By the time we came gliding back to the smoking ruins of the fair outside Rocketburg, it was after noon and the defenders we left behind had repelled the raider attack in our absence. It was still bad and Jade was arrowing right for the crowd of injured being treated in the marketplace hangar below the cloud town, but I was just grateful to the Goddesses it wasn't worse.

If I believed for a second it was just drug addled lunatics deciding to rape and pillage for fun, I could at least make some sense of it. The presence of several glowing green puddles of goo splattered on the runway zipping by under our hooves shot that theory down though.

The Institute had a hoof in this... Probably Vega using the same trick he had in Goodneighbor. A few synth raiders agitating the rest into doing their chaos for some cryptic reason or other, expendable hoofsoldiers in their shadowy conspiracies and plots. But why? What did they hope to accomplish?

I was forced to put those thoughts aside when I came stumbling my way to a landing behind Jade. She was fighting to get loose of her armor and to the injured nearby, already being treated by the local medical pegasi of Rocketburg she had spent time with during our stay. There were a lot of burns and bullet wounds, along with an uncomfortable number of sheet draped corpses tucked away inside the marketplace hangar.

"Mommy! Daddy! You're back! I-I knew you would be soon! Here mommy! I've been helping!" Glitter's bright and anxious voice calling out put one worry to rest at least, getting us both to look up in relief.

The little filly came galloping out of the crowd turning to our entrance and flung herself at Jade as she came wriggling out of her armor, leaving behind her impromptu foalsitter Summer Wind, who gave a distracted wave before zipping off with a bundle of magical bandages in her hooves.

Glitter had on her nurse's cap from her ever expanding hat collection, rather than the leather flight cap and goggles she had been proudly wearing when I left her. Giving Jade's sweaty blue chest a final squeeze, she hoofed over her mother's lab coat and medical box saddlebags before dashing over to me, shivering in relief as I nuzzled her silver mane.

Zed and Swan weren't far behind her, ahead of the Arcano-Cats clomping over to their leader finally returning and Burny fluttering above them, joining the general crowd we had attracted. Zed looked to have been helping the healers with his stores of alchemical potions and salves, while Swan was splattered in blood and wearing a happy grin under her robot yak horns.

Before any of them could say a word however, Jade slipped into her lab coat and became all business. "Thank you sweetheart, I am proud you have been helping and thought to bring me my things, as I clearly need them. Sister, I know you are excited, but I must ask your assistance if you are able. Could you please teleport to Redheart and bring back any Followers available to join us here?"

Swan turned away from poking at Jade's discarded armor with a guilty look, then stuck her lip out in a pout. "Awww... but I wanted to ask about the big bird... did you smash it Fast? I wanted to fight it..."

"I know Swan, I'll tell you all about it later. Right now Jade's right, we need you to help these folks. Teleporting help back here fast is something only you can do, ok?"

Praise usually worked with Swan, so I was glad to see her give a proud whinny before disappearing in a violet flash. "Okie dokie... but I want to hear all about it and play later!"

"Witching dear, I shall need your field medic training as well. Come along Glitter sweetheart, show me where I am needed most. Fast... I shall leave you and Valkyrie to help where your own talents lie..." Jade set her eyes in a determined line and strode off into the crowd of moaning casualties, putting aside her own exhaustion from the race and frantic battle like it was nothing.

That left me with Val and Zeke, the pegasus buck actually losing his bravado and confidence in the face of the aftermath of the battle. He stared all around with his ears pinned back and a guilty expression, forced to snap out of it when the Cats came clamoring around him.

They all started speaking over each other, though the violet armored Rowdy cut them off by slapping Zeke with a metal shod hoof, then grabbing him in a crushing hug of whining servos. "You stupid kook! You know how frosted I am at you Zeke! You're lucky that big bird didn't snack on you, you... you.."

"E-Easy Rowdy, in case you ain't noticed, I totaled my rod so pump the brakes on the drill press hug pussycat..." Zeke winced, getting the earth pony mare to loosen her hold enough to reach up and wipe away the tears trembling on her cheeks, then looked out to the other Arcano-Cats behind her. "Look, I know I... I should'a been back at the ranch when all this went down. I lost my machine and the race... If it weren't for the Princess and her crew bein' on the stick, I would'a been RadRoc chow while you guys were in trouble... S-Sorry..."

Burny joined the small cluster of Cats with a soft snort from above, drifting down to stand in front of his grandson when Rowdy released him. "Well, well... if nothing else, this whole clusterfuck finally got through that thick skull of yours, eh sonny? Maybe now you see there's more to bein' the big daddy than just goofing off? No time for moping though, these kids are lookin' to you to get your house in order, an' I got enough on my plate already. I'm glad you're ok Junior... you had me worried."

Scratching at his disheveled blonde mane sheepishly, Zeke flushed at the old buck raising his wing in a quick hug before trotting off. He canted his head curiously to his crew of tired looking Cats after he processed what his grandfather said. "Get my house in order? Er... what's the haps guys? Hey, where's Scopes anyway? He didn't get hurt, did he?!"

None of the Arcano-Cats looked very comfortable at his question, slumping as they shared a anxious look. It was Roxie that broke the silence finally, her voice a hurt and stunned whisper. "Zeke... It's Scopes, he... he bailed..."

"Laid a patch when we were all skiddin' out big daddy. If it weren't for the shrimp here givin' us a jump, we'd still be makin' like statues. We think he... he went shuckster on us!" Bluejay squawked out more of an answer to Zeke's confused look, his tail whipping back and forth angrily.

His big earth pony pal Moose stamped his hooves in response, shaking his head forcefully. "Naw, I don't believe it! Scopes might'a been scared and peeled out, but no way he clipped our brakes!"

"I was gettin' crispy crittered and wailed out right to the spaz, I saw him tuck tail daddy-o! I never thought he'd goose it like that when I needed him neither, but Scopes ran, it's a fact jack." Roxie sounded the most hurt, her normally upbeat attitude taking a serious hit.

The practical and cool Rowdy spoke last, her usual warm voice hard and dispassionate. "I dunno if he flipped his lid or what, but Scopes split the scene during a rumble. We all know the penalty for cutting out on the crew. Not only that, somepony lit up the tilt sign on every one of our chariots, except his..."

Even though I had to puzzle out the lingo, the tone and subject was enough context. I could see the betrayal and disbelief going on in the group of friends struggling to cope with the actions of their missing member.

The memory of Scopes tucking tail and running brought the suspicious hiss of 'Be Dark...' to the surface with a twinge of pain in my head, feeding off the rising tempers and arguing of the Cats. I had to shake it off with a wary glance up to the afternoon sun, snorting for attention. Intruding felt wrong, but Jade told me to help in the ways I could. I was useless when it came to healing like her, but there were other things her knight could do. I was no Nick Hearts n' Hooves, but the comic book Shroud was a pretty good detective...

"They're right Zeke, I saw him myself, Scopes ran away. I don't know why either, but I'm interested to find out too. You guys have work to do I'm sure, but if you want, I could look into it. As a like... neutral party...? It's up to you, you're the big daddy, right?"

Zeke turned to me with a conflicted expression, looking back to the other Arcano-Cats deferring to him and making me uncomfortable having all their stares land on me shuffling to myself. I could see the thoughts whirring behind his sky blue eyes, then they flicked over to Jade moving with purpose through the injured.

Her words to him on the burden of leadership were clearly in mind as he gave a curt nod and replied. "Right... We'll let the Shroud poke around, you guys help him out if he needs it, but we got other junk ta focus on. All these clydes here for the show got shafted on our watch, so let's start makin' it up Cats. Dig?"

I had to tip my hat in respect to the buck clapping his hooves and fluttering up to get his crew moving. A new tone of responsibility in his voice got the respect and instant obedience out of the others galloping off at his direction. It came at a cost, but the carefree stallion had grown up a little...

The Arcano-Cats went to busily repairing the settlement's defenses and patrolling to catch any lingering raiders, giving me free rein to go snooping around with Val, while Jade and the others helped elsewhere. It didn't take long to start coming up with clues that made the missing Scopes look worse and worse...

Starting out in the main Red Rocket garages where the inner circle maintained their armor brought two damning bits of evidence right off the bat. A spool of red wire with a purple stripe was still just sitting out on a workbench, the same wiring used to jump the battlesaddle circuits of the Cats' armor. Near the empty power armor frame Zeke's now destroyed suit once occupied was a dirty green can of 'Tank's Tortoise Wax'.

The cheery cartoon image was of a smiling turtle oddly flying across the label, via a silvery disc of a propeller above his shell. It was even easier to find just by following my nose, the foul stench I'd noticed on Zeke's armor hung around it in a cloud. I gagged on popping the top just to confirm the wax itself was the source, floating it over to Val and asking her to wrap and box it up in whatever was available in the garage, while I dashed outside for fresh air.

After she found an empty can of Insta-Oats to stash it in, then wrapped it in a whole roll duct-tape, I nodded thankfully to Val tossing it in a sack for good measure before rejoining me with a chuckle. "Wassa matter boss? It really that bad? I mean, it ain't exactly roses, but I don't notice it near as much. What's the deal with this goop anyway?"

"That bird was tracking Zeke because of that smell. It was really determined to get him too... Maybe it's what attracted it in the first place? When we're done, we should bury that crud somewhere far away. Just in case."

"Good call, that old buzzard Magpie taught us RadRoc's could hunt by scent. Never seen one act like that though. Course me an' pretty much anycreature in the sky avoids the damn things in general. Never thought I'd get ta blow one ta smithereens neither, that was awesome boss! Definitely my new number 5 best explosion!" Val grinned and bumped flanks as we trotted out, heading around the garage to the Arcano-Cats' clubhouse behind it.

"Magpie knew about them? What else did she say Val?If I knew something like that was up there, I would have been a little more leery about flying around everywhere..."

Chuckling at the shiver running down my tail, Val gave an unconcerned shrug with her reply. "Not much boss, I wouldn't worry too much about them. RadRocs are what'cha call an apex type predator. That one was old and big too, probably the only one for miles. Somethin' to keep an eye out for, but like Zeke told ya, they don't really bother with nothin' so small as griffons or ponies. They usually like snackin' on bigger beasties, so they keep the giant monster population down."

The Cats' clubhouse was an old warehouse behind the garage, the rusting metal walls patched and graffiti covered by years of art. We made our way around Zeke's lazy-buck throne and through the wide open bay door behind it, absently looking around the open space dominated by a battered pool table with a raider corpse sprawled atop it. A bent microphone was standing in the corner near the sparking, bullet ridden jukebox, the dingy orange of a few holotapes on a shelf nearby jumping out at me.

"What we lookin' for anyway boss? I mean, it don't look good for the unicorn weasel what took off, does it? What Nick would'a called open an' shut I think." Val clucked at me slotting the first holotape labeled 'Cats Poetry Night #1 - Zeke' into my pip-buck.

"I don't know, just... more than the obvious I guess. None of this makes a lot of sense, if it was Scopes, he didn't really try to cover his tracks, did he?"

"Alright, Cats. I call this one "Metal Heart." Metal legs. Metal tail. Metal heart. Tool of war. Tool of peace. Tool of art? I get into my suit and I strut through the wastes. No fear. Untouchable! The flames on my suit burning. Rising. Glowing. The flames are hot, but I am cool. I walk. I run. I fly. My hooves are strong. I am a stallion. No. More than a stallion! Because man, I have a metal heart. Thank you." Zeke's voice crackled out of my pip-buck and we both listened incredulously at the odd cadence and staggered delivery, blinking to each other before both sputtering laughter.

"Poetry! Ha!! I take it back, keep lookin' fer clues! Tell me there's one with Bluejay spoutin' that goofy shit boss!" Val cackled as I returned the tape to the shelf and rifled through the others.

I had to bite back the jealous snarl of 'MINE!' that came up when I tossed her another holotape that was indeed labeled with the blue griffon's name, giving a tired smile and rubbing my head as she gleefully tucked it away. Floating the others around in my magic, I found one more relevant and tried to focus, slotting in the holotape labeled 'Cats Poetry Night #4 - Scopes'.

"Um... so, I'm Scopes, a-and I wrote this poem... er... it's called Pink Dream" Scopes' nervous voice played, followed by whistles and teasing catcalls, along with slowly clicking hooves on the concrete floors in an odd form of applause.

"Lay off guys! Jeez, go on Scopes, lay it on us hipster. I'm expectin' a way out ballad with a title like that." Rowdy's stern, big sister like voice finally broke it up, kind and supportive to the clearly flustered buck.

"O-Ok... Umm... School daze. Books. Spells. Work. I toil away in nowheresville. The mean dean and square mare. Telling me what to think and who to be. Trapped in detention that never ends. Dreary walls and dusty books. A window. Wild blue yonder. Sunshine. Rainbows. A pink streak zooms by and shines. Pink feathers. Pink tail. Pink plates of armor that wail. They soar and fly, so high. My heart flies too. I escape the books and rules and squares. Living the pink dream. Er... Thank you...."

A quiet sniffle from the door broke the hissing quiet as the holotape finished, turning our attention to Roxie dabbing her pale lavender eyes with her scarf and putting on a weak smile. "H-Hey bean... just seein if you two needed another mark one eyeball. See you're browsin' the poetry night racks..."

Ejecting the holotape and floating it back to the others, I gave the sad looking filly an awkward nod. "Er... yeah, just looking around Roxie, seeing if we can figure anything out. I've never heard ...poetry... like that before."

Roxie's reply was soft and subdued. "Scopes wrote that for me, pretty bogus ballad huh? I got a big tickle outta that spaz... Saw me flyin' around from squaresville, that's what brought him out of the ivory tower to start with. Thought he was t-totally on cloud 9 for me... but... b-but he just left me..."

Hearing the quaver in her previously bright, carefree voice, I trotted over and awkwardly tried to comfort her, putting a hoof on her shuddering shoulder. "He umm... he sounded like you meant a lot to him Roxie. We still don't know... for sure I mean... Hey, there's probably some kind of reason. Me and Val are still looking around, she used to work for a great detective in Diamond City, so I'm sure we'll find something."

"W-What if it was my fault!?" Roxie suddenly cried out, making me flinch back in panic at the tears spilling down her cheeks as she kept going. "Always teasin' and shootin' the nerd down... I was just razzin' his berries an' playing hard to get, b-but he was cute in a nerdy kinda way, always tryin' so hard... I would'a... What if I had given him a shot, he wouldn't have..."

"Hey! Whatever the twerp did, ain't yer fault ya silly filly. Yer twat ain't magic an' ya ain't under no obligation ta go spreadin' it around like pixie dust just ta keep some stupid fuck from makin' stupid fuckin' decisions. This ain't on you pink, so no blubberin', 'specially when boss an me are still on the case." Val's gruff squawk made both of us jump, a little harsher than I would have liked, but it did get Roxie to stop crying.

"Val's right, though she could be a little nicer about it... We don't know why Scopes ran or what he did, that's why we're snooping around trying to figure it out, and yes, we could use your help Roxie, thank you. Umm... which one is his room?"

I waved out hopefully to the various rooms off the warehouse floor and was glad to see Roxie give a determined nod and lead the way up a rusty set of metal stairs. While Zeke had his own silvery Wingstream trailer outside and many of the rank and file shared an old barracks, it seemed several of the other high ranking Arcano-Cats had taken office rooms here, helpfully labelling the rotting doors with their names and other decor.

Scopes' door had a tattered pennant for the 'Trotson U Diamond Dogs' beneath his name and stack of books cutie mark, the prewar name for University Point. The room inside matched his mark with the precarious stacks of spellbooks and technical manuals, cluttered with spell talismans, half assembled spare parts and other junk that made me feel right at home when Roxie let us in. Val groaned at the sheer amount of crap to look through and began tossing things haphazardly aside, while I trotted in slowly, looking for anything suspicious and making my way towards the musty cot in the corner.

A short two drawer filing cabinet made for a nightstand, holding a few bottlecaps, fuses and hastily scribbled notes. A tarnished frame leaning against a bent and shadeless lamp held a wasteland era photo I floated up curiously, eyeing a younger Scopes in an uncomfortable looking school sweater and bow tie, next to a severe looking elderly mare wearing the robe and mortar board hat of one of University Points leaders.

"Scopes' Grandma Grade Point, one of those squaresville bigwigs. Always sounded like a real pain, makin' him cram facts and figures like, but his folks died out in the wastes, so it was just them... She was super hard on him, didn't want him hittin the road like the parentals and windin' up roadkill. She totally blew a gasket when he joined us rebels!" Roxie answered my raised eyebrow when I turned the photo her way, taking the picture with a sad smile.

She might feel guilty over teasing him, but that was enough for me to know they were good friends. She knew about his life and family, they talked and shared things which she had listened to. Continuing to poke around while she spoke, I fished around under Scopes' mattress and retrieved a tattered copy of Wingboner from every buck's favorite hiding spot. I blushed when I rifled through the pages (hoping for clues!) and reached the dogeared centerfold, a pale pink pegasus with a lavender mane, close enough in appearance to the one behind me I had no problem figuring out why Scopes had just this one issue stashed away.

"Find something daddy-o?" I squeaked at Roxie's curious voice, hiding the worn magazine behind my back and spinning around guiltily with my cheeks burning and wings cocked straight up.

"N-Nope! Nothing!! Nothing at all! I... H-Hey! Val!!"

My unconvincing stammering was interrupted by Val bounding over with a smirk and snatching the naughty magazine away, ignoring my struggles to hold it up over my head and cackle. "Woooo! What's this boss!? You gettin' a clue? Yep, this cracks the case alright! Betcha you was just off ta take this to the crime lab, right shrimpy!?"

"No! Quit it Val! T-That's not funny! I w-was just... putting it back! Gimme it!"

At least watching me chase Val through the cluttered room made Roxie give a light giggle, her mood lifting as the bawdy griffon kept bouncing ahead of me, unfurling the centerfold in her claws and shoving me back with a hind paw as she howled laughter. "Oh ho! You'll wanna see this Roxie! Hafta put ya in a lineup with this one! Boss thinks you might be a suspect! Bet he wants ta take ya in fer questionin'!"

Flapping my wings and making a dive at Val as she dodged towards the bemused looking Roxie, I got swatted aside and crashed into the wall, smashing into a faded Ministry of Wartime Technology poster showing a gleaming Steel Ranger. My embarrassment faded away when I slid down to the floor, looking up to see a wide hole ripped open in the poster by my horn and a dark void behind it.

The faint whiff of scent coming from it turned me serious and Val saw play time was over, tossing the magazine aside as my magic yanked the poster down. A hole had been knocked in the drywall beneath, revealing a thick glass jar full of scaly grey sludge of some kind I floated out to sniff at, puzzling over the faded tape label reading 'Dragon Molt Castings'.

Val took the jar when I stuck my head in the hidey hole to look for anything else, muttering to herself with all her playful teasing gone from her voice. "Huh... what's this crap? Dragon gunk? Hmm... bet'cha it's expensive, ya can make a fortune off'a anything dragon, scales ta' nuts. You think this is..."

"No Val don't!"

The sound of her unscrewing the tightly secured lid sent me scrambling to turn around with a yelp, reaching out to stop her and falling short when she grunted and popped the top. My mouth still opened to yell just made what I expected worse, the room was instantly filled with the most awful reek imaginable. Goddesses I could taste it! It was like a sledgehammer to my heightened sense of smell, sending my hooves to my nose as I retched and staggered for the door, anywhere away from that awful stench. The stink clinging to Zeke's armor was a pale shadow of what was clearly the source.

I could hear Val frantically screwing the top back on with a guilty cluck as I rudely shoved past Roxie holding her own nose and flapping her wings for air flow. I managed to lurch down the short hall and back to the open warehouse, dizzily throwing myself at the metal railing overlooking the clubhouse below, then hanging my head over the side and puking.

"What the fuck!?! Aww grody!! My threads!" The horrified shout of some poor Cat who'd come in with a pair of others to clean up the bodies below sent me cringing with a feeble apology that came out as a gurgle.

Val leaned out to the uproarious laughter of the victim's friends, squawking them down with a restrained chuckle before turning to yank me back up from where I flopped on the floor. "Quit yer bitchin'! Go hose off or somethin'! Er... sorry 'bout that boss, feel better pukey?"

"Blegh..."

Roxie joined us, her ears drooping with a sad whisper. "It's... it's not lookin' so hot for Scopes, is it?"

"Blegh..."

I had to wait quite awhile before Jade would finally take a break, busily directing her newly arrived Followers to help the injured, acting as a beautiful beacon to entice ponies into donating blood, and generally being amazing. I did try to help, but I was too distracted, paling as an assistant compared to Glitter galloping around. So, eventually I got kindly shooed off to keep Swan amused, who like me wasn't all that helpful when there wasn't teleporting or ultra-violence to be done.

Unfortunately I failed at even that, blinking up to her puffed up cheeks pouting when she came back from another lap around the airfield in the A-01 I had completely spaced out. "Faaast!! You weren't watching! Quit moping and pay attention to me!"

"Huh? Oh! S-Sorry Swan, umm... do it again and I'll watch, promise..."

"No you won't... you're being all thinky and boooooring! Nopony wants to have fun anymore since those raiders came. It was so nice before too..." Swan huffed and wriggled her way free of the gleaming armor, plopping down next to me with a thump and crossing her forelegs.

"Nopony? Huh, I guess you're right Swan... A lot of folks got hurt though, so it kinda put a damper on all the fun. Sorry we didn't get to go around the fair together, I would have liked to with you and Jade. It really would have been a good, old world kinda date with a mare I love. At least you got to go with Moose anyway."

That made her happier at least, Swan gave a pleased little whinny and scooched closer, nuzzling at my mane with a sigh. "Moose is a nice pony, but I wanted to go with you too. I like your date-things and love junk Fast. Smashing raiders was fun too, but they ruined everything. Moose and the other Cat ponies should have guarded better, I'm mad at them for not defending their territory right. I wouldn't have let those dumb raiders close back home."

"Yeah, yer just that awesome big stuff, make em look even worse in comparison. Not that the goofy kids don't look bad enough already, lost a lotta cred outta all this." Val landed on a rusty lightpost overhead with a soft flutter, waving out to the still smoldering wreckage of the scrap wood fair stands and tents lining the runway.

What they both had to say rolled around in my head, drawing my eye to the grim atmosphere that had replaced all the fun from just a few hours earlier. I noticed quite a few of the wastelanders who had come for the festivities packing their wagons and carts already, moving about their preparations to leave listlessly.

"What if that was the point..."

I spoke the thought that popped in my head aloud without realizing, looking up from my far away stare when Val hopped down from her perch and raised an interested eyebrow, fishing in her packs for a beer she offered along with one for herself. "Hmm? Finish grindin' yer gears there big brain?"

Even Swan had stopped nibbling my ears, blinking down at me with a curious tilt to her head. Taking the offered beverage, I took a sip and mulled it over before speaking, feeling a little on the spot, but slowly gaining chilly confidence in the idea I tried to verbalize.

"Cred... Zeke and the Cats put way too much stock in it for silly reasons, but it is important. Image... It's been bothering me even after finding evidence that points to Scopes, why would he do it? If the Institute is behind all this, why would they?"

"Who the fuck knows why those nutburgers do anything boss? They're craaaaazy... remember?" Val gave an unconvinced huff, but was still listening.

"Yeah, they're nuts alright, but there's usually some kind of method to their madness Val. Think about it. Say Scopes was a synth and following orders, which I didn't want to say in front of Roxie, but is... probably pretty likely. He could have rigged all the Cats' armor to blow up like I did to Zeke's, but he didn't. They were sabotaged to fail, right when they were attacked by raiders, in front of all these people... The armor everypony around here has faith in fails, the fun all these ponies came for is ruined by random raiders, Zeke can't outrace a giant chicken and gets eaten. It makes them look bad."

Swan frowned in thought, scratching her long pink mane as she worked it out. "Hrrrrmmm... I don't get it. Why wouldn't these Institute ponies just smash their enemies?"

"Because, the Institute is rarely as direct as you are sister. They do create artificial copies of ponies and manipulate things from the shadows." Jade's tired voice spoke up from behind us, trotting up with Glitter, Witchy and Zed to join us and giving me a peck on the cheek. "Hello dear, sorry to keep you waiting so long, but things are stable for now. You wished to speak with me? Have you had any luck in your investigation?"

Woofing out air when Glitter tackled me on the inhale to give an answer, I wheezed and nodded instead, wrestling the giggling filly and floating out the jar we'd found. "A little... we were just talking it out. Here, you ever seen something like this hon?"

