I was alone when I woke up, the time displayed on my PipBuck telling me that I shouldn’t have been surprised. I rolled over and kicked the coverings off me with a groan, trying a spell as I sat up. I was equal parts surprised and not to discover my magic had returned. I really wasn’t looking forward to our trip to Boulder City once we were done at the Bastion but a promise was a promise even if I didn’t make it. A fact that I was still privately annoyed with. A note I’d found attached to Starfall filled me in on what the others were doing and I took what time I had and got ready, wondering what today would bring.

When it came time to meet the others at the base of the elevator I was surprised at how many of them were there, suited up and ready to go. Sunny, Pumpkin, Grim, Indra, Adria and Orchid were all expected. The Brightcrest siblings, 87 and Crescent were not. I was about to protest when the sound of hooves pounding the metal of the corridor behind me distracted me. Standing there, small packs on their backs, was Ebon Glow and Ollie. I looked between them, again looking for a reason to protest but found it dying in my throat as Ollie danced excitedly in place.

“I told her we were leaving and she wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Ebon Glow said apologetically. I felt my eyes narrow for a fraction of a second before I relented. As much as I didn’t like the idea this eventuality was likely to happen sooner or later.

“Alright.” I said with a sigh. “But you do whatever the grown-ups tell you and stay close. Okay?”

“Okay.” Ebon Glow nodded, a bit of an edge shadowing his eyes.
“I will.” Ollie said, her excitement fading a bit at the seriousness in my expression.

“Good.” I said, motioning them towards the rest of the assembled group.

“Are we going to have enough supplies to make a roundtrip?” Orchid asked as I approached with (hopefully) the last of our entourage.

“We’ll figure something out.” I said, planning on going hungry for the night if that’s what it took. “I didn’t expect so many of you to come.” Especially since I was positive I hadn’t told all of them my plan.

“I told you; we are your eyes, wings and talons.” Charlotte said, repeating the gesture from yesterday and looking up with a smile. “You’ll have to do better if you want to shake us.”

“Noted.” I smiled back, taking my place on the elevator with the kids. “Crescent.” I nodded my head to him in greeting and received a nod in turn. His presence seemed strangest of all and that made a part of me hurt. Despite it all we were friends once or something like friends at least. I owed him the opportunity to prove he meant what he’d said to me when I returned from Whinnyapolis. Ollie broke off from me and took her spot under her preferred shelter, Sunny, and tentatively looked around at the others assembled. Adria quickly took Ollie’s spot beside me and wrapped a claw around my foreleg.

“All right.” Pumpkin started, taking a deep breath. “Let’s get this show on the road. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I wish you wouldn’t say that.”

“Get down!” Sunny yelled as I dove to the dirt, feeling the wind of something large just miss me.

“Manticore!” Somepony shouted as gunfire began to erupt around me. I rolled away from the commotion before I got to my hooves, taking the extra time to assess the situation. I’d never seen a manticore in person before but it was big and I mean BIG. Its wingspan was wide enough to shelter four ponies from rain and it looked as if it could shear any one of us in half with a bite. Not to mention its large red claws on each paw and chitinous scorpion tail raised over its head poised to strike. So far our bullets were barely breaking its skin as it roared defiantly. With speed that made me think of Belua, it dashed forward and batted Indra with its paw, striking her in the chest and lifting her off her hooves into the air where she collided back first into a crumbling concrete fence with enough force to smash the rest of the way through it. Upon seeing its strength, the Brightcrests and Grim swooped down and each grabbed one of the kids, flying them up and away from the danger. Once they were clear I unslung Starfall and swung it hard in a vertical chop, the blade releasing a wave of energy towards the beast. The wave hit it in the side, leaving behind some serious looking burns and nearly severing its left wing. I had done the most significant damage to it so far…which put me square in its sights.

Ignoring all the other bullets bouncing off its thick hide, it locked eyes with me and charged with a nearly deafening roar. Instinct took hold of me in that moment, spinning me on my hooves and sending me galloping down an alley to the side of the building with the perimeter fence. I could hear the sound of concrete shattering as it forced its bulk down the alley behind me, close enough that I could feel the heat of its breath on my hind legs. Gripping Starfall tight between my teeth, I spun and swung it as hard as I could. The blade slashed through the manticores face, cutting a deep line from its lower jaw and up to its left eye. It reared up and snarled, taking out more of nearest building as it flailed. Just as I thought victory might be at hoof, the tail I’d neglected to keep an eye on lashed out from over its shoulder at me. The oozing stinger bounced off Starfall’s blade but the strength behind it was still enough to make my knees buckle. Seeing no alternative, I conjured a shield around myself as it recovered and brought down a heavy paw on top of it. The alley beneath me began to crack as a second blow fell on my shield. From behind it I could see the glow of Pumpkin’s magic as a telekinetically guided chunk of rubble exploded against the back of its head. It turned around to face its new attacker, standing up tall on its hind legs in a threat display as it brought its incredible mass down like a thunderclap.

Which was precisely the wrong thing to do. The ground beneath me dipped sharply as a sizeable length of the alley gave way and sent us plummeting to whatever awaited us below. I landed on my back beside a river of filth, chunks of concrete and asphalt the size of beach balls bounced off my shield as the rest of it came down on top of me. To my right something heavy fell into the canal of what I tentatively identified as water. After a few more seconds the rumbling ceased and the pile of rubble seemed to settle.

“Sparks!” A voice called, too far away or obstructed for me to identify.

“I’m alright!” I yelled back, hoping that if I could hear them then the same would be true for me. I could barely move within the contents of my shield and had no idea how much rubble had piled on top of me from my spot on the bottom. If I could concentrate enough to start levitating some of it off me without losing my shield, maybe I-

I never got to finish the thought as the manticore burst up from the surface of the water, bellowing so loud that I feared it would cause another collapse. My pile began to shift as the manticore moved past it, or more accurately, as it started to dig me out. In any other situation I’d be thankful but this time my savior intended to also be my executioner. Trapped as I was, I began to feel panic bubbling up from inside. What was I going to do? How long would my shield last once it uncovered me? It was time to find out. With a final mighty shove, it freed me and I was finally able to see past the rubble and into the bleeding, wet face of the manticore. Once the rubble was clear I dropped my shield and fired an electric bolt into its open maw. It recoiled and shrieked in pain, giving me enough time to stand and get clear of the rubble. In the path before me was the still reeling manticore and two dark openings in the back wall that fed the flow of fetid filth gently drifting past me. In the path behind me was a single dark opening where the stream flowed into, small concrete paths running parallel on each side.

“Hold on! We’re coming!” Someone up top yelled. “Just hang on and- FUCK!”

A distant rumble shook the ground above me and judging by the sounds of the muted gunfire that followed, somepony or a group of someponies had engaged my entourage. Raiders? More Slavers? A flash of magic from beside me jumped to the front of my thought process as Pumpkin stepped out of it.

“What are you doing!?” I asked, shoving her towards the one opening behind us, Pumpkin’s magic having got the manticores attention. The low growl that rumbled from its throat told me it hadn’t forgotten her either.

“I’m not leaving you!” She shouted back, magically hurling more chunks of rubble at the manticore. There was no time to argue and our options were dwindling. I had no idea where it might lead but we realistically only had the one option.

“Run!” I yelled, pushing her more fervently towards the dark portcullis as I sent another wave of palefire towards it. Not waiting to see the outcome I spun on my hooves and ushered Pumpkin and myself into the darkness with as much haste as I could muster. Switching on my PipBuck light, Pumpkin did the same with her horn, we galloped down the thin paths alongside the stream to see that the tunnel went on for some distance with no openings in sight. The manticores footsteps thundered against the concrete behind us, its angry roar reverberating off the walls. A light in the distance ahead of us gave me a bit of hope, enough to coax my legs to give more than I’d ever asked of them. The light’s edge ended in a drop down to a large concrete bowl of water. The room we’d found was massive. Holes all around the rounded walls leaked slow streams of waste the same way ours did. Which meant this was the end of the road.

“Waste processing.” Pumpkin said, her voice thoughtful. Her eyes were on a small box of a building in the center of the pool held up on metal stilts with metal catwalks jutting out in the cardinal directions away from it, each leading to their own ways out. At least that was what I hoped.

“So what?” I scoffed. “Have you forgotten about the manticore that’s right on top of us!?” I turned around and the beast in question was now in sight, barreling down the path at us.

“Not yet.” Pumpkin said, holding a hoof across my chest to keep me from moving.

“What?”

“Not. Yet.” She repeated, her eyes narrowed in concentration as the manticore closed the distance between us. “Now!” She magically flung us off the lip as the manticore lunged over us and down into the bowl, noisily impacting the box of a building in the center. It flopped off the freshly bent and warped metal of the catwalks and splashed into the muck below. I slammed my eyes shut and screamed, waiting for the imminent impact with the concrete or water below…which never came. I opened my eyes to see that Pumpkin and I were floating in the air barely below where we had just been. I felt my cheeks warm under the amused smirk on Pumpkin’s face.

“What?” She said, batting her eyelashes innocently. “Don’t you trust me?”

“You…you really are an amazing unicorn.” I said as she began to lower us toward the least warped catwalk. Levitation was one of the most basic spells in a unicorn’s grimoire but self-levitation was on the other side of the spectrum and she was guiding me as well on top of all of it. I couldn’t help but admire her. Not just for her ability but everything that came with it too. Since I’d known her, she’d shown understanding, compassion, and bravery all in such a short time.

“D-don’t look at me like that.” She said, fidgeting but not looking away, her cheeks flushing with an intensity that almost made them glow. A weak spot? I thought deviantly, tucking that knowledge away for future use.

“No promises.” I said, my hooves touching down on the catwalk as the magic around me vanished. “One of these days you’re going to have to teach me a spell or two.”

“Maybe.” She said with a cute wrinkle of her nose. “First we-”

With a white splash of water a huge paw broke the surface and raked its claws through the catwalk below us. Its integrity already questionable from the manticore’s prior impact, the catwalk pitched down and dumped us both into the filthy soup.

And I can’t swim.

I kicked my legs uselessly, noting with growing panic that I shouldn’t be sinking so fast. Below me I could see a dark mass struggling to right itself as it got closer. A circle of darkness flush with the walls was what I was drifting towards. Was I being sucked in? Where would it take me? Would I survive the trip? Where was Pumpkin? All these thoughts spilled over at once as two tremors thundered behind me and something briefly tugged on my tail as I was sucked into the tunnel and carried away. My lungs were beginning to protest as I’d made my way around a second bend, bouncing of the walls as I sped through the water. How far did this tunnel lead? Protest quickly became burning and with a final collision against the tunnel wall I couldn’t hold it anymore and inadvertently sucked down a lungful of mucky water. This was it, I thought, the burning in my lungs dominating the rest of my senses. Even with my eyes closed I could see the encroaching darkness. Then, in a near instant, the light faded and darkness prevailed.

“Do ya think he’s dead?” A quiet voice said from above me. I…wasn’t dead?

“He’s been layin’ here for a while now.” Another voice said.

“Who cares if he’s dead or not? This is our turf, take his stuff and let’s get outta here.” A third voice said. I cracked an eye enough to see that I was surrounded by sand. I strained my senses and the distant sound of waves lapping at the shore reached my ears. I was alive. I was alive!

Fuck…I was alive. Where was I? Pumpkin! I suddenly remembered how we’d been separated. I felt one of the voices tug at Starfall still thankfully strapped to my back and decided it was time to get up. My eyes shot open and I leapt to my hooves as fast as I could, drawing Starfall in its awakened form and turned to face them. My would-be robbers screamed and ducked their heads. One of them bolted down the beach in terror. They were children, or teenagers more like, cowering with their heads in their hooves.

“We’re sorry!” One of them cried, his coat was brown as was his shaggy and unkempt mane.

“Please don’t kill us!” The other cried, a filly with an aqua coat and sea green mane tied into dirty little pigtails.

Behind them was the opening of a large drainage pipe spewing discolored water, the ticking from my PipBuck warning me of its toxicity. At least they’d dragged me away from the flow, something both I and my RAD counter were thankful for.

“Where am I?” I asked, my voice hoarse and strained. I lowered Starfall but kept it in its awakened state. “Who are you?”

“I’m Ula.” The filly said.

“I’m Peat.” The colt added. “And this is Wayfinder’s Landing.” He looked up and behind him at the patchwork wood of a boardwalk running parallel along the beach for a hundred or so meters. A ping from my PipBuck marked Wayfinder’s Landing on the map…a significant distance south of Baltimare proper. If I had to guess I’d venture that I was three miles south of Baltimare (How was I not dead?) on the other side of…the Shipyard.

“We thought you were dead mister.” Peat continued, a note of apology in his tone.

“I even kicked you three times.” Ula added. Huh. I had chalked up the soreness in my ribs from bouncing around the tunnel. Speaking of which…

“Did anypony else come out of the pipe?” I asked, taking a slow and deliberate step towards them. They looked back and forth at each other and took a step back. “Answer me.” I said, raising Starfall back into ready position. I wasn’t actually going to hurt them but they didn’t know that. I really didn’t like resorting to threats, especially against children, but I didn’t have time to waste. I was just about to give it up when Ula broke and talked.

