The world came rushing back to her, Lexi's screaming voice cut short as her face impacted a cobblestone floor. She teetered before falling back and rolling about feeling dry air hit her lungs as she shivered feeling the power drip off her body. She vaguely took notice of Croce who also fell in the same manner smooshing his face into the cobblestone. But he was up much faster waving his gun about trying to determine the source his pain.

Lexi groaned and teetered back and forth like a turtle turned on its back. The tingle of power still rushed through her. It was like being held by her mother for the first time in years, but something oddly much greater. The power was near overwhelming but dripped away like water in her fur as she sat on the beach. She blinked thinking about the beach. The air felt arid, it was chilly but not cold. The way her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, the way her saliva dried on her lips. They weren't in northern Equestria anymore.

She struggled and got her hooves under her. She looked to Oso who gently nudged Tyrin who nearly looked like he was thrown like a javelin directly face first into the ground. He was so scrunched up and smooshed that she wondered if he was even still alive. A thousand and one questions burned through her head, watching Tyrin's limp form slop over like a stuffed animal filled with meat. She could see his one eye blink calmly, seeing this she directed her attention back to Oso.

"S...so.. this?... this is your... your house?" She blinked and scooted her glasses up on her snout. Actually looking at it, she guessed it was a very old fort made almost entirely out of limestone, very old but very sturdy.

"Kinda... This is the castle... welcome to the Ordos Sanguinius little one." He smiled before pointing up at a door in the distance. "Go find Earl, he will help explain things to you."

Lexi blinked and swallowed slowly. "Ordos Sanguinius?" The name was very familiar. Her research and even her love for history had told her it was a group of griffons so old that it even predated the formation of Equestria, but the order had gone extinct over a thousand years before the war began. Claiming that it was still alive today was ridiculous. But she had another question. "Earl? Is he another Griffon?"

"There are no Griffons in the Sanguine Order...." The voice was calm and to the point, almost seeming emotionless. Lexi turned her attention towards the source, spotting not a Griffon but a pony. Gray fur, a brown mane and tail. An old book floated next to him, held aloft by a soft blue magic. The pony looked to be in his late 30s and she could not tell if he was not in the mood to be amused or if he simply always looked like that.

"Um... what?" Lexi swallowed stepping up but the one known as Earl ignored her stepping past her in a slow and steady trot.

His stride was calm and carefree, his every motion seemed oddly fluid and by the time he got near Oso, blue magic scooped up Tyrin and deposited him head first into a small garbage can. "Well?... did you get everything?" He looked up into Oso's eyes, Oso nodded and Earl gestured to the floor, and just like that Lexi got a few questions answered.

Oso's wings opened and two little Pegasi fillies fell to the ground from under his wings. Instantly the little winged ponies scampered under Oso whimpering and crying. But Oso stepped back and scooted them forward. Earl looked over them sternly but gave a soft and honest smile. It felt oddly special seeing emotion from the pony.

"This way little ones. I'll get you into bed. You come too." He gestured to Lexi who flinched. Panicking for a moment she simply lowered her head and followed the older pony. She didn't want to leave Oso's presence but if he trusted this pony then she would too.

Earl calmly lead them through various corridors until he stopped at a large wooden door, before he even touched it, it opened to a young Pegasus mare who happily greeted the two young and nervous fillies ushering them into the room. Looking in Lexicon felt a surge of something odd. It was a mix of sorrow, and hope. It felt like a piece of old Equestria washing over her. It was an orphan edge, it had to be. Bunk beds lined the walls and healthy but nervous fillies and colts all stared from their beds. Each and every pony within was healthy, young, and Pegasi.

"Get them to bed, we will show them everything in the morning..." Earl gave firm direction and the young mare nodded happily before nervously looking at Lexicon and closing the door. "This way!"

Magic tugged on Lexi's ear promoting her to follow with a yelp. She almost asked to stop and wait for Croce, she was a bit worried about where he was. But she settled for being pulled along by Earl. Guided firmly the pony didn't stop until they entered a room with tables. There was an awful amount of shuffling about before Lexi was left blinking down at a cup of tea having been seated at a table, she looked up from her tea at Earl who gently floated a cup of sugar cubes towards her.

