Gabby, when she first saw the Storm King’s symbol erupting from the clouds was petrified with fear. She’d heard the stories of course, of the nation conqueror and how he’d taken down Canterlot in one fell swoop. She was in Ponyville when it happened, delivering the mail when suddenly the massive form appeared overhead with these gigantic yeti-like creatures quickly grabbing and shackling whoever they happened to come across.

“Something’s wrong,” Gabby murmured to herself as she saw the storm clouds build up rapidly, far more rapidly than was normal. Not even pegasi could create them this fast. Was it a storm from the Everfree? “Call me paranoid but…”

“I know Gabby,” Dinky Hooves whispered to her friend. The two had rapidly formed a fast friendship over the short time Gabby had moved to Ponyville. Might have been something to do with the fact that Dinky’s mother worked for the postal service -like Gabby- and generally a very cheerful sort. Or might have been the fact that Dinky was fast friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was impossible to tell. Whatever the case, here they were watching a buildup of angry broiling clouds that were soon darkening out the skies. “Mommy hasn’t sent a letter back or anything since…” Dinky sniffled.

It was Dinky’s first time watching the house alone. Why Dinky didn’t want to go to the biggest party in Canterlot was beyond Gabby, but it was her choice she supposed. Maybe Dinky wanted to throw her own private party or something. She was reaching that age after all. Wasn’t Gabby’s business anyhow.

“Hey, maybe everything’s fine,” Gabby told Dinky in a reassuring tone. Like Sparkler, Gabby fancied herself a big sister to the younger unicorn. Not that Dinky minded. “It’s entirely possible your mom is partying so hard she just… forgot.”

In her heart though, Gabby severely doubted it. Ditzy Doo loved her daughter above all else, and Dinky had literally begged to be left in Ponyville to throw her own celebration of sorts. So Ditzy had made her a deal, as long as the two exchanged letters every hour -Sparkler knew the same sort of magic Celestia did to receive and letters from Spike and Ditzy’s latest boyfriend was a unicorn who knew the same- then Dinky would be allowed to stay in Ponyville. So Gabby knew now that Sparkler wasn’t receiving letters of any sort that something absolutely had to be wrong. Combine that with the very unnatural clouds forming overhead and Gabby got that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Lightning flashed and on instinct, Gabby ushered Dinky inside the house.

“You heard from mom?” Sparkler asked and Dinky shook her head. “Me either. Sunburst should have called, or something, I don’t know. Starting to get worried really. What the Tartarus is go-”

Then a low rumble filled the air, like something straight out of the pits themselves. Sparkler and Gabby dashed outside to see this massive black and purple airship lowering itself down to directly above Ponyville. Massive yeti-like creatures leaped from off the bow and began grabbing ponies with their massive meaty arms.

“Run, now!” Sparkle shouted as she used her magic to create a shovel to throw some piles of dirt in the yeti’s face. Next, she fired a blast of pure magic towards another yeti only to her shock and horror for the bolt to simply bounce off. Gabby’s eyes widened as she saw Sparkler shackled and grabbed Dinky by the neck and flew her off towards the Everfree. Right now, she’d take the creatures of the Everfree over these beasts. And hopefully, just hopefully Zecora would have a few potions at the ready to handle these creatures. While most of the ponies in town didn’t trust zebras in the slightest Gabby was willing to chance Zecora. She’d been nothing but friendly to the ponies in the small town and had asked for nothing in return. Besides, if the Elements vouched for her than that should have been enough right?

Gabby flew into the Everfree’s outskirts and skidded to a halt outside Zecora’s hut kicking up a bit of dust and dirt in the process. She threw open the door, panting and sweating as Dinky quickly ran and hid under the nearest table.

“What is this commotion?” Zecora asked. “These angry clouds do not do much for a zebra’s mood!”

“Yetis… Invading… Ponyville... All but us pretty much captured…” Gabby panted out. Zecora’s eyes narrowed.

