the castle please."

Snapping a salute to her mother at the mission, Glitter sat between us and kept her bright pink eyes focused on me. Getting her hooves on a bowl of Sugar Apple Bombs, she mumbled around the crunchy cereal happily. "Ok Mommy, mwah'll watch hmm! Whnn whe weavin' again?"

"Hmm... well, my sister should be returning with Witching and Mr. Jets fairly soon, provided they did not run into trouble of their own I suppose. We must return the kind old stallion home safely, as well as take Miss Wind with us to help your father with repairing that p-power armor I am expected to race in...." Jade narrowed her eyes at me and shivered, reminding herself of the upcoming race we had to prepare her for, visibly shaking off her anxiety before continuing. "By this afternoon I would imagine. I am quite certain there are several things awaiting my attention here while we wait, but your father is bound to try doing too much and needs to rest."

The Minutemare cook must have been learning from the local fisherponies in Eclipse Village. I kept floating Miretank Sausages, Cakes, a surprisingly good if fishy tasting Omelette and lots of bacon to go with it all, rubbing at the ache between my eyes as my fangs extended and I kept scarfing it all down. Mainly trying to ignore the pleased whisper in my head of, 'Mine... Meat... Want... More...' as I held my hoof up in defense.

"I wasn't going to get into trouble, we're in a castle full of an army of Minutemares for Celestia's sake you two. I just wanted to go putter around awhile..."

"You wish to go begin assembling your teleporter device, even without the final components. I am well aware when your obsession is showing Fast. You have a squad of repair-ponies here to help you, I insist you learn to delegate work, rather than trying to do it all yourself..." Jade arched an eyebrow and answered primly, combining a number of dishes into another of her culinary creations that made Glitter and I both gulp queasily as she dug in.

"Alright, alright... I'll supervise... but I do want to get started while we're here anyway. Alright?"

Jade gave a dubious snort at my grudging answer, her long horn lighting up mellowly to prod and poke at me, checking over my health with her vast array of medical spells. Only once she was satisfied I wasn't going to simply keel over did she give a short nod, nudging Glitter closer and patting the filly's head. "Very well... so long as Glitter supervises the supervisor, now let us enjoy our lovely meal together!"

'Be Kind...' rose up at her wise suggestion, the sweet note humming along with the warmth and love I felt simply eating breakfast in bed with my two favorite fillies beating back the possessive growl of 'Be Dark...' being unusually active this early. Privately I worried about that, but if I really had broken something in my head that kept the Shroud mostly imprisoned, I had done it to get back to them, to be here, now, together.

No matter what the cost, it was worth it.

After opening the rusted steel shutters under the more ornate and ancient ones blocking off the balcony of Luna's chambers, I took the time to give Glitter a short flight around the castle before making our way down to the courtyard. It gave me a chance to inspect all the work the Minutemares had put into the place while we were gone, along with spending precious time with my daughter.

I looped and dove around the towers and parapets at her direction, gliding past all the mortars and anti-air guns festooning the walls slowly. Each was polished enough to sparkle in the bright morning light and attended by a crew of two or three ponies in blue, maintaining the repaired weaponry proudly and giving friendly waves up to us swooping by.

Making a sharp dive from the seaside cliffs and down to the beach elicited bright laughter and squeals from Glitter, enjoying the ride as much as a roller coaster and squeezing my neck tightly. We banked over the settlement of Eclipse Village, low enough for her to shout and wave down to the fisher-ponies returning the greeting as they moved about their daily work.

Overall they looked much happier than when we arrived originally, their town had been greatly improved and all the extra fish and Miretank meat they pulled from the sea that had been going to the Gunners, now went out to Jamocha Plains for trade. There were signs everywhere of how much they were prospering and I smiled on spotting the light green earth pony filly charging down the beach to keep pace with us. Mint Twist and her small herd of friends that formed my 'fan club' cheered and waved happily as we flew by and I tipped my hat, somewhat embarrassed to find several had dug up old Shrouded Stallion shirts, hats and other merchandise from the nearby Bobbing Cane Museum and Gift Shop.

Clawing for altitude to get back up the cliffs and return to the castle got my morning exercise and flight training out of the way, leaving me sweaty and wheezing when we stumbled to a landing in the castle courtyard. It got the kinks out anyway and I was eager to join my crew of Fixers already busily working with the pile of parts and junk outside their tower. They had a large printout of Dr. Vigil's teleporter schematics near a cluttered workbench, several of the pretty fillies trotting back and forth from it to what they were working on as reference.

I was a little leery as I walked up on spotting Summer and the leader of my squad, the attractive Onyx Operator, arguing in front of the plans at the center of all the work. When they noticed me creeping closer with Glitter skipping along beside me, I gulped as they both galloped over, clearly looking to me to resolve whatever conflict I had inadvertently walked in on.

Onyx sauntered up with mischief in her lidded, shadowed eyes, making my mane itch and my wings spring up as she squeezed my cheeks in her hooves, nickering happily that she had my complete attention. "Aha, there's our cute little General! Just in time, tell this newbie pegasus mare that I'm in charge sir. You did promote me to seargent of Fast's Fixers, riiiight General?"

Summer pushed her way up and thankfully got the alluring Onyx to let go, snorting in frustration at the slightly older mare smirking and pointing out the bars on her blue jumpsuit uniform. "Fast, tell this, this... this annoying mare that I'm not some inexperienced private to push around! I was a senior scribe with the Brotherhood and..."

"With the big, snooty Brotherhood, not with the Minutemares and definitely not with my squad. You're just a newbie and I'm your superior officer miss prissy, General Fast put me in charge, tell her sir!" Onyx tossed her flowing violet and silver mane, both of them staring at me expectantly.

"Er... Well, Onyx is in charge, yeah..." I winced at Summer's snort and Onyx's whinny of victory, forcing me to hurry up and continue. "B-But! But Summer really does know her stuff and held a high rank in the Brotherhood, some of that should transfer over after all... err... right?"

Great... Now both of them were mad at me, the rest of the squad pausing in their work to watch the show with amused expressions. Worse was the way Onyx enjoyed toying with me, already I could see her plotting a way to mess with me as punishment. Then there was the newer member of the squad I had left before getting to know, the purple alicorn Flitter watching avidly was practically stuffed into her own jumpsuit, sniffing at the air dreamily.

Nnngh... shut up! Go to sleep dammit! I flinched at the demanding growl in my head, rubbing my forehead and muttering tiredly to cut this whole encounter off. "Onyx, I said you're in charge and you are, I count on you to keep the squad running while I'm gone. Summer... I need you to come with us to Rocketburg and work on Jade's power armor anyway, so you'll be on special assignment most of the time."

Mentioning the other project we had to return to got the attention of Cool Jets and gave me a brief reprieve, the light orange pegasus mare's ears perked up at the mention of her home town of Rocketburg. "Power armor? For the Princess sir? They actually pulled the old A-01 out of mothballs? Oh, don't tell me... my stupid cousin Zeke wants to race, right?"

"Er... yeah actually, how'd you know?"

"Because that's all that featherbrain ever wants to do. I can't believe him... if you need help, I'd love to see that dummy get smoked by Princess Jade daddy-o!" Cool Jets grinned and flicked her tail, her slip into Arcano-Cats slang reminding me that she used to be part of the group as another of Burny's grandfoals.

She also had the positive effect of breaking some of the tension, the others giggled together at her fluttering up and continuing to insult her cousin, explaining a bit about the Cats to the squad and telling animated stories about the races Jade was entered in.

"That's right, I could use your help too Cool, since you know the Cats and the races so well, you two will be our pegasus pit crew, huh? Onyx, you have to admit, a senior Scribe has a lot of training we don't, right? Summer is just a special case, er... a specialist, that's it. Let's just say you two have equal rank, alright? Now, could we just focus on how it's going here? I just want to work on this thing and make some progress."

Neither looked happy, but both of them seemed to accept my decision and not push the issue, though Summer got a worried look at the way I kept rubbing my head. They spoke over each other giving a professional report on their progress, while the rest of the squad got back to work, continuing their more lighthearted chatting.

So far it was actually going well, they had mostly finished a complicated housing for the huge crystal platform and were busily wiring the control console and a hodgepodge of terminals to it. The radar dish from the Arcano-Cats airbase was set aside, waiting for the magical beam emitter we hoped to get from Dreadnot. The problem I had walked in on was the real stumper once we got to it, going over Vigil's plans and frowning at the numbers listed.

"See Fast, we can build it, but the power demands..." Summer pointed out the immutable numbers and shrugged, coming to the same conclusion I grudgingly had to.

Onyx didn't want to accept it however, huffing in pride. "We've got a arcano-flux reactor under this place! If we crank it up and shut down everything else in the castle, then..."

"Then we'll overload it and spend a month repairing it, if we can... The Miretank Queen did a real number on that reactor Onyx."

"But! Flitter here has been going down and continuing your repairs to it sir, it's in better shape than when you left, we've squeezed a lot more juice out of it as we've been fixing the place up. Tell him Flitter!" Onyx was surprisingly stubborn, dragging over our purple alicorn member who primped and nodded.

"Well... I did increase efficiency by 17% Fast... I mean male, er I mean sir! Fast... sir! Darnit! I'm sorry, n-nerves... after Onyx was so nice and helped me prepare for when you came back too. I could try to do better down there, you could come help sir... but umm... hehe... there's probably not much more we can do." I facehoofed just imagining the ways Onyx had helped the flustered lavender mare 'prepare', but gave her a smile for being honest and trying so hard.

My squad of Fixers had put a lot of work in here while we'd been gone. They deserved well earned praise from their commanding officer, not to have me just wander in with extra work and tell them they hadn't done enough already. 'Be Unwavering!'

I hated being in charge... Sighing, I took off my hat to scratch my mane as I chose my words carefully. "Girls, you've done an awesome job with what we have to work with here and I really appreciate it. The castle's in amazing shape thanks to you, but it started out as a ruin and that's not your fault. The problem is just this teleporter requires an insane amount of power. Even if the castle's reactor was in perfect condition, we'd be pushing it."

Taking the time to acknowledge and appreciate their effort helped a little, but they all wore crestfallen expressions, their ears drooping as they scuffed the ground and thought over the problem that just couldn't be solved with the tools on hoof.

Flitter at least whinnied at the praise, the somber silence broken by her sleepy sounding voice, making me look up to her lidded eyes and flaring nostrils sharply. "Is there somewhere else that has enough power sir? Like back home in Trinity Tower even? We could go there..."

Backing away from the large purple alicorn taking slow, unconscious steps forward with heart shaped sparkles in her eyes, I jabbered back nervously. "N-No! I don't think that's a good idea Flitter... er... I mean, t-thinking of somewhere with enough power is, but n-not Trinity Tower, y-your sisters... I'd never get anything done, r-right?"

I was glad Glitter was half listening to what had been boring technical talk, popping her head up from a pile of parts to come trotting over with a broad grin. The little earth pony filly got between Flitter and I, thankfully managing to get Flitter to shake off that lovestruck look with a blush as Glitter giggled. "Somewhere else would work Daddy? Like where? Places we went before? I'd like to visit the fairies, or Goodneighbor! Home would be really nice too, but I guess they don't have enough fancy generators there to..."

I scooped Glitter up in a manic hug as I had an idea that would work thanks to her. "Home! That's it sweetie! Great job! We can build it back home!"

Summer tilted her head in confusion, wearing a soft smile at me nuzzling the filly happily. "Er... isn't she right though Fast? I read the latest Brotherhood reports on Sanctuary, umm... they keep tabs on you pretty closely... Sanctuary doesn't have nearly the amount of power that the castle does. How..."

"Not Sanctuary! Home! I mean... Sanctuary is home too, but the first thing I still think of is the answer. My old home, Stable 111!"

I paused with a wide grin, looking at the squad of repair-fillies blinking at me curiously. Granted Stable 111 was still mostly kept a secret, but I got so caught up in the idea I expected a better reception... Cheers, some oohs and ahhs, maybe a 'Eureka!'... The tilted heads and arched eyebrows looking back forced me to pace in front of them, glancing over the teleporter plans as my mouth tried to keep up with my brain.

"The Stable! 111 has a ton of power already, see? Just the standard generator wasn't enough to run 1000 stasis pods, so there's like triple redundancy down there! Even if half of them are shot, that's still more than enough! Plus we can build it down on the Icebox floor and it'll be out of sight, the Institute and the Gunners won't know what we're up to! Thank you so much sweetie!"

Having a plan lifted everypony's spirits and my squad bent to the task at hoof once I explained it. I still didn't really like being in charge, but remembered how much a good maintenance chief like Sprockets back home did, just by making the big decisions and giving us underling repair-ponies our orders. The Fixers went to work with renewed energy and helped figure out the details from there, offering their support to make it work.

Once Onyx actually got serious, instead of simply enjoying the opportunity to tease me again, she reaffirmed all the reasons I left her in charge of the squad. She gave out orders naturally, mainly I just got dragged along in her wake and used as a bludgeon to get her way, shoving me in front of awed troops as the General of the Minutemares, letting me just nod along with her orders as though they were my own.

It did eventually let me chat with the only other Minutemare who held an equal rank when Onyx pushed for too much. Preston was in the middle of morning training with a group of raw recruits in the courtyard and looked busy, but turned things over to a grizzled looking earth pony sergeant happily enough. Moving the valuable components so far across the Commonwealth would require a small expedition, but all the trading routes we had established meant we could get it done quickly and quietly.

Being out in the open with Preston, while Onyx and his nearby unicorn assistant worked it out, drew a bit of attention. While it did let Glitter flag down her griffon friends Lila and Heidi from doing a looping exploration flight of the castle, it also allowed a still sleepy and grumpy looking Fancy to track me down unfortunately.

The snowy white griffon Freya prowled along behind her when she came storming out of the castle, though I was happy to see Val beside her and that the two griffons were actually chatting back and fort amiably. Though Fancy was still in a foul mood after last night's adventure and kept up her single minded focus on what she wanted from me, dragging Preston into her plans as if he should be honored.

I was surprised when she held up her gold plated pip-buck and brought up the map, holding her foreleg out imperiously for us to see the blinking icons displayed far up the coast to the north. She must have learned how to use the arcano-tech device better than when we escaped Dala. One of the map markers read 'Svengallop Manor', our target... The other was not far away on the coastline, a house shaped icon reading 'Coastal Cottage'. Fancy had at least thought things through and scouted ahead anyway.

Nodding over to her crew of cleaned up raiders packing up their gear in a corner of the courtyard, she snorted at me angrily. "Hey! Stupid! I helped you with your idiotic thing at the Downs that nearly got us killed, time to return the favor. My associates and I are heading that way now, since we can't all fly like some ponies... We're going to set up here and scout the place out, but you better show up on time dammit! And you should send some of your silly soldier ponies too General Goofy Hat, this is the kind of thing you do, isn't it?"

Preston huffed at the insult, straightening his battered hat and puffing his chest out, all his shiny brass buttons gleaming in the morning light. "The Minutemares aren't your private army of raiders to order around missy. If the General's going to strike a blow against the Institute however, we'll have soldiers on hoof to lend our assistance at a minute's notice."

"See? I promised Fancy... I want Vega as much as you want Neighson, we'll be there. What did I tell you about asking nicely..."

"Please... Happy? Come on Freya, let's go save my snuggleboo!" Fancy stuck her nose up and stomped off towards the gates, making us all glad to see her curly golden tail leaving the castle.

Despite how annoying she could be, I caught her green eye flick back over her shoulder before she left. The worry and vulnerability she so carefully masked showing through for just a moment. She was a bitch, but she loved Neighson Svengallop and would do anything to get him back, just like I would for Jade... That was enough for me to give her a determined tip of my hat, catching her wary smile before she tossed her head and shouted at the gate guards to open up faster, then disappeared from view.

"That cunt is a real piece of work boss, almost feel sorry for the ice queen after hearin' some of the shit she's had to put up with. Doesn't have near as good a pony boss as I do!" Val grabbed me in a headlock and gave affectionate noogies watching them go.

Preston still sounded offended, but turned away and chuckled at Val teasing me. "Glad to see your guests finally gone myself Fast, but we'll be ready to back you up when the time comes. Her griffon gave us good intel on the target and worked on strategy with me, she was a much more professional merc than this one..."

"Shaddup General Goofy Hat, I'm plenty professional and tons more awesome than that frigid bitch. The boss likes me just fine, don'tcha boss?" Val turned to scratching my itchy mane for me in reply, clucking happily at my hindleg thumping the ground and smirking at Preston.

"Of course Val, though I'm glad to see you getting along with Freya a little better, since we're working together and all... Thanks a lot for the help there too Preston, attacking an Institute Director at home won't be easy. How have things been going otherwise? I umm... h-haven't seen Peri around yet..."

Figuring out my worried questioning too easily, Preston laughed and gave a hearty, earth pony hoof to my back that made me stagger. "Oh Peri's happy as a clam Fast, and safe, no worries there! I assigned her to stay at the MoP and help get things set up in Willowville, figured keeping a mare in her condition in that neck of the woods would be a good idea anyway, right? Our little friends in the hub have taken a real shine to her actually. Last report I got, they had taken to calling her the Fairy Princess!"

"Heh... Fairy Princess... I can see it. Though I wonder how Queen Ether feels about that title..."

I had to crack a wry grin at his joke, just imagining the ethereal blue alicorn mare surrounded by the fairies of the MoP hub. Knowing she was ...pregnant... too, I had no doubt the breezies Preston carefully kept from directly mentioning out in the open would treat her like royalty. Her being safe and well cared for was a weight off my mind, Peri and her sisters the only thing that was more important to me than getting this teleporter built and going after the Institute to find my family.

Almost as if thinking of one expectant alicorn had summoned another, the steady rhythm of all the ponies working in the courtyard was broken by a loud 'pop!' and flash of purple magic appearing in the air above the open courtyard. Swan was already fluttering down to the hatch sealing off all the radiation below to recharge. She was flanked by a tired but happy looking Witchy and a grinning old Burny Jets.

Trotting behind Glitter already pelting towards them, I followed a lot of hushed glances looking away from the spectacle to find Jade leaning out from a second floor balcony. She caught my eye as she launched herself into the air to join us, smiling brightly in the morning light and joining me as our little wasteland family came together again.

All of us except Zed anyway... I looked around and wondered where the elusive zebra was, reminding myself the last anyone had heard, he had still been down in the tomb beneath our hooves... Much as the thought of going down there again made a chilly panic try to rise up in my chest, after reading the last story in the book of Shrouded Stallion mythology, I still had to talk to the gruff and apparently tight lipped stallion about a few things.

I managed to put off the inevitable as long as possible, taking time to greet Swan, Witchy and Burny Jets in the courtyard and chatting with them. I was surprised and amused to find Witchy wasn't just tired from being awake so early in the morning, but also a little hung over of all things. Her slitted amber eyes were bloodshot, but sparkled as she tackled me in a chirping hug, holding up a glowing red memory orb proudly, before fluttering off to go show Jade giddily.

Apparently Mayor Shamrock had thrown quite the party for Jade's sister and royal guard coming to visit his town. It was nice of him to cover their expenses at the Memory Den, allowing Witchy to see a memory of her parent's wedding from Mr. Jets that she related with a breathless smile, promising to let me see when I expressed interest. I was pretty sure the ghoul mayor overwhelmed the sheltered thestral with all the celebrating.

A party was unavoidable once Swan spilled the beans about her recent good news though. Goodneighbor's version of a baby shower sounded as over the top and raucous as everything else the party town did. Caramel Divine and Memento Mori at the Memory Den gave her a silky white ribbon for her mane. Cats Paws at the Combat Zone let her smash as many contestants at the fights as she liked all night. Even Knick and Knack at the local pawn shop dug up and armored a baby stroller she showed off proudly, while Ivy's more practical gift of baby clothes dug up from her orphanage were shared with Jade and made me feel dizzy looking over the tiny little hats and pajamas.

I felt happy the proud purple mare was small enough to enjoy the parts of the bustling city that didn't involve going on a rampage like she had the last time anyway. I was also extreeeeemely grateful she had learned not to just let her sisters visiting from Trinity Tower follow them back.

Burny looked like he had quite enjoyed himself anyway, scratching his grey beard and giving a wink with a twinkle in his eye about the Mayor's generosity at some of his town's 'other attractions'. The old goat sounded twenty years younger wistfully talking about all the pretty fillies in the Black Cat, before his granddaughter Cool Jets overheard and swatted at him with a groan of; "Gross Grandpa!".