Jade floated the cloudy jar up to her muzzle, scrunching her nose at it as she read the label. " Judging by the smell lingering around both it along with Valkyrie and yourself, I must surmise you believe this to be what drew that terrible creature to Zeke? Dragon molt castings... hmm... I believe I have read of its use in rather esoteric potion recipes."

"That would do it. Grandfather rarely used it in his alchemy and always taught caution in handling it. When molting, dragons are weakened and susceptible to predators like the RadRoc. It's not as difficult to acquire as something off a living dragon, as they cast it off like a snake sheds its skin. Still not a common ingredient however..." Zed spoke up and took it from Jade, turning the jar over in his hooves and shaking it.

Mentioning the source got Glitter's immediate attention, scampering over to hop beneath Zed and frantically wave her hooves. "A dragon!? That stuff came from a dragon!? Awesome! They shed their skin? Have you ever seen one Zed? How big was it? Where do they live? Lemme see! I wanna smell!"

"Sweetie NO!" I yelped when Zed patted her silver mane indulgently and hoofed over the dangerous goop, freezing the curious filly hugging the jar to her belly with her teeth already gripping the top. The wounded pout she turned on me made me slump in defeat, explaining myself with a sigh. "Please... don't open that again, unless you want to see me, mom and auntie Swan all toss our cookies. Once is enough for me, thanks. Not to mention you'd definitely get a bath tonight... If you're that curious you can open it, very, very far away..."

Giving a chuckle at Glitter's disappointed huff, Zed took it away again when she balked at the word 'bath', tucking it away in his saddlebag. "I've smelled worse in Grandfather's brews, I don't mind opening it for you later if you're willing to pay the price Glitter. Though perhaps best I hold onto it for now. If you have no further use of it, I could send it to Hexington with the local couriers later Fast."

"Take it, please, ship it as far away as you want. So, if Zin used it, you happen to know where you'd find it Zed?"

"Ah, that I can answer dear. I recognize the jar and the label. Mrs. Pestle's potion shop used preserves jars like that for her ingredients, I still have a few from our trip there." Jade flapped a wing to shove Swan over and snuggle closer, rummaging in her medical box packs and retrieving a couple metal lidded jars that did indeed match exactly, right down to the barely legible labels.

I frowned at the containers before returning them, tapping my chin and muttering. "University Point... Scopes is from University Point too..."

"You sound very suspicious of them Fast, when they have most helpful. The students present during the attack who know healing magic have been volunteering their time with the wounded, I understand they assisted with the defense against the raiders as well." Jade gave my cheek a nudge and clicked her teeth at me grumbling in reply.

"Everything you said is true and good Jade, but can also sound bad if you're a skeptic like me. Like I was just telling Val and Swan, all this seems like it was to make the Arcano-Cats look bad. All that stuff makes University Point look good at the same time..."

"You are a pessimist, not a skeptic Fast." Jade stuck her tongue out with a playful smirk, sighing luxuriantly when I leaned up to kiss her neck.

"And you're an optimist, so we balance each other out hon."

"Gah, now yer gonna make me puke boss, this payback or somethin'? Get a room or back to tha point." Val drained her beer, cackling at getting both of us to blush and sputter.

Jade stuck her nose up and huffed, only turning redder at the griffon clearly enjoying getting under her skin. "I-It has been a very long and trying day Valkyrie! Allow us to take some bit of comfort without your teasing. The mood around here has been spoiled quite enough already."

"I believe Fast's theory that is the objective may be correct your highness. Grampy... er... M-Mr. Jets and some of the others seem to be having an issue." Witchy chirped for attention after staying out of the conversation and distracted so far, her fluffy ears perking in the same direction she pointed.

A crowd had gathered at the chain link gates leading out into the ruins repaired since the attack, quite a few loaded carts and wasteland settlers apparently arguing with the Cats and Burny barring their path. Galloping that way with the others, a glance up to the sun sinking ahead made me realize part of the problem even as my own ears started picking up Burny's gruff voice calling out for calm.

"Folks, come on now, be reasonable here. It's late and we're all tired, wanderin' out in the dark ruins isn't the best idea with those raiders runnin' around. We're bringin' food down and puttin' on a spread on my cap, so why not just stick around till mornin' like everypony was planning?" Burny hovered at the head of the crowd, holding his hooves up to plead with the mob.

"That was when we figured your power armored punks would keep us safe! Better to skedaddle before those raiders show up again!" A bandaged earth pony trader stamped a hoof, eliciting a murmur of agreement from the rest.

"H-Hey now hep cats, I promise we're on the stick now. Listen to gramps and just chill, cool?" Zeke hovered up beside his grandfather, looking less confident without his armor.

"Meanin' what? Ya'll were just slackin' off before!?"

"Why should we believe you? You lost your armor playing around while we was gettin' shot! Not that the hunks of junk are worth a damn!

"Fun and games are over junior! We're not sticking around here after the day we've had. Gettin' my family somewhere safe!"

"Those U.P. folks said we can stay there, lettin' us go with 'em on their way back! You keepin' us here Jets!?"

"Course not, you know that ain't true, yer all just upset. Which is why I hate seein' you folks leave like this. My nitwit grandson made a mistake, don't make it worse when he's tryin' to make up for it. We're all friends an' neighbors around here." Burny slumped and answered the older farmpony close to his own age who spoke last in a voice cracking with weariness.

A clipped and smarmy stallion replied, drawing my eye to the nasally voice and somehow unsurprised to find the mortar board and robe wearing professor from University Point who'd screwed things up at Warhorse Homestead. His simpering words and smirk just made me more suspicious of him and the gaggle of wizard students he was at the head of. "Exactly Mr. Jets, it's as good neighbors that we're offering to take these good ponies with us. Many were going to the Arcane Science Fair tomorrow anyway and after today we'll be sure to increase security, so you can all rest easy."

This... This was what I was afraid of. They'd lost faith. For all the good a little silly fun brought to these ponies' lives, one attack had soured it completely. It was the opposite of everything we'd tried to do with Jade as a Princess that inspired hope. They weren't even individuals anymore, just a mob working itself up, feeding on its own misery and anger.

While I was still struggling to cope and see anything we could even do to help, Jade proved what a wonderful Princess she had grown into by launching herself up, fluttering above the crowd beside Burny and Zeke and holding her hooves out for calm. Seeing her put herself on display with the two smaller pegasi and the setting sun framed behind her, I saw I wasn't the only one slightly in awe.

The crowd hushed at her presence, forced to quiet respectfully just to make out her nervous but kind voice calling out to them. "P-Please, everypony! I know it has been a difficult day and not what you came here for, but I believe Mr. Jets is correct, it is dangerous to leave hastily. Do not allow today's senseless attack to drive you apart, to ruin the frivolity and friendship you all shared. It is times like these we must come together and help each other."

A murmur ran through them at that, still uncertain and afraid, but losing most of the anger and even picking up a note of shame... The trader still impatiently pawing the asphalt at the gates spoke up after looking around and realizing he was losing the crowd, taking off his goggle bedecked ballcap with a curt but at least respectful nod. "No offense there Princess, but I gotta look at my bottom line. Was goin' to U.P. anyway and got a long road to make it to Diamond City before that big wedding. Happy ponies are good customers, an' business has gone to shit here. This place was worth stayin' at when we all believed those kids would keep us safe."

There were a few nods of agreement from the other obvious traders, a look to Glitter biting her lip and frowning just confirmed it. If there was any way to counter him, she'd have already come to her mother's defense as she clearly wanted to anyway. I could see the numbers whirring behind her narrowed pink eyes though, when it came to business she couldn't disagree.

A middle aged, pale tan and white unicorn mare wearing a tattered gingham dress with a tired colt on her back seemed to speak for the more civilian contingent, wearily trotting up and giving a nervous little curtsy to the blue alicorn. "W-We're all mighty grateful to you and yours Princess Jade, t-things would'a been lots worse without all of you helpin' out. We're not brave like you though, my foal's scared and we just wanna go home. Sorry..."

Jade's kind blue eyes softened and she drifted down directly in front of the mare and her goggle eyed foal, holding a dainty hoof out until the shocked settler mare finally managed to take it. "You have nothing to apologize for. I am not so brave I do not worry for my own daughter as you do your son. I do honestly believe they are both safe here or I would do the same, but you must do what you think right for him. As all of you must... of course. I would deny the raiders a victory in spoiling the day in their minds however. A-At least our children could meet and part on a happier note as new friends perhaps? As I hope we all are. Glitter sweetheart!"

I gaped along with the mare and half the crowd as Glitter dashed through them, joining her mother and excitedly introducing herself to the suddenly happier colt. His mother kept numbly shaking Jade's hoof, a slow smile creeping across her muzzle to match Jade's that started spreading through the crowd. Jade couldn't fault the mare for putting her foal first, but the noble Princess showing understanding was improving the mood, even as the leather jacket wearing Cats nodded up to Burny's shrug and trundled open the gates.

Jade blushed at the attention as the crowd moved closer, not pushing for the gate to run off with bad feelings, but to part with a royal send off leaving a better taste in their mouths. She tipped me a knowing little wink as Witchy pushed her way forward to guard her. She may not like it sometimes, but Jade really was the common pony's Princess and she listened to my thoughts about image and how it helped ponies. She took time to shake each eager hoof held out to her, smiling and sharing a few sweet words, while more foals joined Glitter prancing around the grownups' legs.

One excited pink filly blushing in clear hero worship said something that caught Jade's attention along with mine once she managed to stammer it out. "Umm... c-congratulations anyway your highness, you was really awesome in the race until... Er... we wanted to stay an' see you get your jacket, but you was busy healin' and doin' important royal type stuff, so..."

"Jacket?" Jade interrupted curiously, tilting her head to look out at several others nodding their agreement with the teenaged mare.

Zeke answered with a sudden start, facehoofing before calling out to everypony with a little of his old swagger. "Oh yeah! Totally spaced it with all the square and responsible hoppin' we been doin' to make up for... for screwin' up major folks, you're right there. The way out Princess crossed the finish line in her rod an' I didn't though, so I'd say she blew my wings off alright! She's a full fledged Arcano-Cat hipsters! Just gotta get some threads in her size is all. Would do the full on induction, but since you all gotta hit the road..."

"Yup, it's a shame alright Junior. Seein' as she's a part of the crew, I guess that makes us an ally of the Kingdom of Sanctuary too. Bet her Minutemares aren't far behind them Followers still tendin' the injured who can't go runnin' off yet. Least they'll all get to see the show, eh?" Burny gave a sly wink to Jade, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Jade caught on after a moment, though she merely told the truth without trying to be nearly so manipulative. "O-Oh! Yes of course. My sister only teleported those critical to healing, I do believe reinforcements were being organized and on their way when she left."

There was a interested ripple through the crowd, clearly torn by the transparent temptation and assurances Burny and Zeke were laying on pretty thick. These folks wanted to stay and salvage some good out of all this, they came for a good time and could still have one... Just hoofing over a leather jacket wasn't quite enough of a draw though.

Looking between Burny, Jade and her royal guard beside her, I patted my trenchcoat pocket in a sudden bit of inspiration, I did know something that would be enough... Not quite how I wanted to do it, but judging by Jade's hopeful look at the indecision on the faces surrounding her, I thought she may understand. Gulping to myself at the cold sweat that sprang up on actually deciding, I ran ahead, stumbling and squeezing my way through the cluster of ponies until I ran directly into Jade's warm chest, then fell back on my haunches like an idiot.

"Oh dear! Are you alright Fast? Is something wrong? Ah, you've thought of something? I know that look! Everypony, this is my Fast, General of the Minutemares. I am sure he has some convincing argument to make, he is quite clever." Jade's sweet and concerned voice got the crush of hooves surrounding me to clear a little space anyway, though her expectant and proud look turned all eyes on me.

"Guh! Yush! Me want talky... Umm... I mean..."

Smoooooth.... Come on stupid, you get shot at constantly, this isn't scarier than... Ok, yes, yes it was... One look to Jade's curious blink down at me gaping in her shadow was more terrifying than than any killer robot, mutant monster or even shadowy spirit in my head.

I was surprised to find the voices of both the Shroud and the Ministry Mares had gone silent now that my panicked thoughts raced that way actually. I'd almost welcome a them lending me a little bravery with my face burning and knees knocking, but I supposed it was only right they abandoned me to do this myself. This should come from me and me alone.

Lurching up with my wings flapping, I took heart in that thought. Jade leaned back in surprise when I darted forward, clinging to her neck to lean up and whisper in her ear. I didn't want to just blurt this out and put her on the spot though, it was already bad enough doing it like this.

"H-How... how about a wedding?"

Jade gave a sharp gasp just ahead of Witchy's squeaky chirp, the sharp eared thestral the only one who heard. Her reaction was enough to garner an interested hush as I felt Jade heat up in my hooves, her bright blue eyes shimmering and swelling until they seemed to take up her whole crimson face.

"Huh? What'd daddy say Witchy? What's goin' on? How comemmph!" Glitter turned away from her playing on figuring out something was up, bouncing up and down wanting to be let in on the secret, only to be hushed by Witchy blindly reaching out to stuff a hoof in the filly's mouth, her slitted amber eyes wide and shimmering, never leaving Jade's face.

Jade's lips worked soundlessly as tears trembled on her cheeks, finally managing an interrogative croak. "W-W-What...?"

"Marry me Jade..." I felt her forelegs wrap around me as the first tears spilled down, her crying and those round, sparkling eyes making me jabber nervously. "I-I mean, I didn't want to ask like this and I'm really sorry, but I asked Mr. Jets after seeing his memory... a-and he said he could like he did for Witchy's parents, and I really want to! I love you so much a-and I know we already call each other... b-but I just wanted to... y-you know... and... and I wanted to wait until we found my family so they could come, and all your sisters, and all our friends, a-and e-everycreature in the whole world, but I don't want to wait either. I was gonna surprise you before we left anyway, so umm... s-surprise? Please marry mmmmfffhhH!"

My increasingly frantic rambling was suddenly silenced by Jade's soft lips, the world falling away with a sense of vertigo, leaving the low "ohhhhhh...." of the crowd figuring things out behind. When the blissful eternity finally passed once we were forced apart for air, I saw the world had literally fallen away, as Jade had apparently shot straight up in the air, fluttering in wide, giddy loops as she sniffled and nodded rapidly. "YES! Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

I also belatedly realized she was squeezing me so tight there was no way to get a now desperately needed breath after that passionate kiss, wheezing weakly over the sound of distant cheers below us. She figured it out when I started turning as blue as her soft fur with a deliriously happy look, quite content to die in the moment a happy stallion.

We hovered together when she loosened her hold and I whooped in air, laughing and crying nose to nose as I floated out a pair of rings from my pocket I'd been holding on to awhile. Jade's eyes sparkled as much as the glittering gold I'd hoarded and melted down while tinkering alone, using the excuse of measuring her horn for her A-01 fitting and surreptitiously forging the simple wedding bands her lidded gaze locked on to now.

No words passed between us, just a lingering looks and long, heavenly kisses shared in the rainbow light of the twilight sky. Eventually we must have made our audience impatient, as Burny's gruff old voice called up in a hoarse shout. "Hey! You finally got around to askin', eh youngster!? Well, ya gonna get down here an' do it right, or just find a convenient cloud up there!?"

It was amazing how quickly word spread and how the mood around Rocketburg turned. It being a rushed affair actually seemed to help, as everypony quickly started joining in to contribute to putting on a wasteland wedding. Traders broke out their wares, farm ponies from the area started cooking savory smelling foods from home recipes using whatever was on hoof, fillies and colts dashed around to decorate with an exuberant Glitter directing them and everycreature just seemed to brighten and sparkle with excitement.

It was a good thing there was so much help to be had too, as I quickly became a completely useless wreck. It was even worse since all the mares dragged Jade away with gushing giggles, while the stallions led by Burny kept me apart from her. They took over the Red Rocket offices in an impromptu bachelor party, producing a lot of alcohol like magic and seeming to delight in making me even more nervous with nudging elbows and winking honeymoon advice.

Val stuck with me at least, since she had no interest in getting 'dolled up' with the others, but put away the drinks and piled on the bawdy teasing. "Yer doin' it all wrong boss! Can't spring this shit on me, how we 'posed ta have a proper bachelor party!? We should go ta Goodneighbor! Shamrock would do it up right! Ain't even gots no strippers ta make ya squirm! Yer doin' this again, right?"

I stammered nervously in reply, pacing Burny's office on the top floor and glad to be away from the partying crowd of strangers downstairs. I paused at the stand Witchy's father's armor had stood, my eyes lingering on the faded picture of his wedding here that inspired this terrifying idea. "Y-Y-Yes... w-when we find my family and w-we can h-have all our friends... Then Jade and I can have a big ceremony somewhere like the Castle. T-This is just for us... i-it feels right, having Burny do it..."

"My pleasure Fast, honored ta get to be the one to circle you two cats. Lucky I still had this in mothballs, ain't worn it since my... third wife? Fourth maybe..." Burny came trotting back out from his office closet with a chuckle, shaking out a pale blue tuxedo jacket in his teeth.

I fumbled to catch it, my wings shaking so hard that Val eventually snorted and pinned me down, roughly forcing me into the outfit. I'd honestly prefer my Shrouded Stallion costume to the gaudy, long tailed tux, but it did at least match Jade's pale mane. Though the white dress shirt was scratchy and the black bow tie strangled me, it was a pegasus tailored suit and Burny wasn't that much bigger than me anyway.

"T-Thanks for letting me borrow it sir. For everything you've done to help us too, this is the second suit you let us borrow now..." Returning to pacing anxiously, I waved out to all the other gleaming suits of Burny's museum in a lame joke that did get a chuckle out of the old buck.

Burny joined me and stopped at a gleaming red and white accented Shadowbolt suit that had to be his own, patting my back and giving a wistful smile to a picture of himself as a young buck with a pretty earth pony filly. "Knowin' yer related to the Doc, I'm just returnin' the favor Fast. You done plenty of helpin' yourself too, so I think we're even. You still gotta explain how the old buck I knew is Grandpa to a prewar Stable dweller, but he'd be proud of you..."

"Yeah... proud..." I grunted in a reply dripping with sarcasm, thinking of Grandpa was the first thing that got through the fear still making me shiver slightly.

Hearing the angry tone in my voice, Burny sighed softly and laid a wing over my back, leading me over to the windows near his landing pad exit broken through the brick wall. He waved out to all the activity below with a kindly croak, holding my shifting red eyes with his faded sky blue ones.

"I'm serious Fast. I don't know the whole story between you, but you remind me of him. Look at those folks... all busy and happy again. Fighting to keep them alive is one thing, but giving them hope again once the fighting's done is even harder. Your Grandpa did that for me once, now you and your Princess did the same for all of them. However you feel about him, the Doc I knew would definitely approve Fast. What's more, you're like family. I'm sorry yours isn't here, but your old Grampy Jets is proud to stand in their place today." Burny surprised me by pulling me into a hug, his bristly beard scratching my neck reminding me of Grandpa Fin's mustache in a painful surge of nostalgia.

'Be Kind...' sang out against the spike of pain in my head and something broke inside me. Like a dam bursting, tears started flowing from my eyes as I shakily returned the embrace. I wanted dad here, mom... my baby brother... even Grandpa... I'd been so busy forming my own wasteland family, I hadn't realized how much I missed the comfort of somepony older to lean on. The elderly stallion patting my back really had become like family, an experienced stallion who had gone down the trail before me, telling me everything would be ok... that I had done well... that I was still a good pony.

"There now, enough of that... Buck up youngster, it's a happy day, right? Don't want to meet your blushing bride with a snotty muzzle, do you?" Burny chuckled as he pulled away, pulling a slightly grease stained rag from his leather jacket and dabbing at my face like a caring parent.

"T-Thanks... For everything Burny, I'm glad to know you and... and I'd be honored to have you as family. I miss mine so much, s-so having you say that means a lot." I sniffled and straightened up, looking down to the ruined airfield and Red Rocket garages buzzing with activity as I collected myself, then continued in a more even voice. "I umm... with all the wedding stuff, I haven't told you about what I think happened today... what I suspect..."

Quirking up a bushy eyebrow, Burny smiled and shrugged. "Funny, my idiot grandson avoided all responsibility, while you take too much on yer own shoulders. I'm grateful you helped adjust his attitude a little, so I hope to return the favor. Let old Grampy Jets worry about all'a today's nonsense."

"But Burny... It was the Institute, I'm sure of it! I think Scopes was a synth! They're up to something, messing with you! And University Point..."

"We're aware Fast, some of us do actually pay attention to more than silly races..." A stern mare's voice startled all of us, turning to the door to find Burny's daughter Twin Jets standing at the door with a smirk. "I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts, but the grown ups are handling it... You've got more important things to worry about right now. The bride is waiting impatiently..."

Seeing the soft smile on the middle aged mare trotting in, my brief reprieve of clear thought was shattered. Twin was dressed up in a well preserved red prewar gown, reminding me of how she looked in Burny's memory as a bridesmare, which in turn reminded me just what I was really doing... Jade was waiting... we were actually going to... to really...

"Ah, ah boss! None of that!" Val clucked and smacked me in the face with her claw, bringing the world back into focus as I shook and hyperventilated. She grabbed me by the collar and simply started dragging me towards Twin and the door. "If yer gonna pass out, I wanna see ya do it right up on the aisle! This is gonna be hilarious!"

"H-Hey! Wait Val! I c-can walk! Just lemme..."

My whines were roundly ignored, Val bounded down the halls and rejoined the crowd of stallions outside who all seemed to be waiting eagerly, stamping their hooves when we came down from Burny's office. Even Zed was there, a rare smile on his muzzle I barely got to see before Val tossed me in the air with a gleeful squawk. "Here he is boys! Don't let him get cold hooves an' run off!"

I flapped frantically, but was grabbed and carried off on the backs of the cheerful crowd, bouncing from one to another as they galloped down the halls and out the door. I was glad they were all so happy, but could do without the rowdy chanting of "Lucky buck! Lucky buck! Lucky buck!"

They carried me all the way out and across the ruin choked streets, directly to the bright beacon of the Red Rocket garage and the waiting crowd of wastelanders grinning at the parade. Being jostled around was like being pulled by the tide, straight up the tattered red carpet they'd rolled out in front of the brightly lit garage doors decorated in streamers and faded balloons.

Finally I was dumped at the end of the carpet, pulling myself back to my shaking hooves and looking around nervously. Several of the Arcano-Cats were out patrolling the area diligently, but Rowdy and Roxie stood to either side of the garage doors in their gleaming armor as a kind of honor guard. Zeke glided down to join them just ahead of Burny landing beside me with a wink. His presence was a small comfort as I scanned the rather large crowd murmuring to themselves with interest, quite a few chuckling at me pulling at the choking bow tie and sweating through Burny's suit.

Right up front I saw Summer and Cool Jets, their Minutemare uniforms cleaned and sharply pressed, complimented by the faded blue prewar dresses the pegasi fillies wore under them. Cool was... well, cool and collected, giving a smirk and roll of her eyes to Summer, the former Brotherhood Scribe sniffling and dabbing a tissue at her bright green eyes with her wings as she beamed. Mint Twist from Eclipse Village was a row back, along with several fisherponies who'd stayed after the ruined fair, the teenaged filly waving happily when our eyes met. The mares from Jamocha Plains had stuck around too, blowing kisses and giggling at the blush they managed to get with just a wiggle and wink. Even the sleazy conpony Sludge Barrel was in attendance, my ears perking at him loudly saying how he was "personal friends with the bride and groom, a very important pony that had to be right up front." I rolled my eyes at him waving with a broad, gap toothed grin, weakly returning the wave with a shivering hoof and groaning at him elbowing nearby ponies proudly, my recognition giving him proof to point to.

This being my idea just made me feel even worse being the center of attention, I did this to myself... stupid... Val landing beside me as my best buck... er best griff... helped a little anyway, despite her teasing grin as she shifted on her paws. I was surprised to see she had slipped off and put on her slinky black dress from Diamond City, still showing off her curves despite her battered armor and weapons being worn on top of the garment.

It was a relief when Witchy and Swan landed at the end of the carpet, trotting up at a stately pace with wide smiles. Witchy took the lead, her silvery armor gleaming with fresh polish and a flowing purple dress underneath that matched her clean and styled mane. She held her head high as she practically pranced down the carpet, carrying a small basket in her teeth full of withered flowers that she shook to spread on her way. An impressed murmur ran through the crowd as she came and I was glad to see she actually seemed to acknowledge it was praise for how gorgeous she looked. Her cheeks were pink as she reached Burny and turned off to the opposite side I was standing on, dropping her basket to beam at me with her gleaming fangs.

