I trotted happily with my friends down to the lab. I had never gone so far as to impress ponies. Maybe I did like boasting. Maybe a little. When we got back, Dogger and Cream were cleaning up the place. Cream smiled at us.

“How did your little show go?” she asked. Silver Iris nickered.

“You have no idea how much this girl can impress ponies.” She said. I smirked quietly. We’ll test that later. Perverted thoughts aside, I went over to the counter and frowned. My amputated temporary leg laid next to my snowwolf bitten one. The latter being purple and swollen. I noticed the blood actually freezing and beginning to clot. Cream was right. If it weren’t for Dogger, I would have had a dead leg. If it wasn’t for Dogger, I’d probably be crippled the rest of my life.

“Nasty, huh?” Cream said as she put a pot of goo onto a shelf. “Like I said. You are very lucky to have walked away from both a timberwolf and a snowwolf bite.” I heard Rex whine. I guess he still felt sorry for it. I smiled at the timberwolf before turning to them.

“Well, thank you for everything. But we still got other things to do.” I said. Dogger blinked.

“Pony leave now?” she asked. I nodded.

“We have to get a carrier up and running. Something big is going down and I want us to be fully prepared for it.” I said. Cream knocked on my head that would have made Bell proud. Why is everypony hitting my poor head? I rubbed the spot and looked at her.

“If you want to go out at this time, then by all means. Watch out for snowwolves though. They are more active at night.” She said with a stern look. I blinked and looked to my companions. They still look battered and beaten from the two days they spent looking for the ingredients. I sighed.

“Okay. I guess we can stay for the night. But we are leaving first thing tomorrow morning.” I said. I saw the tension in my companions ease a little. I smiled as Dogger limped over to me.

“Pony pick any room. Castle big. Many rooms.” She said. I nodded and hugged her.

“Thanks again.” I said. She patted my back before I pulled away and trotted with my friends out of the room.

We decided to pick a few rooms not too far apart from each other and particularly near the door that leads out into the throne room so we could leave in the morning. Goldenlee picked a big bedroom, beaming with delight at the décor. The boys decided to camp out in a room next to Goldenlee’s room. That left me and Iris taking the room across from them. Iris stretched out onto the bed as I levitated my gear gently over to a chair and looked over to her. I thought of how flexible Cloudchaser was and was dying to find out if she was. But then again, she’s been through a little much to get the ingredients.

I trotted over to the window and looked out, curious as to what Europa looked like out at night. I beamed. The gems and crystals sparkled and lit the cave dimly. It almost looked like the night sky. Well, if it wasn’t covered by blizzards and cloudy days. I held out my hoof to the cave roof, taking in the beautiful makeshift stars. I’ve never seen stars in my life. I’ve read about them though. I frowned before sighing. The Enclave had covered up the clouds after Cloudsdale got hit with a balefire bomb. The once proud city, now a ruin in the sky.

“Everything okay?” Iris asked, startling me a bit. I didn’t hear her sneak up on me like that. She stood next to me and looked up at the cave ceiling. I saw a twinkle in her eyes. “Reminds me of the stars.” I blinked.

“You’ve seen stars before?” I asked. Iris nodded.

“In the Enclave, I would sometimes sneak out and watch the stars.” She smiled. “I’ve always wondered everytime that if someday, I would be one of those stars.” I cocked my head.

“You want to be a star?” I asked. She flushed and rubbed the back of her head.

“I-I guess it does sound stupid.” She said. I shook my head and smiled.

“I’ve never seen stars before. This is the only thing close to them I’m ever going to see.” I said. “So why do you want to be a star?” Iris looked sad now as she spoke.

“Because I’ve always been curious about them. They are up there in the sky. Not really doing… anything. They just stay there.” She gave a small smile. “I’ve always wanted to fly among the stars. To see what it’s like from their perspective. We see the Wasteland for what it is. But what do they see? Do they know we are here? Do they know that we exist? And if so, are they just waiting for something?” She held out a hoof to the sparkling ceiling. “So I thought that one day, when I do die, I want to be among the stars. I want to see what they see. Hear what they hear.” She blinked and looked at me. I smiled.

“Well, I think it’s a great thought to have.” I said. I truly did. I’ve never seen stars for myself. I’ve always questioned if there were really any around? Well, I guess having a Maiden of the Stars counts as one… I think. But this isn’t about Din. I truly thought that Iris’s thought is beautiful. She wanted to be a free mare. Live a life without having things tell her what to do. She wants to act on her own will. I looked around the room. I noticed we had gems as well in our room. I trotted over to the middle of the room and closed my eyes. I reached out to the gems and crystals above.

