“The Zacherle-Faust Memorial Tunnel, informally the Grand Canterlot Tunnel, now known to the wasteland as the Long Dark.” Lions said after I approached him with questions. “The most straightforward path through the mountains that separate the heartlands from the east coast of Equestria, but also the most dangerous.”

“Took five years to build.” Pumpkin added quietly before asking a question of her own. “What could make a fifteen-mile straight shot so dangerous?”

“Ah I forget you’re both relatively new to this world.” Lions said to himself before sitting up a little straighter in his chair. “Once the tunnel was used as it had been before the war but it wasn’t until about eighty years ago that it came to be called the Long Dark. Approximately twelve or thirteen miles of tunnel collapsed into the earth below, opening massive caverns and revealing hidden dangers. The collapse also severed the connection to wherever the tunnel was drawing power. The only light you’ll have is whatever you bring with you. It has and still can be traversed but at great peril. Not only must you operate in total darkness but you also have to climb down into the collapse, cross it, and scale the other side. Not to mention the radiation, taint, and monsters that have made the tunnel and adjoining caverns their home.”

“Is that why you didn’t use it? Red Eye too?” I asked, guessing the answer pretty easily.

“That’s right. Traveling the Long Dark isn’t impossible, provided you move quickly and travel in small number. Moving a large force through that tunnel is practically a death sentence. Why do you ask? What is your interest in the Long Dark?”

“Just preparing.” I said, wondering myself why it had suddenly come to mind. Did it have something to do with Society the alicorn? That would explain my cheek but what interest could a being who could fly have in a tunnel?

“Preparing?” Lions asked, eyebrows raised in alarm. “Don’t tell me you plan to cross the Long Dark.”

“Not unless I have to.” I said. “Knowing is better than not.”

“I suppose.” Lions said, not looking convinced. “Anything else?”

“No Elder.” I stood and Pumpkin followed suit. “Thank you.”

Once out of the Keep I saw that the others had done as I asked and gathered the whole crew. Charlotte and Ray were a little banged up but otherwise looked no worse for wear. 87 looked like he’d been caught at the edge of an explosion and Blossom looked more pristine than we’d left her.

“Everyone alright?” I asked the assembled creatures. A round of affirmatives later and we were ready to head back to Eclipse to get Orchid. We were making our way to the gate when I felt a weak tug on my tail. I turned to see Ebon Glow, a look of hesitance on his face.

“I…I want to stay.” He said firmly, pushing past his worry. It honestly didn’t surprise me. Ebon Glow had been a slave when we found him so it made sense to me that he’d want to stay where he’d be most likely to help ponies like him. What did surprise me however was how Adria and Ollie joined him on either side, their expressions resolute. “We want to stay.” He amended smiling at them with sibling-like joy. The refusal was automatic and it almost made it out of my mouth before I stopped it. I had wanted this and even pushed for it after Aurora started training. Besides it wasn’t like I was leaving them forever. The Bastion was just as much a home to us as Eclipse, though with decidedly less comfortable beds.

“If that’s what you want.” I said, ruffling his mane. “Now line up Squires!” I barked suddenly, smirking at how clumsily yet quickly they lined up and stood at attention. “I will be back at a time of my choosing to evaluate your skills! Until then give it your best and look out for each other! Understood!?”

“Yes sir!”
“Yes papa!”
“Yes sir!”

They shouted back in unison, holding a salute until I nodded. “Bring it in.” I said, watching with a warm feeling I couldn’t fully describe as they came closer and I gave them each a big hug.

“I-I could stay to keep an eye on them, ya know, if you want.” Blossom said from behind me. Her expression held a similar hesitancy and I didn’t feel as though I had the right to tell her what to do. I simply nodded at her and she joined the children to stay behind.

“Aurora, last chance.” I offered, looking at her expectantly. I didn’t know what I wanted for her more in that moment but would make my peace with it whatever her decision. She checked her pistol, straightened her enchanted sunglasses and raised her head proudly.

“Good to go dad.” She nodded her head back towards the gate and the others prepared themselves to depart. I took my spot last in line and looked back over my shoulder as the kids and Blossom watched us leave.

“Goodbye!” Ollie yelled, smiling and waving enthusiastically. The gate was almost fully closed when she dashed past the others to the threshold and just barely had time to yell “We love you!”

‘We love you’. I just stood there smiling a moment and for the first time in a long time I thought I felt the light of the sun pierce the clouds and warm my wasteland soul.

“I love you too dad.” Aurora said with a slight whine, not two minutes from the Bastion. It was kinda cute in its own way.

“Aurora Dawn, you’re not jealous, are you?” I said, not even trying to keep the teasing out of my voice.

“W-well no but-”

“But?”

“I just want-”

“Want?”

“Dad!”

“What?”

“Are you gonna let me finish?”

“Probably not.” I snickered.

“Fine then.” She huffed, sticking her nose in the air.

“Aww come on.” I said knowingly, scooping her up with my magic. “Don’t be like that Aurora, you know I love you with all my heart.”

“I know…it’s just-”

“Just?”

“DAD!”

“Look it doesn’t matter who I save or how many, it doesn’t matter who you are or who you become. I will always love you, Aurora. I mean it.” I thought about setting her on my back but now that I held her aloft, I could see just how big she had gotten in the time we’d been together. She wouldn’t need me much longer I thought, and my pride warred with the sadness that the inevitable separation would bring. I placed her back on the ground beside me and looked deeply into her purple eyes. She looked back with a fragile sort of understanding.

“Dad?” Her voice cracked and I wondered if she’d understood the totality of what I’d said.

I placed a hoof on her head and stroked her mane, smiling the best smile I could muster. “I know you won’t let me down.”

Once we’d picked up Orchid from Eclipse, plus a new radio, we had maybe a day or two of travel ahead of us before we reached Boulder City. As the first night of our trip arrived, I began to feel queasy. Not from any kind of illness mind you, more like a sense of impending danger. I wondered if I should maybe find some way to cover my face, now that I knew Red Eye’s forces occupied Boulder and that he apparently sought my death or capture.

“May I ask you a question?” 87 said, taking a seat beside me at the fire we’d built behind a tall Sparkle-Cola advertisement sign. The yellow mare on the sign held the bottle high above her head like it was recently unearthed treasure. The bottle itself seemed to be giving off a small light of its own but surely that had to be some trick of the fire light. The text box next to the elated looking mare read ‘Sparkle-Cola RAD! It’s like a buck to the face, with radishes!’ Below the mare was an arrow pointing the direction we were heading, kindly informing us it was only another thirty-five miles to the Sparkle-World Transit Center in Boulder City.

“Sure.” I said, thankful for the distraction.

“Do you prefer Sparkle-Cola or Sunrise Sarsaparilla?”

“…Not the question I was expecting from you 87.” I said after a moment’s confusion.

“Apologies. I’m still new to this ‘small talk’ Freesia insisted I try.” He frowned.

“You don’t have to push yourself for my sake 87, you and I are good.” I paused a moment, deciding if I wanted to share my private thoughts about him. “Better than good actually. It wasn’t until recently that I understood how much I’ve valued your council this last week. You’ve been a friend to me and the others when you didn’t have to and no amount of small talk could ever tell you how much I appreciate it. I guess I just want to say, thank you, for being my friend.”

“And thank you for freeing me and giving me the chance to live a life I choose for myself.”

“What kind of life might that be?” I asked, my eyebrows raised with interest.

