Chapter 14

Apple juice and Bullets

Sleep, it’s still not something I can say I get on a regular basis, or even enough of it once I do, but, occasionally, when all the stars align, I can get a good amount of rest. I really looked forward to those times. If only because lately then been due to the companion I currently found myself curling against. Cherry and I had come to an agreement that I would be the one to hold her, rather than the reverse if only because she would crush me.

I was currently on that edge between sleeping and waking up. We all know those moments when our brains start becoming more active and idle thoughts begin to flit slowly through our minds as it starts up like a century’s old generator. Only briefly aware of the choice, I pressed myself closer to the slumbering mare I loved, rubbing my muzzle into her sweet-smelling mane. The act gently stirring my companion to an alert state.

“Mmm… Is that a rolling bin between us or are you happy to see me?” She slurred tiredly but making no move to get away from what was poking against her. I Smiled and placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck and pulled her closer instead.

“Hush you, I don’t wanna hear any pervy thoughts from you so early in the morning.” I whispered as I used her long mane to shield my eyes from the dim light filtering into the room. Cherry let out a low laugh and readjust herself, placing her foreleg under her pillow, and in the meantime, letting her back legs open a little and letting my morning arousal to poke between her thighs. I blush deeply, but make no move to stop her either, instead just content to be with her.

We both laid together like that, neither of us in a hurry to leave the warmth we shared or disturb the other. Besides, we had nothing planned and what better time to catch up on our rest than now. I have no idea how long we remained like that, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. We laid there, cuddling together, dozing in and out before Cherry used as little strength as possible to roll around to face me, and pressed her hoof against my cheek which made my eyes open a little to look at the beautiful mare with the messy mane.

“Hey” she said with half lidded eyes and a small smile before leaning in closer just a bit. “Hay is for horses.” I retort with a smile, making her snort softly and giggle just before I lean in and kiss her lovingly. She kisses me back, still smiling and light little laughs coming from her. I couldn’t help but chuckle with her into the kiss, before I reach to her back with a hoof, and lightly trace the tip long the curve of her back, and down just above her dimpled butt.

“Mmm careful now, might get me excited.” She whispered after breaking the kiss and looking at me with her strikingly beautiful eyes. I just smile and give her a small peck on her neck. “Too late.” I whisper as I could feel her heat radiating from her. Cherry lets out a small sigh, and holds my head gently to her, and though I could tell she was getting in the mood for some fun, I only felt like teasing her a little. And I let it be known by slowly looking up at her, locking eyes with the mare who could read me like a book. I didn’t need to tell her that I was also in the mood, but that we should wait, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

“It’s ok Moonshine, if you satisfied me all the time, there would be no other reason to keep you around.” She said jokingly, and I feigned indignance. “I thought it was for my stellar good looks.” I said with a fake gasp, which made her chuckle and kiss my forehead. I chuckle and playfully push her back from me, though I guess I didn’t know how close she was to the edge of the bed, and she began to slide from the edge of the bed. I saw her eyes change form loving playfulness to surprise as she began to fall back, unfortunately keeping her hooves around my neck and dragging me with her.

All we managed to do was let out surprised squeaks before falling onto the floor, dragging the blankets with us as I landed atop her. I Didn’t stay there long, instead getting my hooves under me and looking down at the mare I landed on. She looked ok, just a little shocked, but I wanted to make sure. “Are you alright?” I ask, only inches from her. But her response caught me off guard as she wrapped her hooves around my neck and pulled me into the most passionate kiss she had ever given me. At first, I was taken aback, but then my knees went weak and I fell atop her again. She didn’t even let out a grunt, and just kept her hold on me, her hoof moving down my back to slap my flank, which made me yelp out in surprise.

She then broke the kiss and began to laugh, like not even a soft chuckle or a heartfelt laugh, it was more like a complete guffaw, complete with cute little snorts. “Oh Celestia, you should see your face!” She said between gasps for air. I blush once more, oh wait, no I didn’t because I already was. “You… I didn’t now your voice could get that high!” She said, still laughing hard and wiping a tear from her eye as I just stood there, embarrassed and shy. “Oh, don’t be like that!” She said before hugging me a pressing her head to my chest.

We remained like that for a time, me too embarrassed to do anything, and Cherry too overcome with giggles to do much either. By the time she recomposed herself, I was still feeling self-conscious, but less so, after knowing that even though I squeaked she still loved me, hell she probably found it adorable or some shit. After she calmed down, Cherry pulled away from me, and kissed my cheek lovingly. “Anyway hon, I need to use the mare’s room, take some time to get your self together.” She said kindly, as she let me go and moved to her hooves before trotting to the bathroom. On her way she whipped her tail across my flank, nearly making me yelp again.

I heard her giggling again as she shut the door to the rest room, leaving me to shake my head and kick myself in the ass to get moving. I shrugged the blanket off my back, and stretched, letting my wings spread wide as I felt ever joint creak and pop. even my neck cracked as I turned my head from side to side, making me sigh in relief before picking up the fallen covers and tossing them to the bed again. I then made my way over to my gear that was neatly stacked on the top of the dresser in the room.

I noticed earlier last night as we came into the room how well Shady had done on my gear, but seeing it now up close, she had out done herself. Every plate and panel of the armor looked almost new, and my helmet had been repaired to the point that I couldn’t see the point it had broken in the fight at the dam. I set it aside and found my other revolver and my gauntlets had been cleaned and freshly oiled. Since there was no more maintenance left for me to do, I pulled the armor on, starting with the chest piece, then the leather jacket that had been cleaned as well, and even had a light weight layer of kevlar sewn to the inside, giving me better protection against bullets.

Next went on the shoulder armor, which Shady had even beefed up and knocked the dents out. Already I felt better, knowing that it would take more than a stray ten-millimeter round to hurt me. I followed it up by strapping my boots to the rear hooves, and the holsters to my flanks and easing the weapons into them with my wings. The last bits of the puzzle to go on were my gauntlets, which slipped on with no trouble, and immediately I was comforted by their familiar weight.

I had no reason to gear up, but I seemed to feel better inside my armor than out. Like a foal’s security blanket. I suppose it made me feel less vulnerable, which of course what armor is for, but I mean in the emotional sense, as if I was immune to anything inside the suit. I shook the self-reflection from my head, and slung my bag over my back, hugging it to the side with my wing and that was when I noticed another set of gear under my own. but what drew my eye was a set of red leather folded nicely. I paused, knowing it immediately as Cherry’s gear.

I couldn’t help it, I picked up the garment, and held it up, letting it unfold. Shady too had worked her magic on the outfit, sewing more Kevlar underneath and even adding metal plates under the pleating in the leather. Though if I had to guess it only weighed a small amount more. My guess was that Shady had used thin metal, that was still bendable, but would do a better job of stopping small arms fire, particularly hollow point rounds. What’s more, I found a note under the suit, and I picked it up with a wing and read it.

Cherry, I know you made this, but I made a few improvements, as you can see its lined with Kevlar and has thin metal in the pleats. This is not meant to stop hollow points, only an idiot would think that, that’s what the Kevlar is for. But it is meant to help disperse energy beams. I don’t know what you and MS talked about, but I hope you are coming with us again, but even if you don’t, I hope this suit keeps you safe. I also took the liberty of cleaning and polishing your pistols. By the way? Have you told Moonshine that these are the forty-fives that he left lying around?

P.S. if you are reading this Moonshine, 1. You need to stop leaving your shit lying around, and 2. You shouldn’t go through another ponies’ shit.

I paused, staring at the words on the note. Shady said I left those pistols lying around, but I couldn’t remember if I had or hadn’t. what’s more, she had known I would read this, she even called me out for doing so. “Moonshine?” I hear Cherry ask softly, making me jump and drop her armor on the floor as well as the note. Cherry saw what I dropped, and picked up the fallen items, before turning her attention to the note left by Shady.

When she finished reading, she looked up at me, and my flushed and ashamed face, then laughed. “Wow, she has your number, doesn’t she? Still, its no big deal. I was gonna tell you about the guns, it just never came up in conversation.” She said and looked her armor over, before like I had, slipped into her suit and used her weakened magic to tie the laces up along her back. I watched as she suited up, the armor still taking my breath away, especially now after Shady had perfected it. It accented her curves nicely and left a gap at her chest to allow greater flexibility.

I turn my head aside, and coughed, still perturbed at how predictable I was to my friends. ‘By the way? Moonshine why are you wearing your butt kicking clothes?” Cherry asked as she too worked to strap her pistols to her thighs. I shrugged and chose to be open with her.

“It makes me feel better. I feel… safer.” I said, hoping she understood what I meant. She didn’t. instead she looked at me a little confused, and her head tilted curiously. “I mean, I constantly got hurt in the past, even shot through the chest.” I reminded her, and she nodded, suddenly getting it.

“The armor stops the hurt.” She said simply, and I nodded softly. She got it, not needing any further explanation as she finished getting into her own gear. Even sliding on her own saddle bag.

“Anyway, should we go see what the others are up to? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Zakk or BlackJack since yesterday morning.” Cherry said, and then looked over her shoulder, as if just mentioning his name Zakk might appear. What’s worse is I caught myself doing the same thing. I shook my head, and then calmed down.

“You’re right, maybe we should go see what’s up.” I said and took a few steps toward the door when my stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. I looked over my shoulder at Cherry, who was biting her bottom lip and trying not to smile. “Okay, maybe after breakfast.” I say bashfully and Cherry laughs softly.

Once we had both grabbed some food, which turned out to be lunch by this point. I grabbed a few hay burgers and fries as well as a couple waters, and Cherry grabbed a salad and a couple of sparkle colas, and we ate on the go as we searched for our friends. I had to hold her salad up for her, as her magic was too weak to levitate the fork and bowl. We searched around for a while and ended up stumbling on the hospital wing. Without really talking it over, we both decided to poke in on Rogue, and see how he was doing.

As soon as we entered the room, Rogue fixed us with a gaze, and I could practically see him drooling. “Do I smell hay burgers?” He asked, and I froze, as he looked at us like a hungry monster. I hesitantly lifted my wing, which had been carrying the bag of food. As soon as his eyes locked on the bag his horn alit and tore the bag from my grip as he growled, “Gimme!” I jumped and Cherry chuckled as she levitated a sparkle cola onto the table in front of him. I didn’t even get a chance to tell him that those were meant for everyone as he tore two of them open at once and started tearing into them both.

I felt immediately grossed out by the sight, glad I ate mine before we arrived, I doubted I would have an appetite after seeing that. “It’s ok Moonshine, this is pretty normal in a hospital. If they do give you food, it usually sucks.” Cherry said matter of factly, as if she herself spent a considerable amount of time in a hospital, which I recalled she had.

I looked away as Rogue ate like a starving bear not even having the manners to finish one bite before her dug in again. Grease and bits of bread smeared around his muzzle before he began to choke on a bit he hadn’t fully chewed, having to down half of the soda just to dislodge it. “Luna’s mercy, Rogue you need to slow down.” I said, but by the time I got the words out, he had completely demolished both burgers, and was crushing the wrappers in a tittle ball.

“You don’t understand. Without radiation to sustain us, we need a lot of food.” Rogue stated and then proceeded to polish off his sparkle cola in one mighty swig. “These ponies here have been nice enough, but they don’t under stand alicorn diets.” He said softly before wiping his muzzle with the back of his hoof.

“Do you feel better?” Cherry asked, before moving and sitting beside the paralyzed Alicorn. Rogue sighed contentedly, knowing she wasn’t talking about his legs, but his stomach. “Yeah, thank you. I really needed that.” He said before slumping back against his pillow. But while Cherry was focused on him, I was standing off to the side, something he said kicking my brain in the ass, and jogging my memory.

“Radiation…” I whispered, drawing the attention of Cherry and Rogue simultaneously. Both of them confused, before I said it again, my mind whirring fast, coming up with an idea faster than usual. I ignored that though and leapt into action. Flying over their heads and hooking my hooves around the portable X-ray machine and dragging it beside Rogues bed.

“Moonshine what are you doing!” Cherry shouted in alarm, as I tore the back panel off and began overloading the machine by disconnecting a few wires and plugging thing where they shouldn’t go.

“Radiation! He needs radiation, X-ray machines use magical radiation to take pictures of your bones” I say while working, before a shower of sparks cover me and the spark batter begins to glow a soft orange. “Moonshine your nuts!” Cherry shouts, but Rogue sat, his eyes wide as the machine began to hum loudly, and instantly a wave of nausea hits me, making me land on the floor again.

Rogue gasps and begins to shiver in delight but seeing that both Cherry and I were starting to take the same amount as he was, he wrapped us in his magic, and shoved us out of the room, immediately the effects lessened, though I was sure we needed some Rad-Away already. Cherry and I landed in a heap outside the room, before the heavy door slammed shut behind us.

As soon as the door shut, we heard it lock, and then voices down the hall shouting as Bat-pony nurses and doctors ran and flew toward the room, some already decked out in radiation suits, but the magic on the other side of the door was keeping it shut. There was a bright purple light coming from under the door and around the gaps and growing brighter by the moment.

“What’s going on!” Shouted the Rogues doctor as they ran up, their mane disheveled and his coat creased with wrinkles. I guess he had been sleeping when he got the alert. Every pony there ignored Cherry and I, instead focused on trying to get the door open. I even heard a few Geiger counters ticking wildly over the cacophony. I just turned and looked at Cherry, who looked back at me in shock and a little anger, but before she could say anything, there was suddenly a loud buzz followed by a shout from inside the room, then everything stopped. It fell so quiet you could hear every pony breathing in fear and anger, in the doctor’s case, but then the door unlocked, and creaked open.

Standing there, looking a little taller and radiant was Rogue. And I do mean standing. His back legs supporting him effortlessly as he looked down on all of the ponies outside his room. No pony moved, and I was sure I wasn’t the only one holding their breath. That was until Rogues Doctor pushed past the entire throng of nurses, red in the face. “What the fuck happened, how are you standing!” He shouted up at the alicorn, despite his Geiger counter clicking loudly. I saw the Alicorn look at me quickly then back down at his doctor. “I over loaded the X-ray machine, turned out be just enough rads to get me on my hooves again.” He said, sparing me the wrath of the medical ponies. Cherry however was holding my hoof tightly, looking on in shock, not even a shred of anger in her gaze any more.

Then to make it better, Shady, BlackJack, Whisper, and Zakk all came around a corner, pushing something covered in a tarp. But seeing Rogue was up on his own, and everyone looking confused and irritated, Shady looked at me, and scowled before curing loud enough to make everyone jump. “MOTHER FUCKER!”