I imagined them as stars. Stars as far as the eye could see. I tried to picture them as small particles. Brightly lighting around us. When I opened my eyes, I noticed the room darker than usual. But what gave me a surprise were the thousands of small bright particles forming stars in the distance. I smiled and looked back at an awe struck Silver Iris. I flushed and rubbed the back of my head.

“Sorry. I just thought… well, maybe I don’t really have to see them.” I quickly spoke. “Not that I’m saying I don’t want to see the stars. I guess I’m saying this is as close as I think them to be.” Silver Iris smiled and walked over to me. I gulped, seeing that look. My heart fluttered excitedly. Iris put a hoof gently under my chin and looked me in the eye.

“Al Capony was right. You really are a romantic.” She said. I blinked. A romantic? What’s that? My train of thought was lost when I felt Iris press her lips to mine. I returned it, murring and throwing my hooves around her. We found ourselves on the bed, kissing and exploring with our hooves. This is nice. Really nice. I still had no idea what a romantic was, but I completely threw that out the window and focused on the pretty cool mare I was having a moment with.

She tenderly touched and licked, making my body shiver and arc in pure bliss, gasping and moaning everytime she touched that certain spot. When it was my turn, I smirked slyly and must have really surprised her. I was right about her being so flexible. Her body arched and squirmed when I touched her own certain spot. My heart beat excitedly at every touch. Every kiss. Every embrace. At this point, I wasn’t thinking about anything else other than Iris. The makeshift stars floating around us. I was enjoying every moment of this. When we were done, Iris shivered in delight, flushing as I nuzzled up next to her.

“I… I didn’t think I could bend like that.” She said, a little surprised herself. I smiled and kissed her before speaking.

“I figured it out from your ancestor.” I said. She looked at me, still flushing.

“Huh?” she asked. I gave a small chuckle before nibbling her ear, making her sigh with delight. “You know, Courier. I’m glad I met you.” I nuzzled her cheek, kissing it before speaking.

“I’m glad I met you too. You don’t hurt me.” I said. She smiled. “I’ve never thought I would find this type of happiness in my life. I always pushed others away. But then you and the others came into my life and I… I changed. I can honestly trust each and every one of you.” It was Iris’s turn to nuzzle me.

“I’m glad to hear it.” She said. I was curious now.

“So… Iris. You’ve been with a stallion.” I said.

“Yup.” She said with a nod.

“And now you are with me.”

“Yup.” She repeated. I bit my lip.

“Are you… you know… have been into mares before being with Cloudwing?” I asked. Silver Iris said nothing. She sighed before finally speaking.

“I honestly didn’t know what love was.” She said. I blinked. What? She didn’t? “I’ve always never worried about love. I was always focusing on training. Making myself top of my class. I loved Cloudwing because he convinced me to.” She held me tightly. “My first for everything.” I balked and looked at Iris. She blinked and flushed. “What?” I realized what I had just done and slowly went back to cuddling her.

“N-nothing…” I said. I gave a defeated sigh when she gave me an arched brow. “I sometimes wish I wasn’t so astute.” I said. She gave me a blank look. “It means being attentive. I have a knack for looking at the small details and figuring them out.” I held her tightly. “It’s… scary sometimes. I’ve always figured people out just by hearing their stories and scanning the environment. It’s how I figured out which inmates could be trusted. It’s how I figured out that Bubble Pop would have given us away to the Enclave. I figured out Dogger’s ordeal by her showing me Europa and after seeing the king for myself. I figured out what to do to make things right.” I shivered. “It’s scary… I wish I wasn’t. I’ve heard so many sad and painful stories.” I looked at her. “When you told me yours, I don’t know why I didn’t figure you out right away.”

Silver Iris rubbed her head in confusion. “Wait, you still haven’t figured me out yet?” I laid my head on her chest, hearing her steadying heartbeat.

“Well… I guess I do now.” I looked at her. “You didn’t know what love was. Cloudwing convinced you in someway to love him. He did everything, correct?” Silver Iris sighed but nodded. “And after finding out you’re a clone, I felt sorry for you. I ached for you. Sometime on that carrier, Cloudwing talked to me. He then slipped a card inside my tail because he wanted me to see it.” I felt the tears fall. Silver Iris stroked my mane as I continued. “And when you had told me that he was your first for everything and hearing that holodisk… I thought you still loved him in that way.” I looked at her. “And then you tell me he convinced you to love him. That right there meant he was using you.” Silver Iris said nothing as she waited for me to finish. “They were testing your emotions. The Enclave wanted a ‘Perfect Super Soldier’. And they had Cloudwing convince you to love him. And then Viper comes and ruins your relationship. He really had convinced you to love him, yet you didn’t realize it.”