Earl popped the small wire frame glasses from his snout and his magic rubbed them clean against a heavy cloth before seating them back on his nose. "Ahem!... Welcome... You have the books?" He looked Lexicon dead in the eyes and a little overwhelmed she nodded and opened her bag. But before she could take them out, the books floated out and stacked neatly but not perfectly in front of Earl and one by one they opened in front on him and he flipped through them quickly before finally settling on the final book. "First edition starswirl the bearded’s world’s artifacts and ponies...Not a book on Ponies he met, or even a list compiled by Starswirl himself... But an idea by Starswirl to register and keep track of important and powerful magical ponies, artifacts, or entities and anything inbetween... It even keeps track of old Starswirl's artifacts... Well, some of em. This is what he brought you here for?"

Lexi just stood there, her mouth agape and still not quite sure what to do or say. But Earl's eyebrows raised with a touch of impatience and Lexi nodded but then corrected herself. "N.. no... not all I'm here for. The wolves up there said that they would help you guys, but only if I am involved..."

She licked her lips, the dry air having made her just a little thirsty, it took her a few more seconds before she remembered the tea just under her nose. She scooped it up and happily sipped. Earl just stared with tired eyes. "I see..." Was all his response. She had many things to ask, but she could easily guess that it would be much harder than getting answers out of Oso, Oso seemed to actually want to tell her but couldn't. Earl seemed like he didn't want to talk to anypony, and he wasn't supposed to tell.

"Is... is there anything else?" Lexi sipped her tea and fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair before Earl.

Earl in turn, very slowly blinked. His lips parted and he breathed slowly, his horn lit and a magical aura scooped Lexi's glasses off. She could vaguely see a blurry Earl fiddling with them as he began to speak. "I'll get the exact details from Oso, but I guess for now you're a part of the team. If one of the orphans asks for help, give your help, don't go into any doors with talon marks on them, you and your friend can sleep in the library, if he breaks anything in there I'll kill him... make sure he knows this. Ahem! Don't bother Yin, don't wake me up unless it's important, don't talk or make eye contact with Tyrin while he's sober, if you want to explore anything that's off limits, ask Oso and ONLY Oso. These rules are for your safety not ours." After a few moments Lexi's glasses plopped down on her snout bringing back her vision, and Earl opened the book from her library, his eyes silently coasting back and forth across the lines.

Lexi blinked, staring at the odd unicorn, the way he just sat there and read his book seemed like he legitimately forgot that Lexi was sitting at the table with him. She looked him over and softly cleared her throat. His eyes shot up without his body so much as flinching. There was not so much as a single degree of movement wasted as he looked up from his read. The exactness put Lexi just a touch on edge. "Um... I.. uh.. where do I sleep?"

"In the library... I told you this already." He gave her a soft wave off with his hoof. But she stayed put still not sure what to do.

"Um... Where's the library?" She also wanted to know where Croce was and where the castle was, and where in the castle she was now.

"It doesn't matter, start walking and you'll get where you need to be. Give it a few days and you'll start getting lost." His magic flipped the page and he continued reading, Lexi simply didn't quite know what to do. She raised her hoof again as if ready to ask another question but Earl was nose deep in the book. Her hoof dropped and she slowly sat back, sipping the rest of her tea.

It was an odd few seconds before she decided to try and find Croce, what was even more odd was that she simply started walking. She had no idea where she was going but she just started down a hall that felt right and she just kept on going. She would have rather been following Earl, or Oso, more Oso than Earl. But she continued on her path and happily trudged along. At least until she found herself in the room they had all arrived in. The walls looked to be made of trees, but the cobblestone circle was still there. Tyrin was gone, Croce looked to be asleep on the ground and Oso was standing and talking calmly with what looked like a green and brown Griffon. But a chill shot through her when she blinked and Oso was standing alone next to a sleeping Croce.