After that, the doctors looking over the room determined that the room was heavily irradiated, and would need a complete cleansing, as well as a new X-ray machine since the one in there had melted from being over loaded. Cherry and I sat nearby, sipping on Rad-Away as Rogue was taken to be scrubbed down and purged of all the excess radiation. Shady and the others came over, and I could tell Shady had been up all night and was pissed but also pleased to see Rogue was fine now. “What the fuck did you do?” Shady whisper seethed at me.

I adopted an innocent look though. “Nothing! Rogue just over loaded his X-ray machine. Turns out it was more than enough radiation to heal him.” I said, trying to lie, but Shady wasn’t having any of it. “Bull shit, you did it, you had to, Rogue barely knows what end to point the barrel of his rifle let alone how to overload a machine.” She growled, and I just looked away whistling. Cherry, sipping on her Rad-Away and choosing to remain quiet.

“If they did do it, you can’t be too mad, it worked after all.” Said whisper, who looked down at me knowingly. I just averted my gaze even though I was struggling not to smile.

“Well they weren’t up all night making this.” Shady shouted back and tore the tarp from the cart showing a complex rig with wheels that would allow Rogue to walk with his front hooves like normal and his back legs would have rolled along behind him. I looked at the contraption and whistled. It had a lot going for it, even springs that would help it absorb bumps. Shady had really done a good job making it, even if it was for nothing now.

“True, but I think the ponies here would like to keep it and perhaps we can use your design to help other ponies who can’t heal with magical radiation.” BlackJack offered, which only made Shady seethe louder. While they continued to go back and forth, Cherry nudged me to get my attention.

“Did you at least grab the food on the way out? I’m sure Shady could use some food and a soda.” Cherry whispered and I nodded, but When I looked around, I couldn’t find the food, and then I looked into the irradiated room, and spotted all of the food we had just gotten, sitting there, and full of radiation. Cherry followed my gaze to the room and frowned. “Well there goes fifty caps well spent.” She said softly, but Shady in the middle of the conversation with Whisper and Blackjack heard the word “caps” and refocused her attention on us.

“What about fifty caps?” Shady asked, then followed our gazes to the forlorn food that had been wasted. “Mother fucker, that’s just perfect!” She shouted again, making us wince. Then Zakk interjected, a surprising tone in his voice. “Shady knock it off, even if they over loaded the machine, our friend is back on his hooves. I don’t know about you, but I would pay that ten times over and it still would be cheap to get someone we care for back in perfect health. I get that you spent all night trying to help the same friend, but you need to be a little happy and grateful.” Zakk scolded, but Shady wasn’t having any of it.

“What did you just say? You fuckin’ left us in a fire to die you asshole, I don’t want to hear shit about you caring for your friends!” She spat in his face and made a move to hit him in the nose, but of course Zakk being Zakk, he didn’t get touched. Instead her dodged and jabbed a hoof at her neck, I could barely follow his movement but Shady couldn’t even see it. Next thing she new she was out cold, and Zakk had picked her up onto his back. “I’m gonna take her to her room, I think all she needs is some rest.”

With that Zakk took off at a trot, humming some prewar song as he carried Shady off to bed. But some rookie Nurse came around the corner quickly, nearly running into Zakk, who jumped aside and booped her nose. “Hey I’m walkin’ here!” He shouted at her, making the poor bat-pony screech and run in the opposite direction.

“What an odd pony.” Whisper commented after Zakk left, making the rest of us nod and BlackJack snicker. Then the yellow pegaus turned and looked at me, her eyes soft, reminding me even more of Fluttershy.

“Anyway, Blackjack told me quite a bit about what you all are up too, mentioned that you need some training in close quarters fighting. What can I help you out with?” She asked, and took a seat next to me, Cherry giving the Pegasus a look that spoke of untold pain should she try and steal her Stallion. I paid Cherry no mind, she knew I only had eyes for her.

“Well, Blackjack told us how you were one of the best opponents she had, and when she said you were a Pegasus who fought like I do, I felt that I should get some pointers, seeing as how I’m new to havin’ wings.” I said, exaggerating what BlackJack said a little. The pale mare rolling her ruby eyes but saying nothing. Whisper on the other hoof was stunned, and quick to ask, “Wait, new to having wings? How is that possible?” She asked and I sighed, before giving her a quick run down of what happened and how I mutated to grow wings. As I spoke Whisper listened intently, and when I finished my summary, she whistled. “Wow, I heard Stallions say sex is like heaven, but I never imagined it would turn a pony into an angel.” She said, which made Cherry bristle.

“Hey, keep your hooves off him. He’s mine!” She snarled, and then wrapped her hooves possessively around me. Making Whisper chuckle and BlackJack fall onto the floor laughing.

“Sweetie, I’m two times older than him, actually I’m over two hundred years older than him.” She said with a smile, making Cherry and I grow confused before Blackjack snorted out, “Not to mention she’s probably had all the dick this place has to offer!” She said before bursting into a new fit of laughter at the incredulous look from Whisper.

“Says the shotgun slut who tried to bang every stallion in here!” Whisper retorts, but if she was trying to embarrass BlackJack she failed. But whisper’s remark made Cherry cling to me even tighter and try to put herself between me and Blackjack this time.

“Hey, I’m at least honest with who I am sister, you on the other hoof make the shit I do seem tame.” Blackjack fired back, making Whisper blush in embarrassment and anger. The whole time, Cherry was trying to keep me away from the two bickering mares, unknowingly crushing me.

By the time Whisper returned her attention to me, I was already verging on purple, and about to pass out. “Umm if you don’t let him go, it looks like we will have to clean him up with a mop.” Whisper remarked, and when Cherry looked to me, she realized what she had been doing and promptly released me. I gasped and coughed for air “sweet, sweet oxygen! How I missed you!” I panted out as I took a big lungful of air.

As I gathered my breath back, and the three mares laughed at the poor blue Pegasus, Whisper was already hard at work creating an effective training regimen in her head. When we all regathered ourselves, she coughed politely, and began, “Alright, well if you need help, I’m glad to have the opportunity, might give me a chance to stretch some muscles I haven’t used in a while. She said, and Blackjack perked up.

“Hey, can I join, I haven’t fought much either, and if memory serves you and I haven’t fought as a team before.” She said, but I wasn’t really feeling it, Whisper would be challenging enough, but having Blackjack on her side seemed more than one sided. I looked to Cherry, the thought of her training with me didn’t bode well, if only because she was still weak from what had happened. I looked back at Whisper and shrugged, unsure it was a good idea, until another voice came from around the corner, when I looked Rogue was walking back, looking just as healthy as he had when he left if only lighter in the radiation department. I was a little worried about fighting with him too, but I also knew that he worked differently that Cherry had. Radiation helped Alicorns a lot. “Hmmmm alright, rogue and I on a team, and BlackJack and whisper on a team. Sounds fun.” I said, but I felt Cherry deflate a little as I picked the alicorn over her.

I leaned in and whispered in her ear so no pony else could hear, “You and I will have our own training later on.” I say with just the tone of seductiveness I had learned from her. That got the reaction I wanted, her face lighting up, even the tips of her ears flushing with color. BlackJack and Whisper avert their eyes, neither one of them wanting to step in the middle of this, while Rogue just rolls his eyes, having been around our flirting longer than most.

“Ehhemmm.” Whisper clearing the throat politely drew my attention away from Cherry despite a little irritation at the interruption. “While your attempts to sway her into your hooves are adorable, we need to discuss rules of engagement, this is after all a training exercise, we don’t want any serious injury.” She says, cutting off my objections before they even began.

“Well no weapons would be a good start, even if they are empty, Moonshines Ballistic hooves still carry a fair amount of weight behind them.” Rogue offered, and Cherry nodded. “You don’t want to get hit by them. “Blackjack added, drawing a concerned glance from Whisper. The way Blackjack put it you’d think I kicked her ass or something,

“Ok, no weapons, and no aiming to kill, I know I showed you that move last night, but this would not be a good place to try it.” Whisper added as well, and I nodded. If they really wanted to do this, I wouldn’t say no. “Ok, then if you all are free now, how about we head to the training room now. Just talking about this has me all giddy.” Whisper gushed, and I raised an eyebrow. I mean I knew fighting could be fun in a primal survival kind of way, but it seemed that Blackjack and this yellow Pegasus reveled in combat. I wasn’t sure I could understand it.

*page break*

Twenty minutes later, and with all my gear stripped off, I stood next to Rogue, facing down our opponents. I had fought Blackjack before, though a glimmer in her eye told me this wouldn’t be anything like last time. Perhaps the mare was truly rusty when I fought her. I then looked Whisper over, who had likewise stripped out of her official looking gear, and for the first time I could see her body. There were dense bulges of muscle and sinew, but a slender physique close to my own. even her neck looked solid, as if under that pale-yellow coat rested a mass of heavy marble. This was like looking into an older and gender bent version of myself, but the thought of facing off against her suddenly sent shivers down my spine.

“Alright, lets set a baseline. The rules are simple. We will spar until either team is unable to continue the match. Fight any way you want, I just want to see where you need improvement.” Whisper snapped off, and I nodded. This may have been a sparing match, but I wouldn’t learn anything if I held back at all. Besides, I doubted she would let me if I wanted to. I fell into a defensive crouch, wings spread wide and my head low as I studied the mare across from me.

She too took a defensive posture, but only then did I notice the stubs she had for wings, a sight that gave me shivers. But before I could comment on them, a broach around her neck lit up in an eerie purple light, and I saw magic take hold, the stumps of her wings bubbling as a new set of bat like wings took form, much like an over sped up version of how my own wings came into existence. I glanced at Cherry, who was sitting off to the side, looking grossed out, but waving a little flag with my name and a cartoonish version of myself on it. Where had she gotten it?

While I was focused on the distraction of Cherry, I saw a flash of yellow in my peripheral vision, making me brace on instinct and take the brunt of Whispers opening attack. With just that first move the battle began, and Rogue and BlackJack started firing spells at one another. I rolled to the side, if only trying to get some distance between me and the other Pegasus. “Rule one, never take your eyes off of an opponent!” She scolded and tried to stomp on me, but I continued to roll away, before planting my hooves, and suddenly rolling the opposite direction, knocking her legs out from under her.

Rather than fall on me like I had hoped, she gave her wings a hard flap, rustling my mane as she took to the air. I knew it wasn’t much, but it gave me an opportunity to at least get my hooves under me again. I barely had time to brace myself before whisper’s hoof slammed into my shoulder, making me move around, but at least I didn’t fall again. I winced as she began to hammer punches into my shoulder, pushing me in a wide arc.

Her combo continued like that a few more times, before she flipped over and kicked off me hard enough to send my hooves sliding on the stone floor. I scowled, feeling my shoulder throb from the abuse it had taken but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. Whisper didn’t relent however, usually after a move like that a pony would have to at least take a breath, but she was coming right back at me. I didn’t even get a chance to dodge as her hoof connected with my jaw, but I got a little lucky, and caught her other hoof with my own as I tried to cover my muzzle.

Again, most ponies would have been stunned at least a little by that, but Whisper wasn’t most ponies. She didn’t hesitate to reverse her angle and slam her hoof against my neck and then back off. I knew if she wanted too, my head would have been rolling on the floor right now, detached from the rest of me. The thought shook me, but I couldn’t quit, not now. I felt grateful for the small moment she allowed me to realize just what happened, but when I refused to back down, she came again.

This time I was ready for her, and blocked her next combo, using my own hooves to stop hers. Time slowed down for me, just enough to see Whisper grinning past her flurry of punches. I knew what was coming next, this was the same combo she had used already, and as soon as I saw her begin to flip back, I braced, and caught her rear leg just as her hoof slammed into my ribs.

I wrapped my foreleg around her thigh, and flopped back, bringing her down on top of me. She really didn’t expect me to manage that in such an unorthodox manner, but now that I had her, it was my turn to dish out the hurt. As she flopped atop me, I planted my elbow on the stone floor and let her own momentum and weight carry her down onto it. I felt my hoof slam into her, and the rush of air from her lungs, the impact stunning her.

I wish I could say that was the moment I rolled atop her and threw my own flurry of punches at her head, but I can’t. instead, I just tried to wrap her up and pin her to my chest, but the slap of her wing against my jaw hurt a lot more than one would expect. Because of that I loosened my grip and she rolled away, kicking me in the belly as she did.

I felt the breath knocked from me as well, but I couldn’t just lay there hoping it would come back. Instead I rolled backward, using my wings to push against the floor and left me enough to finish the roll and land on my hooves, looking for Whisper. I looked to where she was supposed to be but saw nothing but air and stone. Knowing the tactic, I suddenly ducked. Good thing I had as a yellow hoof shot into the air above me, right where my head had been.

Reacting only on instinct and adrenaline, my wings shot up, and I felt the feathers brushing against her belly, before grabbing her rear hooves which brought her to a stop. I didn’t even think about what I was doing, instead I just acted and pulled my wings down, slamming her into the stone. I didn’t give her the time to recover either, instead holding her hooves tightly as I rolled forward atop her, bending her legs toward her back, making her look like a legless scorpion.

I expected to hear her scream out, but instead all I got was the back of her head slamming into my muzzle, knocking me back off her and onto the cold stone. She also managed to tug her legs free of my wings grip and push away from me. I shook my head, the impact leaving me seeing spots in my vision and my bottom lip split open, spilling a little blood. I pushed myself back to my hooves, and so did Whisper across from me, rubbing the back of her head with a wing as I wipe the blood away with a hoof.

We both took a moment to recompose ourselves, the first break in the brawl since she sucker punched me. But I couldn’t be mad, in a real fight I would have possibly died then and there. This time I didn’t take my eyes off the mare and took my pose yet again. Whisper though changed tactics, taking an offensive posture, her fore legs splayed and looking ready to charge.

“For someone who claims to have only just gotten wings, you have remarkable reflexes with them, either that or good instincts she says, the compliment catching me off guard. She then took the opportunity to charge, but I was ready for it. I made to leap aside, which made her eyes follow me, but then changed direction back, and the motion made her body sway as she readjusted to my feint. However, I mimicked the first move again, completely throwing off her aim. As her charge missed, I stuck out my rear leg, and tripped her up.

She stumbled, trying to properly regain her stance, but I was already in the air and making a tight banking turn behind her. Using the same move she had earlier, and now that we had switched places, I knew what she would do next. I watched her head drop, trying to duck under the blow, but I already knew she would. Instead I threw a hard punch, angling my hoof tip to jab at the joint where her stumps met her back. She howled then as my strike rammed the joint and pinched the muscle making her wing jut out awkwardly.

Then I flew over her, my rear hoof kicking her in the back of the head hard enough to make my whole leg tingle. I grunted out from the impact, which had spun me upside down now, my silver eyes locking with her own for an instant as I flopped on my back. Not gonna lie, it hurt like hell. Whisper was the first to recover, seeing as how she was tougher than I was, and less injured from stupidity, I wasn’t surprised. I was however surprised when as she leapt at me while I was struggling to get up, Rogue suddenly appeared with a purple flash and Kicked whisper in the ribs.