Silver Iris looked shocked. “Cloudwing loving you was just all part of the test. He doesn’t really love you, Iris. He just sees you as the soldier.” I held her tightly more. “Just like he called Rex a thing. A failed FEV. He doesn’t know what ponies feel. He lied to me when he said he regretted doing that to you. He lied to you. Lied to me. He and Viper tricked me into a frenzy.” I sniffled and cried a little. “They were still testing you after all that’s been happening. They made me attack you! They tried to ruin another relationship from you!” I sobbed. I sobbed harder than I should have. Silver Iris said nothing and kept stroking my mane. When I had finally calmed down, I sniffled and wiped the tears away before looking back up at Iris.

“Do you see why I’m terrified of myself like that?” I asked. She gave me a reassuring smile and kissed me on the lips. I returned it. It was all I could do. I was utterly terrified of myself right now. My curiosity got the better of me and my knack for detail summed it up. She pulled away and smiled.

“Well then. I can officially say that my ties to the Enclave are gone.” She said. I blinked between tears, sniffling more.

“H-huh?” I stammered. Silver Iris held me close as she spoke.

“You are right, Courier. I hadn’t realized what love was yet. Cloudwing convinced me to. I just thought of it as a part of the training as well. But after a while of being with him, I wasn’t sure. Then Viper happened and I guess they got the reaction they needed. I came down here, not really sure of what to do.” She said. “When I had come down here, ponies began noticing my abilities to fight. Soon, ponies were coming after me. But the thought with Cloudwing still hung with me and I just shoved them away with an excuse. I hadn’t known love at all. Then I met you.” She kissed me again. “I envied your talent. You weren’t a project like I was and yet you were already doing something incredible. You didn’t even use brute strength to do it. I… respected you after that. But I still wrote you off as another admirer. And then that time at the bar. You showed me what it meant to be a free mare. To live the life the way I wanted.” She giggled. “And then again with Father Pride. You accomplished incredible things without using brute strength to do it.” She sighed.

“And then they ambushed you and took you away from us. I wanted to go after you, but they had powered down my armor. Brick had to lug me around for a bit before we made our way back to Stableton. Some ponies healed Comp, got me powered back up and I was ready to go get you when Star told me not too.” She stroked my mane again. “Our friends convinced me not to be rash. They said that you wouldn’t want me to anyway. But I was honestly scared. Scared that they might do something to you like they did to me. And after five weeks of being on a wild goose chase because I still thought I loved Cloudwing, we found the carrier. We had a plan to rescue you when Cloudwing provoked me. By then, you had already discovered the clones and you came out as a giant spectral fire alicorn surrounding you with fire.” I said nothing. I guess I could say I predicted what she was going to do after being free of her armor depowering. She smiled at me.

“I was surprised when those prisoners told me that you played as a mute when you got there. You went five whole weeks being quiet. Whatever you did in there, you certainly earned the trust of thousands of people, Courier. Ponies, Griffons and Zebra had trusted you and you had a game plan going while we were being sent on a wild goose chase.” She tapped her head. “I know being smart is not always a good thing. But look what it did when you were in that situation. You managed to take over a carrier without any casualties.” I looked at her with an arched brow.

“A-are you saying that Din hadn’t killed anyone in that attack?” I asked. Silver Iris nodded.

“You probably weren’t yourself, but you saved lives, Courier. You managed to give them the hope they needed to stay alive. And they did. Even when they were about to be killed, that hope you gave them still stayed. It’s what makes you a pony, Courier. Your astute mind is as good as it is bad. No pony is perfect.” She said. I was stunned. I remembered my chat with Celestia. I had told her the same thing. I truly convinced her right then and there that even celestial beings are flawed. I almost had forgotten why I was Courier. What made me, me. I am flawed just like any other pony. I smiled at the thought. Silver Iris once again snapped me out of another oblivious state. I looked into her eyes.

“Thank you, Iris. You saved me again.” I gently brushed the bottom of her chin, making her shiver and her wings straighten slightly. “I guess I have to treat you to a reward then.” She looked at me confusedly. I conjured a copy and made her nibble her ear. I could have sworn I saw the steam coming from her ears and her wings pomfed into the air. We laid her down onto the bed. I have never seen her bend so much and make such blissful noises. It probably wasn’t the threesome with Cream she spoke of. Don’t get me wrong, I thought Cream to be cute too, but I wasn’t expecting what she had pulled. But it was a threesome none the less.