“So I see. Brave heart young griffon, do not be afraid. Zecora is here to save the day...” the zebra stated before pulling on some gloves as she saw the yeti-creatures tromping through the forest smashing up anything that happened to be in their way. Grabbing some poison joke, she ripped it up out of the ground and tossed it at the creatures. A blue poof of smoke, and one yeti’s knees wobbled before he literally turned yellow and ran off squawking like a chicken.

“You will not harm these little ones! Now it is time for you to stay set on stun!” Zecora shouted, tossing a potion that looked rather… unstable in another yeti’s face. Gabby covered Dinky’s eyes as a shower of blood and gore splattered the area around them.

“I do not know where you beasts came. But you will not set our homes in flame!” Zecora shouted tossing another potion that made vines wrap around a yeti and when he tried to charge forwards he just toppled to the ground in a forwards motion.

“Come on Twilight… where are you…?” Gabby asked herself as she sent another of the yetis sprawling to the ground with a powerful punch.

“I do not know where you are, young Twilight. But wherever you are, I hope you put up a good fight!” Zecora whispered before she let out a scream of pain as one of the yetis hit her with a stun prod. Gabby’s eyes widened in horror as she saw another yeti smash his way inside Zecora’s house and grab Dinky. Gabby let out a screech of rage, the falcon-like griffon launching herself at the yetis before she too was stunned and her whole world went black.

She held out faint hopes that Princess Twilight or anyone would save them but when she was taken to Canterlot, she saw Twilight being paraded through the streets by that pony commander.

Gabby, groaning to herself out in pain slowly awoke to a horrific sight. Canterlot, overrun by these creatures and all around her, ponies in cages. Her eyes widened and then glistened with tears as she saw her friends in one of the cages next to her.

“Scootaloo?” Gabby nearly shrieked, had the fear of the Yeti monsters not silenced her. Lowering her voice to a whisper she turned to the orange pegasus. “What happened?”

“I… I don’t know…” Scootaloo whispered tearfully as Sweetie Belle tried to rip off the bars of the cage in a faint hope of escape. Apple Bloom shook her head at her friend. She’d already tried bucking them open. “One minute, everyone was partying and everything and the next minute this massive airship came out of nowhere and this crazy scary pony with a scar and a chipped horn took out the princesses with these strange green orbs!”

“A-A pony took out the princesses?” Gabby whispered fearfully. “But how…? They’re supposed to protect us!”

“...Well, not like they ever do anything properly…” another one of Scootaloo’s classmates -Archer, if Gabby remembered correctly- muttered before a swift glare from Apple Bloom silenced her. Nearby, Dinky was looking around frantically for her mother, before bursting into tears upon seeing her as a stone statue. Sparkler quickly pulled her adoptive sister into a hug.

“I don’t know, everything happened so fast!” Scootaloo whispered back fearfully. “I heard rumors that Twilight and her friends managed to escape but…”

“But where are they…?” Gabby whispered before her face fell as she saw Twilight, in a cage being led down the streets with the exact same unicorn that Scootaloo had described in the lead. Quickly silencing Songbird Serenade with a glare, the unicorn turned to Twilight.

“Look around you. You failed your friends, you failed your kingdom. How does the all-powerful Princess of Friendship feel now?” the unicorn sneered as her chipped horn sparked with angry magic. Scootaloo quickly hid behind Gabby at the sight. “So much for friendship eh? Where are your ‘friends’?”

“Friendship didn't fail me. I failed friendship…” Twilight whispered just barely holding tears.

“How could you betray your own race like this!” Gabby shrieked at the unicorn, who only sent a powerful blast of lightning towards Gabby that just barely missed her and singed her head feathers.

“They betrayed me first,” the unicorn stated as she leaned in towards Gabby a menacing look in her eyes and a positively evil grin plastered all over her face. “I just simply call of all this … Hmm, I don’t know… Maybe payback?”

But there was something else there Gabby would later note, something… broken. She was never able to put it into words, but there was just something about the mare that Gabby would describe as broken.