All the laughter and happy reunions up in the sunshine didn't put off what waited down here in the dark forever though... Asking around just confirmed it, Zed hadn't left the Shroud's tomb at all, getting up to strange zebra hoodoo all night long. There was nothing to do but slink off to the dark passages under the castle and trudge my way there.

They had stationed a tough looking older blue earth pony stallion outside the open iron gates to the tomb, but even he looked like a spooked colt after staying down here in the chilly, creepy passage to the Shroud's tomb. He straightened up and saluted at my approach, jerking his muzzled towards the passage and the strange chanting I could hear echoing towards us. "There you are sir, sent Private Flare up to find you and was wondering if he got lost down here. The zebra wants to see you..."

I didn't like the distasteful way he referred to Zed, but was a little forgiving listening to Zed's voice singing the weird zebra chants rising and falling rhythmically, adding to how spooky it was where the stallion had been stationed. At least he hadn't been alone long, but just a little while would probably get to anypony. I returned his salute and passed the open iron gates, my tail bristling as the temperature dropped noticeably.

"Hey Zed? You wanted to see..."

My words dried up when I pushed through the gap of the ironwood doors spilling flickering light out, gaping at my zebra friend. Zed was engaged in an odd dance around the dais the imprisoned Shroud had once rested on, prancing around and hopping as he chanted. The rusty chains overhead seemed to sway and clink in time with the rhythm, while the small chamber reeked of smoking herbs and incense that made me cough as soon as it filled my nose.

Even stranger was the getup he was in... Zed had stripped off his normal armored leather jacket, adding more tribal jewelry to his usual jade bangles and bone necklace. All the rattling fetishes added to the hypnotic music he was making. Topping it off was the bright red paint accenting his stripes in swoops and swirls, matching the warpaint like designs on the face of the large bone mask he wore.

I held a hoof up in greeting as he reached some kind of climax, but was cut off when he suddenly uttered a shout and flipped right at me. His hoof actually glowing bright green as it whistled through the air and drove right into my gut.

"Whhhhyyyy...?"

I crumpled to the stone floor, losing part of my breakfast with an undignified, gurgling groan, curling up into a fetal ball and wondering what exactly I had done to piss Zed off. I was even more confused as I watched him poking and sniffing at my puddle of vomit, finally raising his ornate mask up to blink down at me with a hopeful look. "Well? Do you feel anything Fast?"

"I f-feel like I was just bucked in the gut by a freight train... w-what'd I do?" I whimpered back.

Rather than answering immediately, Zed stared at me closely, then snorted in frustration and paced away, tossing his tribal mask and fetishes aside, griping to himself as much as me. "I simply do not understand it, that should work! How can you be possessed, yet not at the same time!? There should be SOME reaction at the least! Do you really not feel anything Fast?"

I managed to get back to my hooves, holding a foreleg to my gut and pouting back. "Again... like a minotaur decided to go use me for a punching bag... Otherwise no, am I supposed to?"

"Something, anything, yes!" Zed threw his hooves up, smudging his paint when he rubbed his face and huffed.

"What the hell are you even doing down here Zed? Besides lying in wait to freaking ambush me?"

Zed sighed wearily, tossing a string of crystal flakes from his neck over as he packed his mask and other accessories away in his leather packs. He must have collected them from around the tomb and fashioned them together, though I was interested to see the formerly black crystal had turned clear... "I have been sanctifying this tomb and studying your ghost... I do not share your mare's view that your problems may be mundane psychosis. I do not think you do either, do you Fast?"

"Er... yeah, I think so too Zed. You still didn't have to sucker buck me though..."

Zed scoffed at my pouting and rubbing my stomach. "I 'sucker bucked' you with the most powerful and sacred exorcism strike I know, not for fun Fast. Yet it had no effect... did it?"

"Not really, no." Zed groaned at my answer, the sulking mutter of 'Be Dark..' proving it was still lodged firmly in my brain. "Hey... I umm... I read about him, the Shroud I mean. About how he got sealed away, about... Y-Yura..."

The name of the ancient zebra witch from the book of Shrouded Stallion myths got a sigh from Zed, looking up with a flicker of shame in his grey eyes. "You did, did you? I wondered when you would reach that story. Perhaps you can understand my personal interest in your problem, and my frustration... You are somehow possessed by one of the most dangerous spirit creatures in both our race's histories, yet cannot be exorcised and are not falling to depravity. I do not understand it..."

Tapping my hooves, I thought a moment about my most recent experience. Zed was definitely the buck to talk to when it came to spooky spiritual voodoo... I had to admit, the temperature in the tomb felt warmer and the shadows weren't as dark somehow... Zed actually did something down here anyway.

"Umm... I was thinking Zed... Maybe he's not so bad? The Shroud was corrupted by Nightmare Moon, but he used to be good... Maybe if he's really stuck in my head, he's trying to help? Like he can be redeemed or something? When we were out last night, we were in trouble, I was... I nearly died, but I asked that voice for help and we got out of a jam, together."

Zed's eyes blazed and he charged over before I could blink, planting his hooves on my shoulders and glaring. "Do not make deals with spirits Fast! You ponies don't know what you're dealing with! It isn't your friend, it is a creature beyond your reckoning and the price will always be more than you think!"

"Why don't you explain things to the ignorant pony then? It is stuck in my head after all. What do you know about the Shroud Zed?"

He let me go at least, falling back a few steps and sighing. "Very well... If only so you listen and beware... The Shrouded Stallion was a creature of dreams, something Nightmare Moon... sorry, your Princess Luna... summoned from the astral plane. Her mastery over the dream realm and own subconscious desires shaped it, gave it a role to play and rules to follow in a kind of pact, but it is not a pony Fast..."

"Astral spirits like it are... difficult. They can be as powerful as elemental spirits, but unlike them, they don't often directly interact with the material plane. When they do possess a living host, they often become drunk on sensation. The pleasures and pains of being alive are like a drug to them. They tend to revel in whatever strikes their fancy; food, sex, violence, love, hate... sound familiar?"

I replied with a flat look at the zebra's smug look and crossed my forelegs over my chest defensively. "You're saying the ghost in my head is the reason I'm a pervert..."

Zed actually gave a half hearted chuckle at my blushing answer, nodding while he waggled a hoof. "Somewhat. When a spirit possesses someone though, they overwhelm the weaker soul of the host completely to sate their desires. One obsessed with food for example, would eat until they burst, literally... You may overindulge or lose control now and then, but you do not lose yourself completely somehow."

"Aaaand... that's weird for some reason?"

"Very... Your odd possession may also account for your affinity to those soul jars you collect as well, and how your path seems so guided by the spirit's will. Once a creature has been marked by the spirits, all of them take an interest. I do know that in every other case of possession, sooner or later, the spirit will consume and destroy the soul of the host however..." Zed finished with a serious look, making me gulp at the warning.

"Great... really great pep talk Zed, thanks a lot..."

Giving a grave bow of his head with a hoof to his heart, Zed put on a wan smile and tried to sound comforting. "Do not worry, I am sure this is why our paths crossed Fast. I can redeem the mistakes my ancestor made by helping you. Once we are done with your current errands, I would like to take you to Neighlem Village and the zebras there. Surely their their wisdom will prevail where mine has been lacking. In the meantime, do not try your pony friendship business with that spirit of yours. Ignore its temptations. Do not talk to it. Do not rely on it. Do. not. make. deals..."

"R-Right Zed... gotcha, no deals..."

It took the rest of the morning to prepare to leave again, giving me time to tinker and service all our gear. Jade was plenty busy herself, speaking with her Followers based out of the castle, taking time to make decisions that had been waiting on her and even putting herself on display as the Princess of the Minutemares spending time with the troops.

To my surprise, she even personally inducted Bruno, along with a group of new recruits in an impromptu ceremony in the throne room, ending on the young griffon trying too hard to be unimpressed. Jade only ruefully allowed him to join so long as I kept my end of the compromise, immediately assigning Bruno to go with the next group heading west to the MoP hub.

That kept him fairly far from the Gunners and safe, while there'd be plenty to do befitting the aerial predator's talents. He complained, but taking him aside and asking him to keep an eye on Peri as a personal request looked to appeal to his ego. His feathers puffed up and he tipped his new Minutemare hat proudly anyway, giving me a short; "You got it boss!" before running off to join the other new recruits.

Glitter's griffon friends Lila and Heidi didn't hold back nearly as much however, the two Groverite taught sisters getting almost misty eyed at the weepy little filly making her farewells. They'd at least get to go with Bruno as far as Jamocha Plains with quite a few other griffons, before heading north to settlements like Salt Lick, Sunshine and Rainbows Co-Op and finally, Hexington.

All three exchanged frayed and colorful friendship bracelets Jade had taught them to make with a solemnity only kids could manage over something so simple, promising to see each other again and always be 'BPGFF', Bestest Pony-Griffon Friends Forever. Wiping away a tear rolling down Glitter's cheek stretched in a forced smile, I was glad I had taken the time to go digging up my own friendship bracelet present to add to hers.

Presenting the two young griffons with their own pip-bucks from Stable 111 let them part on a happier note, Glitter's more genuine grin and somewhat snotty hug well worth it. The more technical minded Lila was much more impressed, but even Heidi appreciated the valuable piece of arcano-tech and squawked happily once Glitter explained locator tags and how to use them. Of course Val going over their combat related functions with the pig-tailed little mercenary didn't hurt either.

When we were finally on our way, a recharged and chipper Swan was able to teleport us all to our first stop, managing to make the short hop to Rocketburg and the Arcano-Cats to drop off Burny Jets, along with his granddaughter Cool Jets and Summer Wind to start working on the A-01 power armor waiting on us there.

From there we flew south, following the shattered coastline of ruined buildings and docks, the dark bulk Dreadnot dead ahead. Putting aside my own troubled thoughts about the Shroud, I noticed our guide's growing distress and drifted a little closer to Witchy, giving her a friendly nudge to drag her eyes away from the dark wreck of the Equestrian Navy vessel growing closer as the sun dipped lower to the west.

"Doing ok Witchy?"

"EEEP!" The nervous looking thestral must have been more wrapped up in her thoughts than I feared, squeaking at being roused before jabbering back. "Oh! F-Fine! Just fine Fast, n-no worries!"

"Are you sure? You don't have to do this... I can go tell them you brought me here like you said and to buck off, then you kept your word and it's over with. 'Be Kind...' No reason to give any more of them the chance to... hurt you again." 'Be Dark...'

I could feel Jade's concentration on the back of my head increase with that protective growl, though it did make Witchy's shrunken amber eyes soften with a smile. "Honestly Fast, I'll be alright. A proper royal guard can hardly be too afraid to stand by her Princess. Especially after her highness told me what happened when I took merely one night off..."

"Ooooo... she told you about the haunted high school.. didn't she? Er... it wasn't that bad, really... She wanted to go! We weren't supposed to wind up there either, it just sorta happened... I was there to take care of her!"

"Mm-hmm... and you have such a track record of safety first, don't you Fast?" I winced at Witchy arching a sarcastic eyebrow, laying her ears back and huffing her displeasure.

Jade's musical giggle behind us saved me from hanging my head in defeat, keeping close watch on me enough to offer her own contribution. "Oh do not let her fool you Fast. Witching agreed with me and was most upset when she heard how you were hurt protecting me. My dear royal guard thinks very highly of you my love..."

Jade's demure smirk made Witchy and I both turn red, sputtering at her humming mischievously. Before Glitter riding on her back got over her confused and suspicious look at grown up conversation going over her head, Jade giggled lightly and pointed below us. "Oh look! Here we are Glitter dear, the settlement of Dreadnot!"

The wrecked ship below us forming the town of Dreadnot was just enough to distract the little filly, getting an excited squeal as we joined in for our closest look yet as we glided down. The 'E.M.S. Dreadnought' stamped in silver scroll work on the side of the ancient ship facing us had lost a few letters to damage, leaving the place with its wasteland era name glinting on the westward facing prow.

It was a massive ship, a flat topped air guard carrier, the Equestrian Navy answer to a raptor class cloudship. Beneath all the rust and corrosion from the salty air, the dark, flat black paint job lent it a menacing air, while the bright silver accents and artistic flourishes marked it as more than simply utilitarian design. This had been Luna's flagship, crewed by her personal guard and sent to the Commonwealth to collect her fallen servant...

It had been beached at a cockeyed angle to the shore, the long, shiny horn of a silver figurehead Luna on the prow pointing northwest, catching the setting sun. The whole ship was leaning towards the water as well, the angle and position creating a shadowy overhang beneath her that a small village had been built in, sheltered from the afternoon light and gloomy.

There were quite a few thestrals my sharp eyes could pick up in the shady town. They weren't the only ones though, far from it. Even though it was only early evening, there were lots of the nocturnal batponies out and about, flying around the canted deck and visible in the cracked and broken windows of the leaning bridge.

All the living thestrals were sticking to the top of the ship however, while the bulk of activity was in the strange shanty town of scrap and shipping containers built in its shadow. I could make out a lot of ghouls dressed in tattered naval uniforms, along with living ponies of all kinds busy at work around the hive of scaffolding that had been erected around the damaged hull nearer the shore line.

Pieces of scrap were being lifted via unicorn magic or a webs of pulleys, welded in place and slowly sealing the huge gaps. A newer looking warren of shacks nearby seemed to be living and a staging area for the large scale repairs. On the other side of the older looking village of ghouls was a rickety looking series of ramps and stairs leading up into the ship itself through a bulkhead door midway up.

I slowed my flight just to look over it all professionally, amazed at the progress made so far. The leaning towers of darkened magical energy cannons on the deck looked promising for my purposes anyway, I marked the most likely looking of these for my own plans while taking stock of all the others. Huge ballistic cannons, anti-air guns frozen on spinning housing, batteries of missiles at strategic points near dead radar dishes to slave them to. She was an intimidating vessel in her day alright...

Looping around to the westward side lit up by the sun, I goggled at the hive of activity taking advantage of the dying light. An army of earth ponies were in the process of digging a massive trench alongside the ship, stopping close enough to the shore for the sea to just start seeping in, but building a dam between it and their earthwork project.

I was suspicious on finding industrial earthmoving equipment very similar to the contraption that got Witchy and I out from beneath the Whinny Quarries assisting in the work, but they could have come from anywhere I supposed. Though the diggers slaving away on the trench looked a little too much like they were literally slaving away... Most were scrawny and exhausted looking, though the ones in charge looked healthy, well fed and muscled, bearing the scars of fighting ponies and managing the work crew with military order.

What they were up to was much more interesting... It took a minute to puzzle over, but I figured out the point of it all before completing our circuit of the ship. If it were seaworthy, they could let the ocean in and rock the ship that way, sliding into the channel and floating upright again. Then all they'd need to do is back it off the beach and Dreadnot would be a mobile fortress again...

"They're trying to fix it... No wonder they sent you after a repair pony Witchy."

Witchy was biting her lip and not looking down so much as up, to the alert guards of the upper city I could hear making that high pitched whine our way, sounding us out. I had gotten used to Witchy hitting that ultrasonic pitch, but a dozen batponies focusing it on our descent made Jade, Swan and I all lay our ears back. They definitely knew we were here.

"They're much further along than when I left... but yes Fast, it's long been my people's dream to sail the seas on Luna's flagship again. W-We should go down to the lower city first, we'll have to announce ourselves to be given permission to board and for the Princess to engage in parley with the Admiral. T-This way everyone..." Witchy gulped, but mastered the fear I could hear in her voice and led the way, landing in the middle of the ugly looking lower town.

While we often attracted attention landing in a new town like this, I heard a murmur go through the undead batponies nearby that had a different tone to it. Quite a few paused in the middle of whatever they were doing to gawk openly, I picked up a lot of squeaky whispers about two regal alicorns in their midst, but the one word I heard more than 'Princess' was 'Shroud', spreading through them quickly with their shared excellent hearing. I was as much a focus of the curious onlookers as Jade and the taller Swan standing over them.

"Well, we finally made it, right Witchy? Ready to get this over with? You sure this will be ok? It's safe for Jade, right?"

Giving a determined look, Witchy nodded and pointed off to the nearby ramp leading up to the ship. "Y-Yes, of course. Parley is ancient and sacred tradition, her highness' safety is assured under its protection. I'll go speak with the guards. The lower town is a little dingy, but everypony has always been friendly to me down here, so feel free to look around. I-I'll be right back and we can..."

Jade curled a wing over her nervous guard and gave her a soothing nuzzle to the cheek, smiling at Witchy's bright blush and calming her softly. "I do not believe I shall leave my loyal guard alone in this place Witching dear, I will go with you. This is the portion of your home you have told me about before, is it not? The area for those the upper echelon cast out? I would like you to give me a tour of those who have shown you kindness down here, before meeting with those elitists above if you please."

I didn't really like the idea of either of them wandering off too far by themselves here, but it was in sight and Jade gave me a patient look that brooked no argument. She was the best one to help Witchy through this, so I bowed along with the beautiful blue alicorn already trotting off and waving to interested residents brightly.

"Welp, if we're snoopin' around, gonna go find that weapons shop batty told me about boss! C'mon kiddo, let's go shoppin'!" Val took splitting up happily enough, calling the crafty little filly after her flicking tail, towards what looked like a small row of shops off the main thoroughfare.

Split between them and Jade, I trailed behind where I could keep an eye on both groups, though the weapons and armor shops Val had already sniffed out did look enticing. Witchy's own gear was expertly crafted works of art. Judging by the burly looking ghoul hammering away at an actual forge in front of one rough storefront full of metal armor and swords, the ghouls down here still knew all the same secrets apparently. Moving around also let me try to put the prying eyes and ears behind us, some of which I realized was directed at Zed too, but much less friendly.

"I didn't expect a better reception Fast, these ponies hold to the old ways and my people are the enemy. Witching herself reacted poorly when we met after all, at least with ghouls it's easier to bear. Especially those who served in that war themselves. Though I don't think it wise for me to try going up top with the rest of you." Zed shrugged at my concerned look, again impressing me with how strong he had to be to live with that kind of prejudice his whole life.

The synthetic zony Oro we met last night had been similar, living with that weight on his shoulders and not breaking. I'd only experienced a little since becoming an alicorn, but hadn't liked it at all so far. It made me feel more for what Witchy had gone through here, being ostracized just for being half earth pony. The only ones who'd been nice to her were these sad ghouls down here, fellow outcasts themselves.

Giving a snort of agreement, Swan tossed her long pink mane and squinted at the door to the ship above us. "I don't want to go in either, it looks way too cramped. Why are we here besides sister's little friend Fast? I want to go have fun with the tin can ponies and play in the armor sister doesn't want."

Smiling at the giddy look sparkling in her blue violet eyes, I pointed overhead and decided to cover my bases in case things went poorly. "I need you to be ready to do me a favor here though Swan, so it's ok to stay outside. See that big cannon leaning off the deck up there? We're gonna take it..."

"Provided the rulers here accept your offer of course... Right Fast?" Zed spoke up clearly, rolling his grey eyes at all the tufted ears tracking us.

"R-Right! Of course Zed, we're not gonna just take it! Hehehehe.... A-Anyway, that one looks like our best bet. The barrel's melted so it won't be much good as a weapon anymore, but the main housing on the deck is intact. That's the one we'll see about buying off these guys, so I'll need your help hauling it out of here Swan. Just umm... play it cool till then..."

Swan gave a prancing dance in place at the exaggerated faces I was making as a plea for subtlety. She did get the idea I was trying to get across, though being sneaky wasn't really in Swan's repertoire, as her verbal answer and dramatic wink demonstrated. "Okie dokie Fast. We will definitely not steal it! I will wait until you buy the thing, theeeen take it!"

I cringed at the big filly grinning and nuzzling at my mane being so obvious, but patted her cheek gratefully and tried to move off the subject quickly, taking another look around at all the slitted batpony eyes following us through the shanty town. Like pegasus settlements I had seen before, the lower village of Dreadnot was built vertically, rusting shipping containers that had spilled from the ship's hold had been dragged and stacked in precarious towers, fashioned into crude and uncomfortable looking homes for the mostly ghoulish residents.