I would have classified that as a cheap shot, but this was a team fight, it was fair that Rogue would give me some help, though I had to expect that Blackjack would do the same for Whisper. Rogue’s distraction bought me enough time to roll to my hooves as he teleported away again. Whisper, still on her hooves and looking a little pissed off at the interference, grit her teeth, and I knew then that the gloves were off. I shook myself to clear my head quickly and get my shit together, and Whisper took just a moment to unjam her wing.

I heard her grunt, and then a sick pop as her wing flexed back into its normal spot, and I figured that had to at least sting, but the yellow mare didn’t flinch. I knew then that she was indeed used to not only fighting, but also a fair amount of pain. This time, I took the offensive pose, standing on my rear legs only, and holding one foreleg guarding my face, and the other pulled back, ready for a punch. Whisper wasn’t dumb, and rather than just charge in at me again, she held back, studying me. I knew she was looking for a weakness to use, but if I rushed now, she would be ready.

So, I bid my time, knowing I wasn’t in a hurry. The extra time I got allowed me to catch some of the wind that had been knocked from me. Then There was a White flash behind me, and a shove against my head from a telekinetic push on BlackJack’s part. I fell forward, and Knew Whisper was already bearing down on me. You know how they say that experience trumps all? Well that is true except in the case of massive stupidity and a little luck.

I punched forward and pivoted my body with help from my wings. A move like that time when I had used my power hooves to launch myself at the sniper gryphon. I flipped over Whisper as she lunged at my falling body, but I felt her surprise as I made the dumbest move in history, and even more so because it worked. I landed back on my forehooves and dropped down, knowing Whisper had time to pivot and return with a blow aimed for my back. As I dropped, I planted my hip on the floor and kicked back with a rear leg and was rewarded with a loud crack as hoof met hoof.

“Fuck!” Came Whispers exclamation, her surprise more then evident. I wasn’t about to give her more than that though and pushed off from the floor and twirled my hips around toward the opposite direction, and lashed out with my other hoof, catching her in the chin and dropping her again. I didn’t stay there though, and kicked off into the air once more, gaining a little distance, and looking for Rogue and BlackJack.

The pair were dueling hard, the pale Unicorn using a magically generated club, and Rogue’s shield magic flashing to block the blow before switching to offense, blasting out telekinetic shoves at Blackjack, who was dodging with ease. Rogue caught me looking, and continued a circle, drawing BlackJack’s flank into view. I took the opportunity to pay her back, and flew up, before dive bombing her.

The poor mare didn’t see it coming as I flipped mid-air and landed hard on her back with my rear hooves. Driving her to the floor, and the air from her lungs, before leaping aside just as Whisper came flying in fast, crashing into Blackjacks prone body. I landed back on the floor next to Rogue, who dropped their shield and together we bumped hooves as we watched the couple tumble in a pile of hooves and legs.
I wasn’t gonna give them time to get back up, I knew they would be pissed from that, and I leapt at them again, Rogue lagging behind as even he was caught off guard that I would move first. But dammit this wasn’t life threatening, and dare I say I was starting to have fun sparing the mares. I flew at them, my hoof cocked back, ready to punch the first face I saw, but faster than I could blink, a little mustard colored blob flashed before me, and intercepted my path toward the downed mares. Then as soon as it appeared it stopped in the form of a young colt, standing on his rear hooves in front of Whisper.

“Don’t hurt my mumma!” He shouted and then flinched as he knew I was about to fly into him. I couldn’t even think, but my body took over, and banked my wings, sending me into a barrel roll off to his left before I crashed into the wall and slid down it, stunned and hurt. I was upside down, my flank hanging over my face, and I stared in shock through my tail at the little colt who had interfered.

Rogue had managed to draw up short and come to stop before the foal, and Cherry, seeing what happened ran over to me in shock. “Moonshine are you ok?!” She asked in alarm and concern as she knelt beside me and looked into my eyes. I was stunned to silence. My back hurt, my wings hurt, and I think I bruised my shoulder from the crash, but I felt my stomach churn as the colt’s teal eyes flashed in my memory.

“Time out! Time the fuck out!” Whisper screeched, tossing Blackjack’s corpse aside and wrapping the colt in a tight and protective hug. Despite the bruises sprouting all over her body, and the pain she was in from the crash, she protected the child, until she realized there was no attack immediately forthcoming. When Whisper finally popped her eyes open and looked around the room did she notice what had happened, and then spotted me practically kissing my own ass, and put two and two together.

*Page break*

I sat against the wall, rubbing my aching wing as Rogue sat nearby silently, and Cherry checked me over for any other serious injuries. Blackjack was off to the side, keeping quiet save rubbing her back and grunting every time she found a sore spot. Whisper was nearby, making absolutely sure the little colt was unharmed, just scared and crying. When he finally calmed down, Whisper put him on her back and limped over to us, looking hurt, but thankful. I remained quiet, holding my poor wing as she sat down and held the small mustard kid.

“Moonshine, Rogue, Cherry, this is Noctilucent, my son.” She said and sat him down beside her. “He didn’t know we were just sparing, he thought you were attacking me.” She said and rubbed him mane gently. I looked down at the young colt, who still had tears in his eyes, and despite my pain, I smiled softly and gave a gentle wave. He didn’t wave back, instead he shrank against Whispers leg, trying to make himself invisible, and it almost worked since his color was close to Whisper’s, but the teal eyes gave him away.

I did also notice Blackjack turning her head away from us, and her hoof moving to her face. I didn’t need to be a scientist to see she was wiping tears from her eyes. Instead I focused back on Whisper and her son as Cherry spoke softly. “Hi Nocti, can I call you that?” She asked sweetly as she laid down, making herself smaller. The little colt watched her intently, then looked up at his mom, who nodded softly. I watched as he moved away from his mom a bit and looked at Cherry, a little nervous but curious he stepped closer to Cherry, who continued to smile softly and made no move, so she didn’t spook him.

I marveled at the soft tenderness she had for the foal, and as he got closer, Cherry gently reached out a foreleg, and poked it softly against his nose. “Boops” She whispered, and the kid looked like he was terrified, but also intrigued by my mare-friend. But as so as she whispered the words, he broke out in a big smile and giggled playfully. I watched then as he sat down, and wiggled his hoof at her, and managed to lightly tap her muzzle as well. “Boops!” He giggled out, and Cherry laughed with him.

Whisper stood my watching the whole time, and I saw a proud smile spread across her muzzle before she looked at me. “That’s the fastest he has ever warmed up to some pony.” She remarked and I smiled too. I knew just how sweet Cherry could be but seeing her be so gentle and playful with Nocti was refreshing. Then Whisper scooted closer to me and whispered so only Rogue and I could hear.

“Thank you for diverting the way you did Moonshine. That must have been terrifying for you. A little foal suddenly appearing in the middle of a fight.” She said softly, and I nodded. Not because her surprised me, but at how close I had come to almost hitting the kid. I never wanted to hurt a child, I wouldn’t ever do that because of what LittlePip had done to me and six other fillies and colts.

All I could do was nod, still shaken up, but feeling better now, seeing him take to Cherry so well. Rogue patted me on the back, and smiled, knowing I was hurting but also proud of my last second situation. “Anyway Moonshine, you have amazing instincts, I don’t think you planned a single bit of what you were doing, you just did it. Am I right?” Whisper asked, and I nodded softly. Whispers reaction was just to smile and shake her head slowly.

“I’ve met plenty of fighter, some skilled, others not so much.” She said, before turning to look at Blackjack, who was still looking anywhere but at us. And having seen Blackjack when she was mad, I could tell she was the type to just jump head first into trouble. But I wouldn’t call her unskilled. “Anyway, from that little spar, I have a pretty good idea where you need some help. For one thing, your wings are strong enough to catch a Pegasus midair, but you aren’t too good at flying yourself. As for your attacks, you also seem to struggle stringing together a consistent move set. Not that that is a bad thing, in your choice of attack a longer fight will be your downfall, only because you would tire out faster.”

I nod again, still rubbing my aching wing as she continued. “I can teach you a few simple combos that I designed specifically to end a fight quickly while conserving your energy.” Once again, I nodded, choosing to keep quiet while she explained what she had planned. She continued to explain, giving me a quick rundown of her ideas, all the while I was taking mental notes while Cherry continued to play with Noctilucent, the colt’s laughter raising the moral of everyone there. Even Blackjack managed a few laughs at the foal’s antics.

Finally, with the explanation out of the way, Whisper and I moved back to the center of the room, after making sure that Nocti knew we were just playing so he didn’t jump in again. I rolled my sore neck, and flapped my aching wings, pushing the pain away mentally as I stood across from Whisper, who was likewise working out her own soreness by rolling her neck. Cherry was sitting off to the side, holding the small kid, who was now looking on in excitement. “Get him Mumma!” He squeaked out, and I couldn’t help but smile. Whisper looked to her son and winked. I should have felt a little hurt, but the kid was too cute, and I couldn’t begrudge him for picking his mom over me.

As Whisper and I stretched, I went over what Whisper had planned, and I liked most of it, though I felt I had to give my own twist to things, after all I couldn’t do what she could. My inexperience flying proved as much. Hell, her son was a better flier than I was. So, with my game plan set, I took my stance, with wings spread, and Whisper took hers.

Then at the same time we leapt at each other, closing the distance rapidly. At the same moment, we threw our first punch, and our hooves echoed as they slammed together in what was probably the most epic hoof bump of all time. I wasted no time in recoiling back from her, and coming back in again, matching her movements. Once more our hooves crashed together, making my legs sting from the force of the impact. Rather than back off again, I dropped to my knees as Whisper swung at where my head had been.

I then lifted myself back up, slamming my head under her chin, making her jerk back. As soon as she cleared aside, I rose to my full height and charged in. Whisper was still stunned by the sudden change in the plan, and when I closed with her again, she found herself on the receiving end of a flurry of quick blows. One to her belly, making her double over, and three more to her cheeks and one atop her skull, dropping her down to the floor.

I wasn’t about to give her the chance to grab my legs, and leapt up over her, before letting gravity work for me as I wrapped my front hooves together and drop hard on her back in what Shady had called a hammer blow. I both heard and felt the wind leave Whisper as I landed on her, but if that was enough to stop her then She wouldn’t be the right teacher. Instead she wrapped my torso in her wings and rolled us both over, with me on my back, she jerked her head back, and slammed it into my jaw, making my teeth slam together.

I heard cheers and boo’s coming from my friends sitting off to the side, Clearly Cherry and Rogue were rooting for me, but Blackjack and Nocti were on Whisper’s side. The yellow Pegasus released me from her grasp, and rolled off, back onto her hooves with practiced ease. I just went with what felt normal, and rolled backward away from her, getting my hooves under me, and pushing myself up.

Whisper was clearly annoyed by my change in her plan, but she didn’t stop the bout to say so. Instead she came at me again, fury in her eyes, and I knew that this spar had gotten a lot more serious. A flurry of powerful blows swarmed from my opponent, some of which I blocked, but others slipped past my defense and slammed into my belly or ribs. I grunted with each impact that landed, but then took the advantage back in the form of stopping her next punch by slamming my hoof against her withdrawn limb.

I heard her grunt as her shoulder was wrenched back, a feeling that wasn’t too pleasant I was sure. Then I dipped under her and lifted her over my back. She continued to move and landed hard on her back. I was already in motion as soon as I felt her weight leave me and found myself running at the corner of the walls nearby. I vaguely remember hearing gasps as I leapt and planted my hooves on the wall, banking my wings to keep me pressed to the wall as I began to gallop.

This had been one of the moves Whisper instructed me on, but also with my own twist. She had said nothing of using the walls to my advantage. I saw whisper struggling to get up, but continued my run along the wall, and around another corner, before I leapt off right behind her. I could tell she was a little dazed, but that didn’t stop me from pulling a front flip in mid air and bringing one rear leg down hard across her flank in a savage axe kick.

As soon as I felt my hoof come to a stop on the floor, I used the rest of my momentum to spin around with my other outstretched rear leg. I heard this was called a pirouette, but I didn’t care what it was called as I felt my hoof collide with her fore legs that she had gotten up just in time, but the impact force was still enough to send her flopping onto her back with me standing above her with my hoof cocked back, ready to punch her head into the floor. But I stopped myself, and held the final blow back, knowing I had outright won this fight.

Whisper knew it too, and lightly tapped my other leg, indicating that she yielded. I relaxed and let my drawn back hoof to move down slowly to grab hers and help her stand up again. The entire room was silent, save the groans from Whisper as she rubbed her butt. When I looked over at the spectators, I saw jaws wide open and eyes as big as plates. “Wh..what?” I asked suddenly self-conscious. But no pony responded, they were too busy staring at me. Even Nocti, who looked torn between wanting to laugh or cry.

Then Whisper tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to look at her. “Moonshine, what the hell. I mean I gave you a general idea of what to do, but you took that, and wiped your ass with it.” She said with a growl. I looked aside, feeling a little ashamed. “But what you just did, you took the bare bones of what I gave you and built something around it on the fly, and I mean literally. That goes beyond instinct and right into talent. I’ve fought so many ponies, but I haven’t come across many who could improvise in the middle of a fight.”

I flushed, I didn’t like this kind of attention. She was making it sound like I was some kind of savant, but I just did what felt natural to me. I didn’t like it when every pony looked at me like that, it made me feel like a freak. “Look, just stop gawking at me like that alright, I mean its not like I’m made of power or anything, I mean we literally have an alicorn, a pony who breaks the laws of physics and a mare who can turn into a fire demon. I’m just a dumb ass pony who punches shit!” I shout, but it made no difference, all my friends just looked at me and said nothing.

“Moonshine, no one is looking at you like you are a freak, hell you are talented at fighting, maybe it just comes natural to you, hell maybe it’s something inside of you telling you to just move, just do something. If I had to place my bets on anything, it would be some kind of trauma, like when you were little you saw some horrible shit and couldn’t do anything.” Whisper said, and I reeled, she had hit the nail on the head, even making me go so far as to question how much she knew about me. But that aside, was it really my pain at being unable to save my friends and family at Arbu that was to blame for what I did in a fight?
Seeing my internal plight, Cherry gently set down the young colt, and moved over to me, wrapping a foreleg over my shoulders. “Hey, its ok Moonshine, don’t look like that, what you just did was incredible, I haven’t seen any pony do what you did. Yeah maybe it has something to with Arbu, but so what, you are how you are, and guess what, I’m a freak by nature, and even if you were, which you’re not, I still love you.” She said and kissed my on the cheek. Rogue too joined in and ruffled my mane in a brotherly manner.