“Maybe.” I said, wrinkling my nose at the idea. Me a teacher? I just didn’t think I could do it. Magic was part of my special talent which meant a lot of it was innate. I didn’t know how to put it into proper words but for him I would try…someday…maybe. “First we-” Before I could finish something broke the surface of the water and claws half the size of my leg rended through the metal below us like it wasn’t even there. The metal groaned as it bent forward, dumping the both of us into the disgusting water. Probing outward with my magic I found Sparks but something was pulling against him. Forcing myself to open my eyes, I saw his form being sucked towards the opening of a drainage tunnel. I tried to prepare another spell but lost my concentration when the manticore took a swing at me. Thankfully it missed but the force behind it sucked me into its wake as it passed, sending me rolling head over hooves through the water. Why wasn’t Sparks trying to swim away?

Then it hit me, the way he was flailing, the way he was being effortlessly sucked away. Sparks couldn’t swim and I’d used a banishing spell against Erebus last night. There was nopony else to help him. Only me. Enough was enough and I felt anger begin swallow up my fears and anxieties, the water around my horn beginning to boil in response to my spell. Sparks was nearly to the drain intake when I unleashed the magic I’d been gathering. The first blast shot through the water and the manticore’s shoulder, shredding skin, tearing muscle, and pulverizing bones, clouding the water with blood as the residual power hammered the wall behind it. The second blast went right through its good eye, blowing out the back of its skull, sending bone fragments and nearly black chunks of grey matter into the water. It too had enough energy left to pierce all the way through and impact the wall, cracking it severely and dislodging several chunks of concrete.

My anger faded to be replaced by panic as I spotted Sparks’ silhouette get sucked past the threshold. Desperately I reached out for something to grab. Telekinesis on something you couldn’t see wasn’t impossible but incredibly difficult even for a unicorn like me. My magic made contact with something and instant relief overtook me…but for a fleeting moment. The manticore’s carcass sank in front of me against the wall, it mass effectively blocking the drainage intake as the slow rain of rubble buried it as well. I felt my hold on him slip away and he was gone.

No. NO!

I don’t know how long I just floated there, too stunned to move. For a moment I thought about staying there until I drowned but the idea quickly diffused in my head like the blood in the water. My tears were invisible under the surface but they came nonetheless. Even with all my ability I couldn’t save the one pony in this new world who meant something to me. Just like the last time I thought, remembering how I went into stasis at Outlast hoping to save Equestria only to wake and find it had all been wiped away while I slept. My limbs were heavy as I breached the surface and it took me a moment to figure out the sounds echoing in the distance came from my own irregular sobbing. What was I going to tell the others? How would I tell them? Aurora and the other kids would be devastated. I followed the path of destruction the manticore left as it chased us, all the way back to where I’d first teleported in. As far as I could tell the fighting above had stopped but I couldn’t bring myself to move. I guided the statuette of Pinkie out of my bags and set it on the floor in front of me.

“You’d know what to say if you were here.” My voice came out choked and a few more tears ran down my cheeks, remembering that he’d gifted it to me. “What am I supposed to do now?”

“How am I supposed to know?” A familiar voice echoed all around me.

“Aunt Pinkie?” I asked, suddenly alert and on my hooves. “No, it’s impossible, this is just in my head.”

“Of course it’s in your head silly! But since when does that make something impossible?”

“I…I’m sorry.” I said trying to swallow the lump in my throat. It had been over a year since we spoke last, well over a year before the end of the world that is. Pinkie Pie had hosted a party in Manehattan that hadn’t ended well. Twilight exploded on her, called her an addict and left, taking all of the mood with her. I hadn’t known then that she’d been using, what with my own project to manage, and I found myself torn between my adopted aunt and my boss. In the end I chose my career over my family. “I’m sorry…for everything.” I said, my body wracked with invigorated sobs. It hadn’t been the first time either, nor had it been just her. All the missed birthdays and Hearths Warmings. I regretted so much. I remembered my last birthday and how upset I’d been when she didn’t show. Served me right. I began to wonder, with deep sorrow, how she died. Did she die when the bombs fell? Or did she survive the initial fallout only to succumb to radiation later…or worse. If I’d just taken the time to talk to her, if only I could go back and-

“Stop.” Pinkie said, an uncharacteristically hard edge to her voice. “It’s too late for ‘what ifs’ but you know what it isn’t too late for? You to get off your fat flanks and quit feeling sorry for yourself.”

“Fat!?” I said, my sobbing taking a backseat for the indignity I was just delivered. “They’re not fat!” I craned my head to look back at the wet clothes clinging tightly to my unequivocally not slim rump.

“Oh yes it is.” Pinkie said with a giggle that made my heart ache and for the first time in a long time it felt like it was just the two of us. “Sparks almost can’t keep his eyes off it. You think he’d rather be laying in the sand somewhere instead of sizing you up? Even I almost can’t resist checking you out. Luna knows it’s been centuries since you’ve had a good, hard-”

“Auntie!” I said stopping her, feeling blood rush to my cheeks. Then, like a slap to the face, it occurred to me. Why would she say it that way? “Are you saying he’s alive?” I dared not give myself hope but I couldn’t reject it out of hoof, not with the specter of Pinkie Pie speaking to me.

“Oops. Umm, maaaaaaybe. One sec… Yeah definitely alive.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t!” She sang. Was…was she mocking me?

I felt hot tears of anger begin to form. “Then why would you-” I was suddenly silenced by something that almost felt like somepony’s hoof against my lips.

“Not until the bitter end, remember?” The sensation against my lips faded to be replaced by a comforting feeling around my shoulders, like somepony had wrapped me in a warm blanket. Or…a hug. “Go to him. He needs you and you need him, more than you need me. I love you Pumpkin and nothing past, present, or future will change that. Pinkie promise.”

I found myself smiling despite it all, my face an odd dichotomy of emotion as I sat up straight for my favorite part.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Thankfully I’d mastered the art of not actually poking myself in the eye about ten or so years ago.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” I said, wiping my tears away with my foreleg.

“I’m not. Not really. I’m only here because you are.” Pinkie said. “Tell your brother I said wake up.”

“What? What does that mean? Auntie!?” Something was wrong.

“WAKE UP!”

My eyes shot open with a start and I was halfway up on my hooves when recognition and understanding became clear. I had fallen asleep in front of the statuette at some point, the combined physical and mental strain had clearly left me exhausted. Behind me at the bottom of the freshly cleared path to the surface was Sunny, her eyes darting to and fro.

“Good, you’re awake. Where is he?” She said, her voice tense. What just happened? Did I just dream it? A stress induced, partially lucid dream? I looked over at the statuette, wondering what to make of it all when it appeared to wink and my doubts were washed away.

“He fell.” I said standing up and stowing the statuette back in my bags. “Manticore chased us to the processing station and he was sucked into a drainage tunnel.”

Sunny’s expression was an unreadable mask of stoicism but I could see the pain in her eyes. “Dead?” She asked, sounding like she might cry, or rage.

“I don’t think so.” I said shaking my head. “The tunnel has to lead somewhere and I think I know how to find out.” The building we’d passed before the collapse was the old Midtown Library. There must be schematics or building plans somewhere inside and from there we could determine where he’d ended up or where his body ended up A dark voice in my head whispered.

“You really think he’s alive?” Sunny asked, more for herself than me.

“You don’t?” I countered, letting a bit of ice into my words. “You should be trying to convince me, not the other way around.” I pointed an accusatory hoof at her, my heart hammering in my chest, my limbs getting heavy. Where was this coming from? “You should know better than any of us what he’s capable of. Ask yourself again, do you think he’s alive?”

Sunny’s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to say something, thought better of it, and closed it. She seemed to be debating something with herself when she closed her eyes deliberately and opened them again slowly. “I…don’t know.” She said, rising to her full height. She was taller than me I noticed… “You have an idea?”

“I have a good idea which tunnel he was sucked into.” I started, looking up the crude ramp which got me a nod from Sunny. “There should be something we could use in the library to pinpoint exactly where it leads.” The trek up the path was difficult but far from impossible, though I did catch my hoof on the last rock and stumble a bit. Thankfully only one or two of the others waiting above noticed.

“So, what happened in there?” Sunny whispered in my ear. I was about to recount our fight with the manticore when she shook her head and peered at me from under the brim of her hat. “I mean to you. I can tell you’ve been crying. You thought he was gone too…what changed?”

I thought about that a moment. Had what I experienced just been a dream? It had felt so real, so personal and yet…she’d stopped me from giving up by reminding me that matter how bleak something appeared the only way to truly fail was to not try at all.

“Nothing.” I affirmed, more for myself than present company. “Just remembering what I’ve always known.” I paused a moment, surveying the others gathered and noticed a few glaring absences.

“The Brightcrests are chasing down the group of raiders who ambushed us and I sent 87 and Grim to scout ahead.” Sunny said, answering my next unspoken question.

“Can you call them back?” If I found what I was hoping for inside I would need their wings to cast the broadest net for a search.

“No.” Sunny seemed to hesitate a second before offering up an anxious smile. “Sparks had the flare gun.”

“Probably not the wisest course of action anyway.” I said. We’d already been ambushed once, no need to tell every opportunist in Baltimare where we were.

“Agreed.” Sunny squinted at me; her eyes narrowed to slits. “You should probably change though.” Her eyes briefly flicked to something behind me.

Change? What did- oh, my clothes. I started to take my coat off when I dared a look at the others patiently waiting and I could feel at least one pair of eyes on me in a way that made me uncomfortable. Then, as if summoned by dramatic timing, a gust of wind blew past us and chilled me to the bone. Abandoning the idea of changing in front of near strangers, I instead opted for a quick drying spell and everything was remedied, well, almost everything. The eyes I’d felt on me belonged to the pony Sparks had called Crescent and he was currently doing his best to look anywhere except in my direction. Was that going to be a problem? Unfortunately, there were more important things on my mind and I had to leave that on the backburner for now. Looking at the others again I noticed that they weren’t without injury. Indra had her left foreleg in a crude sling and had a half soaked through bandage under her left eye. Next to her was Orchid who was sporting an obvious graze wound through her left cutie mark. If anypony else was wounded beyond that they were hiding it well.

“Miss Pumpkin?” A small voice said from behind me, followed by an accompanying tug on my tail.

“Hi sweetie.” I said turning around to face Ollie…and the other two. The young griffin must have been Adria, the black furred colt however was a complete mystery.

“He’s not coming back, is he?” The colt said miserably, his voice not matching his oddly neutral expression.

“I…I don’t know.” It wasn’t the truth they wanted to hear. It wasn’t the truth I wanted to hear either but it was the truth. “I’m not giving up on him though.” I said, momentarily frightened by the sudden intensity of my voice. “And neither should you because he wouldn’t give up on you. Ever.” Adria and the colt seemed to stand up straighter and the sadness in the air dissipated noticeably. Ollie sniffled, wiped her face with a hoof and set her eyes into hard lines unbecoming of her age.

“Okay.” She said with a nod.

“Good.” I said, feeling that weight ease off my shoulders. “I get the feeling he might need all of us when the time comes.”

“I’m sorry!” Ula said again, throwing herself face down into the sand and holding out a bundle of red cloth in her hoof. I levitated it to my own hoof and unfurled it. Clustered inside was what appeared to be teeth and other bits of bone. Some of the manticore’s teeth I noticed belatedly, their size giving them away.

“That’s all I swear!” Ula continued, daring a look up at me with pleading and fear in her eyes. I had gone too far. Willing Starfall back to normal I strapped it to my back and knelt down in front of Ula. She flinched at my approach but didn’t resist as she let me lift her up.

“I’m sorry.” I said, brushing some sand out of her mane. So nopony else came behind me. That could be a good thing or a bad one. Did they think I was dead too? Honestly, I couldn’t believe I wasn’t. Three miles was a long way to travel underwater and I know I didn’t even make one before I lost consciousness. “I didn’t want to scare you.” I dropped the bundle of teeth back in Ula’s hooves, wondering what kind of value they’d placed on them. I suppose I hadn’t been very different at their age. I remembered the pile of old circuits and other bits of tech I’d rescued from the incinerator to tinker with.

“Just the teeth and you, honest.” Ula said, her voice and expression still tense.

I tried to pat her on the head reassuringly but she flinched away at first contact. Guess not all kids liked head pats I thought with a wan smile, turning my back on the pair to begin my long journey back home. I summoned the radio Blackhawk had given me to find that being submerged as long as I’d been had ruined it beyond use. Cursing under my breath I realized I had the whole of the city plus the Shipyard between me and the Bastion and if my friends weren’t looking for me and I couldn’t communicate with them then I had to move quick if I ever hoped to catch up with them.

“Wait!” Peat called, him and Ula trotting up behind me. “You can’t leave, it’s too dangerous.” He finished, looking past me at the fog rolling in off the ocean.

“Dangerous how?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at their odd fervor.