Taking another look around at the increasing number of ghouls watching us, I spotted a ramshackle building across the main thoroughfare and trotted that way. It looked like half of a private yacht that had been tossed to the shore and half buried. There was a large gap in the leaning white hull that formed the entrance, the peeling paint and woodwork still visible enough to see it had once resembled a white and pink fish. The hole in the hull leading to the once luxurious lower deck was surrounded by battered tables, beneath a scrap metal sign swaying in the breeze from the leaning mast reading; Lunar Libations. Val always said a town's bar was the place to go for information, plus it let me get a little off the street while still able to keep an eye on the others.

Zed gave the ruined private yacht a doubtful look, shrugging to me before turning to a distracted Swan with a sweeping bow. "I believe I'll have a trot about town, no reason to add further mistrust as you take a look around. Care to join me Miss Swan?"

"Ok Zed, so long as we look for somewhere nice and glowy! With this many ghouls around, there's always somewhere tingly nearby and I wanna find it. So I'm ready to... NOT steal anything..." Swan pranced after the zebra already moving off, turning back to grin and giggle over her shoulder. "See how 'cool' I am being Fast? Nopony will suspect a thing!"

"Right Swan... Very smooth, thanks..."

The low murmur of conversation in the dim bar dried up as soon as I ducked under the flapping curtains keeping some of the heat from the central fire in, pausing awkwardly as my eyes adjusted to take in the crude bar set up in what had been the kitchen and dining area of the small yacht. There were several living patrons who were clearly workers from the ship repairs, lots of jingling tool belts and cutie marks related to wrenches, welding torches, hammers, screwdrivers and more. The rest were more of the ghoulish residents and they stared at me standing at the entrance the hardest.

The heavy set thestral ghoul behind the bar still wore a set of dirty kitchen whites that would look at home in the ship's galley. He was at least professionally more welcoming, his wispy ears perking up as I approached and a slight smile of yellowing fangs spreading as I hopped up to a cracked stool at the counter and asked for a Sparkle Cola Rad.

A gravelly voice from down the bar spoke up and seemed to break the silence that had fallen on the place, the normal background noise rising back up behind the friendly chortle. "Forsooth! Sir Times, tis you after all. I shall cover this strapping young buck's drink Galley Grub, matter of fact we must celebrate with something a tad stronger! Two shots of Reactor Rum! Tis a friend of our little Witching Hour!"

Mentioning Witchy in a carrying voice got the room to visibly relax, the bartender's curious blink turning into a more genuine grin, chirping in a squeaky voice that didn't match his physique as he lined up shotglasses and poured ...something... that sizzled and scorched the bar with each spilled drop. "Witching's? Oho, drinks on the house then little mini-Shroud, any friend of our Witching is a friend of ours! Hear that everypony?"

"Er... Thanks? Hello again Mr. umm... Moon Tide, wasn't it? What are you doing here? I thought you were in University Point?" I sniffed at the bubbling, glowing green concoction dubiously, the old ghoul regarded it as something strong and Witchy had once said there were drinks here that worked on even undead drinkers.

"A pleasure to find you here Sir Times, very fortuitous as I was just delivering another group of talented ponies I hath recruited from University Point actually. Glad of the timely return as well, can't have Witching's stalwart companions treated poorly. At least down here in Guano-town anyway! Drink up!" Witchy's ghoul friend she had met in the bar in U.P. nodded and raised his shot in a friendly toast.

"So, everypony down here knows Witchy? We're here with her, just sorta looking around where she grew up right now."

"Of course! Witching comes to visit us all the time Sir Times. Her father was a great advocate for us poor dead ponies when he was alive as well, so we treat her as one of our own. Try to make up for the way those snooty smooth coats treat her..." Moon Tide frowned as he finished, again showing his distaste over his own people's attitudes like he had in U.P..

The bartender Galley nodded sagely as we took a drink, absently wiping out a dirty glass in his hooves and jerking his head to an empty stool, near the cracked tv screen of what had been a living room area, surrounded by a few battered musical instruments. "Right thou are Moon, friends of our favorite entertainer are always welcome. Sorry for the chilly reception youngster, you came to visit on a stressful day is all."

Thinking of all the times I had seen Witchy play music on pretty much any instrument she ran across, I smiled at the empty stool, thinking of the shy batpony coming down here to perform. She had an excellent ear for music and must have felt comfortable to put herself on display, putting these thestrals under the heading of 'good ones' in my mind. Picturing her there, it was easy to understand how the ghouls would all care about her. She might have never believed it before, but Witchy would have brought beauty down to this dingy and sad home for the ghouls of Dreadnot, both her music and her presence.

I wheezed and thumped my chest when the burning shot went down the hatch, immediately feeling a tingle of strong radiation going down my throat and exploding like a miniature balefire bomb. I managed to sputter as I felt the mellow glow of alcohol taking effect for the first time in a long while, choking over the bartender's chuckles at my reaction.

"G-Good! Er... that Witchy has friends here I mean. Though I was starting to think I was unwelcome for some reason too. Sorry if I came at a bad time, noticed everypony seemed a little out of sorts, is there anything wrong?"

"Just a bit of excitement, not often we have something as salacious as a murder to gossip over." Mr. Moon Tide lowered his voice and gave a slight bow. "Makes for a banner day having Witchy and her famous Princess showing up too. Though I'd advise caution if thine plans are to consort with those frightened ninnies above."

"A murder? Something like that happened here?"

I felt a strange dread as Mr. Tide continued in a conspiratorial whisper. "Verily Sir Times, well not here-here, but on the upper decks. Had it been one of us, I dare say they'd not have cared a whit, so we're of mixed opinion on the whole thing."

"Er... don't ponies just get killed sometimes, even up there? You look like you have a lot of outsiders working down here, so probably more crime, right?"

"Oh those workers I hath helped hire from University Point and elsewhere are a rowdy bunch alright, but not like this... We've not had a murder up top since... I suppose since old Midnight... though they refused to call it that." The old batpony ghoul ended on a leading note, his reference to Witchy's father enough to pique my interest.

"Witchy's dad was killed? She said it was an accident..."

"Oh aye, I'm sure she did, that's what they drilled into the fine filly and I'd nor any of these fine ghouls would weigh her heart with tales to the contrary Sir Times. Doesn't tarry the rumors however... Midnight was a fine stallion who had seen the world and wanted change, petitioned the Admiral, got up on his soap box and preached to the ignorant masses, the whole bit. Then he was assigned to a team exterminating our feral brethren from the sealed lower decks. Midnight didn't come back, but he stopped being a pest to the ponies up top..."

"T'was quite the story to gab over back then and little Witching t'was just a foal, so she didn't hear us mulling over the few scraps of rumor we got out of it. Make no mistake thou, Midnight Hour t'would never fall prey to a gaggle of mindless zombie crew mates when all the rest survived. Most suspicious how they all received promotions after such a failure and never spoke a word of what happened too... They're being most tight-lipped about this one as well, but the gory gossip gives us a bit of excitement." Mr. Tide gave a macabre grin of yellowing fangs, getting over his festering doubt over Witchy's father's fate and clearly enjoying the disruption to the norm.

"Really...?"

Mr. Tide waggled his hooves in joking menace, his rotting visage going along too well with the creepy chuckle of an amused storyteller. "They say he was mutilated, tortured... It's the brand that really has everypony's attention though..."

"Brand?"

"Aye, branded like those pegasi above the clouds liked doing to their own for so long. They took that idea from an ancient tradition in the royal guard, though it went out of favor during Goddess Luna's banishment. The Lieutenant had the mark of an oath breaker burned into his flank, given to those who forsake the divine commandments of chivalrous conduct we all take in holy Luna's service. Something only a member of the Night Guard would know Sir Times. Or the 'Shrouded Stallion' I suppose! Ha!" Moon Tide finished by tipping his mug my way, his cloudy eyes alive with juicy gossip and laughter.

Glancing down at my armor with him, I gulped and asked a nervous question. "W-Why's that? Why would I know it? I didn't do anything!"

"Ah! Sorry youngster, a poor jest! I didn't mean thine comic book identity. Word spreading that the real one is gone from yonder castle has it going around. I meant only that the Shrouded Stallion of myth would know it, Luna's enforcer was called up to bestow it in ancient times. A bit of a ghost story mirth tis all." Moon Tide finished and seemed to inspire fresh arguments on the subject from the rest of the bar, the noise level of healthy debate rising even as my pounding heart drowned most of it out.

I didn't... I couldn't have... I was with Jade all night, I woke up in her hooves for Celestia's sake! I couldn't have done anything without knowing it, could I? I did have those dreams... No! No, I was just being paranoid, that was all...

"You think the ponies up top should be worried Mr. Tide? Er... i-if this t-totally hypothetical, real Shrouded Stallion were actually loose? Wouldn't thestrals still so loyal to Goddess Luna have nothing to fear from her servant, i-if that were the case of course..."

"Aye, there's the rub, isn't it? Truly devout and loyal members of the Lunar Guard wouldn't have as much to fear... I'm afraid 200 years of isolation may have eroded the faith of our higher ranks however. We're lost without the presence of a Princess to give us purpose, the idea of fixing the ship seems to have taken that place in many of their hearts nowadays." Mr. Tide gave a raspy sigh, his voice tired and disappointed at the state of his small part of the wasteland.

"Hmmm... thanks for telling me sir, gives me more to think about. As far as Princesses go, there's one for you right over there, isn't that right Jade?" I managed a wan smile to the old ghoul, looking up with relief and pointing out Jade and Witchy standing in the doorway to the immediate silence and rapt attention of the patrons.

"O-Oh my... H-Hello everypony, a pleasure to meet you! I am P-Princess Jade of Sanctuary, my dear royal guard Witching Hour recommended your fine establishment to me. I-I see my husband has already found it on his own, s-so it must be as good as advertised." Jade blushed and her darting blue eyes caught mine, giving a bow to the bartender before cautiously trotting over with Glitter, Val, Zed and even Swan wiggling her way inside in her wake.

I noticed the way all the ghoulish batponies tracked her across the room with their milky eyes, several fang filled mouths hanging open and many stunned expressions following her every graceful step. The firelight glimmering on her silver tiara and sparkling in her mane just added to her aura of nobility and I could guess at what the amazed looking customers were thinking. They were seeing a true Princess again, these old prewar ghouls had the real Luna to compare her to and still looked like they were seeing a ghost.

The nervous looking Witchy keeping right on her tail broke the spell once they arrived at the bar, squeaking to the bartender with a warm smile. "H-Hello Galley, Moon Tide.... umm... l-long time, no see."

"Witching! Welcome home dear, wonderful to see thou safe and sound. This must be thine famous Princess? We heard you found a monarch worth serving, but weren't sure what to make of it. I see she didn't just bow down to some trumped up raider with charisma though. Honor to meet you your highness, thou art a vision to warm an old ghoul's heart. Like seeing Goddess Luna in mine own bar!" The bartender Galley fluttered over the bar to give Witchy a squishy hug, then swiped the white cap from his wispy mane and gave Jade a low bow, kissing her hoof like a gentlecolt.

"T-The honor is mine I assure you sir. There is no reason to put on such airs, any friend of my dear Witching is somepony I would call friend as well. Please, call me Jade if you would, Princess is far too formal and I fear it may be insulting to your people, for I am no Luna." Jade smiled at the rotting stallion making such a fuss, tilting his chin back up with her feathers and speaking in a ringing voice for the murmuring bar.

Addressing them so openly and cutting right to the heart of what a lot of them were muttering about was taken as an invitation, several gravelly voices rising up with questions for their strange guest;

"That's the Princess they're all gabbing about? She's just one of those mutants what found a costume tiara..."

"Tis certainly a mare with Luna's regal bearing, though the purple one looks even taller."

"Is it true thou hath liberated Castle Equinox and now sit the throne my lady?"

"What makes her a Princess? Tis no Luna..."

"Thou art forming a new kingdom for all ponies Miss? Even ghouls?"

"Don't overwhelm the fancy Princess coming down to us commoners! Tis Witching's friend and liege, show her a proper welcome you louts! Terribly sorry your highness, don't often get much excitement down here." Moon Tide chirped back at the crowd, giving Jade a chance to catch her breath before she simply turned invisible under the barrage of attention.

Glitter helped by scrambling up to the bar, stamping her hoof on the worn wood and answering in a bright, high voice as only our Ambassador of Cuteness could. "Hey! One at a time an' raise your hoof ta ask a question! Didn't you ponies go to school before? My mommy's the bestest Princess in all Equestria, she's nice to everypony and treats everycreature the same, so give her a minute and she'll show you! Right mom!?"

"Er... y-yes, of course Glitter sweetheart. I would be happy to speak with all of you fine ponies and answer any questions you might have. I understand it is presumptuous of me to hold the title of Princess, perhaps even insulting to such loyal servants of Goddess Luna. I assure you it was not my idea..." Jade shook of her nerves and addressed the crowd in her kind, carrying voice, arching an eyebrow at me in accusation before continuing. "However, as I recieved my cutie mark on accepting the role, I can only conclude taking up the mantle is what my mark is telling me. Not for my own sake to put myself above others, but to serve them as best I can. Certainly not because I believe myself to be the equal of Luna or Celestia either one!"

"There, you see? As fine an answer as our own divine goddess would have given in her place. Forgive them your highness. We poor remnants of the past have been most interested in the radio stories of a new Princess gracing Equestria, with her own Shrouded Stallion as a knight no less! Please, have a seat by the fire, a mug of thine best cider Galley! Perhaps the Princess will tolerate our questions at a more sedate pace as the little filly advised? Witching dear, sit with her and tell us all about the mare you'd serve girl! Play a little for old times sake!" Moon Tide chuckled and waved a withered hoof to the crowd, lifting the mood and pulling Jade with him to a seat near the stool with all the musical instruments in the center of the bar.

Puffing her cheeks out in a pout and rolling her eyes at me waving her on, Jade followed willingly enough. She took the offered wooden chair Mr. Tide dusted off with his desicated wings and held out proudly, the ancient wood creaking as she lowered herself and took the chipped mug of cider pressed to her hooves. Witchy dutifully trotted right behind her, taking the small stool and picking up and tarnished flute with a wistful smile. The notes were a little off from the damaged instrument, but our batpony friend compensated with familiarity, playing a low, soft tune, as Jade began speaking with the crowd of undead thestrals asking curious questions about her and the Kingdom of Sanctuary.

With the novelty of all the musical instruments to play with and her mother as the center of attention, Glitter gave me a parting hug and pelted off to join them, acting as Jade's royal assistant and deciding which raised hoof to call on next. Val plopped down on the stool next to me and ordered a drink, shaking out her bag to display her shiny new purchases of well crafted bullets, spark cells, explosives, along with weapon and armor modifications that would normally hold more of my interest.

I was barely listening to her though, brooding over the things Mr. Tide said. Both the current murder they were all upset about and that of Witchy's dad bothered me, though for different reasons. I shared Moon Tide's opinion that Midnight Hour's death was pretty suspicious considering what kind of stallion he sounded like and the things he did to rock the boat around here.

The more recent crime was making me sweat though. I hadn't done anything... I couldn't have... I was certain of it. Telling myself that did nothing to stop the dread I felt on hearing about it however...

We ended up spending more time in the Lunar Libations bar than I would have liked, the sun sank beyond the green haze of the Glowing Sea and the mostly darkened disc of Luna's moon was rising in the sky when we finally walked back out. It was time well spent at least, most of the ghouls of Dreadnot's 'Guano-Town', as they jokingly called it, were as friendly as Mr. Tide and very curious about the Princess deigning to visit their lowly home and treat them like any other ponies.

We got to hear about Dreadnot from their perspective, gathering a bit of local history and intel before going up to talk to the living batponies above. For example, Swan was delighted to find out the reason there were so many undead ponies who once served on the great ship, was because the ship's prototype reactor fitted here in the Commonwealth had melted down after being beached 200 years ago. The ongoing repairs made it harder to get to, but Galley Grub assured the big filly there was still a stagnant cove of highly radioactive waste to be found nearby.

Since the meltdown occurred in the belly of the ship, it had mainly been the engineers who had been at the most lethal ground zero, resulting in the lack of suitable repair-ponies to restore her and Dreadnot's need of outside workers for the task. The lower decks housing the low class swabbies and grunts had taken the radioactive fallout of secondary exposure, many dying or going feral. Apparently there were still sealed off areas in the bowels of the ship that were infested with them to this day.

The rest became the undead residents of the lower town today. The higher ranks up on the bridge and combat units nearer the deck were relatively unscathed and took it as a blessing of Luna, proof of their superiority and an excuse to maintain the status quo as it existed now. Them on top and everypony else in the muck below.

As cruel and snide as Lt. Wing and his underlings at the castle had been, the ancient ghouls of Guano-Town were just the opposite. They didn't take Jade being called a Princess as nearly so blasphemous, their cloudy, slitted eyes widening with light and hope just listening to her speaking with them at length. Several expressed displeasure at how things were in Dreadnot, muttering darkly about all the recent activity and outsiders repairing the ship.

Many even went so far as to ask pointed questions about Castle Equinox and whether they'd be welcome to dwell in Luna's own palace. Jade smiled brightly and encouraged the thought of the thestrals finding a better home with Witchy squeaking her agreement, one where they could act as caretakers for their fallen Princess' former palace, earning her a lot of good will and fresh adoration. One or two even bent a knee before her, to her embarrassed blush and objections of course.

One comment that caught my attention 'Awareness!' had been talk of where the caps to pay for it all were coming from. Just recently they had been hiring educated ponies from University Point and elsewhere as fast as they could find them, somewhat explaining sending Witchy on a mission to retrieve me, with other 'specialists' and 'outside consultants' getting spotted roaming the upper decks. My own belief that any conspiracy in the Commonwealth had to end with the Institute giving me more to mull over while I drank with Val, enjoying the opportunity to be her drinking buddy again with more to show for it than just a full bladder and a clear head.

Zed and Swan wandered off together after we left, off to find the toxic runoff below the ship, while the rest of us were heading for the ramps leading to the upper ship and Dreadnot proper. Already I could tell how much more awake and active the settlement seemed now that full dark had come. Though the nagging headache able to penetrate the alcohol made me slow my pace, pulling Jade to the rear of our little parade through town to nuzzle and whisper to worriedly.

"Jade... Jade before we go up there, I need to talk to you. D-Did you hear anything about why everypony in town was so worked up? The er.... e-excitement this morning?"

Still enjoying my fumbling, drunken attention as we walked, Jade murmured distractedly while I kept nuzzling her neck. "Hmm? Ah, yes... something about a murder of some sort I believe Fast? Witching asked, but assured me it was nothing to concern ourselves with. Though terrible somepony here died of course, I do hope it was not something I may have helped with had we been here just a bit earlier. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, n-no reason, just wondering if you heard more about it or anything. I had a crazy thought and I..."

Before I could stammer my way through my fears under my wife's patient gaze, Val turned around from bouncing Glitter on her back with a half drunken snort, close enough to listen to Jade's exclamation and dismiss it loudly. "Pssh! Was one'a them hoity toity bats upstairs, not the cool ones down here. They're the assholes what treat batty like shit, right? Sometimes karma's a bitch."

"I still would not wish murder on any creature Valkyrie, no matter their personality or personal failings. They no longer have the opportunity to be a better pony if they are dead." Jade huffed and took up a long standing argument with Val, the two of them facing off and ignoring me raising my hoof to interrupt.

"Er... Jade... I umm..."

"Ain't got the opportunity ta be more of an asshole no more neither, do they? Sounds good ta me Blue, fucker probably had it comin'." Val rolled her eyes and waved off Jade's kindhearted nature.

Undeterred, Jade stuck her nose up and fired back. "I fail to see how any creature could have such suffering 'coming' to them Valkyrie, answering cruelty with more cruelty does not improve anything..."

"Sure it does! World's a better place without pricks like that in it, ain't that right boss? Just like that cunt aunt of hers that..." Val squawked and tossed back her bottle of Wild Pegasus, nearly running into Witchy who had stopped dead in her tracks.

"My... my aunt? Ruby? What do you mean by that Valkyrie?" Witchy turned back slowly, her voice tight and a confused look on her face turning from Val to me wincing beside her.

"Dammit Val... Er... I meant to tell you Witchy, I just didn't want to ruin your trip, g-getting to see your parents and all in Goodneighbor... Then coming here you already had enough to deal with, s-so I was waiting to tell you..."

