Author's Notes:

Revelations.

TWO WEEKS LATER

I didn’t have to say anything to get the others to come in on the plan. Guillotine had followed through. I found myself sitting with Popper and her posse. Guillotine had told them about my plan and he pointed a talon to me. At first, it took a while for them to come around. But when some came secretly asking me about it, I just gave them a wink and smirk. I glanced quietly. I noticed the Enclave had doubled. Someone told them about my plan. And I had finally figured out who. A young mare that I had seen a few weeks ago being carried off by the Enclave on my first day here. I told Guillotine about it in seclusion and told him to tell her a false plan.

“You are scary smart. You know that?” Guillotine had told me. I smirked and trotted away from the secluded area of the prison. I was glad to see that the cotton candy colored mare glanced nervously at my decoy. In the five weeks after telling Guillotine my plan, I had found out what had cause my magic from being canceled and how I was able to do it in the mist. The intercom itself created a certain tune that cancels our magic. In truth, it’s a quiet noise that is really hard to hear that throws off concentration to flow magic. But I know now where to turn it off. In the station overhead. I had missed it the first time. But on one night, I had snuck in again to see if I had missed anything. And I was right. The snoozing Enclave had a terminal. One that I haven’t seen before.

Out of sheer curiosity, I put a hoof out and found myself going through it. A cloud terminal. The next day after, I told Guillotine that I was going to need Ghost Peppers help during the distraction phase. And now that I know what I had to do. I nodded to Popper and stood up. I trotted over to the light blue colored pegasus with a blonde mane. Ghost Pepper was talking to a pair of other ponies as well as a few zebra. She noticed me but pretended to keep talking. When I passed by, the override card hidden in my tail unlocked her weights. She adjusted her wings so it’d stay on. I did this to a few other pegasi as well as griffins. While doing this, I also kept a quiet eye on the meek mare that had ratted out Gahilda.

I noticed her talking to an Enclave pegasus in the corner before the Enclave nodded and took flight, speaking to the others in a quiet voice. I smirked. They were expecting a riot. But what they weren’t expecting were wings. When I reached Xanthos in my quiet little trot of “minding my own business”, the zebra didn’t look at me but slightly nodded, signaling that my pass meant it was time. They broke form and quietly made their way to the meek mare. I hope she would forgive for me this, but we can’t have any pony that would be willing to give us up if it were to save her own hide. At least she’ll be safe though.

I walked past Piffon. A short griffin. But tough none the less. He glanced at me and I smirked. He nodded before breaking away from his group and bumped into another griffin.

“Watch it, pal.” Piffon growled. The other griffon turned.

“The fuck you say?” he barked. Piffon turned, a small group of his posse walked behind him. The griffon turned with his own posse.

“You heard me.” Piffon retorted. He was suddenly slugged by the griffin and the brawl broke out. A few Enclave officials came to try and break it up, only to suddenly have the griffins turn on them. They didn’t have a chance to fire off their energy weapons before they were piled on and beaten. The Enclave above took aim, only to have a pegasus extend his wings and shoot straight into the Enclave, throwing his aim off and disintegrating one of his own. More Enclave took aim and in a flash, pegasi and griffons ditched their locks and took flight, engaging the Enclave.

I watched as turrets popped out, only to have griffons and the pegasi steal the energy weapons and fire at the turrets, causing them to short circuit. The Enclave were utterly confused as to why they were suddenly free of their weights and didn’t have time to react when the freed ponies and griffins turned on them. I galloped with Popper and Ghost Pepper as the Enclave tried to break up the ground fight and were suddenly pounded on by earth and unicorn ponies. The three of us galloped up the spiraling ramp. I looked to see that the Enclave were focused on the chaos than three little ponies running up the ramp. When we had reached the station, I pulled out the override card and unlocked the door, startling the two Enclave officers in the room.

Popper dove to one and I the other, knocking them both out and taking their weapons in our teeth. I pointed to the symbols, guiding Ghost Pepper through. We had succeeded in getting through and turned off the intercom. I noticed a ‘descend’ option and pointed to the options. She pressed it and to our surprise, the ramp hummed and moved, connecting to the side of the ramp. I smirked and looked at Popper. She nodded with her own smirk and pressed a button on the broadcaster.

“Listen up, you Enclave punks. We are taking this joint over. Hope you brought more back-up.” She grinned. “’Cus' you are gonna need a lot of it.” I patted her on the shoulder and smiled. She looked at me and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know how you did it. But I guess I can forgive you. If we get out of this alive.” She said. I nodded and motioned with my head for Ghost Pepper to go nuts. She grinned more evilly than Viper, which made me shudder, before she broke her weights off and flew into the fray. I galloped and was greeted by Guillotine and Xanthos, bearing Enclave weapons. I nodded to them and we rushed up the ramp with a few more zebra, griffons and ponies. We barreled down the hall, firing at turrets and Enclave that were unlucky enough to get in my way.

“Alright, guys. Time to break.” Guillotine said. When we came to a split in the hall after taking down four Enclave, we split. Guillotine flew slightly off the ground next to me with Xanthos and Popper. It’s funny. A few weeks ago, I was just the new bait. And now I was the quiet leader that is pulling the strings of this plan. And it was coming to fruition. When we entered an empty lobby, I skid to a halt, Popper running into me.