“I should think my presence answers that well enough.” 87 said with a smirk. “I’ve grown fond of you and your friends. The life I want is here, with everything and everypony that comes with it.”

“Glad to hear it.” Pumpkin said, sitting beside me on my opposite side. Floating behind her were two cans of steaming sliced carrots, one of which floated to rest in front of me.

“Thank you.” I said, struggling to keep the crack out of my voice as I felt Pumpkin wrap her tail once around mine. Somewhere nearby I could sense Aurora’s shit eating grin, Noodles’ too.

On the other side of the fire, just at the edge of its light were Ray and Charlotte, taking turns trying to beat Sunny at hoof wrestling over a wooden crate we’d found. Sunny looked bored as she easily pinned Ray’s claw for the three count for maybe the tenth time this evening.

“Why don’t you two give it a rest already?” Aurora said, having watched them lose again and again.

“Because, little sister.” Charlotte started, grasping Sunny’s hoof and beginning the contest. “Quitting *nngh* is the only way *ergh* to truly lose.”

*CRASH*

In one motion Sunny put Charlotte’s claw through the rickety wood of the crate and just like that the challenges were over.

“Better luck next time featherweights.” Sunny chuckled as she stood and took a spot by the fire, the Brightcrests begrudgingly following behind her.

“So…what are we going to do?” Grim asked, looking out at all of us around the fire. “If I’ve read things right, you two.” He said pointing a talon at the other two griffins. “Are liable to be shot if any of Red Eye’s people make you. That goes for you too Sparks.”

“We can hang back at the outskirts if that’s what you want.” Charlotte said, folding her claws behind her head and laying down on her back. “We hardly spent any time in Boulder, I doubt anyone would recognize us but I guess we sorta stand out enough to be noticed.”

“Just how much of Boulder has he occupied?” I asked.

“Just the transit center for now.” Ray said, his expression taking on a hint of disgust. “Though the residents practically allow his people free reign. Though it won’t be up to them for much longer though.”

“What do you mean?” Orchid asked, speaking around a mouthful of food.

“As mercenaries we weren’t exactly privy to Red Eye’s plans but we made a few friends and got the idea that he’s looking for something.”

“Or someone.” Charlotte clarified, sitting up. “Though I think he doesn’t know himself. Since he’s thrown a broad net over Boulder and Baltimare. Whatever it or they are, it’s something he wants, badly.”

“How do you know that?” Grim asked, leaning forward, clearly interested.

“I guess I don’t.” Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. “What I do know is that there was no shortage of slaves in Fillydelphia. No matter what they say or how it looks, slavery is not his prime motivation. It took too much time and effort to get the monorail working for it to just be a supply line of what we already had plenty of.”

“That…makes sense.” I said, downing half my can in one gulp. “What could he be looking for?”

“Like I said, no one knows.” Charlotte said, leaning in towards the rest of us around the fire. “But you can safely bet that he doesn’t have everyone’s best interest in mind.”

I wasn’t fully convinced of that myself. It was easy to judge a being by what they presented on the outside but the truth of the matter wasn’t always so obvious. For now, it was best to stick to the facts. Red Eye was a slaver and he wanted me, dead or alive. We’d operate from there and take everything else as it was presented to us.

“Orchid.” I invited. “Boulder is your town. Can you think of anything Red Eye might want there?”

Orchid didn’t answer and chewed her food with an absent look on her face. I was about to repeat the question when she swallowed and seemed to realize she was being spoken to.

“The same as the rest of the hopeful scavengers I suppose.” She said with a bitter smirk. “To see what old world treasures are hidden in the Dome.”

“The Dome?” I knew I’d heard of it somewhere but couldn’t remember exactly where. I brought up the map on my PipBuck and scrolled to where I thought I’d seen it before. Sure enough it wasn’t that far away from our destination, almost touching the marker that denoted Boulder City.

“Yeah. It’s an old equestrian research facility built into the mountains close to Boulder. The bomb that destroyed Boulder hit the Dome directly so it’s surrounded by lethal levels of radiation. Approaching it is nigh on impossible without irradiating to death or being shot by the ghoul guards.”

“There are guards? Why?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Boulder only managed to become what it is thanks to the scientists inside the Dome and the trade we do with them on occasion. They’re a secretive lot so they’ve hired every ghoul in and around Boulder to guard the Dome inside the irradiated zone and it’s those same ghouls who are our trade liaisons.”

“The scientists are still inside? Like back from the war?” Pumpkin asked, eyes wide with sudden interest.

“So I’ve been led to believe.” Orchid answered, one eyebrow going up. “Their descendants at the very least. Nopony knows what kind of research they’ve been doing in there all these years and nopony has ever come out. It stands to reason that Red Eye might be interested in whatever is inside.”

“Is that something worth looking into?” Grim asked, throwing a glance my way.

“Maybe.” I put a hoof to my chin and tried to puzzle it out. If it was only the Dome he wanted then why did he move his people into Baltimare? “Let’s wait and see what’s going on in Boulder first, see what exactly they’re up to there.” I threw my glance over to Pumpkin to see that she was trying to look nonchalant. “Do you have something to add Pumpkin?”

“Maybe but it’s a long shot.” Pumpkin said, doubt creeping in on her features. “Gestalt and Mosaic oversaw the Dome during the war…when they weren’t running the ministry for Twilight in Canterlot. If there’s a chance they’re still alive inside the Dome or their descendants are then-”

“Then what? Even in the slim, slim chance that they are what do you think they could do for us?” Sunny asked, her tone harsher than normal.

“I…I don’t know.” Pumpkin’s ears fell back against her head as a sheepish look took over her expression. “I-I just thought that maybe there could be others like myself who survived in stasis or by some other means. As the heads of magical research, they would’ve had access to any of the MAS’s facilities and installations.”

“Would they have had codes or something to bypass other MAS hub’s securities?” I asked, hopeful ideas starting to form in my head.

“It’s more complicated than that I’m afraid. Sure, they would’ve had codes but I have them too.” She tapped a hoof on her head. “The really sensitive areas were, and probably still are, protected by bypass shields.”

“Like the ones in Outlast?” I felt the little hope I had slip away.

“Yes. The one at the elevator was created to only allow unicorns to pass but they can be much more precise. They could be as exact as allowing only a specific individual through.”

I thought back to the one before Moondancer’s office during our second trip to Project Outlast and how I’d used Erebus to force myself through. I wasn’t keen on repeating the performance and Erebus was still suppressed by the spell Pumpkin used a few days ago so that option wasn’t on the table anyway.

“So, if Gestalt and Mosaic are dead.” Pumpkin shrank a little as I spoke. “Then any shield that would’ve allowed them through are impassable now and the same goes for any other shield that only allowed specific ponies through.”

“Well…not exactly.” Once the words were out of Pumpkin’s mouth all eyes turned toward her.

“Explain.” 87 said coolly, speaking also for Sunny and the Brightcrests who were now watching Pumpkin with great interest. She swallowed visibly before continuing.

“Bypass spells are- were still relatively new by the time the ministries and other companies started using them and, as with most prototypes, there was room for improvement. Given the state of the world, I’d bet that those improvements only ever got to the planning stage.”

“Are you saying there’s a way to get around bypass shields?” Sunny asked, a hard glint in her eyes that was mirrored in Charlotte’s and Ray’s.

“Yes and no. This information was known to only a few ministry officials but there’s…an exploitable loophole in the shields that could allow another through.”