“The nightmares are coming.” Ula answered, her voice dropping to a whisper like somepony might overhear her. Before I could inquire further the sound of a bell being rung sounded from further up the boardwalk.

“Everypony inside!” A loud, gruff sounding voice called into the dimming light, followed by a few more chimes. “Defenders! Stand ready!” The same voice bellowed. From up top I heard the sounds of hooves pounding the wood as the defenders organized their defensive line. Or so I imagined at least. Ula and Peat dashed up the bank back up to the boardwalk proper, so too did a few other ponies I hadn’t noticed further down the beach. I backed up to the boardwalk’s support pillars where I spotted the barrels of a few long rifles poke over the edge above. Were the nightmares coming from the water? I looked back out at the wall of fog steadily rolling in. It was moving awfully fast I noticed. It would roll over the beach in a minute or two and the dimming light of dusk cast a violet tinged haze on the approaching wall. As it got closer I spotted brief flashes of green light within the fog. Somepony above me must have also noticed as the rifles I’d seen before opened up with their first salvo of bullets.

“YOU!” Somepony shouted directly above me. I turned to see a mustachioed stallion’s head poking over the edge, a look between disbelief and anger on his face…aimed at me. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing!? Get off the beach! NOW!”

“TOO LATE!” A distinctly female voice yelled as the fog washed over the beach and visibility dropped to barely a few hoof lengths around me. “FIRE AT WILL!” Gunfire erupted all around me and I could spot a couple of the green flashes crisscross across the beach. I drew Starfall in awakened form and held it cautiously in front of me for protection, its glow offering me a bit more visibility. Down the beach came the sound of bestial roaring as something’s dark silhouette leapt up from the beach and on to the boardwalk in a single bound. Following soon after were cries of distress as a large ball of green light burned fleetingly into existence with a crackle of flame. Balefire. The very thought made my burn scars sting as the idea of being swallowed by balefire again became a likely possibility. Just what the hell were these things? I began to inch my way towards where I’d seen the kids climb the bank when the air around me began to grow warmer. I heard the crunch of sand behind me and froze. Slowly, I braved a look. It just stood there, facing me with its completely blank features. It was equine in shape but every inch of its body was black as coal. A bushy mane ringed its head like a lion and hanging aloft behind it was a long, thin tail tipped with fur that matched its mane. Growing from its forehead was and odd irregularly shaped horn, looking more like an antler or tree root than a horn. I brought my sword around to put something between myself and it, still slowly inching backwards. It followed, taking one slow step followed by two quick ones, ending up where I’d just been standing. It opened its mouth, revealing its pointed teeth and hissed, the mane around its head and tail igniting into a ring and line of ethereal green fire. Its eyes opened and burned with the same light, two glowing orbs of balefire that were set on me. It lunged forward, the fire around its body flaring as it tried to pin and immolate me. I jumped back and swung my blade hard. It sliced through the air and bounced off its horn, though not without taking a decent chunk with it. Errant magic bled from its horn in small magical discharges and the flames around it seemed to lessen. Swinging again and again, I was able to strike the horn a second time, this time cleaving it off its base. Within seconds the green fire had retreated and I used its momentary confusion to drive my blade into its chest. It gurgled as it choked on its blood, its eyes tracing up the blade to my eyes. And I froze. Before where I saw the eyes of a beast, of a monster, now I saw recognition, life, and intelligence. It reached forward and touched my cheek with a, tufted, cloven hoof, its expression running the range from fear and sadness, regret and anger and finally, hope and courage. I could see my own shaken expression in the reflection of its eyes.

“H-help…her.” It breathed. The hoof fell from my cheek and it pitched forward dead, taking the sword out of my grasp as I took a step back in shock. I could only stare as the fight around me seemed to die down, flashes of green retreated from the beach and back out to the water, their flaming hooves allowing them both to gallop across the surface and cover their movement. The being lying dead before me no longer had the appearance of a monster. It was brown where it had been black, the flaming mane that surrounded its head was now fluffy looking and dark brown in color. Along its back and muzzle were patches of green scales. What had it, she, I tentatively identified, really been? I couldn’t even bring myself to recover my sword. The lingering idea that doing so would desecrate the corpse of what had been a living, feeling, and thinking equine. There was more to this, so much more I couldn’t even begin to fathom. The killing sat so heavily on my mind that I hadn’t noticed the arrival of the mustachioed stallion and a few others.

“What the hell…? That’s not a nightmare. Is it?”

The library had clearly been in the midst of decorating when the end came. Faded, almost white, orange and black nightmare night decorations hung loosely from several of the book stacks. Others were completely bare. About half of the stacks had fallen in the ensuing centuries, creating a veritable maze of rotting piles of books and their wrecked stacks. The other half were gone completely. Though large swaths of char and burn piles suggested they’d been burned for warmth long ago. Signs of habitation, even old ones, weren’t a good sign. The chances of what I needed being intact or here at all had taken a sharp dive at the discovery. It was still our best bet for the moment and barring a sudden fire or other such disaster I was going to take that look around. Would they have put the city plans and schematics on a rack? Suddenly the whole idea seemed silly. Why would the library have the sewer layout and accompanying building documents? This was a question for city hall, not a silver medal grade library in what had been a rather low-income neighborhood before the war.

“Kee…Keereen? Del…delgateon-” Ollie said. She was standing off to the side, obviously trying her best to read the headline of one of the few laminated newspapers pinned to a slanted corkboard. She noticed me coming and let out a little whine. “Can you read it for me? Please?” She asked, a pleading quiver to her lower lip.

“You’re pretty good at that.” I said, noting to keep a healthy amount of caution in reserve for any future puppy eyed requests. “It says ‘Kirin delegation attacked by pirates en route to Canterlot.’” I remembered that headline. It was a few weeks after Pinkie’s last party. Their princess, or whatever the Kirin equivalent called herself, Rain Shine was taken hostage by unknown assailants while crossing the Celestial Sea. There had been no resolution by the time I went under at outlast.

“And this one?” Ollie asked, pointing to the next one.

“Dragon Lord Ember turns away Equestrian envoy, tensions run high.” This one was quite a bit older than the previous header, about thirteen years into the war. Princess Luna attempted to enter negotiations with the dragon lands after Rainbow Dash and the Shadowbolts engaged and killed a dragon over Hoofington. Since the dragon in question had been a native of the zebra empire and not the dragon lands our envoy was turned away at their border.

“And the last one?”

“Primarch Ironside of the Taurus Hegemony willing to negotiate Equestrian passage through Hegemony waters.” Primarch Ironside had been an old but pragmatic minotaur. Equestria and the Hegemony had contested the waters between our two nations for almost eighty years when the war broke out. Negotiations had gone well. Princess Luna agreed to cede the waters to the Hegemony for a length of one hundred years in exchange for uninhibited travel of Equestrian civilian and military vessels for the duration of the war. Silently I wondered how those nations had fared since the end.

“Thank you.” Ollie said. “I understand now.” The way she crinkled her nose told me that she really hadn’t and without the context I had how could she?

“You’re welcome.” I hadn’t expected this jaunt down memory lane to make me feel so bad but I welcomed it. I’d rather feel the pain and remember every face I lost than push them to the back of my mind to become silhouettes of vague familiarity. They weren’t all gone though. There was at least one face I could see again.

At the cost of another the dark voice whispered again, images of his bloated and waterlogged corpse flashing through my head. Stop it! I scolded myself. I know all I had to go on was a conversation I’d had with Pinkie Pie that may or may not have been imaginary and it all seemed…well a bit silly. I had to accept it though, believe it with all my heart because the alternative meant…I had to accept that he was gone and that for the second time in my life I would be all alone. Steeling my suddenly jittery limbs, I turned to the fallen stacks and began clearing a path to a door in the far wall, half concealed behind a mound of books. Elsewhere around the floor the others were doing the same. They had little idea what we were actually looking for and truthfully, I wasn’t sure either. I knew what I wanted to find but had growing doubts that I’d find it here or anywhere else for that matter. Honestly what were the odds that I’d happen to find a functioning terminal that just happened to have what I sought on it in this B-list library? Maybe it didn’t need to be a terminal I thought, my mood lifting a bit before I remembered the burn piles of irrecoverable books and the mostly useless mounds the rest became. Good thing Twilight didn’t live to see this, this kind of mess would have had her pulling out her mane by the B section. I’ll admit that image made me chuckle, but only for a moment. I confess I hadn’t thought much about the deaths of my friends and family in any detail beyond the obvious fact. Now it was suddenly all I could think about. Had it been quick? Did they suffer? What were their last thoughts? I started to feel sick to my stomach, an image of my mother’s skeleton alone in Sugar Cube Corner forever burned into the back of my eyelids. How had it come to this? Had the zebra really been so zealous that they’d rather see it all burned? That mutual destruction was the best-case scenario? I caught myself glaring at Indra and immediately felt guilty. I never blamed the whole of the zebra people. I often imagined similarly distraught citizens protesting in zebra cities. Had that actually been the case? How much of the equestrian propaganda had been true? All of it? None of it? Some combination of the two?

What did it matter anyway? The war was long over. We lost. We all did. Even centuries later the scraps of ponykind pick at the bones of once great cities, the significance of what delivered such cruel fate to them forever out of their grasp…and by extension mine. I’d been so deep in thought that I hadn’t noticed the door had been dug out and was flung open with a crash by Sunny, startling me back to the present. What was this room anyway? Using magic, I grabbed the door and positioned it where I could read what had previously been buried.

My heart leapt into my throat and I dashed inside behind Sunny, her fervor making a bit more sense. Sunny must have been more troubled than I’d originally thought. She approached a rusty looking filing cabinet and, when the rollers refused to move, ripped the whole drawer out of the cabinet with a metallic screech. She inspected the fallen documents for a moment then tried another with nearly identical results. Once she’d cleared a whole cabinet, she turned away from it and bucked it with enough force to warp the metal in on itself as it lifted up off the floor and slammed against the adjacent wall. My own search resulted in less destruction but I could sympathize with her feelings. Had I her strength I doubt much would have been different. Eventually 87 and Grim returned, followed quickly by the Brightcrest siblings. Charlotte’s face feathers were slick with blood and she looked incredibly pleased with herself.

“They won’t be hassling us ever again.” She said with a dark chuckle.

“Where is Sparks?” 87 asked, his eyes scanning every inch of the library.

I filled them in on what had happened (minus my conversation with Pinkie) and they took about as well as I expected. Which is to say they didn’t.

“I knew I shouldn’t have left his side.” Charlotte said with a curse, seeming as though she was taking the loss personally.

87 was doing his best to maintain the calm mask he always wore but I could see the subtle embarrassment underneath. “I’m afraid I too have been caught lacking.”

“We haven’t given up.” I said, wincing internally at the crack in my voice. “We aren’t giving up or did your oaths mean so little?” I said, deliberately goading them.

“Don’t you ever question my loyalty.” Charlotte said with a scowl. Ray stood behind her sending me a similar glare. I’d expected no less from the griffins but found myself taking a step back anyway.

“My word is my guarantee.” 87 said, looking more thoughtful than embarrassed now. “I assume the object of this search is to locate charts or schematics detailing the city’s sewer and water processing systems?”

“That’s correct.” I said. His observational skills really were impressive. With a pony like him we might make quick work of this problem yet.

“Excellent. If you don’t mind, I’d like to-”

“Got it.” Sunny said from behind us. She emerged from the archives room and slammed the cabinet she was carrying on her shoulders to the floor with a bang so loud I had to cover my ears. The twisted receptacle did indeed hold what we were looking for, if the labels were to be believed that is.

“Grim?” I invited, noting he’d been oddly quiet since he got back.

“This isn’t all that new for us.” He said, pointing to Sunny and then himself. “I don’t need any convincing. If you say he’s alive then I’m behind you all the way.”

I hadn’t expected that from him. The way Sparks had reacted yesterday I anticipated him to be more…I don’t know, belligerent?

Weren’t friends supposed to forgive each other though? A voice I recognized as my filly self said in my mind. I remembered the stack of old scrolls Twilight had shown me from her time as Princess Celestia’s protégé, detailing what she and her friends learned about friendship together. An odd warmth blossomed in my chest at the memory. We sure were hitting peak after valley after peak on the emotional Richter scale, weren’t we?

“That’s great and all but where does this leave us?” Crescent said from his spot in the back. “Why are we bothering with this anyway? Your childlike optimism is admirable but if he was sucked into a tunnel like you say then he’s gone. For good. We’re wasting our time if you-”

I was preparing my retort when an empty can pinged off the side of his head. I followed his gaze to Adria glaring back at him with her tongue out, another can ready to go in her claw.

“Why you little-” Crescent said, taking a few aggressive steps forward with his hoof raised to strike. Adria flinched, dropped her can, and raised her wings to hide behind them. I was about to send a spell his direction when his hoof was caught by one of 87’s. 87’s face was the same as it always was but the sudden ice in his red eyes sent a shiver down my neck.

“There’s no need for that.” 87 said, his voice as icy as his stare.