Oso turned to Lexi with his usual soft smile. "Oh... Earl done explaining everything?" Lexi looked to Oso and back to the spot where there was another Griffon. Her gaze shot back and forth until the heavy snap of Oso's talons in front of her eyes brought her back. "Calm down, that was just Yin. He doesn't like being bothered or watched by people he doesn't know."

A few things started falling into place. Nothing she was willing to wager her life on, but she was fairly confident that she was starting to figure a few things out. "He's the one who's doing all the magic around here, isn't he?"

Oso's feathers puffed up and he looked like he was going to shrug when a soft old sounding laugh came from all directions. "She's clever, I figured she would be special."

Lexi's eyes narrowed and she fussed a bit trying to locate the source of the voice. "You're using perception magic. The entrance to this place made to look dangerous and or unimportant so no one can find it unless they are specifically looking for it. Then the halls here. Earl implied that I can't get lost, does that mean that I am being shown all the right ways, or are all the 'wrong' ways being hidden? And finally... I can't see you, I couldn't see you back then either." She beamed with happiness having put so much together. Logical Lexi even puffed out her chest, overjoyed at her findings.

Again, the voice came from nowhere but seemed rather happy. "Such a keen mind. I quite enjoy such ponies. But alas, we have things to do. I'll introduce myself later. We have things we need to take care of."

Lexi was about to speak again but a fit of tired and comfort hit her like a wrecking ball. Like the coziest driest, and snuggliest bed on the coldest and wettest night ever. An ease as if she was just given a week off from work, all her worries washed away, even the end of the world seemed so very long ago, even as if it had yet to come. She could practically feel her mother's heartbeat. Needless to say, she didn't even feel her body hit the floor.

The sleep was more than just pleasant, it was amazing. When she opened her eyes she felt so overwhelmingly well rested, her every last bump and scratch gave her no pain. It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she felt incredibly uncomfortable. She was laying atop a pile of books at a painful angle. But to her amazement and relief, she didn't feel an ounce of pain, it was all comfortable until she tried to move.

She put her hooves under her and hoisted herself up. Looking about she noticed that the room was not dark, but plenty dim. She could see light coming from a window, but two steps towards it and she got a surprise.

Croce squawked loudly, popping up from under a pile of books and pushing Lexi over to grab his tail which she appeared to have accidentally stepped on. "FUCKSHITDAMN!!" He growled loudly before he too looked around. Clearly he had not awakened yet, but he hummed with a tired and low concerned tone. "Where the hell are we?"

Lexi shrugged. "I think this is the library. I guess it's where we sleep." She looked about still confused but a book ricocheted off her head.

The book hadn't hurt but it got her attention, turning she spotted Earl holding a hoof to his lips. "SHHHH!" Almost the very moment he shushed her he lay his head back down on his desk and closed his eyes breathing calmly as if he had been woken up and he was going right back to sleep.

Rubbing her head she leaned in and tried to whisper. "Maybe we should find Oso."

Croce grumbled and nodded standing up and following Lexi as she bumbled down a hallway. Oddly, she felt like she knew exactly where she was going, but didn't know that what she was looking for would be there.

Their trip came to a stop when they entered what looked to be a kitchen. "Hello?" Lexi stepped in first and Croce followed closely.

"Oh! Hi!" A cheery voice answered back, it was the young mare from the door the previous night. "Just a sec, we'll set a place for you two as well."

The mare happily bustled about the kitchen and plucked two bowls from a cupboard and placed them at the table before plucking literal fruit from vines growing off the walls and some oatmeal from a pot. She threw it all into the bowl and stepped back with a warm smile. Lexi was overjoyed to see such a simple and friendly offer, Croce just stared at the food suspiciously.

"The fuck is this place?" Croce growled still suspiciously glancing about as he sat at the table with Lexi.

The foals noticeably flinched at his language, but the mare chewed her lip a little and smiled through the discomfort. Clearly the inhabitants of the castle were held to a standard of some sort and cursing was at least a little taboo. "This is the Castle." The mare sat in her chair as the younger Pegasi ate their oatmeal and fruit. "Mr Yin and Earl keep us safe here."

