Tempest, eh? Lyon, I hope you realize that most of the vessels you have seeked out I’ve already met? But of course, that wouldn’t stop him anyway. He’s fulfilling his duties as Keeper. I watched the ponies on the dance floor. They were just having the time of their lives. A band on a stage near the podium were playing a swing jazz beat. Ponies twirled and moved to the music. I spotted Goldenlee and Star, hooves touching as they both shimmied on their back hooves. Brick and Sanity were awkwardly moving about, laughing with apparent joy.

Sunny Springs was dancing with a few other ponies and Nurse Valentine had been offered by a stallion to dance. She happily agreed and they moved out onto the dance floor. I noticed Bell dancing with a few other colts and fillies while Heart laughed happily as she danced with break dancing maskless Chester. Al Capony and Bucky were definitely in the groove of things. Al switched between him and Kingpin before all three of them jammed out. Even Stiletto was having the time of his life.

And here I am, standing on the side lines, depressed. I had destroyed a city. Lost a friend. Found another vessel that I knew before hoof and the thought of Bud mysteriously vanishing into the midst of all the chaos. Let alone that I knew somewhere out there, there were still changelings on the loose. What had also came to mind was Mr. House. The mastermind behind all of Las Pegasus. His dream of rebuilding it to its former glory. I didn’t deserve to be happy. My life sucked. Ever since I was a filly, it had always sucked. And to find out that dad had been goading me onto a road that I didn’t want to follow.

No matter how destructive I can be or complain that it was all for survival sake, I would win. No matter what would happen, I would always win. Dad made sure of that. I frowned, taking a pull of my unfinished Ranger Whiskey. Well, on the plus side, I at least know where to look now. As much as karma hates me or pities me, I won’t stop until I get him back. For once, I wanted to be a better pony. I wanted my friends and my family to be happy. They are all I have left.

I found myself taking too much of a pull and the alcohol burned in my chest. I coughed once, banging on my chest with a hoof. I looked back at the dancing crowd. I didn’t deserve it. I sighed, swigging the last of my drink before tossing the bottle into the trash and making my way to the exit. I wasn’t paying attention, because right as I reached the door, I bumped into somepony. I must have also been slightly drunk too, because the slight bump made me stumble. I growled and turned to the pony.

“Watch it, buster.” I narrowed my eyes, seeing a very pretty mare. So pretty, in fact, that she looked familiar. Her silver eyes met mine and she smiled.

“Wow, you look different.” She said. I was baffled. No way that this is her! But it was. Her silver and white stripped mane was combed down and the back was slightly tufted into a bun. She had a star clip holding her bangs away and the dress she wore, I won’t lie, looked good on her. She even had strapped hoof shoes on that were a slight hue to her hide color. The stunning mare arched a brow. “Hey, what’s wrong?” I said nothing. I was speechless. Stunned by the beauty I was seeing before me. But I always knew she was pretty. And cool. Pretty cool. She put a hoof to my forehead and frowned slightly.

“You feel a bit feverish. Are you sure you won’t join me for a dance?” she said with a wink. I slowly shook my head.

“I-I don’t dance.” I stuttered. Iris grinned.

“Don’t worry. I can’t either. But that doesn’t stop me from having a good time.” She said. She took my hoof into hers. “So, you wanna?” Okay, at this point, I don’t care if I was the utter terror of the world. Every ounce of my being told me to say yes. And I nodded, still speechless. She led me out to the dance floor and we both stood up on our hind legs, wrapping one hoof around one another’s waist. I held onto her. “Let’s take it slow. Once you get the hang of it, then we will step it up a bit.”

As the ponies danced around us, Iris did her best she could to train me in choreography. I found it easier to focus on the steps in the form of an imaginary metronome in my head. She held up her foreleg and I twirled under it before holding back onto to her and swaying with her. My heart was in a flutter. Thank goddesses I was a quick learner. The metronome in my head picked up and we moved to it. I found myself laughing, the pure joy I was in with Iris. Even she was having a good laugh.

Of course, I wasn’t perfect at it. I found myself mostly stumbling over Iris or losing my balance. But Iris would support me. We went at it for a good half hour before the band decided to play a slow dance song. It was a song by Sweetie Belle. One I haven’t heard before. It was titled “Love me, Forget me not.” as the band called it. Soon, couples were swaying to the music. Iris and I did the same. But I felt like the whole world was revolving around us this night.

The world vanished. Just the two of us. Dancing among the stars. I could see it. Each tiny speck of light, twinkling as we moved. Iris smiled.