“That’s great!” I cheered, my mind racing with thoughts of what we might find beyond the most carefully guarded-

“If you were a blood relative of whoever was allowed through.” Pumpkin finished. My cheer vanished immediately and I felt an embarrassed blush warm my face.

“So that’s why you made mention of Gestalt and Mosaic’s descendants, should they have any, but surely the degree of consanguinity would be diminished to the point of uselessness by now.” 87 said, garnering many confused looks from myself and the others.

“Degree of what?” Aurora asked, her nose wrinkled in thought as if she might puzzle it out herself.

“The degree of blood relation.” 87 simplified. “By that I mean the two hundred years that have passed since the end would have diluted the blood of each successive generation to the point of ineffectiveness should any descendants even be alive in the present.”

“No.” Pumpkin said, shaking her head. “Remember I said the spell was imperfect. The degree doesn’t matter. If you’re a relative or descendant, no matter how far removed, you could pass through. Mother, sister, granddaughter, great great great granddaughter, and so on. That was why it was only known to a select few. Given time we could have ironed out that flaw but we never got the chance.”

“So every shield in equestria has this exploit?” Sunny asked evenly.

“I believe so.”

“It still wouldn’t do us much good.” 87 held one hoof to his chin. “This exploit relies on the existence of descendants of the original pony or ponies who the shield would have allowed to pass. For example, say Gestalt and Mosaic were in Manehattan when the bombs fell. They would have certainly been killed in the blast, ergo they would have no descendants. The chances of all the ponies in question having survived the balefire bombings is very slim. The chance they survived long enough after the end to have children is even slimmer.”

“I know…I know.” Pumpkin seemed to deflate a little as whatever idea she might have had was shot down by logic. “Still, if we could get to the Dome, my site director clearance codes should get us in the door at least.”

“It’s something to think about.” Sunny said thoughtfully.

“Did you all forget about the fact that the Dome was hit by a balefire bomb?” Orchid spoke up, an unreadable look on her face. “That level of radiation will kill you.”

“Yeah, plus I fancy my feathers and skin the way they are.” Charlotte added and I flinched at the image of a furless, featherless ghoul griffin.

“Then we’ll shelve the idea for now.” I said. “Until then we ought-” I was interrupted by a bottle being pushed into my hooves by Noodles. “Well alright.” I laughed, looking to see it was apple whiskey. “This is a good place to start.” I held the bottle up as if to share a toast with the mare on the sign, then tipped it back and let the burning liquid slide down my throat. Pumpkin was next in line and though she frowned at first, she still took the bottle and took a dainty sip. Or at least she would have if I hadn’t used magic to tilt the bottle up to pour more into her mouth. Her eyes widened and she choked for a second before managing to swallow it all with a grimace.

“That- *cough* wasn’t very nice.” She sputtered, passing the bottle off to the next in line.

“Just making sure you get your share.” I smirked, wrapping my tail once more around hers. She looked at me with narrowed eyes for a moment before she relented and leaned into me, her gaze moving to the night sky.

“I really wish you could’ve seen it. The pale moon high in the sky amongst a black curtain of glittering stars.”

“Growing up in a stable the ‘sky’ was always within reach.” I started, delving into memories I hadn’t thought of since Winter was killed. “I never dreamed I would get to see the sky with my own eyes, even if it’s this lesser version of it. Before that my only idea of the stars or a sunset came from books.”

“I don’t think Stable-Tec fully understood the consequences of several generations living in bunkers and the effect it would have on our ethos.”

“I’ve found that a lot in life depends on our individual points of view. Take right now for example.” I paused and took another swig from the bottle as it came back to me. “The state of the sky doesn’t matter, it matters that I’m looking at it with you.”

Pumpkin almost choked again as she laughed around her mouthful of liquor. “That sounded so cheesy.” She said, still laughing.

“I know but the truth of the matter is…the truth…” I wavered off. It didn’t feel right but I knew I had to say it all the same. I remembered my conversation with the hologram of Pinkie Pie and subsequent conversations with Sunny and Aurora about my feelings for her. I wanted to tell her. I needed to tell her. Except now that I had it loaded in the chamber I still couldn’t pull the trigger.

~You’re afraid~ Erebus’ silhouette appeared beside me, though it wouldn’t be until sometime later that I recognized his presence and hoof in what happened.

“The truth is what?” She asked, siting up a little straighter as the cheer evaporated from her expression. “What were you going to say?”

“…” I was afraid. Afraid of being rejected sure but most of all, now that I understood my fears a little better, I was afraid of being accepted. Winter and Azura were both dead and their blood was on my hooves. Their deaths were my fault. I would never forgive myself for what I did to them and I was terrified that I was going to do it again. The best thing I could do for them was to get away from them because I knew that no matter what I did, no matter how much I loved her...I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t protect Aurora. I couldn’t protect anyone.

~You’re weak~ The shadow leaned in closer, hovering over my shoulder.

It had grown to be my greatest fear and, in that moment, fear overwhelmed me.

“Sparks?”

“I shouldn’t have said anything, I’m sorry.” I felt panic begin to grow inside me as my heartbeat quickened.

The shadow leaned in closer, close enough to whisper in my ear.

I stood up, untangled our tails in the process, and galloped out of the fire’s light and into the darkness as the onset of overpowering terror gripped my heart and squeezed.

“Sparks wait! Where are you going!?” I heard her yell after me.
“Sparks?” I heard Sunny say, puzzled.
“Dad stop!” Aurora shouted.

I didn’t look back.

I don’t know how long I’d ran. An hour, maybe more maybe less. When I stopped it was to sit on slab of stone jutting slightly out of the earth. Only once the adrenaline faded and my heartbeat approached normal speed did I understand what had happened. Fear had always lived in my heart but Erebus had fanned the flames into a wildfire. Instead of facing it I fled from it. I had never felt fear that intense before, the kind that swallowed up all reason and logic. I wondered what they thought of me now. Would they still follow me? Was I even worthy of them? I was ashamed of myself. Whether they forgave me or not, I knew I never would. I almost abandoned them. My friends could be sources of power but my own weakness proved greater. I was just considering the return trip and what I would say when I was joined by another.

“I told you before, running doesn’t work on me.” Pumpkin said, appearing in a quick burst of magic.

I felt the urge to run again, futile or not, but this time I was able to retain myself in the face of growing fear and stand my ground.

“You did tell me that, guess that’s on me.” I said, turning to face her.

“You want to tell me what that was about?”

The shame I felt doubled. I had expected her to be angry or annoyed but her words carried understanding, compassion and worry. I didn’t deserve any of it.

“Yes.”

“Will you?”

“I…I can’t.” It sounded weak in my own ears and though the fear was subsiding I was still afraid.

“Sparks…” Pumpkin started, sounding a little exasperated. “You’ve got to talk to me. I can’t help you if you won’t be honest with me.”

“There…” I hesitated, but only for a second. She deserved to know the truth. “…was someone else, after Winter.”

“Another…” Whether she was searching for the word or just didn’t want to use I couldn’t tell. “…lover?”

“Yeah. We weren’t together long. An attack meant for my life took hers instead. It was the same attack that took my leg.” I couldn’t remember any specifics from that night. Did I try to push her out of the way? By trying to save her did I actually condemn her? If I had done nothing, would she still be alive? My throat tightened and I felt the starts of tears welling in the corners of my eyes. “The closer I get to someone, the more danger I put them in. Winter and…and Azura were both killed because of me.” And it wasn’t just them. The faces of Slipknot and Ribbon Dancer joined theirs floating before my eyes.