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for that quick thinking of yours, I would still be in that hospital bed paralyzed.” He said and I couldn’t help but smile. Even when I felt like shit, my friends were there for me to help make it better. Even Shady for her abrasiveness could tell when I needed a kick in the ass.

“You think hes good now, you should have seen him drunk. I mean I fight like a mad mare when I’m lit, but this buck just lets both barrels loose.” BlackJack offed, joining in as well, making Cherry do a double take. Apparently, I forgot to fill her in on what had happened after she left our group at the dam.

“I drink apple juice!” Came the squeaky voice of Nocti, who tried to add to the conversation the only way an innocent kid could. And admittedly, while every pony’s words of kindness made me feel better, it was just that little statement from the foal that made my day. I couldn’t help it then, I knelt so I was on eye level with him and smiled. “Ya know what, me too!” I said happily, and I swear that kids face lit up, but it was practically blinding to look at as I suggested we all go get some.

And so it was, that five tired ponies and a foal all found ourselves at the nearest restaurant, with varying plates of food and a large pitcher of apple juice. We all talked and laughed, telling stories and jokes that meant little to any pony save us, who had been through so much hell that this little slice of life was a very welcome vacation. I took a little time to tell Cherry all that happened when she left, and about how I had my first experience with the booze that I was named after. BlackJack pitched in too, telling her side of it, and through it all, Nocti listened intently, sipping his juice through a straw.

There was only one topic we avoided, and not by any spoken rule, but no pony talked or thought about death and violence for the rest of the day. I look back at this time, and all I can say is that I will cherish it, not because of any monumental moments, but because it allowed me to get a little slice of what it would mean once we all got back to our normal lives.

*Page break*

The next morning, I awoke. Much like the morning before I was snuggling Cherry, though this time we didn’t have blankets or sheets on the bed. We had made a good job of basically ruining them in our fun the night before. (Yes, I skipped writing it this time because admittedly, it got a little out of control, even for me.)) Both of us had been allowed to relax and unwind in a way we hadn’t since we left Ten-pony, but this time felt a lot more special. I had more friends this time, and all of us had grown closer. Even Zakk and Shady were finding time to bond.

“SON OF A BITCH!” Shady shouted, we had all gathered together to eat breakfast, which consisted of oatmeal by the way… ew, When Whisper arrived, and placed a piece of paper before Shady. I watched my friend read it, her face growing all the angrier as she did, when she had finally burst and shouted her expletive. “FIVE-THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED CAPS! FOR WHAT?” Shady continued to screech until Zakk clamped a hoof over her mouth making her fall silent but glare at the eccentric stallion.

Whisper, feeling it was safe to do so, pulled her hooves away from her son’s ears and looked at Shady with some level of amusement, but also understanding. “Well, for starters the medicine used to heal your two friends, then there was the X-ray machine, as well ass all of the wiring in the room which had been fried, and multiple breakers that need to be replaced, and the cost of purging the room of radiation so it could be used again.” Whisper counted off, listing all the stuff we had broken when I over loaded the machine. Shady then fixed her glare on me, and I suddenly found an interest in eating my oatmeal and pretending nothing was going on. “Celestia damn! We can’t afford that.” Cherry chimed in, and everypony nodded, breakfast had turned dour, no pony knew how we would get out from under this debt easily. Then whisper spoke up, that spark of amusement back in her eye.

“You all are looking at this the wrong way, your thinking of how to pay it, instead of going back out into the wasteland and finding replacements for what was broken.” She offered, and Shady looked back at her, eyes wide, and I sighed, already knowing what option she would pick. The others had gotten to know her well enough to know too.

“That’s all well and good, but besides the X-ray machine, we don’t know what needs replacing. I mean what if we bring back the wrong stuff?” Rogue asked, making Shady shoot him another glare, but I agreed with him, it wasn’t like we could just stumble upon everything we needed, and even if we could the odds of it all being in one place were practically nil.

“Actually, I have that worked out, there is a pony here who knows exactly what’s needed. You can escort them to sites, and they can get the replacements if they’re there.” Whisper offered, and Shady sighed. “So we get to baby sit some techie while they go out and collect their shit… givin’ me flash backs of the…” She stopped and looked around the room and fell silent. I had a feeling I knew what she wanted to say, but didn’t push it, we had some planning to do and we had to get ready.

*Page Break*

After we all finished eating, our group minus Whisper and BlackJack regrouped in Shady’s room. We were all wearing our armor, and had our weapons strapped in place. With all of us sitting here like this, we looked like a band of mercenaries. But wasn’t that what we were by this point? Shady already had a map of Hoofington pinned to the wall, and had several areas circled. “Alright, I have several ideas where everything we are gonna need will be.” She said and held a ruler between her teeth and pointed at one of the circles. “This spot is what I am assuming used to be an appliance store, where they sold washers and the like. Might be a good spot to find the wiring we need, maybe even the breakers. But There is another nearby location we should find them at”

She then relocated her ruler to another circle off to the east. “Over here is an old hospital, a likely place to search for an X-ray machine.” Shady stated and then dropped her ruler on the table. We will need to split up to get this done pretty quickly, no need on killing ourselves making multiple trips. Besides, we will have the techie with us, might not be a bad idea to have some pony escorting them. Any ideas on who should work together?” She said, looking around the room.

“Well I can escort the pony, might give me a chance to stretch my legs.” Rogue offered, and Shady nodded.

“Might be a good idea to have another team clearing the area of threats, make absolutely sure the expert gets there and back in one piece.” Cherry offered, and Shady smiled. “I was already ahead of you, I’ve been out of the fighting for a while, might be fun to let loose on some assholes. “Shady said with a rueful smile. I meanwhile was sitting off to the side, already having made up my mind.

“Cherry, I hate to say this, but your magic hasn’t gotten much stronger. I hate saying this, but I think you should go with Rogue; besides, you haven’t fought beside Shady yet, you would most likely get hurt.” I say somberly, and Shady nods, well aware of how she did her own thing.

“Does that mean you’re going with me Moonshine?” Shady asked, a little surprised but also excited. And while it did sound tempting to fight along side her again, I had a different idea. “Actually, I want Zakk with you, he can move faster than I can, but also be able to see what is coming before it does. Meanwhile, I can fly over to the hospital and get the machine. It would be faster than walking. Besides, I kind of want to see what I can do alone. I’ve always had some pony watching my back since this adventure began. Might do me some good to see where my strengths and weaknesses are.” I said and every eye was on me in the room.

“You sure you’re ok with that? If something goes wrong, there won’t be any pony to help you.” Shady says in her concerned mom like voice, but I wave her off.

“This isn’t the wasteland it used to be, besides, it’s not like I’m gonna run across Hell hounds or Steel Rangers, I should be fine, its basically a water run.” I say unconcerned, but Cherry wasn’t happy about it.

“Moonshine, I want to go with you, I don’t like the idea of you being alone out there.” She said, and I smiled. I knew she wanted to go, and I really wanted her too, but I needed to do this.

“ I know Cherry, but I need to see what I can do, and it would be easier if I didn’t have to worry about you.” I then look at Rogue, and my gaze hardens. “ Keep her safe, and don’t do anything stupid…” I warn, and Rogue gulps but nods quickly.

“Now that that is sorted, we’ll talk about what each role does. Moonshine you know your job, so just relax, I’ll get to you in a minute.” Shady begins again, and I nod and remain quiet as they continue to finalize the plan. I just sat there and pulled one of my revolvers free and reloaded it with five of the original rounds I bought in Junction town months ago. I mean I wasn’t worried about running into anything big, but it never hurt to be prepared just in case.

“Moonshine!” Shady snaps and I looked up to see her looking at me. “If you can’t carry the entire machine, strip it down of everything you can. If you feel like you are getting in over your head, I want you to cut bait and run the hell out of there. We can always find another machine, we can’t replace you.” She said, and I could tell she meant it. Her concern was a refreshing break form her usual candor. Then Cherry ran over and wrapped her hooves around me and kissed my cheek.

“Are you sure this is what you want, I thought you said we wouldn’t split up again.” She said and I felt a tinge of pain at that.

“Yeah, I said that, but this isn’t like that. We are dividing and conquering, Besides, you guys gotta wait for the techie to get here, and I don’t. Once I get done at the hospital, I’m gonna fly right toward you to lend a hoof until we make it back here.” I said with a confident smile, one Cherry shared with me before kissing me. “You better.”

I smile and hold her loosely as I look at Shady. “It’s gonna be a long day no matter what, so I’m gonna take off now, and then catch up when I’m done getting the parts.” I said, and Shady nodded, but then paused and reached back into her bag and pulled something out.

“Take this, Whisper gave me these the other night, but I didn’t get to give one to you. She said and I looked down. “What is it?” I asked as I took the small device that looked like a small ear plug. “It’s a compact transceiver, it’ll let us stay in communication. Well most of us, you will be out of range for a while, but when you get closer it’ll help in locating us.” She said, and I put the small bud in my ear, then pulled my helmet over my head and looked to my friends once more.

“I’m gonna take off now, Ill see you all this afternoon.” I said, and everyone said their good byes, including Zakk who even slapped my flank then dodged as I bucked at his head. With my bag carrying only extra ammo, I left the room, and trotted through the halls and made my way toward the entrance. Whisper was there, and so was Noctilucent. As I drew close, Whisper noticed me, and gave me a wave.

“Moonshine, where is every pony else?” She asked, and I quickly told her that they were all waiting for the techie, and that I was headed toward the nearest hospital to look for the X-ray machine. Whisper looked a little surprised that I was heading out on my own, and I rolled my eyes, why was every pony so worried about me taking on a challenge by myself. Whisper then checked my map to see where I was headed exactly, but then reeled. “Moonshine, you’re going to Happy Horn Asylum. You need to be really careful, BlackJack… Well never mind, but whatever you do, do not use any of the machines there. They were designed to trap you in a dream state to rehabilitate criminals. Just don’t use anything you don’t know how to.” She said, and I nodded. If the place spooked Whisper, then It would be smart to heed her warnings.

“I’ll be careful, I don’t plan on staying there long, just getting what I need before meeting up with the others.” I said, and whisper nodded softly, still concerned, before stepping aside. “Alright, take care of yourself out there.” She said, and I nodded before walking toward the door, and out into the bright morning light for the first time in three days. Or was it more? I shrugged that question off, and as soon as I walked through the gate, I began to trot right at the cliff, and then jumped.

There wasn’t a feeling like freefall, where your adrenaline spiked, and your stomach was pushed up into your throat. Then my wings snapped open and caught the air, halting my fall, and with just the smallest change, I began to climb and begin my flight toward my objective. I knew I had some time to kill, it would be a while before my friends left the compound, and even longer when they got off the mountain. I did glide along, only occasionally flapping my wings, and with my chin mounted controls. I flipped through the radio stations until I found Dj-Pon-3’s station, and Velvet Remedy’s voice filled my helmets speakers.

As soon as the song ended, I heard Homage in her masked voice come on the air with her usual honey coated tones. “Good morning Equestria! This is Dj-Pon3 comin’ at you live from TenPony Tower. Now, about a week ago, I told you all about what went down out in Hoofington. About how my friends went out there and stopped the corrupt officials of the N.C.R. and helped re-establish safety and order out in the hoof. Well I got some more news on the subject children. Seems that while Gawdyna Grimfeathers is trying to re-establish order, and Velvet Remedy is up and about with her new daughter, it seems that some aren’t happy with the new arrangement. Keep an eye out for some of the N.C.R. staff who escaped. Now I doubt they are a big threat, probably just looking for a fix. Though if you do find one of these escapee’s be careful and give them a wide birth.”

I raised an eye brow as I flew along. If some of the drugged-up members escaped it might be possible that all of us might have to go deal with that.

“As for any of my friends who helped in relieving the dam of its previous staff, don’t get involved, I have a message from Gawdyna here stating, and I a am quoting here, “You idiots stay out of it. While I am thankful for your help, not only do we have the situation under control, but you also have more important matters to attend to. Keep going on your journey, you know what you need to do, and who you need to catch. While I am not pleased it has come to using civilians to deal with our failings, I will keep the N.C.R. out of your way so you can do what needs to be done…”

“Wow, how cryptic Gawd, but I am sure she knows what she is doing. As for those ponies she is talking too, whatever it is you’re doing, Gawd has not only given you permission, but also her blessing. I’d hate to be who ever it is you all are after, because they must have fucked up bad if even Gawd is keeping out of it. Anyway, for the rest of Hoofington, and the Manehattan region, today is looking cooler than usual, the sun will be out all day, with no chances of rain, and slammer chances of blood bullets and dismemberment. It seems that as Equestria heals itself, we ponies also begin to heal. I will be back later with an excerpt from Fallout, the story of our beloved Littlepip. But before that, a song for those brave ponies fighting up north, It’s Velvet Remedy with Fly Like You.”

I roll my eyes again as Homage mentions Littlepip, though that was to be expected. Then I smiled as the only Velvet Remedy song I liked began to play, and I found my wings flapping in time with the beat. Today just kept looking up.

*page break*

As Moonshine left for his part of the job, the others remained in Shady’s room, double checking their gear while they waited for the pony who would be accompanying them on their journey. Rogue, Shady, and Cherry were all Checking their weapons, and making sure they were loaded and ready. Cherry had a little difficulty lifting her guns with her magic, but as she continued to mess with them, it seemed her magic was getting stronger, and soon she wasn’t having much issue with their weight. Rogue sat beside her, and looked over his rifle. Shady had likewise cleaned and polished it, also adding a stronger scope and larger magazine. Shady was also loading her shotgun, staggering her shells with either buckshot or full slugs. She had also up graded to a drum magazine and a reflex sight.

Only Zakk was left sitting off to the side with nothing to do besides twirl his hooves. And it wasn’t long before the boredom got to him. But rather than act out like an idiot, he looked at Shady, and a question popped into his mind. “Hey Shady, mind if I ask you something?” He asked, and the grey mare nodded with out looking up from her weapon. “You were a Steel Ranger weren’t you?” Zakk quipped, and the whole room took on an icy temperature Shady looked up from her shotgun. Both Cherry and Rogue stopped in what they were doing and looked back and forth between Zakk and Shady.

“Why would you ask that?” Shady fired back coolly, but the look in her eyes told every pony that Zakk had hit a nerve.

“Well, at breakfast you almost said something then stopped, and when Moonshine mentioned not going against Steel Ranger’s I saw your eye twitch, you’re good at knowing weapons and equipment, and your planning just now screamed of military experience. Plus, you said something else that was a dead giveaway.” Zakk fired back, Shady’s face paled. She had forgotten that Zakk was as old, if not a little older than se was, and had been all around the wasteland. Who knew what all he had seen or heard?