Funny that, the griffon thought in hindsight. All that it seemed was Tempest needing a hoof extended to her, and by the very mare she captured and attempted to kill on multiple occasions. There was something about Princess Twilight, she just supposed. Sure, she hated to be called that nowadays, but in her mind, Gabby would always refer to her as the Princess of Friendship.’

After the Storm King was defeated, Twilight would later put Tempest as head of her personal guard. Tempest protested, at least at first saying she wasn’t really worthy to be around ponies after all she’d pulled but Twilight was having none of that. And besides, Twilight stated that if Tempest could oppose her or any of the Princesses in direct combat it would be best to put that to some practical use.

Somewhere along the way, the two did fall for each other. Gabby suspected Twilight being the first to really let Tempest in helped in that regard. In any case, she chuckled at the irony. Once, the Storm King’s airships were used to conquer. Now… one of them helped save the day and finally reclaim Manehatten.

Looking towards Twilight, she saw the alicorn was arguing with another mare, dark blue in fur color and with odd eyes. One a very alarming shade of gold, another a very deep shade of violet. It almost reminded Gabby of the ancient Somnambula god Horus in some aspects. Though she was quite sure Horus wouldn’t have the balls to slap Twilight across the face as this pony had just done.

“Who in the name of Boreas is…?” Gabby trailed off as the heterochromic mare walked off in a huff.

“Lieutenant Gambit of the Shadowbolts. She’s responsible for bringing that airship in. Heard a few rumors about her. Not exactly the kind of mare I’d want to mess around with, really…” Riptalon remarked. The group was back in the Athenaeum, with blood and bodies being cleared away.

“She’d make a fine member of a flight squadron. Goddess only knows that if I was still in the Enclave, I’d want her by my side,” Nimbus remarked and Riptalon stared at him.

“Yeeeeeeeahhh, not sure you’d really want to mention that to her, at least in front of her face…” Riptalon commented as Gambit walked by giving Nimbus a particularly nasty glare. “You’re lucky she didn’t shoot you for that remark really…”

“Let’s not give her ideas, m’kay?” Nimbus returned shuddering at the glare. “Anyways, I’m going to take my leave. By Writer’s Quill…” he muttered as he walked off.

“Hey, where the hell do you think you’re going?” Riptalon barked out.

“Where do you think?” Nimbus replied looking back at him. “To go get a fuckin’ drink! By Writer’s Quill, she only knows I can’t be fagged to do anything else right about now…”

“Yep, everything’s back to normal...” Henri had to laugh after Nimbus had taken his leave. “Nimbus is off going on a bar crawl to get himself all shit-faced drunk, and Xiraia is back on the airwaves. Celestia’s in her SPP tower and all’s right with the world!” she cackled throwing her head back.

She turned to a nearby NCR soldier and motioned for him to follow after Nimbus. Just in case. Twilight was soon to follow figuring she wasn’t needed right now. Or wanted. This was what had happened just a few minutes before between her and Gambit.

“Where’s Winter?” Twilight asked as she searched Tenpony. The remaining Enclave members were being rounded up, but so far it seemed Winter wasn’t amongst them. Or Tornado for that matter. Twilight hardly liked the implications of that. She would much rather this war be over sooner rather than later, and capturing Winter would go a long way towards achieving that goal.

“She escaped sadly,” Life Bloom stated. “You know, you really shouldn’t be up and about with that leg of yours and all. Just sayin’.”

“I’ll rest when I want to rest, right now there’s work that needs to be done,” Twilight told the stallion.

“And that work can be done by everyone else. You…You need time to rest and heal up. Goddess knows we’ve all been running on autopilot practically, yes, but now that Winter’s gone…”

“I suppose… But I’d still like to meet the mare who played a crucial part in driving her off.”