“And you’re scared the same thing will happen to me?” She guessed correctly. “Just because they…met with cruel fates doesn’t mean-”

“No no no, you’re missing the point.” I interrupted, shaking my head. “I couldn’t protect them…I can’t protect you, no matter how hard I try…the only way to keep you and everyone else safe is to take myself out of the equation.”

“So, you ran away to protect us?” Pumpkin stared into my eyes as she closed the distance between us. “You silly fool.” She reached up to brush a tear off my cheek. “I’m the one who failed to protect you.”

“W-what?”

“When we got separated the other day. I…might be the most magically gifted mare alive right now.” She frowned, her face twisting up as if recalling unpleasant memories. “And even with all my power I couldn’t save you. When…when I thought you were gone, I realized my feelings for you were deeper than I’d thought, deeper than I’d admitted to myself.”

“Y-you mean-”

“I want to stay with you, no matter what.” She placed a hoof on my chest and nuzzled my cheek. “Pinkie promise.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.” She said quickly, trying to hide a blush.

“I-I…” I stammered, working like mad to muster courage I didn’t feel.

“It’s okay.” She soothed, reaching back to stroke my mane. “You don’t have to tell me anything. Just let me be here with you, okay?”

With a final deep breath and more borrowed courage.

Be Strong!
Be Awesome!

I pushed through the veil of terror surrounding me and spoke. “The truth of the matter is…” I repeated from before, feeling a combination of unease and anticipation drop into my stomach. “…that I’m afraid to love you.” I reached out and took one of her hooves in mine, squeezing gently as I looked into her eyes and saw myself reflected in them.

~Love. A meaningless word driven by momentary passions. What you call love is temporary, no matter how strongly you feel it~

I don’t expect you to understand a concept you clearly don’t comprehend. I thought bitterly, lamenting at hearing his voice again so soon.

~You think I don’t comprehend? I have lived for many of your lifetimes and I’ve experienced love too many times to count. I’m not trying to mock you Starborn, I’m trying to warn you~

I…I don’t get you

~You creatures are driven by your emotions. Emotions that can make one act foolishly and forget their purpose. I won’t allow you to make me a fool again~

“But I love you nonetheless, Pumpkin Cake.” I leaned down to briefly touch the tips of our horns together and smiled at the small spark of light they produced.

“I know.” She whispered, adjusting her position to place a delicate yet lingering kiss on my lips. “Just let us, me, protect you once in a while.”

“Deal.” I said it, and, in a rare moment, meant it.

“Are you ready to go back?” Pumpkin asked.

I thought about protesting but the urge died in my throat. I was always afraid that my friends and allies were walking the knife’s edge with me and that one wrong move either way would end with us parting ways or worse. I knew now that my fears, no matter how unfounded, were mine alone. It occurred to me that I had been severely underestimating what friendship meant if I thought our bonds so frail. And though fear had driven me to run, I would return now with courage.

“I’m ready.” I affirmed, one hoof in hers as we vanished in a sparkle of magic and reappeared beside the waning fire by the Sparkle-Cola sign. Pumpkin wobbled and fell to her knees, her hoof releasing mine and going to her head.

“I’m fine.” She said through clenched teeth before I could fuss. “Those were long teleports.”

Most of the others had gone to bed, sans the few I expected to still be awake.

“What happened?” Sunny asked calmly, though I guessed she knew more than she let on.

“I…I uh…” I couldn’t really put it into proper words. Panic, dread, fear, all applied and yet it felt deeper, more personal, and powerful enough to shove me aside and let raw instinct take over. In opposition to the frown I was wearing, Pumpkin sat down with an exaggerated, doe eyed, goofy looking smile on her face. She excitedly scooted towards me until our bodies touched and cooed in delight as she got comfortable and settled in for a while.

“Ah.” Sunny said, the knowing smile she tried to hide told me she understood.

“You told her?” Aurora asked, her voice growing with…disbelief?

“He did.” Pumpkin answered for me, thankfully ditching her over-the-top mannerisms from her silent confession.

“Shit!” Aurora hissed. She slung her backpack off her back and began digging through it.

“What uh…what’s this?” I said, looking between the two curiously.

“Pay up princess.” Though she smiled as she spoke, the giggle that followed made Pumpkin sound downright dastardly.

“They made a bet.” Sunny said, a smile of her own on her face.

“Oh?”

“The bet was how long it would take for you to say it.” Aurora grumbled, retrieving a small bag of caps from her backpack and throwing it to Pumpkin.

“I bet it wouldn’t happen until we got back to the Bastion.” Aurora continued, reaching into her backpack again.

“And I bet it would happen on the road.” Pumpkin smiled, slipping the bag of caps somewhere under her coat.

“I guess you really did know.” I said, some annoyance about turning it into a game trickled into my voice as I glared fractionally at Aurora. She flinched as our eyes met and she tried to smile but that little reaction was enough to tell me what she’d done. “What about you Sunny? What did you bet?”

“Well I…uh.” Sunny stopped as another bag of caps that had been thrown from Aurora’s direction landed next to her. “I know you.” She finished, smiling amiably as she took the caps and stashed them in her bags.

A silence hung in the air for a moment too long and I still had what happened to get off my chest. “I…I’m really sorry guys.” I said, feeling a modicum of my earlier shame return.

Aurora finished repacking her backpack, stood, and promptly kicked me in the cannon.

“Ow!”

“How could you just leave us like that? If Pumpkin hadn’t found you, would you have even come back?”

“Aurora I…” I paused, wondering if I should try to downplay what I’d been thinking at the time. “Every path I’ve taken since I left the Stable has been rife with danger. I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt, any of you. I thought that by isolating myself I could keep you all safe, keep the wasteland looking at me and me alone. I thought if I went alone, I could protect you with my absence. Knowing that even at my side you weren’t safe scared me, scared me more than anything. So I ran. Pumpkin helped me see that my strength isn’t always my own and that maybe we share the same fears. I’m still afraid for you but by your side I can try until I have nothing left to give.” I wasn’t sure how much I believed that myself but the smile on Aurora’s face as I said it decided for me, for better or worse.

I looked over at the shadows huddled around the other side of the fire. Judging by their general shapes I could guess their identities. Grim, 87, Noodles, Orchid, Ray and…where was Charlotte?

I opened my mouth to speak but the words died in my throat as my body tensed. Something in the darkness was coming towards us and fast.

“Sunny, wake the others, something’s co-” I tried to say. From the darkness came Charlotte, dropping from the sky so hard her legs gave and sent her tumbling forward to rest at my hooves.

“Charlotte? Is everything al-”

“Wake up! Everyone wake up! We gotta move! NOW!” Charlotte cried, joining Sunny to jostle the others awake.

“Why?” I felt a familiar dread creep up my spine as my flight instincts fought for control. “What’s out-”

In the distance I heard a rumbling roar split the air like a thunderclap, a very familiar roar.

“Something big is hauling ass this way!” Charlotte answered, pointing a talon in the general direction she’d just come from. “We can’t carry everyone so you gotta move!”

Precious seconds went by as I stared into the darkness, dumbfounded.

“What is that?” Pumpkin asked. She stood up and magically began to gather our belongings, spiriting them to their respective bags.