“What is it?” she asked. I said nothing, motioned for them to cover me before galloping to the armory room. I swiped the override card in the door and the door swung open with a click. I smiled, seeing the crate my gear was in. I stripped off the cerulean jump suite and quickly equipped my gear. The snug feeling of my stable barding and duster as well as my weapons in their holsters and slung on my back were all familiar. I smiled as I fiddled with my PipBuck. It took a moment for me to get it on and secure and I beamed as the EFS came to life. I threw my hood over my head and galloped out. Popper arched a brow at me.

“What’s with the get up?” she asked. I said nothing but smiled, motioning them to take whatever gear they needed. Xanthos picked up a cloak from the armory that I’ve seen some zebra wear that made them go invisible as well as a rifle. Guillotine found an energy gatling and grinned with sheer joy.

“Oooh baby. Now this is a weapon.” He chuckled. Popper snorted before picking up with her magic, a carbine and a revolver. Now that we were fully equip, I believe it is time they knew.

“Are we ready now?” I asked, startling both Xanthos and Popper. She looked at me with a gape.

“Y-you can talk after all!?” she said. Guillotine shrugged.

“Surprised me too.” He said. I chuckled.

“I figured I really didn’t need to talk to get this to work.” I smirked and winked. “After all, I am the new bait.” Popper rubbed her chin in thought before blinking and looking at me.

“Wait… so this entire time you… how…” she bristled a little. “You got me to confess about what had happened to me without talking!?” Now I looked at her, but with concern.

“For what it’s worth, you did kind of set yourself up.” I said, pulling my hood down. She opened her mouth to say something, but then stopped and closed it again. She groaned.

“Can’t believe I got tricked like that.” She said.

“But this break out isn’t a trick. I mean it when ponies here haven’t really done anything bad.” I turned, forcing them to follow me as we talked. “I planned it from the start. The very first day I got here.”

“You made a very convincing mute.” Xanthos said. I smiled.

“Well, I’m a courier. I’ve been in situations like these.” I scrunched my face up before speaking. “Though not as long as it took to pull off this break out. I’ve only dealt with the Enclave once in Las Pegasus.” We turned a corner, shooting more turrets.

“You mean to tell me that time when the Enclave were pissed off was because you rode one of their projects?!” Popper said as she took aim and fired at a turret, destroying it in the process. I furrowed my brows.

“Rex isn’t a project. He’s a normal creature just like us.” I said.

“Those creatures are timberwolves, Quiet Fire.” Xanthos said. I nodded.

“Yes, but there is one that I know is more than a timberwolf. And that’s where we are heading for right now.” I said as I looked up and we came to a set of a big mechanical door.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. We are going for timberwolves now?” Popper balked. I smiled.

“Yup. Call me crazy, but it is a part of the plan.” I said. Popper snorted.

“You’re insane.” She said. I nickered before working the terminal next to the door. Of course, it was a cloud terminal. And none of us were pegasi. But we did have a griffin.

“Hey, Guillotine. Mind working the terminal?” I asked. He scoffed.

“I don’t know technology.” He said. I smiled and he blinked. “Oh right. I forgot that you are a scary smart pony.” I stepped aside as he worked the terminal. I guided him and frowned when we only found one pair of symbols. He had to back out four times before getting it right. The door swung open and four Enclave came out, weapons drawn. I conjured three copies that tackled them and fired point blank rounds into them. Their bodies went limp and the three people with me gapped. My copies faded.

“I’m also an illusionist.” I smirked. “You can probably tell that those weren’t fakes.” I said. I noticed Popper feeling flustered before speaking.

“What the hell!? If I had known I was bunked with an insane illusionist, I would have just left you alone.” She said. She looked at me and frowned at my coolly arched brow.

“If you all had known. Then the Enclave would have figured us out long ago.” I winked at her. “Hence the mute act.” Xanthos gave me a smile and Popper just looked even more flustered.

“Easy there, kid. We got a carrier to take over, remember?” Guillotine said as we made our way down the hall. I hoped I hadn’t caused too much strain on the poor mare’s head. I took a gamble. And it worked. I only had to convince one of the majority and it had worked. It was just a side perk that the meek mare that is now unconscious in the corner of the stadium like prison had ratted out Gahilda and Cloudwing giving me the override card. Cloudwing…

Why had he helped me? Why is he doing this? Taking out more Enclave and leaving the scared scientists alone, I couldn’t help but wonder over and over again. Why? And he mentioned something about Silver Iris having to decide. Decide what though? I lost the thought when we turned the corner and found a door that read “Science Lab: Authorized Access ONLY”. I took the override card and frowned when the door hadn’t open.

“Well now what?” Popper asked as she turned and peeked out from the corner. I bit my lip in thought. Then, I blinked. Of course. I had two cards. I pulled out the shinier one and found that it had worked. I cheered and galloped in.

“Isn’t there anything this mare can’t do?” Popper asked Xanthos while galloping behind me. Well, I can’t really disarm bomb collars. I can’t really lift heavy objects. I have childhood trauma. I’m also a drunk. A controlled drunk if you will. At least, I thought I was. Other than that, everything else is either courier lessons or self-taught. But at this point now in the plan, it required only my wits. I slowed my gallop into a trot and started scanning the test tanks.