I awoke, feeling refreshed. The bed covers were sprawled and tangled over our legs. I had canceled my clone when Iris couldn’t take anymore for she had reached her climax and had passed out. I giggled softly. I guess her stamina training hadn’t prepared her for what had happened. She snoozed soundly with a smile on her face. I kissed her cheek before sliding out of the bed and checking the time. It read eight in the morning. I looked around and frowned. Too bad this place didn’t have a shower. Oh well, it’s not like the dogs really bathe either. A couple days never really hurt. I heard Iris stir and she slid off of the bed, wobbling slightly. I smiled.

“Fun time?” I asked. She flushed and stretched her back and wings, making popping sounds in the process.

“Fun time.” She said with a tired smile. I went to throw my barding on. The snug feeling of the duster on my body felt welcoming. I levitated Sinful and Malice. I didn’t honestly think much of these. I don’t really know why I had that suspicion that these had belong to a killer. It was just there. Once Iris had steadied herself, (seeing her shiver and smile about a thought I assumed was last night) she zipped up her Shadowbolt barding. I frowned, seeing the tears, bullet holes and scorch marks. When we get back to Glaciale, I was going to get everyone’s barding fixed. My treat for having them do so much.

We trotted out of the room. I went over to Goldenlee’s room and knocked.

“Yes?” her voice said from the other side.

“Are we ready?” I asked. The door opened and Goldenlee smiled at us.

“A lady is always ready.” She said as she shouldered her rifle. Again, I noticed the wear and tear on her weapon and barding. I knocked onto the boy’s door. Shining Star opened it.

“You should talk to Comp.” he said to me. I blinked.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“What’s wrong is that I couldn’t sleep at all.” Comp said as he pushed past Star. I arched a brow when I saw the shadows under his eyes.

“Don’t tell me you stayed up all night.” Goldenlee said with a stern look. Comp gave an annoyed look before speaking.

“Gee, what gave it away?” he said. We exchanged glances before the pegasus colt sighed. “Whatever, just don’t bother me right now.” I gave a worried look as he walked tiredly with his head bowed to the throne room.

“What’s wrong with the kid?” Iris asked. Star stepped out of Brick’s way as he spoke.

“He believes the castle is ‘haunted’.” Brick said. I blinked. Then flushed.

“Oh… dear.” I said. Iris gave me a studying look.

“What’s up now?” she asked. I leaned in to whisper her what I thought Comp may have heard and she flushed brighter than me. “You can’t be serious!” The others gave us questioning looks. I flushed before speaking.

“Did he hear anything last night?” Goldenlee must have caught on because she gave that look of understanding. Brick rubbed his chin.

“Something about a faint scream saying ‘I can’t take it anymore.’” he said. Yep, that did it. Iris blushed brighter than she had ever been. Star arched a brow.

“Do you two know something abou-.” Goldenlee cut him off.

“Okaaay, moving on. Got things to do. Carrier and what not. Come on.” She said as she pushed a confused Shining Star down the hall with Brick trailing them. Iris bowed her head in embarrassment as we followed them. I felt embarrassed for both Iris and Comp. I guess I took it a little too far last night. When we reached the throne room, Dogger and Cream with a few other guard dogs waited for us.

“Snow Dog help ponies. Take us to ship.” Dogger said. I nodded and looked back at my friends.

“Time to get to work.” I said.

I really felt bad for Comp. Poor colt slept on the back of Rex. We figured to let him sleep after what had happened as we made our way back to Glaciale. I was relieved when Dogger and Cream took us a different way around the snowwolves. I didn’t want anyone to get bitten and have to exhaust their supplies of regrown limbs. I saw the carrier in the distance when we finally reached Glaciale. We were once again stopped by a group of ponies.

“Halt! State your-.” The lead pony stopped and looked me over. “Oh, Savior. It’s you.” He said. Then he noticed the Snow Dogs behind us and he looked frightened. I held up a hoof.

“It’s okay. They won’t hurt anyone.” I smiled. “They are our friends. And they are here to help. But under one condition.” I looked at the frightened ponies. “As long as your town and our base trade supplies with them, then everyone will be happy. This town can have the necessary supplies to rebuild or expand. They will even make the road safe for caravans.” I looked to Dogger and she nodded.

“Ponies help Snow Dogs. Snow Dogs help ponies. Trade.” She said as she limped over and held out a paw. The lead pony looked at his group, then looked at me.

“O-okay. As long as the Savior says it’s okay. Then you are welcome to trade with the town.” He said as he held out a hesitant hoof slowly. They shook, making them ease a little. I felt giddy again. For once, I was actually doing something right! Following the group, I must have gave a little jump for joy, making my friends nicker. I didn’t care though. I just wanted peace and reasonability amongst tribes or towns. Violence is just a third option. Take that RCE! I led the crowd towards the carrier and stopped, seeing Guillotine and a few other griffons unloading crates. He looked over and smirked.