“Let go! I’m gonna teach this-”

“There’s. No need. For that.” 87 said slower, his eyes narrowing. “If I have to tell you a third time there will be…consequences.” 87 released Crescent’s hoof and for a moment it looked like he might try his luck anyway but seemed to think better of it last second.

Sunny snorted as she watched Crescent slink away, pushing something into my chest as she did. “Here.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“87 would you come here please?” I called, waving him over to the discarded cabinet currently serving as our table. Adria, unsurprisingly, followed after her momentary savior and the other two kids followed her. Ollie got a running start and jumped, hopping off Adria’s back and landing on Sunny’s.

“Hey!” Adria squawked, her wings twitching irritably.

“Which one was it?” The black colt asked.

“Well…um.”

“Ebon Glow.”

“Well, Ebon Glow.” I started, moving my eyes over the map. “I’d say it was-”

“This one.” 87 finished, pointing to the correct tunnel, taking the wind right out of my sails. “Though that may work against us. Look here. This particular tunnel branches off several times, each one a considerable distance from the next. This means that he could have been taken down any of them and the further we go…the less likely it is he survived.”

That revelation made my stomach tighten into a painful knot. Looking at the map again I saw that the farthest outflow was about three miles south of Baltimare, coming out near a place called ‘Wayfinder’s Landing’. The boardwalk? My parents took us there once when we were young if I remember right. Is that where he ended up? I don’t know. Three miles should be long enough to drown anypony, plus he would have had to somehow miss every other branching tunnel. Yet while the others were talking about different possibilities, I couldn’t get the Boardwalk out of my head. What did Pinkie say? Just because something was in your head didn’t mean it was impossible.

“There.” I said tapping my hoof on Wayfinder’s Landing. 87 raised his head looking puzzled.

“Why there? You must understand that this path offers the lowest probability of survival.”

“I know but have you ever heard ‘once you eliminate the impossible whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth’?”

“Sherlock Hooves. Yes, I have.” 87 said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I believe I understand. You wish to work backwards. Very well. Shall we divide our forces then?”

“Did you kill this thing?” The mustachioed stallion asked, his eyes lingering on the corpse before us.

“Y-yes.” I said, barely able to find my voice.

“Is it a nightmare?” A mare beside him asked.

“Doesn’t look like one.”

“It spoke to me.” I said, forcing myself to retrieve my blade with a grimace. The blade glistened with red, still wet blood and despite my wasteland experience I had to swallow back the vomit that wanted to come. I explained what I saw, what I did and what it said to me. The looks they gave me ranged from disbelief to straight up hostility.

“So, some stranger is gonna lecture me about nightmares?” The mare said, looking down her nose at me. “Who the hell are you anyway?”

“My name is Sparks.” I said, keeping my tone as neutral as I could. “And I know what I saw, what I heard.”

“Preposterous!” The mare continued. “We’ve been dealing with nightmares for decades and never once did one transform or speak!”

“Hold a minute Bowline.” The stallion said, picking something out of the sand. “What…is this a horn?”

I nodded and pointed to the stump on the creature’s forehead. “We ain’t never got one’s horn before.” He said, stuffing it in a pocket in his overalls.

“When I cut the horn off is when it turned into…that.” I said, wondering what he was going to do with it. Did the ponies who lived here just place high value on teeth or horns? For what? Trade? Renown? Currency?

“So you say.” The mare called Bowline said dismissively. “I don’t believe they have anything to do with each other. This is not a nightmare.” She punctuated her point by kicking the corpse in the face.

“Don’t do that.” I warned, feeling sudden wrath replace my sorrow.

“What?” Bowline said, smiling without joy. “This?” She raised her hoof to stomp on the body but never got the chance. I launched myself off my hooves and tackled her to the ground, using my greater weight to shove her face into the sand by her mane.

“That’s enough. Let her up.” The stallion said behind me. I wanted to let her go, I really did but not as much as I wanted to punish her.

“I don’t answer to you.” I hissed over my shoulder. In hindsight I should have known that was the wrong move and one good kick in the nose later Bowline was back up on her hooves, glaring daggers at me as she tried to get the sand out of her mouth.

“Flask, take him to Father.” Bowline said, smiling wickedly. She didn’t exactly cut the most intimidating image with sand-ridden spittle on her chin. Flask attempted to haul me up off the ground but got a blood loogie for his trouble halfway up, marring the mostly clean center of his overalls.

“My legs work just fine thanks. Well? Lead the way then.” I invited.

“Take his sword too.” Bowline added.

I was willing to meet ‘father’ and play along but only up to a point.

“That’s not going to happen.” I said, charging magic around my horn and putting every bit of threat and malice I had into my voice and expression.

“Right…” Bowline agreed, taking a nearly unnoticeable step back. “Take him. Father will want to know we have an outsider among us.”

“You got it.” Flask said, attempting to steer me toward the boardwalk with a shove. I slowly turned to face him and slapped his hoof away, drawing on the same menace I’d used earlier to reiterate

“Don’t do that.” If there was a little fear of me in all their minds I might as well use it to my advantage, right?

“You…eh got it.” Flask said hesitantly, placing all four hooves on the ground. “Follow me.”

Flask led me up to the boardwalk and I got my first look at their settlement. Somehow, despite the centuries and proximity to the ocean, the whole place was holding itself together when it had no right to do so. Along the edge facing the ocean were sandbag barricades and gun nests and near them were scorch marks in the wood in the shape of cloven hoof prints. Further down the boardwalk was the remains of a gun nest and a much larger burn mark, most likely the one I saw earlier, and beside it rested two forms underneath a green blanket. Tearing my eyes of the scene I directed them to the other side. At least that side looked normal. Ponies still stood or sat in isolated booths built into the long stretch of buildings that ran the length. Whether they were still stores or homes or a combination of both I couldn’t say. Of strangest note was a ghoul stallion standing alone at a noodle cart looking as though a battle hadn’t just been fought around him. He still had some vestiges of what had once been a curly mane on his head and the dirty beige raincoat covering most of his body could have been a relic from before the war. Even for a wastelander he looked out of place. It was almost comical but something about him was nagging at me.

“He doesn’t like to be stared at.” Flask said, returning my attention to in front of me. “He’s one of those self-conscious ghouls.” He finished with a shrug. “Hey can I ask you a question?”

“Aren’t I supposed to be a prisoner or something?” I said sarcastically, trying and failing to keep it in check. I wasn’t making a good first impression, that much was obvious even to the onlookers gawking at me with open curiosity, but that didn’t mean I had to antagonize them. Taking in and releasing a big breath I steeled myself and nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“That story you told us, ‘bout the talkin’ nightmare…was any of that true?”

“It was all true.” I said, a twinge of annoyance making my tail flick. “I don’t know who you people are, what reason would I have to lie?”

“I…don’t know.” Again, I could sense his hesitation. “Wayfinder’s Landing doesn’t see much in the way of visitors, I guess we’ve grown a little distrustful of strangers.” His ears fell back against his head and a deep sadness could be seen in his eyes for a brief moment. “Didn’t used to be that way when I was young.”

“Why? What happened here?” I asked, hoping his shift in mood would allow me to coax some additional details out if him.

“I shouldn’t have said anything.” He said with a self-chastising shake of the head. “Save your questions for Father.”

As he finished, we arrived at what looked to be a mining elevator, the mechanisms, pulleys and connected ropes suspended over a cut square in the wood that disappeared into the darkness below. Was there a mine under the boardwalk?

“Bring it up.” Flask said to another pony standing off to the side. They nodded and pulled a lever on the wall attached to a conduit box. It took a whole minute for the platform to arrive. “Get on.” Flask ordered; his voice oddly subdued. We rode the elevator in silence, allowing me to take in…absolutely nothing. The hole had been bored with just enough space to let the elevator and nothing else pass. As we got deeper the air got cooler and heavier with moisture. Periodically a glint of light would shine as the elevator descended passed a gemstone in the wall. A gem mine then? Our minute was nearly up and the concentration of gemstones increased exponentially, so much so that I almost had to shield my eyes from the brightness. When we reached the bottom, the brightness took a backseat for a moment as the high walls to the path in front of us had been partially mined, still leaving plenty of light to fill the grotto but not blindingly so. At the end of the grotto was a heavy looking metal door, its latch down and secured against it. In the far corners fell droplets of water that supplied life to a cluster of bioluminescent mushrooms and scattering of small flowers. A few paces in front of the door was a tall backed chair in which a dour looking old stallion sat, almost completely swallowed by his big dark green overcoat. I noticed that time had stolen most of his mane and the skin around his mouth and eyes sagged with the telltale signs of advanced age. As we approached though, he lifted his gaze to us and I saw despite the long and hard years of life that his eyes were still bright, sharp and full of awareness.

“Why have you brought me this outsider?” The stallion asked, barely rousing from his chair. His voice was deep and gravelly and the way it echoed of the stone walls of the grotto demanded my attention.

“He helped us fend off the nightmares.” Flask said, his voice sounding dry. “And he…killed one.” He finished hesitantly, like he still didn’t fully believe I’d told the truth.

“Did he now?” The stallion said, sitting up in his chair with unexpected interest. “Tell me more.”

So I told my tale for the second time in what felt like less than ten minutes. This time I left nothing out, airing even my personal thoughts.

“My children are correct.” He began, standing from his chair and moving towards us. “That was not a nightmare. It was what they used to be.”

“Excuse me?” I asked. “What do you mean? Like ghouls?”

“Heh, I suppose the comparison is sound.” He said with a haughty snort, wandering back towards his chair. “Yes and no. What you saw was a Kirin. An equine subspecies with draconic ancestry… or so the books say.” He amended hastily, siting back down. “I am Father, ruler of Wayfinder’s Landing. Now please, sit.” He motioned with his hooves to the floor in front of him. Careful to not let my grimace show, I trotted up and did as I was asked. “What is your name?”

I wondered a moment if I should give a fake one, wary of being recognized by name.

“His name is Sparks.” Flask said from behind me.

Damn. I’d forgotten I gave Flask and Bowline my name earlier. Neither of them had reacted though so maybe I was unknown to these ponies.

“Was I speaking to you?” Father said, glaring over my shoulder at Flask.

“No Father, forgive me Father.” Flask said, bowing his head and taking several long steps backwards.

“Leave us.” Father said, seating himself back in his chair. He watched as Flask mounted the elevator and began to ascend. Only once he was fully out of sight did Father speak again. “Now then…tell me what brings the Harbinger of Hope to my town?”

“I’m afraid I don’t-”

“Don’t bother denying it.” Father hissed, a new demeanor taking over. “Do you think me blind? An old fool who knows nothing? You don’t live to be my age by making mistakes. Am I making a mistake, Silvershine Sparkshower?”

I involuntarily twitched at the mention of my full name, a twitch that Father’s bright eyes happened to notice.

“How do you know of me?” I asked, abandoning all efforts to convince him I was somepony else before they even began. “Where did you hear that name?”

“The same as anypony else, the radio. Except Pon3 doesn’t tell the whole truth, no. He’s only interested in his ‘good fight’ and whatever fools he can convince to do it for him. Though that isn’t my only source of information. A rather infamous armor-clad historian stopped by a few days ago and told me some particularly interesting stories. The ‘truths’ about the one they call Harbinger, or so he claimed. Shall we go over them? Confirm what I was told?” Father smiled a cruel smile, the light behind his eyes raging like a fire.

“Why bother.” I said, abandoning all attempts to hide my scowl. “I know the routine by now.”

“Practical, aware of your situation. I like it.” Father laughed, a dry, raspy sound. “I will guard your secrets in exchange for…a small task or two.”

“And what’s to stop me from killing you right now?” I said, standing up and drawing Starfall. Father smiled and leaned back further in his chair.

“So, the stories have merit after all.” Father’s smile grew to wolfish proportions. “You could, certainly, but my children are very attached to me. I would fall under your blade but so too would they. You’re a killer, Harbinger, perhaps even a murderer but surely even you wouldn’t butcher a whole town for just one pony.” He leaned forward, resting his chin atop his steepled hooves. “Not again at any rate.”

Teller! I’d thought that’s who he’d referred to but now I knew for sure. Father would have to die, there was no longer a way around that and Teller and I needed to talk…perhaps more if it came to it.

“Well?” I said, motioning with my hoof for him to get on with it.

“Hmph.” Father snorted with obvious disappointment. “Giving in already eh? Fine, have it your way. I want you to do what my children cannot. Kill the kirin. All of them.”

“Why?”

“Why? Why!?” Father raged, impotently slamming a hoof on the leg rest of the chair. “Why else? To stop them from attacking my town! Ever since my father discovered this place we’ve been under siege and it’s time for it to stop. Nopony’s killed one before, the flames cloaking their bodies make for excellent shields against bullets but you don’t favor bullets, do you?” The glint of Starfall’s blade shone in his eyes a moment.

“Alright. Where do they come from? How many are there?” I asked, already inching towards the elevator.

“Take Noodles with you, he’ll explain everything.” He said, waving his hoof as if to shoo me away. “Bring me their horns and don’t come back until they all lie dead.”