Swan came up next, flicking her tail and tossing her long pink mane as she pranced down the aisle. Like Witchy, she'd obviously been cleaned up and groomed. I suspected she had been playing with her golden, heart shaped locket around her neck, as she was at least a head taller than Jade and soaking in the attention of the wasteland guests whispering to themselves at seeing the mighty alicorn so close, but she wasn't huge anyway... She still wore her Alicorn Angel costume she refused to part with, but it was cleaned to a brilliant white and pink, devoid of any bloodstains for once.

Swan paused once she reached us, leaning down to nuzzle my mane that was itching madly after avidly watching her and Witchy's entrance. She took long sniffs and poked at my uncomfortable tuxedo, finally lowering her head to bump noses with a sparkly, dreamy look in her lidded blue-violet eyes, her ears were limp and her voice a husky whisper. "I like your little suit Fast... This wedding thing is neat, I want my turn next!"

"Awright, enough ya daffy filly, go stand with batty and behave!" I gulped as Val clucked and shoved her to join Witchy frantically pulling at her flowing tail to stand on the bride's side.

I hadn't considered how Swan would take this... She had just started to figure out love period, a wedding was something completely outside her experience. Apparently she'd decided she liked it, meaning I was in trouble later. Once Swan got an idea in her head... Oh Luna save me...

I was so panicked looking at the pouting purple alicorn and starting to hyperventilate again, I nearly yelped out loud when the scratchy wedding march began playing from the roughly repaired holotape player nearby. Turning back to the long red carpet forming the aisle between all the onlookers turning the same way however, my breath was taken away and I forgot to take another completely...

Jade was wearing her Princess dress from Diamond City... that alone was enough for me to just stare stupidly and drink in the sight of her every time. The tight fitting leather jacket she had on over it clashed somewhat, but somehow looked even cuter as she took slow, hesitant steps up the aisle. The gauzy veil clipped to the tiara nestled in her well coifed, cloudy blue mane brought it all home though. We could hardly find her a white wedding dress, but as her sparkling blue eyes met mine, she was the most beautiful mare in the world. My gorgeous bride...

She gave a blushing smile as she took another graceful step in time to the music, managing polite little nods to the hushed crowd, but always returning her soft gaze to mine as she came closer and closer. Her wings fluttered excitedly as she approached, pausing to cover her muzzle with her hoof to stifle a slight giggle at me swaying as everything grew faint. I finally remembered to whoop in a breath that instantly made me cough and squeak in embarrassment.

When she reached me and the music stopped with a scratchy click, I simply looked up to her in awe, my brain completely silent for once and my jaw hanging open. She shuffled nervously as she took a somewhat wilted bouquet of pale blue Hubflowers from Witchy standing loyally at her side as her mare of honor.

Holding it against her chest, Jade blinked down at me and bit her lip, shrugging at her new Arcano-Cats jacket and whispering to me. "W-Well? What do you think dear? T-They insisted I wear this as a new member... i-is it..."

"You look amazing... r-really, incredible, gorgeous, stunning, magnificent, beautif-"

My jabbering reply was hushed by one of Jade's pinion feathers as her veiled face turned bright red, turning to Burny giving a cough for attention and casting a sideways glance through lidded eyes with a soft giggle. "Y-You look quite handsome as well dear... p-perhaps you could continue such effusive praise afterwards though, hmm?"

"Ahem! If we're done flirting like a pair of teenagers an' ready to rock n' roll here hep cats...?" Burny cleared his throat, chortling at the matching "eep!" and blush he got from us both at the soft admonishment, then looking out to the crowd and continuing in a carrying voice. "Mares an' gentlecolts! We're gathered here today in sight of the goddesses to join these two kookie kids in holy maretrimony..."

"Now most folks already know the tale of the Princess an' the Shroud here, Princess Jade and Fast Times are two cats who came together from very different trails what came off the starting line a looooong way apart. Their love has had a way of rubbin' off on others since then, spreading a little hope and joy to the Commonwealth. Now I don't usually wax all poetic like, but consider me inspired and bear with me folks."

Love... true love like these two share, is a rare and precious thing. It was before the war, it was up in the clouds when I was a buck, and it is in the wasteland. No matter where you're from, who or what you are, or when the time though, it's always there. As important a virtue as the elements of harmony and just as powerful. Love saved me once upon a time, an' now I'm surrounded by it from kids like my daughter Twinny here, their kids and all the mares who brought me them and all'a my other kittens, even the exes who think I'ma useless old goat!" Burny chuckled with the rolling laugh he got from the crowd, waggling his eyebrows and lightening the mood, before turning serious again and continuing.

"Love is a flickering flame that's never gone out, even in Equestria's darkest days. So today, we all do our part in keeping that light alive in witnessing the marriage of these two fine ponies. They went out to make things better for others in the Commonwealth, now they make their own lives better, joining their lives in an unending circle. Just like Celestia's sun and Luna's moon, symbolized by the rings they exchange now."

On cue, a bright squeal sounded out from behind us and I turned to see Glitter pelting down the aisle, slowing to a canter and soaking in the soft "Awwww" the cute little filly earned. She'd pulled out her own frilly pink and silver dress from Diamond City that trailed behind her and even submitted to being meticulously groomed. Her silvery mane clean and shining enough to see the pinkish sheen in the soft light, complimented by the ribbon tying it up at the back. A ratty red pillow bounced lightly on her back as she grinned and pranced towards us, the mellow glow of the golden rings on it drawing the eye.

When she joined us and stood straight and proud, Jade and I each plucked a ring away in our magic and leaned down to nuzzle a cheek, sandwiching her beaming face between us and each wrapping a wing around her in a hug. I was so glad she was here, our little filly who stayed between us as we nervously stood and faced each other, taking neither the bride or grooms side, she simply stared up with her wide pink eyes shining. I wondered what she thought of all this, an orphaned scavenger who never knew her father and lost her family, only to find a new one and join us in making it official now.

Thinking of Burny's speech, I gave her a wink and mouthed the three simple words that always meant so much to her, that so surprised me at their intensity since I agreed to adopt her as my daughter. "I love you."

Turning back to Jade as Glitter flushed with pleasure and closed her eyes in a brilliant smile, I caught the beautiful blue alicorn sniffling away a tear. We stared in each others eyes for a long moment, before Burny eventually gave us a nudge, making me realize we were supposed to exchange vows... I'd been so nervous, I hadn't thought of any!

Thankfully, Jade spoke first, the smaller golden ring floating in her magic fidgeting almost as much as the larger one I held. She closed her eyes in thought a moment, as if recalling something difficult to remember, then opened the sparkling blue pools I was immediately lost in. Her melodious voice rose and fell in a sing song cadence the crowd leaned forward and perked their ears to hear.

"F-Fast...We were born far apart in every way, But you're the best part of my day. As sure as I breathe the air, I know we are the perfect pair..." I gaped at the rhyming words she blushed to recite, shaking off my stunned stare as I felt the golden ring settle on my horn as she continued in her own words. "I love you Fast, when we first met, I never would have believed how much I could... I thank all the goddesses our paths came together as they did and I never wish for them to part. Husband..."

Gulping at what felt like a heavy weight ringing my horn now, I shivered and panicked, my tongue tied in knots looking up to Jade's soft smile waiting on me. How could I follow that!? What could I possibly say to let her know so succinctly how I felt, how much I loved the big blue filly who'd changed my life and made the wasteland a home? I could barely breathe, let alone say... word... things... and hers rhymed!?

The rising song in my head came as a welcome relief. The Ministry Mares chimed in a sweet, comforting note that washed away my fear. Even the lower, reverberating bass of 'Be Dark...' underneath them was... somehow less ragged and harsh, purer... It resonated with the love I felt and for once didn't clash with the spirits occupying the same space, lending me its strength without wanting to kill or rut something.

It was the soft, somber whisper of 'Be Strong!' that got my mouth moving to my surprise, speaking honestly and spilling out words that were distantly familiar but not. I answered Jade's soft rhyme with one I didn't know, but did somehow. "Jade... The seasons change and leaves may fall, but I'll be with you through them all. And rain or shine, you'll always be mine. On a prickly path that goes on for miles, you're the only one who makes it all worthwhile..."

I blinked when the unfamiliar snatch of song stopped falling out of my muzzle, floating the ring up to Jade's long, graceful horn, taking in the tears spilling down her surprised, beaming face and managing to finish with my own words. "I love you Jade. From the moment I first laid eyes on you... it was love at first sight. Every bad thing that happened before, the war, my Stable... e-everything, it was all worth it just to find you. You make the wasteland a paradise, my Princess... my... w-wife..."

With the golden ring settling on her horn, Burny spoke up with a hoarse and happy shout. "Well then! By the power vested in me as leader of the flock 'round here, it's my honor to pronounce you two crazy cats mare and colt! You may kiss the..."

That was as far as he got, Jade lunged forward at the word 'kiss', tossing her veil aside and scooping me up in the most passionate, blissful kiss we'd ever shared. My wings sprang up and fluttered in her grip, adding to the lift of her own hovering us up several feet above Burny in a drifting, lazy spin in the air. The sound of raucous cheers and hoots erupting from the crowd barely registered through the warm embrace.

When we finally broke apart and stared nose to nose, Jade gave a light, breathless giggle at the dazed look on my face, whispering softly. "We... we are..."

"M-Married..."

"Yes... married..." She answered dreamily, her eyes sparkling with tiny hearts with my mane itching madly, but speaking clearly enough as we slowly drifted back down. "You are mine and I am yours Fast... forever..."

"F-Forever Jade... forever and ever... I love you so much."

Before our hooves touched the ground again, Glitter pounced in an impressive, earth pony leap and joined us, wriggling her way between us with a happy squeal and sticking her nose up to be nuzzled between us happily. "Yay mommy and daddy! That was awesome! I'm so happy for you!! We're a real family, together forever!"

Planting teary kisses on both my daughter and my wife as we landed, I felt like my heart would burst, finally breaking apart and realizing the crowd was still stamping their hooves and cheering. A loud, honking squawk brought my attention to my best griffon, turning to see the tough mercenary bawling to my amazement and roughly wiping her face against her foreleg, sticking her beak up at my stunned look.

"I-I ain't cryin' dammit! Quit yer starin' boss! J-Just... just bored ta tears is all! Y-You an' all this sappy pony nonsense... I..." Val huffed and tried to hide, but came willingly when I dragged her over in a hug, groaning and trying to disguise the happiness I felt relax her muscular feline form in my hooves. "Aw come on shorty! Y-Yer gettin' too mushy for yer own good again... I d-don't wanna... this ain't my fault everybody! H-He's orderin' me ta be all... Aw hell, c'mere ya cuddly bastard..."

I wheezed at the powerful griffon squeezing me in a hug clearly meant to be painful just to pay me back for her embarrassment. The warm kiss of her beak darting forward against my muzzle made up for it though, her long tail whipping back and forth and her wings joining Jade's spreading around us with Glitter in her hooves.

Spreading the other wide blue wing, Jade drew Witchy in with a smile, forcing the anxious batpony in with us and nuzzling her purple mane as her gleaming armor was pressed against me. The poor royal guard blushed and chirped at both the alicorn and myself taking a burning cheek to kiss, squeaking in a dazed and happy voice. "Y-Your highness! Tis n-not appropriate for... oh... n-nevermind..."

Struggling to stretch my neck up from the middle of the huddle, I managed to brace myself when I saw Swan pouncing at us, sputtering past the big purple mare trying to wrap her hooves around all of us in one massive hug and kissing my upturned face giddily. I had only a small window through the crush of soft, warm flesh to peek out, nodding to Zed giving a smirk and wriggling a hoof free to wave him in.

With a roll of his grey eyes, the zebra stallion trotted forward and allowed himself to be squeezed in with us, one big, embrace of my wasteland family. I wished Ivy and Peri were here too, not to mention my parents and brother... but it was still a singularly perfect moment. It was only broken when a bright flash went off with a 'poof!', temporarily shrinking all of our dazed eyes to pinpricks. We all shook our heads and blinked away the spots in our vision together, focusing on a grinning Roxie holding a battered instant camera spitting out a picture with a loud whine.

Jade immediately dove after the picture to add to her collection of my old family photos with a squee, breaking apart the group hug like bowling pins with a rocketing flight only Zed was able to dodge. He chuckled under his breath as she snorted and wiggled impatiently, flapping the slowly developing photo around in her magic. "Ahem... If that's enough, I do believe your guests are waiting Jade."

The rest of us unfortunate enough to be in between Jade and her photo groaned and stood slowly, smoothing out our fancy clothes as Jade tilted her head at the zebra keeping his distance after all the physical contact. He nodded down to the crushed bouquet of flowers Jade still held, gesturing out to a crowd of fillies nearby shifting on their hooves eagerly.

"A-Ah! Of course!" Jade grinned and trotted off a few paces, turning her back to us and floating the withered flowers up in her magic.

I wasn't sure what was going on, but every filly nearby dashed forward in a huddle, nearly bowled over by Swan joining them and prancing in place. Even Val prowled over with a smirk, dragging a nervous Witchy with her. Summer and Cool Jets hovered at Swan's level and the teenaged filly Mint Twist was jostled around by the older mares in the group, along with the mares from Jamocha Plains nudging for position, all of their eyes locked on the bouquet waggling back and forth in Jade's magic.

When she gave a giggle and tossed it over her head, I flinched from the furious melee that broke out. The gaggle of mares turned into a roiling cloud of flailing hooves and wings, sparks of magic sizzling out, I even thought I heard the click of one of Val's pistols cocking... all chasing the bouquet that bounced and flew in in and out of the cloud of dust. I merely watched in confusion with my head canted and Glitter and Jade beside me, wondering why exactly the withered flowers had become so valuable. Had Jade cast a 'Want it, Need it' spell on it? I'd read about that in my studies and they were sure acting like the spellbook described the effects of the mind altering spell.

Finally the battle broke up, unsurprisingly with Swan as the victor. She had the bouquet clenched in her teeth, shrugging off the smaller mares who'd dared challenged the big filly and prancing over proudly. Her long pink tail wagged and her nose was stuck up, looming over me and mumbling around the battered bouquet. "I win! I am next Fast!"

"N-Next? W-What? What's the deal with the flowers?"

Jade gave a soft sigh, booping her sister's nose away from happily nuzzling my confused stare and arching an eyebrow at us both. "An old tradition... I will explain later dear. F-For now I believe we are still expected to perform other functions, we do wish to properly celebrate for all these fine ponies, hmm?"

At that, Burny came up and clapped his hooves, hovering just over the ground to grab us both around the neck and drag us toward the laughing, cheering crowd he called out to loudly. "Right! Cuttin' the cake and all that, these folks helped put on a way out spread, so let's get to it you two!"

The cheers rose in volume over the old buck's announcement and we were quickly dragged along with the tide, off to the rickety tables of food and mishappen but wonderful smelling cake I could spot ahead. Glitter had apparently snuck into my packs while I was getting dressed, as I spotted both my Shrouded Stallion action figure and the pretty Alicorn Angel Blue doll atop the desert. A tiny and makeshift bride and groom from my collection of toys...

Still shoving us along, Burny grinned even wider, nodding proudly as he hoofed over a knife to Jade waiting beside the cake. "Go on there Princess, everypony's waitin' on you to get to partying! Even got a special surprise for everypony after the viddles, we're havin' a movie night!"

"Movie night?..."

I had seen the parking lot between the Red Rocket offices and the airfield before during our time here, flying over a secluded and ruin cleared lot of gleaming sky carriages and motor wagons the first time had been enough to nearly crash into the crumbling buildings nearby that hid the open lot from the ground. Spending time with Roxie and her paint shop also meant I got a much closer look at her 'gallery', we'd all been given a personal tour of each brilliantly colored and waxed vehicle by the bubbly painter pegasus herself.

It had been disappointing to find that only a couple had actually been given more than a skin deep restoration and were capable of running again, but Glitter had been ecstatic over the flames, racing stripes, stenciled and freehoofed paint jobs that made each a work of art. We'd never got a straight answer at what it was all for however, just a mysterious wink and wave to the tall and intact brick wall of the back side of the Red Rocket offices painted a flat white.

Now we knew...

To my amazement and delight nearly matching my daughters, I gaped up with her when a flicker of light in the evening gloom lit up the wall and an actual movie started playing. It shone in a wide fan from the toll booth of the parking lot itself by a rusty and crudely repaired projector spinning huge reels of black and white film. Movies! Burny and the Arcano-Cats had movies!

Apparently it was a rare treat and another reason so many wastelanders came to the races, they'd preserved it as a surprise for us. All the painted carriage husks were restored enough to look good and have soft, cloud stuffed bench seats patched with rags and crude leather, just there to remain in place as fancy seating for an honest to goddesses drive in movie, just without the driving part... Which really, who cared about that!

We were led to a huge boat of a convertible highwaymare nearly at the center of the front row of painted vehicles, a seat of honor in the deep blue motorcarriage done in a sparkling, flaked paintjob that lightened towards the long fins and chrome of the cracked headlights. Actually, I got carried, again... though this time by a gaggle of laughing mares at least. The bucks tried giving Jade the same treatment, but quickly gave up on lifting and carrying the large alicorn, instead leading her along with the crowd surrounding her and bouncing Glitter in her place, depositing both in the back seat of the old carriage with me as the first film started up.

Glitter's pink eyes were wide and dark looking up to the warbling and popping images of the main feature, an old movie called 'The Wild Buck' with Marlon Bridle that suddenly explained a lot of where the Arcano-Cats got their slang and fashion sense... Burny even fluttered by to dump a bag of popcorn in Glitter's distractedly grabbing hooves, ruffling her mane and explaining it was prewar this film in particular that got him exiled when he was a buck. Considered contraband and off limits for its anti establishment message. It seemed silly to brand and boot him out of the Enclave over a movie, especially since it was an enjoyable flick.

With Glitter snuggled between us, Jade and I watched the main feature together, mostly... We did end up casting a lot of lidded looks to each other and sneaking kisses over Glitter's oblivious head, but kept it down to that much and just enjoyed being together, We took turns explaining old world things our daughter saw and questioned in quiet whispers to not disturb the other enraptured wastelanders filling the lot full of cars around us.

There was room for Val and Witchy to take the front seat too, remaining vigilant guards even while Val kept pestering the flustered batpony to drink with her. Zed sat on the long hood in his odd cross-legged zebra way to watch with us too, while Swan draped herself off the trunk to be able to watch over our heads, asking nearly as many questions as Glitter and nuzzling for attention when bored.

By the time the film ended, Glitter was softly snoring between us, occasionally snorting herself awake and blinking at the credits scrolling away, then slowly drooping and nodding back off, getting a soft smile and kiss on the forehead from Jade. Before she could do more than carefully float the little filly up from her seat however, Witchy and Val both scrambled up, giving each other a nudge as Val grabbed the floating foal away and let her hug her warm, feathery chest with a mumble.

"Ah, ah, me an' batty got her boss. You two newlyweds make like the locals an' do a little back seat bingo, eh?" Val winked and flapped her wings softly, flying up towards the cloud town of Rocketburg and the prewar pegasus hotel we'd been staying in.

Looking around at her departing chuckle, I puzzled through the slang and noticed all the couples taking advantage of the dark and comfortable seating, no longer even pretending to watch the movie since the credits fizzled out. Witchy blushed as she spoke, her tufted ears flicking in multiple directions at the soft moans I could pick up all over. "Y-Yes! Umm... V-Valkyrie and I shall watch the little princess your highness. Y-You and Fast should... e-enjoy what honeymoon you may... Er... S-Swan? Would you like to come?"

Huffing and stretching her neck to lean down to Glitter's vacated seat between us and munch on her leftover popcorn, Swan stretched languidly on the trunk behind us and completely missed the hint the hovering batpony tried to give. "Mmm... nope! I like movies, is there another?"

Burny's hoarse laughter as he trotted over from the black and flame painted Thundega Bolt he sat in beside our own chariot just encouraged her, grinning at Jade and I's embarrased flush. "Oh sure thing Miss Swan, next flick is right up your alley I think. Kinda a B movie, but new around here. You folks know they started doing this at the old Starlight Drive-In up north? Right around your neck of the woods! Got a deal with em ta share what old reels we can salvage, first time we've had somethin' new in awhile!"

"That's great Burny... thanks a lot for letting her know..."

I groaned at Swan beaming and giving a happy whinny, sputtering past her insistent affection between Jade and myself. Of course I supposed I could understand if she might be feeling a little left out with all the excitement, shuddering again at the way she fluttered her eyelashes and grinned back to the bouquet stashed in her bag. Explaining weddings to Swan was going to be difficult... was difficult period now that i thought about it. It's not like I loved her any less than Jade... just different... She was carrying my foal too... you were supposed to marry the mare you got pregnant...

Nngh! Shut up! Don't start! Go back to sleep and give me one freaking night already! I winced and thunked my head with a hoof, planting a kiss on Swan's nose to placate her and turning to Burny as a distraction under Jade's observant arched eyebrow. Seeing Zeke pulling himself away from Rowdy and come fluttering out of his cherry red Chrysalis Sky carriage with the very fogged windows nearby, I perked up and spotted Burny's daughter Twin trotting down the rows towards us too. All three generations were using the intermission to come chat, and by the look on Twin's face at least, it wasn't all teasing. Meaning I should probably button my scratchy shirt and smooth my messy mane at least a little...

"Hey, hey, there's the newly circled cats. You look like a real dreamboat in the threads Princess kitten! Surprised you two ain't off to the submarine races already and still wearin' em though!" Zeke teased Jade before his stern looking aunt Twin arrived, hovering up to pluck at her tight leather jacket and rolling in laughter at her chaste squeak and blush.

"T-That would not be... i-in front of everypony... T-Though I see we are not the only ponies with romance on our minds I suppose..." Jade stammered back, her voice turning dreamy as she looked around and seemed to notice the same thing I had.

Twin saved us from the two crimson pegasi now howling laughter together, giving a smirking cough and roughly shoving Zeke and Burny's heads together in her hooves with a painful sounding 'thunk!'. "Ahem! Enough of that for five freaking minutes you two. The Princess is our guest and your new member nephew, treat her with respect our new ally deserves. Bad enough to pester her at all, but we do have important things to discuss while they're loading up the next movie. So sorry your highness."

"N-Not at all Ms. Jets. We are grateful to have the Arcano-Cats and Rocketburg as new friends in the Kingdom of Sanctuary. We are not here for only fun and games, as enjoyable and important as they are. These movies of yours are delightful! Work comes first however... What is it you wished to speak about?" Jade answered primly, shoving her sister's head back down to the snacks in the seat to speak over her.

Zeke answered before Twin could, most of his good humor drying up with a somber tone. "Scopes... Roxie said... you really think he went all rat fink on us Shroud-daddy? That he was some... some jalopy in pony skin? That's why he lit out?"

His slang was easier to figure out after watching the movie it came from and I nodded slowly, looking to Burny's bushy brow raised curiously and Twin's frown. "Yes, I think he was a synth and the Institute did all this. To make you look bad, to make all these ponies lose faith in the Arcano-Cats."

I had filled Jade in on what I found and thought about it, so she interrupted my angry growl with a sweet and hopeful take of her own thoughts to comfort the clearly wounded Zeke. "It does seem like their modus operandi from what my Fast has told me. I am sorry Zeke... However, we have encountered the Institute's synths before, many are unaware of their own nature and have no choice in their actions. I am sure Scopes... d-did not mean to betray you, i-if he is the culprit..."

Zeke's ears drooped as she finished weakly, flipping his sunglasses down from his slicked back blonde mane to hide his eyes behind as Twin patted his back and huffed. "They've meddled before, but never got this close or were so sneaky about it. I've had the guards in Rocketburg asking around too, apparently Scopes was spotted slipping off with Mr. Warhorse a few days ago when he came to overcharge us on food, both being pretty furtive... Somehow I doubt this is over, dad said you were going on about University Point too Fast?"