“Well, if it isn’t Quiet Fire. Hasn’t been that long since we last saw you.” He said. I nickered.

“I almost died once I left.” I held up my right fore leg. “Got bit by a snowwolf.” Guillotine arched a brow.

“And yet you still walk amongst the living. You are one hell of a pony if I ever seen one.” He said.

“Well, I would have died. If it wasn’t thanks to Dogger here.” I said as I motioned to the Snow Dog. Guillotine took a moment and looked the dog over.

“What’s up?” he said. Dogger narrowed her eyes and looked past the griffon, rubbing her chin in thought.

“Carrier beat badly. Dogs take months. Fix carrier.” She said. Guillotine looked coolly at me.

“You actually went and got help to fix up the carrier? You impress me once again.” He said. I felt myself flushing and rubbed the back of my head. “Well then, I guess if you need anything from us to use, just knock yourselves out. We are still finding a lot of cargo.” Dogger nodded and turned to me.

“Snow Dogs thank pony.” She said. I nodded.

“It was nothing.” I replied with a bashful hoof wiggle.

“So, you sticking around long?” Guillotine asked. “Like I said, we still are finding a lot of cargo that needs to be searched.” I smiled and looked at my friends. Their barding and weapons looking worn.

“Just enough to fix up our equipment and restock supplies. We still have to get back to Las Pegasus and find out what’s going on over there.” I said. Guillotine nodded before turning back to the cargo. I hadn’t realized the crowd I had drew. Some ponies looked nervously at the Snow Dogs. But when they saw me, they eased a little. Have I really done that much in a course of four days? I looked back to the carrier and smiled. Time for a drink to celebrate! I pulled out the Bellatore and giggled excitedly.

“Courier, really? Drinking now?” Goldenlee said with a hint of annoyance. I looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

“But…but… celebratory drink!” I squeaked. She made a small grunt before sighing in defeat.

“Alright, fine. Just don’t go over doing it.” She turned and faced a merchant before continuing. “The last thing we need is for you to go wonder off and get bit again.”

“Trust me. The last thing I want is to be crippled the rest of my life.” I said as I tried working the cork. I furrowed my brows. Tough little bugger. I bit down and pulled. The cork still stayed. I felt my lips quiver and let a small tear fall down my cheek. Why, karam?? Why!!? Silver Iris suddenly took it in her hooves, bit down and pulled. The cork came off. She smiled at my beaming look before taking a pull of the Bellatore that made me cock my head in confusion.

“Wait… since when did you drink?” I asked. Silver Iris smirked before taking another pull and giving it to me.

“Like Comp said. A lot of things happened while you were gone.” She said. I gave her a small worried look before taking a pull. I beamed even more, feeling the strawberry flavor with the minty after taste. Oh Celestia, this is even better than Ranger Whiskey! I took another pull before giving it back to Iris. Goldenlee sighed as Star handed her his barding before turning to us.

“What am I going to do with you two?” she said, taking Iris’s barding before giving them to the merchant for repair. Iris hovered slightly from the ground as we went around Glaciale. I would assume by the rundown buildings that this place was close to being abandoned. Homes and stores left unattended and uncared for. I sighed, taking a pull before speaking.

“So… you started drinking.” I said. Iris nodded.

“I found it to be somewhat helpful in easing the pain.” She said. I smiled.

“Well, as long as you found it to be enough to keep you going, then by all means.” I said, taking a pull. I noticed her swaying in her flight a bit. She’s only had three pulls and she’s already tipsy. I snickered.

“Oh, it helped alright.” She said. “Made me kick ass too. You wouldn’t believe what ponies were trying to pull on me while I was drunk.” She said. I gave her the drink and she gladly accepted it before giving it back. “I mean… why do ponies have to be so rude? Can’t a girl enjoy her drink?” I laughed.

“Well, now you know what I feel whenever I try to enjoy a drink. Ponies keep causing trouble.” I sad, taking a pull. She looked at me, finally landing and swayed slightly.

“You know, it’s weird. At the Stableton bar, I met weird looking ponies. They said something about…” she scrunched her face, trying to think. I nickered. “Something about knowing you.” Now I looked at her worriedly. Ponies that know me? Then again, who didn’t now a days? Maybe the entire Wasteland doesn’t know me, but I sure as hell caused enough trouble to get myself noticed by gangs. “I asked them how they know you and they said something about a prophecy.” I blinked.