Once I was back up on the boardwalk, I looked out over the water, the last light of day dipping below the horizon. For a moment I thought about simply leaving the place behind and saying fuck it but I couldn’t. There was still something about these kirin I wasn’t being told. Perhaps the rest of these ponies were just as ignorant, just obeying the wishes of their ‘Father’ without wondering why. I didn’t want to kill the kirin either. The one I had killed left me pretty shaken. They weren’t just simple monsters attacking for base reasons.

“Help her.” She had said.

They were after something specific…no, someone. I needed the truth. The whole truth, and I already knew I wasn’t going to find it here. Maybe the kirin would tell me the whole story…if they had the whole story that is. Only one way to find out.

“HEY!” I yelled out onto the boardwalk, watching with quiet amusement at the cautious expressions that turned my way. “Which one of you is Noodles!”

The sun behind the clouds was just beginning to cast the sky into the orange and violet hues of eventide. To our left resting against the oceans edge was the Shipyard, plumes of smoke billowed up into the air and the glows of many fires burned intermittently. Even from this distance and height I could see the clusters of many dark forms working or moving through the three layers of defensive fencing that surrounded the entirety of the Shipyard. Putting it out of my mind I instead focused on the wind whipping my mane as Charlotte flew me through the air in the direction of Wayfinder’s Landing. Beside me, clutched in Ray’s claws, flew 87 and in his hooves, was Ollie held protectively against his chest. I couldn’t hear much over the wind but it sounded like he was soothing her. It wasn’t something I expected from 87 but then again, his performance earlier today showed he did genuinely care. I didn’t really approve of Ollie’s presence but the case 87 made had convinced me. We’d divided ourselves into three groups. Group one, my group. Grim, Orchid, Adria and Ebon Glow in Group two and lastly Sunny, Indra and Crescent were Group three. 87 had been the one to suggest the teams, deliberately placing Crescent in the group with no children and Sunny, the strongest of us. Group three would check out the areas closest to the library, Group two would search the areas in the south part of Baltimare and my group would hit the spots farthest away, starting with Wayfinder’s Landing. We still had about a mile to go when we began to descend.

“Why are we stopping?” I asked, looking up to gauge Charlotte’s reaction.

“We should approach from the ground.” She said, taking us all the way to the ground and letting me go.

“I concur.” 87 added, brushing Ollie’s mane mostly back into proper shape. “They would see us coming if we continued and I get the feeling seeing griffins in the air above a settlement would provoke a reaction.”

I couldn’t find fault in that logic, at least by the standards of the times. Once upon a time there was regular air traffic over every city in Equestria and nopony ever thought it strange. I’d been trying to shake that homesick feeling since I’d woken up but doubted it’d ever leave because the sad fact of the matter was that this is my home. Unrecognizable to me but home none the less, an ugly simulacrum of the world I saw in my memories. I felt a sudden urge to lay down and die, to let my bones join the millions of others who’d died when I didn’t. It was just supposed to be a test. I felt hot tears sting my eyes, the emotions I’d thought I dammed away breaking through the meager wall I’d built around them.

“Pumpkin? What troubles you?” 87 asked. Of course he’d be the one to notice.

“It was just supposed to be a test!” I said out loud, choking on my words as the frog in my throat tried to block them.

“I…I’m afraid I don’t understand.” 87 said, his forehead wrinkling with worry.

“Don’t cry.” Ollie said, darting out from under 87 to wrap her hooves around one of my legs. “He needs all of us, remember?”

The sincerity in her voice as she spoke my words back to me made me chuckle, the sound odd and strained.

“You’re right Ollie.” I said, forcing a smile and rubbing the excess moisture from the corners of my eyes. “He needs us all and at our best. Let’s get moving.” I didn’t know what I was going to do if I was wrong, if Sparks was…dead. All of this was my idea, splitting up and searching for something that by all accounts shouldn’t be there, at least not in the state we wanted. My guts twisted around inside me, my hooves getting heavier with every step. I wasn’t ready to let go. I didn’t want to let go and I never would, even if my fears came to pass because letting go was one of the hardest things a pony could do.

“Are you alright?” 87 asked, sidling up to me but keeping a reasonable distance. “Something else is bothering you.” He said matter-of-factly. To his credit he was right.

“Don’t worry about it 87.” I said, not turning to face him, the faces of everypony I knew from before cascading through my mind. “It’s not important.”

“It is to you.” He said knowingly, though he didn’t push the subject. Rather he picked up his pace, passed me and began conversing with Ray and Charlotte, their voices low enough that I could barely pick out every tenth word. Trailing just behind 87 was Ollie, her eyes never staying on something longer than 5 seconds. This all must be a little overwhelming to her having spent her whole life in a stable. I supposed that meant we had something in common, my time in the wasteland preceding hers by about only three days.

“Wait.” Charlotte called, holding up a balled claw for us to stop.

“What’s happ-”

“Shh!” Charlotte shushed, waving for us all to get low. Griffins could see very well in the dark which sent conflicting emotions to my brain, wondering just what exactly she was seeing. The brown tuft of grass I’d dropped behind offered me little in terms of visibility but through it I thought I saw a neighboring bush rustle with movement.

“Oh, hello.” A voice said from behind us without warning. My heart leapt into my throat and only thanks to my teeth did it stay in. Ray, Charlotte, 87 all reacted similarly and Ollie squealed in fright. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He said, his voice touched by a tinny edge. I thought I recognized this voice. Forcing my trembling legs to still, I stood up and slowly turned around. He was tall and encased in power armor that closely resembled those of the Steel Rangers.

“Teller.” I said, remembering the name he’d given Sparks on our way back from Project Outlast.

“That’s right…have we uh met before?” He tilted his to one side as he thought.

“Not really, I was there when you spoke to Sparks south of the Bastion a few days ago.”

“Really? That’s strange.” He said, uselessly rubbing an armored hoof against an equally armored chin.

“As nice as this reunion is, who the hell are you and why are you here?” Charlotte said, unexpectedly stepping forward and shielding me with one of her wings.

“As your friend there said, my name is Teller and I guess you could say I’m a historian of sorts. I like to make sure I visit places I’ve already been every couple decades to see how the stories evolve.” He said with carefully modulated enthusiasm.

“Alright.” Charlotte said suspiciously, not lowering her wing. “That covers who, now tell me why?”

“I thought I just did.”

“Humor me.” Charlotte said, her voice glaringly devoid of humor.

“Hmm.” Teller seemed to ponder something a moment before jerking slightly where he stood, as if he just remembered where he was and what he was doing. “Oh right, I was visiting Wayfinder’s Landing. Last time I was here the town was being attacked by strange creatures the locals called nightmares. Back then the town was controlled by an old stallion who called himself ‘Father’. I’m very sorry to say that not much has changed for them.”

“Nightmares are an old pony’s tale.” I said. I’d once had the benefit of unrestricted (but monitored) access to the M.A.S’s archives and I found no evidence to suggest that the flaming, flying equines of legend ever existed.

“I know that but if you saw one yourself, you’d understand. After all, the truth is what you see with your eyes, not what you hear.”

“Then let me ask, did you see Sparks anywhere while you were there?”

“Who? Oh yes, Silvershine Sparkshower. No, I didn’t. I did speak of him to the towns current ‘Father’ though, under duress I might add, and he seemed to be enthralled by the idea of him.”

“What do you mean by that?” 87 asked, eschewing the safety offered by Charlotte’s flared wings and stepping around her.

“I’m not really sure I understand myself but to me it seemed like he was prying for something to use against him.”

“What did you tell them?” I asked, also stepping around Charlotte’s wing.

“I told them the truth.” He said like the answer should have been obvious. “Oh.” He said, fresh understanding dawning on him. “You don’t know. I’d bet none of you do.” His glance touched each of my companions, ending where he started, on me.

“What? Tell us!” I bit out, shouting louder than I’d meant to.

“Your friend, Sparks, forced a stories’ ending, one that had been told since the end of the war.”

“Speak plainly.” Ray said, his gruff voice carrying notes of impatience.

“There was a village of zebra in the depths of the Balefire Swamp. Survivors from POW camps who escaped in the chaos of the last day and the days that followed. They banded together and made a home in the swamp, away from the eyes of many, living the life they chose for themselves. For reasons I still don’t fully understand, your friend Sparks was invited to their village and…” Teller paused again and I could just imagine him wrinkling his forehead behind the helmet. “And he killed them. Burned the village to the ground and slaughtered all in his path. Stallions, mares…foals. None were spared. I’ve encountered survivors since then, lucky ones who escaped the carnage by hiding amongst bodies or others who were hunting in the swamp at the time. All have sworn vengeance against him, the one they now call ‘Starborn’.”

Then it hit me. That young zebra mare in the cathedral. ‘We will be avenged’ I remembered her saying. That…that couldn’t be. Could it? He tried to help her, cradled her as she took her own life. ‘It wasn’t me!’ he’d protested. That was before I knew the truth. ‘Sometimes it’s like I’m a puppet, watching through my own eyes’ He’d said of Erebus. With all the pieces I was able to complete the most likely scenario based on what I knew and had seen.

“It wasn’t entirely his fault though. Those old compulsion orbs can turn anypony into a living weapon, cold and unfeeling like programmable assassins.” Teller continued.

“Compulsion orbs?” 87 asked.

“Yes. Very late addition to the war. Using the baseline of a memory orb the zebra were able to create versions of their own, pre filled with powerful compulsion magic. Effectively turning any unfortunate enough to use one into a sleeper agent. Once their task is complete their consciousness regains control with no memory of what they had done. The perfect terror weapon.”

I’d heard of such creations. One was recovered after an assassination attempt on Rarity in Whinnyapolis. Of course, the public wasn’t given the same information as us in the ministries. Except I knew what Sparks had wasn’t something as simple as a compulsion orb. The effect may have been the same but it was a different beast all together and I certainly wasn’t going to correct Teller if he was already spreading what he knew, or what he thought he knew, around.

“Outta my way!” a shrill voice screamed from the brush behind us. Blasting through the foliage at a full gallop came a colt. He’d barely passed our group before Ray had him on the ground and pinned at our hooves. “No NO let me go! Don’t hurt me! I’m sorry!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. Ray seemed startled by the colt’s panic and lifted off of him slightly, his expression searching all of ours.

“Take it easy kid.” Charlotte said, dropping her feathery bulwark and approaching the pinned colt. “If we wanted to hurt you…well, just be quiet would ya?”

He flailed for perhaps another minute before calming down and realizing that Ray had let him go thirty seconds into it.

“What’s got you so spooked?” Charlotte pressed.

“And where you from?” Ray added, taking a step back from him.

The colt’s eyes darted between us, the trembling in his hooves had slowed but hadn’t gone away.

“I-I-I’m from Wayf-f-finder’s Landing.” He said hesitantly. “And…and…” He tried to say, his trembling returning in force. “I ran.” He said, voice suddenly stiff. “I abandoned them, it’s all my fault.”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” I suggested, hoping my presence would detract from that of the intimidating griffins. If he really was from Wayfinder’s Landing then he might have seen something or better yet, he could take us there.

“W-well.” He started, pressing the tips of his hooves together. “We were playing on the beach. My friends, Ula and Peat, found something by the drain and when I looked, I saw it was a pony. Ula kicked it but it didn’t move.”

Something cold and heavy dropped into my stomach.

“Peat said we should take his stuff and when I tried…it got up so fast and it had a sword made of light! I got scared and ran for my life. I didn’t look back until I cleared the beach…my friends didn’t follow.” His head pitched forward as a miserable expression overtook the residual fear of our encounter.

On the other side of the coin, I felt my expression warm with a goofy grin as the last bit of information confirmed my hunch. Found by the drain, unresponsive at first, sword of light. He was here and he was alive! It took a great deal of effort not to hug the colt as relief lightened my limbs and cleared my mind. I turned to ask Teller if he would come with us but he was nowhere to be seen. The only trace being the empty hoof prints where he’d been standing. How did he leave without making more?

“Your friends are fine.” 87 said factually, regaining my attention. “In fact, that pony is who we’re looking for. He’s a friend of ours. Would you be kind enough to take us back where you found him?”

Noodles had not been what I was expecting. After I called, I was surprised to see the short, scruffy looking ghoul with the raincoat abandon his noodle cart and approach me. I told him what Father told me and he nodded, leading me off the boardwalk and down the beach to a moored two-pony boat tied to a half-collapsed pier. Once we piled in, he passed me an oar and pointed in the direction the attack had come from earlier today.

“They’re across the water?” I asked. “How long will it take to get there?”

Noodles shrugged and blinked his eyes twice in an exaggerated way. What was that supposed to mean?

“Two…hours?”

Noodles smiled and nodded.

“You umm… always this quiet?”

Noodles’ body slumped in a silent sigh and he hoofed the collar of his raincoat down, revealing a jagged looking scar spanning the width of his neck.

“You survived having your throat cut?”

Noodles nodded again, no smile to be found this time.

“That’s impressive, that’s not something most folk walk away from.”

Noodles frowned and flicked his tail, his expression looking frustrated. He dragged a hoof over the scar, dramatically fell forward, and didn’t move for a minute. When he came back up, he had a disappointed look on his face.