“You called the Pony coming to help us a Techie. That’s something the Knights or Paladins called their scribes.” Zakk said, confirming that he had indeed seen or heard something out there in the wasteland. Knowing that Zakk had hit the nail right on the head, and the reaction that Shady wore, Cherry and Rogue were stunned into silence. All this time they had been traveling with Some pony who had once been a Steel Ranger, and as they thought about it all of the pieces fell into place.

“Yeah, I was. Once.” Shady said lowly, and det her gun down beside her, before putting her head in her hooves and sighing. “Alright fuck it, I wasn’t trying to keep it secret, I just never found a moment to bring it up. But then you had to just tear open the curtain.” She said before pointing at Zakk. Cherry on the other hoof, became uncharacteristically angry at Shady.

“You bitch. You told us that you would be open and stop hiding things. Lunas mercy it’s no wonder that Moonshine asked me to come along. Hell, he even told me when we first met that he wanted some pony around that wasn’t keeping shit from him. Now I fully understand what he meant!” Cherry shouted at the grey mare, a flicker of red appearing in her hazel eyes.

Shady though, just sat there until Cherry fell quiet, and when she did, Shady stood up and got right in Cherry’s face. “You don’t know anything. Now sit there and shut your cock sucker for a minute and you might understand why I have a hard time talking about it...” She said coolly with just an undertone of a threat. Cherry didn’t back away from the larger mare, but did keep quiet, deciding to hear her out.

“You remember on the boat how I told you what happened to me and why I hate slavers?” Shady growled and every pony nodded except Rogue who looked confused. “I’ll catch you up to speed later.” Shady said to the alicorn before continuing. “Anyway, there is more to that story. I was part of the Steel Rangers. But I wasn’t a Knight or anything, no I was a Techie. A scribe. In my chapter, every knight was assigned one scribe. And our job was to not only accompany our knights and find tech, but to also keep their power armor and weapons operating at peak efficiency.” She explained, and Cherry nodded, following her so far.

“Well, turns out that My knight was on the verge of being promoted to Paladin, and was being assigned tougher and tougher jobs. So, I spent a lot of time with him, and we ended up caring for one another. Knights were told that if their scribe was injured severely, they were to leave them and return to base. Scribes were more easily replaced than a Knight and power armor. But when I got injured, he didn’t leave me, he stayed by my side and helped get me on my hooves again. After a while, it wouldn’t be shocking to learn that I developed feelings for him, and in turn he had those same feelings.” She said then paused to take a breath and calm down a little.

“Well shortly before Littlepip showed up in the wasteland, he and I decided to leave the Steel Rangers. Knights weren’t allowed to have a relationship with their scribes, and when I found out that he got me pregnant, we had no choice but to leave. So, in the middle of a mission, we scuttled his armor and buried it, hoping the sea would wash it away, and we went out to begin our new lives. We had a small shack, and we were both setting up a little farm, and my belly continued to grow as the months passed. But then, in the middle of the night, I found myself bound in chains. The Knight I had fallen in love with had secretly been part of a slaver band without me knowing it and had sold me when he knew I was going to give birth to a healthy foal. I watched as they gave him a bag of caps, and then came to get me.” She said with a shaky breath, and even Cherry couldn’t be mad at her for keeping this hidden.

“When I got taken, I was taken to Fillydelphia, and put in one of the work camps. Seems there was a miscommunication about me being pregnant, and I was used to haul a mine car full of old rubble. Well, as I continued to get bigger from the foal in my belly, they thought I was hoarding food, but as time went on, and they couldn’t find it, the began to beat it out of me. But when I said I was pregnant they just laughed and rolled their eyes and beat me more. One of the handlers, a bitch of a mare with a cracked horn and a wicked knife stabbed me in the gut and said I wasn’t pregnant any more. She thought it was a joke, but two days later I had a miscarriage. Oh, was Red-Eye Pissed when he found out. He came to me, down in my little hovel by the mine, he came to see me and offer his condolences. He even offered me freedom if I told him who in his staff was responsible for what had happened. But I said nothing. Not out of fear of that cunt, but out of rage.” Shady pressed on, despite the tears in her eyes.

“I was reassigned to working in the steel foundry where they melted old steel to turn into new girders and the like. My job was to cut up the old steel, they even had me use a laser saw to cut through a stable door. Well, Months after Littlepip made a mess of Filly, I ran across the mare with the knife, and where no pony would notice, I attacked her with the saw. I cut her legs off, and kicked her teeth in. and before she died, I told her that my Son’s name was going to be Clover, and then tossed her in my cart and buried her and her limbs under a ton of steel. Then I carted it off to the foundry where carts were dumped at a regular basis. No pony noticed blood stained steel and body parts mixing with the molten metal. When Red-eye died, and the Talons came to liberate us, we all went to Junction Town, but there wasn’t enough space for us all, and most of us who were healthy enough to do so, went out and set up our own settlements. The five around Junction Town were all made up of ex-slaves. Even though I spent my time guiding the others and helping them get on their hooves, I never forgot about my Knight and how he betrayed me. So, one day, about two or three years after I left Filly, I remembered where I had helped bury the power armor, and on my trip to get it, I stumbled upon a young foal being beaten with clubs and pipes. And I couldn’t help it, I saw the kid as if he was my own, and motherly instincts I thought long dead roared to life. All the pain and anger and fear I had bottled up burst out, and I beat everyone of them to death to save that kid.” Shady said, shaking with pain and anger at remembering what happened.

“It was Moonshine. He told me his point of view of that day.” Cherry whispered, and Shady nodded.

“Yeah it was Moonshine. I took him back to Respite and got him the help I could. But he was in a coma for weeks. During that time, I returned to the site of the power armor and dug it up. It took me three days to extract the rusted hulk and load it on a wagon. And by the time I got back, Moonshine was awake, and alive. But he was still hurt badly, and I took on the expense of his care. I earned the caps by opening a shop and repairing broken things, but I had stuffed the old suit in my office where Moonshine was not allowed to go. Over the next few years I worked on the suit in my spare time, trying to get it operational with the bits I had scavenged here and there, all the while wanting nothing more than to wear it on the day, I tracked down my knight and killed him. But it became a means to protect Moonshine in the end. You know what happened to the suit, it was the one Moonshine was in when we boarded the Sea Horse.” Shady said and finally sat back, finally able to breathe after bearing her entire past to the room, leaving nothing more hidden and buried.

“Well… Now I know why you had a hard time talking about it.” Cherry said, before sitting next to the pained mare, and hugging her. While Shady was not normally the type to show a lot of emotion, this was one of the few times where she openly cried. Like Moonshine had done at the beginning of their adventure, Shady now clung to Cherry and bawled. Every pony else in the room remained silent, before Zakk moved over and wrapped his hooves around Shady as well, and Rogue moved behind them, and surrounded the entire group in his massive wings.

Just outside of the room, a white unicorn mare without a cutie mark cried too. Her crimson eyes more red than usual as she sniffled quietly, having listened to the entire story. Blackjack had been through her own slice of hell, but she also knew that out there, somewhere in Equestria, her own children were alive and well. With all the pain she suffered on her own journey, that was one she had been spared. Still spilling tears, she moved off to Moonshines room, opened his journal which was resting on the bedside table, she quickly wrote everything she had heard, as well as her own pained feelings. Then took the paper and went off to find Whisper. With only one request to give it to Moonshine when he returned, she then left the room, and in a white flash she was gone. Possibly back to her home in Chapel, to wallow in her own grief yet again. But that was not the end for Blackjack, because Whisper knew Blackjack all to well, and with care she sent word to Velvet Remedy via a young bat-pony courier. Hopefully Velvet can find a way to get Blackjack the help she needed.

** Page break*

I was still flying an hour later. Multiple songs having passed, and by the time I spotted the location I was supposed to go, it was just time for Homage to come back and start reading Littlepip’s story, which made me immediately turn off the radio and begin my decent. I pretty good at flying, but landing wasn’t my strong suit. So, I took it slow and finally managed to set my hooves down on the cracked pavement outside the old asylum. I looked up at the old sign above the door, and cracked old cement greeted my vision.

Happy Horn Asylum

I couldn’t help it, just the sight gave me a shiver down my spine. The whole place had an ominous feeling to it, and even in the warmth of the late summer sun, I felt chilled. I shook my head and pushed the feelings aside as I walked up to the main entrance, and with just the slightest bit of apprehension, I push the door open and enter the gloomy interior.

The insides were dark, and there were thick moats of dust floating through the air. Even through the breathing apparatus, I could still vaguely smell mold and death. I could tell there hadn’t been any ponies through here in a long time, a thick layer of dust covered everything, including old spent shotgun shells and brass cartridges. There was a brutal fight here, but it must have been years ago judging by the amount of dust.

I looked around the room, the blue lights of my visor alighting and filtering out the darkness. Then I saw them. There corpses scattered around, decayed flesh barely clinging to the bits of bleached bone that had been exposed for a while. I shook a little and got over the shock of seeing these dead ponies and walked deeper inside. Everywhere I looked there, there were signs of battle, and many old weapons dropped to the floor. There were pistols and pipe rifles, but amongst the cheap weapons there were a few intact combat rifles and even an assault rifle. I scooped up everything I could, feeling grossed out about looting the corpses, but I knew these would sell for a decent amount once Shady got her hooves on them.

One thing I never did find was the shotgun, though I had my suspicions on who was carrying it if Whispers warning was any indication. I continued walking around, seeing the water-logged walls, and a dried-out fountain. Bullets marked the walls; further indication of a battle having been waged here. Still I continued wandering around, listening to the creaks and groans as the old building swayed in a light breeze. Sweet Celestia this place gave me the creeps.

Then I heard something tip over in a room not too far from me, and some pony whisper in alarm. “Fuck! That scared the crap outta me! Be careful Butters.” I heard some pony whisper, and as I moved closer to the room, my hair on end, I smelled a little smoke through the helmet, and listened closer.
“Damn, I can’t believe we got away. That shit at the dam was all fucked up! Raiders and rad-scorpions comin outta the ground, and then alicorns from the sky. Lunas tight fuck hole, I can’t believe Grunt pissed off so many different groups.” One pony said from inside the room before another spoke up.

“Yeah, too bad he’s gone. The steady supply of chems he was pumpin’ us full of sure helped. But now I’m so tired and I got the shakes. And then we come here, because you said that there would be plenty of chems at an old hospital. But we hadn’t found shit. And now with that damn DJ keepin tabs on this mess, we’re stuck here until shit calms down. How you doin over there Pop Tab?”

Just my luck, I stumbled upon a group of those druggies from the dam, and they were strung out. So far I could tell there was at least three maybe more. And I couldn’t exactly go past the room without alerting them, so how was I gonna keep searching for the machine if I couldn’t get passed them.

“S…somepony is out there.” Came a shuddering voice, one I didn’t recognize. But then I managed to see a little movement through one of the bullet holes, and when I looked, I noticed there was a pony staring at me through the hole. And to top it off, I also noticed that my lit-up visor was painting the old wall in it’s blue light.

“Fuck it’s a Ranger!” Shouted a mare and then I heard the unmistakable sound of weapons being cocked and readied. I only just managed to jump back in time as everypony in the room unloaded where I had been standing, bullets tearing through the wall and covering me in plaster and asbestos. I crawled backward, and around the corner, trying to keep my cover as long as possible, all the while struggling to turn off the glowing lenses. “Get that Mother fucker!” Shouted the stallion from before, and I knew I was toast if I stayed here, so I leapt up and ran back down the hallway, and then dipped down a side hall, but my luck ran out when I found myself in a dead end.

At the end of the hall was an old medical cart, tipped over and its contents already pilfered. I I leapt behind it, using it for any type of cover I could get and hope it would be enough. “He’s over here!” The mare shouted, and I cursed under my breath. That bitch has to be using a spell to track me or something. I wasted no time in unholstering my revolvers and kicking the safeties off my gauntlets. If they were gonna come at me with intent to kill, I would do what I had to. I already promised Cherry I would go back to her.

“I rolled out from my makeshift cover, and pulled the trigger on both guns, one punching a hole through the opposite wall, the other bouncing off harmlessly and hitting one of them. “He’s using rubber bullets!” Shouted the first gruff sounding stallion, and I sensed his confidence increase. My wings pulled back the hammers again and waited for when I saw a face. When one of the strung-out fools poked a head around the corner, I let loose with the rubber bullets and hit them right in the forehead. I knew it wouldn’t kill them, but it was sure to hurt like hell.

“ONE GUN HAS RUBBER BULLETS, THE OTHER HAS LETHAL BULLETS1 I DON’T WANT TO HURT YOU GUYS, HELL I DON’T CARE THAT YOU’RE HERE!” I shouted around the corner, but if they believed me, they showed it poorly as a heavy carbine was levitated around the corner, and I dove behind the cart again as they unloaded. I felt the bullets rattle against my back, but none of them penetrated the cart. “Goddesses dammit, I don’t want anything to do with you all!” I shouted over the gun fire, but once more my words fell on deaf ears.

“Oh, to hell with it.” I muttered to myself and pulled the one hammer back yet again. I looked round the dead-end hall way, looking for anything that would help me out, but seeing nothing useful, I remained hidden, behind the cart and focused. “Ok, there’s four or five. They have me pinned in a dead end.” I looked up and around, trying to see if there was a hole in a wall I could climb through, or a vent. But like before there wasn’t anything of use.

My mind worked over a few options, but none of them would lead to a good result. Then I got one clever idea, and by clever, I mean retarded, but it would serve well enough as a distraction. I holstered the revolver with the rubber bullets and dug around in my bag, before my feathers wrapped around exactly what I was searching for. “Grenade!” I shouted and whipped the item from my bag before tossing it at the corner. The gunfire from the carbine let up, and it was the distraction I was hoping for.

“Its just a pistol!” Shouted one of the Ex-N.C.R.ponies, and the carbine began firing again and tearing into the over turned cart. I couldn’t be happier that my plan worked. While they were distracted, I moved, using the power hooves on my back legs to launch me at the wall. By the time they started firing again, I was running along the wall like I had in my fight against Whisper. If I was right, none of them know I was a Pegasus, so they wouldn’t expect an attack from the air.

“I banked my wings, keeping my hooves planted on the wall, and galloped toward the corner. As soon as I got a line of sight on the ponies, I fired my ballistic hooves, and launched myself at the unsuspecting group. One of them saw me coming, and tried to get his rifle to bear, but it was too late, I was already closing with him, and with a hard crunch I toppled him with my own momentum, and knocked him to the floor, his weapon pinned between us. Before either he, or his comrades could react, I slammed my helmeted head into his, knocking him out before moving again.

The unicorn mare was my next target, she was the one levitating the carbine and any moment that thing would be pointed right at me, so I had to take her out next. I threw a hard punch at her muzzle, firing one of the blank shells and blinding her from the flash and the blow to her nose. She slumped against the wall, and I spun, slamming the butt of my revolver against her head, knocking her out as well. That was two down, and three to go.