“Was it The Pride?” I asked. She cocked her head.

“Those religious ass holes?” she rubbed her chin. “Well… I’m not sure. I mean, they wore cloaks like The Pride. But they never said anything about Father Pride. They said ‘they will follow the Savior to the ends’ or something like that.” She hiccupped now. I gave her the drink and she took a couple pulls before giving it back to me. Her eyes struggling to focus on me.

“So… they weren’t The Pride?” I asked with an amused smirk. She shook her head, swaying at the motion. She suddenly tipped and leaned onto me, wing over my back. I smiled and nuzzled her cheek, feeling the warmth her wing gave me.

“I guess not.” She drawled. “Have I ever told you how pretty you are?” I flushed at the sudden remark. Okay, she was already drunk? I gave a small sly smile.

“Mmm… nope. I don’t think you have. But do go on.” I said.

“Well, I know for certain how pretty you are. I don’t care what ponies say about you. You are the most amazing mare I have ever met.” She said, tipping her head slightly and giggling a bit. I took a pull as she continued. “Ponies can suck my… well… I’m not sure what, but they can go suck it!” she flapped her free wing and blinked before looking at it with a transfixed smile. “Since when did I have wings? Hey, Courier, look! I have wings!” she said as she flapped them. I smirked.

“Lightweight.” I said.

I had never been so amused in my life. Seeing Silver Iris drunk after a few pulls made me feel sorry for her. She eventually passed out and I had to get a couple of ponies to help me get her back to the carrier, much to Goldenlee’s chagrin. While Silver Iris was resting, I decided to explore the ship again. I turned the corner and found Popper staring into the cloudy gloomy sky on a deck. I trotted to her.

“Hey.” I said. Popper seemed startled by me. She eventually retained her usual demeanor around me.

“What do you want?” she asked. I smiled and stood next to her, propping my hooves over the railing and looking up into the sky.

“Just checking up on everyone.” I said. Popper sighed and looked back up into the sky with me.

“I saw. Those Snow Dogs know what they are doing.” She said. “Speaking of which… when have you befriended an FEV?” she asked. I gave her a small frown.

“Rex isn’t a FEV.” I paused. “Okay, maybe he is an FEV, but he’s not a thing, that’s for sure.” I looked to her. “It was a while ago back in Las Pegasus. We had just finished surviving an ambush from Father Pride himself.” I said. She looked intrigued.

“Father Pride? Why are you tangoing with The Family?” she asked. I nickered.

“Well, at first I didn’t want to. But then things happened and I eventually got in with Kingpin himself and pissed off The Pride by blowing up a casino of theirs.” I said matter-of-factly. She laughed.

“Dayum, girl. If you wanted to ever get the attention of The Pride, you damn well gotten it.” She said. I smiled before frowning again.

“I wasn’t planning on too.” I sighed. “It was a stupid idea. I thought it was a propane tank. I only realized later it was the gas canister for the elevator. And I’m not too happy about blowing up the casino either. Ponies got hurt.” She arched a brow at me. “Innocent ponies. They got caught in the crossfire. It was stupid because it was the only last ditch effort to stop from being surrounded by The Pride.” Popper nickered again.

“Well, I say good on ya’. Can’t really save everypony you know.” She said. I said nothing. It’s a true statement. When it had happened, I had secretly hoped that others had gotten away. The only pony I’ve saved from that was the attendant. But she didn’t stick around long. She instantly ran away calling me insane. I furrowed my brows. Could I be a little insane? Din always took care of that, but that idea was all me. Popper nudged me out of my thought process.

“You always make faces when you’re thinking?” she asked with an arched brow. I blinked.

“Faces?” I stiffened when she stretched her cheeks and stuck her tongue out. I couldn’t help but laugh with her. We took a moment to calm ourselves before Popper finally spoke.

“Listen, for what’s it worth, I’m sorry for being a complete bitch.” She said with a small frown. I gave her a concerned look.

“You shouldn’t really be sorry.” I said. “I provoked you in the first place. I had to get my surroundings down and the only way to do that was to get an Enclave to take me to Viper.” I sighed. “For five weeks she punished me. She hated me ever since I piloted Rex and defeated her own timberwolf.” Popper nodded.

“Oh, so that was you.” She said. I cocked my head in confusion. “The Enclave got riled up one day about a pony riding one of their own projects. You really pissed them off good.” She smirked. “Is that why you went mute? So you wouldn’t piss them off that much?” I shook my head.

“They already knew about it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have tossed me in with you.” I rubbed my chin. “I believe I did say why. I didn’t need to talk because I was ‘new bait’ whatever that means. My opinions wouldn’t matter and Bubble Pop could have easily told off my plan.” I smirked at her now. “It’s not the first time I’ve been in captivity.” She looked surprised.