“Oh.” I said, the implication settling in. “When?”

Noodles let out a dry sounding scoff as he lifted a hoof in the air and whistled as he brought it down, making an explosion noise with his mouth.

“The end of the war?” I guessed. He nodded again and fished a notepad out of a coat pocket. Taking a piece of charcoal in his mouth he wrote something and flipped it around for me to see.

“Pretty knowledgeable aren’t you kid?”

“Something like that.”

“Then what are you doing working for Father? You must know he’s bad news if you’ve met him.”

“Blackmail.” I said truthfully. “And between you and me I have no intention of following through. I want the truth, nothing more.”

Noodles nodded in understanding and returned the notepad to his coat pocket.

At the first hour mark I couldn’t see the land behind us anymore, the evening fog doing an excellent job obscuring everything. Ahead of us though I could see another landmass in the distance, maybe another hour or more from our position. We must have been near the narrowest stretch of the Celestial Sea to be able to see land so quickly. Which made sense if the kirin simply galloped over the water to Wayfinder’s Landing. As we neared I was able spot a few light sources on or near the beach and fainter lights up in the distant mountain range. The second hour passed and we were still pretty far out, at least now I could see the beach. Suddenly a tingly feeling of dread began to form in my gut. Was night really the best time to be doing this? A splash from somewhere to my right startled me back to the present but when I looked the omnipresent fog was all I could see.

“Did you eh…hear that?” I asked, wondering with growing concern just how I let myself get this far out into open water.

Noodles shook his head, his ears swiveling around trying to locate the sound. This persisted for another minute until something struck the bottom of the boat and made it lurch forward so hard that I had trouble staying upright. Something else hit the boat and our forward momentum stopped, sending me out of my seat and into the air screaming. I sailed through the air a moment, waiting for the biting cold of the water to overtake me when I hit something solid and didn’t sink. Forcing, with great effort, my eyes open I saw that I was on the shore. Noodles was still in his seat in the boat, which itself was beached, smiling like a cat who shit and missed the box.

“Very funny, laugh it up why don’t ya?” I said, standing up and attempting to brush the sand off me. I turned around to search for the lights I saw earlier and ended up nose to nose with another pony. I yelped and jerked backwards, nearly tripping over a rope half buried in the sand. As I recovered, I saw it was another kirin. Its fur was greyish blue like smoke and its mane a brilliant amber around its head. The scales down the bridge of her nose and down her back were blue I noticed. Lastly a burgundy-colored horn sprouted from its forehead, the same rough root-like shape as the other’s had been.

“H-hello.” I said, just audible over the waves lapping at the shore. She (I hesitantly identified) tilted her head quizzically to one side, her purple eyes half closed as if she were terribly bored. Belatedly I saw she had the end of the rope I tripped on in her mouth. Following it, I saw that the other end was firmly tied to the front of Noodles’ boat. He noticed my realization and shrugged, smiling innocently all the while. So that’s what ‘hit’ us, this kirin reeled us in…with incredible strength I might add. The kirin must have understood what I was thinking as she spit the rope out and flexed her muscles with a microscopic smirk. I watched as the muscles under her smoky fur rippled around and over her chest, back, and flanks.

“Wow.” Was all I could think to say. The crunching of sand behind me heralded the appearance of Noodles, his notepad in his hoof again, held up for the kirin to see. She nodded and turned to leave, waving at us for us to follow.

“Excuse me, my name is Sparks. What’s yours?” I asked the back of her head. She stopped, turned to face me and tilted her head to the opposite side of last time, her expression somehow more frustratingly calm than 87’s.

“Do you speak this language?” I tried again in the zebra tongue. I got a reaction out of her this time. She blinked! Noodles on the other hoof eyed me with an odd expression.

Mentally saddling myself up for a quiet journey, I sighed heavily and looked out at the water. I wondered what the others were doing right now. Were they looking for me? I hoped so. Cursing the situation I was in, I tried to gather as much of myself together as possible so I could get back to them quickly. Then, once I had the whole truth, I’d decide what to do about Father and the knowledge he possessed.

As we moved off the shore our kirin guide stopped, placed a hoof on each of us and teleported us away with a flash of red. The first thing I noticed was how our elevation changed. We had been taken up into the mountains I’d spotted earlier from the water. Looking around I began to see the lights I’d noticed lining a path to a crude gate built of wood and thatch. There was a surprising amount of green grass up on these peaks. Had its relative distance from mainland Equestria spared this place the brunt? Or all of it? Passing through the gate we came into a decent sized clearing occupied by a number of simple wooden homes. Strands of lights coiled up the trunks of blackened, leafless trees(Guess not entirely) and several long torch stakes were stuck in the ground along obvious hoof paths. There were other kirin milling out and about, one was clearly trying to build a house of cards and another was attempting to get a slinky to go down the stairs of its home, all of them sharing the same disinterested expression. Some of the kirin noticed our arrival into the clearing, abandoned whatever they’d been doing and surrounded us, leveling their even stares at me. Not our guide, not Noodles. Me. The silence, the apathy in their eyes, it was perhaps the most uncomfortable I’d ever been.

“Why don’t they talk?” I asked Noodles. Noodles shrugged and stuck his tongue out at our guide, who in turn stuck her tongue out at him, followed by every other kirin in the circle. So it wasn’t technical ability that kept them from talking, which made sense given their eternally bored expressions that seemed to be paired with the reticence. Was it a cultural thing? If so, why did the one I’d killed speak? I thought about it a bit longer and came to a conclusion. She didn’t speak until I removed her horn.

“D-did I hear somebody tock?” A trepidatious voice asked from outside the circle. Some of the kirin were shoved aside, not reacting in the slightest, as a green scaled, grey-gold colored kirin with ginger mane pushed her way through the circle. Her eyes first went to our guide, then Noodles, the finally ended on me. Her eyes were wide and twinkles of longing danced through them as she carefully inched her way forward. “Ore you real?” She said. She rapidly closed the distance between us and gently prodded me in the chest before hopping back a bit like she expected me to bite.

“My name is Sparks.” I said, trying to inject a little confidence into my voice. “I’m here about the attacks on Wayfinder’s L-” One of the kirin at the front of the circle looked skyward and roared, its mane igniting into a cloak of balefire as its coat darkened to black. It snarled, baring its pointed teeth and narrowing its solid green eyes into an expression of barely contained fury. I instinctively drew Starfall to protect myself and in response a few of the other kirin transformed into nightmares. The kirin who had been our guide stepped in front of me and shook her head at the others. Noodles did the same from my six. The grey-gold kirin acted likewise and approached each of the nightmares, gently coaxing them to calm down. It took her a few minutes but she was able to return them to normal…well as normal as they got. I stowed my sword and waited, unsure if I would get another reaction like that if I spoke.

“I-I haven’t spoken to someone in so lung…long.” She said and corrected. “I almost forget what its lick, lit? Like.” She continued, looking at her hoof as she spoke. Looking a little closer I was able to see a faded cartoonish face drawn on the tip of her hoof.

“What is your name?” I asked slowly, moving out of the pony wall of protection.

“My name? That’s easy it’s…huh. Do you know?” She asked looking down. Was she talking to the face on her hoof? “You don’t? Guess I eggspected you to be a little more down to earth. Get it?” She asked, looking to me and hopping up and down excitedly. “Oh right. Fallow me!” She said, waving a hoof away from the village. The assembled kirin watched us go in silence and returned to whatever they’d been doing. Grey-gold led us a ten-minute walk away from the village to a well maintained if disheveled shack. Sitting in a chair next to the front door was a clipboard with a rough drawing of a kirin on it. She trotted ahead of us, waved at the clipboard and stared intently at a rusted mailbox. “Oh, that’s right.” She said, playfully bonking herself on the head like she couldn’t believe she forgot. Which I couldn’t.

“My name is Autumn Blaze! I can’t tell you how nice it is to have a guess who talk back. No a fence Noodles.”

Noodles waved the comment off but still looked a little guilty for some reason.

“Have you been living out here alone? Away from the other kirin?” I asked, spotting an alarming number of doodled faces on a myriad of objects laying around the shack.

“Alone? Ha! I haven’t been alone for as long as I can remember, right Milton?” She held up a tree branch with googly eyes glued to the top. It had clearly been broken a number of times if the amount of tape wrapped around its branching twigs like surgical gauze were any indication. In response to her question, Milton tilted ninety degrees to the right and the two twigs serving as its ‘arms’ fell off. “Oh horseapples!” She huffed, pitching Milton to the ground where it promptly fell apart and had its pieces blown away on a brief gust of wind.

“Is he going to be okay?” I asked, my voice catching in my throat as I tried to stifle a laugh.

“Ah who needs him, I have you now!” She said, a big, goofy smile plastered on her face. She trotted over to a tarp draped over the east wall of her shack, lifted it up and began sifting through a small lockbox half buried in the dirt. When she lifted the tarp, I was able to spot what looked like tally marks scratched into the metal.

“How long have you lived like this? Alone with nopony to talk to?” I asked. I couldn’t even fathom how many tallies there were.

Autumn lifted her head, the contents of her lock box momentarily forgotten as she regarded the wall before her and her smile faded. “Seventy-six thousand two hundred and seventeen days.” She said robotically, even her eyes looked odd. What really stood out about this revelation was her apparent age. She didn’t look like a ghoul so were kirin naturally long lived or was this a byproduct of…well, whatever happened to them.

“I…I’m so sorry.” Was all I could think to say.

“It’s not your fault. It’s hours.” She said, a definite melancholy edge to her voice. “Once all kirin could talk. We would sing, tell each other jokes, put on stage plays and other acts for all to enjoy. Until we let our anger get the better of us.”

“Is that what happened in the village?”

“Yes. When kirin lose their temper, we transform into niriks, things of rage and fire. I don’t remember what made us so angry but in our blind furry we axey-dent-lee…didn’t mean to destroy our home. After we found the peaks here Rain Shine said that a reep eat of that terrible event will never happen again and every kirin had to wade through the stream of sigh lens…syle…silence.”

“The what?” I asked, nervously looking around.

“Don’t worry, it dried up forty-six thousand days ago, give or take a few hundred. It was a pool of water ensconced…inchanded? Made magic by Rain Shine, meant to silence our eem oceans…eemotions and voices…forever.”

“Then how is it you are unaffected? And the others in town who turned into…um.”

“Niriks.” Autumn supplied. “I…I don’t really remember how or why I was spared. As for the others it’s a bit of a touché subject...er touchy. I’m really sorry, I’m having trouble finding the right words.”

“No worries.” I said, feeling an overwhelming wave of sympathy fill me. Not just for Autumn but for the rest of the kirin as well. I doubt that I would have made it seventy-six thousand days with no one to talk to except myself.

“You said you were here about Wayfinder’s Landing?” Autumn asked, suddenly remembering the reason I was here.

“That’s right. I’ve…” I paused, even though I didn’t plan on killing anyone, I wondered how much I should tell her. “I’ve been tasked with your elimination.” I decided for the whole truth. It was what I wanted after all, why should they get anything less?

“M-me? Why me?” She asked, lifting one of her legs and holding it to her chest.

“Not you specifically, all the kirin.”

Autumn looked horrified for a moment, reflexively taking a few steps away from me.

“I’m not interested in your deaths.” I said, my body automatically bowing slightly in deference. “Truthfully I ask your forgiveness.” I finished, my bow becoming full genuflection. “I was in Wafinder’s Landing during the last attack. I…killed one of your people in self-defense. She asked me to ‘help her’. I just want the truth.” A sudden memory I couldn’t grab, flittered through my mind, a ghostly voice from the tunnel that brought me here.

Noodles had joined Autumn, standing at her side as she looked down on me with confliction.

“Our leader, Rain Shine, was abdicated…ab-duck-ed? Taken during the war.” She said carefully, the contention in her expression easing. “For years I thought she was dead, never to return. Until about fifty years ago when we were able to sense her magic through the water. We searched for years and diet-ermined we felt her magic strongest in Wayfinder’s Landing where I think she’s being kept princener. We’ve tried to scare the ponies who live there away many times but they won’t leave.”

“Scare them away?” I asked, a bit of incredulity bleeding through. “You left bodies on the boardwalk today.” If this was all a misunderstanding derived from a mad stallion’s power grab then that made the citizens of Wayfinder’s Landing victims just like the kirin.

“Niriks become cratesures…things of rage and fire.” She repeated, remorse heavy in her expression. “They can’t always control it, their rage at her capsure lets them transform and…rage is-”

“I understand.” I cut her off. And there it was, the final pieces to the puzzle I’d been building all day. I couldn’t guess what Father was getting from Rain Shine but I felt flares of my own rage burn in my heart. Father had lied to me and threatened me into becoming his weapon. He would live to regret it. “Please, let me help you.” I said, rising back to my hooves.

Autumn seemed to regard me a moment and then another before her goofy grin returned and she bounded over to me.

“On one condition.” She practically sang the words. “You come back and share your stories with me. And don’t leave out any funny details or filler. I want to hear it all!”