‘A42EV… A42EV… Aha!’ I came to a stop and looked at the tall tank. I could make out a figure in there. I pressed the button that was above the label and the tank hissed. We watched the tank glass flipped open and Rex’s body was held out on the bed. I blinked.

“What the hell… Rex?” I asked. No reply. “Rex? Are you awake?”

“He’s shut down.” I heard a voice bark. I turned and glared at the armored Viper Strike. Her tailed flicked with the detonator. “You know, I really did enjoy wailing on you while you were strapped to the chair like a little filly.” She chuckled. “But I’m still not satisfied.” Guillotine aimed the energy gatling at her and Viper Strike narrowed her eyes. “Well, what’s this? You made friends with dead beat criminals.” She grinned wickedly now. “You certainly are making yourself to be one, Savior.” I said nothing and backed away from Rex before staring her down.

“What did you do to Rex?” I asked coldly. She crouched low, her tail flicking like a predator before speaking.

“Me? Why little ‘ol me had nothing to do with him being shut down. He is an FEV.” She looked me dead in the eyes. “Just like that bitch, Silver Iris.” I narrowed my eyes before she balked. “Oh, you didn’t know?” she said with mock shock. “Well let me tell you a story about a certain project that the Enclave have worked on.”

“Where’s Gahilda!?” Guillotine shouted. Viper Strike waved a hoof at her.

“Shut up, I’ll toy with you in a minute. I need to pick a bone with this mare here first.” She gave me a sly look. “Oh yes. This is going to be fun. Not only hurting you physically was fun, but hurting you emotionally? Now that’s true fun.” Guillotine was about to pull the trigger before I held out a hoof.

“Let’s be smart about this.” I said to him. He gritted his teeth at me before looking at the pegasus. Viper smirked.

“Better do what the bitch says. Unless you want your poor Gahilda to suffer a painful death.” She said. Guillotine bristled, but I shook my head at him. He gave a small noise of defeat before nodding.

“What do you mean?” I asked. She looked bored when she spoke.

“Well, let’s see. It started about two hundred and twenty years ago. The Enclave came across a new research design called cloning.” She yawned. “Or ‘Project Eternity’ as they called it.” Project Eternity? What did this have to do with Iris? “Well, long ago there was a well-trained Shadowbolt named Cloudchaser. She scored higher than all the other ponies. Well, the M.o.A. decided that it would be a good idea to send her out into the field of battle as a tester for proto type equipment.” Then she gave a pleased expression. “They called her the ‘Death Storm’. She literally and utterly devastated the battle field. Always coming back with the tested proto types and not a single limb missing. No signs of enhancements or drugs to help. Just pure muscle, athleticism and dumb luck.” I narrowed my eyes more.

“I guess I am the great, great, etcetera grand-daughter of a Shadowbolt.” Silver Iris had said that. I took a small hoof step forward.

“Isn’t Silver Iris the great, great etcetera grand-daughter of Cloudchaser?” I asked. Viper blinked and then laughed maniacally. I wasn’t liking this at all. She finally stopped and wiped a tear away.

“Is that what she is calling herself now?” she laughed more before continuing. “Oh, that is too grand. And to think Cloudwing was hitting on that thing.” I felt myself bristle and found fire slowly rising from the ground.

“Whoa!” Popper exclaimed. I looked to them and saw them looking at me in surprise. I brushed my mane, only to find that my mane was flowing. But my tail was the one that gave it away. It burned like fire. I furrowed my brows. Din did change me after all. I turned back and took a hoof step forward, the flames around me slowly rising with each step. It felt funny. I hadn’t asked Din for this power, yet here it was. But I was me. I am in control. I glared at the confused face of Viper.

“Stop treating my friends like they are objects.” I said coldly. Viper snorted.

“Ooooh, I’m so scared. But I’m not lying when I say Silver Iris is an FEV.” She said. I blinked. She’s a super mutant? “Though really not a super mutant in a sense. But the stimulant used on her testing greatly increased her strength more than anything. They call her ‘The Perfect Super Soldier’. She could act, think, feel and have the physical capability to rip trees from the ground and use them like a bat if she wanted too and her flying abilities matches that of Cloudchaser’s scores.” She smirked and the detonator that was wrapped in her tail was activated and the lights came on. One after another, the lights flicked on and I gapped.

“Iris?” I asked as I saw a body of Silver Iris in the cryotank. No, not one. Thousands! In every tank laid a sleeping body of Silver Iris. All of them baring different colors and cutie-marks. But the mane style was all the same. Viper extended her wings and flew up with her hooves spread out and taking in the view.

“Glorious, isn’t it? This prison carrier also houses one of the many cloning facilities.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “Oh yes. Take it all in! Each clone. Different names. Different personality. Different identities. But only one was able to survive and live on like a normal pony with the virus in her.” She grinned wickedly at me. “That bitch Silver Iris!”

Popper whistled. “That’s a lot of super soldiers.” She said. I couldn’t believe it. Silver Iris is a clone?? And not just any clone. But a successful clone that had the capabilities as being a normal pony and have the physical strength of a super mutant? Oh, Silver Iris… I felt a tear fall down my cheek. Guillotine suddenly snapped me out of my pain as he pointed the energy mini-gun at Viper.