Flinching under Jade's inquisitive blink at me, I nodded to the middle aged earth pony mare firmly, laying out my suspicions for both her and my new wife. "The stuff that drew that bird to Zeke came from there. I'd lay good caps down that Mr. Warhorse brought it too, we're pretty sure he's a synth we still have to deal with and he's connected to U.P. too... They're at the heart of everything around here... "

Jade gave a little 'tsk' noise and booped my frowning muzzle, still firmly looking for the best in others. "Fast... The ponies of University Point are educated and civilized, they promote learning and have helped everycreature around them. I still do not share your suspicions where they are concerned. Mrs. Pestle was a lovely old mare, the other members of the board of education I spoke with were all equally polite and intelligent. Why would they...."

"Because they're snobs Princess. Ain't never liked them snooty wizards across the way, they're nice to your face, but as slippery as those nobles back in Diamond City behind yer back. We've bumped noses here and there in the past, but the last few years they've been getting pushy. I agree with your buck here, not much goes on around here they're not involved in somehow." Burny grumbled an answer for me, crossing his forelegs and not weakening his proud stance in the slightest at Jade's disappointed huff.

"B-But... you get along as neighbors! The professor offering to help your guests leave even said so. They helped defend this place, their healing trained students assisted with the wounded! I do not understand why you all think so poorly of them." Jade was just as implacable, leaving me in the middle to try to break the clash of wills and convince her.

"I'm not saying the students or the ponies who live there are bad Jade. I'm saying I don't trust the ones in charge. Klein ran University Point before the war. I don't think the Institute heads let go of places like that, just like the haunted high school. I think he's meddling there and behind all of this, I just haven't figured out what he's up to. Either way, I... I don't want you go with me tomorrow when we see them. I think it's too dangerous."

"Nonsense. We have an appointment to keep with the board of education. I am sure we can resolve our differences and talk this out. If the Institute has a presence there, we must help the good ponies there root it out. As Princess of the Kingdom of Sanctuary, I can hardly put off our diplomatic meeting there again. I am sure you and Witching will protect me from any danger, I cannot tuck tail and run in fear from the Institute's machinations, you have said yourself, that is what they want." Jade stuck her nose up and closed her eyes, cutting off any further debate.

"But Jade!..."

Burny's raspy chuckle cut off my doomed attempt anyway, the old buck hooted laughter, giving me a sympathetic wink. "Oh she's a pistol alright Fast, that's a mare that'll keep you in line! You make a great bride your highness. Easy ta see who's gonna wear the pants in your family! Good luck young buck, congratulations again!"

Twin gave an exasperated sigh at her father hovering up to kiss Jade's hoof with a laughing, midair bow, rolling her eyes to the blank wall in front of us lighting up with the next film and shrugging. "I'll leave your dealing with U.P. and all the cloak and dagger to you folks then. Just letting you know we're on our hooves here. With your Minutemares joining us, we're on guard for anything and I think my nephew and his friends are taking things a bit more seriously, isn't that right Junior?"

"Yeah, yeah Aunty Twinny, we got our peepers peeled and gears shifted. We're still all about freedom from the man though, we just see how oily the man can be now... Not gonna stop us from bein' the coolest cats in the Commonwealth though, now we even got a Princess on the crew to help polish our rep! We still ain't come up with your nickname for your patch Jade, we're thinkin' Princess Pussycat! Got a nice ring to it!" Zeke grinned and puffed up with a little of his old confidence, pointing to the embroidered name stitched into his own jacket, then pointing to Jade's and spreading his hooves with her proposed nickname dancing in his sky blue eyes.

Jade flushed in embarrassment, but any protests she had were cut off by Swan's head shooting up with the flicker of light and warble of sound ahead, looking up to the blank brick wall turning into a movie screen again. "Ssssh! Movie time! No more silly talking, I wanna watch! Grampy Jets said I'd really like this one and.... Eeeeee!"

Looking up to Swan's blue-violet eyes going wide and dark, I turned to the screen, pausing on Burny chuckling into his hoof as Zeke dashed off to rejoin Rowdy in their own sky carriage. The reason for both the old buck's laughter and Swan's shimmying in place on the trunk hard enough to make the whole motorwagon groan on its ruined frame was easy enough to figure out when I read the title of the B movie flashing up on the wall. 'Attack of the 50 Foot Mare' starring Lilac Lace...

"Hehehe, thought Miss Swan here would appreciate this one. You kids have fun!" Burny waggled his eyebrows and fluttered off at that, leaving Twin to huff at his retreating tail.

"Those two are both children... but like you said, a little silly fun is important too. Oh, before I leave you... three... to it, the owner of the Cumulus Inn asked me to give you the key to the Honeymoon Suite. The ponies of Rocketburg appreciate all you've done too your highness, they believe you'll continue doing your best and wanted to thank you." Twin tossed a rusty, heart shaped keychain with a wispy cloud key to us before trotting off herself, finally leaving Jade and I alone.

Mostly alone anyway... Swan stayed right where she was, her chin resting on her forehooves and her eyes locked on the screen, a giddy grin on her face as she eagerly watched the old monster movie. No wonder Burny said it was right up her alley, considering Swan spent a good deal of her time as an actual giant mare tromping around, I half worried seeing this Lilac Lace actress smashing cheesy balsa wood props would give her ideas...

It did keep her effectively distracted however, letting Jade and I enjoy each other's company and the luxurious space the convertible Highwaymare chariot's backseat boasted. I was glad the wide bench seat had been given a thorough restuffing with soft clouds, as I soon found myself sinking into it under a lot of affectionate blue alicorn, making out like a couple of teenagers in the old world going to the drive-in.

Jade struggling to get out of her ill fitting leather jacket while flattening me was a cute battle, giving me a moment to catch my breath and shrug out of my uncomfortable tuxedo jacket while she grunted and flailed her wings. I hoped to get her out of her sparkling princess dress too, but she batted away my fumbling hooves with a demure look, "I believe we've given these ponies enough of a show already today Fast... let us take our time and enjoy ourselves, we have all night and a graciously gifted private room..."

"R-Right! This is good too, just excited is all... I mean, we're husband and wife, like... officially now. Not that I didn't already think of you that way, it's just... different now somehow. You know?"

Returning to passionate kissing and giggling, Jade nibbled my ears and purred into them softly. "I understand Fast. I once thought such ceremony was superfluous, but I do feel... different as well. It is very strange, but wonderful... I am your wife, before all these ponies and the goddesses. We are married..."

"You're my special somepony Jade, the most important mare in the world to me. Which is why I still don't want you to go tomorrow..."

"And you are mine, husband... which is why I insist on doing so. We face everything together, no matter what comes. If the Institute and this Professor Klein truly are there, we shall... shall cross that bridge when we come to it." Jade huffed at me trying one more time, but booped my nose and wiggled on top of me, pinning me in place to kiss and nuzzle dreamily, trying to glaze over her evasiveness.

Looking up to her lidded gaze sparkling with tiny hearts taking up my field of vision, I fell for the minor deception willingly and drank in the strawberry scent of her mane falling around me, touching every inch of her blue fur I could reach. With my mane itching and senses dulled, it took a moment to recognize the steady clicking from my pip-buck, struggling to sit up against Jade's soft whines and find the most likely source.

Swan was still completely absorbed in the movie, but had her golden locket open and held to her chest, soaking in the steady chatter of radiation from the balefire apple inside and looking up to the giant mare on screen rampaging through a tiny town after her cheating stallion. She had an excited gleam in her eye, snickering at every prop building crushed under the actress' hooves...

"Swaaaan... what are you doing? Don't get any ideas..."

"I like this movie Fast... I'm not doing anything, I just felt like not being tiny. Not 'cause I can't stand it, I just like being big. I want to be like our sister in the movie and play with you, seeing her up there is making me all... fluttery feeling... it's nice! You'll pay attention to me if I'm big! Then we can do the married thing too! I still don't know what it means, but I defeated all my enemies and won the flowers, so I go next! All those mares were taking about it while sister was getting dressed up." Swan tore her eyes away from the screen and wiggled in place, making herself more comfortable on the trunk she was now hanging off of and leaning down to forcefully push her muzzle in and lick my cheek.

Of course... 'Attack of the 50 foot Mare' was making her frisky... Though glancing up to the screen and seeing Swan in the actress' place, I couldn't deny certain memories and fresh thoughts bubbled up that made me blush. Her wide grin didn't disguise her self conscious pout though, Swan was... jealous? I gulped again and patted her cheek, biting my lip in thought on how to deal with her while Jade sighed impatiently. Lavishing so much affection on my bride was making Swan feel left out and lonely, not to mention I still had to try explaining marriage to her....

"Swan, you don't have to be big for me to notice you, you know that. I don't want you to feel ignored, this is just a special day for me and Jade. Getting married is for two ponies to say they love each other and will be together forever. It's... wait, your sister in the movie?" I tried to stumble my way through the dangerous minefield before me, suddenly distracted by the thought my brain threw up as an escape once I processed her words.

Swan bobbed her head rapidly and pointed a wing up to the attractive unicorn actress stomping through the prop city, though it was Jade who gave a soft sigh and sat back to answer, still wearing that sleepy, contented look from the steady clicking of rads. "The actress was part of Unity Fast, we share memories of her as a sister changed shortly after the war. I thought the film seemed familiar, though I am not surprised Swan is so enraptured... We shared everything in Unity with the mother, as individuals however, that is no longer the case sister. I apologize for excluding you, but today is for Fast and I alone. As for marriage..."

"Y-Yeah... umm... getting married is only supposed to be two ponies Swan. It's just something I wanted to do with Jade, because I love her so much."

"But... don't you love me too? I don't understand, I wanna do the married thing too! I love you too Fast, I wanna be together forever, like you said!" Swan pouted back, her eyes actually glistening with confused tears making me panic.

Swan never cried, getting through her impenetrable defense to the sweet filly underneath left her vulnerable though. She actually cared and thought about this, was hurt by Jade getting all the attention and clearly anxious about being less than her sister and left out. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, I just wanted to marry Jade... I should have thought more about how doing so would make Swan feel though. This would be easier with Ivy... though Peri might be just as upset in her spacey, unconcerned kind of way now that I thought of it.

"Swan, we will be, I promise. I love you too, just as much as Jade. Love isn't something that's limited, it's not like I'll run out or can only give so much to either of you. Love is infinite and unquantifiable. I love you both, just like I love Ivy and Peri and already love the foals you carry so much it scares me. Jade's my wife now, but you're just as important to me too. If getting married is just saying that in front of everycreature, w-we'll.... we'll figure something out. Ok? You don't need to make yourself bigger if that's what you're worried about, you're both already ginormous in my heart, so how about you close that thing up for now?"

Fumbling my way through that was hard and I was glad for the sweet song of the Ministry Mares helping me spit it out, especially when Jade and Swan both lunged forward, tackling me back to the seat again and each taking a side to kiss and nuzzle together. They both sniffled and laughed together, so apparently I said something right at least... I could do without the rising growl of 'Be Dark...' trying to get a little too excited over the affection though.

Finally pulling away for breath, Jade nuzzled her sister's pink cheek and nudged her back gently, glancing down to Swan's radiation producing locket and then me with a sultry, sleepy lick of her lips. "Y-Yes, I think that is acceptable, we need not try to figure things out at the moment, so long as we know how we all feel for each other. I must insist on keeping Fast to myself on our special day however. Though I do not mind if you leave your necklace open for a bit longer... If there is more danger to come, you make a much finer 50 foot mare than the one on screen sister. As for myself, I do have a busy honeymoon night planned... we shall both need our energy Fast..."

The way she spoke in a husky whisper with pink bands flashing in her eyes sent an electric thrill through me and I nodded eagerly, earning a pounce that made me squeak under what I could swear was slightly heavier weight. Swan waited for us to come up for air again before answering, still with a note of longing, but sounding better after talking. "Okie dokie... so long as I'm important too, I'll share. When you're done with this honeymoon thing though, I want alone time too sister!"

Both of them giggled at the gulping nod I answered them with, pulling at my collar and scratching my extreeeemely itchy mane. Reassured for now, Swan went back to being totally absorbed watching the movie and gave us space, slowly stretching out longer and making the poor Highwaymare groan as she nickered and shimmied happily, cheering the destruction from giant mare on screen at wildly inappropriate times. You generally weren't supposed to root for the monster in monster movies...

We stayed with her until the backseat started feeling cramped for Jade and my pip-buck's rad meter was climbing into the red, then bade the much happier filly goodnight and fluttered off together into the night sky. We did actually manage to take time to enjoy a slow, gliding flight side by side over the sea to catch our breath, before making directly for the tattered and wispy cloud inn and the refurbished honeymoon suite.

My blushing bride giggled so much she dissolved into cute little snorts when I paused at the threshold and surrounded her in my telekinesis. I had to strain and puff, pouring magic into my horn and gritting my teeth, but I managed to lift the lovely alicorn up and over. Though I nearly lost focus seeing her curled up so cutely to fit through the portal, her forelegs held up against her chest, her wings tucked and her rump hovering inches above the cloudy carpet, her billowy tail dragging behind her, all with her fidgeting and laughing with a bright blush.

Jade and I made the time we had together count, burning off the excess energy we'd absorbed until late in the night, then just cuddling together until we fell asleep in each others hooves. Whatever came tomorrow, tonight was all that was important... We'd face the future together, no matter what it threw at us. Lying beside my softly snoring wife in the predawn hours and stroking her tummy, I knew that much.

The next morning was drizzly and gloomy, but waking up beside my new wife made it a beautiful day in my eyes. Of course the numerous ponies packing up to leave as planned didn't see it that way, but it was all sunshine and rainbows to me, my deliriously happy mood undeterred by Val's grumbles over me grinning like an idiot as we watched them head out and prepared to leave ourselves.

The serious task at hoof she reminded me of with a flick to my nose did force me to straighten up and wipe the goofy smile off my muzzle, taking a short breakfast with everyone down on the tarmac under one of the less used hangars. We would eat up in Rocketburg or in one of the Cats' garages, but Swan vividly acting out the Attack of the 50 Foot Mare for Glitter with herself in the starring role kind of made that impractical. She'd stopped short of the titular role at least, but at triple Jade's size, having her stomping around and roaring as she excitedly explained the film for the giggling foal, kiiiiind of freaked out most of the wastelanders and residents busily starting their own day.

Seeing her happy was more important than their opinion though, so I couldn't care less what anypony else thought. I thought she looked gorgeous tromping around gleefully with the tiny filly. My eyes hung on her huge curves with a fang enhanced leer around my mostly forgotten Insta-Oats, earning me a prim boop on the nose from Jade to snap me out of it. Beyond my own lewd and embarrassing thoughts I'd been so easily caught in to everyone's laughter however, I felt better about leaving Glitter with the super alicorn mare.

I still couldn't convince Jade not to come with us to University Point, no matter what I tried she was being particularly stubborn about it, but she agreed our daughter shouldn't join us, despite Glitter's vocal whines to the contrary. Under any other circumstances I'd agree with the filly and be eager to show her something like an Arcane Science Fair many of the departing wastelanders were heading to, but explaining my suspicions about the place to everyone over breakfast, we all agreed to be cautious.

Zed, Swan, Summer and Glitter were to remain behind, only me and reluctantly the adamant Jade, along with our insistent guards Val and Witchy flew on to University Point. If we were walking into some kind of elaborate trap, I wanted our daughter safely away and protected by friends I knew wouldn't let anything happen to her. Not that I didn't appreciate how much more vigilant the Arcano-Cats patrolling the ruins passing below were today, now working together with additional squads of Minutemares Cool Jets had flown back to the Castle to retrieve last night.

The closer we got to the imposing ruin of U.P. however, the more that pit in my stomach chipped away at my good mood. On the surface it looked festive and inviting, tents and booths were arrayed outside the gates to the main U shaped structure and wizard robed guards were making themselves visible to reassure the crowds. As we flew down to pass the gates and I looked up to the dark, repaired windows of the highest floors beneath the bell tower, I felt a shiver down my spine and trotted close to Jade, entering the wide courtyard marketplace now even more crowded with exhibits laid out on salvaged folding tables.

The place had a carnival atmosphere just like the Arcano-Cats races had yesterday, though it was more subdued and orderly. I followed along with Jade trotting regally through the crowd, heading towards the Meadowbrook's Medicines sign hanging above Mrs. Pestle's potion shop. Jade smiled and waved without concern to all the educated ponies making way for the big alicorn, while I viewed anycreature nearby with suspicion rivaling Val and Witchy keeping a wary guard up.

"Here we are. I will go speak with Mrs. Pestle and clear all this up I am sure Fast, we will inquire about the Dragon Molt Castings at any rate. I am sure Witching will be sufficient to protect me from one elderly mare and her apprentice. If you are... f-feeling well, perhaps you would like to look around a moment?" Jade stopped and tilted my frowning face away from scanning the crowd, raising a wing to Cid's cybernetics next door and the two fillies proudly displaying something interesting by the crowd anyway.

I huffed back at her sweet tone, not missing her reticent inquiry about my health. My pouting only tore her attention away from an admittedly fascinating gadget set up on a table outside the potion shop however, not dissuading her at all. It looked like a cross between one of Jamocha Plains' fancy coffee makers and a chemical lab, the tubes and glass fishbowl with a funnel on top containing a gallon of glowing healing potion. Even I had to agree with Jade's fascinated gasp at the brightly glowing purple liquid that chugged out of the dispenser spout sticking out at the bottom. A much brighter and more vibrant super healing potion slowly filling the small crystal container.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me, just... A-Alright... just don't take long Jade. Remember, nopony can be trusted completely, they might be a synth so be careful. I'll just... be right out here..." I muttered back, slowly losing focus when I saw Val go bounding off with a squawk towards a very strange looking Ponitron nearby.

Jade giggled at my curious stare, tutting softly as she pranced off with Witchy right behind her. "Go! Enjoy yourself dear, we cannot allow paranoia to ruin everything. This is something you should be enjoying more than any of us! I wish for you to... to be yourself and do so without reservation. Please..."

I wasn't going to let my guard down, no matter what she said... While I didn't like the careful way she was speaking around our shared fears about my sanity, I did have to admit once she was gone, all this was very, veeeery tempting... There were so many beeps and clicks of a wonderland of arcano-tech right in front of me, sparks of complicated spells shooting off into the air, strange and exotic smells from bubbling potions being demonstrated.... A little looking wouldn't hurt... it was investigating, yeah.... that's the ticket. Not giddily gaping like a colt in a candy store.

Starting out by finding where Val was dancing on her paws, I joined her and cast a curious look over the awkwardly clomping Ponitron hissing and gurgling at the exhibit that captured her attention. It was difficult to identify the thing as a Ponitron actually, except for the round jointed, stubby legs it waddled around on in its roped off pen. It was even slower and clumsier than a normal one, severely off balanced by the rotund barrel of a body festooned with gauges and hissing steam valves that sloshed when it moved. The glass dome of a head had been replaced by what looked like a miniature Sparkle Cola vending machine bolted onto the chest.

"Brewing Buddy?" I stared and read out the crudely painted red words that tried to mimic old world advertising logos on the spray painted yellow body of the thing.

Still trying to figure it out and just starting to place the scent of beer that must be what had her excited, I found myself grabbed and roughly shook in Val's claws, shoved towards the student giving the demonstration. "Oh my gawd! Lookit boss! It brews beer! Like, on demand!"

"That's right folks, the Brewing Buddy is the best buddy you could have! Who wants 200 year old stale ale, when you can have fresh, micro-brewed artisan beer on tap! Brewing Buddy just needs water and ingredients on hoof, then with the push of a button..." The grease stained copper earth pony stallion running the show took Val's gleeful squawking as an intro for his spiel, calling out to the crowd half drawn by the loud griffon and pushing a button on the front of his robot with a flourish.

I flinched back at the result, the robot hissed louder and shook, a rising tea-kettle whistle pinning my ears back as it shuddered and clanked in place, building to a crescendo that ended with a loud 'DING!' and a brown bottle popping out into the waiting slot on its chest.

Val dove in and snatched it up before the student could even wave her forward, popping the top and chugging it on the spot, she gasped and wiped foam from her grinning beak before polishing it all off, shoving it in my muzzle to finish as she cheered. "Good ain't it boss? How come you ain't never tinkered together anything useful like this for me, huh? I want one!"

The student who came up with this entry wasn't just good with robotics, he displayed a salespony's flair with a toss of his red mane and smile to Val and the crowd. "And well you should my good griffon! Everycreature should have a buddy like the Brewing Buddy! He even tells jokes!"

"Two seaponies swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says, "Dam." On cue, the warbling synthetic voice of the robot lit up the panels on the front of its strange, vending machine face, getting a surprised blink out of Val before she cackled laughter.

"That's right, the Brewing Buddy is your drinking pal. Better than a water purifier, beer won't be fouled by bacteria, making him perfect for small wasteland communities. Of course I plan to win the fair with such a marvelous machine, but I've got tuition to pay, so I'm taking orders and blueprints are available on holotape right here for the low price of..." The student presenting his creation continued his pitch, not even getting to the price before Val lunged at him, already digging out her jingling bag containing most of our caps.

"Sold! You should totally win first prize for this pal! I gots ta have one!" Val shook the poor buck's hoof hard enough to jitter him across the ground, shoving him back to his table and the small stack of orange holotapes I saw there.

She was only stopped by a sudden 'Bang!' from the robot, drawing all our attention to the hiss and bubbling noise that followed. My eyes widened as it looked like the Brewing Buddy was foaming at the mouth and gurgling its death throes, sparking and shuddering as more foam spewed out from the seams and its creator rushed over in a panic. "No, no, no! Not the gaskets again! You're killin' me here Buddy!"

"Bzzzzt! I was ban-ban-banned from the skyport last week. Apparently securityyyyyyy doesn't like it when you call shotgun and jump on the ba-back of the pegasus pilot... zzzrtt!" The fizzling robot stuttered and kept spewing like a volcano, getting Val to take a wary step back with me, though not before snatching one of the holotapes while its inventor was distracted.

Raising an eyebrow at her crestfallen but still hopeful look, I slotted the schematics in and looked them over while the student banged and wrenched at the Brewing Buddy frantically, sighing to Val's anxiously her rubbing claws like it was her best friend on the operating table and I was a healer as skilled as Jade. After a minute, I cleared my throat and tapped the poor buck's slumping shoulder as his crowd dispersed, rubbing at my scruffy chin thoughtfully.

"Gaskets huh? It's probably heat from this flash fermentation tank. If you move the heat exchangers down to the bottling assembly, it should fix it and make the bottles ice cold... Er... just a suggestion..."

The copper stallion's head shot up, spinning back to me and blinking at the holotape in my pip-buck with a manic smile nearly matching Val's grin. "Heat exchangers... Hey yeah! Of course! Why didn't I see it before! It'll take a little redesign, new parts.. but if I move the secondary spark junction and.... Thanks a lot pal, you're not the total asshole May says you are Shroud!"

"May? Ah... you're one of the Rust Devils, aren't you?"

Outside of their robot casing armor, it was harder to spot one of the mechanically minded raiders and I felt odd offering my help now, the grease stained and scarred buck returning to his creation cheerily confirming my guess. "Yup, and our leader is severely pissed at you, Shrouded Stallion, but I guess you're ok after all. Besides, I just joined up to work with the robots, I do got other plans once I pay May back for the education here she's springing for."

"Really? May Flowers pays for you to go to school here? And you came up with this all by yourself?"

Flashing a sheepish grin, the buck shrugged with his reply and stood, holding a friendly enough hoof out. "Ehhh... ok, so maybe some prewar pony in a taphouse we salvaged thought it up, I'm the one that kept the other Rust Devils from turning it into scrap and finished it. Got a good deal on a load of parts from those weird soda robots from Sparkle World from a caravan here and hoped I had it licked before the fair. May pays to send us what show potential to school and I got big plans, Buddy's my ticket to paying her off and being a self made buck. Name's Strange Brew, glad to meet ya, even if May wants ya dead! Thanks for the help! Take those blueprints free of charge, just lemme know if you come up with any other improvements!"

Well, that kept Val from trying to buy the display model from the younger stallion anyway, getting her to move on and ruffle my mane proudly, already smacking her beak at all the beer she expected from her personal robot slave in the near future. It also made me feel conflicted about the Rust Devils and wonder how they fit in around here. After seeing their robot races and how they killed ponies for entertainment, I didn't think they were anything but smarter raiders. Seeing one here and remembering the mare Tin Snips who boasted of being a U.P. graduate too, I had to think twice.

Where else would mechanically inclined wastelanders be able to go to learn what were rare and valuable skills if they didn't have many options? May Flowers might just be a raider queen and a bitch, but if she paid to send her more promising minions here, even if the debt kept them tied to her afterwards, she was improving their lives and fostering education like Jade would want, wasn't she?