The mare spoke with an odd fondness, almost as if she was just the age where she was growing a little too attached to older ponies, but the way she looked down into her bowl showed that she had been very clearly refused at least once. She looked like she was going to speak again before a little colt spouted happily. "Mr. Earl is a God!"

The mare looked at the little one and chuckled. "No... He's a good guy, but he's not a God." Lexi listened fully while she started into the oatmeal, but Croce seemed to be a little put off.

"Gods don't exist kid... they would have never let the world fall into this kind of hell..." He glared at his oatmeal but redirected his eyes to the mare who giggled looking over at him.

"You just haven't been here long enough sir... We all find comfort in believing what we need to. The world is only as terrible as you let it be." She chuckled. But turned to the little colt again when he spouted off once more.

"Nuh uh! I seen him! He killed a hundred raiders all at once!" The little colt raised his hooves. "Just BOOOM! And they were gone!"

"Colbalt calm down, that was just the castle's defenses. Finish up and go play, that goes for the rest of you too. Go on. I'll meet you all in the courtyard." She gestured and half the fillies and colts scooted their empty bowls forward and the others quickly finished their meal before they all flooded out into the hall. The mare smiled looking at them scamper off before turning back to Lexi and Croce. "We don't really know what the Griffons do, but while their out, Earl and I take care of the little ones."

Lexi nodded raising her eyebrows a little as she tried to word her next question without offense. "An orphanedge?"

The mare smiled and shook her head. "Yes and no." She stood up and flapped her wings gently as she picked up her bowl. Draining the contents she put it in the sink. "All our parents are still alive, at least we think. They just really didn't like the Enclave. I still remember when Oso came to pick me up. My parents and the agents sent to help them get me to safety took me from the big cloud city and took me to the surface. Oso put me in a bag and smuggled me out of Equestria. And I've been here ever since. They've been doing this for a very long time. I was the youngest ten years ago, and I've seen everypony before me leave east. Earl says that the first of the Pegasi they saved built a city or something in the clouds out there."

"Wait..." Lexi's brain was close to overheating. "Smuggled you out of Equestria? We aren't in Equestria?"

"Oh! yes, I don't really know how it works, but they have this sort of long range teleporter that Mr. Yin operates. They use it to get from here to Equestria."

Croce squinted as he scooted closer. "And where is here?"

"Oh we are somewhere north of Griffonstone. Kinda out of the way, it's some sort of old castle that Griffons used a long long time ago." The mare collected the bowls from the table and moved them to the sink.

"The Ordos Sanguinius?" Lexi nearly whispered the name to herself, but the mare seemed to notice.

"Yes... I don't really know about them, and Nopony really talks about them... oh!" She nearly dropped the bowl in her hooves, but fumbling a little she put it in the sink and turned around. "I'm Cherry, I'm Mr. Earl's helper, until next year when I go east like the others. Who are you guys? And what did you have to tell Oso to bring you?"

Croce turned away, going back to suspiciously poking at his oatmeal while Lexi smiled. Cherry's cheerfulness was something Lexi sorely missed. "I'm Lexicon, and this is Croce. Technically he's my bodyguard. We kinda ran into Oso and Tyrin out in Equestria. He brought us up to the far north and we found out that there's some sort of deal that Oso and Tyrin need to make or something. But the wolves up there only want to be a part of it if I'm involved. I don't know why, but it's way better than dodging bullets."

Cherry seemed about to speak when there was nearly an explosion of slurping and gulping. Both Cherry and Lexi looked back to see Croce fiercely scarfing down the oatmeal. "Slow down Croce, you'll choke." Lexi raised a hoof towards him but the bowl didn't even clatter to the ground before he zoomed up into Cherry's face.

Lexi felt a sudden flashback to watching him snap the scribe Scribble's neck prompting a great desire to try and tackle him or otherwise stop him from touching Cherry. But despite his rushing in and Cherry's clear spike of fright, Croce only spoke. Granted he spoke without any real decency, oatmeal still stuck to his beak. "Where did you get these oats?!?"