“Enough of this! I came here for Gahilda! Where is she!?” he barked. Viper smirked and flicked another switch. A tank descended from the ceiling and a body of a cryogenically frozen griffin laid in there. Guillotine instantly screeched and flew at Viper. Viper smirked and flicked another switch. I gapped when an Cloudchaser clone jerked awake and came barreling out of the glass of the tank before tackling the griffon. The red and black colored Cloudchaser looked blankly at the griffon as she pinned her to the ground. I gritted my teeth.

“I said not so hasty. If you want to see this bitch alive, you better be a little more obedient.” Viper said with mock laughter. Two more clones broke out of their tanks and quickly flew towards Popper and Xanthos, locking their hooves tightly around the duo who were struggling.

“Get off of me!” Popper shouted. I had to think of something. But I wasn’t expecting this. I was not ready for this. These clones looked exactly like Iris. Albeit in different color, but they still looked like her.

“I am called Silver Iris.” My eyes widened. Viper smiled.

“Oh this is just too cute. She didn’t tell you she also found out about it?” She cocked her head and rubbed her chin. “Well, now that I think about it, finding out that you are one out of thousands of Cloudchaser’s clones.” I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t. But I did. It was right here in front of me. For two centuries, Cloudchaser had been cloned. It was just now that they found out that one of their “clones” had been perfected to be a normal pony. And that pony is the mare that I love. This was all too much to take in. I thought I understood Silver Iris. But I truly didn’t. She was hurt on so many levels! Being cheated on and then finding out you are one out of a thousand clones of a two century old Shadowbolt? I now understood.

“I’m sticking to myself and only myself.” She knew. “He was my first for everything. My kiss. My virginity. Everything.” He knew. “Dammit, how?” I looked at Rex. “Don’t treat Rex like he is a thing! I’ve known him longer than anypony!” Rex’s deactivated body remained motionless. “So I left and became a mercenary.”

“Do you see now? Why Silver Iris left us? Her home? Everything behind?” Viper grinned down at me. “Yes. It’s true. Cloudwing did cheat on her with me. But I wasn't the one who gave him that incentive!” She threw her hoof up in the air. “Look at this! Tons of them! And he fell for the one that was ‘perfect’. The Enclave later didn’t like our sergeant fucking a super soldier, so they got me to break it off.” She laughed more. “I tell ya’. Cloudwing knows how to treat a mare right.” I gritted my teeth and bristled.

So Cloudwing did regret it! He regret it ever since that day! She is the reason why Silver Iris and Cloudwing weren’t seeing eye to eye. She was told to break up the relationship. She ruined Silver Iris’s life. I could understand the mundane tasks of being an Enclave. But her personal love life and true relationship was ruined because of this mare! I felt more tears stream. So I was just an excuse. An excuse to remove the pain. I was being used as a tool. A tool for Silver Iris to forget everything about home. She had wanted to move on. And to do that, she met me. I had developed a relationship with her and she took the opportunity. I bit my lip. My heart broken once again. Viper laughed now.

“Awww… so sad that you couldn’t work it out with her? You truly thought that she loved you? You are so naïve.” She flipped another switch and I noticed Rex moving. He growled and snarled at me. I hopped to the side as he pounced and landed, crouching low. My heart broke twice. Rex and Silver Iris have known each other for as long as they could remember. Rex was the only true friend she could have. Cloudwing and Silver Iris would have lived on happily. Until Viper Strike came along. She manipulated Cloudwing. She lured him to break Silver Iris’s heart. My heart broke more. She still loved him. And he still loved her. And I was just the tool. The tool to bring them back together. Cloudwing wanted me to see this.

That’s why he gave me that card. He wanted for me to see that Silver Iris is a clone. And now I knew. I knew the true reason why Silver Iris left. I knew the true reason why Cloudwing wanted me to see this. And my heart broke more until there was nothing left. I looked at Din in the pitch blackness. She looked at me. She didn’t have to say anything. She knew what I was about to do. I took the key. I held it up with my magic and slid it in the hole. And this time, I turned it fully. The lock fell and the fire of Din rose.

“I’m the only one that you can trust now, Courier. Let me ease your broken heart. I shall punish those that have hurt you.” I said nothing and let myself be engulfed into flames. When I opened my eyes, I found myself floating in the air above the pinned trio and a surprised Viper. My vision was the color of amber. I heard a laugh.

“I’M FREE!!!” Din roared. I said nothing. I couldn’t move. I just stepped aside and let Din take control. I saw the Iris clones become engulfed in flames. Popper, Xanthos and Guillotine retreated, the body of Gahilda on his back. I saw a spectral hoof lash out at them, but the door had already closed. I turned and fell my gaze at the baffled Viper Strike.

“Fuck me!” she said before turning and flying away. I noticed in the corner of my eyes, spectral wings flapping. I was lifted more off the ground and flew after Viper Strike, only to have Rex jump at me. A spectral hoof closed around the timberwolf. Rex struggled and I heard Din chuckle before the hoof reared back and launched Rex far away. He flew up into the ceiling, crashing through it and vanished from view. I wasn’t in control. I wasn’t myself. I just stepped aside, quietly standing next to Din. I had tears streaming down my face as Din laughed. As we flew, I saw the tanks melting along with the clones. We turned the corner to see Viper order Enclave to fire at me. When they did, Din used the flames to redirect the beams right back at them. Viper looked even more scared as she bolted away from the disintegrating Enclave. I took off after her.