Of course if University Point wasn't charging so much to teach those skills, ponies like Strange Brew might not have to sign up with groups who could afford to pay like the Rust Devils, the Gunners, or any number of wannabe wasteland despots. A community would have to save up to send one of their own out to learn and hope they'd come back to use their education to help their home, while richer gangs and factions could pay and enforce a kind of indentured servitude, if not outright slavery...

Jade dreamed of her Followers providing this kind of betterment to everycreature for free, while University Point had built an industry out of it that spread far beyond their borders. Given all the tech laying around in the Commonwealth, the things that could be learned here were as much a weapon as any gun.

Looking up in thought as I mulled it over, my eyes were drawn to a flash of green up in the cloudy third floor windows of the school building, just catching a bespectacled face peering down at us disappearing behind the ratty blinds. My slow trot sped up to a gallop toward the nearest doors, forcing Val to speed up behind me with a surprised squawk.

I managed to pause at the doors, turning back to her and darting my eyes at the crowd milling around nearby, waiting for an opportune moment to slip inside impatiently. "Val, go find Jade and tell her I'll be right back, ok? Help keep her safe for me, I'll be fine on my own for a second."

"Hey! Don't like this boss! Where's the fire shorty!" Val screeched after me when I ducked inside, but obediently remained behind with a dissatisfied frown, forcing me to call back to her as I dashed down the halls.

"I think I saw somepony I know...."

Sneaking my way up to the third floor of University Point's main building was surprisingly difficult. Numerous wizard robed guards patrolled the musty hallways and stairwells, casting spells that let them equal my own Eyes Forward Sparkle helping me barely stay out of sight of them.

I had to duck into several classrooms to evade them all, slowly getting a better idea what all the security was about. There were rooms containing crates of gems from Whinny Quarries in the process of being cut and enchanted into talismans, a room full of magical energy weapons being broken down and rebuilt, while another was covered in runes and spell formulae apparently meant for enchantment.

Since I was being sneaky anyway, I didn't feel too bad about playing at being a shadowy little thief while I was at it, scooping up anything interesting on my explorations. I snagged a few weapon mods I could use on Val's magical energy weapon, a couple of spell talismans that were harder to find and might be useful, along with a lot of books lying around that looked old and valuable.

Hayhoof's Intonements and a copy of Applied Gemstones joined an interesting M.A.S. and M.O.I. labeled magazine called The Starswirl Journal of Spell Research, a dry and tightly packed production full of reader submitted research papers and newly Ministry of Arcane Science approved spells.

Part of me enjoyed being rebellious and stealing from the stuffy ponies unaware I was slipping through their security, but loot wasn't what I was after, just a bonus. The real goal was one of the most well guarded rooms, the heavily armed and armored sentinels outside the door forcing me to sneak into a neighboring room and hope for a way to bypass them.

To my surprise, even the nearby room was secured by a terminal lock of high difficulty, requiring several rushed attempts to hack. Apparently what was in here was just as important as the room I wanted, but they figured they fancy lock was as good as living guards. When I finally defeated it and scrambled inside cursing the too loud 'beep!' of confirmation, I swiftly shut the door behind me and then froze, gaping at the odd chamber.

It was somewhat like the enchanting rooms, though even more complex. The windows were boarded up securely, the shutters painted over in swirling loops and runes of incredibly complicated spell formulae. The room practically thrummed with power, the ambient mana in the air focused and following the arching lines of runes, making them barely pulse with light that led towards the center of the chamber in ripples of magical power concentrated on the altar there.

I made sure to take several pictures with my pip-buck for Jade as I cautiously trotted in, approaching the altar and frowning worriedly. She'd know better since I'd never seen one or read much about them, but my remedial magical education let me make a guess at the purpose of a spell array like this... Megaspells... They were researching Megaspells...

Shaking off the shiver that ran down my tail at the thought of fooling around with the magic that ended the world, I spotted another terminal secured door past the blackboard full of sloppy chalk drawn spell matrices and headed for it, glad to find a path to my goal at least.

Once through the steel security door, I pushed it open warily, peeking into the next room and finding who my nose had been confirming I'd find. He was dressed in a school sweater and dress shirt instead of his leather jacket, and his mane had been combed into a severe part instead of the greased back ducktail he'd worn before, but that was him alright...

"Hello Scopes..."

His back was to me, trotting about the room full of power armor parts and exploded diagrams of different models. He flinched at my voice calling out softly, but didn't yell for help or raise a racket otherwise, instead slumping and turning around to face me slowly.

Scopes' eyes were bloodshot behind his thick glasses and his face was a miserable mask when they met mine, his voice a quiet croak in the silence. "Fast... H-Hey..."

Well, he wasn't freaking out or attacking anyway, that was something in his favor. It was enough to beat back the snarl of; 'Betrayer!...Punish!...Let me!' that rose up in my head at least, rubbing between my eyes and approaching the former Arcano-Cat slowly.

"I thought I saw you peeking down at us, it wasn't easy to find you though Scopes. Sooooo.... have anything to say for yourself?"

He must have caught the dangerous purr to my voice at the end there, wincing as I felt my magic lightly tracing Deliverer in my packs. The guards wouldn't hear the silent weapon... I could just '...kill...' him and slip back out... '...Punish...' him for his '...betrayal...'

The tempting thoughts were snuffed out by his sad croak, Scopes hung his head and trotted closer, sniffling as he spoke desperately. "The others... t-the guys.... a-are they ok? I... I think I did something... I heard... Please tell me they're ok Fast, is Roxie... did I..."

No! Shut up dammit! You heard him, it's not his fault! I hissed in pain and clenched my eyes shut in an internal battle for a moment, managing to subdue the sleepy grumble calling for blood and look back to the poor buck. Just his hurt and needy question was enough to know, he was afraid for his friends first, not what I might do to him.

"They're alright Scopes... all of them. Roxie... Roxie was really worried about you, they all were. Can you tell me what happened? I found some things... in your room, in the garage... What do you remember?"

Trying to sound soothing was difficult while fighting with the much less sympathetic voice of 'Be Dark...' in my head, but I must have managed it well enough. Scopes gave a shaky sigh and held his head in his hooves, whimpering a reply. "I don't know! I just... I kept blacking out and... and doing things... But I couldn't say anything! I thought I was going crazy! I... All that happened at the races and I knew... it was all my fault! I wanted to help, but I just... I just ran... back home even! Why!? Why would I come back here!? Help them with... all this..."

I took the welcome invitation of his sweeping hoof to look away from the crying stallion, shuffling uncomfortably at his clear misery and awkwardly coming close enough to raise a wing in a ginger hug as I looked around. It was all power armor related junk up here, explaining why the stuck they experienced mechanic in the guarded room. Some of it was quite interesting actually...

Scopes' lime green T-55 was in a corner against the wall, held up in its yellow workstation and backed by a sandbag barrier with a spray painted target on it. A backstop for bullets that had perforated it in several places, I glanced over to a counter full of guns and rusty green ammo tins full of dimly glowing bullets across the room and tilted my head curiously. Several slow pans of my head back and forth told the story, but I still didn't get it. They shot at the target from there... hit the target behind the power armor... Did they move it out of the way for target practice or something? There was no way to make some of the holes leaking sand to the tiled floor with the bulky suit standing in the way...

"Scopes... This might be hard to accept, but I want you to listen. I think you may be a synth..."

The short, harsh bark of laughter he gave wasn't quite what I expected, his brown eyes grew a little crazed when he mastered it and hissed back furiously. "You think so!? Really!? No shit Sherlock! You think maybe that's why I have to do whatever that old bitch orders me to like a good little colt again!?"

"Old bitch? Look, I'm not trying to make you feel worse or act like you're stupid here Scopes. I've met other synths that didn't know what they were and was just trying to break it to you easy I guess... What I mean is whatever you did... it's not your fault, ok? You didn't have a choice, they made you do it, like a slave... That's probably not very comforting either, but the Arcano-Cats will understand. Jade's with me and I have to get back, but we'll get you out and back to them, explain everything... What can you tell me about what's going on here first though? Why they made you... what University Point is up to. All this..."

Taking off his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes, Scopes pulled himself together and shuddered. "The Princess pussycat? You both need to beat it Fast! U.P. is... I thought they were just stuffy and stuck up, but the things they're doing up here, the Dean... It's dangerous! You have to..."

A noise at the door perked both our ears and interrupted Scopes, drawing our attention to the shadows beneath the heavy door out to the hall moving about. Scopes gave a frantic shove and pushed me down behind the heavily laden countertops and desks full of parts filling the room, cantering away and standing straight for the elderly mare entering the room, rudely swatting at the guards outside.

She was the one from the picture in Scopes' room... His grandmother Grade Point, a member of the Board of Education by her rich maroon robes and the mortar board hat on her grey mane. She wore a pair of cat eye glasses on her muzzle, a teal that complimented the faded grey-green of her coat and trotted in stiffly, stopping at Scopes standing at attention before her with a satisfied smirk.

"Making progress Grandson? This department will become a good deal busier soon with all the acquisitions, so all your wasted time working on these suits will actually prove useful. Aren't you proud to have your head out of the clouds and back to the grindstone? Working for the betterment of your home and the education of the ignorant masses?" The elderly mare stuck her nose up and huffed, idly lifting and setting down power armor components in her teal magic. She raised a thin grey eyebrow at Scopes clamping his lips shut and scowling, continuing in a prim and superior tone. "Well? Would you kindly tell me how happy you are Apt? How much better off you being are home again?"

Scopes grit his teeth and fought, but eventually choked out an answer dripping with venom and hate for every syllable that fell out of his mouth. "Yes... Granny... Point... Very happy..."

Hiding behind a battered counter, I winced at a sharp stab of pain between my eyes, stuffing a hoof in my muzzle to chew on and remain silent as their exchange sunk in. She knew... She knew her grandson was a synth... She had to! That bitch knew and was enjoying it... She was forcing him to do as she wished with a snide smirk,

No, not now! Come on! It's daytime! Go back to sleep! I clenched my eyes and bashed at my head silently, fighting a losing battle with Grade Point trotting about the room and continuing in that haughty tone that was driving a spike right in my skull with every word. "Very good Apt! You'll see, soon you'll forget all about those hooligans and help bring a new dawn to Equestria! You'll take my place on the board someday grandson, be a very important pony, find a proper mare worthy of your standing and make lots of little great grandfoals! Won't that be nice? All this unpleasant rebelliousness will be behind us soon enough thanks to the Dean. You can even go enjoy the Arcane Science Fair if you like, I believe the judging will be starting soon. Would you kindly clean up here, then go enjoy yourself below."

"Greetings Evildoer...."

The Shroud's voice oozed out of my muzzle when she finished her simpering coo to her captive grandson, finally pushing me too far. I could feel myself losing control, but was so angry I just stopped fighting it. She knew... She knew and treated Scopes like a slave, forced him to betray his friends, shoved him into the life she wanted for him and took away his choice in the matter...

The bare bulbs of the gem lights in the ceiling fizzled out one after another, shrouding the room in shadows I felt myself flitting between like a fish leaping from one pool to another. My magic reached out and slid one heavy desk across the floor to smash into the door out before Grade Point could make a dash for it.

"Thou has made a devil's bargain... enslaved thine own flesh and blood... Thou hath invoked Luna's wrath for thine crimes evil shrew, now thou faces punishment from the Shrouded Stallion..."

"W-What!? Who? W-Who's there!? Come out this minute and..." Grade Point nearly ran into the desk that blocked off her escape, turning to press her back against the barrier and shout to the room blindly.

Her panicked yelps alerted the guards who started trying to enter, but more junk flung that way blocked them off and made her scamper away to my satisfaction. Before she recovered from the frantic dodge, I pounced out of the shadows and pinned her, my fangs curled out in a snarl as I held her terrified gaze with my glowing red one and hissed at her.

"Your own grandson... You let them replace your own fucking grandson with a synth, just because you didn't like his choices!? You wanted an obedient freaking robot instead of your own family!? How could you, you evil bitch!?"

"I... I don't know what you're talking about! My neer do well grandson finally came to his senses and returned home, where he has a future! I'll not be insulted by some mutant monster and..." For an old mare, Grade Point bucked and fought pretty hard under me, shouting out to the shudders and slams against the barricaded door.

She silenced when the glimmering star metal blade of Best Served floated up and stroked her cheek however, her faded yellow eyes shrinking to pinpricks as I growled back. "Lies... Those that would wag their tongues with lies deserve not such a tasty morsel... Tell me another and I shall remove it..."

It wasn't me speaking... I wasn't slowly tracing the tip of my knife down her muzzle either, leaving thin trails of blood that made me drool disturbingly. The Shroud was effective at interrogation though... I had to admit that. My voice was rising and falling in that odd cadence again, the dots of Grade Point's eyes behind her glasses glazed over and looked lost, eventually answering in a fearful and quiet whisper.

"The Dean... he said.... said he would be better than before... respectful... obedient... It's still him, just improved... It's better this way... The way life should be..." The truth was as infuriating as her lies, stoking the fire in my head brighter as her dreamy gaze drifted over to Scopes watching in stunned confusion.

No, don't!

I had time for an internal yelp when Best Served suddenly flicked up, the point hovering above the old mare's horn. I idly heard the barricaded door being forced open by determined guards and my ears flicked at the entrance I took opening behind me, but those things only took focus away from my thin hold over the floating weapon, giving 'Be Dark...' all the opportunity it needed.

THUNK!

The star metal blade skewered the old mare's wrinkled face in one fast movement, then came down in a ripping arc towards her chest I was still straddling, forcing me to prance back from my own weapon. I fell back to my haunches in revulsion as the faithful knife split the old bitch right down the middle, spraying me in gore and leaving me sickened when the satisfied nicker in my head backed off again.

No... I didn't want to do that dammit! Why did you...

I felt weak and my head was pounding, even the worried cry of 'Be Unwavering!' and 'Be Strong!' helping me stagger away couldn't help me enough to keep from puking near the spreading puddle of blood. The soothing and positive 'Be Kind...' sang loud and pure, joining the other Ministry Mares in locking the Shroud up again as I panted and recognized the shouts and loud hoofsteps outside.

"Fast... you... y-you killed her..." Scopes' hoarse whisper was hard to make out under all the other noise I had just realized was going on all around us, but it gave me something to focus on.

I weakly stood and faced the synth unicorn, shaking on my hooves and hiding my eyes behind the brim of my hat. "I'm... I'm sorry Scopes... She was a bitch, but I didn't mean to... Fuck... Look, whatever else happens, you have to get out of here. There are ponies that can help synths like you, you don't have to be a slave here, you can escape and be free. Just... Follow the Rainbow Trail... That's all I can tell you, but please... let some good come out of... t-this..."

"Subject 111-3-42, you have committed a crime against a member of the Board of Education. You will come with me..." A hard, emotionless voice cut off any reply the stunned Scopes could have come up with, forcing me to turn to the source behind me wearily.

It was a mustard yellow unicorn stallion, his rusty red and gold mane slicked back. The uniform he wore identified as something other than one of U.P.'s guards however, the black leather trenchcoat and blank sunglasses of a Courser... Surprisingly, he wasn't going for any of the weapons I spotted holstered under his coat or strapped to his flanks, instead just placidly standing at the door to the spell research room it had taken to get here before the guards wailing at the blood they could now see through their widening gap at the door.

"What if I say NO?"

I winced at 'Be Dark...' rising up again at the provocation a Courser offered, struggling to stay in control and not turn this into even more of a fiasco. The Courser's answer was still flat and emotionless, but no less menacing for that. "You will come. The Dean has requested your presence at the Arcane Science Fair, he is awaiting you with the Princess..."

Jade...

'...Princess... Mine...'

"A-Alright... Alright I'm coming, no trouble..."

My head still hurt, but the Shroud stopped fighting for control and decided to behave. The implied threat to my wife enough to get some cooperation anyway. I pawed at the blood coating me with bile rising in my throat, giving a weak nod to the Courser and following its lead back the way it came.

It paused to glare at the guards at the door and speak gruffly. "Situation resolved. Return to your posts. Cleanup will be carried out shortly. Say nothing."

I caught the gulp both heavily armed guards gave, the door creaking shut again without a word. They knew who was in charge around here too... With my head hung and ears drooping as I trudged after the Courser, I turned one last look back to Scopes standing beside his Grandmother's corpse. He had a conflicted expression and looked a little queasy too, but he gave a weak nod when I tipped my hat before disappearing from view.

I hoped he'd find the freedom he had sought with the Arcano-Cats again somehow, that the Railroad could help him... but I had bigger concerns at the moment and did all I could, as disgusting and horrible as it had been.

Now I had to face the mysterious Dean and protect Jade...

Coming back out to the courtyard packed with ponies attending the Arcane Science Fair with a Courser leading the way was surreal, the entire happy gathering taking on a more ominous feeling as the crowd simply parted around us. I caught several wary glances and parents shooing their foals out of the blank faced synth's path, along with a lot of whispers and sad, anxious looks back to me trudging along in the rear. I was still coated in blood, yet not raising a fuss with the presence of my escort answering any questions all the gore would normally bring.

My heart was pounding and seemed to climb up in my throat when I saw Jade up ahead, her cloudy mane and disdainful frown as she spoke head and shoulders above the crowd around her easy to make out. Her uneasy blue eyes widened when she spotted me coming closer, flicking down to my armor and growing concerned as she pushed past the robed and mortar board hat wearing pony she was speaking with, the Dean...

"Fast! A-Are you injured!? What happened!? Valkyrie said you went inside and... and then we were met by our host..." Jade plowed a path through anypony unfortunate enough to still be in her way between us, her pale blue magic swirling around me looking for injuries and not finding any.

The stallion she waved a wing towards behind her was still standing beside Val and Witchy, chatting for a moment with the Courser trotting up and snapping off a salute after a terse report. The synth killer then wandered off, melting into the crowd while its master turned our way.

He was wearing a smarmy smirk under his stupid hat, blowing aside the fancier tassel than others I had seen and giving a bow when I stalked up with Jade still fretting beside me. His rich maroon robes were also more ornate and better tended than other professors and members of the Board of Education that ran University Point, but still just a mended and weathered wasteland disguise.

The sharp blue suit and lab coat collar I spotted under the corroded and bent medallion at his chest made the robes look like rags in comparison, his horn rimmed glasses floating down to be polished on them probably came out dirtier than they started when he placed them back on his pale muzzle opening to speak. "Subject 111-3... Ah, my apologies... You don't like that designation, you told me that. Forgive me, my mind is still a little... foggy here and there. Fast Times, that was it, a pleasure to see you again."

"Klein... I figured it had to be you..."

Jade pranced to stand at my side and stamp her hoof down, sticking her nose up and looming above the rich brown unicorn, backing up my snarl from below. Neither of our reactions seemed to bother him, his smirk only growing wider as Jade huffed at him. "Professor Klein... I wish I could say it is a pleasure as well, but it most assuredly is not."

Underlining Jade's point, Val's 12mm pistol was pressed to the back of Klein's head with a click and menacing drawl from the scowling mercenary. "Fuuuuuck this shit boss. Want me ta ventilate this asshole? It's the one that screwed with ya down in that Gunner Stable, ain't it? Let's waste him an' get the fuck outta dodge."

Witchy's power armor hummed as she took Klein's other side, keeping her silver combat rifle trained on the Courser passively watching some distance away and squeaking in distress. "Y-Your highness, Valkyrie is right, we must get you away from this vile trap immediately!"

Looking between all the guns pointed his way, Klein gave an unconcerned shrug and rolled his eyes to the crowd milling around us, several murmuring quietly at the possibility of impending violence, but nopony raising an alarm. "That would be a mistake, unless you want this body to self destruct in the midst of all these people. There's no trap, no deception, I merely wish to talk. We're all reasonable ponies here, if I wished you harm, I'm sure you understand how easily that could have already happened..."

Jade arched an eyebrow down at the evil bastard, holding a hoof up to Val and Witchy for peace, before hesitantly extending the slender limb out to Klein with a sniff of distaste. "There is no need for violence. You are being rather bold in seeing us like this, so I assume you have something to say Professor."

"Princess Jade... The pleasure will just have to be all mine then. I must say, you are an impressive specimen my dear, just as the reports say, a calm and clear mind I can appreciate. I knew this would go better with your presence your highness. Much more reasonable than your husband, though that's not entirely his fault, is it?"

Jade didn't give away much, but I heard her sharp inhalation at Klein's probing, her worried blue eyes flicking down to me wincing in pain, then growing determined when she wheeled on the curiously observing Klein. "Y-Yes... well, since you brought it up. Whatever you may wish to say is not as important to me as that. As I was saying before he joined us, I wish to know everything the Institute does concerning his condition and any potential treatment. While I am willing to hear you out peacefully and will do... whatever is required for the information... I am uninterested in anything else before that, s-so... so do what you will."

"W-What!? Jade! You can't..."

I yelped in surprise and goggled up to Jade, the furious voice of 'Be Dark...' shorted out as I took in her stubborn huff and worried glance to me. She knew how dangerous Klein was, she'd run into his younger synth self and I'd told her everything about my other interactions with the Director of Advanced Systems and probable leader of the Institute. I suddenly realized she wasn't being naive or stubbornly optimistic coming here against my concerns. She believed me when I told her Klein might be here at the heart of this Institute Director's territory. Jade came here hoping for this outcome... A chance to deal with the head of the snake personally... for me... 'Be Kind...'

Klein immediately reached under his robes in response to her firm but hopeful demand, getting a warning squawk from Val he ignored entirely. It only took him a moment to fish out not a gun, but a clean and new looking orange holotape he hoofed over to Jade with a bow. "Of course. Here you are, I anticipated that request and had everything we retained on Project Knightfall loaded up for you. I will caution it will most likely not be of much use in developing a treatment however. Mobius absconded with most of the data and it was his project, which he was most secretive about in the end... Now I see why however, truly fascinating, you managed something we could not Mr. Times. You tamed the Shroud..."

One eye squinted shut at the stab of pain behind it meeting Klein's clinical and curious look as Jade snatched the holotape away, my voice was a sarcastic and annoyed hiss. "Tamed!?! You think this is TAMED!? I just killed the rotten bitch you replaced a grandson for! I should..."

I whimpered and held my head in my hooves at the straining roar trying to take over again, barely feeling Jade's wing curling around me protectively and her worried nuzzle coming with a gasp at the confession snarling out of my mouth. Klein replying with a chuckle sank in however, his interested voice like a slap to the face. "Do you hear it? Is it whispering to you right now?"

"W-Wha..."

"The Shrouded Stallion of course. All the studies of anypony who fell under the creature's influence agreed on that experience. That it spoke to them, tempted them... Perhaps 'tamed' was a poor choice of words, but it really is quite unprecedented you've not succumbed to the spirit already. I'd be delighted to study the phenomenon and seek an answer with you Princess, but if not take that data with my blessings. If you'd be interested in hearing me out however, let's take in the fair and discuss it amicably." Klein continued in his smarmy tone and waved out to the Arcane Science Fair invitingly, pausing as he trotted closer to light his horn in a spell that instantly wicked away the blood and gore still clinging to my coat.

He took a few more steps before turning back and waiting for us to join him, looking up to Jade biting her lip and shifting on her hooves uncertainly along with me. She gave me a hopeful shrug and warily stroked my back, whispering in my ear anxiously. "Fast... I believe we should hear him out..."

"He's KLEIN! The head of all those crazy assholes! I know he sounds rational now, but you saw that school of his Jade! He's insane! You can't trust anything he says!"

Jade flinched from my shouting tantrum, but her eyes softened at me snorting breath from my nostrils and she gave a determined sigh as she tried to soothe me. "I know Fast. I do not trust him, nor do I like him. He is willing to speak however, not something the Institute has really engaged in before. If... I-If he has answers that can help you, I will do whatever I must to help my husband. Please..."

"But he's...!"

"I assure you, this is a peaceful and fair meeting. We're outside and in public, the open skies above allow you to take your leave whenever you like. My Courser guardian will not try to stop you. I've taken pains to make this as palatable as possible. As a token of good faith, I've even returned what subjects I still retain from Shifts 1 and 2 from your Stable Mr. Times, teleported right back where they belong already." Klein sat on his haunches and held his forelegs up in a gesture of surrender, his magnanimous attitude nearly making me too angry to really process what he said.

"You... Y-You just gave them back? Just like that? Y-Yeah, right... sure you did..."