In slow motion I saw the mare’s carbine fall from the failing magic that had levitated it, and I snapped out my empty wing to grab the falling weapon. Now the remaining ponies were aware of my presence, and one even got a shot off from his pistol. The shot slamming into my ribs, but the armor saved me from a repeat of Respite. I snarled in anger and spun the rifle around to hold it by the barrel and use it like a club.

One quick dip left then up, I brought the butt of the gun across the face of the one I guess they called Pop Top based on his cola coloration. He whinnied out in pain and fell, leaving me to square off with the larger of the ponies, who was holding a shotgun in his teeth. I ducked just as he fired, the buckshot only tearing a few feathers from my wings, which hurt but not as bad as getting shot. I swung my wings, the pistol slapping his shotgun aside and the force of the blow shattering the bucks jaw just as my improvised club hit him in the knee, popping the joint out of place. Like the others before him, he too dropped to the floor.

Then a bullet sparked off my helmet, and made my head snap to the side, making my vision blur, but I kept enough senses about me to react and roll backward, dropping my revolver, and gripping the rifle with both sets of primary feathers. When I managed to roll onto my hooves once again, I was standing only three meters away from the remaining pony, who had a bolt action rifle leveled at my head, but the carbine I had stolen was pointed at a similar spot at his forehead.

I blinked rapidly to clear my vision, but the gun never wavered in my wing’s grip. “Don’t even think about pulling the trigger.” I said in a low warning, and I could see the twitchy stallion looking between me and his incapacitated friends. “Look if the same to you, I would rather not hurt you. So, if you’ll do me a favor and pull back that bolt and drop your gun, I would be very appreciative.” I said softly, hoping he would take me up on the offer, no I was praying that he would. He didn’t.

Instead he pulled the trigger, but his shaky hooves couldn’t aim straight, and he missed. I didn’t. I pulled the trigger of the carbine about the same time he had, but rather than shoot him dead, I hit him in the right shoulder, the bullet impacting the bone and spinning him around before he fell onto the floor, bleeding but not heavily. I knew he would live. “You are fucking idiots, I didn’t want to hurt any of you! I was just here scavenging like you! But no, you wouldn’t listen, now look what happened! “I shouted. And then walked over to the fallen buck who I had just shot. He was busy grunting and trying to crawl away from me, but then I stepped in front of him, and pulled my helmet off, showing him my face.

“Why didn’t you listen? Why did you make me shoot you?” I asked as I sat down in front of him. I knew I had a look of genuine apology on my face as he rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, holding his wounded shoulder. “I… I don’t wanna go back to the dam. They were trying to purge us of our addictions, but it hurt, it was exhausting. It wasn’t fair.” He said through gritted teeth and I sighed softly.

“Was it worth it? Did it hurt more than having your shoulder broken by a bullet?” I asked, and the stallion fell silent. He knew I was right, he just didn’t want to admit it. “Look, I don’t want you all hurt like this, but I don’t have anything to heal you with. So, I am gonna take your weapons and gear, and alert the N.C.R. that you all are here so you can get help and so you won’t try to hurt anyone else, alright.” I say to the buck who just nodded, relieved despite being in pain that I wasn’t going to hurt him. He then closed his eyes, and either fell asleep from exhaustion, or shock I don’t know, but I patted him on the uninjured shoulder and sighed as I set about stripping him and his friends of their weapons, ammo and anything else I could use.

With my saddle bag a little heavier with stuff for Shady, I left the injured ponies where they were, stepped back into the sunlight, and pulled the flare gun Homage had given me. Even if she didn’t see it, I knew somepony would and come to investigate. So, I fired the flare into the air, and went back in, still searching for an X-ray machine that would be suitable to replace the one I broke. Luck was on my side, tucked into the closet of one room, I found an intact machine. It looked to be un used, though a little rusty from age, and with the help of a bed sheet and some old restraints I tied it to my back.

I figured I still had a little time to kill and set about looking through the rest of the rooms, looking for anything to loot, but came up almost empty, save one healing potion laying in the corner of a closet. Having exhausted the building, I went back to the injured ponies, and poured the potion down the mouth of the pony I had shot. Even if he wasn’t going to bleed out, I didn’t want him to get an infection. Feeling satisfied, I stepped back into the warm summer day, and took to the skies once more, and flipped on my radio once more, just in time to hear Homage wrapping up her reading of LittlePip’s book.

*Page break*

It took an extra half hour before the expert showed up, by then every pony in Shady’s group had time to wipe their eyes and recollect themselves. None of them were any the wiser that BlackJack had just left and went back home, but then they had other things on their minds. With quick introductions out of the way, the group left the castle and began the long walk down the mountain. It too them the better part of an hour to get to the bottom, by then, every pony was already tired, though none of them spoke it. Well except for Rogue and Zakk, the two super natural parts of the team.

“Alright, Zakk and I’ll head off ahead of you. That way if there is anything serious, we will have it handled before you get there. Cherry, you and Rogue lag behind a bit with Test Light.” Shady said, before unholstering her shotgun and taking off at a brief trot ahead of them. Test light, their electrical expert took of at a slow walk, Cherry keeping in step beside him and making sure she was able to grab her weapon if needed. Rogue clopped along beside them, breathing the fresh air and yawning calmly.

‘You seem a little too relaxed Rogue.” Cherry remarked, making the tall alicorn smirk. “Of course, its been too long since we were able to just stroll along on a nice day, either we have so much going on and its all controlled chaos, or we are all in the hospital for one reason or another. So, when I get an opportunity to relax and enjoy the day you bet, I’m gonna take that opportunity.”

Cherry smiled, and Test Light paid no attention to their conversation, as he had the entire way down the mountain. Not that he would have much to say, he was mute. So, he just listened and walked along with Cherry and Rogue, also smiling softly, listening to the two banter back and forth not discussing anything of importance. This continued on for a time, maybe an hour or so, around the time Moonshine was finishing his fight with the Ex-N.C.R. ponies.

Meanwhile, at the head of the group, Shady continued to trot along at a steady clip, Zakk appearing and disappearing, letting Shady know if anything was nearby. But so far, the trip had been pretty quiet. Save the soft buzz of static in her ear from the little earbud she wore. She was the only one in the group with in her ear, which would begin to beep louder as Moonshine drew closer but so far it was dead air. Even so, Shady couldn’t help but smile, despite her emotional break down earlier, she was feeling almost as light as a feather now. Even her usual limp didn’t pain her too much.

Which was when everything turned tough for the buff mare. “Ghouls!” Zakk shouted not to far away, before he was suddenly beside her, making Shady jump a little. But before she could even begin to say anything to the eccentric stallion, Shady both heard and observed a pack of ghouls tearing through the underbrush, charging right for her. “Son of a bitch. ZAKK!” Shady yelled past the bit in her mouth, though she doubted he could hear her anyway.

Her tongue worked at the trigger, a quick dance against the metal. Several shots fired out, and several ghouls dropped dead into the road, either with their heads torn to ribbons by buckshot, or massive holes from heavy slugs. Every shot met its mark, and still the ghouls kept coming, keeping Shady circling around as they tried to get at her flank, and she kept blasting them. When the drum ran dry, Shady witched methods, and used the weapon as club, bashing the brains in of any ghoul that got in range. Those that she couldn’t hit with the but of her gun, she stomped back into death.

When the last one dropped, its skull having been crushed, Shady ejected the empty drum, and slammed a fresh one home, and then went around collecting every spent shell she could. She even checked the decaying corpses for anything useful, one had a single cap wedged in its skin, another had a bobby pin, and one other for some reason was carrying a toy block with the letters I and D carved into the surface. She left that object behind, it wasn’t even worth being fire wood.

With a sigh of contentment, and her heartrate returning to somewhere around normal, Shady continued along her way, still fuming at Zakk for leading them right to her, but she would prefer it that way rather than Cherry and Rogue stumbling upon them. By this point in time, Moonshine was already in flight, and headed their way, though they had no idea when he would come back.

This was the pattern for a time, Cherry and Rogue would chat idly, commenting on the ghouls that Shady had dealt with, and Shady herself would be wandering along, before Zakk brought hordes of enemies at her from seemingly any area within five miles. But Shady really didn’t mind, she had been left out of the majority of the fights since leaving Respite and was happy to be neck deep in danger and adrenaline.

When Shady had finally reached their destination, she was dangerously low on ammo, but she was hoping that while Cherry and Rogue were guarding Test Light she would go scavenging and try to find some goodies. Even if she found nothing, it was still fun for her. So, while they waited for the rest of the group to catch up, Shady and Zakk began looting. They didn’t find too much of use, a few spark batteries, some old pipe pistols, and a small assortment of different ammo, even a box of shotgun shells which Shady promptly loaded into her current drum. They even found some old magazines, ones she thought Moonshine might like, and some other rather salacious ones she figured Cherry would enjoy, even though the content within managed to make Shady blush a little.

Cherry and Rogue strolled along, keeping in step with Test Light, still taking a while but nearing the small town where Shady had located an abandoned electric supply store, or appliance store as she called it. But as soon as Test Light neared the building, he knew what would be in there. Cherry and Rogue kept near him as he too began scavenging, stripping wires and lights and anything he could get his hooves on with practiced ease. In no time at all he had a prewar washer stripped apart and anything her felt could be used was stowed inside his bag.

Cherry watched in awe, how effortless he made it look, and how it reminded her of Moonshine. Every time she saw him tinkering, she was reminded that for a long time that was the only joy he had in life, but now she knew that all of them together brought him more happiness than nay amount of tinkering her could do. Just the thought of Moonshine made her heart race with worry, he had never been on his own before, and she couldn’t help but agonize of his absence.

Rogue nudged her, and gave her a look, knowing what se was thinking, but giving her a wink, letting her know that Moonshine would be fine and that she should focus on the hear and now rather than the things she couldn’t control. So, they stood there for a time, weapons raised as they searched the store, finding old prewar bits, some old detergent, and even a tool kit. Though little of significance. But when Shady and Zakk appeared, Cherry almost unloaded on them from surprise, but at the last moment she recognized Shady, and eased the pressure on her triggers.

When Test light was finished stripping the machines and the walls of the wiring, he went to check the breakers, but they had all been stripped already or too badly damaged to repair. So Shady suggested the continue on to the second site, which was only two miles away. And rather than split up again, they stayed together, only because Shady was worried she didn’t have the ammo to deal with more enemies should Zakk go wrangling them.

Then everything went to hell.

“Run!” Shouted Zakk as he came skidding around a corner, actual fear for his friends in his eyes. But when no pony made a move to do so, they were greeted by a horrendous site. No wonder the town was deserted, when a thing like that lurked in the shadows. Everypony gaped in awe and horror as a monstrous creature skittered into view from where Zakk had come from. It looked like a very grotesque hermit crab but was the size of a small house. It had been using an industrial sky wagon as it’s shell, though it looked a little small to contain the beast.

“Mother…fucker…” Shady said in awe as the beast came skittering at them, faster than one would think. Shady aimed her shotgun at the monster, and fired of a single shell, but she watched as the buckshot did little more than piss it off. “Ok running time!” She said and the entire group turned on their tails and ran, trying to get some distance between them and the hungry beast. But run as the might, they still couldn’t outpace the monster.

Rogue, knowing he had only one shot, leapt into the air, and began firing round after rapid fire round at the creature, but like Shady’s shotgun, it had little effect. “Get in cover!” Shady shouted and began running at the front of a small fuel stop. The kind where Pegasi of old would refuel their sky wagons. As soon as they made it through, Shady leapt into the garage, hoping the concrete and steel beams would be enough to keep it out while she formulated a plan.

“Um Shady…” Cherry said in surprise behind the grey mare, and when she turned around, she saw a sight that made her knees grow weak. She had seen them, but never up close, and now that she did, she felt herself growing wet under her tail. Standing there, abandoned to time, damaged and missing several patches of armor, was a set of Grand Pegasus Enclave power armor the energy cannons still strapped under the wings.

“Oh, my dear Luna, you do listen to prayers.” Shady said, practically drooling over the suit. Cherry, without missing a beat, stripped off her bags and weapons, and moved over to the suit. “Shady can you get it running?” The red unicorn asked, and Shady knew what Cherry was thinking immediately. She was the only pony here who would be able to make use of it given her size, though Zakk was close he would surely tear it apart just trying to move. “Just try and fuckin’ stop me!” Shady shouted before jumping into motion, Test light too, as they pulled out tools and some of their salvaged bits of wire and old spark batteries. While it wouldn’t be as effective with her piloting it, it was a far sight better then two fourty-fives that wouldn’t do jack shit against that monster outside.

Rogue and Zakk focused on keeping the monster from tearing into the building too fast, either shouting insults at the thing, or firing of multiple three-oh-eight rounds to keep it busy as Shady and Test Light became a blur of motion, both able to work seamlessly to wire up the power, and wrap the new connections with tape, the entire time Cherry’s heart raced. She had grown up in the Enclave, her father helped work on these suits, it seemed like poetic justice that right now, she would get to be a small part of the enclave properly.

It took only three minutes for Shady and Test Light to get the suit some power, but even then, the battery was barely able to provide enough juice for long. “How many shots does it have?” Shady asked Cherry, who looked at the cracked heads up display, looking for an ammo counter. “Not many, this thing’s been here a while.” She said loudly, only because the external speaker didn’t work.

“Alright, listen up every pony, hit that son of a bitch with everything you got, we might just get lucky and hit something vital.” Shady ordered, and every one nodded, Rogue chambering a new round. Zakk set to work, knocking holes in the concrete walls so every pony had a place to shoot from. Shady and Rogue took up a spot beside Cherry, who stood before the bashed open door, staring at the massive hermit crab.

Feeling her stomach tighten, Cherry wrapped her lips around the trigger bit, and with a nod to her friends, she began firing red bolts of magical energy at the monster. The beams had a much stronger effect than Shady's shotgun and Rogue’s rifle, burning and searing the beasts exposed flesh, just before buckshot and .308 rounds tore into the softened tissue. But even through the latest onslaught, the beast refused to give up on its prey. Massive claws tore at the building, large chunks of concrete being chipped away. Before long, what had been a door way became a hole, torn apart and glowing from the flashes of Cherry's energy cannons and bullet fire.

Even though they had found a better edge, the creature was still beyond tough, and was getting angrier the more they blasted it. When one shot from Rogue managed to pop one of its bulbous eyes, it screeched in pain and rage, before spinning itself around, the armored wagon it was using as a shell becoming a wrecking ball and blasting apart the wall. Shady, Rogue, Zakk and Test Light all managed to either leap aside or escape the worst of the collapse, But Cherry found herself pinned under a slab of concrete. While it would have been bad, the armor protected her enough to keep major injuries at bay, though she didn’t quite have the strength to push the slab off of her.