It wasn’t long before we were soon right behind the tail of the fleeing pegasus. She suddenly broke out into an open area and flew up. It was the prison area. I saw little tiny specks of ponies, griffons and zebra down below. But Din wasn’t aiming down. She was hot on pursuit of the fleeing Viper Strike.

“Don’t run, little pony. I only want to hear you sing!” Din sang. Viper Strike put on an extra burst of speed and crashed through the domed glass roof of the prison. We broke all of it and Din stretched her wings. The entire ship laid out before us. Enclave that were out and about suddenly fired upon us. But the beams seem to be absorbed into Din, making her taller. She swiped a hoof left and right, burning and melting Enclave pegasi. It was too brutal. But I didn’t care. I didn’t have a heart to care about anything. I was used. Used as an excuse. Used by the one mare I loved so she can get back at him. That’s when I saw him.

Cloudwing was struggling with another Enclave. He suddenly looked my way, shocked. The helmeted pegasus stopped and looked at me. My eyes widened when the helmet retracted. The surprised gapping look of Silver Iris. I looked straight at them. They had used me. They used me!

“Well, if it isn’t the lovers. Such a shame. And here young Courier thought she trusted you.” Din chuckled. Silver Iris balked and looked at a stern looking Cloudwing. I could hear her plain as day.

“What have you done with Courier!?!” Silver Iris shouted. Din laughed and I felt myself being lifted up more. I saw her blink and look shocked. “Let her go!!!” Silver Iris roared. Din gave an amusing hum before a stream of fire shot out at them. They quickly pushed away from each other in time to avoid the stream. But the ship got the worse of it. The Commander Hurricane exploded where the stream had struck. Enclave began firing at us again and Din laughed more maniacally.

“I have never felt so alive in my entire life! Eons of sleeping. Going from one pathetic host to another. And when the stars aligned nineteen years ago, I chose this very mare to be my vessel.” She chuckled and looked at me. I said nothing. “She had finally freed me. She had turned the key. And it’s all thanks to a dirty little secret that you foolishly hid from the world. But I can’t really give thanks to the clones.” I saw Silver Iris gape more, her eyes wide with shock. She left after finding out. She left because Viper Strike manipulated her ex to break her heart. I had thought I had mended it. I had truly and honestly thought I had trusted her. Understood her. And she had used me. She turned her back on me. Din chuckled.

“Can you hear her pain? Can you hear her sorrow? Yes, she just needed a little push to release me. And now that I am finally free, I can finally create a world where my flames will dance for an eternity! But of course, my vessel shall be spared. She had suffered so much. The poor dear’s heart. Broken over and over and over until there was nothing left to break.” She looked at me. “Do you see now, Courier? I won’t hurt you. I only wish to protect you. But they don't. Your friends never really trusted you. They were only there to keep you going. All they ever wanted was to just tag along so they can you hurt you all the same.” I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t have the heart too. I just stood there, my head bowed. My amber vision scanning the Enclave firing at us, making Din grow bigger.

My vision fell onto a deck. I saw my friends staring at me, with shocked looks as well. Enclave bodies littered the deck. I saw Comp looking at me. As if the stab from the commander hadn’t affected him at all. Din smirked and reared back. I saw Goldenlee shout something and my friends retreated back. I was glad Comp was okay. I truly am glad that they are okay. But I didn’t have the heart. I wanted the pain to end. I want it all to end. Din smiled.

"That’s a good little mare. Yes, let me be your guide to ending the pain. Let me be the one to burn all the ones who had hurt you! This place had hurt you. Your love has hurt you. Your friends have hurt you. And your wish shall be granted.” Din reared back.

“COURIER, NO!!!” I heard Silver Iris shout. But it was too late. I let Din plant a spectral hoof onto the ship and saw the spot she had stepped on suddenly melt around her. Din’s wings expanded and I flew away from the ship, a stream of fire blasting a part of the ship. The ship groaned and creaked before beginning to smoke. It tipped, but it still remained in the clouds. Din flapped once and I saw that the unlucky Enclave around her were blown off their flight paths. More beams fired at us. Then, I saw the other ship that had been trailing behind it. It had a glowing blue cannon in the front.

“Fools.” Din said. I knew exactly what that was. I had read about it. The Enclave called it a ‘Sparkle Cannon’. A cannon built using the technology and minds of the M.o.S. and the M.o.A. The cannon hummed. And as it glowed more, I looked to see the familiar commander that had taken me from my friends. The cannon fired at us. I saw Din’s chest suddenly blast open, the amber in front of me splitting into a hole to the colorful sky and the dark clouds beneath us. And then the hole reformed. Din laughed and retaliated with a beam of her own. Right into the cockpit of the ship. The back of the ship exploding as well and tipped into the clouds below.

“Courier, stop this!!!” I looked through the fleeing Enclave and saw Silver Iris next to Viper Strike and Cloudwing. My eyes widened. Whatever was left of my heart now turned to dust. Why? Why did you forgive them!? They hurt you!! She hurt you!! Din chuckled at the three pegasi. Do you understand, Iris? Viper Strike manipulated Cloudwing to bed her. The Enclave didn’t want to approve of it! So they ended your relationship. And then you find out you are a clone of Cloudchaser…

“Oh? It seems what little heart she has left wants to end your pain as well. But then again, everyone had hurt her in her entire life.” Din said. Silver Iris gritted her teeth.