"Just like that. It's not all 200 of them of course, and those are the only two Shifts I have direct control over, but it's a start. Come now Mr. Times, after so long scraping for answers, do you really not wish to have them hoofed over so easily? Take in the fair with me at the very least, I'm quite proud of it." Klein gave a false smile that made my tail bristle, sounding sane and reasonable, while I looked like a ranting madpony.

"Fine... talk. We'll listen, but that's it asshole."

That stupid, gleaming smile he flashed as he held a gentlecoltly hoof out to Jade to join him just made fighting the desire to shoot the bastard harder. When he actually touched her perfect blue leg and led her along the winding rows of displays and tents, a sharp, jealous pang made me stagger to catch up. I swatted his slimy touch aside with a possessive growl, prowling along between the two of them and grumbling along with Val and Witchy following behind us, into Klein's Arcane Science Fair still busily going on around us.

To my growing frustration, Klein actually wanted to go tour his little attraction, his pompous presence draining whatever enjoyment I might have gotten out of the gadgets, potions and spells on display. Stewing on it as he hummed and poked at an interesting arcano-tech treasure detector made by a scavver attending University Point, I idly listened to the older student nervously explaining his project and tried to hold my temper.

Klein inspected the odd gadget and asked questions I'd normally want to, poking at the bulky box the grizzly looking light grey unicorn wore on his back made of scrapped terminals and a mish mash of parts. A harness held a round metal disc festooned with wires and gems at the end of a boom in front of his chest, clearly showing the metal detector this thing started life as. It really was much better than that however, the student developed a spell matrix with the same kind of divination spells my pip-buck possessed to determine the value of things in my inventory, using it to search the ruins not for metal, which was pretty much everywhere, but things meeting the pip-buck's mysterious definition of 'valuable' in terms of worth in caps instead.

Thinking over what a clever idea it was and tipping my hat in admiration to the student as we moved on behind Klein dismissing him, I was struck with a sudden thought that I blurted out with most of my self control already overtaxed. "This is for ideas, isn't it? You don't have your idea pony anymore, so you do this instead..."

I was satisfied to see Klein misstep and give a distasteful snort, his tone much less pleasant than before. "Mobius... Yes Mr. Times, very astute of you. Even in the past, I admit I relied on his rather manic and flighty imagination to develop practical ideas. This is more than to address that loss of ...inspiration... however. We are able to scout out promising talent to join us, while at the same time encouraging education and innovation in the wasteland, surely something you agree with Princess?"

Jade was forced to agree with his reasonable sounding question hesitantly, though she still sniffed and stuck her nose up in a huff. "I imagine you are already aware how I would answer Professor Klein, most everycreature in the Commonwealth knows how passionate I am about education and betterment of the wasteland, and they are not nearly so well informed about us as you are. Answer my husband... Tell us about Professor Mobius."

Klein's eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly at Grandpa's false name, though he put on his fake smile again and nodded briskly. "Very well, he is a shared enemy I planned on discussing anyway. Mobius was brilliant, eccentric and difficult to manage, but a true genius. He's utterly mad now however, we're still recovering from his betrayal to this day. When I think of decades he wasted... the restoration of Equestria he delayed... the way he imprisoned and tortured us..."

"So, you have been trapped here. I would not normally wish imprisonment on any creature, but I must wonder if yours was well deserved... What do you mean by torture though? Nothing we have gathered on... P-Professor Mobius led us to believe he was... m-malicious" Jade arched an eyebrow at Klein in reply, carefully prancing around the subject of my Grandpa Fin and the question of him being good or evil without knowing if Klein was aware we were related.

"I wanna know that too. What the hell happened? How'd he lock you up behind the barrier? Why haven't you done... much of anything really? For 200 years you've just been keeping to yourselves, but from everything we've found out, that changed when the sun came back. Why? What's it got to do with Mobius?"

"Everything! Everything is Mobius' fault!" Klein surprised me by letting his mask slip, the madness behind peeking out with his crazed shout, before he caught himself and straightened his tasseled hat again, continuing calmly. "Forgive me if I struggle with my own anger where Mobius is concerned, another thing we share Mr. Times. Since I used to be an educator here, perhaps a little history lesson is in order, if you'd indulge me your highness. Has your husband told you about our true forms? I understand he met Dala..."

I had explained everything about my time under Doctor Dala's 'care' in excruciating detail while Jade had been working herself to the bone trying to save me then too, so she nodded and gave a concise and clinical reply. "You use technology similar to that found in Brainbots to preserve your biological brains in a robotic life support system, which is further connected to all your synth creations in a network like that of Unity."

"Yeah, boss said you fuckers are nothin' but brains in jars, how come you didn't show us a nice juicy target like that if'n you wanted ta talk all face ta face like..." Val sneered, getting a tired eye roll from Klein.

"Griffon students... always a hoofull. Putting aside your veiled threat, you get the basic principle. It was an idea put forward by Mobius himself, who developed our main physical bodies. We never would have thought the madpony would use his knowledge to... to hack us... but he went quite insane when he betrayed us." I could somewhat sympathize since I was sure Grandpa had screwed around with my head too, but covering up memories was a lot different than what Klein seemed to be describing in reply.

"H-Hacked!? He hacked your freaking brains!? Like a terminal!?"

Nodding to my flabbergasted yelp, Klein tapped his head with a hoof and elaborated for the confused looking Jade puzzling between us. "Indeed, though an order of magnitude more difficult than some Stable-Tec terminal, thank you very much. We were trapped by our own circular thoughts Princess, reinforced by the unchanging nature of the cloud covered wasteland. We believed the world had ended, that nothing existed outside of our prison, defined by the barrier around the Commonwealth that keeps others out."

"We might have continued that way indefinitely... Never knowing how Equestria suffered beyond our prison. As Mr. Times surmised, it wasn't until a drastic change to the status quo that I was able to break free of his recursive programming. When the sun returned, so too did a small thread of sanity and freedom. An opening I used to escape the barrier through the only method capable of achieving it, a gift from my mentor, the real Chancellor Neighsay whose memory I keep alive here." Klein reached to his robes and the bent medallion draped from a tattered red ribbon at his chest, sparking with orange magic at his touch.

Following the jerk of his muzzle out to the busy courtyard, I saw a gaggle of elderly ponies in matching robes wandering from display to display. At the head of the geriatric herd was an older version of the tall white unicorn I'd met at Klein's weird highschool dollhouse, his slick black mane and goatee were grey here, while his severe posture had slumped with age only slightly. Judging by the way he and the other older ponies behind him stopped and examined each entry to the Arcane Science Fair closely, I was guessing that was University Point's 'Board of Education', the figurehead leaders of this place.

While I was glaring at them and wondering how many were synths and how many were just going along with Klein and the Institute, Jade remained focused solely on the tarnished old medal, giving a soft inhalation full of wonder as her hoof reached out to lightly touch the worn engravings. "The E.E.A. Medallion... I have read of it in Trotter's Tome of Reliquary Fast, it can..."

"Teleport. To any location in Equestria actually, how wonderful to meet a well read mare such as yourself who can recognize it Princess. It's not quite what it once was, but it was enough to break out. Then I saw what had become of the world during my madness because of that lunatic and despaired..." To my surprise, Klein actually sounded... sad? Still fake and smarmy, but his green eyes glazed as he kept speaking and his voice took on a bitter note. "A wasteland... from the Celestial Sea to the Lunar Oceans. The skeleton of Manehatten, the pink hell of Canterlot, Cloudsdale fallen, Fillydelphia a city of slaves, Hoofington a giant crater... Ponyville... I also saw what had risen up in place of the Equestria I knew, Raiders, Despots, Mutant Monsters... the 'Grand Pegasus Enclave'... the Lightbringer, a so called 'New Canterlot Republic' run by griffons! Griffons!!"

"Hey... watch it buddy..." Val clucked at his flabbergasted snort over her race being in charge.

Klein gave a wave of insincere apology to her as he composed himself again. "Oh no offense, your kind does have your uses. I've had long dealings with your ancestors from Stable 75 after all Valkyrie Bloodtail, just as I have with your people Ensign Witching Hour of the E.M.S. Dreadnought. Becoming the leader of the pony nation of Equestria is not one of them however."

Witchy gave an angry squeak at his off-hoofed acknowledgement of her as well, flaring her armored wings with a glare. "T-Thou have thine hooves meddling in my home as well!? Thou art behind the efforts to restore her? The Admiral..."

"Is a useful pawn, though he caused quite the setback in my efforts there and disobeyed my orders in nearly launching Mr. Times to Zebrica and executing you my dear. My apologies, I assure you he will be punished..." Klein turned to the furious thestral with a contrite bow, ignoring her flabbergasted look to return his attention to his story with restrained annoyance over the interruption of our loyal guards, who he obviously viewed as less important. "Back to the point, I only meant that things had changed from what I remembered and I had to explore and acclimate to this new world, another thing we have in common Mr. Times. I've even met your precious Velvet Remedy Princess. She was most helpful actually."

"T-The Pony Who Helps!? She... she helped you!?" Jade gasped, losing her cool a bit at the mention of her heroine, the leader of the Followers of the Apocalypse.

"Who are you, who doesn't know your own history?" Klein chuckled in reply, smiling at Jade's confused stare. "That's what she said to me, though in the guise of a very confused synth still struggling to cope. A very pertinent question that helped me regain what Mobius stripped from me. I'd forgotten myself, the past, everything... Thanks to her, I recovered and returned. Since then, I've been striving to free my colleagues and escape this prison completely, to bring proper civilization and learning back to the wasteland. Just as you yourself wish, which is why we're having this discussion. As I tried to tell your husband before, you should work with us Princess... "

Jade had been leaning in and hanging on Klein's words from the time he showed off his fancy magical artifact, becoming completely hooked when he casually mentioned her heroine, trotting at his heels through the crowd with her ears perked up like an eager student. She actually reared back and whinnied at the bastard's invitation coming at the end though, shaking her head and stammering back. "You want... You want us to work with you? You have done h-horrible things! Why would we ever do..."

"Because, we both want the same things. To right the wasteland and restore Equestria of old. The Institute's offenses can be laid partially at the hooves of Mobius, but I stand by them regardless as for the greater good, the advance of Arcane Science! Together, we can undo the mistakes of the past and bring a new dawn to Equestria. I was an teacher after all, my interest is in making ponies better, just as you preach."

"LIAR! You don't make ponies better! You try to make better ponies!!"

Klein gave a flat look of irritation down to me shoving between him and Jade and absently waved aside my shout. "Semantics... The best way to affect change is from within. Given the drastic reduction in population and the many disparate groups vying for control of the wasteland, the ability to make more ponies and infiltrate them is an invaluable tool. Not only that, were we not so limited in the numbers we can produce, we could make ponies who live the way we were meant to. Ponies who will guide this new society back to its former glory. The synths are a tool I won't hesitate to use to improve the lives of real ponies, would you?"

"You replaced poor Mr. Scopes... Forced him to betray his friends. How is your technological take on slavery being better?" Jade glanced up to the windows of the school building overhead and frowned back, making me cheer her adamant refusal to be swayed.

"He is not even a he. 'He' is a machine, one commissioned at the request of his late Grandmother I might add, who was well pleased with her upstanding and manageable grandson. Before your husband murdered her at any rate. Luckily I can simply replace her as well and nopony need know about that..." Klein huffed back, growing agitated a moment, before sighing and adjusting his glasses with a crafty look to Jade. "What if I were to make copies of your Pony Who Helps?"

"W-What!? Copy the great Velvet Remedy!? Y-You would not! You could not!" Jade yelped and grew flustered at Klein zeroing in on her weak point again, fluttering her wings in agitation and smacking several passing ponies.

Holding his hooves up for calm, Klein still wore that sly smirk and continued smoothly. "A poor example. Let's say I copied her values however... Say I made dozens of synths, programmed with the most advanced medical database available. All of them expert doctors, all of them just as caring as the new bearer of the Element of Kindness, all of them filled with a desire to help just like her... Imagine I did this and let them all wander free to do so. Would that be bad? Would they be slaves if they didn't think they were? Would it be wrong for them to spread healing and kindness throughout Equestria?"

"Er... w-well... I do not... I s-suppose..." Jade floundered for a moment, biting her lip anxiously and turning to me with a helpless look, then shaking her head slowly in resolve. "They would still be slaves. They would be forced to follow the imperatives you programmed them with, g-good as those may be..."

"Ah, but it's not so easy a question now, is it? If I built doctors instead of spies it's more palatable? Teachers? Repair-ponies? Or perhaps heroes like the Lightbringer or your own little knight? Synths who were slaves to their programming, yes, but whose programming directed them to be good, kind, generous, honest ponies full of laughter, magic and love? Incorruptible paragons of our highest virtues?" Klein just kept hammering away at her, making Jade's ears droop and her steely expression waver in indecision.

"That is... v-very tempting... But... but there are synths who are alive, who deserve their freedom, even if it is freedom to do wrong. My mother sought to simply dictate blind obedience as well, for all of her children to follow her thinking, like cogs in the machine of Unity. A Princess does not... does not demand her subjects live as they choose, a Princess asks... serves as an example and hopes others follow it. It does not mean anything if they have no choice." Jade was clearly off balance, but found her way back to her own values and huffed imperiously, making me more sure than ever what a noble heart she truly had.

"It seems the intel gathered was right about this much at least, you truly are a Princess as fine as those in the old world. Another reason Vega was an idiot to disregard you, when he knew we needed a second no less. Which is why I was infuriated at the fool botching his interactions with you and forcing such an unnecessary reset of our relationship." Rather than be discouraged by her firm reply, Klein actually spoke out loud what I had just thought with a laugh that tapered away. "Let us put aside the debate over synth sentience misguided groups like the Railroad are so focused on. For now, the main point remains. I'd prefer working together than at odds. Vega himself is another issue to solve where we may cooperate to some degree, foster trust..."

"Let's be really clear here Klein, you know I'm going to kill Vega, right? That's 'solving' the issue for me. You're saying you're ok with that... really?"

"I understand you hold an understandable grudge against Vega and plan on... visiting him, yes. Vega has.... degraded... over the centuries. My efforts to undo Mobius' mental manipulation have met with limited success so far and his was a rather weak mind to start with. He has overstepped his bounds repeatedly where you are concerned and become less reliable in his role as head of Public Relations, a position that will be very important in the future. After doing some research and observation since you've been active in my territory, I find you and the Princess to be a more than acceptable replacement."

"You would betray your friend as you were betrayed by Mobius? Simply step aside and allow Fast to... Y-You are not engendering much trust with this abhorrent offer of yours Professor..." Jade gasped while I tried to wrap my head around it, as stunned as I was that Klein would just... let us...

"We're hardly friends... Vega was the only one of our number who wasn't even a scientist, merely a useful talent scout and agent. Terminating his employment is rather difficult however, he has... tenure of a sort. Just one of several bits of legacy programming Mobius buried in Institute source code that makes things difficult. As a fellow director of the Institute, I am unable to directly act against him, just as my hooves are tied where Mobius is concerned. Acting in cooperation will allow Mr. Times here to remove both of them as he so desires. In his place, you will be our agents in the world at large as we forge ahead together." Klein shrugged and turned to the next entry as we gaped at him, barely drawing my attention to the fact it was the twin fillies from Cid's Cybernetics.

Screw Loose and Screw Ball, were proudly displaying a cybernetic hindleg that looked like a mostly salvaged Gen 1 synth leg, beaming at me with my mouth hanging open stupidly during their presentation. A slow and confused glance behind them showed their mother Cid watching warily, a flicker of fear in her eyes as she blew a plume of smoke from her cigarette. She knew too... Maybe not specifics, but she knew the 'Dean' of University Point and to be afraid of him, I caught her wince when the son of a bitch actually reached up and patted each of her daughters' bright yellow manes in turn before moving on.

"An yer just gonna let us cap yer buddy Vega, no strings? Hell, before that, yer just gonna let us walk on outta here if'n we want?" Val broke the silence and scowled at the placid Klein, sounding as confused as I was at the whole situation.

"Of course. We have no reason for conflict here, you're no threat to me and I have no reason to stop you, just as you have none to cause trouble here."

"The hell we don't! What's to stop me from blowing your synth brains out and showing everypony here just what you are!? You work with the Gunners! You're... you're building a freaking army down here and you're telling us it's all just sunshine and rainbows! I should go over there and start executing every one of those Board of Education assholes that know you..."

Klein's shrug of a reply came along with Jade laying a soothing wing over my back, surely thinking first about the plasma explosion that would go off if I lost control and did actually shoot the asshole giving a huff of a reply. "The ponies here are not enslaved or here against their will, they are not evil or even complicit for the most part, just good people living good lives. A small test of what I hope to accomplish on a wider scale. We're really not all that different Mr. Times, which is what I hope to get you both to see, we're both merely trying to make this wasteland a better place with the tools at our disposal."

"You may find yourself disappointed if you try to preach the evils of the community that feeds and educates these ponies, keeps fillies like those two safe and civilized. You'd not drag them into conflict unnecessarily, just as I've had no reason to do anything about your nearby settlement, Redheart I believe it's called? We may have been at odds in the past, but a tiny town of Followers, Minutemares and civilians? Why should they suffer?"

"As for the Gunners and other assets I've been cultivating... You yourself have built an army as well, don't tell me you did so merely to be friendly. Violence has its unfortunate place in this world. Even the Brotherhood of Friendship came here in their refurbished Raptor to lay claim to the Commonwealth by force. Either we can defend ourselves and the Equestrian way of life, or we will be overpowered and swallowed up. You've proven yourself adept at manipulating ponies Mr. Times, you recognize the need for things like symbols and hope as well as armies and weapons. You know I speak the truth."

"I know you're a DECEIVER! You can't hurt Mobius or Vega, so you want us to be your little henchponies! You spout all this 'we're actually alike' bullshit and... ok, give back what you stole at least... then run your smarty pants mouth and think we'll just fall for it, after everything we've seen you... or seen what the Institute does anyway... and... and..." My reply devolved into confused shouts and frustrated anger, unable to launch a rebuttal to the mad scientist's cogent points. Wracking my pounding head, I finally thought of something and barked it out with a snarl. "What about the Arcano-Cats!? Huh? You could have killed them! That RadRoc might have killed JADE! All for you to play some stupid game with them, making them look bad for... for whatever insane reason!"

"That was for your benefit." Klein deadpanned back, nearly making me tear my mane out in a tantrum before he contined with a smirk. "And instead you proved just how much better you are at the Public Relations role I'd have you fill in the process. Convincing all those dispirited ponies to stay, for a wedding of all things! You beat Vega at his own game, receiving more favor and good will from that rushed ceremony than he could hope to with his overblown farce in Diamond City. Though that little pageant is well scripted and will be quite the show, I'll give him that. Our coming out party so to speak..."

"O-Our benefit!? How was any of that..." Jade stammered back with her eyes briefly glowing blue in a snit of anger, hushing as Klein held a hoof up and chuckled.

"We didn't kill any of those hooligans, did we? The raider attack was designed to still be easily repelled by standard forces, along with the students here I sent to ensure there were sufficient defenders and healers to deal with the aftermath. The RadRoc creature was a bit of an unknown variable, but suitably impressive and the bait should have kept it focused on the ridiculous head of those children and not you. It was your own insistence to save him that put you in danger, was it not?" Klein scored a hit that made Jade flinch, echoing my own frantic complaints at the time.

"Hooligans... That's what it is, isn't it, Principal Klein...?" I sneered back, calming enough to catch that slight eyelid twitch of his again and exploit it. "Yeah, I know what kind of educator you were asshole. I've seen how serious you took your job at Daybreak High, how you dealt with problem students... That's what it's really about for you, isn't it? The Arcano-Cats are a bunch of punk kids goofing off, that's really why you went after them..."

"They are capricious children wasting the legacy of the old world on silly games and races! Cool kids who think they're too cool for school! Problem students indeed! Yes I taught them a lesson they richly deserved!" Klein shouted back, his mane becoming disheveled as he snorted angrily, a little of his oh so carefully masked insanity coming out again with the right provocation.

"Like the lesson you taught your drug dealing crony before Vega? Rich Chocolate? You weren't crazy because of Mobius... you were crazy well before then. I've seen... so don't bullshit me about what a nice reasonable, sane pony you are Klein..."

Seeming to realize I'd baited him, Klein gave a sour look and smoothed his mane back out, returning to his clipped and stuffy tone. "Ah, so it was you that infiltrated the Daybreak facility... I suspected as much. I was merely taking your preferences into account in keeping the mess to a minimum. Thankfully, you only delayed most of the collateral damage from leaving early. I had to push back the operation, but it should go smoothly enough and without undue loss of life."

"W-What!? What the hell are you talking about you crazy bastard!?"

Klein sighed patiently at my yelling, give a bored wave to the eastern skies. "The power armor resources and airfield are important assets I couldn't leave to a bunch of foolish punks. I wanted to drive away any innocent victims and discourage the defenders, as I said, for your benefit..."

I broke out in a cold sweat looking up to the gloomy skies, picking up the distant pops of gunfire and echoing whines of Vertibucks as I realized what was on the other side of the walls Klein had dismissively indicated. Witchy was flicking her tufted ears and her face went pale as she got an even better idea what was going on out there, squeaking out a frightened whisper. "Glitter..."

"Hmm?" Klein blinked up to her high pitched voice behind Jade, thinking to himself silently before coming up with the data wherever his diseased brain was hiding. "Ah! The filly, of course. Unfortunate you didn't bring her here to see the fair, I was interested to meet her as well, another point I wished to discuss with you later. Vega's been quite fixated on using her to get to you. Oh well, I'm sure it's fine. The Gunners have orders to secure the site with minimal loss of life, so she should remain safe."

The evil, smirking bastard! Klein polished his glasses on his chest like he was discussing the weather, only increasing the straining roar in my head he looked to be observing with interest. He waited until we were here and attacked the Cats! Moved his Gunners in force to take the old Shadowbolts base with my daughter... right there...

I was already flapping up and away before the Shroud's voice howling for blood could delay me, desperate to climb above the walls of University Point looming around us menacingly and at least see where Glitter was, if she was still safe, how bad it was... I was forced to turn back when I saw Jade hadn't joined me yet though, finding her prancing in place, apparently torn. As much as I could see the fear in her face for our daughter matching my own barely retrained panic, she hovered above Klein and stammered at him in agitation.

"You said this would be a p-peaceful meeting! You delayed us here with all your false promises of help for my Fast and cooperation, yet were planning an attack the whole time! Y-You will not succeed! We will stop your attack and... and never..."

"You're free to try my dear, I never lied to you. I'm afraid I have to insist on taking the base, but I have no interest in the residents squatting there, nor your daughter. I've tried to make it as palatable a transition for you as possible and do hope you'll consider my offer. Once Vega is gone I look forward to you two taking his place, your teleporter project will allow us to meet at the Think Tank and discuss the future then. Consider its successful completion a final test. Do take care in the meantime... the Gunners are efficient and professional, but do passionately want to kill you all." Klein actually fucking waved us off cheerily, watching us fly away with a satisified smile I reeeeeeally wanted to shoot off his stupid face.

Instead I joined Jade in soaring away from Klein's little kingdom leaving twin, blue and black contrails behind us, even Val and Witchy had to struggle to keep up with the two of us flying for our daughter. We had to get to her, keep her safe along with our friends in Rocketburg with her, foil Klein's insane plans and the Gunners carrying them out somehow.

Then we'd come back and kill him...

The closer we got to Rocketburg, the more the steady beat of fear started drowning out even the Shroud's anger pulsing in my temples. This wasn't just a recon squad or two as Val had labeled the other attacks on the Arcano-Cats... this was a full on army that came calling...

Green armored Gunners were swarming in from the ruins to the south, hordes of pony troops with griffons filling the sky above them. The crumbling and half sunken roads this close to shore were lined with a dozen or more trundling tanks making their way through the muck.

Squads of nothing but gleaming, Institute built power armor suits were ahead of them, taking the ruins closest to the airfield, providing landing areas for the buzzing Vertibucks and tortoise-like sky tanks, along with armored sky buses of some kind that dumped loads of reinforcements nearby. Even the rocky shore at the end of the runways was under assault by the Gunners, disembarking rusty scows of amphibious landing craft I had a good idea started life aboard Dreadnot.