“You do realize you are changing the setting of the room.” She said. I arched a brow, snapping out of my daze and looking around. Ponies were muttering to one another happily. Even Al Capony and Bucky noticed that I had magically conjured illusionary stars. But they didn’t seem to mind. In fact, no pony seemed to mind. They continued to sway with each other, enjoying the moment I had created unintentionally. This wasn’t just my night. It was everypony’s night. But I felt like it was just mine and Iris’s.

From what seemed like lost hope for me from all the things that had happened, I smiled as I felt that almost fading hope re-emerge into something bigger. I was surrounded by friends. Family. Love. No wonder the changelings were targeting Las Pegasus. The city of vice had an alternate form of sin.

Love. The city saw it this night. It is experiencing it now. The battered city of Las Pegasus, seeing for the first time the once beautiful hope it had lost during the war. When the music ended, everypony stomped their hooves in applause. I giggled as me and Iris decided to take a break from the dancing and sit against the wall.

“So, not bad for your first time.” Iris said coolly. I nodded, leaning my head onto her shoulder. Iris rubbed the back of her head, flushing slightly. “So… when you say you were going to punish me, did you mean by not letting me touch you or what?” I chuckled.

“I’m more surprised that you still are struggling with it.” I tickled her chin with the tip of my hoof. She smiled, her wings extending a bit. “You’ll see soon.” She still looked confused, but she just nodded in reply. I sighed, bowing my head on her shoulder. “Iris? Do you think Comp wanted any of this to happen?” my silver love slumped, sighing.

“Courier, Comp knew about it all along.” She said. I said nothing as I listened to her continue. “He knew about it. But he refused to accept it. He came to the Followers one day while you were out and mentioned his dreams to them. The scribes did a bit of research and with a small sample of his DNA, they found that he wasn’t a normal pony.” She stroked my mane. “Comp was devastated. He argued that the tests must be wrong and to try again.” She looked at me. “He had them do the test five times. And all of them came up as him not being a normal pony. After that, he felt like he needed some time to think about it.” She sighed. “He took Rex with him, hoping that if something did happen, Rex would kill him on the spot.”

I still said nothing. He talked to me about his dreams. Told me to kill him. And when I convinced him that it was a stupid idea, he thought he would save us the trouble and do it himself but through another friend.

“But, Comp said that Chryxal had confronted him that night. Showed him what he really was. But, he still didn’t want to accept it?” I asked. Iris nodded.

“Before the wedding kicked off, he made it clear to all of us that he wasn’t going to be staying with us. And by that time before we realized what was going on, you and the others interrupted the wedding.” Iris shook her head. “Comp left because he didn’t want to see us get hurt. He was also dying.” Of course. But still…

“Iris, I have to apologize.” I said suddenly. She arched a brow. “I was being selfish again. I hadn’t been keeping my promises. To any of you. I have yet to find Brick’s friend. We haven’t even talked to Mr. House about Goldenlee’s friend. I’ve haven’t been taking you everywhere.” I put a hoof to my right eye. “And Chryxal brought back a lot of painful memories of my childhood.” I groaned. “I’m just a complete mental wreck waiting to happen…” Iris smiled and put a wing around me, bringing me in closer.

“Courier. Since when have you’ve let anything stop you?” she asked. I looked at her. “You go above and beyond than most ponies would. You put other’s thoughts ahead of your own, but remain assertive in the process. You are the smartest pony I’ve ever met.” She winked. “And kick ass to boot.” I chuckled slightly.

“You’re sweet, Iris.” I cooed. “But…” I sighed. “Comp has saved me. Saved us. We owe it to him. So, it’s time for us to return the favor.” Iris smiled.

“So, I’m guessing once we are done here, we are going out to find him?” I nodded. “And you know where he is?” I smirked and held up my PipBuck. “Alright then. Starting tomorrow, we get what we can stocked and head out. Sound like a plan?” I giggled.

“Trying to be the leader this time?” I asked with an amused brow raised. Iris flushed and shook her head.

“W-what? N-no… I mean… I just thought…” she sighed. “Courier, you aren’t happy, and I can understand that. We all do. But we are your friends. And Comp is still our friend too. We will find him. Together.” I flushed. Iris is being rather… how shall I say… in charge tonight. I couldn’t help but feel even more amused. I hope she wasn’t thinking that taking charge will let her go unpunished. Oh on, she still needs her punishment.

Even though I knew it wasn’t me, but somewhere deep down she knew it wasn’t, she went ahead with it anyway. To be honest, I felt a little conflicted. Iris with another pony. I was feeling… jealous. When Iris tried to shift herself, I found myself halting her and bringing her in closely to me. She gave me a confused look.