Her grin suddenly became infectious as it appeared on my face as well. “I promise.” I said, hoping she knew just what she bargained for. “Noodles, we better go back to the boat.” I said, nodding my head in the direction we came.

“Why?” Autumn asked, looking up into the dark, starless sky.

“I want to be back at the landing at first light. Autumn, do you think you could get the others ready and have them follow an hour behind me? If I’ve guessed the speed difference right then that should put them on the landing fifteen minutes after us. If possible, tell them to transform back when they arrive. The ponies there think niriks are monsters, show them otherwise and we might be able to rescue Rain Shine without anypony dying.”

“Alright just…be careful.”

Something about the sentiment made me chuckle. “Why? Afraid you might miss me?”

“Yes.” She said plainly, a sort of hurt expression taking over. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

I suddenly felt like an asshole and tried hard to wipe the amused look off my face. Once a modicum of composure had returned, I moved to face her and held out a hoof. “Sure.” I said, and I meant it to.

Autumn seemed unsure what to do at first but then, like forgotten instincts remembered, she placed her hoof against mine and her grin returned. When we separated, she took my hoof in both of hers and placed something on my frog. I raised it to my face to inspect it. It was a flower, pressed and preserved between two pieces of slightly dirty laminate.

“It’s the last flower that grew here among the peaks of peril. I want you to have it. For luck.” She said, pushing the flower and by extension my hoof against my chest.

“Thank you.” I said, placing the flower next to Azura’s feather with reverence. “You’re not coming with the others?”

“No. Not right away at least. You might not be able to tell but they don’t like me much. Ever since I got my voice back. I tried for years to get them to smile, laugh or anything like we used to do. Then I was given two choices; enter the stream again or live in eggsyle. When the stream dried, I thought maybe I could live with them again but chose to spare them.”

“Spare them? How?” I asked.

“From seeing me. I don’t know what they’re thinking behind their blank eggspresshuns but if they’re still in there somewhere.” She said. Her ears had fallen back and I could hear the tightness gripping her throat. “I don’t want to rewind them of what they’ve lost.” She finished, looking forlornly in the direction of the village.

“Well, what about Rain Shine? Could she undo the spell if we bring her back?” I said. It would only make sense if she could.

“I…I don’t know.” The look on her face was haunting. Rain Shine was her only hope that the rest of the kirin could be like themselves again. A rescue decades in the making and Autumn didn’t know if the spell could be undone, even by the one who cast it. “I hope so.”

Dawn was within the hour when we finally came within view of Wayfinder’s Landing. The colt had done as we asked and led us there (albeit slowly) on the condition that Ray escort him all the way home once we arrived. Once we hit sand Ray honored his part and scooped the colt up in his claws, flying him over the beach a meter off the ground and ignoring his protests.

“What should we do? Split up?” I asked no one in particular. I suddenly felt very unsure. What were the chances that Sparks had already left for Baltimare? Would we have seen him from the air if he had?

“Calm yourself Pumpkin.” 87 said, somehow reading my mind. “If I’ve read things correctly then he is here. He has to be.” 87 sauntered out onto the beach with all the confidence I wish I had. Following after him, the others right behind me, I wondered what it was like inside a mind like that.

“What’s your take on all this?” I asked, tilting my head to one side curiously as I waited for his answer.

“It’s relatively straightforward.” He said, not taking his eyes off his immediate path. “Well, it is now at least. Teller filled in the last gaps and I believe I now understand.”

“Well? Don’t leave us hangin’.” Charlotte said, approaching 87 from his other side and boxing him in between us.

“It is my belief that Sparks was brought here intentionally. Teller said ‘Father’, whom I suspect is in charge here, had, under threat, forced Teller to divulge sensitive information about him. I also suspect that the group who attacked us by the library were sent to capture or herd us here. The tunnel incident was a coincidental fluke…or an elaborate backup perhaps.”

“You really think so?”

“Do you recall what you said to me a few hours ago?”

“Yes.”

“Then you admit that the idea isn’t outside the realm of possibility.”

“Point.” I conceded, not all that eager to argue the idea anyway. “But why bring him here?”

“To perform a service.” 87 continued, finally breaking his forward stare to look at me. “He isn’t exactly an unknown individual. Perhaps this reputation is what led Father to seek him out.”

“Maybe.” I conceded again. It all appeared rather elaborate to me but in the face of all that’d happened these last ten hours nothing seemed impossible.

As we neared I could see a few dark, pony shaped forms working on top of the boardwalk and further down the beach one appeared to be fishing, a thought that made my stomach do a flip. Light was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting the boardwalk in the golden glow of daybreak. Sunlight sparkled in the morning dew as we mounted the stairs and climbed to the boardwalk proper. The few who noticed us said nothing, a few even seemed to be actively avoiding us.

“Um…excuse me.” I said, trying to get one’s attention long enough to ask a question or two but ultimately came up short. The older stallion who noticed snorted irritably before coming over.

“Your excused outsider.” The elder stallion said contemptuously, looking at us appraisingly. “Ain’t got no need for your type around here. So you’d be well advised to go about your business, quickly, and leave.” There was something else under the contempt. Working for the ministries tended to give one a finer understanding of conversational subtlety, especially as you rose in rank and status. His words and face still held open disdain but, in his eyes, I could see the silent warning he was trying to deliver.

“We could leave quicker if you would answer a few questions for us.” Charlotte said, obviously oblivious to the warning. “We’re looking for someone. Blue fur, black armor, carrying a sword.”

“Hey sis.” Ray said, flying in slowly to perch on the roof of the closest storefront.

“In a minute.” She said, waving a dismissive claw in his direction without looking. “So what do ya say gramps?”

“Sis.” Ray said, more insistent this time.

“What?” Charlotte snapped, turning away from the old stallion and finally looking at her brother. “Did you forget why we’re here? Get down from there and-”

Ray quickly did as she said, closed her beak with one claw and rotated her around with the other. I followed her hostage gaze and spotted what Ray was trying to show us. Beside me Ollie gasped excitedly as a boat with a very recognizable shape inside came to rest at a broken pier a ways down the beach. He had another pony with him I noticed but it was far from the first thing on my mind as I teleported myself a little down the beach from him. He hadn’t noticed me; his back was turned as he tried to help the other pony moor the boat. I tried to call out to him but my voice was nowhere to be found. In retrospect we hadn’t actually been separated all that long but for a moment I genuinely thought I lost him. Pinkie Pie’s words also came back to me. The entirely wrong ones of course. The ones about my flanks, about him, about how long it had been since-

I felt my face flush hot with blood, suddenly very thankful that my coat hid my flagging tail. He finally turned around and went stiff when he saw me. I still couldn’t find my voice, my mouth moving in wordless silence. Sparks’ expression held a kind of longing that I understood all too well. He dropped the rope he’d been holding and galloped toward me. My voice might have been gone but my legs still worked and I galloped to meet him. We met in a tight embrace, the both of us going to our hind legs as he wrapped his hooves around my barrel and I draped mine over his crest. Nothing was said for the first minute. I could feel his heartbeat thundering against my chest as I’m sure he felt mine. I pushed up on my hind hooves and pressed my face to his, deciding to let my body do the talking for now. We nuzzled each other with an intensity that made me keenly aware of the others I’d left on the boardwalk who were surely watching. I tried to say something to that effect when he pressed his muzzle to the side of my neck and inhaled deeply through his nose, greedily drinking in my scent. I gasped sharply at his sudden boldness and shuddered as his hot breath washed over my neck and my tail flagged a little higher.

“Sparks…I-” I managed to get out, my voice husky to my own ears.

“I know.” He said with a smile, silencing me with a hoof to my lips. “Just kiss me, stupid.” It was the softest, warmest kiss I’d experienced in my life up till that point…but I could make it more memorable. Taking the initiative, I parted my lips and added tongue to the equation. Sparks was caught unprepared for the next stage as his teeth temporarily kept me out a few seconds before he understood and his own slippery, wet muscle emerged to meet mine in battle. The kiss lasted less than a minute before I had to come up for breath, the morning sun sparkling off the thin strand of saliva that connected us for a few more seconds after we parted.

“Wow.” Was all he said and I shared the sentiment.

“I…I thought I lost you.” I confessed, setting myself back on all fours, wishing it was that easy to do the same for my tail. He suddenly looked guilty, shuffling in place in obvious discomfort.

“I…I’m sorry.” He said, looking away from me. “I should have been looking for you but instead I…” He trailed off, his eyes seeming to focus on something out in the water. “We don’t have much time. Noodles you’re with me.” He finished, waving for the stallion he’d arrived with, whom I now recognized as a ghoul, to follow as he pushed me back toward the boardwalk with his head. “Are the others with you?” He asked. The urgency in his voice made my heart pick up speed.

“The Brightcrests, 87 and Ollie.” I said, searching for what he’d been looking at in the water. For a moment I considered telling him about Teller but thought better of it, something in my mind told me that he didn’t like him much. “W-wait a minute!” I said, digging in my hooves and bringing us to a halt.

“No time!” He said, looking at a distant fog wall rolling in from the ocean. “I gotta get up there before they get here.”

“Before who gets here?” I asked. 87’s theory repeated itself in my head and I wondered how accurate it was, if at all. “What did Father ask you to do?”

He froze as I mentioned Father, the guilty look returning.

“He asked me to murder a village of kirin.” He said flatly, looking back toward the boardwalk with narrowed eyes and clenched teeth. “He lied to me, tried to use me for his own gain.” He snarled, baring his teeth a moment.

My ears perked up at the mention of kirin, as did my curiosity.

“What do kirin have to do with Father?” I asked, my private elation at the kirin’s survival overshadowing the obvious confliction on Sparks’ face.

“I don’t know for sure why but the kirin are convinced their leader is being kept prisoner here and the order to kill them suggests he has something to hide.” He looked back at the wall of morning fog rolling in off the waves, then back to the ponies on the boardwalk whom I noticed were moving about frantically.

“Rain Shine?” I asked in disbelief. I was just reading about Rain Shine’s abduction a few hours ago. She was here? Why?

“Yeah.” Sparks said, his forehead wrinkled with thought. “Think you could get us up there?” He continued, eye returning to the boardwalk.

“Sure. Noodles, your hoof please.” I invited, holding out one of my own as I prepared the spell. The unpleasant contact of squishy ghoul flesh made me grimace as we vanished from the beach to reappear where I’d been standing just a few moments ago. Teleporting an extra pony with me wasn’t too much to ask but two was a little taxing. I wobbled on my hooves a minute, waiting for the lightheadedness and dizzy spell to pass before continuing.

“Good to see you boss and…and I’m sorry.” Charlotte said, raising her claws slightly before lowering them. “I swear by my oath to do better!” She said, her voice tight and shrill, drawing the looks of several passerby. Ray, standing just off to the side of his sister said nothing but nodded solemnly.

I admit it was hard not to admire their dedication. To my eyes it looked like Charlotte was almost on the verge of tears. I thought back to what she’d said to me in the library. Her oath of service must have really meant a lot to her, more than I’d previously imagined.

“I know you will.” He said, walking up to her with an outstretched hoof. Charlotte smiled reluctantly, balled her claw, and pressed it against Sparks’ hoof. “Ray?” He asked, offering the bigger griffin his hoof.

“I’m good boss.” He said with a shake of his head.

“Suit yourself. How ‘bout you squirt?” He said, turning his attention to Ollie who had been staying near 87. Once their eyes met Ollie giggled adorably and enthusiastically trotted over and bumped hooves with him. “Thank you.” He continued, eyes lifting to 87 who responded with a microscopic nod.

My next question died in my throat as a pair of ponies rudely blew past us carrying a machine gun, two belts of ammunition and a bipod attachment for it. Sparks’ smile withered and was gone as he once again cast his gaze to the ocean. He waved for us to follow, trotting up to the pair trying to assemble their weapon.

“It’s not an attack.” He said, placing a hoof on the barrel of their gun, pushing it away from the water. “You’re being deceived.”

“Outta the way outsider.” One of them said, shoving Sparks out of the way as they lined the gun back up to the water.

“I can prove it.” He pressed, the urgency in his voice topped with the nervous glances out at the approaching fog were putting me on edge more than I already was. Charlotte and Ray sensed it too, breaking away from us and flanking the pair working their gun.

“I would listen if I were you.” Ray said, grabbing the gun in his long talons and pinning it to the wood with a slam. Other ponies, who had been making battle preparations of their own, stopped and sent angry stares our way. Charlotte opened her wings as wide as they would go and drew a weapon in warning.

“Just hear us out.” She said, her expression a far cry from the calmness of her words. Charlotte was soon joined by 87 who, in a dramatic display, ignited the aura around his horn as if it were aflame.

“Foolish are those who would knowingly deny themselves knowledge.” 87 said, his aura fading away. “So ask yourself; are you fools?” He said, sweeping his challenging gaze over the whole of the boardwalk.

“I would hear the outsiders speak.” A larger than average stallion with a mustache said, taking a dramatic step away from the weapons he’d been setting up.

“What? Are you crazy?” The mare beside him spat indignantly. “The nightmares will be here any minute!”