“Wait, you mean to say that you being in prison isn’t your first time?” she asked. I nodded my head.

“Unless you want to count slaver cages as prisons, then yes. But I would always get out of those situations quickly.” I waved my hoof to a part of the carrier. “This required a bit more thinking.” Popper gave me a smile.

“Hell, I’m having all sorts of mixed feelings about you. At first I thought you were just nothing. Then you provoked me and ended up winning made me have second thoughts. Then that rape comment…” she suddenly looked sad. “Well, I guess I did set myself up for that.” I gave her a small concerned smile.

“It happened to me too.” I said, making her look shock. It was my turn to look sad now. “It happened years ago when I was just a filly. I was still in training to be a courier. I had a crush on a mare that made me feel like I was something. She was kind to me. She talked to me. We hung out.” I bowed my head. “And then she turned her back on me. She and a few other cadets pinned me down and started cutting me with knives while a colt had his way.” Popper looked horrified. I nodded. “After that, I just pushed others away. Only had my family to really care for. All the other ponies could die for all I care.” Popper gave me a concerned look. My friends then popped into my head, making me smile. “And years later, I’ve finally met some ponies I could trust.” I looked over to see the small figures of Brick and Star together pushing a crate down a ramp while Goldenlee talked with a few ponies and zebra around her. “I feel as if I could move on after meeting them.” Popper took a moment to take this in before sighing and bowing her head over the railing.

“I’m still not over mine.” She said. I said nothing but waited for the mare to talk. She finally did after a moment. “It happened about five years ago. Me and my brother were just hanging out like we always do. Had a little gang going in Harbinture Town.” Harbinture Town? That’s at least a few miles south of Las Pegasus! “Well, we also had a rival gang too. And being the big shot brats, we would always do competitive sports like seeing who can kick hard enough to break a cement brick or hit someone and see how long they can keep running before they get caught.” She chuckled. “I swear, my bro was the champ at getting caught. But since we were the mayor’s kids, we would always be let off home free.” Then she frowned. “One day, I was just hanging out at night with a couple of buddies when a few rowdy rival gang members decided to provoke us. We got into a fight and we ended up losing.” She sighed.

“I was the only one that stayed to fight. The others just ran off and left me there. Then they pinned me down and each and everyone of them took a turn on me.” She shuddered. “Then they left me there… I couldn’t move. I was badly hurt then. After that, I guess I changed. I began getting into way more trouble than I should.” She outstretched a hoof in front of her before continuing. “Vandalism. Foul language around the foals. Even back talking my dad who is the mayor of the town. Soon, ponies began to fear me. They always grew quiet when I was walking down the street. And when I saw my rapists, they got cocky with me.” She then brought her other hoof out and smacked them together. “Then, I butchered those fucker.” I blinked. “I had a knife on me and when they got close, I stabbed the one I could get too first. I repeatedly stabbed him until the organs were exposed. Then I turned on the others, doing the same thing. They ran of course, but I eventually hunted them down and killed them in brutal ways.”

“Let me guess. You and the rival gang never planned to hurt each other that much?” I asked. She gave me a studying look before replying.

“I guess. I mean, my bro and his friend were always competitive. They tried to see who could be the most bad ass they could. And when his friends got my rapists to join, they thought they could get away with it. And when I hunted them down and butchered them, a couple of Enclave happened to be on the scene. They beat me and took me into custody. For five years I’ve been locked up in the damn carrier.” She finished with a bow of her head.

“Do you regret what you did?” I asked. She chuckled.

“Never even came to my mind. Those fuckers got what they deserved.” She said. She looked to me now. “Did you kill your rapists?” I shook my head.

“They were also being trained to be couriers. I couldn’t kill ponies.” I showed her my stable barding underneath my faded black long sleeve duster. “We were stable ponies.” She looked me over and then nodded.

“Makes sense. I never understood any of that stable crap. I always thought of them as like an underground society of bigots that just kept everything for themselves. And when they opened, I chuckled at the thought that they were no longer safe in their stable.” Popper said. “Idiots who couldn’t take care of themselves because they are so used to how their stable works.”

“I can agree with you.” I said. “Not every stable had been the perfect habitat for ponies. I’ve heard some of them were uninhabitable and some defected. Ours was a normal stable. With an orchard field and everything. Well sixty years ago, Stable 50 finally opened and the dwellers were greeted by the RCE. So we were lucky to have built a town in an abandon ruined part of a city with the protection of the RCE.” Popper smirked.