Witchy's amber eyes narrowed at me shuffling in place and avoiding her gaze, trotting right up look down her nose to question me. "Tell me what Fast? What about my Aunt Ruby? S-She escaped, didn't she?"

"Yesssss....? I mean she got out, we're not sure how... W-We did find her though, it's just... She's dead Witchy. I'm sorry, I should have told you before. I didn't want to upset you more..." I hated the note of 'Be Strong!' advocating honesty, but slumped and spit it out sadly.

Shut up!! Go away! Stop talking and leave me alone dammit! You're not helping!

The tears welling up in her eyes were bad enough, when I hissed in pain and rubbed my head, Witchy got a suspicious, angry look that was much worse and stamped her hoof. "You kept it from me Fast? Lied to me?"

Finally realizing she had got me in trouble, Val clucked and tried to help, of course only making things worse. "Hey, hey... Easy batty, ya didn't wanna know about that mess 'fore ya left anyway. Awful bitch was ripped ta pieces by ferals, spread all over the friggin landscape. Boss was just..."

"Just what!? Trying to protect me? I'm a grown mare and a royal guard! I protect others, I don't need thou to... to lie to me! Take care of my problems for me!" Witchy's voice rose higher as she yelled, putting on a show the nearby guards to the ramps up took note of. She glared back at their interested chirps, then back at me with her eyes widening with horror. "Is that what you did? Fast, did you... "

"No! I mean... N-No! I c-couldn't have! I found her, but I didn't...!"

Jade tilted her head curiously, biting her lip and clearly not liking the tense conversation going over her head. "What? Witching dear, please calm down. I am rather disappointed Fast chose to keep what happened to Ruby from us both... but he meant well, did he not? What is wrong?"

"Where did you go that night when Ruby disappeared Fast? When thou came back... you were surprised to wake up in the middle of... w-with me... How often does he go sleep walking your highness? What did you do!?" Witchy was putting together all the fears I had been stewing on since getting here and then some, her eyes shrinking to angry, hurt dots.

The way she subconsciously put herself between me and Jade broke my heart too, regarding me as a potential threat to the Princess she served. Seeing that fear reflected in her eyes let it all come pouring out, my mouth opening in a reply full of panic and the Shroud's voice leaking into it.

"I don't know! I don't know if I did anything or not! Alright!? I hadn't even thought about Ruby! G-Ghouls got her! She deserved it anyway, didn't she!? She was bad, she helped the Gunners, enslaved her town, and she was awful to you! I'm not sorry she's dead, but I don't know if I..."

That was as far as I got, the tears trembling on Witchy's full cheeks spilled over and sparkled in the air when she turned away and galloped off, charging past the guards at the ramps up and towards the ship. Jade cried out after her, then paused on her first step to follow, looking back to me staring after her miserably. She shuffled in place anxiously, opening her mouth to speak, then closing it again and staring after Witchy making for the hatch into the ship, torn between the two of us.

Making up her mind with a determined nod, Jade stroked my teary cheek with her wing before taking to the air, flying after Witchy and taking a confused looking Glitter on her back along for the ride. "I... I will go speak with her Fast, d-do not worry! W-We will discuss the rest later, just... give me a moment. Witching! Please wait!"

My ears drooped sadly as I watched them disappear, turning down to the packed sand at my hooves and the smirking guards waiting at the ramp up to follow them. I rubbed my sniffling muzzle and sighed helplessly with only Val at my side, feeling weighed down by too much. Bad enough to consider the idea I had been wandering off in the night and... sleep-murdering... even worse was hurting my friend, seeing that doubt and pain in Witchy's eyes and upsetting Jade to boot.

Val clapped my back a little forcefully, giving a half-hearted, apologetic chuckle. "Er.... whoops! Sorry boss. Didn't mean ta let the cat outta the bag. I'm sure batty'll get over it, she's nuts about you an' Blue."

"Thanks a lot Val... Really, great going..." I grumbled back, spreading blame to Val in an angry huff.

Yanking my tail as I tried to storm off, Val wasn't having any of it. I was spun around to face her violet scowl and quickly had her dark claw jabbing at my chest, punctuating each point she made in rapid fire. "Hey! Don't you get all pissy with me boss. Ain't all my fault, I figured you told batty about that bitch in the can already. You don't get ta harp on and on about yer pony friendship bullshit with Blue, but keep shit like that to yerself, or take yer fuckups out on me neither! Said I was sorry, didn't I?

Jeez... I was really going for broke when it came to hurting those who cared about me today. Val had fallen behind the shield of her tough merc exterior, but I could see the hurt in her eyes staring me down. She was right, it was my fault and I was just taking it out on her. When she was still by my side no matter what, my faithful bodyguard and friend... 'Be Awesome!'

Val squawked when I gave a weak nod, then flung myself into a desperate hug, burying my face in the ruff of feathers at her breast and shuddering against her. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry Val, you're right. I-I'm just mad and scared. Thanks for sticking around to set me straight... I love you Val."

"Y-Yeah, yeah boss... I er... you know... you too. C-C'mon, makin' us look bad in front of the asshole bats. Let's get movin' an' go find ours, so you can make up and we can get the hell outta here. Whole place is depressin' as hell, not good for you or Witchy." Val stiffened in my hooves at the public affection and snickering thestral guards nearby, but relaxed and scratched my mane soothingly, letting me just hang on for a minute before wriggling her way free.

Following her flicking tail and worried look over her shoulder, I let her take the lead dealing with the guards in their shining, ancient steel armor and the well crafted light machine guns on their plated flanks. Only a little of Val's abusive squawking was enough to get us through at least, the guards giving directions I only half listened to. We were expected upstairs already and allowed to pass, sternly told not to wander and to report directly to the 'Admiral' up on the bridge.

Trudging past them and onto the rickety steel ramps leading up, I only got a few steps before my ears flicked at them whispering back and forth to each other with mean spirited laughter;

"Lovers spat you think?"

"Anypony'd that climb up one of those mutant freaks and hug on a greedy griffon, would probably even give ugly half breeds a pity fuck."

"Makes sense, a fake Shroud and fake Princess, may as well have a fake thestral."

My control slipped before I realized it, or maybe I let it... I froze when I heard them speaking, either unaware alicorn hearing was nearly as good as theirs, or not caring. Either way, I stamped the hoof that had paused mid-stride down hard enough to shake the series of ramps and scrap metal, wheeling around with my wings flared and eyes blazing.

"SILENCE! Thou art all dishonorable cowards... Thou whelps are not fit to lick the hooves of a TRUE PRINCESS, let alone serve as her guard as yon Witching Hour does!"

While I was satisfied to see both heavily armored guards cringing back like frightened foals as I stalked forward, even I was getting a little unnerved by the hypnotic growl coming out of my mouth. I wasn't thinking about the words, they just came spilling out, rising and falling in the cadence and formal language the descendants of Luna's guard used.

It was enough of a show for quite a few passing ghouls to gawk openly, whispering to each other and warily approaching. Two of their living tormentors guarding the boundary between the haves and have-nots, shrinking away from one short stallion in a comic book costume was a spectacle. The hushed whispers I picked up all spoke of 'The Shroud' with superstitious dread as I just kept going, unable to stop...

"Keep a civil tongue... if thou would keep it in thy head. Thine judgement is nigh... every insult hurled towards the Princess or her retinue will be returned a thousand fold as pain and..."

"Awright, enough of that! You heard the boss assholes, shut yer traps and behave. We'll get outta yer manes shortly, then ya can go back ta bein' snobby pricks all ya want. C'mon shorty, let's get movin'!" Val grabbed my tail and yanked again, dragging me after her. Her voice softened once we were up a couple of turns, clucking back at me still straining against her grip. "Hey... hey boss, chill out already. You... you ok crazy? Yer not gonna lose it, right? Get yer shit together boss..."

Shut up! I clenched my eyes shut and slapped myself, hard enough to get a grip and turn around, putting the source of agitation behind me and staggering up the ramps with Val. My head hurt and I dearly wanted to go back down, but I was still in charge, for now... Looking back to Val watching closely as we ascended together, I shivered and wondered for how long...

"F-Fine... I'm fine Val. You're right, let's get going..."

Compared to the rust, sand and muck of Guano-Town below, entering the E.M.S. Dreadnought was like entering a Stable. While everything was slightly canted to one side and age had taken its toll, my hooves ringing on the steel decks was familiar and the military order of the place apparently put a value on maintaining the ancient vessel as well as possible. It was clean and well kept, though most of the ponies I saw actually doing the polishing and mopping as we wandered about were the ghouls of the lower town.

Allowed up here to do menial work only, I tried to tip my hat to each I saw and noted the look of pride they had, even though they were having their loyalty taken advantage of, a thought that made 'Be Awesome!' give a whinny of disapproval in my aching head. They all still wore their tattered uniforms and they all worked hard preserving Luna's ship in her name.

It obviously wasn't for the smirking living thestrals kicking over their buckets of water or making disgusted faces behind their backs. Not every batpony crewmember we ran into was cartoonishly evil or a huge asshole, but the culture that had developed here wasn't a very open or accepting one. Even the few batpony foals in cute cadet uniforms running the halls weren't immune. While a wide eyed filly and colt did stop to talk with me as the comic book Shroud and were friendly enough, their adult minder ushered them off soon enough, lecturing them furiously for their innocent 'fraternizing with outsiders'.

As non-thestrals, living or dead, Val and I stuck out a little bit trudging down the narrow passages. Not as much as I would have thought though, there were quite a few wasteland ponies running about, repairing steam lines, wiring, flickering terminals and buzzing lights everywhere we went. It gave us a bit of cover to snoop around while we looked for the others, allowing me to speak with the repair-ponies as I could, getting a sense of what they were doing and how well they were doing it.

Nearly all of them were from University Point, though I was surprised to find a few members of the Rust Devils lurking about. They reminded me of being back in the Stable even more than the steel walls and cramped quarters, repair crews with a full workload, racing from one job to the next. The few clipboards of work orders and schematics for the ancient ship I managed to peek at caught my interest as much as the work too, crisp and new looking blueprints of the ship the way it was when it rolled off the assembly facility at Seaward Shoals.

Val was a master at playing the clueless, lost tourist, a skill she said she learned from Nick Hearts n' Hooves as his assistant and put to excellent use to let us roam around freely. Every time we got stopped by some suspicious batpony in uniform looking down their nose at us, Val gave a song and dance about how big and confusing their amazing ship was, asking for directions that she kept interrupting with more questions, until they eventually became exasperated and sent us on our way again.

It was a fairly plausible excuse, if we weren't aimlessly looking around to begin with, I figured we actually were lost by now. The ship was a maze of bulkhead doors and identical steel corridors, stairwells of steel steps that went up and down all over and faded words stenciled on the walls giving vague directions, the leaning ship skewing everything to the side lent it a funhouse maze vibe that wasn't nearly so fun. I did notice one addition to the architecture that confused me at first, U shaped steel pipes jutting from the ceiling at regular intervals and near work stations. I only figured them out when I actually saw one of the batponies in residence hanging upside down from one, the leaning ship serving as no bother to their perch.

While part of me wanted to track down Jade and Witchy as soon as possible, another part dreaded it and advised giving them time to talk, offering a perfectly valid excuse to keep being nosy. Val was more than willing to go along with me, trying too hard to be cheery and poking her beak in everywhere, hoping for some mystery or interesting gadget to improve my mood.

Her efforts had led us down a few decks, the bright red griffon a bouncing spot of warmth among all the grey steel and grey tinged batponies. "C'mon boss, this'a way! I know them freaky ears of yers hear all that hammery, buzz-saw-y, clanking, clattering junk noise, right? Don'cha wanna check it ouuuuut?"

"Alright, alright... consider me curious Val. I have a good idea what it probably is though." I gave her a tired smile, pausing to tap at the wall at the chipped paint reading; 'Machine Shop' beneath an arrow pointing the way.

"Bah! Don't ruin the surprise boss, maybe it's somethin' cooler! Like they're makin' armored speedboats ta be pirates!" Val slowed down to nudge and nuzzle me forward, bounding ahead again to reach the bulkhead door the noise was coming from and peek in.

She may have been joking, but Val's wild ideas made me wonder what exactly Dreadnot intended to do if they ever did fix their ship. Surely something like the massive war machine being out on the seas again would be a powerful weapon in the wasteland. Only groups like the Brotherhood of Friendship and their Prydwen would be able to stand up to the prewar navy warship nowadays.

When I first saw the work and heard what they were up to, I was just taken with the idea for the sake of doing it. Fixing the broken ship and sailing the seas sounded like a neat idea to me, just all the repairs going on around us had been enough to lift my mood already. That was too much like Grandpa though... Fooling around and doing things because they sounded cool, without thinking about the end result so much...

Creeping up with a slack jawed Val to stick my head in the cracked door with her, my whirring thoughts were fixed firmly on consequences as I gaped alongside the griffon rubbing her claws together over my head. The sheer amount of firepower inside was enough to make me worry, and make Val drip drool into my mane as she took it all in.

"By the egg... it's the jackpot boss! Lookit all of that gear!" Val whispered into my ear in glee, prancing on her paws and wiping her beak.

It was impressive... The ship's machine shop was near the center of the vessel as best I could tell, a wide open chamber stretching up to the deck somewhere above us. There were several broken lifts lining the walls that seemed to go all the way up anyway, parts of an ancient Vertibuck still resting on one giving a clue at their purpose.

The center of the vast room was full of equipment making all the lovely racket of work being done. Some looked original to the ship, while others looked like they had been salvaged from the ruins outside and added to the collection over the years. All of it was operational though, lathes, welding equipment, drill presses, grinders and saws, bubbling smelting vats and gem studded magical manufacturing machines, chugging away and spewing glinting products out to patched and worn conveyor belts.

Everything they were making was of a decidedly deadly nature too. I saw a lot of brass shells glinting under the harsh fluorescent lights, gleaming steel and silver parts carted off to be assembled into shining assault rifles and pistols, racks of glimmering curved swords and ornate plate mail armor being pounded by auto-hammers. Chemistry stations mixed up gunpowder and explosives, feeding bins full of shiny metal apples. Val was right, it was a treasure trove alright, a huge stockpile of weapons and armor... just waiting to be put to use...

While I was still frowning in thought, my hat was suddenly crumbled on my head as Val shoved me down with a muffled squawk, hitting the deck and pointing a claw out into the corner of the busy room. "Down boss! We ain't the only visitors... I know that fucker right there..."

It was a griffon she had locked onto, sticking her head up just far enough to point him out for me. Dark brown and tan, he was hard to pick out near a side room off the machine shop floor, involved in an animated conversation with a middle aged batpony mare in a high ranking uniform, bickering over a clipboard they kept passing between each other. While he was wearing a simple leather duster and tattered green scarf long enough to wrap around his head, he had the look of a hardened merc, his alert yellow eyes flicking our way and forcing us down.

"Is he a Gunner Val?"

"Supply Squad Vulture... Outside Procurement, a scavenging squad boss, that right there is Varis. Stupid disguise or not... I'd recognize that asshole anywhere." Val hissed in my ear, creeping back to the hall and pulling me with her.

"Disguise... you think he's spying maybe?"

Shaking her head, Val worked on putting distance between us, stalking down the passageway in the lead and ducking into a darkened room, just ahead of an armored guard turning the corner. "Not that subtle boss, if'n he's here and arguin' with them bats in charge, it's about a deal."

Worrying as that was, a glance to the dim room we sheltered in distracted me from the implications. My eyes adjusted and reported a long chamber full of pony shapes standing in a row, sending me scrambling for the lights with excuses on the tip of my tongue. When the ancient lighting came on with a series of clicks and buzzing, I released a held in breath on getting a better look.

We had slipped into a power armor bay apparently, the row of ponies were simply empty Knightmare model power armor suits, standing sentinel in their frames. There were about half a dozen, though one frame on the end was empty, making me wonder if Witchy's father's suit belonged there. The temporary shelter did give me an opportunity to indulge in a little looting with Val, scooping up much needed parts that perfectly matched her inherited armor still being repaired with the Arcano-Cats as I paced the room in thought.

"A deal... where all the caps are coming from I bet... This place is like a munitions factory. I don't like this... Alright, Witchy can stay mad at me, we need to get outta here as soon as possible."

Racking the slide on her pistol and peeking out the door, Val heartily agreed. "Bout time, let's grab batty, steal yer shit and get the fuck gone already boss."

Following her protective lead, I pulled up Jade's locator tag and followed the arrow that popped up on my compass, hastily trotting in her general direction while avoiding as many patrolling batponies as possible. The presence of Gunners had moved Dreadnot from merely an unlikely ally, to a potential enemy. The best case would be just that the Gunners were purchasing what the thestrals were producing without any further contact, not out of the question considering their isolationist nature.

There were plenty of worse potentials that kept throwing themselves up in my thoughts as we galloped on though. Like University Point, Dreadnot was a major settlement in the southeast, right on the front lines of Gunner territory, but also left alone for unknown reasons. Paying protection in the form of munitions for their safety would be one, all of them having their strings pulled by the same Institute puppet master would be another...

The paranoid thoughts racing behind my eyes were cut off when we ran right over the blinking arrow in my vision, forcing me to turn around and find it again, cursing pip-buck's problems with multi floor structures. We were either right on top of or right below them, a dingy hallway running along the outer hull that was drafty with unrepaired damage.

Following my nose made up for the arcano-tech device's shortcomings at least, letting me snuffle at the rust and dirt on the deck to pick up three familiar scents, Jade's strawberry smell, Fancy-Buck snack cake crumbs, and Witchy's scent of well oiled armor, citrus and salty tears. A nearby stairwell allowed us to descend while tracking it, stopping as far as the stairs went, literally cut off by a wide rent in the hull. It was poorly patched by corrugated steel and scrap wood, not somewhere the repair crews had gotten around to yet.

The hall it let out on was identical to the other upstairs, another long passage lined by crew quarters. This one was even chillier and dirtier however, the lights flickered or were dark completely, cobwebs and rust were prevalent and it didn't look like anypony lived on this floor. Except for one lonely room at the end of the hall anyway, a tattered tarp hung over the doorway and mellow candlelight spilled out through the gaps, a homemade driftwood sign reading simply 'Hour' left little doubt who it belonged to.

Just in case there was any, the crude graffiti lining the rusty hallway erased it entirely. Cruel epithets like 'Half Breed Bitch', 'Zombie-Lover' and 'Mud-pony Cow' shared space with foalishly simple drawings meant to be insulting, cartoon Witchys with tiny wings, knocked knees, big balloon asses, crossed eyes and crooked fangs... They were of all ages... the most faded were of little Witchy's wearing pigtails... They had treated her like this since she was a foal...

Not now! I forcibly looked away and focused on the soft murmurs coming from behind the tarp, trying to lean on the whisper of 'Be Kind...' crying for my friend and the life she endured here, while ignoring the angry growl that only wanted to make the ones who had done all this pay... and pay... and... No! Stop... You've done enough damage already dammit, just shut the fuck up before you make it worse!

Val didn't notice me stagger a step and wince, barging ahead to fling the tarp aside and squawking to the surprised trio of Jade, Glitter and Witchy inside. "Alright ladies, enough with tha pity party! Boss says we gotta go, yer pals are keepin' Gunner company batty, so let's get the fuck outta dodge!"

I shook my head and trotted to catch up, warily sticking my head in under the curtained door, then pausing with another pang to my heart and a sliver of furious anger in my head. Witchy's room was a hovel... After passing by so many other crew quarters while exploring the ship, the difference was stark and all the more infuriating after seeing how many better rooms were sitting empty.

There were two bunks, one on either side of the room, though the one on the right looked long unused. The rickety shelves holding half ruined books and knick knacks were covered in dust, along with the hooflocker sitting at the end of the musty bed. Since she was sitting on it, I presumed the other was Witchy's bed, though it wasn't in any better shape. The thin mattress was moldy and lumpy, the scratchy looking blankets were all threadbare and dirty, while the pillow was a burlap sack leaking straw.