Cherry stuttered stepping back clearly uncomfortable. "Mr... Mr. Yin gets them for us. He gets us all our food. Is there something wrong?"

"Something wrong?! Hell... I've NEVER tasted food so damned good! Where in the bloody wasteland does this guy get this shit?" Croce looked to the large pot where the oatmeal had been cooked, he looked at it then to Cherry who gestured for him to help himself.

The Griffon practically pounced into the pot eating as much of the oatmeal as possible. It took a moment for Lexi to understand, and watching his legs flail about as he eagerly ate as much as he could made it harder to think. But she was quite used to this kind of food. She had been out in the wasteland just barely a week if she really had to guess. She did spend long periods of time unconscious and or unable to see the sun. The point was that she had eaten food freshly developed from companies and farms, the majority of the food she had since the world ended had been preserved for 170 years. It was very likely that most Ponies and even Griffons had to eat radiation soaked highly preserved foods, eating that for your whole life and then eating actual food for what could be the first time, she didn't blame him for reacting like that.

The conclusion let her chuckle a little before stepping up next to Cherry. "Hey... about Mr. Yin... um... I don't suppose you could answer a few questions..."

Cherry smiled and shook her head. "No... one of his rules is that no pony is allowed to talk about him. He really likes his privacy." She fidgeted for a little bit but looked Lexi in the eyes practically whispering. "He might really need his privacy. At night, sometimes you can hear him crying... But if you went through whatever he did... you probably would too..."

Again, Lexicon desired a little more clarification but Cherry flinched and clamped her lips together as if she noticed she had said too much. Thankfully Croce was able to provide a distraction.

"Gah! Holy balls... that is some good shit..." Oatmeal stuck to his feathers and fur, but he seemed very content. Cherry even chuckled a little.

"You should take a bath. There's hot springs down near the bottom. But stay far away from Tyrin's room. It's down there a ways. If you see him in the hallway, just look the other way and keep walking. Oh, and don't go all the way down. Just look for the springs. The charms should keep you away from the stuff you're not supposed to go to, but just make extra sure..." Cherry actually looked a bit concerned talking about the off limits areas.

"Ok... I guess I really could use a bath. I was looking for Oso though..." Lexi looked about almost expecting him to show up just from mentioning his name.

"Oh, he usually goes down there in the mornings, if he's not down there he will be soon most likely. Just make sure to not go anywhere you're not supposed to." Cherry chewed her lower lip and went back to washing the dishes.

Lexi still felt awkward, almost as if she was bumbling about in somepony else's home. But she really did want a bath, so she started off and Croce followed. She hadn't really mentioned or even thought about it, but Croce did smell a bit foul. She never gave it thought because he was a mercenary who spent his time out in the wasteland his whole life.

She gave a sigh and started off to find the bath. Though, she also took the time to look for things she wasn't suppose to notice. Right away, she caught herself spacing out as she walked. She forcefully paid attention to every little detail she could no matter how boring it felt, no matter what emotions flooded in and made her feel other ways. It did not take her long at all to notice several doors marked with talon scratches in various numbers and even short words in old Ponish, or first century Equestrian. It sparked curiosity in her and she got a little excited but still remembered that she wasn't supposed to go through any doors with scratch marks on them. She was still very happy to take note of such things. The doors looked absolutely ancient and tantalizing, but she knew she would be able to get her fill of mysteries and curiosity sated when she got back to Earl's enormous library. She loved books after all and honestly, despite her current events, she felt downright giddy about a chance to poke through a library she never got to see before.

She buzzed down the hallways trying to take in the castle despite the magic trying to keep her from paying attention. Croce followed her nearly in a daze, either unaware of the magic or not caring to try and figure it out. But it was a short trip, she ended up in a humid hot hallway with a door leading into a wooden room full of boxes an baskets. She bumbled about until she found a few bars of soap. "Ah... Croce... this is far more than I ever hoped!"