Sunny seemed to have had the same thought as me, a certain knife balanced on her hoof.

A minute later we’d roused everyone and were as good to go as we could be in the dead of night. Pumpkin used her horn to light the way and we found the road we’d been using the day before. Grim hovered above us with Aurora held protectively in his claws, Ray was doing the same with Orchid as was Charlotte with 87.

A second roar thundered through the air, sounding closer than the last.

“Time to go!” I called, motioning to Pumpkin to lead the way as she, myself, Sunny and Noodles turned our backs on the smoldering fire and galloped into the darkness towards Boulder.

After about ten minutes of galloping a third roar sounded, even closer than the one before it, the amalgamated components now distinct enough to identify individually.

It was going to catch us. There was no way around it. And unlike the personification of the wasteland I’d created in my head…Belua was after me and only me.

~So, it has come at last.~

You were expecting this? What is Belua to you?

~An experiment. Early into my imprisonment I attempted to make a host from one of the swamp’s predators. It resisted, its mind lacking the higher functions I required. In the end I gave up on beasts and decided patience, not force of will, would bring me my fated vessel. However, make no mistake, that creature is in possession of some of my magic and that same magic in you draws it to you like a moth to flame. It will not stop until one of you lie dead. Destroy this creature Starborn and take what is rightfully yours~

I don’t want power.

~Wouldn’t more power make it easier to protect the ones you love? You say you don’t want it but who are you trying to convince? It certainly isn’t me. Is it you?~

Another ten minutes passed and if I looked behind me, I could see Belua gaining on us in the faint light of early dawn and ahead Boulder was nowhere in sight.

“What are we gonna do!? What are we gonna do!?” Pumpkin cried, breathing hard. She dared a look over her shoulder and her pace quickened.

“Teleport me.” I said, catching up to her.

“What?”

“Teleport me, in front of it.” I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this but I had no other choice. It only wanted me.

“You can’t kill it alone!” Sunny added, unnecessarily.

“I know! Don’t stop running!”

“Dad no!” Aurora called from above, squirming in Grim’s grasp.

“I’m sorry Aurora!” I couldn’t bear to look her in the eye so I skidded to a halt as the rest of the group passed me by. Pumpkin did as I did and for a painful few seconds I wondered if I would ever see them again. I leaned down and touched her forehead with mine, crossing our horns.

“I-I don’t…” She paused, affixing me with a serious look despite the glistening in her eyes. “Come back.” She said, her voice choked with emotion.

I nodded; my voice suddenly gone. I drew Starfall from my back and watched as the blade awoke with its true brilliance. I turned to face Belua and opened my heart for what had yet to come. With a burst of magic Pumpkin teleported me in Belua’s path. It snarled viciously as it spotted me and I kicked into a gallop, rushing to meet it. Pumpkin had given me about a fifty-meter run-up which gave me enough time to do what had to be done.

Erebus, if I’m going to kill Belua, I could use…I need your help.

~I know and I’m so glad you asked. You shall have it~

I felt his power rush into me. Familiar pink smoke began to pour from the corners of my eyes and my magical grip on Starfall tightened. My mane and tail became wreathed in a cloak of pink magic and even the white aura around the handle of Starfall began to ripple as ribbons of pink flowed through it like rain drops on glass.

Belua let out a roar that I felt more than heard and with a painful tearing of skin, two bat wings made of my blood and held together with magic exploded out of my sides. I forced through the pain and continued my charge. Just before we clashed, I raised Starfall over my head and swung it with all my, and borrowed, strength. The wave of energy crackled with palefire and exploded against Belua’s tough hide. The beast staggered but did not slow and I had just enough time to raise a shield as one of its paws swatted at me with bone breaking force. Enhanced with Erebus’ magic, my shield stayed intact. Instead, the attack lifted me into the air and sent me crashing into a large boulder. I barely had time to stand before Belua’s bulk was above me and it crashed down on my shield, this time with enough force to pulverize the boulder. I dropped my shield and jabbed Starfall upwards, hoping to find it a home in Belua’s neck. However, Belua was smarter than I’d remembered and it twisted last second so the blade missed its neck and glanced off the horns of the goat head instead. Belua growled low in its throat and the snake that was its tail lashed out and clamped its mouth down on Starfall. It tried to rip the blade from my grasp and if I had been just me it would have succeeded. Instead I pushed forward, using Erebus’ magic to amplify my strength. The sharp edges of the blade cut into the corners of the snake’s mouth but it withdrew before I could do anything more. Moving with a speed that defied its bulk, Belua raked its large claws across the surface of a shield I hastily conjured. I was unprepared for the follow up as Belua pivoted and used its goat head to smash into my shield over and over. It flickered under the assault and I found myself being pushed downward into a crater that grew with every impact.

~No no you’re still thinking like a unicorn~ Erebus chided. ~You are more than that Starborn, much more. Tap into the well of power that sleeps in you, use it, and learn what you are capable of~

As the next attack was coming, I dropped the shield and watched as the goat, still expecting to meet resistance, missed me completely and head-butted the ground with an earth-shaking impact. Using my new wings, I propelled myself into the air and willed more fire into Starfall. Once I was satisfied, I threw the blade to the ground where it erupted into an intense circle of burning white flames.

Belua roared in agony as it leapt free from the circle. Dark, acrid smoke trailed up from its body, its flesh cracked and blackened in some places. I called Starfall back to me and threw it again, magically guided this time. The blur of its spinning blade whistled through the air as the blade connected and severed the snake from the rest of Belua’s body.

~Now drop~

I did so. The following command was more felt than said. With a wet splash the blood that had been my wings lost their shape and spilled to the dirt. With a flick of my horn the blood rose from the dirt and coalesced into a single sphere. With another flick, the sphere separated into twelve rods which were then shaped into blades. With a third and final flick, the blades shot forward as if propelled by rockets to impale themselves in Belua. With another unheard command and unspoken spell, the blood blades dotted along Belua’s side began to hiss and bubble before they were superheated into small, yet powerful, explosions. Blood oozed from the many small craters left behind but to my amazement Belua was still standing, and, willing to fight.

I remembered too late the warning that Belua was in possession of some of Erebus’ magic as its eyes began to glow and it roared to the heavens. A slight pink and black energy tinged the air around us and before I could move or think of a counter, invisible force began to shove me towards the ground as Belua’s spell magnified the gravity around me. Starfall became too heavy and was yanked from my grasp. The new weight of the necklace and collar around my neck pulled my head towards the ground. My hind legs trembled with exertion as they struggled to stay upright against my now very heavy saddlebags. Sharp pain splintered in my cannon bone as the growing pressure threatened to break my legs. The chain of Winter’s necklace snapped and disappeared into the dust at my hooves while the hard edges of my collar began to bite into my flesh. The thought of sudden decapitation became very real as drops of blood rolled down my neck and hit the dirt with the impact of stones. I didn’t need magic to call Starfall to me and as soon as I got a loose hold on it, I plunged it into the ground. From the center of the blade came the shimmering white field of energy that had saved my life in project outlast. Belua’s spell was still casting but inside the effects of Starfall gravity had become normal again. I felt my wings reform from the gashes they had initially torn free from and I shot into the air and out of the range of Belua’s spell. I wasn’t used to flying, not by a long shot, but my wings seemed to respond with a mind of their own, or more accurately, mine. I gained a bit more altitude before I tucked into a dive and, still holding Starfall close to me, aimed its point to where I imagined Belua’s heart to be. With my new wings and augmented power, my speed had never been higher. Unfortunately, Belua possessed a similar, if not identical, power. As I arrowed in for the kill, Belua lurched to one side and instead of taking Starfall to the hilt in its chest, the tip of the blade drove through what little neck the goat head had. Using my wings and leftover momentum, I tried to swing my body around using Starfall as my anchor to drag it the rest of the way around its neck to liberate it from Belua’s shoulder. I didn’t have enough force or skill to pull of the unfamiliar maneuver but I did succeed in severing what stood in for its spine, leaving the head to flop forward and dangle from what little flesh and skin remained. Belua was quick to react, moving towards me instead of away like I had predicted. I tried to compensate for the unexpected response but came up short as one of Belua’s claws tore open one of my saddlebags, sliced through my armor, and cut a two-inch gash through my right cutie mark. The power behind the attack was enough to knock me to the ground which left me equally unprepared as Belua’s teeth clamped down on my left foreleg. Once it had a grip, Belua raised its head and began thrashing back and forth, trying to rip it from my body. Starfall was flung from my grasp and I lost sight of it as it reverted to normal and vanished into the sea of dust and dirt our battle had kicked up.