“Noodles!” The stallion barked, getting the attention of the ghoul standing a little bit behind us. “You went with him. Do you vouch for him?”

Noodles nodded, stepping around our entourage to place himself between us and them.

“Alright then.” The stallion said his body visibly relaxing, though not by much.

“Really Flask? You’re gonna let Noodles be the one-”

“Quiet Bowline.” Flask said, shooting the mare a harsh glare over his shoulder.

“What did you say to me?” She said, standing up with a scowl. “I’m the oldest daught-”

“I said be quiet.” Flask reiterated without increasing his volume. A few of the scattered ponies setting up defenses stood from their work and stepped forward in support of Flask. “Go ahead.” He invited.

“The nightmares aren’t monsters. They’re kirin and all they want is what Father has taken from them. I ask you to hold your fire when they arrive and they will show you.” Sparks said just as the fog hit the beach and shrouded the light of dawn.

“What has Father taken?” Flask asked, trotting over to our group.

“Their leader.” Sparks said as a flash of green light directed my attention to the beach where several dozen more cast the beach in a sickly glow. Everypony was watching nervously, some hugging their weapons tightly against them. In the cloud of fog I was able to spot multiple silhouettes slowly advancing up the beach. The ponies we’d trotted up to must have lost their nerve as the barrel of their gun swung quickly to point at the approaching shadows. I flinched, waiting for the inevitable crack of gunfire but it never came. In its place came gasps of shock followed by something clattering to the wood beneath us. I opened my eyes to see Sparks with his sword glowing brightly, the severed barrel of the gun at his hooves, the glowing metal of the barrel stump reflecting in his eyes. Ahead of us the shadows appeared to be forming a line. Once it was complete a lone figure stepped forward and with a twinkle of magic, blew the ensnaring fog away and revealed the truth for all to see.

It was a kirin all right. It had dark, smoky fur and a brownish blonde bush of a mane framing its head. In the line behind it were kirin of all color combinations, staring impassively up at the gathered ponies gawking openly back at them.

Sparks turned and jumped down to the sand with a grunt, moving to stand beside the kirin who stepped forward.

“They’re not monsters!” He shouted. “Father is lying to you all! He has something that belongs to them and they want it back! That is why they’ve attacked Wayfinder’s Landing all these years! Return what Father has stolen and you, both of you” He waved his hoof to encompass everypony present. “Can have peace! Will you let me confront Father and free you all? Or will you let him continue to serve himself through you?”

There was a long, uncomfortable pause as both groups regarded each other. One by one the ponies of Wayfinder’s Landing understood the implications and evidence presented to them. Flask followed Sparks’ example and jumped down to join them. He approached the lead kirin, drew his gun and fell to his knees offering it to her. The kirin tilted her head, leaned down to sniff it and ultimately took it from him. Again, I closed my eyes for the gunshot that never came. The kirin eyed the weapon disinterestedly and dropped it to the sand in front of him, her expression unchanged from when she arrived.

“You’re free to take what he stole.” Flask said returning to his hooves. “But bring Father back with you. I believe what you’ve said is true and he must face justice for betraying us.”

“Understood.” The line of kirin watched them go, mount the stairs and return to us above. It didn’t take long to get things situated. Sparks insisted he go down alone despite my protestation, pointing out that there were no pipes for me to disappear into down there. A point that got him a painful kick in the cannon. He went down and was gone. A minute later the elevator returned empty and the fear I’d thought I escaped began to gain on me.

We waited for what felt like an hour but in reality was probably closer to eight minutes. A flicker of motion from the pulleys signaled it had been called and soon it would return with all of them. When they arrived I was briefly taken aback. I had seen pictures of Rain Shine of course but that in no way prepared me for the regal reality of her presence. She was tall, as tall as Princess Celestia, and her grey-white fur appeared to sparkle in the growing light. Her turquoise mane was curly, curlier even than the rest of the kirin and her red eyes were filling with long lost joy as she beheld the kirin waiting for her. A smile that died on her lips, the ever-calm kirin before us still wearing their blank expressions. There was no third pony on the elevator I noticed.

“Where’s Father?” Flask asked, flanked by Bowline.

“He…jumped.” Sparks said, craning his head over his shoulder to the elevator. “As the elevator was coming, he jumped into the shaft.”

“Couldn’t face his own justice eh? The coward.” Bowline said, turning her back on the others. “Come on Flask, we gotta call a town meeting, see what happens next for us. As for you-” she said, glaring hard at Sparks. “Thanks.”

And with that she turned her back again and headed for the largest building on the boardwalk with Flask.

“Phew!” A loud, harmonious voice came from the beach. “You guys…*huff* make it look…*huff* easy.”

“A-Autumn?” Rain Shine said, standing a little taller. She dashed to the edge of the boardwalk and leapt, completely clearing the line of kirin to land a meter or two in front of the newcomer.

“You have to undo the spell Rain Shine.” The kirin apparently called Autumn said.

“I…I can’t. Our anger, our rage, it’s too dangerous to-”

“It’s already here.” Autumn said, looking to the lead kirin who nodded and, with an effort, changed into a nirik. Not at all like the ones I’d read about. “Our anger is part of who we are. It’s part of our nature and nature can’t be suppressed, only delayed. Anger, like every part of us, can be controlled, tempered, and we can learn to live with it otherwise…” She cast her gaze down the line of kirin looking blankly back at her. “Otherwise, it’ll be all we have.”

“I…understand.” Rain Shine said after a moment’s silence. “Let us return quickly then, I’ll need some foal’s breath to undo the spell.”

“F-foal’s breath?” Autumn said, her face going whiter than it already was. “The last flower died over a hundred years ago.” She finished, looking as if she were about to cry.

“Wait!” Sparks yelled from beside me, simultaneously placing a hoof on my withers. “Can you get us down there?” He asked, looking at me hopefully.

“Really?” I said sarcastically, teleporting the both of us down to Rain Shine with a small amount of effort. “‘Can you get us down there’ hmph!” I mocked playfully, nudging him in the ribs with an elbow.

“Remember what you gave me Autumn?” He said, carefully digging in his saddlebags. “Will this work?” He asked, holding up an obviously old, pressed flower.

Rain Shine took it in her magic and smiled the joyous smile from before.

“Yes, yes this will do. All of you into the water.” She commanded and in less than a minute every kirin was fetlock deep in the water. Rain Shine cast some kind of spell, separated the laminate of the pressed flower and allowed it to fall into the water at her hooves. The blank expressions of the kirin began to crack and long repressed emotions came flooding back in. Some smiled and laughed, other cried tears of both joy and sorrow and others still simply looked confused. The whole emotional menagerie was here on display, that is save for one. Sparks trotted over to Autumn who stood in the water with her back to us.

“Autumn? You alright?” He asked, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned around and cocked her head to one side quizzically, looking at him with half lidded apathetic eyes. “Oh no.” He said, his voice choked as he looked back at me helplessly.

“Aha! Got you!” Autumn cried, suddenly breaking into a big grin that would have impressed even Pinkie Pie. “Pretty convincing huh? I only had like, a bajillion years to practice.”

Sparks turned back to her a decidedly unamused look on his face.

“Oh um, sorry? I thought it’d be funn-” She was silenced as Sparks leaned forward and hugged her. “Oh.” She said, obviously caught off guard but adapting to it quickly as she hugged back.

“That felt really good.” She said as they separated. I briefly felt a knife of jealousy stab into my heart before her next words banished the feeling completely. “I almost forgot what it’s like to be hugged by a friend.”

Sparks opened his mouth to say something but a yawn cut him off. Now, at the end of this little adventure, I felt as tired as I’d been in my entire life. Sparks’ yawn made its way to me and I wondered where we would rest before heading back to Baltimare.

“I think I can help you.” Rain Shine said, stepping over to as, as well as waving the other on the boardwalk down to join us. “Where is it you were heading?” She asked, looking down on us with near motherly affection. It really was like looking at a kirin version of Celestia…almost. Sort of.

“The Bastion.” Sparks said, trying to stifle a snicker as her head tilted off to one side in confusion.

I failed to hold in my giggle and added. “He means the Equestrian Naval Academy.”

“Ah.” She said in understanding. “Then allow me to express my thanks and send you on your way.” Magic began to spiral around her horn as she prepared her spell.

“Don’t forget, you owe me your story!” Autumn yelled, waving her hoof enthusiastically.

“I won’t.” He said. Then, with an audible thrum of magic, we were gone.

“Did he know there was a reverse summoning glyph on his face?”

As the elevator came to a stop, I hopped off and sent it back up. Seated in his chair almost exactly where I left him was Father. He stood and covered half the distance between us.

“I notice the complete lack of horns you’ve brought me.” He mused aloud, a look of great distaste on his face.

“You should have been honest with me.” I said, drawing Starfall at full power. “I met with the kirin and they told me the truth. Surrender Rain Shine and prepare to face the justice of the ponies of Wayfinder’s Landing.”

“You lie!” He spat bitterly. “The kirin couldn’t have told you anything! They’ve been cursed to silence for centuries!”

I allowed myself a lopsided smile as he took the bait, hook line and sinker. A smile that he’d understood. His expression darkened and without warning he drew a strange looking, hoofheld weapon from the inside of his oversized coat and fired. What came out of the weapon surprised me. It wasn’t a bullet; it wasn’t a beam or blast of magical energy or anything else I recognized. What came out was a pale blue ring of energy that was harmlessly absorbed by Starfall. Not willing to take a hit from whatever he held, I raised Starfall over my shoulders and hurled it at Father. The elder stallion fired a second time just as the spinning blade took of his hoof off at the first joint, sending the shot wide.

He staggered back, clutching the severed hoof with his remaining one. His groans of pain became growls of anger but all his rage, all his fury ultimately meant nothing and he knew it.

“What now then Harbinger? You drag me up top to be killed by my own ponies?”

“If that’s what they decide, yes.” I said coldly, moving to him and yanking him to his hooves. “Start walking.” I finished with a shove toward the elevator. He complied and stood, quietly fuming, next to the shaft. “Wait here.” I ordered, heading toward the heavy doors I’d observed yesterday.

“What is it you hope to accomplish? My death at their hooves won’t change what’s already been done. For them or for you.” Father said to my back.

I stopped in my tracks as I mulled everything over in my head. I still didn’t have the whole picture but what did it matter? The reason for Rain Shine’s imprisonment was irrelevant. Father and his ancestors had kept her against her will, which was all that mattered regardless of his intentions.

“Perhaps.” I said, trotting back to him. “But…” I started. A cornered animal was often the most dangerous and I doubt an old stallion like Father failed to recognize the corner I’d backed him into. And he still had information about me that could undo everything I’d worked for, and still wanted to work towards. “…death at mine.” In two quick motions I drew my sword and plunged it deep into Father’s chest. Blood trickled from both corners of his mouth as he sputtered, every breath growing progressively weaker. “Won’t give them the chance to show you mercy.” With a shove his now lifeless body fell from my blade and disappeared into the mine shaft below.

“There is no mercy.” His large coat had absorbed most of his blood and with a thought Starfall, ignited and burned the last traces of it away.

Once I had removed the locking bar, I threw the big doors open with a crash. Inside was a patch of moss and other small plants. There were being trickle fed water from a small crack in the large pipe that partially ran through the room. Rain Shine was curled up on the floor with a blanket much too small for her, dozing quietly. She was taller than I expected. Much taller. In fact, if you fixed her mane and added wings she might even pass for Princess Celestia! Even the scales on her back and nose were white. Tight shackles trapped each of her hooves to the pipe that ran through the room. She stirred as I approached, Starfall hovering in front of me in all its pale glory.

“Wait.” Rain Shine said, trying to shuffle away but pulled her chain taut and could move no more. “Please!” She tried again, desperation in her eyes, face, and voice. It was almost enough to make me stop but I tightened my grip and swung. The chains binding her fell with a clatter and she opened her tearstained eyes, looking at the chains that had bound her for centuries finally break. It took another minute or so to cut the shackles around her hooves and remove the magic nullifying ring forced around a branching part of her horn. I explained to her my arrival, my talk with Father and subsequent talk with the kirin. She said nothing and stood, giving me my first look at real regality. We were loaded on the elevator when she first spoke.

“Thank you.” She said. That voice… I’d heard it before somewhere but I couldn’t figure out where. “When I felt your presence in the water.” She continued. “I thought I was imagining it. I had given up hope.”

In the water! I thought I’d heard a voice before I lost consciousness.

“I don’t know if you know this your majesty.” I said, feeling like for the first time I could truly say. “But where I’m from they call me the harbinger of hope.”

“Indeed? I can understand why.” The smile she gave me was like being graced by the gods. “I have one question though, where’s Father?”

“He took his own life.” I said, shying away from her eyes to the wood under my hooves. “He jumped.”

“Oh. I see.” She said, turning her eyes to the approaching light above us. I wondered if she believed me.

He jumped. I repeated in my head.

He jumped. I could almost believe it.

He jumped. That’s what happened.

He jumped. He jumped. He jumped.

Footnote: No Level Up.

Next Chapter: Chapter Thirty-Eight: Return to Sender Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 18 Minutes