“Courier?” she asked. I said nothing and just nuzzled her.

“Iris… do you think… maybe just once… I can be selfish about you?” I asked. Iris arched a brow.

“What do you mean?” she replied. I fidgeted a little.

“I… You know when Chryxal had me replaced?” Iris nodded. “Well… I guess you could say I… got lucky. Twice.” I rubbed my head. “Those Mint-als I pickpocketed from Goldenlee saved me from being shot in the heart. And my star metal bones spared me from having a bullet go through my brain.” I sighed. “But it was enough trauma that made me experience death once again. I almost died.” Iris gave me a reassuring smile.

“Courier, I’m sure you’ve cheated death multiple times. We all have at some point in our lives. Yours is just natural, I guess.” I snorted.

“So, almost dying twice is a good thing?” I said a little sourly. Iris blinked and quickly shook her head, flushing a bit.

“N-no, Courier. That’s not what I meant. I’ve had my fair share of death defying experiences. You’ve just have…” she racked her head in frustration, apparently trying to find the right words. I waited until she could. “I guess, you gamble your life a lot. Like, a lot more than most ponies do. Which is why defying death, even escaping it twice, is a natural occurrence with you. You have this knack and it’s been coming back to bite you in the butt.” I directed my sour feelings towards two little ponies on my shoulders. “But even then, you still press on. Courier, when you wanted me to drop you onto Chryxal, I didn’t want too. Because… well… I didn’t want to lose you and it would be all my fault if you missed. Like, I got you killed because you asked me to do something.”

I sighed. She’s right. No matter what anypony says, I gamble a lot. My life has been put onto the table multiple times and death has been waiting for me to fold. However, it’s just like how dad wanted it. No matter which way anyone looks at it, I always win in the end. Just like he would. I could also relate to my silver love. Comp asking me to put an end to his misery because he was distressed about harming any of us. He didn’t want to hurt us or Bell. And he tried to attempt another suicide, until Chryxal stopped him. Things were beginning to make minor sense, but all the more questions are being added by the dozen. I held onto her tightly and she shifted a little, trying to sit comfortably during my clinginess.

“You still haven’t told me what you mean by being selfish towards me.” Iris said with a small smirk. I shook my head.

“Not towards. About you.” I said, leaning in closer to her ear. “Just this once. Do you think, I can have you all to myself for tonight?” Iris flushed, her wings seeming to straighten out a bit. I nibbled her ear and she stiffened a little. While the party continued on, me and Iris made our way out of the room, down the elevator and out of the tower. As we walked down the street back to the hotel, I stopped once and furrowed my brows. Iris arched a brow and looked at me.

“You okay, babe?” she asked. I turned my head to my right. I swear I saw something glint in the corner of my eye. Out of curiosity, I trotted over to where I last saw the glint. I gapped when I saw a small glass orb. Did… Chryxal drop it when he fell off of the roof? I picked it up with my hoof and narrowed my eyes. “Isn’t that a memory orb?” Iris asked as she trotted over to me. I nodded and sighed.

“And I know exactly whose these memories belong too.” I said. I was almost tempted to have a look. But… I glanced back at Iris. There’s nothing wrong with being a bit needy, is there? I found a neat little cup inside my dress and gently placed the orb in there. I’ll look at it later. When we reached the hotel and made our way to our suite, I wrapped my tail slightly around Iris’s neck. She blinked and I gave her a flirtatious smirk.

“You still need to be punished.” I said. Entering the suite, I made sure to lock the door and trap Iris in my room. Stripping off our dresses, my heart beat faster slightly as Iris sat on my bed with a smile. I looked around. Nothing to use as much punishment for. Oh well, at least I know how to improvise. I conjured two copies and they climbed into the bed behind Iris. My silver love was taken by surprise as my copies pulled her back, laying her down and pinning her while I improvised the bondage with torn fabrics of the blanket. Once I had Iris strapped in, it was time for her punishment. I climbed on top of her and bit her ear. She gasped.

“Remember, Iris. During your punishment, you are not to make a sound for a full half hour. If you can last that long, then you win. But keep losing and I’ll have to punish you further.” I said. Iris bit her lip, her wings now extended out to her sides and her face flushing bright red. She gave a nod with a small whimper. I went back to nibbling her ear, making sure to rub her special spot at the same time. Iris squirmed underneath me, biting her lip to prevent herself from making a single noise. My ears twitched at the sound of a small squeak coming from her.