Only a battered old lantern provided light, illuminating a cramped room that was clearly chilly enough for Jade to have wrapped Glitter up in the pitiful blanket as she snuggled against a sniffling Witchy blinking up at us. Her slitted amber eyes were bloodshot and she clutched a beaten old stuffed Luna doll, while Glitter brushed at its patchy blue mane. My daughter had somehow got her hooves on one of the funny flat, visorless sailor caps I saw the cadet dressed foals wearing to add to her collection, a floppy bit of dark blue wool nestled atop her bouncy silver mane, while the black ribbon trailed into her wide pink eyes. She was trying to comfort the still upset looking Witchy, who looked at me with a mixture of surprise and conflicted emotion, still unready to make up out of hoof.

"Oh my, Gunners? Here? P-Perhaps they're right Witching dear, we should leave. At least you are able to retrieve your possessions here, t-that is something is it not?" Jade was sitting on the floor beside Witchy's bed, raising a wing in the cramped room to give her a supportive hug.

Still sniffling and smearing her gleaming foreleg plates with snot as she wiped her muzzle, Witchy's eyes barely met mine before turning down to her foalhood stuffed doll. "Tis alright your highness... T-They come to buy from us, but shouldn't cause trouble..."

"What the fuck? You knew them assholes were creepin' around an' didn't give a heads up or nothin' batty!? You ain't got room ta be pissy with the boss over keepin' quiet, now do ya?" Val threw her claws up and screeched, still defending me and making Witchy flinch at her agitation.

"Not all of us are brave enough to fight thine former comrades Valkyrie! M-My people have lived in the south, at the edge of their territory, for ages! W-We couldn't fight, so we compromised. I couldn't..." Witchy squeaked back, a helpless, guilty look on her face that I had to hold a hoof up to interrupt quietly.

"Witchy was sworn not to tell us certain things Val. I'm sure you can understand how important honor can be, right? Even after she decided to join us, she couldn't break her word. I don't blame her and I know she wouldn't put us in danger, it's not the same thing as me keeping quiet..."

"Still, best not to linger and tempt fate with Gunners about. Come along Glitter, Valkyrie, let us give her a moment to pack. Fast, would you be a dear and help her?" Jade made up her mind, standing and shooing a pouting Glitter off to the door, sweeping Val up in her shove towards the exit and leaning down to whisper in my ear. "Talk to her Fast... Apologize..."

If there had been a door to lock behind her, I imagined the concerned alicorn would have done so. Instead I heard her pushing the others down the hall and stopping out of earshot, ignoring Val and Glitter's nearly matching whines. It was just me and Witchy left in the sad little room, the batpony filly glancing up and biting her lip, then turning away when I caught her eye. She moved slowly to pick through the junk that represented her meager worldly possessions and avoided my gaze.

With a weary sigh, I sat on the bed beside her as close as I could get without her pulling away, taking my hat off to fidget with in my hooves and scratching my mane sheepishly. "Witchy... I'm really sorry. I should have told you..."

"Yes. Thou should have." Witchy's reply was clipped and short, her tufted ears laid back and her eyes cool and uninterested in my fumbling apology.

"I didn't mean to lie or keep it from you, I was gonna tell you! I just... I was trying to protect you. Ruby already hurt you so much, I didn't want to give her the chance to do it again..."

"She was my only family Fast! Even if she was awful, she was mine! Ruby wasn't always so terrible, I saw her in Mr. Jets' memory and she was... she was my mother's sister! The last link I had to her! I don't need you to protect me Fast! Not like that! I said I wanted to let her go, but she... you.... Did you kill her!?" Witchy surprised me with her anger, making me cringe and slump under her squeaky voice rising up in the small space.

"I.... I don't know. I don't think so, I don't remember it anyway, but... I won't lie, it is possible. She made me mad and I wanted to... but I wouldn't have! I still should have told you, I'm sorry."

Turning away to put her back to me, Witchy muttered over her shoulder as she tossed mementos to her saddlebags. "I wasn't mad at her... I wanted to let her go, even after the things she did. She was my aunt, it was about me! What gives you the right to stick your snout in? What business is it of yours what kind of a mare she was or how she treated me Fast!?"

"Witchy... You have a point, I'm sorry. I made it my business because... b-because I care about you, because you're precious and deserve to be protected, even if I mess it all up. I just hated seeing your own aunt hurting you, so I hated her and kept the truth from you. I hate the way they treat you here too. This room they stuck you in, how they pick on you and laugh... I hate how you just take it the most though, like you still think you don't deserve better... How can you be so forgiving?"

"Because I believe in the Princess and her words Fast. Because I believed in thou as well, but you lied and hid things from me, from her highness! That hurts worse than almost anything either Ruby or my people have done to me, to think I cannot trust the first stallion I ever trusted completely... That I cannot even be sure you didn't murder her thyself..." Witchy's shimmering gaze finally met mine, sending a aching pain to my heart on finding the disappointment there.

"Witchy, you have to believe it wasn't really me! Please... I wouldn't... I'm not a monster."

"But thou may be host to one, yes? You know my people are ordered to secure the Shroud, if thou truly houses the beast in thine head, I should by all rights report such information. You may be a threat to her highness as well, can thou guarantee you will not wander off in the night and hurt her? Or attack those thou would 'protect' her from as well?" Witchy's reply made my ears fall limp and my eyes water, once she accepted the possibility, she was quicker than Jade to see the potential threat and it hurt to hear my own worries echoed back at me.

"Er... hey, boss... Need ta wrap shit up I think, we got company out here..." Val's voice cut off any response I could come up with, drifting through the curtain just before it was tugged aside by a smirking thestral mare.

One of Lt. Wing's underlings from the castle, the one with the violet tinge to her bobbed greyish mane. A little of her smarmy expression faltered on finding me sitting in Witchy's cramped quarters, but a quick check to the two rather burly looking batpony stallions in heavy armor behind her gave her solace. They weren't laying a hoof on Jade, Glitter or Val in the hallway, but were professionally good at taking up a lot of space and looking intimidating, making the nature of this little visit clear enough.

"Hello again Ensign Hour... The Admiral is eagerly awaiting your report and sent me to collect you, along with this 'Princess' of yours he's curious to parley with... All squared away down here?" Ensign Fang, her name came back to me as she patted the hilt of her curved sword on uniformed flank, raising an eyebrow at me and reminding me I had sort of cut through her previous blade.

I could hear Witchy gulp in fear beside me, helping me put aside the headache pounding in my temples and my own sadness over the unfinished discussion. Turning back to her as I stood and donned my hat, I wiped my muzzle and stroked her softly with my wing, trying to sound reassuring as I replied.

"Well then, let's go. Witchy has a report to make. I've kept her waiting long enough, I'm sure she has a lot to say. Whatever it is, I support her 100%."

The trip up to the bridge was quiet and tense, the steel plated guards ushering us along up long flights of stairs and through areas receiving more repair work than elsewhere. I absently noted the systems they were focused on the most and the kind of maintenance being done by all the outsiders, eyeing the precision work and advanced parts suspiciously.

Witchy stayed firmly at Jade's side, stealing little glances at me keeping my head up and trotting on in the lead, but still troubled and hurt looking. I meant what I told her though, whatever Witchy had to say to her superiors here, I'd understand. I owed her that much, 'Be Unwavering!'.

I wished Jade wasn't here for whatever came next, but had been unable to come up with an excuse for the visiting Princess to beg off. Getting Glitter to play along with having a tummy-ache didn't impress our escort, while Jade wasn't the best liar and quickly diagnosed the savvy little filly as faking it, unaware of any reason why she'd do so and still clearly hoping to have a diplomatic meeting with the ruler of Dreadnot.

I loved her, but chuckled nervously at Glitter facehoofing when her mother blew the deception. If only she was just a liiiiittle sneaky and underhooved sometimes... Not that being so had served me that well lately, but I didn't want her on this ship any longer than necessary.

Soon enough, we were brought to the high perch of the ship's bridge, a wide room full of windows looking out to the flight deck, sand and shore below. Consoles full of buttons and terminals blinked brightly, nearly half restored to working order and giving the ponies stationed at each something to do again. The position in the best shape was the radio operator's, a skinny and pinch-faced batpony stallion wearing earphones over his fluffy ears chattered and listened to the staticky noise frequently. They were communicating with somepony and had been for awhile by the look of things...

The absolute best spot on the bridge had to be the Captain's seat however. The fancy chair had buttons and knobs festooning it, including some levers and switches that could be hit by a light touch of a wing. The whole thing gleamed under the bright lights, polished and reupholstered, going along with the pretentious and overstuffed pony sitting in it.

"Ahoy Admiral Five Star, presenting Ensign Hour, the false Princess and Shroud, plus their retinue..." Ensign Fang bowed to the portly stallion taking up most of the seat, snapping a salute as she moved aside and let the bespectacled buck look us over.

He wasn't a pleasant looking pony... Plump and pudgy from an easy life up above the lower ranks, his dark blue uniform was stretched over his medium grey bulk and crammed with medals and ribbons I sincerely doubted he had actually earned. The tall, peaked cap bearing a big, silver medal of the crescent moon was surrounded by five smaller stars, framing his jowly face and piggish snout, while the strands of his thinning blue mane escaped it in greasy strands.

Still actively munching on a 200 year old bag of sweet potato chips, the Admiral of Dreadnot raised an eyebrow at Jade sketching a curtsy in front of him, blinking his slitted silver eyes curiously. "Hmm... The 'Princess' and the 'Shroud' from the radio... Well, she's no Luna, but I see the allure. Good enough for wasteland rabble I suppose."

While I was still gritting my teeth over his snide attitude, Jade had already put on a sparkling smile and held a hoof out, her voice kind and undisturbed. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Admiral Stars, I am Princess Jade of Sanctuary, a growing kingdom in the north that would be pleased to establish a positive relationship with Dreadnot. My husband also wished to inquire about obtaining parts from one of your ruined cannons I believe."

"Mm-hmm.... Thou art a smooth talker mutant, we'll discuss your 'Kingdom' and possession of holy Luna's castle in more detail later. Though no wastelander will be removing a single bolt or spark fuse from this vessel, so best thou forget any ideas to the contrary. First off, your report Ensign Hour. Thou have taken quite some time for the simple errand we sent you on. What excuse dost thou have for such dereliction of duty?"

Stealing the parts it was then... I was already planning on sneaking back and taking what I needed during my exploring with Val, so the Admiral's refusal didn't bother me much. The way he made Witchy cringe and flinch from his badgering on the other hoof... 'Be Dark...' and 'Be Awesome!' harmonized in their disapproval, the abuse of loyalty something they could both agree on.

"Hey.... It wasn't Witchy's fault. I kept putting her off, but she stuck by us until she was able to do her job and get me here. If you want to be pissy with somepony, I'm right here buddy..."

Witchy chirped at me aggressively getting between her and the Admiral, helping me beat back the snarling shadow still trying to insert itself unhelpfully into the situation. She pushed her way past me and saluted smartly, giving the fat asshole more respect than he deserved. "No excuse Admiral sir! I apologize for my failure and beg forgiveness."

"Failure indeed... Not that much was expected of you. What of your reconnaissance assignment Ensign? I can't say I find this 'Shrouded Stallion' very intimidating, but recent reports have made the question pertinent again. What say you Ensign Hour? Is he as fake as the Princess he serves?" The Admiral snorted and made Witchy wilt under his disapproval, giving me an unkind look of skepticism.

I had an idea what he meant, but Jade was openly confused, tilting her head down to her shame faced guard. "Reconnaissance? What does he mean by that Witching? I thought you were merely sent to collect Fast and return."

"I... I was your highness! Repair-ponies of his skill are still hard to find. I-It's just that... anypony running around taking up the name of the Shroud had to be investigated.... I'm sorry, I was sworn to secrecy since it concerned our final orders from Luna. I did not mean to keep it from thou, a-and it seemed so silly when I met him, twas not worth taking seriously." Witchy chattered back guiltily, at least able to talk about some of those things she had been on her honor not to discuss before now apparently.

The dubious sneer of the Admiral just confirmed what I guessed, still waiting on Witchy's answer. "Stories about a Shrouded Stallion demanded our attention. After Lt. Wing's report on finding his tomb empty, the question is all the more pressing. What say you Ensign Hour? This pint sized buck surely isn't the Shroud of legend, is he?"

Trying to keep all emotion off my face, I turned to Witchy curiously. Here it was, if she thought I was a threat or needed to report honestly, things might get complicated... Still, I couldn't bring myself to hope she'd dishonor herself for a pony that hadn't been honest with her. Whatever Witchy felt she needed to say, I tried to let her know I meant what I said, I supported her.

Witchy took a breath, but blew it out in a long sigh meeting my eyes, her own still showing a glimmer of annoyance and hurt, but softening tiredly as she spoke in a squeaky whisper. "N-No... Of course not Admiral sir, just a silly, sweet... sometimes stupid stallion that likes comic books... That's all."

"Hmmph, yes... of course. Though thou seems quite smitten with charlatans and fakers since leaving us Ensign. Thou hath even pledged thine service to this pretender to the throne I understand? Thou has forsaken thine own people Ensign Hour? After all we've done for thou orphaned ragamuffin, thou art as disloyal as thine troublesome father?" The brief warmth of 'Be Kind...' and 'Be Awesome!' singing along with my smile of relief to the batpony ended as soon as the Admiral opened his mouth, replaced by stabs of pain between my eyes, pulsing along with his words and the sight of Witchy's cute ears turned down in misery.

"You shut up, big, fat batpony jerk! Witchy's awesome and wants ta be Mommy's royal guard, which is way better than some dumb 'Admiral'! Her daddy was an awesome hep cat too! You better stop bein' mean an'..." Glitter stamped her little hooves and shouted, hushed quickly by her mother's hoof lightly pressed to her lips.

To my surprise and admiration, Jade didn't silence the little filly to keep being polite, merely to take over. "Ahem... I must agree with my daughter Admiral. Witching's 'own people' as you put it, do not treat her as such. She is a brave and valiant mare who I am honored to call my friend and guardian. I am given to understand that with no living Princess to serve, her oath of fealty was hers to give and received with gratitude. We came hoping to be friends, but putting her affairs here in order and leaving this place behind her will do just as well. If that is done, I do believe we shall take our leave. Come along Witching dear, good day sir."

Sticking her nose up and huffing imperiously, I caught several surprised murmurs from the batponies on the bridge. Only a Princess could so effectively dress down an Admiral, and Jade had done so without raising her voice or being rude. The aura of simply being above the petty asshole impressed even his crew. Jade turned on her heel to leave, scooping Glitter up to her back and disregarding the sputtering Admiral entirely, bringing a stunned, cautiously hopeful look to Witchy's face.

The bastard recovered before the confused looking guards had to figure out what to do about the large alicorn tapping her hoof at them barring her path. Admiral Stars actually heaved his bulk out of his chair, stomping after her and getting a crafty look on his face. "I say, wait just one moment 'your highness', our business isn't quite finished. I understand thou art a physician?"

He said the one thing that could get Jade to pause, turning back inquisitively to a potential call for her medical skills. "Y-Yes... I am a doctor. Do not tell me you need my services in some capacity before we take our leave? I-Is somepony hurt?"

Still wearing that sly sneer that made my tail bristle, the Admiral nodded with an oily patter and waved a hoof to a large sliding steel door towards the rear of the bridge, the fading paint reading; 'Autopilot Bay'. "Oh verily, something of a medical mystery we would appreciate a second opinion on. Tis just in the other room if thou could spare a moment, then we'd be happy to see Ensign Hour off with an honorable discharge..."

I caught Val jerking her beak at the armored guards around the room shifting slightly, not liking the situation either, but forced to chase after Jade already taking the bait. The words 'medical mystery' had hooked her and she pranced over to the small room off the bridge, wrinkling her nose as the smell assaulted our noses and eyeing the sheet draped form in the middle of the spare chamber.

"Perhaps thou heard of the terrible murder we discovered this morning 'Princess'? I'm afraid our ship's medic has been at a loss when it comes to the autopsy. I've had the corpse brought up here, as I thought it may be relevant to our discussion. Please, take a look..." At that, Admiral Stars bit the loose tail of the sheet at his hooves with his pointy fangs, yanking the cover away with a flourish.

Glitter's sharp gasp and whinny of fear sent Jade's wings up in a wall of blue feathers, blocking off the foal's view and floating her back to Val guarding the doorway. Seeing her getting shoved safely back by the griffon with her pink eyes clenched shut, I stopped trying to help get her away and just agreed with her reaction, turning back to the corpse with a cold sweat breaking out on my coat.

Even Jade had difficulty maintaining her professional detachment, giving a slight gulp as she paced around the body sprawled out on the floor. The face staring up at the ceiling with wide, blank eyes was a rictus of terror and pain, the jaw open in a disturbingly wide silent scream. The mane and tail of the unfortunate stallion had turned white, like the slavemaster from Sapphire Sparkles Charter School we discovered, killed along with his crew by a mysterious stranger before we got there... That disturbing detail and the bloodstained and shredded uniform further made figuring out who it was difficult, but not impossible.

"L-Lieutenant Wing..."

My ears flicked at Witchy's whimper from Jade's side as she realized the same thing, following her Princess on her inspection of the body with her face paling noticeably. It was him... the same thestral Lieutenant who showed up at Castle Equinox, the one who scared and threatened Witchy...

Admiral Stars didn't seem that put out over the bloody mess, watching our reactions and nodding somberly. "Verily... The young Lieutenant reported back from the castle safely enough, then sometime before dawn, this happened to him. We're not sure where, but we pulled him down from the prow this morning. He was..."

"Impaled... While still alive I would guess, the positioning is very precise to avoid the vital organs. It must have been terrible..." Jade's horn was glowing as she poked and prodded the body, inspecting the ragged, hoof sized hole beneath the pale tail, then spreading the stiff hindlegs slightly to view the source of all the blood soaking his hindquarters, her eyes only widening slightly at the sight that made my stomach lurch. "Oh dear, I assume his genitalia were removed premortem as well..."

"Found those stuffed in his mouth, thus the broken jaw. Our medic came to the same conclusions, it is awful, isn't it? You know... Lt. Wing reported a few strange things about his discovery in the castle crypts... Oh, you see the brand?" The Admiral joined Jade and pointed a wing down to the body's flank, letting the tall alicorn lean down and squint at the scorched mark there.

I could see it well enough from here... It was blackened, charred flesh over top the blistered, burned colors of the Lieutenant's cutie mark, a black crescent moon that had been broken in half. What Moon Tide was gossiping about, the mark of an oath breaker...

"Hmm... magical energy damage. It is a funny sort of mark too, not like the Grand Pegasus Enclave using Rainbow Dash's. Cruder... most likely done by a spell caster, not a brand or magical weapon. It is indeed a ghastly crime, but I am afraid there is not much more I can tell you Admiral. I am no detective, though we are acquainted with a marvelous one in Diamond City if you would like a recommendation." Jade finished her quick inspection and floated the sheet back with a look of distaste, shrugging at being unable to help further and returning to her desire to leave.

"Most likely some disaffected zombie from Guano-Town, I'm sure we can manage. It's the brutal nature of the crime that is disruptive, especially on the hooves of Lt. Wing's report. Rumors have even been spreading about the real Shrouded Stallion being missing, very bad for morale... We can't have our brave crew afraid of some ghost of the past lurking in the night, can we?" Admiral Stars trotted across the room, pausing at a terminal mounted in the far wall and ending ominously. "Luckily, we have a Shrouded Stallion right here..."

I didn't like the way he said that... Jade blinked in confusion, but Witchy squeaked a reply before either of us could, an anxious, frustrated note to her voice. "B-But Admiral Stars, sir... H-He's not... I just told thou, Fast is just a Stable-pony, he's not the real Shroud! They are here under the protection of parley! Thou can't..."

Ignoring her stammering, the Admiral raised a hoof significantly, eliciting a sharp, angry squeak from Witchy just before he brought it down with a smirk. "Better safe than sorry. Parley is not for the likes of such impure mutants Ensign. Our orders are to collect the Shroud and send him on his way, one will do just as well as another... Guards! Seize them!"

At his command, not only the plate armor wearing guards sprang into action. The purpose of the mostly empty room became clear when panels slid aside along the walls, revealing a trio of Ponitrons on either side of us painted in dark blues matching the naval uniforms of the thestrals, along with a huge Sentry-bot with strange weapon and body modifications dead ahead. The whole room was a recharging station for the autopilot system, the ancient robots now lighting E.F.S. up with red marks were an automated crew.