“What are you getting at!?” she shouted.

“Why, thanks to your little friend Viper Strike, she now knows exactly why you have left. That dirty little secret you have. And it all fell together after she had found that holodisk of yours.” Silver Iris looked shocked.

“She… she found that?” she said. Din chuckled.

“Found and heard it. Poor dear began questioning herself and you. And then Viper Strike gleefully told her your life. She felt sorry for you. But after hearing that disk, she had doubted. She had doubted you.” She smirked. “She thought it was just some big fantasy. She had thought you loved her. She thought she understood you. And now she knows the true you.” Din laughed more. “And now she freed me. Freed me so the pain will stop hurting. And I will gladly grant her that wish. And it will begin starting with the secret.” She turned and for a moment, looked at the ship.

“No! Don’t!!!” Silver Iris shouted. Then, a massive stream of fire wrapped around the ship. It tightened. Din reared back and the ship was sliced where the fire had wrapped around it. A being of the stars. So this is the power of a Maiden. So devastating. I felt my heart suddenly burn. Yes. The destruction of everything. I liked that thought. I found myself grinning along with Din.

I felt good. Destructive good! And seeing the ship fall into big pieces and part the clouds beneath us. I laughed. I laughed at my pain now.

“Yes, Courier. Laugh the pain away. Enjoy the sight of your pain ending. I’m the one you can truly trust. I felt your pain all those years ago. The pain of having to drink away your sorrows. The joy you get from battle. The destructive tendencies you leave behind. Laugh at your pain. Don’t embrace it. Don’t forget it. Just laugh.” Din said. And I did. I haven’t laughed so hard in my life. And I was enjoying every moment of this destruction. I grinned and darted my eyes. I want to find something else to break! I fell my gaze onto the other ship. Din chuckled. “As you wish, Vessel.” Din said. She only took two flaps of her colossal wings before reaching the ship. I saw the commander on the deck.

“Fire again!” he shouted. Din and I laughed as the beam hummed to life and fired, passing straight through us. The gaping hole that it left began to mend. But then I noticed something. I stopped laughing and looked over to see a silver blur fly into the hole as it closed. Din turned.

“Well, well. To what purpose did you so foolishly accomplish being in here?” Din asked as the small figure of Silver Iris hovered down below us, looking sternly up at us.

“Courier, snap out of it! This isn’t you!!” she said. I gritted my teeth. Why are you trying to stop me? This place had hurt you. Had hurt us! Iris shook her head. “This isn’t the place I found out!!” she gritted her teeth. “I found out six years ago. That was six years ago! I’m over it!!” I shook my head. Lies! They are all lies! You still love Cloudwing! He told me about you forgiving those that had hurt you. You forgave them, Iris! And now you’ve come back. Not just to find me, but to settle the score! He still loves you! I saw Silver Iris grit her teeth. She bowed her head before speaking.

“I was young and stupid, okay? I was still feeling the hurt. But I’m over it!” Silver Iris said. I felt frustrated tears streaming.

“Foolish, child.” Din said.

“I’m not talking to you, Din. I’m talking to Courier.” Din looked at me. I said nothing and floated down to face her. She narrowed her eyes. “Courier please! Snap out of it! This isn’t you! Where’s the mare I love?” I bristled and dove at her. She swiftly flew aside, but I pivoted and tackled into her. We spun a bit before Iris held me back, my hooves lashing at her.

You lie! You still love him! You forgave them, Iris! You even forgave the mare that caused you the grief! Silver Iris pushed back, but I kept pushing more. You used me! You used me just like she did! She and all the rest of them! Iris’s eyes widened. That made me believe it more. I won’t be the tool no more! I won’t be a tool ever again!!! I locked my hooves around Iris’s fore hooves and heaved her over my shoulder. She skillfully flipped three times before flapping her wings and stopping herself.

“Stubborn mare!” Silver Iris growled. I’ll show you stubborn! I flew towards her. I swung my hooves and she blocked it with a hoof of her own. “I don’t love Cloudwing! I told him otherwise! When you were taken, he came down to find me. He told me what you were up to. Told me what you have thought of.” She spun me around and locked her hooves under mine. I kicked my hind legs, trying to break free. “I spent five weeks trying to find the damn ship! I went through death traps in a wild goose chase because Cloudwing told me where to go!”

I head butted her and she yelped. That’s the problem! You listened to him! If you truly didn’t love him, then why did you play his game!?! Silver Iris seemed at a loss for words. I gritted my teeth more. What’s even more is that I find that you forgave them! I found out why you left. Found out why you had been hurting. I closed my eyes, feeling the tears flow. I never forgave my pain! They deserved it! They had hurt me! They had tormented me! I never forgave those that had hurt me! So why do you!? Tell me, Iris! Why do you forgive those that hurt you?

Iris gave me a worried look. “Courier. You have to understand. I was young and stupid.” I bristled more. Don’t give me that bullshit! They said the same thing! I still don’t forgive them! I never will. You know why? Because I won’t play the tool any longer! They feigned it. I know they were never sorry. And I find out what caused you pain. I thought I understood you. I trusted you! But you used me just like the rest! Silver Iris narrowed her eyes and crouched low, ready to move.