“You made a sound.” I said. Iris shuddered as she spoke.

“I-I-I did not!” she protested. My hoof trailed down her chest and I hovered my hoof over her tender spot. She tried her best to stifle a gasp, but it was too late. The punishment I was giving Iris wasn’t anything painful. Okay, maybe a little bite at the neck and ears. And the occasional improvised whipping on her flanks with a leather belt strap, but nothing big. I almost felt sorry for her. No matter what she tried, she would make a small sound and I would punish her further. It’s been an hour and still, Iris kept making noises.

When I awoke, I noticed I had accidently left Iris strapped to the bed. I was laying my head on her chest as she snoozed quietly. I sniffed once. Well, I guess I win. Better luck next time, Iris. I giggled a little, kissing her cheek and untying her from the bed. She stirred a little, shivering.

“C-cold…” she whispered. I slid out of the bed, putting a blanket over her before making my way to the shower. Stepping in and feeling the familiar pounding of water against my hide was refreshing. Now that I think about it, it had been a while since I had taken one. Well, other than the small radiation the showers have sometimes, it’s best not to stay in them for long. But as I stood there, feeling the water pound at my head, I thought back to what had happened last night.

Lyon was here and he had awoken another maiden. This time, he had awoken Tempest. I have yet to meet her and Acerbus, but I knew that I will eventually. I closed my eyes, listening in on the white noise of the running water. Showers are nice. To me, it has the same affect like music does. I was calm. Collected. How I should be. My head pounded a little. Ironic how addicting drugs are bad for you, yet it had protected a vulnerable organ for me. A gamble… I looked back at my flank, seeing my cutie-mark.

I made a gamble on my life just for a package. And I had gotten my cutie-mark after that. Iris was right. The memories that had come flooding back to me, the crap that I’ve been through. I’m a pony that always puts her life on the gambling table. Probably more than any pony should. But dad had made it to where I would never lose.

'Dad… why me? What is it that I had done wrong to you? What did I do to deserve your hate?' When I opened my eyes, I blinked. I was still in the tub. But the shower wasn’t running. It was rather windy however. My tub rocked and I fell into it to keep myself from falling out. Waaaay too windy. I looked around, shielding my eyes from the constant strong wind that continued to rock my tub. I frowned, seeing nothing but clouds and wind torrents.

“Tempest? Are you there?” I called out. No response. Still, there was no doubt about it. I was in the domain of another maiden. I snorted sourly. What oh-so great prophecy that Tempest has for me? I continued to brace myself in my tub while I scanned the area around me. Dammit, where is the maiden? I figured that since she’s named Tempest, she would be the wind, right? I was dead wrong. My tub tipped over as a colossal mass of clouds shot out from beneath me. I locked my hooves around the edge of the tub and I hung for dear life. The bad thing for me was, I was still wet.

My hooves slipped and I felt myself fall. The wind covered my scream. I instantly stopped when I felt myself jerk to a halt and slowly begin to rise. I watched as I passed my tub. I shot a hoof back to me, seeing that a small twister was holding me up and keeping me from falling.

Do you fear the clouds? Do you fear the wind?

I arched a brow and looked ahead, seeing a colossal alicorn face staring at me. The clouds had formed to make Tempest. I shook my head.

“Nope. Just took me by surprise. Usually, I have some sort of support to stand on.” I smirked. “But since you are nothing but clouds and I’m not a pegasus, then it’s completely understandable.” I saw the clouds move, making the expressions for Tempest.

You are a very odd one.

I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, so I’ve been told. So, now that leaves me to question. Intentional visit, unintentional visit or requested visit?” I asked. Tempest gave me a confused look.

Very odd. Why must you ask my presence here? Tis my domain the way I see it.

I sighed.

“Because one, I’m a Keeper that is still trying to learn what the hell to do as one. Two, I’m constantly dealing with ponies in my life and I’ve already found all but two of your sister's vessels.” I saw the clouds in the distance move up and down in the shape of wings. It’s strange. Was it me, or is Tempest actually the tallest of the others?

So, the blind one was correct about my sister’s awakenings.

I cocked my head slightly. Lyon? Those glazed eyes that were once a luscious blue. The first time I saw that, I figured he was sick. Then, I began to question if it had to deal with him finding the vessels. But to actually hear from one of the maidens that he is blind? I frowned more, grumbling. 'So, brother, you are willing to give up your sight just to see this out? How funny, considering you won’t be able to.' The clouds moved, making Tempest even slightly taller than she was now.