Witchy was already moving when I triggered S.A.T.S., taking in the situation with a furious roar struggling to get loose in my head. The fat Admiral set us up! 'Betrayer...' At least the scene being too grisly for Glitter got her out of the jaws of the trap, but I could see more guards and bridge officers moving to deal with the griffon frozen in the middle of drawing her pistols at the door with her.

Jade was still stunned and catching up, her face lit up by the glow of her horn just starting to cast her shield. Witchy had the same thought I did on realizing our situation at least, her leathery wings were frozen in the downbeat of a dive right to Jade, her armored forelegs stretched out to push her towards the door and away from danger.

Trying to work with the voice of 'Be Dark...' rather than fight it, I queued up shots with the Terrible Shotgun at any guards in Jade's way I had a shot at, allowing time to resume as an aura of lightning flickered to life around me. I followed Witchy's lead and spread my wings, flapping hard with the left to roll in midair and face the room of clanking robots, while the pip-buck's targeting spell took care of firing to clear Jade's path.

A blast of lightning from my horn fried two of the Ponitrons on one side and heavily damaged the third, leaping from one metallic robot to the next in a deafening crack of thunder in the confined space. It also had the side effect of propelling me backwards faster, letting me slam into the round shell of Jade's shield and push for all I was worth.

Through the translucent blue barrier, I glanced back in time to see one of the guards getting thrown back by a slug hammering their breastplate. The chatter and bright muzzle flash of Witchy's combat rifle on the flank beside mine drew my eyes front again, her furious screeching rising above the sound as rounds stitched their way up the Sentry-bot, forcing the Admiral to hustle his lard to dodge behind it.

"Val!! Get them out of here! NOW!" I screamed with effort and shoved with Witchy, digging my hindlegs in to force the big blue alicorn out over her objections.

Val didn't like the order, but the squirming filly pinned in the crook of her foreleg decided her. Glitter was rooting in her jacket to pull out Righteous Authority and firing wildly on the bridge, forcing Val to turn her attention that way. Jade being shoved between us just cut her off anyway, and the heavy alicorn wasn't being very movable at the moment. Her long blue legs stamped down and threatened to turn around for us, rather than run away.

"Go your highness! Thou must clear our escape! Quickly, so we may follow!" Witchy's voice was high and harsh, getting through to her with one of the few things she could say that would work, good sense. Enough to get them all moving anyway, with her, Glitter and Val between us and the cloudy windows out, they were left with no choice but to go first or let us get penned in.

The thump of Val's grenade machine gun preceded a large chunk of the bridge going up in flames, blowing a hole through the reinforced glass and offering an escape she practically dragged Jade and Glitter towards. "Move it Blue! You heard 'im! Let's go already!"

With them on their way, I turned to cover the rear and was forced to dodge the web of magical energy beams and machine gun fire focusing on the doorway, spotting Witchy rolling the opposite direction with a muffled cry of pain among the pings of bullets on her armor. The wild ricochets made the living batpony guards rethink filling the small chamber with lead however, leaving the Ponitrons and Sentry-bot the Admiral was hiding behind as the bigger threat.

Or so I thought anyway. A full cyllinder of shots from Vengeance blew the glass domed heads off two of the remaining Ponitrons as I drew Best Served and turned on the nearest enemy thestral, but the muscular stallion opened his mouth and screeched before I could cross the distance, sending me staggering back. I'd never been on the receiving end of the rings of terrible sound Witchy could make and was surprised by just how much it hurt, my ears folded back uselessly and my brains felt like they wanted to dribble out of them.

My vision blurred and I couldn't aim my wobbly floating weapons at him, losing all sense of equilibrium as I lurched and tried to draw a bead on his gaping mouth. Even activating S.A.T.S. again did little to help, the odds to hit any target standing at point blank range in the single digits. It did let me see the remaining guard and Witchy engaged in a duel of crescent shaped swords sparking against each other, she was bleeding from the flank and the plates of her armor were scorched along with patches of her fur from the magical beams still lighting up the room.

I didn't have much chance to hit, but trying anyway with S.A.T.S. was easier than doing it manually, and several .45s whizzing through the air around the guard's head got him to back off Witchy. Unfortunately, he noticed how effective his partner's attack was and joined it, the rings of noise now coming from two directions and battering me down to my knees. I could taste blood dripping down from my muzzle and hoped the wetness at my ears was more of the same and not actually brains.

Worse, I couldn't hear Jade or anything else... I had no idea where she and the others were, nearly falling over when I tried to turn my head to see, only to be met by a wall of noise coming from the batpony bridge crew blocking off our escape. A heavy weight slamming into my side forced me to turn around as I flopped to the ground, holding my hooves to my ears and finding Witchy had been bucked into me, both of us at the center of the triangulated waves of lethal sound.

The Admiral had peeked out from behind his robotic guardian and was adding to it now too, a gleeful look on his fat face that was enough for 'Be Unwavering!' and 'Be Dark...' to help me struggle to find my hooves. It felt like trying to stand with a bramhim on my back on a tilt a whirl 'Be Strong!' 'Be Awesome!', but my fangs dug into the handle of Best Served and my eyes glowed as I lurched up, painfully dragging one hoof in front of the other. I couldn't hear it, but I could feel the deep growl in my throat and saw the Admiral could make it out, his smirking face paling as I hissed and trudged through the onslaught towards him.

"I'm going to kill you... All of thou... foul betrayers and oathbreakers... pitiful, tainted remnants of Luna's legacy... Death has come for thou all... and I... am... it's..."

The nearest guard made to buck me back as he had Witchy, to the focus of their attack so I'd quietly get beaten down by it. As slow as I was moving, he looked quite surprised when I ducked my head and slashed out, slicing one hindleg off and painting the room in arterial spray.

"...Shroud...."

That was enough for the frightened looking Admiral to panic, beating on the tiny head of the Sentry-bot and letting me find out firsthoof what the weird weapon it sported was. A blinding bolt of pain in my shoulder reverberated through my chest, throwing me back and pinning me like a bug under the quivering shaft of a metal arrow of some kind. Navy robots... of course, it had a harpoon...

More batponies from the bridge ran into the room below my struggling perch beside the door, adding to the attack and approaching as one. I couldn't move, couldn't cast a spell, I could barely see straight as that horrible wailing just got louder and louder. The last thing I could make out was Witchy getting a sharp buck to the skull as the guards overtook where she lay sprawled in the floor, stomping and stamping on her prone form.

Then everything was dark and blessedly silent.

When I woke up, it wasn't immediately obvious. It was still dark and still quiet, the only thing really getting through the ringing in my ears was the clink of chains, which made me think it was another bizarre dream at first. The thing that I could really put my hoof on as 'real', was the agony in my shoulder from the harpoon shaft still sticking out. Then the lesser discomfort of my chilly and blood sodden trenchcoat, squelching and slipping at my back against a curved, smooth, metal pillar of some kind that I seemed to be chained to, in a spread eagle position like the Institute's emblem...

"H-Hello? Is anypony o..." I croaked out to the darkness, but was interrupted by wet, tearing coughs that hacked blood out to the emptiness, forcing me to wheeze and try to stop before I tore myself apart.

Panting and trying to choke back another fit like that, it took a minute to hear the quiet whisper that answered, a miserable, squeaky voice from the darkness nearby. "Fast? T-Thou are alright?! Please...."

"Kaff... s-super duper... Witchy? Y-You ok? Where are we? W-Where's Jade!? Glitter!? Val!? Did... did they... they kaff! kaff! kaff! h-hurt... kaff!'

A panicked shushing noise answered, so I stopped trying to talk and caught my breath again, listening to the shaky sounding mare answering and trying to focus on the source. "I overheard them say the Princess and the others escaped, thank the goddesses... I'm so sorry Fast, I never thought the Admiral would violate parley like that... I n-never would have brought you here if I had! I-It's my fault..."

"N-No... no it's not Witchy. You didn't know... you even lied to them to protect me... after I lied to you..."

There was a soft sob from the indistinct shape I could barely make out in the darkness now, a huddled form on the floor below me that cried as I whimpered and tried to test my bonds. "Thou didn't... I shouldn't have been so angry with you Fast. T-Thou were just trying to protect me as well, yes?"

My horn cast a dim glow, so my magic technically worked, though as weakly as I felt. It did let me fumble at my pip-buck, turning on the brighter light it boasted to take a better look around, then gasping at what it illuminated. Witchy was shackled to the floor below me, boasting two blackened eyes, a bloody muzzle with more running from her matted, damp purple mane, along with numerous cuts and bruises all over her normally beautiful body that was on display. Her armor and bags had been stripped away and tossed a short distance away, allowing our captors to bruise and beat all the lilac-grey fur it normally protected.

What really made me shake in rage was how she smelled, urine the one scent that penetrated my blood clotted nose... They pissed on her... They stripped her, beat her, tormented her, locked her up with me and then pissed on her...

Oh they're going to pay alright, just shut up for now and let me think. Sweet Celestia, my head wanted to explode with that rumbling growl shaking what felt like broken glass up there. With it thankfully simmering silently, I croaked to the poor batpony filly sadly.

"Oh Witchy... I did a piss poor job of it then... I mean! Bad... a bad job... sorry..."

Hearing her give a tired, hurt, sad little chuckle was better than crying anyway. The muted note of 'Awareness!' hanging on every injury tried to help focus on the small blessing of even such sickly laughter, as she shrugged in her shackles. "Tis alright Fast... After all they've done to me, even this doesn't bother me so much. I'm so sorry they hurt you though, a-and for what I said to thou..."

"Well, that makes getting my brains turned to jello totally worthwhile, so long as I'm forgiven. Seriously though... I had no idea that screech of yours felt that bad, remind me not to tick you off again... Will that ringing noise go away eventually?"

Trying to joke around was about the most I could do to help the mare chained up next to me, so I leaned on the spirit of Pinkie Pie and bit back any coughs my tired, lame jokes tried to produce. Witchy's own didn't sound much better as she answered, a resigned and fatalistic bit of better humor. "Just keep it in mind the next time you think of doing something foolish Fast. I don't know if we'll be around long enough to worry about it, but thank you..."

"I'm sure I'll screw up again anyway... let's work on getting out of here so I can get started..."

Turning to the task at hoof, I twisted my foreleg around, trying to spread the meager light from my pip-buck to figure things out. The chains wrapped around me so tightly didn't give me a lot of room to maneuver, though I could look them over well enough to find them to be familiar bonds. The same kind of ancient, enchanted chains that were in the Shroud's tomb... Luna's guard had been equipped to handle transporting her servant, explaining why my magic felt so weak, beyond blood loss and potential brain damage anyway.

I noticed they'd left my saddlebags in place, though the chains and my puny telekinesis prevented me from retrieving anything from them. It was still curious they'd leave me armed, but I'd count it as a blessing. Witchy's gear was at least nearby too, though without magic she had no chance at reaching them at all.

"Fast? Dost thou think... a-about Lt. Wing... my aunt.... did you do those things?" Witchy's hesitant voice wasn't much of an interruption since there wasn't much I could do, though I'd rather keep trying nothing than face her question.

"I don't know... Maybe Witchy. If I did, I don't remember it... I hope I didn't, but it's possible. I definitely hated that Lieutenant enough to want to. Y-Your Aunt Ruby... not as much, but she hurt you too so... If I did, I'm sorry Witchy."

"I don't think you... really you, would have either Fast. But thou wanted to? Why? I still don't understand... why thou are so upset when I wasn't?" Her voice was thick and sad, but still held that lack of comprehension over something so simple as her own self worth.

Well, there was little else I could do to help her, but maybe I could get this much clear before things got worse somehow. "Witchy... You still act like you deserve the way they treated you, and you don't. You said Ruby was your only family, but you were wrong, ok? We're your family too, and family looks out for each other... even when it's sticking our noses in where they're not wanted... You'd be mad at anycreature that was mean to Jade, right?"

"O-Of course! The way my people treated the Princess... what they did to you... Twas the first time I've ever felt so furious at them. B-But she is a Princess, I'm just..." Witchy yelped back in squeaky anger immediately, though still fell back to a self image born of a lifetime of abuse that I had to interrupt.

"But nothing. Jade would be the first to say she's not more important than anypony else. The way you felt over how they treated us... that's how I feel when they treat you that way. You're worthy of being treated like a Princess too, and just as pretty as one. That voice in my head really might have done something without me knowing and it wasn't for such good reasons if it did, but we agree on that much. You're so generous and giving to everypony else, try to see yourself that way too, just a little? It hurts all of us who love you when you can't."

Through the gloom and blood on her face, I caught a pink blush light her bruised cheeks as she gave a weak nod, hiding under her matted bangs and answering in a whisper. "I... I understand... better. I-I'll try... I... I love thou as well Fast, the Princess, little Glitter, everyone. E-Even if you did do... a-anything. Tis the spirit of the Shroud, not Fast Times, whom I know to be a true friend I believe in... No matter what I said while upset."

"Good, because it felt awful when you were mad at me Witchy. If I really am wandering around in my sleep and being a psychopath, I need a nocturnal mare I trust to keep a close ear on me when we get outta here, right? So let's figure out how to..."

Flashing yellow lights suddenly bathed the darkened chamber, the blaring of an alarm and the grinding of gears and tortured metal overhead cutting me off. Looking up, a small circle of night sky was irising open wider directly overhead, adding minimal light to the dark chamber that shook and shuddered around us. It gave a slightly better view of the pale metal pillar I was chained to, enough to see it ended at a red nosed point, along with the square platform below that Witchy was shackled to.

Before I puzzled it out, the shaking intensified and everything started to slowly rise towards the patchy clouds and mostly darkened moon above. With my ears still ringing painfully, the alarm blaring process was torturous, finally slackening when my eyes reached the hole and I left the echoing chamber behind, lifted up to the deck of Dreadnot and gaping up at my prison still rising as I figured it out.

A missile... they chained me to a freaking missile!?

My eyes shot down from the insane sight to Witchy as the lift that raised us up from the ship's hold clunked to a halt, finding myself glaring at dozens of thestrals in uniform lined up around my perch, Admiral Five Stars smirking up front with a rusty remote I could guess the purpose of. They were going to follow their orders and launch the Shroud at the zebra homelands... just as Luna commanded two centuries ago.

Witchy being shackled right in front of the missile marked it as a double feature too, she'd be torched to death when it launched. They were going to execute her... Both of us... the smarmy Admiral was already chirping to the crowd about it smugly. "Here he is, at long last loyal crew of the E.M.S. Dreadnought! Finally we will complete our mission, putting the past behind us to make way for the glorious future! A future free of traitorous, impure half breeds who would forsake our true Princess for some mutant abomination!"

The high pitched cheer and stamping hooves that answered shook the missile I was strapped to as I wiggled and strained, they were all insane... gleefully about to fire a shot in a war that was over 200 years ago, in the name of a Princess who was dead just as long, for what?! No wonder they left me with my weapons, they wanted their 'Shroud' to be as lethal a payload as possible.

Witchy screamed over the noise, her amber eyes shrunk to terrified points roving up and down the missile. "Don't do this! Please!! He's not... tis not the Shroud of legend! Goddess Luna wouldn't want this!"

The roar of 'Be Dark...' in my head went into overdrive when an armored guard silenced her with a buck to her gut. The chains binding me seemed to prevent any dramatic magic tricks to get out of this however. Despite what Zed said about cooperating with it, I was willing to let it off its leash if it could do something.

The best I could manage was a tantrum that soured some of the crowd's enjoyment, black lightning raced up and down the smooth metallic skin of the missile as it whirred and spun at the push of a button by the Admiral. The rumble of thunder overhead drew their uncertain stares up, the patchy clouds darkening and swirling around the sliver of the moon left in the sky. The missile shook as I strained and gnashed my fangs, scowling down at them with glowing red eyes that made a few cross themselves with that superstitous gesture I'd seen the ponies of Eclipse Village make.

"THOU SHALT ALL PAY FOR THIS BETRAYAL! LUNA'S WRATH SHALL DESCEND UPON THINE HEADS AND ALL OF THOU COWARDLY, PITIFUL MOCKERIES OF HER GLORIOUS GUARD WILL BE ERASED FROM EQUESTRIA! THOU SHALL FIND NO REDEMPTION, EVEN WHEN FACING HER DIVINE COUNTENANCE IN THE AFTERLIFE! OATHBREAKERS! DISHONORABLE SWINE! BETRAYERS!"

Even the Admiral pranced a step back, though he shook it off with a nervous chuckle, approaching cautiously as I snorted and snarled above him. "Oh very good, most convincing for a mutant pretender. Verily, keep going, best the crew thoroughly believes thine play acting is the genuine article. Mine contacts from amongst the outsiders are most insistent I not blast thou to yon zebra lands, but the superstitious among us cannot move on to restore our Princess' kingdom until her final orders are carried out. Any other such believable last words, false Shroud?"

"I'm going to let Witchy kill you... after I've had my turn..."

He gave a slight gulp at the menacing rumble coming out of my mouth, but steeled himself by glancing back at everypony's favorite whipping mare shackled behind me, sneering back as his hoof hovered over the faded red button of the launcher. "Ensign Hour would never raise a hoof against her betters. After her father showed such disloyalty and brought the ugly half breed back, I did make an effort to insure she remembered her place better than he did. A pity it failed in the end, but tis fitting I be the one to end them both... Farewell, Shrouded Sta-"

Right at the height of his gloating, a sudden, ringing, 'BONG!' noise shook the ship from below, sending the crew assembled on deck staggering and fluttering up in confusion. Another even stronger tremor rocked the entire vessel, Witchy and I being chained in place the only thing that kept us from lurching along with everypony else.

The third 'BONG!' toppled the bottom heavy Admiral and his remote flew from his hooves, skidding across the deck as all those tufted ears swiveled as one to the terrifying, deafening scream of a very annoyed filly. "WHERE'S FAST!?! YOU NASTY BATS GIVE HIM BACK! RIGHT NOW!!!"

"Sir! There's a... a... a... a mutant attacking the ship! A BIG one!" I grinned at a panicked looking ensign landing on the heaving deck and trying to hoist the heavy weight of the Admiral back to his hooves, pointing a shaking hoof to the source of the steady impacts to the ship's starboard side.

Admiral Stars turned a stunned, furious scowl up to me rocking and snickering atop the missile, gleefully watching the chaos as the ship kept rocking further and further to port with each super sized buck I could just picture the crazed mare unleashing. "You fucked up now pal! I warned you... You all think the Shroud is scary, you ain't seen nothing yet! Bwhahahaha!"

Scanning around him in a rush, I followed the Admiral's wide eyed gaze to the remote sliding across the deck, getting lost in a sea of unsteady hooves trying for the air. His decision to go after it was a little forced when the buck helping him up was vaporized in a cloud of sparkling red ash, a string of more red beams scorching the steel plating at the Admiral's hooves as he galloped off to escape the screeching griffon diving to the deck.

Val lobbed a series of 25mm grenades into the crowd and looked between Witchy and I with a manic glint in her eye, quickly taking in the situation, she swooped down and snagged the sliding pile of Witchy's gear, then went for the visible lock on Witchy's shackles at my urging. "Didn't think we left ya, did ya boss!? Gonna tan yer hide fer sendin' us out first though asshole! Just you wait, c'mere batty, yer prick friends are great at makin' guns, but their locks are for shit."

Since I couldn't do anything else productive, I kept an eye on the crowd of panicking thestrals while Val worked. A trio of armored guards had managed to flutter off the pitching deck and were flying at them, quicker than most to get a handle on the insane situation as the ship rocked to nearly level under their hooves. I was about to shout a warning, when a striped blur came charging across the deck, barreling into the three guards in a flurry of hooves.

Zed wasn't thrown off balance, even when the ship shuddered from stronger impacts and started making it past the balance point. The skilled zebra fighter flipped and hopped adroitly, dragging the airborne guards to his level and pressing his advantage as they staggered and clumsily swung their swords. Zed simply danced around them, denting their ornate metal armor, breaking bone and bloodying muzzles.

He maintained his position between me, Val and Witchy and the crowd of potential threats, giving Val time to work and playing on the thestral's fear of their ancient enemy from the war. They may have been as bigoted and mean to him as they were to the ghouls and Witchy, but didn't seem to like it as much when their victims fought back.

A roar of effort came with the strongest tremor yet, Swan's voice was like a banshee's scream as the ship shook and tilted. First it reached true level again for a moment, then another 'BONG!' sent it over the tipping point, leaning the opposite direction with a deep groan of tired metal. There were crashes and clangs of the metal scaffolding surrounding her falling away, then everything dropped suddenly with a crumpled 'boom!', most of the chaotic thestrals either falling or taking to the air when the ship fell into the trench they had been digging beside her.