“Yep. You stable ponies got lucky. Some of them weren’t as lucky. There’s a stable that is not too far from Harbinture. I’ve gone there a few times. Never actually explored it. But it looked like it was forced into.” She said. I blinked. A stable being forced into?

“What do you mean?” I asked. Popper made a small thrust with her hoof.

“Like something rammed the damn stable open. I don’t know what, but the door had a big dent in it.” She said. I rubbed my chin. Interesting… a stable that had actually been forced into? But the doors are at least ten tons of steel. Having something make a dent in it and forcing it off the hinges has to be either something big or something being altered and had the strength of a speeding rocket tank.

“Do you know the stable number?” I asked. Popper frowned and ruffled her mane.

“Errr… 72 I think.” She said. I nodded. Stable 72. I’ll have to remember that. I blinked and squinted my eyes. Are those cloaked ponies? Popper seemed to have noticed too. From the deck, I saw a small group of black cloaked ponies slowly walking towards Guillotine and my friends.

“Come on.” I said to her. We both galloped off of the deck and out to the ramp. Guillotine was already in a chat with them.

“…hell do you mean? You got a problem with a griffon?” he asked sounding pissed.

“Easy Guillotine.” I said as I galloped over to her with Popper on my tail. I stopped and narrowed my eyes at the strange cloaked ponies. “Who are you all? What business do you have here?” I have to be on guard. These ponies looked like they went a long way to reach this place. And if I had brought trouble, I was willing to either reason my way or have an entire carrier of inmates point guns at them. The lead cloaked pony stepped forward.

“You’re eyes are pure gold.” He said to me. I blinked.

“Err… yes, what about my eyes?” I asked. The lead pony shifted slightly.

“Do you bear the mane of fire?” he asked. I pulled my hood down further.

“And what if I do?” I asked. Another cloaked pony stepped up.

“We must see if you are the Savior. One who’s hide is that of the abyss, with eyes shining with gold and bears a mane of ever lasting fire. You have two former traits. Do you have the last trait?” she said. I exchanged looks with Popper and Guillotine before stepping forward. I then tossed my hood back and the cloaked ponies gasped in surprise.

“So it is you! The one who can save us!” the cloaked mare said. I stomped a hoof into the snow.

“Okay, enough of this. Who are you ponies and why are you looking for me?” I asked. The cloaked stallion stepped forward.

“Why, we are on a great journey. To find our messiah, the Savior of Ponies. And it seems our journey has come to an end.” He said. I arched a brow. I can understand Savior of the Roads, but Savior of Ponies?

“Dogger smells trouble.” Dogger growled. I narrowed my eyes.

“Listen, you got the wrong idea. I’m not a messiah and I am not a Savior of any sorts. I’m just a courier.” I said.

“But only the Savior can do such a feat as to obtain a carrier from those that hide the stars. It is only the Savior who can defeat one who hides the stars with a beast of leaves. It is the Savior that can bring peace to this dire time.” A cloaked mare said. Then they bowed. “We have come for you, our messiah. The Savior of Ponies. All hail the Savior!” The ponies began chanting.

“All hail the Savior! All hail the savior!” I looked to Dogger and made a swirling motion to my temple.

“And you think Snow Dogs are crazy.” I said to her. She gave a small nod before turning back to the chanting ponies.

“Well shit. That ain’t creepy at all.” Popper said with a snort.

“I agree.” Guillotine said. I sighed. Great, karma threw another pair of crazies my way. But now that I think about it, Silver Iris did say something about ponies knowing me. I blinked.

“Are you The Pride in anyway?” I asked. The lead pony shook his head.

“We are not affiliated with the one who spreads blasphemous tales of our Savior. We are a group dedicated to your ways of saving. You have shown us what good can be accomplished by your deeds. You have given us hope, Savior. And we are here to hear your words of wisdom.” He said. I frowned.

“You want wisdom? Quit doing this. You are only going to cause trouble not just for me, but other ponies as well.” I said. The lead rubbed his chin.

“Then how do we go about in teaching your ways?” he asked. I opened my mouth. Then closed it. Wait… maybe I can try something. Something that I could use as an advantage.

“Err… well for one, you can stop calling me messiah. Two, don’t call me a Savior. And lastly, if you want to spread the words about my doings, then by all means. But if I ever hear that you and your group are causing trouble for anyone, then I will see to it personally that you are to be stopped.” I said.

“Her words are wise.” The cloaked mare said. “Tis true, her mind is that of wisdom. Very well, Savior. We will do as you have asked.” They bowed. I sighed and rubbed my face. This day couldn’t get any worse.

Footnote Max Level!