“I’LL NEVER FORGIVE ANYONE EVER!!!” the fire around us began to burn brighter and higher. Iris held up a hoof to block the scorching heat that was coming from Din. “THOSE THAT HAVE HURT YOU!!! THOSE THAT HAVE HURT ME!!! THEY MUST BE PUNISHED!!! THEY MUST!!!” Din laughed more and more as the flames grew brighter and brighter. “AND NOW YOU USED ME!!! YOU USED ME AS A MEANS TO END THE PAIN!!! USED ME SO YOU COULD FORGET!!! YOU USED ME LIKE A TOOL!!!”

“Courier! Would you shut up and listen to me?!?” Silver Iris shouted. “I never wanted to use you!! What makes you think I ever did!!?” I gritted my teeth. “That holodisk was recorded on the day I left!! I was young and stupid!! I didn’t know what I wanted to think!! Too much had happened!!” she bowed her head. “And yes, I still love Cloudwing, but not in the way you think!!!” I bristled and the fire rose. “And you are right!!! I don’t know why I forgave a snake like Viper!!! If anything, she should be punished!!! But you, Courier…” I narrowed my eyes.

“You honestly made me feel I could begin anew.” She said. I blinked. “I was like you. Always keeping to myself. Not trusting other ponies. And I honestly thought that one time when we met, you looked at me and I wrote you off as another admirer! You weren’t the only one that was chasing after me!!” I bristled again. “But I pushed others away! I told them to back off and leave me the hell alone! And when Goldenlee proposed me caps to stop a gang confrontation, I find you fighting a robot! You wanna know what I thought when I saw that?”

I said nothing and just stared at her. “I honestly thought that you, of all ponies, were lucky enough to have to go against that thing! I wanted action! I wanted to be free! And when I found out you were a courier, I took a gamble!” I blinked, the flames faltering. A gamble? “I heard courier’s live the life of adventure. Live the life of danger. I wanted that life ever since I joined the Enclave.” She looked me squarely in the eyes. “I envied you!” Din snarled as I felt confused. Silver Iris envied me? “And I still do! And after spending more time with you and the others, I found that you all had some form of life I wanted to live! And then you showed me that life!” She slowly flew over and I flinched when she poked my head.

“You remember that bar in Las Pegasus? I was curious about what you do in a courier’s free time. So I went with you. And then you caused a bar fight. And I saw you laugh at the joy of it.” She smiled. “Right then and there, I felt like I could be free. Actually be free to act for my own. Of course I’m a clone of a two century old Shadowbolt named Cloudchaser. And being the ‘Perfect Super Soldier’, the Enclave kept me under watch. They tested me. They threw things that would break even the toughest metal. I lived the life of drills and exercises.” She sighed.

“Cloudwing was my coach. He taught me the things I needed to know. And at first I didn’t want too. But he convinced me to love him. And I did. I did love him. My first for everything.” She frowned, looking sad now. “Then Viper came along. Pretended to be my friend, only to find that the Enclave had sent her to destroy the relationship we had. And it worked. The Enclave just wanted me for their own use. Not to be myself.” I said nothing but listened to her.

“My point is, with you, Courier, I could finally be the free mare I wanted. I don’t have to do boring drills. Have to listen constantly to a robot to tell me when to get up and do things. You let me have that chance to be free.” She smiled at me. “And I couldn’t have been happier in my life.” I stiffened. Din roared and shot a stream at us. Silver Iris reacted and wrapped her hooves around me before flying away from the stream.

“Why do you insist on stopping me!? Do not listen to the fool, Courier! She had used you! She hurt you! She must be punished!” she roared, firing more now. Iris dipped and spun with me at her chest.

“And after you were taken away, I had to get you back!” she said as she twirled around a stream. “For the past five weeks I’ve been on a wild goose chase! Cloudwing had thrown off your trail! He knew where you were. And he didn’t want to tell me. He told me what he had always said when he coached me.” She gritted her teeth as she spun under a stream. “’You can’t get what you want by begging. You have to work for it!’ It was being in the Enclave all over again!” I gapped.

Then why had Cloudwing hid the card in my tail? Did he know what I was up to? He truly did want me to see those clones. And I bet he sent Viper to take care of me while he dealt with Iris and my friends. My friends… I hoped they were okay.

“Noooo! They have hurt you! They do not understand the pain! They do not understand anything!” Din roared.

“Shut up!!” Silver Iris snapped. “I’m trying to fix this!! And you are ruining it!!” Iris again flew out of the way of streams. “Courier! We spent five weeks looking for you! We were all worried about you! We had to get Comp healed after that attack. Once he was better he told us that he had to find you! We didn’t once question why. Because we all wanted to find you! You are the one constant that keeps us going! You promised to find out who Comp is. You promised Goldenlee that we would save her friend’s company! You promised Brick that we would find his mare-napped friend! Shining Star promised you that he would show you your father’s reports!”

“Die!!!” Din fired another beam. This time, it struck Iris’s side. She groaned in pain and was about to fall when I quickly caught her and held her in my hooves, floating there. She winced but kept smiling at me.