Vessel. How fair my sisters? I pray that none are awake yet.

I arched a brow.

“I did say I met all but two of your sister's vessels. I’m one of them. Oh, and Din says hi.” I said. I heard an echoing neigh.

Bah! The simpleton is awake. More trouble for me to handle. Maybe I should just kill you and have Din out of the picture.

I frowned.

“I wouldn’t do that. What would Oroboros think if you decided to disobey the law of balance?” I said. Tempest shifted slightly with the clouds.

I care not for the old serpentine. I have waited far too long for my own land. I have finally awaken and it is my time.

I smirked.

“You do realize I’ve beaten your vessel before?” I chuckled. “Actually, Din did the honors.” The wind picked up as the colossal cloud wings moved.

All the more reason to return the favor! Begone with you!

I was suddenly blown away by the wind. I flipped and spun in a helpless manner. Well, this is something I wasn’t expecting. I can understand Gaia attacking me. But she was out to destroy both me, Din and Sanity. I blinked, feeling something wet on my cheek. I righted myself, spreading my hooves out to slow my decent toward the clouds. I quickly wiped my cheek with a hoof and looked at it. Blood.

My blood. In fact, I was showing minor cuts all over me. I looked ahead and saw that the colossal alicorn had created a tall pillar that rose above me. Wait, it wasn’t pillar. It was a hoof! I quickly brought my hooves in and dive bombed forward. I let the wind carry me and it was enough speed and distance to nearly get away from the hoof that barreled down where I once was. I grit my teeth.

“Din, I could use a little help!” I shouted over the wind. No response. Dammit, Din. Quit being a fiery bitch for once and do something! Defend your vessel so you can… I dunno, do whatever you want with the land! Just help me beat Tempest! I heard Din chuckle.

Once again, you require help with a false promise. No matter. It’s been a long time since I’ve shown my sister proper respect for me. Very well then.

I was suddenly engulfed by an aural sphere of spectral fire. I shielded my face as the hot bubble covered me. When it stopped, I still continued to fall. I blinked.

“W-what the hell!?” I said. “Din, come on!” I heard Din snort.

If I had known you would be so clueless, I should have picked a different Vessel. Why don’t you see the new feature I added to you?

I grit my teeth and looked down at myself. Nothing. But when I looked over my shoulder, I gapped. Wings. I had… wings! But… they weren’t normal wings. They were on fire. I couldn’t help but smile. Oh-hoo yeah! Now this is what I’m talking about! But one problem… how do you make them move? I looked past my spectral burning wings to see another pillar of clouds descend over me. Gotta think fast! Come on, flap! It was hard to focus with the wind rushing past me. The pillar descended. I head Din snort.

Bah! Pathetic vessel. Do I have to do everything for you?

I watched as my wings began to move on their own. I felt my stomach lurch as Din controlled my flight path. I found myself dipping and diving, while barrel rolling and spinning to avoid some small bits of wind that could cut me into two. I felt like I was gonna hurl.

“D-Din! Can you… can you please warn me… next time when you… decide to do… tricks?” I hurked and I heard Din chuckle.

What’s the matter, Courier? You look a little green.

I could imagine her smiling with amusement when she said that. Oh great. I could feel my whiskey I had last night come back up with the wedding cake. But I gulped down the feeling, ignoring the sour taste before looking at the colossal alicorn. Din had done tricks with me that fortunately saved me from being cut into two, but made my stomach churn and faced Tempest. The alicorn in the clouds echoed a neigh.

Stubborn vessel. You dare challenge a maiden!? You are forgetting that this is my domain!

I saw the clouds behind her suddenly spiral towards me. Even though they may be clouds, the points at their ends didn’t look all so… fluffy. I grit my teeth and concentrated at them. To my surprise, a beam of fire shot out from my horn and dissipated the clouds that were spiraling towards me. How did I do that!? I mean, I know I’ve done it before, but that was under Din’s control. But this time, it was all me. Din was just lending me her wings. I shook away my surprise and put my game face on.

“Tempest, you have to stop this. Or you’ll regret it.” I shouted over the wind. Tempest made what sounded like an amused snort.

You are a fool for challenging me! Very well then. Prepare for my wrath!

I saw the clouds move, Tempest actually rearing back onto her hind legs. Yup, I was right. Tempest is definitely taller than her sisters. Din once again controlled my flight path, leaving me to fire my fire beams at Tempest. Despite the motion sickness I was feeling, I laughed at the fact I had wings that were actually keeping me aloft! Not small twisters, large bodies of water or whatever. Actual wings that flapped and propelled me away from Tempest’s own attack. So, this is what it felt like to fly! I felt a whole new envy for Iris. I wonder if she felt like this all the time whenever she flew?