The pinned down forms of the Arcano-Cats, Minutemares and Rockeburg guards were holding them as well as they could, falling back to the garages, Red Rocket offices and the ramps of Rockeburg itself. Small pockets of defenders galloped to and from the outer hangars and ruined buildings with boxes of ammo or wounded dragged away, setting up to force the Gunners to fight for every inch in a slog of building to building battles. A bright purple bubble crackling near the center of the area gave them an unassailable defense at least, filling me with momentary relief to find Swan so easily.

The rest Val summed up pretty well, giving an out of breath whisper and checking over her weapons grimly. "Fuck me... That Institute egghead wasn't kidding, was he boss? I er... I dunno if we're savin' the day this time buddy..."

Jade called out shrilly, her powerful wings speeding her up as her face paled visibly. "We must try Valkyrie! Those people need our help and are our allies! There must be something we can..."

"Ain't sayin' we cain't try Blue, I'm sayin' we're fucked. It'd take every Minutemare you got in the Castle ta try takin' on this shitshow, and even then it's a toss up. I'm all fer tryin' and takin' out some of those fuckers just for the hell of it, but not goin' down fightin' a battle we can't win." Val's voice was hard and tight when she cut her off, pulling ahead of Jade and I in slow sweeps, already trying to protect us.

Witchy followed the merc's lead, her thestral power armor humming as the flight systems helped push her ahead and she called back over her shoulder worriedly. "Valkyrie is right your highness... This is too much for us to stand against. We may need to evacuate the civilians and retreat..."

Nnngh... Come on, not now... Glitter, remember Glitter dammit! She needs me, us... alright! Behave and help me, help her! You care about her too, I know you do! I'll let you off your leash a little, but for Glitter, understand? For my daughter! Not for you to have fun being a psychopath! GLITTER!

"Fast....? A-Are you alright? You are muttering to yourself...." Jade's anxious voice somehow sounded even more worried, her big blue eyes looking over to me fearfully as I rubbed between my eyes.

Shaking off the private, schizophrenic conversation she'd caught me at, I gave an unconvincing whinny as black lightning started flickering around me, trying to keep the growl out of my voice. "F-Fine! I'm fine Jade, let's just get to Glitter before they close in any more and..."

My unconvincing answer was cut short by the rapid chatter of gunfire and whines of bullets suddenly filling the air around us, several hammering my magical armor in a string of impacts that stitched down my side when I lurched with my wind knocked out. The last three found my exposed hindlegs, two meaty thumps in my flank that hurt like hell and sent me careening off course and another that made them pale with blinding agony and a sickening crunch of bone lower down the leg.

Taking a woozy look down and barely hearing Jade's scream through the cotton in my ears, I saw the injured limb flopping loosely in the slipstream as I lost altitude. Beyond that disgusting sight, a pair of Gunner griffons were screeching up from the ruins, spreading their automatic weapons fire around to the others pausing to turn back for me and backed up by ground bound ponies firing from the broken walls and windows of the ruins below. The mercenaries already closed the net around Rocketburg and these assholes were on guard for anypony trying to come in to assist the besieged community.

My mind retreated from the pain out of instinct, that and the bullets sparking off Jade's bright blue shield overhead all the opening the Shroud needed to grab the wheel. My wings snapped out straight and caught the wind again, tweaking to turn my fall into a dive right at the first violet coated griffon growing overconfident and moving in for the kill. The professional merc recognized the change in my movement, but was dedicated and still cocky at his aerial superiority, opening up with the light machinegun in his orange claws.

The agile barrel roll and twists I made in the air surprised me and him both, dodging through the hail of gunfire and drawing Best Served from my packs. The knife? Really!? I know you're not great with them, but how about the damn guns! I struggled to regain control and was gruffly shoved aside in my own head, given a distracted hiss of '...Let me...' as all the communication the Shroud was willing to give in the moment.

I squinted against the wind rushing up along with the surprised griffon trying to track the corkscrew dive I found myself in, clinging to the shout of 'Be Awesome!' to keep the G forces at bay. Even I barely noticed that my knife had been left behind, floating through the air above as I rocketed past the dodging Gunner. His sharp eyes and aim followed a second behind, never seeing the spinning starmetal blade streaking down after me until it slashed his wing off in a spray of blood and feathers.

Leveling back off, the concusion of a bright explosion nearby signaled the other griffon getting several of Val's grenade machinegun rounds to the face, taking away the other aerial target. I had to struggle against the temptation to follow the first splatting to the asphalt below and go after the ponies still taking pot shots from the ruins.

Val grabbed me by my scruff and I was forcibly hauled back up to Jade, glad she kept a tight grip as she sped up and shook me gruffly. "Knock it off crazy! Let Blue take a look at that shit 'fore you go runnin' off! Ain't like there's a shortage of fuckers what need killin'!"

That very valid point and Jade's fretting over my wounded leg kept the furious whisper of the Shroud in check, she tried hurriedly healing in midair, staunching the blood dribbling down my leg. More attacks as we got closer forced us to speed up and evade too much for her to do much more than that however, every high speed bank and turn grinding the broken bone at least helped me stay in control, focusing on Glitter and not passing out, in that order.

Once we passed over the cordon the Gunners had around the airfield the attacks slackened, the defenders covering us streaking in to the battle, letting us arrow straight for Swan's huge dome of a violet shield surrounding the hangar all the wounded still sheltered in. I was slower to pull out of the rapid descent, ending up slamming into Swan's shield spread eagle and sliding down it slowly, woozily peering in at her big blue-violet eyes blinking in surprise and lighting up.

The pale face peeking out from the pink collars of her giant sailor shirt filled me with relief, her voice rising in an anxious squeal as Swan opened a gap in her shield and I fell through. "DADDY!!"

Swan caught me in her hooves as Jade and the others flew in behind me, hugging me to her chest with Glitter tightly. "Fast! Sister! You're back, finally! I've been guarding niece Glitter nice and safe, see? And all your little hurt ponies too sister. Now we can go smash these annoying Gunners though! Let's go right now and...oh... in just a minute is fine too..."

I was proud Swan had foregone her own destructive impulses to keep Glitter in the safest spot I could imagine, I hugged and nuzzled the little filly sinking into the most invulnerable floof of fur in Equestria. Looking up in gratitude and more than a little surprise at her warm voice actually willing to keep waiting another second, her soft smile at the two of us cuddled against her huge breast strengthened the song of the Ministry Mares to a high, sweet chime between my ears that steadied my wavering control of the darker note with them.

Swan cared more about us than about smashing... A mare who had once kept herself isolated and cared only about violence with a zeal that nearly matched 'Be Dark...' itself. She loved us... just as I loved her and the squirming filly sandwiched between us. I could feel it radiating off the big blushing mare and felt ashamed still thinking she wouldn't understand things like the wedding last night. Swan understood her own heart...

"Thank you for keeping them all safe sister, you are a wonderful guardian and we are lucky to have you. E-Especially since it seems we will desperately need your talents... P-Please release Fast so I may treat him and be patient a moment longer while we get caught up and may plan with the others." Jade hovered in front of her sister's beaming face with a teary sniffle, floating Glitter and I away when Swan gasped on spotting my broken leg.

Lowered gingerly to the concrete, Jade's horn glowed brightly as her healing magic focused on mending the crippled limb. Swan flopped to her belly and rested her chin on the ground to watch closely, while I held Glitter and took in all the activity on the ground behind Swan's shield. Arcano-Cats, Minutemares and Rocketburg guards were galloping around in a rush, I noticed one suit of highly customized and distinctive power armor after another flying or leaping down from the landing pad to Burny's office above too. He was pulling out all the stops and allowing his museum pieces to be used, showing how desperate things were. The rushing defenders were moving with purpose, shouting updates on the movements of the Gunner army closing in to the old buck at the center of the chaos trotting our way.

Burny Jets was wearing his old power armor too, the first time I'd seen the polished cherry red and chrome suit of rocket shaped fins and deadly curves in action. He was an experienced leader, juggling a dozen different reports and remaining an unwavering rock for the frantic ponies around him to take heart in, but I saw the worry lining his wrinkled face as he fell in with Val leading him our way with Summer and Zeke fluttering behind him.

There was some relief in his tired blue eyes when they found us, but he obviously knew how bad things were. "Welcome to the party folks! Hope you had fun at the fair, cause this is a right shitshow here..."

"Burny... How bad is it? Is anypony hurt? What can we do?"

I had to struggle against Jade's grip to stand up, nudging Glitter to prance over to her mother and limping up to meet him. I was jittering with nervous energy, impatient to go and do something, anything... One pony charging an army wouldn't do much good without any kind of plan though. I was again relieved to have an elder with more experience to lean on in the form of the old red stallion and listened attentively, feeling the same kind of trust in him as I did my dad when things were tough and he was there to rely on.

"Imagine you got a good look comin' in. Ain't seen military precision and plannin' like this since back in the Enclave. A few sneaky griffon bastards with stealth-bucks took out half the base defenses still working after those raiders came through with explosives. No! Get those ground ta air rounds out to the eastern batteries dammit! 'Fore those Vertibucks come back fer another pass!" Burny replied in a gruff and clipped voice, pausing to shout at a pair of leather jacket wearing Arcano-Cats hauling a cart full of tarnished missiles before continuing with a tired groan. "Sons of bitches must'a been gearin' up for this for awhile, figurin' out where to hit with all that scoutin' of theirs."

Zeke's ears drooped at his words, shuffling in the plain and patched together suit of dark Shadowbolt armor he wore. "All those times they came and we felt like hot shit pushin' em back again, they was just playin us... I know we screwed the pooch Gramps, I'm sorry I..."

"None of that Junior, pony up and let's show em who they're messin' with. We got friends on our side, this ain't nothin' the famous Shrouded Stallion can't handle, dig?" Burny tilted Zeke's chin up and gave a supportive hoof to his grandson's shoulder, turning to us with a forced grin.

"I... Burny I don't know... I appreciate the vote of confidence, but this is..."

Trotting closer as I quavered an unsure reply, Burny curled an armored wing over my back and led me a few steps away in a whispered aside. "I know... Part of bein' leader of the flock Fast, don't let your herd see you sweat, no matter how bad it is..." He tipped me a wink and for a moment I saw how tired and scared he really was, then the mask was back in place, clapping his hooves and pointing to Summer with a confident smirk. "Nonsense! Your little Minutemare here has a plan ta take it to those Gunner assholes, right cutie?"

Summer had been chatting rapidly with Jade and Glitter, giving a squeak at Burny calling her and nodding nervously in reply. "R-Right! Umm... the guns at the Castle Fast, we're in range here, we can use the Red Rocket office's radio for their couriers and call in mortar fire! The only thing is, we'd need to give them a target... Mr. Jets had something we can use, but... it's dangerous..."

"Oh yeah, cause we're super safe as it is shorty! C'mon! Make with the ass-kickin cannons already, been dyin ta see them things fire!" Val squawked and clenched her claws under Summer's muzzle, jerking her head up at a large explosion blowing one of the furthest hangars down the secondary runway to pieces before shaking the small yellow pegasus. "Like now would be great!"

Burny kept her from rattling Summer's poor head off her shoulders, looking around the ponies charging around us until spotting who he wanted, a younger cream pegasus mare wearing a Red Rocket postal cap and bag that zipped his way on hearing his shout. "Posy Express! Over here! You find 'em!?"

She was younger than me and though she was surely a better flier, she obviously hadn't been exposed to combat like this before, adrenaline sending her zooming our way and nearly crashing into the old buck at his call, spilling her large postal bag as she staggered to a halt and sending a couple dozen round metal cans rolling at our hooves. I picked one up curiously as Burny caught her and righted her hat on disheveled green and rose mane, reading the faded lettering of 'M18 SMOKE - RED' and looking over the clip and ring at the top making them look like odd grenades.

"Y-Yes Grampy! I grabbed all I could find, they already put them away after the air show yesterday, s-so it took a minute, a-are we gonna be ok..." The filly rambled and tried to gather the spilled cylinders in a rush, stopped by Burny giving a reassuring chuckle.

"We'll be fine sweetheart, now you go on back to the office and keep your head down, help your aunt Twinny and the others there." Burny sent her on her way with a swat to the flank, never letting his confident smile waver. Looking that way as she zipped off, he winced seeing his daughter Twin Jets herself charging over, continuing in a rush as the middle aged earth pony was delayed by her anxious niece reporting to her. "Damn... Here she comes. Anyway, smoke grenades! Use em to do the red smoke trails in the stunt shows! Ought'a be a nice big target, just a matter of puttin' em where they need to hit and gettin' gone again!"

Val was already stuffing some of the prewar canisters in her packs, turning one over in her claws with a thoughtful smirk. "These'll do it alright boss... It's the gettin' em there that's the problem though, ain't got no 25mm or 40mm rounds old guy?"

Burny shook his head and frowned, grabbing several in his wings and carefully clipping them to an odd harness on his left flank. "Nope, not exactly common ordinance... Got a grenadier battlesaddle though, I might be old, but if I can't out fly a bunch of snot-nosed griffons and drop these right in their lines, I may as well hang it up entirely."

"Gramps, no. You ain't doin' this, dig? I'm the big daddy nowadays and the fastest, even without Christine. I said I'll handle it." Zeke stamped a hoof and started trying to gather the smoke grenades away from his Grandfather, apparently taking up an argument we had interrupted since he was wearing a similar battlesaddle.

"If it's a question of speed, I think I can match either of you. Er... on the ground anyway, I can run and... Ow!" I tried to volunteer and defuse the fight, instead stumbling and wincing when I put weight on my hooves flickering with lightning.

"You may not! Even if I had time to properly treat that break, it needs time to heal Fast! You will not find zipping along using your lightning magic an available course of action, so do not even think it!" Jade pranced over and dragged me back, refocusing her pale magic on my hindleg with an agitated huff.

Burny smirked at me being pinned by Jade's heavy hoof on my tail, disregarding me from his plans entirely. "An' you ain't near up to snuff in the air Junior Speedster, so listen to your new wife and leave this to the experts. An' since I'm the most expert round here, I'm goin'..."

"I'm goin' daddy-o!"

"Get bent Junior, I am!"

"No, I am old timer!"

"I am!"

The two proud pegasi started squabbling over who was going, so involved in their back and forth they completely missed Twin Jets finally galloping up behind them, smacking their heads together with a snort. "Would you two idiots stop seeing who can be stupider! Dad, we need to get out of here! The civilians, wounded, foals! Not to mention our business! No stupid stunt you bucks call bravery is going to stop those Gunners from taking this place, I'm surprised they haven't already!"

"I ain't rolling over for a bunch of raiders playin' army Twinny! This has been my home for sixty years, it's your home, your filly's! You were both born here! No way I'm tuckin' tail and leaving it to them!" Burny puffed up his chest and flared his feathers in reply to his exasperated daughter.

That was a real stallion... the eager snarl of 'Be Dark...' resonated in sympathy as I looked to the elderly buck's masculine example. If it were my home and my family, if the Gunners were storming Sanctuary and threatening to blow up my old house with Glitter and Jade there... Nothing would stop me from doing the same, defending them no matter the cost. I saw the sense in what Twin Jets had to say, but firmly agreed with Burny. Some things were worth fighting for, we weren't beaten yet, we could try at least...

"Mr. Jets... Burny... While I am sure my husband agrees with you and even I am willing to defend your home, it is the ponies living here that make it one. It is merely a place, full of things that can be replaced. Lives cannot. Please... W-We were led to believe the Gunners will allow evacuation, while I do not particularly trust the source of that information, we must consider it as an option... Please?" Jade's sweet and regal voice speaking above my head made me flinch, still reading my thoughts as well as her green sister Ivy. She turned a pleading look down to Burny and stretched a wing out to his armored shoulder hitching with his puffs of breath.

Rather than be soothed, Burny shouted and reared up to stomp and snort like a young buck, making Jade cringe and draw her wing back sharply to hide behind, smacking me with a facefull of feathers."NO! I scraped and fought and bled for this patch of dirt Princess! Made a home of my own after those assholes exiled me! Your ma is buried right down there Twinny! Along with more old friends than I care ta count! If you're just a big fake and a coward, move that big rump outta the way Princess! This is our HOME! I won't..."

"HEY! Do not yell at her! I like you Mr. Jets and we're here to help, but don't ever insult my wife..."

Much as I may agree with him, I found my fangs lengthening and my wings flaring, snorting and shoving my way up to glare eye to eye at the old stallion with both our chests puffed up in an instinctual battle for dominance. I didn't like the hurt frown his insults brought to Jade's face and was surprised to find myself growling at the kindly buck I had grown to really like. I was so involved with our circling standoff, I barely noticed Jade give a huff and flutter away, flying up to the upper floors of the Red Rocket HQ.

A high pitched squeak cut us off before we came to blows thankfully. Witchy strode forward to defend her Princess when she retreated from the old buck's fury. "Grampy Jets... Please. The Princess and Aunt Twin are right. This place has been more a home to me in a few days than Dreadnot was for years, you've made me feel like it is as your god-filly. My parents and the Princess were married here. You showed me my mother's grave in the same lot as thine wife and friends yourself, s-so I understand... They wouldn't want any of us to join them early though."

"I vote we kill all those nasty Gunners and their stupid tin cans. I've been good and not smashed anything waiting for you and sister." Swan's rumbling voice overrode Burny's fading pants as Witchy pulled him away, squirming her muzzle closer to nudge my wing impatiently. Then she paused and scratched her long mane spilling around my hooves in thought. "But... I don't want niece Glitter here either... Hrmm... guarding my pond and sisters was easier, it's harder when there's important little ponies that might get hurt..."

With the little filly hugging her cheek gratefully, Swan suddenly looked doubtful of her normal answer for everything that annoyed her. Having her giant gaze so close made it impossible to miss the way it flicked between Glitter and I, then back to her belly with a look of dawning comprehension. It seemed to really sink in she had her own important and vulnerable little pony with her now and I could hear her gulp.

Zed's deep and breathless voice broke the uncomfortable silence, drawing everyone's eye as he came galloping through with the power armored Moose and several wounded Arcano-Cats and Minutemares dragged on a sledge between them. "Whatever you decide, do it quickly... The Gunners have paused their advance, but no thanks to our efforts. They seem to have taken the positions they want."

I had to hover up to get a good look where his bloodied hoof pointed, following the flow of retreating defenders back to the ruins to the south. The Gunner tanks were arrayed in a line facing us, several driven right through the broken brick walls of ruined buildings to point the intimidating barrels of their cannons our way. They were each parked so their vulnerable undersides were covered by the piles of rubble they parked on, lending them elevation to arc their shots without exposing their only real 'weakness', if you could call the thinner but still effective armor there that.

I flinched when the largest tank at the center of the line raised the barrel of its huge cannon and fired with a deafening roar even this far off, a high, arcing shot that whistled through the air as all eyes followed it. It hit the brightly lit red rocket shaped sign above the main garages with a huge fireball of high explosive, the whole towering construct flickering dark and giving a pained groan of twisted metal as it crashed to the ground.

It was meant to be symbolic and was effective, demonstrating what kind of firing solution they had at the same time. Everycreature followed the icon of Burny's Red Rocket Couriers crumbling, turning back at the amplified squawk of static from across the nopony's land of the airfields.

"That was a warning turkeys! This base is Gunners territory now, run on back to the sky and hide for another 200 years! You've got five minutes..."

I noticed Val's scowl at the voice, her beak turned down in a grimace as she muttered in a low voice. "Fuckin' Lucius... They brought out their number two boss, we made the big time... That fucker's high up on my list... I say we stick around long enough to kill the bastard at least."

One of the ones who had hurt her... I winced at the dull ache between my eyes watching her tail lashing angrily and sharing her fury. I wanted the same thing... but neither of us could afford to be reckless and lose control. The thought of how hurt she ended up going after Gunter in Talon's Dept. Store tempered the burning hate I felt for anyone who would hurt my best friend. We had to stay calm... Please... just work with me here...

Looking from her to my family and friends staring at me, I realized they were waiting on me to make a choice... Just as the Cats and others here looked to Burny and he'd tried to advise me, I was leader of this herd... Summer and Cool hovering nearby reminded me how large it was as General of the Minutemares too. They all trusted me... when I couldn't trust myself.

A crackling hum filled the air, drawing every uncertain eye up to Jade gliding down from Burny's office landing pad up on the fourth floor. She hadn't run away, not that I thought she would for a second, but I was surprised to see she had voluntarily found her despised A-01 power armor and put it on again. The sight of her drifting down with the diamond talismans sparking with her blue magic in a fan around her was as good a symbol as the destroyed rocket sign, something unique and beautiful in all this ugliness that matched her regal voice ringing out.

"I am not a coward... I am a member of the Arcano-Cats in good standing, am I not? An attack against one is an attack against all? I will not run from conflict, but I will not allow the innocent to suffer by being in the middle needlessly. I was given to understand your noble gang of knights in shining power armor wished to protect ponies Mr. Jets. There are ponies that need protecting..." Jade landed between Burny and I and stuck her nose up, huffing patiently as the old buck grumbled and slumped with Witchy staring at him hopefully.

Look up to her cloudy mane flowing from the chrome crown of a helmet she wore, my eyes fixed on the glimmer of gold at the base of her horn just visible within her pale blue locks. That was my Princess, my wife, my better half... That warm thought made 'Be Kind...' swell to a sweet note that fought against 'Be Dark...', letting me think somewhat constructively for a moment, my gaze shifting from her to the floating cloud town of Rocketburg behind her.

My better half... Jade and I were together in everything, two sides of the same whole, complimenting each other and there to lean on. It wasn't my way or hers, it was ours...

"Both!" I yelped and smacked a hoof to my forehead to quiet the roar of rejection up there, quickly shaking it off and speaking rapidly. "Jade's right, we can't let our own stubborn pride get in the way of keeping innocent ponies safe Burny. That doesn't mean the Gunners and the Institute get to have their way without a fight though. We're getting everypony and as much as we can take out of here, they're not taking your town, we're taking it with us."

All of them followed my gesture up, blinking between the floating islands and the guide wires tethering them to the ground and each other. No one looked entirely happy, but Jade nodded with a weak smile full of trust I saw reflected on all their faces to some degree.

The practical business mare Twin Jets spoke up in an unsure voice tinged with hope first, looking between the town and me uncertainly. "I'm all for getting the hell out of here with as much as we can, but it took teams of pegasi months to guide each of those islands here Fast, how can we..."

"Swan? You think a big, strong mare like you can do it?"

Playing to Swan's pride got a wide grin from the huge filly, she nodded and stood looming over us, stamping a hoof down that cracked the concrete and shook us all on our hooves as she burbled. "Ya huh! I never tried picking up a whole town before! It'd be easier if I can haz another tasty glowy apple though..."

Jade didn't even argue with her giddy sister, rummaging in the shifting plates allowing access to her packs and tossing a broken shard of balefire apple up to Swan's waiting maw snapping it up, reluctantly holding on to a tiny sliver she delicately licked up and rolled around in her muzzle like rock candy too. Swan gave a little shimmy down to her tail and low moan once it hit her stomach, her eager blue-violet eyes glowing as she spread her wings in readiness.

Gulping up to the giant mare, Twin nodded and started shouting orders to passing ponies. "Alright! We're evacuating people! Everypony get up to Rocketburg, Couriers, start grabbing everything from HQ and take it up there! Cut the ground lines and lasso the islands together tight! This is definitely better than sending a mob fleeing out to the ruins Fast, but it's gonna take more than five minutes."

"Which means we have to buy as much time as we can. Summer, get on the radio to the Castle and get those guns firing. Jade, Witchy, Glitter, you guys start moving the wounded and stay here, stay safe... Val, Zed and Cool, you guys cover us and hold the lines with the Cats and Minutemares. Burny, Zeke and I will go take it to them out there. It'll take time before they're ready for you to pull Rocketburg away, so... Swan, smash..."

I had to hold onto my hat when Swan gave a happy whoop and rocketed up, blowing all our manes back at the wall of wind her wings kicked up. Jade and Glitter paused to give an anxious hug before joining everyone galloping off with purpose.

Jade nuzzled my mane and gave a shaky whisper in my ear as we held each other tight,. "Come back to us safe... This is not how I wished to spend our first day as mare and colt, but I demand we finish it together."

"Be super careful daddy! I know you'll beat those mean Gunners, b-but there's a lot of them... I-I'm not scared though!" Glitter looked up from squeezing my ribs hard enough to feel them creak with her worried pink eyes holding mine.

The chaos around us faded away for those few precious seconds, the impatient mutter of 'Be Dark...' fading in the warm glow of love with my wife and daughter. The armor I was glad Jade was wearing to protect her also unfortunately got in the way of the feel of her in my hooves, but at least her soft lips were free to give a parting kiss before they ran off. They were as far from danger as I could get them and together, no matter what it took, I wouldn't let the Gunners reach them...