She giggled happily knowing that a place like this would likely have been crazy expensive before the world ended. Croce just sighed and put his armor and a few pieces of clothes into a box before grabbing a bar of soap and going through the door. Lexi's ritual was a little more deliberate. First her saddle bags went into the box, then carefully she pulled out each of her bobby pins from her hair letting her ponytail down. She started to fiddle with the pipbuck but after a precious few seconds of thought she left it on.

Taking some soap and a few scrub brushes, she carried everything out in a basket. She was even more in awe as she noticed the only lighting was odd and very bright bioluminescent mushrooms shedding a mild yellowish light throughout the room. The walls, floor, and even the ceiling was a mixture of smooth stones and beautiful vines. The stones and vines mixed on the floor to make a series of large tubs mixed with varying degrees of hot spring water. She could see Croce in the far corner, a part of her wanted to go over there but she knew what he would do and say.

A little sad, Lexi made her way over to a tub and poking a hoof in first, she ended up easing her way in. Submerging herself it was a sensation she sorely missed. Bumbling with the soaps she took the time to see how each tub overflowed into various streams which lead to the furthest side of the room. She grumbled feeling the soapy scrub brush over her back, it was a invigorating feel. Her sore muscles being caressed as days of grime scrubbed away, even the soap felt like a unique and expensive brand from before the war.

She oo'ed and ah'ed at the near massage level of scrubbing and heat. But something felt off, the bath was just a touch too relaxing. And that was when she noticed, her mouth and her hooves were empty, who was scrubbing her back?

She turned about quickly. Something was clearly there but she simply couldn't recognize it. She tried hard, focusing but it was like she was trying to remember a secret password on a bad day. It was just on the very edge of her mind, but she just couldn't get it. She nearly growled. "I know you're there... come on! If you can do all this what could you possibly have to fear from me?"

There was a touch of silence before a voice answered, it was the same older. "I really am impressed. But don't mind me... I'm just trying to figure you out..."

Lexi squinted a little unsure what he meant, she struggled with the idea that he was in the tub with her but nothing was coming up, it simply didn't feel sexual in any conceivable way. And such was even more odd with how crazy her hormones were at the moment.

She stared, trying to focus on the spot where he would be, the magic near forcefully pulled her eyes away, but with a single blink she was looking over a tan and green griffon sitting on the edge of her tub casually, his tail holding the scrub brush. But even then he seemed out of focus, it was still hard to look directly at him. "You... You're not a Griffon are you?"

He grinned, but oddly she didn't quite see it, she just felt it, she felt a small level of interest, happiness and amusement, as if he radiated the feeling rather than showed it with his blurry features. But there was an odd feel to it all, like the calm of an old authority figure, somepony that everypony respected. She didn't even know where to start thinking with something that could control her perception so thoroughly.

"No... I'm not... but I figured it was appropriate to hold the form. So many birds about, I might as well." The tail whipped the scrub brush about giving her snout a little boop.

It made a little more sense now, but her mind went ablaze with what he could possibly be. If he was a shapeshifter then he wouldn't need to hide himself with perception magic, and if he was then it made even less sense. She thought back to the first time she was near him. How the Oso and Tyrin had flown in and Tyrin had flown out, but Yin came on foot. She remembered Changelings, but not only would a changeling not need to block perception or even perhaps be able to, but Changelings could fly, or at least so she read.

Almost as if he took notice to her thoughts his whole form shifted. As if he was a ball of yarn that all at once unraveled into a single impossibly complex string, it reformed into a vaguely pony shape. "Is this better?"

Other than the transformation being utterly fascinating she also found it mildly terrifying. "Y..yes... Just... please let me know before you do something like that again..."

He chuckled again and shrugged. "No promises... I'm not here to amuse ponies. But you, I can see why the wolves were told...." He paused and smiled as he slowly stood up. The blurry look vanished and the figure before her was a indeed a touch terrifying but most certainly not a Changeling.