Focus, fool!

Din snapped me out of my thought, right as a gust of sharp wind grazed my cheek. Right, the alicorn. Almost forgot. Din grumbled at my carelessness, but we continued on. It felt like hours as we traded blows. Soon, I was feeling an awful headache while Tempest laughed.

You simpletons cannot grasp the true power of a maiden! We are powerful, while you are nothing but a mere ant. Farewell, sister!

Tempest once again reared back. I smirked.

“Again, you are forgetting who you are dealing with!” I shouted over the wind. I bowed my head slightly, keeping my eyes in the middle of the big body of clouds that rose before me. I saw a ball of gathered fire appear at my horn. My smirk changed to a grin. Ponies need to stop rearing back to attack me. So many openings! I waved my head once and aimed my horn, seeing an even bigger beam of fire shoot out. The beam penetrated the big body of clouds. I had aimed true. Tempest reeled back, the clouds moving away from me a great distance. I saw the utter shock on her cloudy face.

Tch… how? How can I be beaten with just a single spell!? How have you mastered such power!?

I tapped my head.

“Remember. I am a vessel for Din. I’m also pretty damn smart.” I said. Smart, yes. Endurance in magic? Not so much. That spell certainly did a number on me. I was completely tired out. But Din continued to keep me aloft. I took a small moment to catch my breath before looking at the alicorn maiden. “Now, I’m going to make a wild guess here. I’m sure that as much as you wanted to return the favor for Din harming your vessel, my brother probably also asked you to talk to me. To see if I was worthy. Is that the major reason?” Tempest’s hesitation was all the proof I needed in my guess. I shook my head, laughing slightly. “Why am I not surprised?”

Hrmm… a very odd one indeed… You show no fear towards us. You so foolishly challenge us, yet you act like it is an everyday task with you.

I rolled my eyes.

“You’re not the first maiden I encountered. Also not the first to attack me. But I have to say, unlike Gaia, you certainly seemed to know what you were doing.” Tempest… chuckled slightly.

Ahh. My dear air head of a sister. Very well, vessel. While I appreciate the compliment on my prowess, I still see nothing that makes you worthy to bring us together.

I shook my head.

“Honestly, I’m not at fault for that. You all have your own agendas you stubbornly follow and ignore the others. You each want to create your own land. It also doesn’t help that you make up the elements of the land either. Each one always conflicting one another. Never truly dying, but destroy nonetheless. That’s you and your sister’s problems. Not mine.” The clouds formed, making Tempest look sour.

The old serpentine suggested we all take the form of something to balance out our land. She sighed. But I am getting ahead of myself. While our agendas and our own origin are not for ears such as yours, I can tell you that I will create a land with the clouds.

I darted my eyes at the vast body of clouds underneath me. Clouds… and the way they move… I arched a brow.

“So… I guess you want to create your land with… molding material?” I asked. The clouds morphed at the corners of Tempest’s muzzle.

How astute. Yes, clouds are easy to manipulate. And if I don’t like it, I can reshape it or destroy it all together.

I rubbed my chin. Huh… an eco-friendly maiden? That’s… that’s not a bad idea actually. Scientifics aside, I looked back at the alicorn.

“Look. While I don’t have the ability to bring you all together doesn’t mean I have the ability to bring your vessels together. In fact, I’m friends with one, I’ve saved one, I’m a mortal enemy to one and I get on the nerves of another one.” I rubbed my chin. “The other two I’m still having trouble figuring out. Shiva has been awake for some time now, but I have yet to find her vessel.” Hmm… and Lux doesn’t seem to have awaken yet either. She growled. You Keepers certainly are a thorn in my side. I’ll have a talk with the blind one. I waited. Tempest blinked once and frowned.

Are you still here? Begone with you!

I arched a brow. Oh, right! I closed my eyes and imagined the door I had created during the encounter with Gaia. When I opened them, I found the door, bearing my own created insignia, opened up. I flapped once and entered the door.

I opened my eyes to hear the sound of rushing water. I blinked and checked the time on my PipBuck. Funny. What felt like hours was only two minutes. I turned the shower off and stepped out, drying myself off with a towel and exited the bathroom. Iris was awake. She stretched, yawning and shivering. She looked around and squinted. She picked up the leather belt strap I had used as the improvised whip.