Twin Jets galloped her way to the Red Rocket HQ building with Summer zipping ahead of her, while her daughter Cool lingered and snapped off a confident Minutemare salute. "Yes sir General! Don't worry, I'll see if I can get those civies to help lend a little wingpower sir."

I opened my mouth to ask about that, but she zipped off with a determined whinny before I could. I hoped she wouldn't do anything to put the civilian ponies of Rocketburg in danger, but she grew up here and knew them. I trusted the Minutemare filly as a smart and competent soldier who cared about them personally.

Val punched my shoulder as she checked her weapons in anticpation, narrowing her violet eyes and leaning down to grumble at me. "Still don't like you runnin' ahead without me shorty... I know what yer doin', tryin' ta keep me away. I ain't losin' my shit over that prick Lucius being out there boss, so you better keep it together or I'm kickin' yer ass... I'll be right behind ya."

I gave the scowling griffon a firm hug, wincing at her figuring me out. With how much the Gunners wanted to kill her as the infamous traitor in particular, I'd prefer keeping her back with Jade and Glitter, but knew she'd never go for it. "Right Val, you watch my back and I'll watch yours. Partner..."

Zeke resumed fighting with his grandfather over the remaining smoke grenades as he yelled to the nearby Arcano-Cats with his old bravado. "You heard him Cats! Let's rumble!"

Burny still didn't look satisfied, but rolled his eyes at the earth pony Arcano-Cat Rowdy crushing his grandson in a power armor assisted parting hug, giving me a nod of respect and muttering in a low voice. "Not bad Junior Speedster Fast... Make a leader of the flock outta you yet. Don't think you're keepin' up with me and Junior though, you got a long way to go there."

"I have no illusions there Burny, I'm just there to cover you two. We're not doing the best job as new allies I guess, but I really think this is the best we can manage right now. We will come back though, I promise. I'm... I'm sorry we can't do better, your home..."

The old buck sighed and turned a faded blue eye to a small lot cleared of ruins except for a forest of scrap made grave markers nearby, his eyes misting a moment before he shook it off and wrapped a foreleg around my neck in a grandfatherly hug. "Maybe the Princess and little Witch have a point and I'm just a stubborn old goat. But I'm too old to change now, this is a place with a lot of memories... I guess I still got time to make new ones though. So long as one of 'em is makin' these bastards pay a high price for takin' this place, right?"

"R-Right, they will sir..."

Flying right at the line of ground and sky tanks ahead of us, I was forced to put aside my fears and give the Shroud's spirit room to spread its wings just to keep up with Burny and Zeke blasting ahead of me. I knew Zed told me not to make deals with it, but there was no way to handle this kind of flying on my own and if I didn't try to work with it, 'Be Dark...' would keep pushing until it got its way. With Jade and Glitter counting on us and a buffet of blood laid out before it, I was betting on it being cooperative.

Even with black lightning arcing around me in a powerful aura that sped my amateur flight up considerably, I was barely keeping pace with the two pegasi racers, marveling at their skills from a lower altitude while they zoomed overhead with twin contrails streaking behind them. With them moving high and fast in a bombing run, I was the more tempting target and hoped to at least give them some cover. I had a few seconds to adjust to their speed and think that far while the Gunners actually kept their word and counted off their oh so gracious five minutes, then all hell broke loose in the form of Swan attacking...

She had gone above the cloud cover and must have been giving the chunk of balefire in her belly time to charge her up before making her move, the only sign she was up there flashes of purple that looked like lightning illuminating the clouds with no thunder. That and the wind picking up and turning cold made me look up in time to see a huge chunk of ice plummeting to the ground and smashing into a cluster of surprised infantry, just as the giant glowing ball of her shield followed and dove on them.

Ice was forming up in the clouds... Spreading and slowly weighing down the fluffs of grey, until the weight became too much and they fell like delayed time bombs. I knew Swan knew ice magic, along with an amazing repertoire of other deadly spells, but wouldn't have thought to use it like that... She was really creative when it came to smashing ponies...

Finding themselves under attack by a whooping 50 foot mare, the Gunners reminded me of nothing more than the outmatched army ponies from the film I was sure she was thinking of too, opening up with all their firepower in panic. The unicorn actress from the monster movie couldn't fly though, taking away her main weakness of being slow enough for the movie army to deal with.

Swan soared straight down their lines perpendicular to us, a wavy beam of violet magic blasting the runway under her racing shadow. The tarmac buckled and heaved in her wake, a deep rumble filling the air with her magical earthquake opening a long, wide crack in the ground. She wasn't just attacking for fun... She was making barriers to delay them...

Her attack broke the cease fire however, the Gunners didn't completely panic like most opponents faced with the terrifying super alicorn either. The tortoise like sky tanks peeled off from the ground units and joined the vertibucks trying to deal with her, while the rest focused on their objective. The Gunners power armor squads led the charge, leaping the gorge Swan made and meeting the Arcano-Cats and Minutemares dug in to hold them off in a furious battle.

The sky was filled with lead as the three of us zoomed over the battle lines, the bright shouts of 'Be Awesome!' and 'Awareness!' barely letting me dodge and spin through the air after Burny and Zeke pulling further ahead. My position struggling to keep up let me see the flock of Gunner griffons spotting them and moving to intercept, floating the Terrible Shotgun and Vengeance at my sides and firing to draw their attention.

Eyes Forward Sparkle was so full of red it was useless, but S.A.T.S. reliably froze time and let me select my shots, queuing up attacks on the combat armored griffons gracefully turning on me. If it weren't for the targeting spell I'd be hard pressed to keep up in aerial combat, but with it I was able to devote all my attention to evading them while it handled the rest.

Their unarmored wings made for bigger targets than their helmeted heads and the one I'd fought on the way here demonstrated how effective going for them was, so the Terrible Shotgun barked and blasted the feathered appendages rapidly as I dove and spun, sending three falling to the ground below in quick succession.

I thought I was doing pretty good against the lean predators who put me to shame in the air, even if I was relying on the Shroud's more impressive flying to do it. When the row of tanks ahead fired in unison however, the concussive wave of air buffeting me knocked me off my stride, tumbling in the air and instantly finding the military trained griffons weren't nearly as bothered. Their combat rifle fire zeroed in on me, the whining shots and painful thuds of penetrating impact against my armor further loosing me speed and altitude, along with a worrying amount of blood I could feel oozing under my coat.

They dove and closed in after me, a familiar screech nearly lost in the forest of their own saved me though. Val swooped in with a dozen pegasi Minutemares and Arcano-Cats, including the pink and blue power armored forms of Roxie and Bluejay, leading the charge to deal with the aerial combatants with the red beams of her magical energy weapon clearing a path. The bright red and orange griffon was easy to spot and recognize, shouts of 'TRAITOR!' ringing out as the Gunners changed priorities.

I caught her scowl as she waggled her favorite whacking stick as a makeshift baton to direct her flying troops, just the sight of the hateful teaching aide enough to make me straighten up and fly faster to escape it out of ingrained instinct beaten into me repeatedly. "Fly better'n that boss! GO! Hustle yer flanks 'fore I get to em!"

'Be Unwavering!' sang out and I found reserves of energy to pull up and flap harder, following the contrails of Zeke and Burny splitting up and already dropping canisters spewing red smoke to the ruins below. I felt like a third wing watching them go, pulling aerial combat moves I would never match as they wove through the fire trying to bring them down. With them doing just fine without me, I couldn't help looking back in worry at Val looping through the air, despite the manic grin on her beak as she swapped the split ended stick for her flaming Shishkebab. Her former comrades reeeeeally wanted to kill her...

Zed was below her, leading the ground based troops there along with Rowdy and Moose in a deadly dance of flying hooves, spinning miniguns and flaming antlers against the power armored Gunners. Apparently each of my friends were regarded as famous heroes and leaders in their own right, even the solitary and standoffish zebra. It was easy to see why in his case anyway, the earth ponies and unicorns chasing after him were in awe of his strength, younger troops cheering as they fearlessly galloped against an army.

I winced at the glance behind them I got, the Gunners' first barrage had demolished hangars and blown large, flaming holes in the Red Rocket garages and offices. The sight of a lot of civilian pegasi flying in formation from Rocketburg drew my attention away from the horrible damage I could see from just one volley. I could just make out Cool Jets at the head of the large flock that looked to include elderly and young ponies alike, what in the world was she up to? Why were they flying in a tight circle near the shore like that? Was that why the wind was still picking up?

Weather experts... They might not all be fighters, but every pegasus possessed weather magic as part of the core of their being, they were using it now and I couldn't help watching in amazement. A small group had flown up to the cloud layer and I could hear the rumble of thunder as they darkened and flashed, while those zooming around in the tight circle were speeding up more and more, the growing winds seeming to concentrate and become visible around them.

They were whipping up a storm... The increasing winds were already making the Gunners' vertibucks lurch in the air and keep their distance from town, focusing instead on chasing Swan soaring by with the sky tanks blasting her dimming shield with brilliant beams from their magical energy cannons. Following her swooping course, I saw the crashing waves at the shore knocking the rusting landing craft around like toy boats too.

A sharp whine and intense pain in my ear drew my attention front again, scrambling to catch my fedora before it got blown away and eyeing the ragged peak knitting itself together again. Blood dribbled from the torn tip and inside my ringing ear, making the cacophony of gunfire and explosions somewhat muted and flying straight a severe challenge with my equilibrium gone to hell. It felt like I had a concussion just from the near miss, what the hell hit me?

Taking in just how close a call that was, I jerked and rolled in the air evasively, scanning everywhere for the sniper that damn near blew my head off. I spotted him hiding in a tattered tuft of cloud far above, a dark crimson and tan griffon with a glowing cybernetic eye pressed against the scope of the biggest anti-materiel rifle I'd ever seen, some kind of griffon made weapon that made me very glad he missed.

Before I could pull out The Last Minute and return the favor, a pegasus Gunner smashed into me with a pair of power hooves, knocking me down to the shattered corner of a ruin that was all that remained of the third floor in a painful crash. It was more a suggestion of a building at this point, the one mostly intact wall and crumbling window frames below my narrow perch offering a squad of ground based Gunners cover. Woozily looking up to the sniper, I found him taking aim again from and rolled to my hooves, just ahead of his shot blowing a hole through the already swiss cheese floor.

I dove for the doorway connected to sagging stairs that were the main thing keeping this last bit of the upper floor standing, ducking behind the crumbling brick walls of the second floor to break his line of sight and come out elsewhere, just in time to meet a pair of earth ponies stomping their way up with a pair of Ironpony combat shotgun battlesaddles. I didn't have time for this... Best Served slashed the throat of the first one rearing in surprise to meet me darting out, letting me flap hard and bounce off his army helmet to the second.

If I weren't awkwardly lurching over his buddy, the blast of his shotguns firing would have done more than blow a cloud of feathers from my frantically flapping wing. Still being loopy also meant I wasted several shots before any of the .45 rounds from my revolver hit him, all the gunfire making a lot of noise I only half heard that alerted the others in the ruin. I had to pause to tilt my head and splash a bit of healing potion down my ear before slugging the rest down and moving on, shaking my head as the shots and their muffled shouts crackled and rose back to full volume.

More bullets and beams chased after me from the holes leading to the lower floors and the Gunners there as I clawed for altitude and looked for a likely gap through the fallen roof timbers blocking my way. Once I found a gap and dove free, I grabbed the leaning corner I'd landed on originally in my magic and yanked, bringing the teetering brickwork down on the rest of the building with the hollar of 'Be Strong!'.

Out in the open again, I activated S.A.T.S. just to get another look at the griffon sniper above. He had turned to the rest of the battle with me no longer a clear target, firing just as I dove out to the open skies again. I followed the path of his rifle's long barrel, hoping he hadn't hit Burny or Zeke as I hurriedly pulled out my whining guass rifle.

I needn't have worried about the two pegasi zooming down the row of tanks, I'd gotten turned around in the broken building and he was aiming at one of the Arcano-Cats power armor suits from Burny's museum. I still hated to see the gleaming orange T-45 get hammered by the kind of gun designed to take them out in the war, even if the pilot was ok the old armor was going to take serious damage.

When time resumed, I was surprised to see that wasn't the case... It hit.. I knew it hit, the armored Cat fell and skidded to the ground like it had, but showed no damage? He wasn't standing again either... The flat crack of the Last Minute blew a hole through the sniper's combat armor breastplate and he tumbled from his cloudy perch being blown off course by the increasing winds, giving me some satisfaction as I got my bearings and sought out Burny again.

Something was bothering me about it though, a pit forming in my stomach as I found his red contrail zipping through the matching smoke, already turning back from dropping his grenades and joining up with Zeke. How could it not damage the armor, but hit the pilot? A chilly sensation from my subconscious kept gnawing at me, something I'd seen recently...

I couldn't put my hoof on it and hardly had time though, dodging more gunfire and griffons as I banked and made to match Zeke and Burny's course back. The two of them slowed down to fly in formation beside me, each taking a wing and joining my floating weapons with their magical energy rifles in plowing a path forward.

Another barrage from the tanks behind us went over our heads, drawing the eye as more of the hangars and garages we were heading for went up in flames. The upper floors of the Red Rocket HQ with Burny's office collapsed, the obstacle course for Zeke's races was a pile of wreckage, Roxie's paintshop garage was burning in rainbow colored flames and the the wingstream trailer Zeke lived in had been tossed through the roof of the Arcano-Cats' clubhouse.

Above it all Rocketburg was still intact and tightly lashed together though, the severed guide wires to the ground whipping in the wind and tied together, protected behind a brilliant blue disc I saw Jade producing at the edge of the floating islands. The sight of her in the sparking A-01 with its fins spread like a peacock boosting her shield was like a beacon above the hellscape the Gunners were turning the ground below into, a bright light of hope protecting everypony and calling us back. Behind her I could see distant puffs from the silhouette of the Castle down the coast, the rolling rumble of the big guns firing reaching us moments later.

I heard a hard, sad edge to Burny's helmet amplified voice as we got a look at the damage and all the fallen defenders scattered across the distance between us and there. "Alright... Call your crew back Junior, before any more of em get hurt. Let the assholes have it... what's left anyway..."

"I-It'll be ok Gramps, we'll get em back daddy-o... Princess Pussycat was right, don't matter where home is, so long as we're together, right?" Zeke nodded and hoofed the old buck to the shoulder before speeding ahead, shouting as he crossed the battle lines below and rallying everypony fighting to hold the Gunners off. "Ok cats and kittens! Make like an egg an' beat it! We got incomin'!"

"We will come back Burny... I promise. They're not getting away with this... I'm sorry..."

Burny climbed higher as we joined the retreat, his finned helmet sliding open as the gunfire slackened and he turned back to face my weak consolation. "No Fast, I am... The Princess was right, and she sure ain't no coward. That's a mare worth fighting for, some patch of dirt isn't. Us stubborn bucks need a special somepony like that to keep us flying straight, so I'm glad I at least got to hitch you two kids here before it was all gone. You be sure to listen and... Look out!"

I saw his faded blue eyes shrink to frightened dots looking over my head, then he gave an agile roll in the air faster than I could follow, grappling with me to shove me forward and diving to the tarmac. He gave a hard jerk and his armored hooves clenched around my barrel as his roll turned to a crash and a blinding pain burned through my shoulder. The two of us tumbled to the hard ground with him landing on top, opening his muzzle to speak and coughing up a fountain of blood that stained his beard and dribbled to my face.

The shouts of Zeke and Val were ringing in my ears, along with a faint whistling noise that was slowly growing louder. I couldn't focus on any of it though, gritting my teeth in pain and feeling blood soaking my coat as he shuddered on his front legs. His gleaming armor was completely undamaged, but something had drilled right through it without leaving a mark and hit me too.

The elderly stallion was still covering me as I struggled to make sense of it, croaking weakly. "...g-guess... I ain't... leavin'... after all..."

"W-What!? Burny! Burny are you ok!? H-Hang on!" I struggled under him as he shivered and collapsed on my chest, looking past his grey mane and spotting that griffon sniper hovering above the Gunners advance, the long rifle in his claws smoking and lining up again.

The image of the Gunner sniper was seared on my burning eyes, following as he dove and spun away from Val and Zeke firing at him as they rushed up, the retreating Minutemares and Arcano-Cats turning back for us behind them. The thunder of a lot of power armored hooves surrounded us, forming a bulwark against the return fire. Another bloody cough drenched my face as a pair of striped hooves gently pulled Burny off me, rolling him to the side and letting me sit up on my haunches in confusion with my head pounding.

"GRAMPS! What happened!?" Zeke landed nearby, prancing on his hooves behind Zed hurriedly trying to check him over. "Oh goddesses! He's hurt! H-Help him stripey! L-Let's get him outta here!"

"Do not move him... He is... here Mr. Jets, try to drink." The edges of my vision was going dark, pulsing in time with my heartbeat pumping blood from the gaping wound at my shoulder as I shakily turned to Zed's stern and calm voice.

The zebra was frantically looking for damage and finding nothing obvious. He shoved a purple healing potion in his mouth and flinched at the spray of blood when Burny hacked and spewed it back up. That whistling noise was getting louder, rising like a teakettle in time with the terror and red rage starting to grow in me.

The huge purple form of Swan landed with a tremor and her shield blazed to life around us, anxiously looking back to me and Burny. "FAST! Are you ok!? Is the grampa-pony... is he..."

Roxie, Moose, Bluejay, Rowdy and Zeke were all crowding him, joining Swan's defense keeping the Gunners back and glancing to the old leader of the flock fearfully, giving their young leader room to pull his helmet away to show the tears streaming down his face and be with his grandfather.

His dying grandfather...

I felt something crack in my head, a brittle noise like breaking glass echoing with the stunned growl of 'Be Dark...' swelling up. I didn't feel the pain in my shoulder anymore... I barely felt my own tears as my head turned on rusty hinges, seeking out the griffon who did this looking up to the whistling noise now becoming a shriek.

I stood on shaking hooves as the first mortar rounds tore into the Gunners' lines, pounding the tanks the bastard was retreating behind with massive explosions throwing my shadow behind me. The Gunners troops on the ground falling back with him from the rising whistle of more mortar fire.

Taking a stalking step forward, I absently noted my starkly defined shadow stretching behind me getting darker and swirling at my hooves. My head didn't hurt, it was clear and cold as I took another limping step. I agreed completely with the Shroud's furious voice, he wasn't getting away... None of them were...

My wings spread and flapped, getting me off my blood drenched leg and carrying me up to the stormy skies rumbling with thunder. The dark clouds overhead swirled and grew black, matching the aura of lightning arcing around me that seemed to be calling to them. Bolts of lightning joined another trio of mortar rounds, striking a Vertibuck and sky tank that fell like stones and randomly blasting the power armored Gunners trying to retreat.

Fine... Come on out... Let's make them pay...

"BOSS! BOSS SNAP OUTTA IT!" Val screeched from behind me, grabbing my tail in her claws and trying to hold me back.

"LEAVE... ME... ALONE...!"

She paled and let go when I turned with a snarl and snapped at her grip with my fangs, fighting the wind now howling around me and looking up to the skies raining lightning down. Val didn't go away like I wanted though, shouting over the explosions and thunder worriedly. "Don't you dare dammit! Yer losin' it boss! BLUE!!!"

Flying higher and putting her behind me, the only thing I heard through the roar in my head was her calling for Jade. I managed to turn back with the panicked cry of 'Be Kind...' wailing in my head. What I saw made that frightened voice resonate louder, a brave light against the storm of hate raging in my mind.

Jade was coming... I barely had time to see the bright blue contrail of her streaking from Rocketburg. The A-01 armor she wore as a symbol shifted into its boost mode configuration and blasted her forward. She'd never had the chance to use it in the race and the fading, rational part of my brain clung to the site of soothing arcano-tech in action.

The flexible plates at her flanks curled up over her tail, forming a ring with the large diamond spell talismans facing inward. The floating crystalline wingblades flared brightly, igniting a crackling ball of magic contained by the curled plates that turned into a brilliant flash of thrust, sending her rocketing across the distance separating us in an instant.

She hit me like a freight train, the air rippling and distorting around her outstretched forelegs closing around my barrel exploding in a prismatic explosion when she caught me and sped on. Her armored limbs squeezed me tight, keeping me from struggling loose as she banked hard and I saw the spreading rainbow ring blowing away the storm. A sonic rainboom...

The sparkling rainbow vision in the sky harmonized the song of the Ministry Mares, rising into one voice that cleared away the storm in my head just as her act of love and bravery brought the bright sunlight down on the smoking battlefield. She saw what was happening, what happened to Burny... and simply flew to me, forgetting all her own fears and problems piloting the prototype armor.

It hummed around me with her panting breath as she made right for the stunned cluster of our friends, her breath puffing in my ear held tight to her neck as she rambled and cried softly. "Sssh... Do not fight Fast... W-We must go. You must stop... please... I will not let you leave me. I love you Fast... it will be... a-alright..."

Her magic swirled around me, focusing on the ragged wound at my shoulder staining her polished armor with my blood. Everything felt numb and my head hurt again, the warm song of the Ministry Mares fighting the angry hiss of the Shroud being pushed back. She used her anesthetic spell... I couldn't move. Good girl...

Skidding to a halt in front of her huge sister, Jade still kept a tight grip on me as she hovered in front of Swan's face, drifting down to Burny's prone form with a sob and taking charge. "Sister! It is time to leave! Immediately!"

Swan gave a slow nod and her horn crackled, teleporting everyone clustered around her hooves the short distance to Rocketburg, just ahead of the remaining vertibucks firing everything they had where we disappeared. I found myself released to the soft, cloudy ground of the central island as Swan swooped off. Surrounded by a huge crowd of evacuees packing the more solid cloudcrete streets, shouting in surprise at our appearance.

I couldn't even turn my head, rolling a teary and bloodshot eye to follow Jade racing over to Burny gurgling weakly nearby. Her horn blazed in a layer of overglow and sweat beaded on her face, but I saw the determined expression she wore crumble, tears flowing down her face as she yelped for help removing his armor.

Witchy was right at her side with a trio of pegasi doctors, they all worked frantically and pushed the crowd back, trying to surround him and keep him from view. They allowed Zeke, Twin and Cool Jets close, I could hear them crying over him, leaning down to listen to his hoarse whispers. The residents of Rocketburg didn't even move when the island itself did, I could see the clouds drifting back across the sky as Swan hauled the whole town away from the continuing whistles and explosions. All of them simply watched and murmured to each other.

Even Val was softly crying, keeping a paw pressed to my chest and peering over the huddle surrounding Burny. Glitter galloped out of the crowd and joined her, launching herself to my belly and pinning me, her warm tears soaking my neck as she nuzzled and sobbed. I wished I could move and hug her, grateful to Val for gently lifting my foreleg and draping it over her to offer some bare comfort anyway, but there was nothing I could do or say.

Through the forest of legs between us, I could see Burny's tired sky blue eyes looking our way, the light in them fading but still so warm. The glimpses I caught of his ruined body under the armor hurt just to see, but he was lucid. His gaze held mine a moment, slowly panning to Glitter weeping against me, then to his daughter Twin and grandfoals Zeke and Cool surrounding him, then out to the hushed crowd. A whole town of crying ponies focused on the old stallion lying not ten feet away from where I did.

A soft smile curled his bearded and bloody muzzle and I got the message his wise stare communicated. He was surrounded by family and friends, by the town he'd built and ponies he'd helped. There wasn't any anger or fear in his eyes, just love and contentment as his wrinkled lids came down in a weak wink and closed, his labored breathing finally coming to a halt.

The clouds crept back across the skies as Swan dragged us away, slowly closing the shining light of Celestia's sun away again and starting to rain. A slow drizzle that fell in my upturned face and hid my tears as I bawled with my daughter, like the goddesses were weeping with me and everypony else.

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

Weather Wizard-----
---Learning more about weather magic from pegasi experts has increased your mastery over related unicorn magic spells! As an alicorn, the two kinds of magic harmonize and you deal +10% damage, are able to cast for 20% less mana, and you gain an increased chance of learning any qualifying spell such as lightning, ice and wind schools.

Quest Perk Added!-------------

Married!------
---You got married! Hey, it's your problem, not ours. As a bonus, the bonds of holy maretrimony with your special somepony makes your heart swell, increasing your base health by 10%!