Remembering my other weapons too late, as I tried and failed to summon Retribution from the pile of my scattered belongings, I could do little more than scream as the pressure on my leg mounted as it was ultimately severed from my body. I tumbled through the air and was barely able to correct myself with my wings, making it so I took the brunt of the fall to my back instead of my neck. When I opened my eyes, Belua was already in the air, claws aimed for me and teeth bared for the kill. I threw myself into a sideways roll and just got clear as Belua hit the ground where I was with a ground shaking impact. I mentally called to Starfall and clumsily got to my hooves; mouth open to receive it. As it streaked through the air towards me, it passed Belua who recognized it as a threat and seized the blade between its teeth. Belua’s eyes started to glow again but, taking a cue from the beast itself, I advanced on Belua. Using the magic I had left, I shoved Starfall deeper into its great jaws and up through its soft palette. A keening wail split the air as Belua tried to pull itself off my blade to no avail. I commanded the weapon back to its full radiance and watched as the blade grew to displace bone and cartilage. The brilliant tip of Starfall could barely be seen poking out from in between Belua’s eyes and with a final pull, I brought the blade forward through the rest of Belua’s face. Belua fell forward in its death throes and crashed to the dry dirt which greedily absorbed its blood. I stood there a moment, taking in the entirety of what had happened. I felt the slow but gradual fading of my borrowed power, unlike last time, and wondered just how uniquely attuned to Erebus’ power I was, or was becoming. Once it was gone, the magic maintaining my wings went with it and familiar pain ripped through my stomach. I couldn’t even make another step before I fell to my knee and puked, bathing the dirt below me with more of my blood than it deserved.

Exhaustion set in quickly after that as I sluggishly moved to gather my fallen equipment. A stinging ache reminded me of the two tears in my sides. I found what medical supplies survived the fight and at least managed to bandage my sides and close the wound on my flank. The rest was beyond saving, broken or otherwise compromised by being cut open and stepped on. On a positive, and extremely lucky, note all my very important stuff was in the other saddlebag. Thankfully all I lost, sans my leg and Winter’s necklace, were said medical supplies and what caps I couldn’t be bothered to search the loose dirt for. Nothing that couldn’t be replaced.

Erebus remained oddly quiet as I recovered my twice severed leg and began taking anything I thought might be useful from Belua’s carcass. Despite my relative status as a fairly competent warrior, the act of skinning and butchering Belua made me sick to my stomach. The loss of my leg didn’t help to speed matters along either. After about an hour’s work, just after the sun had cleared the horizon and was safely behind the cloud cover, I had finished. Amongst my gathered parts were: One fang, all its claws, two goat horns, its pelt, some of its meat, (for sale or barter) and what appeared to be a hoof sized length of purplish pink crystal I found in its stomach. When I held it, I thought I saw the same storm clouds that I’d seen in Erebus’ orb. An unspoken familiarity with whatever the crystal was bade me to stow it in my bags immediately and I tried to put it out of my mind. Thankful for an excuse, I began to dig through the dirt. Looking for Winter’s necklace. I spent more time looking for her pendant than I did butchering Belua but, in the end, I was rewarded. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost it. I held it tight against my chest a moment and suddenly felt wrong. I had told Pumpkin about Winter and Azura but nothing more than that. Was it wrong of me to value a memento and even wear it while I courted another? What Winter and I had…was gone and maybe it was selfish of me to keep those memories to myself but it didn’t feel right to share them. I hadn’t wanted to tell my new mare how I’d failed the ones who came before but she’d forced it out of me, or rather the situation had. Did I even deserve another chance? I’d watched them die and even by their side I could do nothing to prevent what happened. Maybe that was why I wore it, it was the only way to carry on my memory of her, Azura too. Maybe that was why I’ve survived this long even though I’d chosen not to more than once. To keep their memories as long as I could and, in a way, keep them alive. It was all I could do for them now.

Satisfied and slightly liberated, I stowed the pendant with my other treasures and packed up all my stuff as best I could. In the end I’d managed a makeshift travois out of Belua’s pelt, found the road again, and began what was sure to be a long journey. It was odd to think but I actually hobbled along faster than I’d expected. I guess I did have some experience getting around like this. Managing a small smile to myself, I adjusted what I had balanced on my back and continued on. I followed the road for a bit and was already missing my PipBuck since without it I lost my maps and the built-in auto mapping features. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was or if I was still going the right way. I chose to place my faith in what I’d seen on the Sparkle-Cola sign and hoped that at the end of this long road was Boulder.

Two hours had passed, without much incident, and as I was walking a brief shadow flew over me. Glancing upward, I spotted a lone figure flying in the sky above me, its dark silhouette contrasting greatly against the cloud cover. I hoped it was one of mine as it veered my direction and began a steep dive. As it got closer, I started to recognize who it was. Charlotte hadn’t been with us for very long but her loyalty continued to impress me.

“Boss!” She called out as she fluttered in and landed in front of me. She started to fuss over my injuries before noticing the haul I took from Belua. “Boss…” She started again, her voice sounding odd. “Did you kill that thing?”

“Pretty cool, eh?” I said, only now feeling the dried blood around my muzzle. “Didn’t get away clean though.” I finished, trying to move the bits of metal where my leg had been sheared off.

“Holy fuck.” She said, her voice somewhere between disbelief and awe. “You’re something else Boss.”

How right she was.

“Here, let me get some of that.” She said, wasting no time in taking what I’d had balanced on my back, freeing me a bit more.

“Did you make it to Boulder?” I asked, guessing it’d been about five hours since I left them.

“Got as close as I felt was safe. Ray is waiting there and the others went in on hoof.”

“Alright, you lead I’ll follow.” I had hoped to go in with them but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made to go without me. I don’t know exactly how Red Eye knew of me but he did know of me, that much I’d accepted as fact. So what was our play here? We hadn’t ironed out a plan before Belua almost ran us down. Guess I’d just have to wing it and hope I wasn’t recognized. I thought about using my cloak but that didn’t exactly solve my problem and in a big town if I were to be discovered using it in any way that might as well be an admission of guilt.

More time passed and Boulder could now be seen in the distance. Ray was waiting in the shelter of an overturned wagon whose chassis had fused to an unreadable road sign. He spotted us a good way off and flew low to meet us.