“How very… effective.” She said as she tossed the strap over her shoulder and smiled at me. She stretched again. “Geez, you definitely don’t want me walking straight do you?” I stuck my tongue out at her with a wink and a sly smile.

“You kept making oh-so wonderful noises. Not my fault you couldn’t follow the rules.” I said. Iris flushed and rubbed her foreleg.

“Damn…” But I saw the small smile she had when she said it. Well, now that we know that I am the true and dominate one in bed, it was high time for other matters. While Iris took her turn in the shower, I stepped out of my room and saw my companions sitting around the counter at the kitchen area. Sanity smirked.

“Well, look who came out of the fun cave.” She said. I arched a brow.

“Pardon?” I asked. Goldenlee looked casually through the cabinets as she spoke.

“Frankly, dear, if you and Iris wanted to be so loud, than you could have just told us. We wouldn’t have bothered to sleep through the whole thing.” She said. I gave a small smirk.

“Oh. I was just giving Iris her punishment for having sex with another pony other than me.” I said. Star shook his head.

“Must we really discuss this now?” he asked. Me, Sanity and Goldenlee exchanged glances before looking back at the pony.

“It’s completely necessary.” We said in unison. Star nodded.

“Figured as much. By the way, Goldenlee. How are you faring from tonight?” he asked. Goldenlee gave a small smile and a flush.

“Well, it certainly was better than the last time.” She said. I saw the mischievous smirk on his face. Oh boy, here we go.

“Did you know her kink is rear mounting?” he said to us. There wasn’t anymore that needed to be said. Star had been pelted in the face with a pan that Goldenlee had thrown out of the cabinet. She nodded in triumph. Then, she looked at us, smiling at me and Sanity.

“You all will forget you heard anything, right?” she asked. I rubbed the back of my head and looked at Sanity.

“Err… well…” I began. Sanity summed it up.

“It shant be unheard. Our ears have been tainted.” She said, her brows furrowing. However, Goldenlee loomed over us and we stiffened.

“I shall repeat myself. You will forget everything you heard, right?” she asked.

“O-of course!” we said in unison while quickly nodding. Goldenlee gave another triumphant nod before looking back in the cabinet. While Star fell back off of the stool in a daze, I couldn’t help but notice Brick looking a little… confused. Was he trying to forget what he heard or did he not care and was trying to find out if the thought he was having was worth anything. I went over to him.

“Hey, big guy. What’s up?” I asked with a smile. Brick nodded to me.

“Nothing much. Just passing the time and all.” He said. I sighed.

“You know, you are a friend too.” I said. Brick arched a brow. “You are always quiet. It’s like you don’t want to deal with anything.” Brick shook his head.

“That’s not the case.” He said. I arched a brow.

“Are you… upset? Angry?” I asked. Brick shook his head.

“Neither. I just like to hear what other ponies have to say without being involved.” He said. I cocked my head.

“So… you watch a lot of ponies in the crowd? I guess that means you know a lot about a pony just by the way they communicate and how they act, right?” I said with a smirk.

“Actually…” he faltered a bit. “Never mind. We still have plenty of time.” I frowned.

“Brick. You are practically the first friend I’ve met after my traumatic experiences over the years. In fact, you helped me out a lot during our travels. So… why don’t you ever speak up?” Brick looked at me, taking a moment before bowing his head.

“I have a lead.” He said. I took a moment to realize what he had said. “An actual lead. I’ve asked around the towns we’ve been to, but they never heard of any kidnappings. And it was only a few days ago I found a lead. An actual lead that will take me to her.” I beamed.

“Well, then this is great news! Where should we start looking?” I said. Brick looked a bit surprised.

“You mean… we can go look?” he asked. I nodded and motioned to our friends.

“Duh, we are friends. If you had mentioned a lead to us, then we would have been glad to help you out.” I said. Brick bowed his head.

“But… shouldn’t we focus on getting Comp back?” he asked. I nodded.

“And that’s what we are going to do. But I’m also going to stick to my promise. You came with me to see if we would by chance find your friend. Now that we have a lead, we can go for it. We will get your friend back.” I looked at my friends. “Right?” They nodded with encouraging smiles while Rex barked. Brick smiled.

“Thank you all.” He said. I patted his back.

“And next time, if you are ever in trouble and have info, don’t be afraid to mention it to us. As busy as we are going to be now, we can start it off by getting your friend back.” I said. Brick nodded before sighing.

“Sorry, Courier. It’s just that you were in the midst of saving ponies after we met that it seemed like you had forgotten about it.” It was my turn to bow my head and I kicked a hoof.