“What, Scootaloo? Really, if anything you should be thanking Cherry and company. They were the ones who damaged Celestia One…”

“No, not them,” Twilight corrected the medic. “I mean the mare with access to the old airship. I’m very curious as to how she got her hands on it. I’m sure there’s some stories to tell with her!”

“Well, I doubt you’ll have her give it up to you,” Life Bloom stated. “If anything, Gambit’s very possessive of her pride and joy…”

“Never said I was going to ask for it. I just want to talk to her, that’s all…” Twilight clarified.

“Oh, is that all?” a mare’s voice asked and Twilight’s head perked up to watch the mare they called Gambit stride over to her. “You’re just curious about the Quetzal?”

“Amongst other things, yes.” Twilight answered before she was led away from the others up to the deck of the Quetzal as it was called. Twilight smiled as she looked up out over the deck, definitely an improvement over the last time she was onboard one of these ships that was for sure.

“Beautiful piece of shipbuilding, amazed this thing is still intact after all these years…” Twilight whispered. “Speaks of its craftsmanship… I have to ask, though why did you name it the…?”

“Quetzal? Yeah, it just… she kind of reminds me of the birds in some ways. Honestly, I’m not even if they are still around, but it just sorta… fits, Y’know?” Gambit answered.

“Well, if it helps I’ve seen such things as Balefire Phoenixes…” Twilight joked lightly. “But yeah, I can understand your position on the matter. I can see why you named it such. Up here, you’re free of any worries or troubles, just like the birds themselves...” she sighed wistfully, remembering back to the days when all was calm and tranquil and she just on those days went for a fly. No worries, or anything of the kind.

Twilight smiled sadly to herself. In another time, in another life, this could have been a better meeting. Maybe… Just maybe had things not gone so sour a ship like this could have been her and… Twilight choked back a tear. No, not best to dwell on things like that right now. She had an image to keep up. “You know… Gambit is it? You sorta remind me of… Well me. Maybe not as screwed up in the head, maybe not as many sins to atone for, but… You remind me of myself. Take that as you will…” she whispered before turning back to Gambit. “Suppose I owe you a few explanations, such as why the head of the Ministry of Arcane Sciences is alive and… well, maybe not quite well but you know what I mean…”

“I figured you survived the same way I did, in one of those fancy Ministry of Awesome stasis pods,” Gambit said with a shrug. “As for why I look like you, well - turns out the one they stuffed me in was meant for you, and through two hundred years it was trying to turn me into you.”

“If only that was the case. I died, when I created the Goddess,” Twilight whispered. “Oh, Celestia… Trixie…” she whispered, and Gambit gave Twilight a moment to collect herself. “After… After Maripony’s destruction and Littlepip giving me Pinkie’s final message…” here Twilight sobbed again, not really caring if she looked like such a wreck anymore. “I found my consciousness… Displaced if you will in the body of some dead Alicorn on Mount Pleasant Island. Over the years, I learned to take control over it, and eventually turn it into an almost carbon copy of my old body. Then Henri and company found me on one of the NCR missions sent over there, and I… directed them to Starlight’s last secret. Trixie’s last secret. Their daughter. Since then, I’ve been wandering around the Wastes, trying to find a purpose and atone for my sins. Celestia knows they don’t need my type of Friendship anymore as I was part of the group that royally screwed over the Wastelands for the next 200 years.”

“Just for the record, I don’t blame you.” Gambit said with a sigh and a shake of her head. “The war wasn’t really one ponies fault, and a lot of ponies died because of it. I lost my wingmare, my best friend, my lov-... that’s not for now.”

“It’s okay. I lost my wife as well,” Twilight whispered. “And I lost Big Mac. And I lost my…” Twilight whispered before her eyes widened in realization. “My parents. Your… Your father. He was mine, wasn’t he?”

“Just now realizing this? To be fair I didn’t know till I woke up in the stable and found a letter left to me, but it’s the past now isn’t it?” Gambit said, with a slight sigh. “So, do you even remember my real name?”

“No… No, I don’t. It was such a long time ago, and dad… He was so ashamed of losing himself, I think he never told me and Shiny about you.”