Val popped Witchy's locks just in time, hanging on to her shackles still bolted to the deck as the screeching, groaning, crashing noises grew louder and louder. Still chained to the leaning missile, I was helpless as the ship lurched, the wind whistled in my ears with the sensation of falling as the huge vessel crashed into the trench and continued leaning, tipping over in a slow motion crash that caused complete pandemonium.

With a rolling tremor rumbling through the earth and a gout of sand exploding off the port side, the E.M.S. Dreadnought settled in a radically new position. Swan's deep voice cackling in victory further unnerving the shocked batponies trying to stand again. "HA! GOT IT! NOW FOR ALL YOU LITTLE BATS!"

Val moved from where she had been huddled over Witchy, helping the batpony filly up before pouncing up to the missile at my side, grabbing the chains in her claws as a hold and crawling over me trying to find the locks. Whatever she found after prowling around the towering pillar of the missile, she disregarded it once she completed her agile loop and drew her Shishkebab, igniting the star metal sword and holding it up over me with the white hot blade pointing down.

"Hold reeeeeally still boss... have you outta there in a sec..." Val gave me that much warning at least, then swung her sword at the chains in a blazing arc.

To both our surprise, the dark iron didn't part like butter versus a hot knife. The Shishkebab dug into the metal and made it through one link on her initial swing, but buried itself in the skin of the missile and was stuck fast, the chain turning red and giving off bright sparks when she grabbed the handle in both claws and heaved. It was steadily melting through the enchanted chains, sending ribbons of red hot metal dripping down close enough to singe my coat and make me wriggle to get away.

"Aw what the fuck! Cut dammit!" Val screeched and kept sawing through the chains, the first loop parting and falling away from my neck let me move my head around at least.

"They're magic Val! Enchanted! Keep trying and... Look out!!"

I shouted and tried to point at the cluster of thestrals that had recovered from the crash, fluttering up together above Zed still decimating those struggling on the deck and its new angle. My warning came just as they opened their mouths and screeched together, the rings of sound coming together and blasting all three of us with that awful wail again.

My headache ratcheted up to excruciating as Val clamped a claw to her ears and kept trying to cut my bonds with grim determination. Witchy crouched in front of me protectively, taking a deep breath before belting out a high pitched note that battled with the concentrated rings of magical sound, holding them back and giving us some relief, but losing ground almost immediately.

When it looked like she was going to be overtaken, another raspy screech from behind me rang out and joined hers, then another, and another, and another... More and more concentric rings of sound joined in on Witchy's side, though these were tinted green rather than the pale blue of the others, evening out the clash of noise and pushing back. I struggled to peer around the edge of the missile and spot our saviors, straining to stretch my neck and then goggling at the sight.

Jade was flying at the head of a small army of ghoulish batponies, wearing tattered uniforms and tarnished armor, they flapped in place in formation around her, screeching a coordinated attack at her direction. Her glowing blue shield was up and Glitter was on her back, pointing her little hooves and yelling orders happily. In that moment, seeing her blue eyes glowing brightly as she hovered in place above the fray, I wasn't the only one who saw a true Princess...

Even the insulting, snide, skeptical thestrals that had denigrated her for taking the title gaped in awe, laying their tufted ears back at her regal goddess voice booming out. "WE DO NOT WISH TO FIGHT, BUT YOU WILL NOT HURT MY FAMILY! RELEASE MY HUSBAND AND MY FRIEND WITCHING HOUR IMMEDIATELY! STOP THIS MADNESS!"

The old ghoul Moon Tide was at her side, wearing an ornate and battered set of ancient styled combat armor from his days as a living member of the crew, he croaked out in the silence that followed her booming pronouncement. "Dishonorable dogs! The Princess told us of thine treachery and lies Admiral! To attack a visitor under the protection of parley!? Thou art a disgrace to holy Luna!"

Taking advantage of the lull, Witchy smiled at her friend and fluttered up, throwing her hooves wide and pleading with the confused crowd. "H-He's right! Please, listen to her highness and stop this! I told Admiral Stars, Fast is not... Fast Times is not the Shrouded Stallion! E-Even if he was somehow, this is not what goddess Luna would want! Are we taught to blindly follow our orders, or serve our Princess as her representatives? To interpret our orders and think when the situation has changed! Admiral Stars merely wants a sacrificial lamb to fire off on his missile, he doesn't even care if it's not the real Shroud! He just wants to check off that box on his list and move on! We are not mindless sheep, are we!? We are the Lunar Guard, thou should act like it!!"

There was a ripple of uncertainty through the assembled crowd, the non-combatants especially who were just here for the show had gotten more than they bargained for. Jade's kindhearted plea, the ghouls turning on them and Witchy's speech as one of them looked to sink in just a little.

Any hope they got through was short lived however, the Admiral squeaked furiously, his leathery wings barely able to lift his bulk from the canted deck. "L-Lies! I'll not be lectured by some rotting corpses, or half breed traitors and especially not by mutant freaks! Launch the missile and complete our duty! Kill the rest! Kill all of them!!"

His tantrum was answered by bright blue beams of magical energy weapons and the fwoosh of missiles, half a dozen suits of the thestral styled Knightmare power armor joining the fray and ending the brief pause. Most focused on the airborne enemies, flying after Jade and the ghouls with silvery contrails streaking behind them. They were nearly on top of her in an instant, making me struggle and pull to get loose as Val cut through another loop of chain across my chest.

Before their weapons fire battered down Jade's shield, or spread out to the ghouls shooting smaller arms that were pinging uselessly off the heavy armor in a doomed defense of the blue alicorn, there was a giddy, booming shout and a hurricane of wind came, along with a huge purple blur scattering the four suits of armor in her wake.

"Tin can ponies! Good! I was done with your stupid ship anyway, now I get to smash you too!" Swan roared and looped through the air, diving at the power armor and giving chase when they wisely ran.

The crackling violet ball of her shield shrugged off everything they desperately threw at it, along with destroying a radar tower and a large chunk of the tall bridge she plowed through when they tried losing her in the narrower spaces of the ship. Everywhere they went, a rain of destructive magic was following in their wake, causing more damage to their precious ship, which gave them incentive to take to the open sky and try to outrun her.

It would never work... Swan was toying with them and highly ticked off, I caught her furrowing her brow when her big blue violet eyes flicked my way as she rocketed by. She definitely found the radiation she was looking for earlier and I was glad for it, but the giant mare was on a full on rampage at this point.

Two of the power armor suits had peeled away from the rest however, sticking to the deck and tromping their way towards us. When the chattering rounds of a light machine gun peppered the side of the missile Val was still clinging to, she squawked and lobbed explosives their way, sticking at my side and straining to cut through the chains faster under the threat they posed.

Witchy had flown up to her side and was putting her half earth pony strength to use shoving the Shishkebab with her. Under other circumstances I'd better appreciate her hind legs straddling my head and her rump in my face, braced against the side of the missile as she grunted and pushed. As it was, I just appreciated her period, she and Val were an easy target up here with me, but neither was moving.

More blue beams of magic forced them to duck however, Val blindly firing for effect against them wasn't keeping them back. Poking her head back up to spot them clomping through the haze and smoke, Witchy took the handle of Val's sword in her teeth and pushed her aside with a determined yelp. "Go! Deal with them, I'll keep cutting!"

Val looked conflicted, but locked eyes with Witchy and any doubt disappeared. She took off in a looping, agile flight, squawking back before focusing on the threat exclusively. "Trustin' you with the boss batty! Know you won't lemme down! C'mon ya fuckers, this'a way!"

While it was heartening to see the trust between them, it was also the only real choice. Witchy was still wore nothing but the bruises and cuts to her silky fur, while Val was bristling with weapons and armor, and eager to use them. With Val leading them away and focused on eliminating them as quickly as possible, Witchy was free to keep torching her way through the magical chains, while I was still stuck watching everything unfolding around me. It was bedlam at this point, the damage to the ship was massive already, at least half the crew that had been assembled on deck had scattered, either hiding below decks or escaping to Guano-Town or the wasteland beyond.

The rest were falling back to more defensible positions and trying to maintain order, suddenly finding that trying to fight 200 year old ghouls who actually served in the war wasn't as easy as they thought. The hammering noise of the anti-air guns opening up along with the roar of cannons pursuing the cackling purple alicorn looping around the ship gave them hope, only for it to be dashed as once ancient weapon after another was obliterated by her range of destructive spells.

I was amazed and proud watching Jade flying among them, she had got out of the trap and found help, come up with a plan and executed it brilliantly. Granted, she was still knocking ponies out with her anesthetic spell and calling for non-lethal means wherever possible, but she came to rescue us. She was amazing... A real Princess, just like Luna. She didn't need her knight at all...

Another loop of chain parted from across my chest from Witchy's efforts, letting me pull away and spread my wings a little bit, getting the feathers away from the dripping, molten metal oozing down the side of the missile and scorching my tail. Flapping and straining to pull loose just disrupted Witchy's efforts, so I was forced to sit still, grinding my fangs as the battle raged around us and the frustrated snarl of 'Be Dark...' was unable to do anything. It was forced to rely on my friends with me, to accept they could handle things without me, us... and trust in my family. 'Be Kind...'

Witchy was halfway through another loop of chain when the missile started to shake and vent smoke around the base, lending urgency to her task. I frantically searched the battle, finding the Admiral on his fat belly, crawling through the hooves of the combatants to retrieve the launcher controls. He smirked with the device in his hooves, slamming one down on the big red button.

"Witchy! Move!" I struggled to lean up and shove the determined batpony mare away, but Witchy simply took my warning as a chance to brace herself, her fangs clenching around the handle of Val's Shishkebab just before the missile launched in a fwoosh of flame and smoke.

The ship receded below us at a terrifying speed, the battle becoming a swarm of ants crawling on a toy boat as we took to the skies. The chains binding me from my tummy down kept me in place, while Witchy hung on to the flaming sword stuck in the missile by her teeth, her legs and wings stretching behind her and her cheeks flapping around her grimace of effort with the wind blasting by.

"Witchy! Let! Go!... Jade! Needs! You!... It's! Ok!"

Hooking her foreleg over my shoulder, Witchy narrowed her teary eyes and dragged herself forward as the missile leveled off to a more horizontal position, still gaining altitude slightly as it zoomed across the Celestial Sea. She ignored my plea and took my hoof to steady herself, digging her hindlegs in to the links of chain for purchase and mumbling around the handle of the flaming sword blazing in the wind. "NO! We're. Going. Together! Nnnggh!!"

The chain around my flanks parted with her high pitched scream of effort, forcing me to sit up on my haunches with the wind battering my back and my wings whipping at my sides. Seeing only my hindlegs were caught now, Witchy shifted and wrapped her foreleg around my back, huddling with me as she pried and grunted at the last loops, while pulling with all her considerable strength to get me loose.

With one final push, I popped loose and we both went tumbling free of the missile, spinning in the contrail of smoke as it disappeared over the horizon. Witchy had thankfully yanked the Shishkebab free and extinguished it, the steaming blade hissing as it cooled in her muzzle hooked over my shoulder. The two of us were still clutching each other in the air, slowing to a relative halt with our wings shakily holding us up.

I nuzzled her windswept purple mane in relief, shuddering at how close I came to taking an express trip to Zebrica. In just a few seconds we had traveled well out over the ocean, a small island below us with tiny huts in neat little rows and tiny ponies orderly going about their night made my pip-buck interrupt the moment with an absent beep of; Discovered Location: Spectacular Island.

Pulling away slightly to look my savior in the face, I kissed her passionately, ignoring the taste of blood and piss to express my gratitude. "Sweet Celestia! Thank you Witchy! T-Though that was totally crazy, you shouldn't have... you could have been killed!"

"F-Family... looks out for each other, even when they don't want it, right? Admiral Stars took enough from me already, he was not going to take my special somepony too... B-Besides, her highness would never... Oh! Her highness!! Fast, we must get back to her, quickly!" Witchy blushed and nuzzled back in a shaky voice, then squeaked and fluttered in the air frantically on reminding herself of Jade and the others still battling in Dreadnot.

Following her wide amber eyes, I gulped at the sheer distance between us and the ship. Every second we were out here, they were fighting on their own, possibly... alright, likely freaking out that we were long gone...

"Witchy, wait!" Rubbing my head and slowing beside her when she turned back with an impatient snort, I held a hoof up for patience and thought to myself. "Hang on... just a second. All those thestrals believe he just launched the real Shroud away, right? How about we give them a scare... make them rethink things a little and stop fighting?"

"What? What do you mean Fast!? We must return to her highness' side, quickly! We have no time for thine theatrics!" Witchy yelped back, but it would take too long to fly back and I was still pissed at the Admiral and all the cruel batponies on his side.

There were innocents back there though, those who were following orders and true to their oaths, families who just lived there, foals... I wanted revenge, for me, for Witchy, for the ghouls and Witchy's father, I wanted the tempting visions 'Be Dark...' was throwing up to goad me. Just not the indiscriminate slaughter it advocated... 'Be Kind...'

"I know! This is probably the fastest way, plus maybe it'll help with your people. I have to do something I'm not supposed to though. They wanted the real Shroud, so I'm gonna give it to them... If... if it goes bad, if I'm ever a threat to Jade or Glitter, a-any of you... I want you to stop me Witchy. Ok?"

She gulped and kept turning back to the ship and the continuing explosions echoing across the waves, but gave a nervous nod as I closed my eyes, trusting me and waiting patiently while I summoned the image of the battered, black stasis pod in my head.

Nodding as the imaginary chains loosened and the lid hissed open, I took a shaking step into the roiling cloud of blackness that poured out, speaking aloud as my glowing eyes snapped open. "Together, right?"

An aura of black lightning arced around me as my magic surged, the pain from my wounds disappearing in a rush of adrenaline and fury. Witchy took an unconscious flap backwards, but drifted closer when I held a hoof out to her and spoke in my own voice.

"A-Alright... now, let's go freak them out a little and get back to Jade... Ready?"

Witchy glided close and hugged me tightly, nodding against my neck as lightning flickered and sparked around us. Feeling her warmth in my hooves strengthened the growl of the Shroud in my head, but it was an embrace of trust and caring that helped the song of the Ministry Mares grow sweeter and brighter to balance it.

Witchy had faith in me, enough to hug the monster when she knew what it was, whispering in my ear firmly. "Ready!"

In a sparking flash of electricity, we disappeared together, teleporting across the distance separating us from the our family.

Even though I was fairly confident in the shadow of 'Be Dark...' guiding my magic when we agreed on something, I was still surprised to reappear right on target. Witchy and I burst out of a crackle of lightning magic directly above Dreadnot, flapping hard to get our bearings and tumbling to a dark bank of clouds drifting over the battle below.

With barely a word, Witchy zoomed off to find Jade, leaving me alone to engage in a bit of rushed comic book drama for the superstitious bats below. I'd never really learned pegasi tricks like cloud sculpting, but the barely restrained spirit trapped in my head had. With its help, I swooped and dove through the dark grey clouds, bucking them to a rumbling black as I gracefully flew in wide loops around them, gathering them together, cutting and shaping them with my outstretched pinions as I passed in a spinning blur around the growing shape.

I hated not going right for Jade too, but Witchy was on her way and Jade would want the fighting to stop as soon as possible. With any luck, this trick would do just that... It wasn't pretty, lacking a natural pegasus' skill and much artistic talent, but it would serve.

Judging it good enough, I fluttered up to the top of my creation, sinking my hooves into the dark fluff of cloud and spreading my wings in slow, deliberate down beats, shoving it all towards the ship. The aura of lightning dancing around me arced over the surface of the cloud, eliciting more rumbles and flashes as the whole thing started sinking towards the ship. I closed my eyes once we were on course, concentrating on my magic mingling with the natural power under my hooves and clearing my throat, casting the voice altering and amplification spells.

The effect was worth the set up, from my perch I could see the batponies turn their faces up as one, every eye going wide and fluffy ear laying back in fear. Of course seeing a giant Shrouded Stallion head piercing the cloud layer with a wide open maw full of lightning was bound to give anypony pause. For the thestrals however, it was like a religious revelation, a creature of their legends come to life and bearing down on them with hell in its eyes.

Focusing on my magic and tap dancing on the head of my crude sculpture, bolts of lightning streaked down and blasted the deck, sending the red dashes on E.F.S. skittering back with squeaks and chirps. A few of the braver ones fired wildly on the looming cloud monster, but their bullets and magical beams hit nothing but wisps of fluff, turning some of the edges ragged at best.

Swan did a lot more damage just by soaring my way fearlessly, unimpressed by the cloudy stallion head even larger than her own, coming up nose to nose like she was going to kiss the sculpture. Her hurricane force wings blew large swaths of it aside as she leaned up to the horned brow, blinking her big blue violet eyes on finding me and puckering up to smack at my face happily, somewhat ruining the show with her giddy burbling.

"Fast!! You came back! Good, I was scared! I couldn't reach you in time when you zoomed off on that stupid thing! Sister said to try not to hurt anypony, but let's go smash all those mean bats that strapped you to it! Pleeeeeease!?" Swan scooped me off my perch in her hooves, ignoring the stunned and confused crowd watching her hug and kiss her captive while hovering above a battlefield.

"Ok! Ok! E-Easy Swan! I'm glad to see you too! I'm trying to scare them though, you being all lovely dovey is ruining it! Back to smashing, right? Er... actually, how many ponies can you teleport like this Swan?"

I was shifted up to Swan's warm cheek as she hummed in thought and drifted down, right beside the unconcerned murmur from her muzzle and able to pull her soft ear down to whisper my reply, coming up with a rushed plan the giant filly agreed to with a super sized nuzzle. I'd never figured out Swan's limits when it came to teleporting large groups when she was in a super alicorn state, but she seemed up to the task and cut her wings, dropping like a stone and slamming all four hooves to the deck of the leaning Dreadnot.

Giving a snort and tossing her rippling pink mane, Swan released me to the deck at her hooves. Our side of the conflict naturally formed up around the big filly, facing off with the batponies still in a wary ceasefire. The ghouls all fluttered around her, Zed charged through the fallen and groaning victims of his bloodied hooves to join us, Val's 12mm pistol was the last shot that rang out, pressed to the eye hole of a Knightmare power armor she had been wrestling with.

At the center of it all was Jade, flapping sedately with Glitter on her back and her shield fading away. Witchy was at her side, where she belonged... Already I could see Jade's horn glowing with healing magic and hear her worried nickers at her royal guard's condition, her warm blue eyes flicking my way full of relief and worry as I stalked forward into the nopony's land between us and the batpony defenders.

Considering I had a giant purple alicorn tromping behind me, nopony was that eager to start shooting. It somewhat made up for her blowing away my cloudy entrance with her affection, allowing me to recover and growl out to the still cowed crowd. "Thou hath completed thine mission and sent the Shroud away... tis not your fault I came back. Goddess Luna would be proud of thine devotion, but disappointed in how far thou have fallen otherwise. Go back to repairing thine vessel and sail away in shame if that is what thou desires. If thou would honor her memory and true wishes however, thou should take a long, hard look at what thou have become."

"Be better... be worthy of her... a kind mare who cared for everycreature, not a snobby, elitist, hateful pony like thou art. Whatever thou decides, know this... Luna's avenger does again walk Equestria and serves his Princess faithfully. Should thou raise a hoof against her again, thou will face... the Shrouded Stallion!"

The only one to break the silence was Admiral Stars, still clutching the missile remote and sputtering in a rage. "Blasphemy! Thou aren't really... thou can't be! Yon mutant monster is no Princess and thou are no Shroud! I'll not be lectured by some counterfeit! Kill them! Purge the pretenders! In holy Luna's name, I order you to... gak!"

With an annoyed whinny from overhead, I turned back to see Swan's horn glowing as the Admiral clutched his chest and flopped on the deck like a fish. That heart attack spell of hers was one way to shut him up anyway... I'd have to ask her to teach me sometime. The silence gave the confused crew a moment to murmur amongst themselves over his words, outright admitting he didn't believe he was launching the real Shroud, just some fake to play to their beliefs.