“Cherry!” Shady shouted out, her vision clouded with dust and debris, but that didn’t stop her worry for the red unicorn.

“I’m fine!” She shouted back, and grunted as she tried to stand, but the armor just didn’t have the power to shove the concrete off of her. Shady knew it too, and tried to make a move to help the pinned mare, but then was held back as the Hermit crab swung another claw back around, and knocked even more of the building down.
Now that the beast had managed to create a sizeable opening, it wasn’t content to just demolish the building, but kill every pony inside who had injured it. Shady and the others found themselves backed against the last intact wall, still peppering the thing with whatever shots they could in an attempt at a final stand.

“FUCK YOU, YA SKITTERING CUNT!” Shady shouted out past the shotgun bit in her mouth as she pelted it with alternating buckshot and slugs. Even though her shots had little to no effect, she still preferred to go down fighting, Rogue Joining her, gritting his teeth and screaming at the monster while Test Light tossed rocks or anything her could at it, and Zakk chose to do the hokey pokey for some reason.

“What the fuck is beeping!” Shady shout after spitting out her empty shotgun and resorting to Cherry’s pistol. No pony responded, either because they were busy shooting, or had no clue what she was going on about, though she could clearly hear a loud beeping, and the pace was getting faster.

“Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE, MINE, MINE, MINE!” Every pony stopped shooting, even the large hermit crab paused as the shouting drew its attention back outside. Then two loud barks echoed past the hulking crabs form, and Shady saw twin spurts of blood appear on the crab’s side. Then a streak of blue slammed into the things side, and Shady’s jaw dropped, as well as the rest of those able to see, as two hydraulic rams activated, and shoved the beast onto its side, exposing moonshine, with a windswept mane and a heavy bag.

It was only then that she recognized the beeping as the transponder that both her and Moonshine carried. Without stopping, Moonshine unslung his bag and tossed it at Shady, who caught it with surprise at the weight he had held. “TAKE THAT STUFF AND RE-ARM, I’ll KEEP IT DISTRACTED, ZAKK GIVE ME A HOOF!” He shouted, and Zakk leapt out beside Moonshine, joining him as they began to distract the monster long enough for them to resupply and get Cherry unburied.

Rogue moved without hesitating to get Cherry free, and Shady Dug through Moonshines bag, finding quite a good number of salvaged weapons inside, even a carbine, and an assault rifle. She felt herself drooling over the implements of death, and wiped her muzzle with a hoof as she pulled out the weapons and checked their loads, before giving them out to Test Light and Rogue before joining in getting the slab off of the pinned unicorn.

*Page break*

I dipped and dove, peppering this latest monstrosity with shots from my revolvers, then diving in and slamming myself against its armored side, knocking it around and keeping it from my friends. Zakk likewise helped, using his amazing speed and supernatural strength to shove it around now that he was free enough to not worry about indirectly hurt any pony near him.

I acted as a flying pinball, slamming into any area that its deadly claws and mandibles wouldn’t reach me in time. I didn’t know what this thing was, but it wanted to hurt my friends, and while I would feel bad for it later, I wasn’t too torn up about actively hurting it, hell I would even kill it if I had too. Unlike a pony capable of logical and intelligent thinking, this beast was just that, and I decided to treat it as such.

Again, and again I repeated the same moves, shooting it from a distance and then slamming my power hooves into a previously made injury. I continued to feel my joints protest from the impacts, and my teeth jarred together more than once, but I pushed all the discomfort aside and continued my assault on the beast, trying to guide it away from my friends.

“ZAKK, BOULDER!” I shouted, then pointed upwards, hoping he would get the idea, and was relieved a few moments later as Zakk hefted a massive boulder the size of a large wagon, and tossed it up into the air above the Hermit Crab. I flew into motion, pacing the massive rock, and just as it slowed and began to fall back to Equus, I pushed against the top of it, guiding the massive projectile, and just before impact, I slammed my forelegs into it, using the concussive force of my ballistic hooves to propel it faster at the beasts back. I didn’t stop there, putting all of my effort into shoving it faster, putting my wings and shoulder into the effort, before I felt my efforts come to a sudden and body jarring stop. My helmeted head slamming into the concrete rock, making my vision flash.

I hear an in-equine screech of pain as I roll off the side and onto the ground beside the beast. I didn’t lay there long before Zakk scooped me onto his back and got me clear of the thrashing monster. My head swam, but Zakk set me down, and I managed to keep my hooves under me as I shook my head, trying to clear it. The first thing that I saw, was that the impromptu plan had worked to an extent, pinning the beast, and the impact to its back having broken a few of its legs, though its claws were still waving wildly, trying to grab the chuck of debris on Its back.

“Holy shit.” I whispered, and Zakk nodded, even he was managing to express surprise, though it left his features quickly as he realized we now had a pissed off and injured behemoth on our hooves. While Zakk was focused on the beast, I looked around the intersection we had found ourselves in, having managed to move and guide the crab a block away from the rest of my friends.

“Moonshine it’s free.” Zakk said in alarm, and I snapped my vision back to it, amazed at its fortitude. We would need a lot more than a massive rock to kill it. As I started trying to formulate another heavy attack, my friends joined in the battle again, using the newly acquired weapons to great effect. Shady charged around it, peppering its hide with full auto fire from the assault rifle in her mouth. Rogue joined in next, flying above, and rinsing its head with more 7.76 auto fire. Even a pony I didn’t recognize joined in, Shady’s shotgun in his muzzle, putting the slugs inside to great effect on the beasts damaged joints.

Then I saw a sight that made my knees weak, a set of Enclave power armor right behind Shady, peppering the monster with bolts of crimson energy beams. I was caught of guard at the sight, and even more so when I saw patched of pale red fur poking out from areas where the armor plating was damaged, and then I realized that it was Cherry inside, though the crimson rivulets of her blood told me that she wasn’t boding well inside. That sight was enough to kick my ass back into gear, and try to find a solution to the situation.

Then Zakk tapped my shoulder and motioned at an old, rusted water tower atop a building, and I knew what he was thinking, though I doubted I could fly him up there and I surely didn’t have the strength to shove it over on my own. Zakk though, thinking lightning quick, knocked me onto my back. “Kick me!” He shouted and then jumped up without giving me time to think about what he was up too. Instead I reacted, and drew my rear hooves in to my belly, and as soon as I felt his weight settle, I grunted and kicked out, shoving him hard enough, though he too kicked back into me, and I felt the force from him shove me into the ground, and I watched as Zakk soared toward the roof above.

I grunted and felt my joints begin to ache from the repeated abuse, though I knew I couldn’t lay there. I spread my wings under me, and shoved myself up onto my hooves, feeling my legs wobble like jelly, though I pushed the thought from my head and flapped my wings again and too to the air. “Move it toward that building!” I shouted to every pony, using their heavy fire power to corral it against the building, the wagon on it’s back tearing apart the old stone, but we didn’t care as we used all we had to guide it into place. I even resorted to slamming into it again, though the attack was much weaker than it was previously, but with our combined effort and good timing, we managed to get it in place.

“ZAKK NOW!” I hollered to the roof, and a moment later, shocking us all, pun intended, came an explosion of lightning from the roof, followed by the boom of thunder and the screeching of tearing metal. The water tower lurched, but didn’t give up its centuries old perch willingly, so we kept up the fire until another blast of lightning lit up the sky and with a teeth hurting squeal the tower began to list, breaking it’s bonds on the roof, and finally tumble down the side, tearing up old concrete and intact glass on it descent, spilling murky, and rust colored water down on us all.

Every pony, in unison, leapt aside as the steel structure crashed down, crushing the hermit crab. Sharp, jagged steel impaling the beast, tearing limbs off and turning its brain into pulp on the concrete. With a final scream of pain, the monster was no more, pinned and dismembered by the water tower, the murky water carrying its toxic life blood down the street and to the old storm drains. Zakk landed on the ground beside us, cracking the still intact pieces of concrete.

Once we were sure that it was finally dead, I slowly stumbled over to Shady and Cherry, wrapping my hooves around their necks and hugging them tight, relieved that they were alright. Rogue joined us a moment later, wrapping us in his wings, also visibly happy that we were all back together. Even Zakk joined in for a change, although he only just patted us all on the back.

After our touching reunion, Shady and Zakk set about checking the dead monster for any valuable loot, after all, it had been living her for a long time, who knew what was inside the wagon. Cherry Rogue, myself, and Test Light made our way a few blocks west, finding the store Shady had located earlier that day, and quickly plundered it for all it had to offer, even a box of breakers that they would need.

By the time we regrouped with the others, Shady and Zakk had finished the messy task of looting the crab, and they actually had a good pile of equipment, Medicine, weapons, different talismans, even a battle saddle Shady put to immediate use, strapping her shotgun and newly acquired assault rifle to the sides, and the carbine slung across her back. Zakk somehow had managed to acquire a pair of rather odd sunglasses, long and angular, looking like long triangles sprouting from the bridge of his nose.

“ummm guys, we’re gonna need a wagon to carry all of this.” Shady said, wiping her exhausted face with a hoof. And every pony sighed in similar levels of tiredness. Rather than split up, we grouped up, leaving Shady and Zakk to guard our new gear while the rest of us searched for a working wagon. It took a good while, and a few too damaged to move before we located one that could roll, it was an old passenger wagon, most of the seats, and interior decoration having been scavenged, though it still had intact wheels, although it had a bent axle, and sadly wasn’t the flying variety. Rogue, who had managed to avoid almost all the injuries and exhaustion from the day, hooked himself into the old wagon, while the rest of us clambered inside, and flopped onto the steel floor.

By the time we made it back to Shady and loaded the gear, the sun was on its way toward the horizon. Every pony took up guard positions, as we bounced and rocked our way back to Black Pony Mountain. Though given our slow pace, we were forced to make camp at the base of the mountain, finding the hot springs Blackjack had showed us a few days prior. Shady and Test Light had to help Cherry out of the power armor due to the impromptu repairs they made, but once she was out, she fell against me and hugged me tightly, and I didn’t hesitate to hug back.

With a slew of healing potions and food, we found ourselves relaxing in the hot water, washing the dirt and gore from our bodies before allowing the water to relax us again, though Cherry and Rogue were surprised, having missed out on it the first time. Cherry found herself resting against my shoulder, the day having taxed her mending body heavily, while Rogue merely looked like a full-grown adult sitting in a kiddie pool, which elicited a small round of laughter at the sight. The only pony who didn’t immediately join us was Zakk, who had been chained to a tree until he promised not to terrorize Rogue and myself like he had the last time we were in a hot bath.

After a relaxing soak in the hot spring, Rogue and Shady took up the first watch while the rest of us got some much needed sleep. Cherry pressed her back to my belly, and I wrapped my hoof around her middle, holding her gently as I buried my face in her mane. Within minutes she was asleep, breathing slowly as she relaxed against me. I however, like normal, had issues falling asleep, even though my legs and wings felt tired and weak, I just couldn’t relax enough.

I used to think that it was only because I didn’t feel safe enough to let my guard down, but with these ponies I knew I was the safest I had been in ages. Maybe it was just how I was wired, or maybe It was the trauma of watching my childhood home burn. I shook my head gently so as not to disturb Cherry to try clearing it, but found myself soon after replaying the events of the day in my head. The fight at the hospital playing in slow motion, bringing just what I had done so effortlessly into sharp relief.

Never before had I envisioned being able to not only fight multiple opponents on my own, but disarm them and make their weapons my own. I mean I felt bad for wounding that one stallion with a shot to the shoulder, but I knew he would live. What made my stomach flutter though was how I didn’t even hesitate. As soon as I realized he was gonna shoot, I didn’t blink, I just shot him. And it really bothered me. I was just one desperate moment, one flare of anger away from gunning down my enemies like so many before me had done. It was such a chilling thought, I felt myself shiver despite the warm mare I cuddled with.

I continued to struggle with that for a while, before I finally had enough of pretending to sleep, and certain that Cherry was deeply asleep, I pulled away, making sure to cover her in my coat, before stepping outside and flitting my wings to carry me to the roof. Rogue and Shady were sitting beside one another, not talking much, just content to enjoy the cool night air.

“Moonshine, what are you doing up.” Rogue asked as I landed beside them and out up a cigarette. I was sure my lack of response would Coney the simple truth that I just couldn’t sleep.

“Rogue, if you want some rest, go ahead. I don’t think Moonshine is gonna get much rest tonight.” Shady said somberly and I winced. Of course she would see right through me, that’s just who she was. Rogue nodded, getting the hint and gliding to the ground without a word of protest. I sat there quietly while Shady poured a cup of coffee and held the drink out to me. I took it in a wing with a mumbled thanks, before taking a sip of the bitter beverage.

“So what’s buggin ya.?” She asked and I sighed before taking another drag from my cigarette, thinking of my response. When I finally began talking about my thoughts and feelings, running her through the fight I had at the hospital, she frowned but kept her own council until I finished.

“So, you’re worried that as you continue on this trip you will eventually snap enough and take a life that didn’t really deserve it.? That sound about right?” She asked and I nodded, tossing my cigarette aside. Shady sighed softly and rubbed be face, tired but still the same tough mare I knew.

“Then give up. Settle down with Cherry, get a safe job, have a kid or five and live safe, knowing you didn’t give up on your feelings.” She said softly, and from the tone in her voice, I knew she wouldn’t blame me. Hell she probably wished for it herself.

“Shady, I can’t do that. Knowing I left you on this half baked trip when I should have been there with you would drive me insane. Besides, I still owe you for saving my life a few years back.” I said, though I planned on saying more until she interrupted me with a dismissive wave of a hoof.

“You don’t owe me shit. Any debt you had to me has long been paid in full with interest. And I appreciate you sticking with me this long, but if you really want to settle down and have a normal life, I would never begrudge you that.” She said softly, and I knew she meant it.

“Shady, that’s a tempting offer, but I can’t stop now. After all, Phanes has to pay for what he did. I want to look him in the eye, and tell him the names of the twins who died in Respite. I want him to know that he ruined so many lives through his greed. I don’t want him dead, I want him to suffer.” I said with more venom in my voice than I wanted. Even Shady looked at me in surprise.

“Jeez Moonshine, you want some water to dilute that pure salt?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, making me snort with a sharp laugh. Shady soon joined me with her own chuckles, lightening the mood between us and helping me feel better.

“Still, I am worried. This world doesn’t allow ponies like me. It’s all shoot first ask questions when you feel like it. When death is the norm, it’s not really a punishment. Those like Phanes, who hurt others for their gain deserve worse than a Goddess damaged vacation or eternal rest.” I growl, my shortened mane bristling with the anger I had been holding onto for months.