“You have been their one constant. You have been my constant. You made me feel free. You showed me the life of freedom. And when you told me about you feeling weird when you were around me, I knew you were going for me. But then, you completely and utterly threw me off with that comment.” She chuckled. “You are a fun drunk. And I guess after being with you more and more, I found that you could make me begin anew. You gave me that choice! No pony has ever given me that choice.” I felt tears stream down my cheeks. They dropped onto her face. But she kept smiling.

My Goddesses. She was right. I had been completely oblivious to all this.

“I have never met a pony so oblivious in my entire life!” Al Capony had called me oblivious. And she was right too. I was oblivious to the way my friends felt around me. I was oblivious for not finding that I had loved Iris. I was always oblivious. And only to realize it now, I felt a whole new sense of understanding. Din flew down to us and looked at us.

“Why do you insist on still loving this fool?” Din hissed. Silver Iris gave me a reassuring smile before looking to Din.

“And you! You’ve been out of your cage for too long! It’s time to go back!” she said. Din blinked before cackling maniacally.

“So foolish. You can’t send me back to my cage! Courier has already turned the key fully.” She said. Silver Iris gritted her teeth. “No pony can send me back! I’m free to do as I please!”

“That’s where you are wrong, Din.” I said. She blinked and looked at me. “I’m so stupid. Why hadn’t I realized it before? I had been oblivious to my surroundings. My knack ability for seeing the minor things and I had over looked the very big important thing in front of me.” I looked at her. “I hadn’t realize it. But I gave my friends something! I gave those prisoners something. Those good ponies on that ship. I gave them the one thing they didn’t have. Freedom.” Din narrowed her eyes.

“So you prefer anarchy over rule?” she said. I shook my head.

“I don’t prefer anarchy. Anarchy is completely different to the freedom I’m talking about. The freedom I’m talking about is the will. The will of ponies that yearn for that freedom. I gave them that will! I gave them that choice!” I looked down to see Silver Iris smiling at me. I smiled. “And I was too stupid to realize it. But now I know. I know what I affect with the ponies around me. I give them that will. That freedom.” I looked back at Din, coldly now.

“My virtue is Courage. Courage to face the problems. Not my own, per se. But I stand in the way of the problems that affect those with the will for freedom. Freedom of choice. Freedom of mind. I may not have my own will to be free.” I smiled now. “But I can definitely show others what it means to have that freedom.” Din balked now and I gapped. A lions head had formed in the fires.

“You! What are you doing here!?”

It is not time yet, Din. You must go back to your cage. The mare had made her choice. She has found her virtue.

“Never! She has turned the key fully! You can’t make me!” she roared.

But you must. This world is still not perfect for you to play in. And besides. The lion head turned to me and winked. There is still always a second chance.

Suddenly, the fire around us that held us aloft gave way and Din had vanished along with the lion’s head. Then, I felt myself falling. I fell away from Iris. I saw Iris grit her teeth as she flew after me. I just fell. Not screaming. Not panicking. Because I was smiling. The mare that I love is going to catch me. She made me realize what I had done. The path I had chosen without realizing it. Iris raced after me as I plummeted into the clouds. The Wasteland below greeted me. But Iris was still following me. I saw a white cone form around her. And the next thing I knew, I heard a loud boom and a silver light trail behind Iris as she caught me and pivoted quickly from the ground. I looked at her and at the same time saw the brilliant silver light she had left behind.

I have heard tales of the Sonic Rainboom. Rainbow Dash being the one to make the legends true. And I’ve heard that it’s been done by other pegasi. But I have never seen one in my life. And having the mare I love catch me and display it all at the same time, I saw the clouds part. She shifted upwards and smiled at me before looking to the light she had made. We watched in awe as the clouds parted more and the ships of the Enclave were visible. And not only was that visible. The Empire and the Strip saw the sky for the very first time in their war drawn lives. The sun shone down, warming me. But what really threw my concentration off was how pretty Iris is looking. As she kept looking, I kissed her cheek. She blinked and looked at me with a flush.

“Thank you.” I said. She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

“Err… it was nothing. I mean… we had fun, right?” she said. I nickered.

“If you believe having to knock some sense into me is being ‘fun’ then yeah. I say we had fun.” I smirked. She smirked back. “So again. Thank you. You’ve saved me twice.” I brought her lips to mine and kept it there. She murred as we kept kissing. I had been blinded. My eyes were closed to the things around me. I hadn’t realized what I had done to others around me. And it took a pretty cool mare to snap me out of it and make me open my eyes. And I was happy. I am happy. She still loved me. And I her. And I may not have understood her fully, I could feel that I can trust her more than I did before.

I had not just mended a broken heart, but I had freed a mind. And I stood in the way of problems that kept that freedom from ponies. I had found my virtue. I had heard a lion’s roar. The bell I was supposed to ring wasn’t an actual bell. The bell was a pony. And that bell opened my eyes. We pulled our mouths way and nuzzled each other. I am in love with a pretty cool mare. And I know she is in love with me. She wouldn’t have spent five weeks with my friends trying to find me if she wasn’t. But she did. Because I had showed her that freedom. And she wanted her freedom back when it was taken. Then, she gambled her life to save her freedom.

“Err… we should probably go help the others.” Silver Iris said, smiling. I smiled and nodded. I couldn’t have been a happier mare to have a pretty cool mare like Iris. Clone or not, she is my Iris. And I am her Courier. And with our friends by our sides, we can accomplish anything.

Footnote Level Up!