“Damn Boss.” Ray greeted, eyeing my haul with a hungry glint in his eyes. I’d been around enough griffins to know that they were carnivores by nature. Even still my stomach did a flip as I imagined the two of them eating the meat I’d brought. “Hey don’t make that face.” Ray said as he beheld my grimace. “Wait, you mean to tell me you haven’t tried meat? Not even once?”

I shook my head. “Not even once.”

“Then why’d you take a chunk of meat off…whatever that was.”

“Chimera.” I supplied and honestly, I couldn’t think of a reason that would satisfy everyone, so I just shrugged.

“It doesn’t hurt, does it?” Ray asked as he noticed the remnants of where my leg had been.

“No.” It had only hurt where the base was grafted to my body so once the leg itself was severed the force pulling on that base stopped and hadn’t hurt since. Physically that is.

“Well, so long as you ain’t hurt.” He said, looking relieved. I found my respect for the siblings rise another notch. Ray too eased my burden by taking some of the parts I’d harvested. By the end of the redistributing, I had my own belongings and leg, with the siblings taking everything else between the two of them. “What uh, what are your plans for this stuff?” Ray asked.

“I want to keep the pelt.” I said, imagining it as a replacement rug for my bedroom in Eclipse. “And the fang. Figured we could sell the rest.” I deliberately forgot to mention the crystal.

“You could say that again, this hunk of meat ought to sell for two hundred caps minimum.”

“Problem. We can’t go into Boulder remember?”

“Right.” Ray said with a frown, as if he’d forgotten.

“What about disguises?” I offered, grabbing the collar of my cloak and pulling it up to cover my face sans the eyes.

“I guess that could work.” Charlotte said, her head tilted and eyes directed skyward as she thought about it.

“So long as we cover our crests it should.” Ray said as he began to search his bags for an appropriate disguise. “The slavers here took us from the monorail and transferred us directly to the wagon you found us in.”

“Good, that should help.” I didn’t know the range of griffin crest colors but they had mentioned before that theirs was uncommon.

“Another problem.” Charlotte said, pointing at me. “No matter the disguise that is going to stand out.” She pointed a talon to the remnants of where my cyberleg had been.

“Could we weld it?” Ray asked. I opened my mouth to answer but Charlotte beat me to it.

“Not unless you got a torch and a tank of acetylene up your ass.” The sarcasm in her voice was impossible to ignore.

“Well, excuse me for having an idea.”

“No.”

“It’ll be alright.” I said, taking a step to put myself between them. “Just cover your crests and we’ll…go from there.”

“Not exactly the most inspiring speech I’ve ever heard.” Ray said, tightening the straps of a helmet he pulled from his bag.

“Let’s hear yours then.” I challenged.

“Uh…no thanks Boss.”

“That’s what I thought.” I gave him a smug look that melted into a real smile. “Now let’s get going, this stuff is starting to smell."

Boulder City was smaller than I’d expected. Then again, the obvious signs of purposeful destruction and the sturdy looking wall looming ahead told me that Boulder had been cannibalizing itself since the Last Day. Oddly enough as we approached, I saw that Boulder had no gates to speak of. Instead, an opening five ponies wide had been cut from the wall to allow travel to and from. Northwest of Boulder, a mile or two in the distance, I spotted a large white sphere sitting atop a stone ziggurat. The Dome, obviously. A tall chain-link fence served as an effective border for the Dome and its irradiated surrounding lands, but that wasn’t why we were here. I wanted to get a good look at Red Eye’s operation here and see if I could learn anything that might be of use to someone. As we strolled through the opening, a stern looking grey female griffin with an anti-materiel rifle called to us from the top of the wall.

“Keep your weapons holstered. This is your only warning; violators will be shot.”

The three of us nodded and as we entered the town proper, the promise of the threat we were just delivered became evident. Thirty meters ahead of us, lying face down in the dirt, were two bodies. One was dressed in dirty rags and the other had been wearing a robe of some kind. Both had been messily bisected by shots to their bellies and left to rot in the path.

“Well, looks like Red Eye is in total control of Boulder now.” Charlotte said, her voice low so that only Ray and I heard. Sparring a quick look around, I noticed a distinct lack of other ponies. There were a few here and there of course but given the number of buildings and stalls I could see, there should have been a lot more, unless they were just inside said buildings. On the opposite side of town from us was the monorail station and as we spotted it, a load of ghoul ponies could be seen being transported as the train exited the station and began its slow climb up the rail and over the mountains. They certainly hadn’t been the missing townsfolk, of Boulder at least, but my heart still went out to the poor souls being shipped to Sparkle-World or worse, Fillydelphia. Surrounding the station, posted on each corner, were two guards, one pony and one griffin to a corner if the two I could see were indicative of the whole. The ponies were armed with battle saddles kitted up with dual light machine guns and the griffins had long rifles but not the anti-materiel rifles I associated with Red Eye’s Talons. With less ponies in the open than I’d hoped, I began to feel exposed, like my disguise would draw more attention than it would hide so we gave the station a wide berth. Where were the others?

Near the center of the main thoroughfare was the local watering hole. Some dingy looking building with a sign so riddled with bullet holes that I couldn’t make out a single letter, the sounds coming from inside the only indication that the place hadn’t been abandoned like the others. Seemed as good a place as any to start, I thought as I took the lead and was first through the doors. Into an absolute shithole. The air inside was heavy with filth and the corresponding mess on the floor was only part of the why. In addition to the spilled drinks and rotting food were several, blackened with age, dried blood splotches and a third body shoved into the far corner with the worst of the filth. There was a door to the right of the bar, partially blocked by a thin cloth curtain, where the sounds we’d heard from outside were coming from. Standing behind the bar was an elderly dark green stallion wearing glasses who studiously watched us approach the bar with a look of contempt.

“If you was hopin’ t’ acquire some ‘merchandise’ today you out of luck slaver.” He paused to spit in our direction with a sneer. “Last batch jus left the station.”

“You misunderstand.” A cool, carefully controlled voice said from beside us. “We’re not interested in slaves. Quite the opposite in fact.” 87 said, his red eyes locked to the elder stallions’. The stallion narrowed his eyes but still stopped to consider what was said. He was formulating a response, his hoof to his chin, when I leaned towards 87 and said.

“How long were you there?”

He turned to me, a genuinely puzzled look on his face. “I’ve been here over an hour.” He said. “I was waiting with Ray at the remains of the wagon.”

“Really?” Ray said, tapping himself on the head as if to force himself to remember.

“Really.” 87 said evenly.

“Huh.” Ray said, shaking his head with disbelief.

“Where are the others?” I asked, hoping he might have an answer.

“How should I know? I’ve been in this settlement as long as you have. Where are your patrons?” 87 directed the question to the green stallion.

The stallion paused to spit again but at least not at us this time. “Mandatory curfew.” He growled. “Slavers here force us inside our homes and decide when or if they let us out. Changes day t’ day.”

“What about all the stalls and stores?” Charlotte asked.

“Bastards confiscated our wares. Now I jus serve ‘em drinks in schange for the very limited freedoms Ah’m allowed in muh own bar. Word t’ the wise, if ya’ll ain’t slavers you might not want t’ be askin’ so many questions. Only folks who come t’ Boulder now are slavers and their merchandise. If yer neither then this ain’t a place fer you and you need t’ go, right now.” He craned his head towards the door to the occupied back room.