“Yeah… I’ve been a tad bit selfish lately… but I’m going to do better. And I’m going to do that right now, starting with you and your friend.” I said. He smiled and pat my shoulder.

“Thank you, Courier.” I patted our demolitionists hoof in reassurance. I turned, seeing that Iris had finally finished her shower and was smiling along with the rest of my friends.

“Alright, gang. We have a busy schedule to fulfil. I hope you are up to the task.” I smiled. “Gather what we can. Health potions, ammunition, any junk that isn’t necessary for us to carry and sell it so we can get more supplies when we stop in towns along the way.” I looked over to the sofa to see my gear neatly placed on it. I threw my customized long sleeved duster on and putting Courage and Compassion on my magnetized back before clipping the metal chest piece together. Putting on the rest of my gear, I nodded, seeing my companions had done the same.

We were raring to go.

As we entered the lobby of the hotel, we were stopped by an Omareta thug.

“You the Savior?” he asked. I arched a brow.

“Who wants to know?” I responded. The thug sighed.

“Look, I don’t care. I’ve got a message from Kingpin to give to the Savior.” He said. I looked at my companions before nodding.

“Alright. What did he say?” I asked. The thug cleared his throat before speaking.

“Kingpin says: ‘You know that deal the Enclave commander mentioned?’” he said. I nodded slowly. I wasn’t liking where this was going. “Well, the boss says that the Enclave were to wait it out till the wedding was done. Once the wedding is done, they will come after you. And not only that, Mr. House has put a bounty on your head too.” I stiffened.

“Shit…” I said. Well, just my luck. Mr. House must have heard that I was the one that almost destroyed the city and was majorly pissed at me. I wouldn’t blame him actually. But what’s also worse is that not only am I going to have bounty hunters after me, but the Enclave were ready to hunt me down too. The thug cleared his throat.

“The boss is sorry that he couldn’t do anything to prevent it. At least he gave you time to leave the city before anypony starts coming after you.” He said.

“And that is where I come in.” a voice said. We looked to see Mother Dandy smiling at us from under her cloak. “Come this way, ponies. If you want to avoid Mr. House’s robots and the Enclave.” I nodded before turning to the thug.

“Tell Kingpin I said thanks and that I am sorry for all the trouble I had caused.” I said. The thug nodded before I turned and followed after my companions and Mother Dandy. Sanity whistled.

“Well, guess you really are public enemy number one, Courier.” She said. I should be upset. I should be frowning at this. But, to my surprise, I wasn’t. I was… laughing.

“Yup! All the more fun, don’t you think?” I asked. Iris smiled as we turned the corner and exited out the back of the hotel. Our metal armored wagon was waiting for us.

“If you count being constantly chased by ponies who are desperate for caps or just plain hate you as fun, then I completely agree.” She said as she clamped the armor to Rex. I hopped onto the driver side, Iris took a seat next to me while the others climbed into the back.

“I do admit, it sounds exciting.” Goldenlee said with a smile. “But don’t you think it’s a little too much to handle with just us?” Star
smirked.

“It’s Courier. Who do you expect?” he said.

“He’s got a point Golden.” I agreed. Star nodded, leaving Goldenlee to do something to him that made him jump a little. She whistled, acting like nothing had happened. I turned to Mother Dandy. “Give the married couple our best regards.” Mother Dandy smiled and nodded before Rex pulled the wagon. We stuck to the road and followed out caravans to the south entrance. I checked my PipBuck and scrolled over to my map. The marker pinpointing where Comp should be. But first…

“So, Brick. What’s the lead?” I asked. Brick sighed, looking mildly upset now.

“When I showed the picture of my friend to a pony, she said she knows exactly who she was.” He looked at me with a solemn look. “I don’t want to believe it. But the pony claims that she is with the Fiends.” Silence was all could be said. I looked ahead Raiders… Fiends… what’s the difference?

“Well, at least we know where to look. And we are prepared for any Fiend encounter.” I said. Brick shook his head.

“No, Courier. She isn’t just with the Fiends. She is a Fiend.” He said. Now that… was something I wasn’t expecting. I slumped. Now I know why Brick was so hesitant about the lead he had. He didn’t want to believe that the friend that was taken from him by Raiders ends up becoming one of her kidnappers. We were all quiet about it. Again, there was no difference between Raiders or Fiends. I could only pray to Celestia and Luna that we weren’t too late.

Footnote: Level Up!

Perk Added: Unbreakable Loyalty: Your companions’ devotion towards you has increased dramatically. A 10% increase in DT and DMG when you or a companion’s health is below half.