Since many of them were now of the opinion the real Shroud had just pronounced judgement on them for their sins, they were doubly upset he obviously didn't share their beliefs. Many even dropped to their knees when Jade trotted up to my side. She had left Glitter safely behind with Val and Zed, though Witchy pranced beside her loyally. She looked unhappy at her sister still squeezing the Admiral's heart in a magical vice and at the growling rumble I was speaking in, but nickered and tossed her mane, speaking sweetly to the spooked crowd still pointing guns at her.

"We did not come seeking conflict and would be happy to leave, now that we have rescued those your Admiral captured under false pretenses... The Kingdom of Sanctuary is not a force for violence and war, so we would leave in peace and take those who wish to follow. If Dreadnot truly desires its isolation, we will respect that and not bother you again. As my husband said however, we will be watching... Sister, could you please release the Admiral so we may take our leave?" Jade spoke to the stilled battlefield in a regal voice, giving a bow of her graceful neck before turning to her sister.

Swan huffed and gave an exasperated snort overhead, but her horn winked out and the thrashing Admiral whooped in air, thumping his fat chest and thankfully unable to form words. Witchy trotted forward while he was still rolling on the ground, passing by me with a determined look and still in possession of Val's Shishkebab. She hefted it up in her mouth and squeezed the scooter brake trigger to ignite it when she came to a halt over the Admiral.

"Witching dear... y-you do not need to do this... W-We may all leave this place and never return... please..." Jade called after her softly, bringing tears to Witchy's amber eyes glaring down at the panting Admiral Stars.

"You... You killed my father. You make deals with the Gunners, when Princess Jade resists their tyranny. You violated parley and attacked her. You allowed... encouraged everypony to treat me as a pariah, an outcast! J-Just because I'm different! Just like the nice ponies of Guano-Town, you hate and torment anycreature who is different! They deserve better, we all deserve better! I deserve better! My new friends accept me as I am... they love me, no matter what!"

"Listen, all of you! Goddess Luna is gone... she died, but Princess Jade is a worthy monarch and I serve her proudly. I am done with this foul swine however... never again will I serve such a dishonorable oath breaker. I will make sure everypony else is aware of thine true nature however..." Witchy's high pitched voice was firm and her slitted eyes set in a hard line as she glanced up to the watching crowd, their tufted ears perked up and tracking her as she came closer, bringing the white hot tip of Val's sword close to the Admiral's cutie mark, stretched and distorted across his fat flank.

He struggled to move on figuring out what she was doing, but the blue glow of my telekinesis reached out and slammed him to the deck, pinning him in place. After being chained up and nearly fired across the ocean, neither 'Be Dark...' or the rest of me was feeling very sympathetic, let him see how he liked being trapped...

A few of the Admiral's loyal guards made to move at his panicked screaming, but a lot of guns clicking in warning from behind me and the stomp of Swan's big hoof shaking the ship got them to reconsider. The fragile peace held along with everypony's collective breath, watching the curved tip of the flaming sword inching towards the Admiral's mark of five starfish.

Jade winced at the sound of sizzling flesh, while my stomach gave a disturbing rumble when the sickly sweet smell hit my nose and drool flooded my mouth. 'Want... Meat...' I was still in balance with the dark spirit snarling for pony flesh thankfully, shaking off the disgusting thought and keeping the screaming, bucking stallion in place as Witchy pressed the tip to his flank. She pulled it away and turned, reversing the sword to place a matching curved brand near the first, then moved back to admire her work.

Two curved burns with a gap between them, a match for the brand seared into Lt. Wing's flank... The sight made my stomach churn and frightening, dream like memories to drift up from my subconscious, but it didn't look easy for Witchy either. She extinguished the Shishkebab and let it clatter to the deck, sniffling as I floated it to my bags and kept my grip on the whimpering Admiral.

"You sure that's all Witchy? He deserves to die... I can do it for you... I want to do it..."

She gave me a weary smile as she turned away and shook her head, her matted mane swaying as she trotted back to Jade and her voice cracking. "F-Forgiveness... remember? I know you want to... to protect me Fast, to do for me... but I did this for myself and that's all I want. Leave him... leave all of them and let's go... please?"

Ignoring the Admiral's screeches of pain and fury, I shrugged and released my hold on him, letting the fat fuck flop around in a rage as I paced back with the others. Despite his furious orders to kill us all, he'd lost a lot of face and nobody was moving to obey yet. I hoped leaving him alive wasn't a mistake and dearly wanted to cut his head off, but I was going to respect Witchy's wishes this time dammit, no matter what the snarl of 'Be Dark...' said.

Prancing along and sending tremors through the still settling ship, Swan veered away once I joined Jade in a shuddering embrace. The big alicorn trotted right over to the ruined magical energy cannon on the ship I had pointed out to her before, still unscathed when all the more working looking examples festooning the ship had been damaged in a rain of destruction. She had taken care not to damage the thing I wanted in all that chaos...

"I'm taking this thing stupid bats! I am stealing it because Fast wants it, so there!" Swan stuck her long tongue out at the crew, all simply watching her in awe as she surrounded the dead weapon in her magic and pulled, tearing it away in a screech of metal and floating it to her back.

That done, she shooed all the ghouls still fluttering nearby into a tight group with her wide wings, cantering around in a circle to cluster everyone together. Then her horn glowed brilliantly, her bright violet magic sparking and swirling around everyone, lighting the dark ship like a torch in the night before teleporting away.

Preston and the Minutemares at Castle Equinox were surprised to have us suddenly reappear in the courtyard so soon after leaving. They were even more surprised at the large group of undead thestrals we brought with us, though quickly recovered and helped sort everything out. Jade's Followers scrambled from their posts to assist their Princess in attending the wounded, ushering them into the castle's ballroom that had been converted into their on site hospital.

While I got the same treatment and ordered to one of the rickety cots to recover under my favorite doctor's stern command, Jade was busy with those who had rallied to her cause when she needed help. She sent the worst of the wounded ghouls down to the reactor pit to heal, somewhat annoying her sister Swan over having to give up her radioactive lair when she had burned through nearly all her excess power and shrunk to Jade's size.

Wrinkling her nose at both Swan and the acrid scent still clinging to her batpony friend faithfully at her side, Jade gave me a lidded look as she addressed Swan's pouting. "Now, now sister, be generous and share for awhile. Perhaps we can find things you will enjoy at this scale to improve your mood. I believe we may take advantage of the royal baths since we have returned to the castle. Perhaps some lucky stallion will even be so kind as to scrub our backs for us, hmm? Provided he behaves until we may take our leave..."

That was enough incentive for me to be good, avidly watching Jade, Witchy, Swan and Val giggling in a group as they left, swaying their flanks to tease me. I made sure to keep a goofy, lusty look on my drooling face until they left, then winced and rubbed my head at the needy roar that had been straining to go after them.

Shut up... I do too, but if you don't settle down, they'll just worry and we won't get anywhere dammit. Behave... I leaned back against the tattered pillow behind me and sighed, rubbing my head with my eyes clenched shut. I knew Zed told me not to try talking to it, but it was stuck in my head, I was the one that had to live with it, finding a way to do that in peaceful cooperation seemed like the best option.

It had worked with me and helped... of course it had probably caused more problems to begin with. After seeing the corpse of Lt. Wing and being forced to tell Witchy about her aunt Ruby, I had serious suspicions about just what 'Be Dark...' had been getting up to. Now that I was thinking of it, I couldn't help going over every case I had lost control and other strange incidents we had run into.

Had it been me? Had I been doing more than sleepwalking and occasionally getting frisky while unconscious?

The only answer I got from my addled brains was the concerned hum of the Ministry Mares, weaving their magic in harmony and trying to hold me together, while it felt like I was falling apart at the seams. That darker note with them was brooding and silent, biding its time and refusing to answer my worried introspection.

I managed to sit still like that for nearly an hour, letting the ragged wound in my shoulder regenerate with a maddening itch under the magical bandages Jade wound around me. Since my little corner of the castle's new medical ward was currently slightly radioactive from the chatter of Jade's lead lined box sitting open on the tray beside me, her Followers weren't watching me that closely. Avoiding the patrol of the one ghoulish nurse who stopped by wasn't hard, so I hopped up, collected Jade's box and trotted off onto the castle grounds, stretching my limbs and working out the kinks, still deep in thought.

I stopped by the Fixer's tower and inspected the final component of the teleporter Swan had unceremoniously dumped outside. The girls were busy at work, stripping the magical energy cannon down to its base components and yanking the beam emitter I needed from the innards. Just chatting with them while they worked caused my pip-buck to beep positively, displaying text in front of my view of the cannibalized cannon.

Mission Updated!: Arcane Relay Race

Objectives---
---Build Teleporter Relay
-----Construct Control Console
-----Construct Crystal Reflector Platform
-----Construct Magical Beam Emitter
-----Construct Arcane Relay Dish

That was all four... Once the parts were shipped to Sanctuary and assembled, we'd have a way to reach the Institute at long last... It had taken a lot to get this far, but I finally felt like I was making progress. When I tracked down the Institute, it wouldn't be as a prisoner or an experiment this time, it would be as a pissed off Stable-pony with a dangerous spirit on my side. Good or bad, 'Be Dark...' could be very persuasive...

Giving my squad my most winning smile and a deep bow of thanks, I wandered off and left them to it, trying to ignore their giggles and whispers that made me speed my step. Onyx and her constant flirting only worsened the whisper chanting 'Mine... Want.... Now..." as I trotted away with my tail between my legs.

There were more important things to think about dammit, try to focus... Nothing about the Southeast Commonwealth had been going very well and it was all troubling, especially with how close it all was to Castle Equinox and the Gunners on the other side of the area.

They hadn't attacked places like Dreadnot or University Point, juicy targets that mysteriously remained uninvolved in the Gunner's campaign of violence across the south. In the case of Dreadnot we at least learned a reason why, they were benefiting from the thestral's manufacturing capability, taking payment for leaving the ancient ship alone. What were they getting from other places though?

Warhorse Homestead provided a lot of food for communities in the area, were they feeding the Gunners too? They were led by a pony I was pretty damn sure was a synth at this point, meaning the Institute had infiltrated them and anything they did was according to their plan.

Groups like the Rust Devils were left alone too, despite their sadistic 'entertainment' at the Downs. Even the raiders in the area were subdued and watched their step, sticking with their smaller squabbles amongst themselves for territory and resources.

Everything in the region fell under the creeping influence of University Point and the smarty-ponies in charge there. The school Director Klein had once taught at, before forming the Institute... A point of information from the haunted highschool that had been rolling around in my mind, I doubted it was a coincidence...

The only group that was free and friendly was the Arcano-Cats and Rocketburg, also the only ones I had seen the Gunners openly attack... We needed to get back there in the morning and get to work on Jade's armor in time for her upcoming race, a visit I felt more certain about considering those facts. If the Gunners were against them, they likely weren't being manipulated by the Institute at least.

From what I knew of Klein and what he had been up to down here, I didn't like it... He had an army he had created by messing with Stable 75 and distorting its goal of peaceful coexistence between ponies and griffons. Until recently he had his personal dollhouse in the form of Daybreak Technical School, disappearing ponies who entered and learning how to make better copies. He had been producing power armor, tanks and even Verti-bucks for the Gunners, shipping them all to the fallen settlement of Whinny.

Even though they had suffered an enormous setback, I couldn't help but wonder about how the thestrals of Dreadnot and their work restoring their ship fit into it all. Klein was methodically building an army and talked about 'restoring Equestria', just like the Admiral screeched about, having a warship fit right in to that vague goal. If the Gunners and the Institute behind them swept the Commonwealth, would the rest of the wasteland be far behind? Klein talked like he had been unaware of the outside world until recently, now it seemed like he may have big plans for it...

Then there was Fancy and my promise to help her. Vega didn't seem to hold as much influence down here in what I suspected was Klein's territory exclusively, but he had been busy around Diamond City and was up to something important. Knowing when and where the asshole was going to be meant we could actually strike a blow directly at the Institute and a Director who had been a huge thorn in our side.

We may not even need the teleporter, though I was glad to see it nearly done. Dr. Vigil's plans would lead us directly to what he called the Think Tank, a central hub of the Institute's underground lairs. Going after Vega would most likely lead to his personal labs however, like Dala's that I had escaped before. I'd take any opening to try to find my family and agreed with the snarl of 'Be Dark...' itching to kill Vega himself, but was unsure what we'd find there.

All in all, we had enough on our plate already. I had no time to deal with a mental breakdown or spiritual possession. I just had to last long enough to find my family and keep Jade safe, we could worry about going to Neighlem Village like Zed wanted and seeking help for my... condition... later. It had waited this long anyway, knowing more about it did little to change it. It just let me take precautions and try to live with it...

I briefly wondered how well Jade would take adding a little bondage to our bedtime fun and if I could convince her that was all it was. Even if I had to tell her outright though, tying me up at night sounded like a good idea. Just in case...

The sound of splashing and laughter got me to look up from my brooding and blink curiously at where my hooves had led me. I had apparently wandered all the way up to Luna's wing of the castle, currently standing just outside the seashell adorned door to the royal baths that was cracked open and wafting steam out into the hall.

Great... Even while awake, I had to watch out for spacing out and letting my subconscious have too much free reign. That hungry mutter nudged me just where it wanted to go while I was woolgathering. Giving an exhausted sigh, I hung my head and gave the heavy wooden door a gentle push. I did want to go here too after all... Just a peek wouldn't hurt...

The sight that met my wide eyes was enough to put all my worries aside, simply standing there with a soft smile and looking over my new family turning to smile back in welcome.

"There he is! Get in here boss, it's way too girly! We needs a stallion in the mix here before they start paintin' my claws!" Val lounged at the edge of the huge tub with a beer in her claws, grinning and waving me over while reaching for another. 'Be Awesome!'

To my surprise and gulp of inadequacy, the muscular Zed was lounging in the tub as well, removing the damp washcloth from his face to raise an eyebrow at Val before addressing me, his watchful grey eyes betraying a little amusement. "I'm a stallion Valkyrie... though I'm sure Fast doesn't mind another, right? I told you communal bathing is part of my culture Fast, glad to see you giving it a try." 'Be Strong!'

"Daddy look! Auntie Swan taught me how ta swim like her!" Glitter splashed and laughed heartily, flopping to her back in the water and doing an inexperienced backstroke. 'Awareness!'

Floating on her back beside the happy foal and spitting up a little fountain of water from her puffed up cheeks, Swan puttered around her with little kicks of her hindlegs, her flowing pink mane and tail a sinuous cloud in the water trailing behind her. "It's not as nice as my pond... but I like the fancy bath and being with sister and niece Glitter, so being small isn't so bad. It'll be more fun with you Fast! Come in and play!"

Witchy was the one who made me chuckle under my breath as I took off my hat and crossed the damp tiles. 'Be Unwavering!' She was sitting under the spray of the sputtering showers in the corner, her wet tail curling around her shapely flanks on the tiles and towards the drain, while her forelegs were straight and tight in front of her, curling into the tightest ball she could manage in the position. She had turned a brilliant red all over her lilac grey coat, her leathery wings were sticking straight up and her eyes were downcast in embarassment, managing to flick up to mine to shrug helplessly and squeak in distress at her situation. "C-C-Come in Fast... Tis a-alright... T-The Princess was just..."

What Jade was doing was easy enough to see, the big blue alicorn loomed over Witchy folding in on herself in her shadow. Her eyes were closed in a happy smile and her hooves were forcefully scrubbing Witchy's purple mane, shaking her head back and forth as she raised an enormous lather and shaped it into a pointy hat, then directed the spray of water from the shower to Witchy's head and drenched her. 'Be Kind...'

She then leaned in and snuffled at Witchy's wet mane falling into her eyes, wrinkling her nose before floating over an ancient bottle of shampoo and returning to scrubbing as she burbled to me, her wide blue eyes sparkling. "Do join us dear, you may take Witching's place just as soon as I am finished. Poor Witching smelled simply awful after her ordeal, so we must wash it all away, should we not?

"Yeah... yeah we should Jade, scrub the filth of that place off really good and send it down the drain. I'll wait as long as it takes, she deserves the attention. Right Witchy?"

Looking up to me fumbling with my trenchcoat and winking to her from under my ragged grey mane, Witchy smiled and chirped gratefully. Her laid back ears perked up and she straightened up under Jade's monstrously strong scrubbing, giving me a nod and fluttering her wings. "R-Right! I... I do deserve good things... sometimes... f-for me."

She still sounded unsure, but finally acknowledged she wasn't worthless, ugly, undeserving or impure, taking a hard first step in getting over the abuse she had suffered for years all alone. Everyone giving a cheer of agreement and laughing together helped and she gave a luxuriant whinny, relaxing under Jade's ministrations with a long, shaky sigh.

Waiting for the same treatment wasn't too bad considering how forcefully Jade scrubbed, with Glitter with us she was all business, working the lather into my coat, mane, tail and feathers. She'd stop to stick her tongue out of her muzzle cutely and make more funny hats and manestyles out of the suds, but the stream of dirt and blood sloughing off me and circling the drain kept her busy. She preened my wings more gently at least, hugging me to her chest and nipping with her teeth delicately, a skill I had yet to learn and enjoyed having her do for me so graciously, sneaking in little kisses to my neck as she worked.

Once clean enough to enter the opulent bath, we all sat together, crowding even the pool sized tub for a goddess. We splashed and played with Glitter's battered old bath toys, I drank beers with Val and was roughly dunked under the water by her claw scratching my itchy mane for me, Zed told zebra myths of water spirits and the first of the great bath houses of Roam being built, Jade and Witchy sang to our cheers and Swan stood on her head underwater to Glitter's amazement, the little filly immediately begging to learn the same trick with all of us encouraging her as she tried repeatedly.

It had been a hard night for everyone and we all just savored being together, being a family. While the grumble of 'Be Dark...' was pouting and petulant over not having a bath of only pretty fillies to ravish, I was grateful for the quiet reprieve. I played with my daughter, snuggled by my wife, laughed and joked with my friends, took turns scrubbing and massaging lots of long, lithe backs without getting too frisky and put up with a lot of flirtatious teasing from Val and Swan.

I enjoyed the moment, thankful for being together and being alive. The cool fall winds blew the dead leaves and ruin of the old world outside, while we were warm and safe. Even after drying off and leaving the baths, we stayed together and raided the kitchens, pestering the Minutemare cook Greasy Spoon into laying out a veritable wasteland feast.

We prayed to the Goddesses and gave thanks, then ate ravenously after our ordeal, sharing with every Minutemare, Follower and curious batpony ghoul who came by. Eventually it became such a production we moved to the ancient palace dining rooms, putting on a grand banquet for the first time in centuries.

Everycreature was welcome and joined in, giving their thanks; for the Princess at the head of the battered and rotted table, for their place here with the Minutemares or Followers, for changing the Commonwealth for the better under those banners, for being alive and not living in fear of raiders or monsters while trying to eke out a living off the ruins of the old world.

Checking my pip-buck's time and date, I shared a weary smile with most of the ghouls I saw joining the feast. It had been more than a month since Nightmare Night, I supposed the tradition of a harvest feast of thanks had been a laughable concept for most wastelanders for a long time, but here we were having one again, right on time.

The last one I remembered was from the Stable, which consisted of an extra portion of artificial cranberry jello and a prayer to the goddesses, but it had been with mom and dad, my brother Better, Sunset and Grizz, everypony... I didn't appreciate it enough at the time, but I sure appreciated it now.

I thanked Luna, Celestia and Jade's mother The Goddess all, even adding on Zed's crazy spirits. With all the bad in the world and the evil we still had to face, I was enormously, eternally grateful for what we had.

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

Cloud Sculpting (Rank 1)---
---It may not be pretty, but you've learned the basics of shaping clouds to suit your purposes. You are now able to sculpt clouds into simple shapes, opening up new settlement objects such as basic cloud shacks, walls, roofs, floors and more.

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

Dreadnot == Dark Hero
---You won't be welcome back in Dreadnot anytime soon, but the thestrals there have been convinced not to mess with this Shrouded Stallion again. There's enough of a mixed reaction among the citizens that you're not universally hated, but the guards will attack on sight and the shops will mostly not deal with you again.

Author's Notes:

Sorry it took awhile and I ran long again, but here we are. Trying to fit and pace things properly to finish this book of the story at 100 and enter the final act with 101 on is proving a challenge, so bear with me and I hope you enjoy!