It wasn’t a threat but a warning and things were worse here than I’d thought. Red Eye hadn’t just found safe travel over the mountains, with Boulder and the Shipyard under his control, he had effectively caught Baltimare in the middle. Charlotte believed that he was looking for something but what? Where?

“Understood.” I said, ushering the others out the door with me. We had barely made it outside when I heard a mare scream. My mare. Pumpkin! Pushing past the others I looked for the source of the scream to see a cluster of slavers gathered against a portion of the perimeter wall. Galloping as fast as I could, I joined the throng and shoved my way to the front to see Pumpkin, Grim standing beside her protectively, as Sunny had a slaver on the ground with both hooves around his neck. None of the other armed slavers seemed in a hurry to stop her and help their comrade. Even the griffin on top of the wall watched with a small smile, her weapon hanging loose by its strap off one shoulder.

“Should we help?” Someone in the crowd asked with an amused laugh.

“Naw, this is what happens when you slap the flanks of a mare whose mare is tougher than you.” Another said, his eyes wandering over Pumpkin and Sunny appreciatively. “Besides, neither have drawn weapons. They outsmarted us.” They chuckled.

“Don’t you owe him a hundred caps?” The first replied.

“Not for much longer he he.”

It didn’t take Sunny long to finish off the slaver and once he was unconscious or dead the rest seemed to scatter now that the spectacle was over. Leaving us all together again.

“Everyone okay?” I asked quietly, pulling my cloak down off my face. Pumpkin’s eyes lingered on where my leg had been and got on her hooves faster than I’d thought her capable. “I’ll take that as a ye-” I tried to say before Pumpkin seized my head between her hooves, pulled me down, and kissed me hard.

“You came back.” She whispered, followed by another kiss. “We’re fine, what about you?” She seemed to only now take notice of the blood spattered on me and the big swaths of bandages around my midsection. “How bad is it?”

“Not that bad.” I said, glancing at the three places on my armor that had been ripped or cut open. “Except for my leg.”

Pumpkin wrapped me in a hug that I struggled to return but was saved unexpectedly by Sunny as she joined in.

Once they let me go, it took me a second to get the mental train back on the track. Once it was, I noticed that Aurora, Noodles and Orchid weren’t with them. “Where are the others?”

“Noodles has Aurora.” Sunny said, motioning in some vague direction behind her on the other side of the wall.

“And Orchid went home.” Pumpkin said, leaning down to get a look at my injuries.

“Sparks, did you kill Belua?” Sunny asked, her eyes on the bundle of stuff the siblings were carrying.

“Yeah.” I said, levitating Belua’s other fang out of my bag. “Now you’ve got the set.” I smiled. Neither Sunny nor Pumpkin shared in the joke with me when I noticed it wasn’t me they were looking at. They were looking at my horn. Curious, I channeled my magic into a ball of light at the tip of my horn and saw what they had seen. The pale white of my magic was streaked with pink ribbons like it had been during my fight with Belua. Another part of me that was no longer mine alone.

“I didn’t have a choice.” I said. A common enough defense and even though it was true to the letter, I heard how insincere it sounded.

“There’s always a choice.” 87 added rather unhelpfully.

“Sure, like what? Choose to give up and be killed?” I scoffed.

“Yes.” 87 said calmly with complete seriousness. “Perhaps not the most ideal outcome but nevertheless, a choice.”

“Never mind all that, can we get the fuck out of here please?” Grim said, his eyes darting to what slavers were still milling about. “We aren’t safe here.”

“Right.” I had to agree. Once I’d pulled my cloak back up over my face, I started to lead us out the way we came. The griffin on the wall eyed us suspiciously as we passed and I started to sweat, awaiting the bullet in my back or the raising of the alarm but neither came. We’d just about made it to the wagon where we met Ray when Noodles swooped in from above and landed beside us with Aurora on his back. She leapt off as soon as his hooves touched the ground and made her way over to me. I could see the pity in her eyes as she circled me and took in all my injuries.

“I’m fine, Aurora.” I said, catching her by the tail as she tried for another circuit. “Really.”

“Your leg is gone.” She said to no one in particular.

“Not gone, right here.” I said, giving my severed limb a little shake for emphasis. Which was when she noticed the change to my aura.

“Oh dad.” She said and there was no mistaking the sadness in her voice.

“It had to be done.” I said mechanically. “It never would have stopped unless I did what I had to.” My voice began to rise in volume as unexpected anger grew in me. “And I’m getting a little sick and tired of lectures and empty platitudes. I’m not some wretch who needs your pity or your judgement and I certainly don’t need to be reminded that I’m the only one with the guts to do what needs to be done!”

“Easy Sparks.” Grim said, placing a claw on my shoulder. “No one is saying that.”

“Remember what I said before?” Pumpkin said from my other side. “Does it really surprise you that we’re worried about you too?”

I shook off Grim’s claw, whirled on him, and for a second I thought I was going to hit him again but the anger I’d felt had been fleeting and already I regretted opening my mouth for the thousandth time. After what just happened and what I’d done last night I couldn’t even fathom why any of them followed or believed in me. If I thought I didn’t deserve them in my life before, now I knew I didn’t.

“I’m sorry Aurora.” I said. Tears flowed freely from my eyes as I failed another of my loved ones. “I’m sorry.” I repeated, looking at everyone in turn. “I’m sorry for everything.” I fell back on my rump and tried to hide the tears in my eyes with my one leg but failed miserably and ended up smearing my tears into the fur around my eyes and muzzle. All at once everyone surrounded me and tried to console me in a multitude of ways. Pumpkin put her cheek to mine and nuzzled me gently, whispering soothingly as she did. Grim returned his claw to my shoulder and offered me small advice. Aurora went through her bags and came back with a mostly clean handkerchief which she used to dab away the wetness around my eyes. Sunny hid her eyes under the brim of her hat, placed a hoof on my crest and stroked my mane. 87 didn’t speak but the look in his eyes spoke of understanding and respect. A mirror of my own feelings was reflected in Noodles’ eyes for a brief second before he nodded resolutely. Charlotte and Ray said nothing but I could see by the way they positioned themselves that they were protecting us and our position by standing back-to-back with the rest of us in the middle.

It was the perfect reminder, though the weakness in my heart remained, that the strength I’d gathered around myself was greater and able to lift me up when I couldn’t do it on my own.

“Is this a bad time?” A mechanically precise voice asked. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know that Watcher was here and I didn’t really feel like talking to him. I stood up, wiped my face, and opened my eyes to see Watcher’s featureless ‘face’ pointed at Pumpkin’s.

“A spritebot?” She said aloud, staring at it as if she were working out a puzzle. “Operating on remote control. Who are you and why did you appropriate this spritebot?”

“Y-you can call me uh…Watcher yeah.” Watcher said, sounding distracted. “A-are you P-pumpkin Cake?” He sputtered.

“Y-yes.” Pumpkin said with a frown.

“Pumpkin it’s me, S-” Watcher broke off, the robot now floating lazily but noticeably away from her.

“Who? I don’t understand, do you know of me?”

Watcher said nothing for a long moment and, with a burst of static, he terminated the link.

Level Up!

Quest Perk: Guiding Moonlight (Rank one) – Your affinity with Starfall has increased. Attacks with this weapon have a 15% increased crit chance

Next Chapter: Chapter Forty-One: The Long Dark Estimated time remaining: 44 Minutes