“Say you’re right, say we catch up to Phanes, what should we do huh? Nail his dick to a stump and kick him backwards? Or better yet, pour molten lead down his gullet? He would certainly live, but that’s just as cruel if not worse than just killing him.” She said, cracking a smile though despite the grim and disturbing topic.

“Holy shit, no way! I mean, take Phanes for example, he likes to surround himself with ponies who listen to his charismatic charm. I’m sayin’n take that from him. Lock him up in isolation, feed him, give him paper to write and reflect on his thoughts, but take away all social contact, no pony to talk to or interact with. I hate the beaked prick, and I want to take from him everything, just like he did to every pony in Respite and our neighbors.” I said with such conviction Shady raised her eyebrows again.

We both fell silent after that, giving me time to light another cigarette and sip my coffee. “Moonshine, go get some sleep. Once the sun comes up we will be making our way to the top, and there will be no way you’re sleeping in this fucked up wagon.” She said and I chuckled softly.

“Ya know, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, we should have a wagon for the rest of our journey.” I offered, making Shady put her chin on a hoof.

“it’s funny you say that, I’ve been thinking it too, and while this one is pretty fucked up, I’m sure I could fix it up enough to be reliable. She said, and then the gears in her head began grinding in her head. “Actually… maybe better than reliable.” She said cryptically, but I knew better than to ask what was on her mind, she would tell me when she was ready.

“What if we had a wagon that wasn’t just a place to rest on our trip, what if we had workbenches, tools, the whole nine yards. What if we had storage, and things like that!” She said enthusiastically, and I couldn’t help but smile at her giddiness.

“Might as well add private rooms, maybe an iron safe to stuff Zakk into at night.” I said jokingly, making her laugh softly. For the next few hours we talked and joked, feeling closer to normal than we had in months. But one thing we never discussed was our plans for the future. Partly because we didn’t know what the future would hold, and partly because we didn’t want to jinx ourselves.

“Moonshine listen, go get some sleep, or I swear to Luna I will kick your ass so hard you’ll be shitting hoof shaped pancakes.” She threatened jokingly, though I knew she could do it if she wanted to.

“Alright, alright. Just let me know when it’s my turn for watch.” I say softly, before hopping back down to the ground and stepping into the wagon. It had been a short while since I left Cherry asleep, but it looked like the tired mare hadn't moved a muscle. So, I carefully laid down beside her, and draped my hoof around her middle, and unlike before, I found it easier to fall asleep.

When morning came, and the sun was rising above the horizon, I packed away my journal, having spent the better part of my watch shift scribbling down my memories of our journey. I brewed another fresh pot of coffee over the small fire I made before moving to wake the others. Once they were up and about, a certain wine-colored unicorn looking rather groggy, I poured her a hot cup, and moved to start breaking down camp.

Before long, with every pony awake, and our gear stowed, Rogue hitched himself to the wagon, and we all took up guard posts, with me flying lazily above with Rogue’s rifle strapped to my back. But it proved to be pointless, as the entire trip, which took half of the day, was boring, quiet, and without any trouble at all. Well save the cacophony of noise from the old wagon.

When my hooves finally touched the rock, I was exhausted, and my wings were beginning to ache from the abuse I had put them through over the last few days. I gave Rogue his rifle back, and joined up with the others in going through the gear we had salvaged. Together we split it into two piles, stuff we were keeping, chief amongst them was the Enclave power armor, though it was a much smaller pile than what Shady described as “Tradeable”, which we inventoried and made a list of all we had to sell.

With that, we all packed up what we could carry, and left Rogue to rest in the mostly vacant wagon to get some rest from his exhausting climb up the mountain, and moved toward the multiple stores inside the castle. Test Light parted ways silently, carrying the equipment we had salvaged to replace or repair what we had broken.

We spent the rest of the day, following Shady from place to place, selling what we could and trading when that merchant ran out of caps to give. Shady did all the talking as usual, and I still couldn’t help but marvel as she negotiated better prices and more equipment. Though I found myself confused, every pony else along with me as she started trading for things we didn’t really need. She even bartered for a large shipment of steel, tools, hydraulic rams, a massive assortment of little things that made no sense to us, but we knew better than to ask what she was planning.

By the time the shops were closing for the night, Shady had cleared most of the sales ponies of their caps, and we were still burdened with a heavy number of things she had traded for. “Alright, every pony, drop that shit off at the wagon and scram. Find something to do, keep yourselves busy, and don’t fucking bother me. Zakk you come with me, I’m gonna need you.” Shady commanded, making Cherry and Zakk raise their eyebrows. I just winced because when Shady “needed’ a pony, it wasn’t usually for idle conversation.

I pushed those thoughts out of my head, and walked silently with my friends back to the wagon we had been using, and dropping our burdens on the floor inside. Rogue was already sitting nearby, his face a mask of confusion at the size of the bags we carried. I was right there with him, it seemed like we hadn’t sold a single thing based on the sheer volume of what we had. As we dropped the bags, Shady began hooking herself to the wagon, before looking at Cherry, and reaching into her saddle bag to produce a large bag of caps before tossing them at my mare friend.

“Remember what we talked about? Those caps should cover it.” Shady said cryptically, before nodding to Zakk to get in the wagon. Once he was aboard, Shady started pulling it away toward a rather large bay door built into the side of the castle. That left Rogue, Cherry and myself to stand there in silence at our friends' behavior, but I was used to this from her. She had done this for years when we worked at the shop in Respite.

“So uh... that’s a thing.” Rogue said softly beside me, and I shrugged.

“You get used to it.” I replied before rubbing my muzzle, and beginning to walk inside.

“Oh Moonshine, I gotta go take care of somethin’, why don’t you show Rogue to our room, I’ll meet you there.” Cherry said, but there was a subtle nervousness in her voice and body language. I looked at her suspiciously, though if Shady told her to do it, it had to be for a good reason.

“Alright, but be safe alright. If something happens, you know where we are.” I say softly before leaning in and kissing her gently on the cheek. Cherry reciprocated the gesture, and smiled in her usual confident way before trotting off as well, leaving Rogue and I.

“You get used to it huh?” He said slyly, and I rolled my eyes before leading the way to our room. We walked silently for most of the trip, luckily it was short now that I knew the way. Once we arrived in the room, I stripped off my gear, and flopped onto the bed while Rogue sunk to the floor, sighing contentedly. I matched him, before chuckling softly to myself, and rolling onto my side, and grabbing my pack of cigarettes. I lit one up, and inhaled softly, before I noticed Rogue eyeing the pack with a hunger I hadn’t seen before, and then I remembered that he smoked too.

“Ya want one?” I asked, and he nodded. I tossed him the pack and a lighter, which he caught effortlessly in his magic, and likewise lit one up.

“Huh, Déjà vu.” He said softly, and I looked at him tiredly before I also remembered our first proper interaction. We had played this exact scenario out before, though the roles were somewhat reversed, and we weren't hiding from Zakk this time around. When the full memory finally revealed itself, I began to laugh softly, and a moment later, Rogue joined me.

“it's amazing how much has changed in the last few months.” Rogue commented after a time, and I nodded.

“When I look at how this all began, it almost feels like it happened to some pony else. Like I was just watching their memories. But then there are times where it feels like nothing’s changed at all.” I say softly, staring up at the ceiling, smoke curling from my nose.

“I hear ya. When I first met you, you were like a scared kid, but there was a fire about you, though it was more like a smoldering flame. But now, with how much we’ve been through, seeing you become the Stallion you are today... there are times I don’t recognize you. I mean, I know you’ve noticed, your growth, not just as a fighter, but as a pony, it's been so fast. It's almost like there was another you, buried deep in your subconscious, just waiting for you to become who you are now.”

I didn’t need him to finish his thought, as soon as he said “Another you” another memory resurfaced. When I had been shot in the chest, my mind had tried to protect me. But the me that appeared in that mirror... he was confident, not arrogant. He carried himself differently. There was a certain quality about that version of me that at the time un-nerved me. But now that Rogue had said something, it all clicked.

I quickly and suddenly jumped up, making Rogue flinch in surprise, but I wasn’t focused on him. Instead my attention was on the mirror hanging on the wall. I saw my reflection, the tired stallion I always was, but there was no mistaking the signs that I was becoming the other me in my fucked-up dream. The bags under my eyes were fading, and my belly looked more rounded than it had previously been.

I had been eating better, but Doctor Life Bloom had told me that since I was becoming a Pegasus, my metabolism would speed up so I needed to eat a lot more. But what caught me off guard, and why I was so freaked out when I saw my reflection the other day, was that I was also carrying myself with the same swagger that the other me had.

“Moonshine, what is it?” Rogue asked in concern, his cigarette long forgotten.

“N... nothing, just thought I saw something.” I lied. And I knew there was no way Rogue bought it, but he decided not to push the matter. Last time he had, Cherry and himself had gotten trapped with her alter ego Justice. I felt a cold pit open in my stomach, but I didn’t know why. It was entirely possible, it had happened multiple times in the past that the brain could foresee events in the future, maybe they were just coincidence or anther strange type of magic, but whatever it was didn’t change the fact that I was standing here right now, and that I was safe.

“See that right there, that’s what I’m talking about!” Rogue said, and I looked at him in the reflection of the mirror.
“it used to be that when you were freaking out, there would be some type of panic, or a full-blown freak out. But now, I mean you were freaked out about something, and then just like that, bam, you’re back to the cool and collected Moonshine.” Rogue said enthusiastically, and I sighed. I knew he was right, but traveling like we have, and doing what we’ve done would change every pony.

“Rogue, do me a favor and drop it alright. Yeah Something is bugging me, it has for a while, but I can’t change anything about it. Please just drop it or I might have a full-on panic attack alright.” I said coolly, though inside I felt like my skin was crawling. Rogue, sensing that he was on thin ice, backed off, and tossed me a new cigarette which I lit immediately and slumped against the wall, letting the cool stone ease some of the tension that had been building up.

I stayed like this for a minute, Rogue trying to lighten the mood with idle chat, and I welcomed the distraction, but an even greater source came minutes later as Cherry came through the door, looking relaxed and calm, calmer than normal if I was being honest. “Umm Cherry you ok?” I asked, and she looked at me with a crooked and tired smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She said, but the way she enunciated her vowels, and the low tone of her voice told me something was off, and red flags were immediately raised. Rogue noticed it too but couldn’t say anything before Cherry slumped against the door and fell to her haunches.

“Cherry!” I said, leaping to my hooves, thoughts of her being poisoned entering my mind first. I moved over to her, but she waved me off with a lazy hoof, that small smile still plastered on her face.

“Moonshine, I’m fine... I met this really cool buck; he had all kinds of stuff.” She said before setting a bag down beside her, which I had failed to notice as she came in. Her horn alit and I saw the weak orange glow rummaging around in the bag, before she pulled out the weirdest vase I had ever seen. It was about seven inches tall, made of an emerald hued glass. But unlike most vases I had seen, this one had a small pipe coming from its bulbous base.

I looked at her in confusion, I never would have thought of her as a botanist type before, though stranger things have happened. When I made the same comment to her, she just giggled, and then flashed a rueful grin. “It’s funny that you say that.” She said slowly, before opening a bottle of water, and pouring it into the vase. I looked up at Rogue, to see what he made of this odd show, but then was lost again as I saw a knowing grin on his face.

Cherry drew my attention back to her, as she pulled a smaller bag from the other, and when I saw the contents, I immediately recognized it, and I knew who she had gotten it from. Once again in the matter of a few hours, a memory returned of an odd bat pony I met the other day, the same one who had cut my mane and tail.

“Cherry holy shit!” I said, and she giggled before using her magic to take a small amount and pack it into the smaller pipe of the vase. No not a vase, what she had here was something I had only heard about and never seen.

“First time ever seeing a bong Moonshine?” Rogue asked, and I nodded, too shocked at what was happening to answer. Cherry Finished packing the “Medical herb” into the bowl, before picking it up, and using the lighter by Rogue to light it. I watched her place her lips inside the larger opening, and I marveled at the sight as she took in a heavy breath, inhaling the smoke that was forming in the bong.

When she he took the pipe away from her mouth, she immediately started coughing, but tried desperately to hold in the smoke. Then Rogue picked it up, and he too inhaled like she had, and also tried to hold in the smoke, though faring better than Cherry did. Then he held it t to me, wrapped in his amethyst magic. I looked to Cherry, who nodded at me, though her eyes were watering as she struggled to hold it in.

I gulped, I mean I had faced a pony eating hermit grab yesterday and didn’t blink, yet I was nervous about this? Fuck that.

“No time to be a pussy about it huh?” I said before grabbing the bong with a wing, and the lighter with the other. Doing like Cherry and Rogue had, I put it to my lips, flicked the lighter, and inhaled the smoke building inside. I took a long pull from it, the smoke tasting harsh and bitter, though there was a hint of pineapple to it.

When I took a lung full, I set the water pipe down, and began snorting trying hard to hold it in. Cherry and Rogue watched on, smiling as I held it for as long as I could before finally letting it out. As soon as the smoke left me, I took another breath but found myself beginning to cough like I had when I first smoked a cigarette.

“Yeah there ya go Moonshine.” Rogue said happily, and Cherry leaned into me, kissing my cheek again. I continued coughing, tears streaming from my eyes, though I couldn’t help smiling. And it didn’t take long for the plant to work its magic, like the first cigarette of the day, the head rush came on quickly. With in minutes, I felt my body sinking to the floor, a relaxation I hadn’t felt before, though I still heard my heart thundering in my ears, but I was too calm to care about it.

Then my body twitched hard, making Cherry and Rogue jump in surprise, though their reaction time was seriously dulled seeing as how I had fully finished the jerking motion before they reacted. “Moonshine, you ok?” Rogue asked a moment later, though I was too busy chuckling. “Yeah, I guess my body isn’t used to this level of relaxed.” I said softly, though still giggling, which made Cherry start too.

The three of us continued like that for a while, each of us finding it easier to take drags from the pipe as time went on. And as the herb in the bag diminished over time, our thoughts became more and more obscure.

“Hey, do you think homeless ponies understand knock knock jokes?” Cherry asked, which elicited giggles from Rogue and I. something about the randomness of it making it even funnier.

“Ya know, Bullets are weird.” Rogue said next, making Cherry and I look at him in confusion.

“I mean, they only do their jobs after they’re fired.” He said with a grin, before more giggles came from us all. A few more minutes passed, before I too shared a random thought, not really a question, just more of a statement.

“Carrot pot pie… those are my three favorite things.” I said softly, which made Cherry crack up with laughter, complete with three separate snorts. Rogue on the other hoof, coughed as he was in the middle of taking another hit from the bong, and the smoke her blew from his nose, somehow just happened to form into smoke rings, which made it even funnier than anything previously said.