"I am Yin..." His vaguely pony was constructed entirely of vines, wood, and just a few stones. He was a wooden pony with goat like swirling horns.

Immediately her thoughts went to the timber wolves she learned about in school, but this while similar was very different. He looked to be not several pieces of wood held together with magic but a single plant, a living piece of wood.

"I don't show myself very often... especially to new comers. But you... I guess you're a special case." He lifted a wooden hoof which extended an unnaturally long set near blade looking wooden branches offering the scrub brush to her. She had to be honest, the claws absolutely terrified her. He shrugged and small vine like tendrils whipped the scrub brush out of his grasp and the claws folded in on themselves becoming a hoof again.

"I... um..." She squirmed in her tub sinking lower. He seemed to frown as his eyes focused for a moment.

All at once his image looked like a normal pony. "That... is one reason I don't like talking to normal ponies... The world isn't really all that open minded."

Lexi gnawed her lip before popping out of the water. "OH! I'm sorry... I didn't mean to offend, I'm just not ... not used to it."

He nodded. "I know, no one is." He seemed to stare down into the water before his image turned fuzzy again. "It's not that big of a deal, I just miss the days that no one asked, no one feared..."

"I'm so sorry... I.." She had so many questions but she could feel the mood he seemed to be emitting, like an old sadness. She couldn't even start to guess what who or why he was. Maybe he was a pony who mutated from the radiation and possibly the taint that she heard of.

"Oh... Hey Lexi..."

Lexicon whipped about to see Oso making his way over. She looked back to Yin but he was completely gone, even more than just hidden. She could fully see the room and didn't feel her perception being pulled or stretched. He was simply gone. "Oso? Where?..."

"Oh don't mind Yin, he's just a little oddball. A good guy, but he's very slow to trust and complicated. You'll offend him a few times before you really get what he's about..." Oso slid into the tub next to hers and surprisingly sank in down to his neck.

The thoughts tore around in Lexi's mind as the dozens of Lexis made demands ranging from information on him to solve the enigma of his existence to his exact location so she could try and apologize again. She ended up asking a simple question despite how rude it felt. "Oso... What... what is he?"

Oso opened a single eye, and despite his usual kindness he didn't smile, but he did answer. "I'm not going to tell you. That is for him to explain if ever he does. He has his own secrets, everyone is allowed to have secrets."

Lexi slumped into her tub. She stared at a small bar of soap until a heavy set of talons pat her over the head. She looked up feeling a lot better seeing Oso's smile. "It's ok, you've been through a lot... just calm down and enjoy yourself while you're here."

"Everyone's been through a lot turkey!" Croce grumbled on his way out. "I'm going back to the library... if I can find it."

Oso looked at her then at Croce as he left. "Get finished up here, I'll meet you in the library. We have to get some stuff figured out, and we have to get you some barding."

Lexi blinked. "What? Why?"

"Well, we're likely going right back out, and you're coming with us. And both myself and Croce are likely to not want you to get shot while we're not there to save you." He dipped under the water and picked up the scrub brush left behind by Yin.

Lexi sighed and dipped under the water before popping back up and exiting the tub. She didn't quite know what to think, but that was nothing new. She just hurried over to the wooden room just catching Croce fitting the last of his armor into place and heading out.

She fussed a bit but carefully fit her hair pins in place and started back up the hall towards the library. The feeling within her emanated until she could practically hear it's mere existence, a single lonely confused Lexi deep within, scared of the future, feeling her circumstances pushing her around like she was a helpless child. And just like a helpless child, one thing came to mind as she walked alone up the stairs ignoring the doors and just letting the magic lead her.

"I miss you mom...."

Footnote: No level up.

You are now Accepted by the Ordos Sanguinius.

This fanfiction is based on Fallout Equestria by Kkat, Fallout Equestria Pink Eyes by Mimezinga and Fallout Equestria Project Horizons by Somber; a familiarity with the source material may aid your understanding.

Author - Sanguine Eyes
Chapter editor - Currently N/A
Earl: Concept artist, Proof reader.
Nick Valentine: Artist