“Funnily enough, we even have similar names. Eventide Zephyr.” Gambit said with a frown. “Dad… Or, the pony I thought was my Dad, did everything he could to convince me that Night Light wasn’t my father - I had feelings, but nothing concrete, not until he grew a conscience and left me a note on my deathbed.”

“Damn him!” Twilight whispered. “Damn them both!”

“You remember Twinkleshine, right? She was one of your fillyhood friends, yeah - Seems your dad took a liking to her.” Gambit said, chuckling to herself. “Though I suppose he could have picked worse.”

Twilight whirled on her half-sister her horn alight in an angry purple glow. “Don’t talk about Dad like that. He… He loved mom!”

“Yet he slept with one of his daughter’s fillyhood friend’s, had a daughter with her, and then let that daughter not even know who her real father was until she was about to die from that damn pink cloud.” Gambit said with a frown, glaring back at Twilight.

“And… And I’m supposed to accept this?” Twilight hissed out magic crackling in the air like ozone. “That my dad acted like some common whorse!?!”

“All I am saying, is call them as I see them.” Gambit said, chuckling to herself, “Though I guess I owe it to him, considering I would be dead if he didn’t keep it between his legs. It’s the fact we’re half sisters that made your stupid stasis pod work on me, to begin with. Think I wanted this horn? Think I wanted to look like you?”

“I… I…” Twilight stammered out before she felt a slap hit her leaving a stinging red mark on her face.

“Oh I am sorry your highness, but I’d rather be dead right now than standing here facing off with a ghost of my past.” Gambit said with a sneer. “I don’t even know why I came here, Why I didn’t just take my service pistol and put a hole in my head so I didn’t have to see you every time I stared in the mirror.”

“I… I… I’ll take my leave then,” Twilight said with a sniffle before flying off. “But for the record, I’m so very sorry…”

“You sure he can be trusted to go off on an explore alone?” Gabby asked her fellow griffon.

“Well, I don’t know, But from what Riptalon told me, and what we saw it’s just best to err on the side of caution right now. Winter’s a very charismatic pony, I accept that and maybe Nimbus’ feelings got the better of him but for right now I’d want eyes kept on him at all times…” Henri trailed off before heading off down a corridor to the docked Nomad City. Presumably, she had some things to check up on, like the status of Regina’s vote of no confidence.

Gabby shuddered to herself, the last thing they needed right now in the NCR was a regime change. Winter would be deadlier than ever now that Celestia One was offline for the moment. She’d be angry, and Boreas only knew what she would pull next. They needed stability at the moment, and if Regina was voted out...

Gabby was pulled from her musings when she saw a mare walking nearby. She was dressed in a black trench coat over a slightly faded undershirt and tie with a black hat pulled over her head. Gabby could still make out her orange coat and purple tail though, it wasn’t much of a disguise if it was supposed to be one.

Gabby’s eyes widened. No, it couldn’t be… Could it?

“S-Scootaloo?” Gabby croaked out. When the mare didn’t answer, Gabby looked away in shame. Of course, it wasn’t her, why should she have gotten her hopes up?

“I’m sorry, you must’ve…” The mare started to say before she raised her head and adjusted her hat a little to look at Gabby and her eyes went wide. “Gabby? Is that really you?”

“Scootaloo…?” Gabby whispered. Riptalon suddenly had a very awkward look on his face, feeling he was intruding and very quietly took his leave muttering something about how he needed to clean out Lawgiver. “But you’re supposed to be…”

“Dead? In prison? Yeah, I’ve heard that more times than I can count at this point,” Scootaloo sighed. “After the last few days, I almost feel dead though. Celestia knows it's been wild around Manehattan lately.”

“Yeah, well I sorta beat you to it on the dead front I guess…” Gabby chuckled darkly. All the while, some of her veins glowed a sickly green shade.

“Yeah…” Scootaloo said with a sad sigh before she smiled. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t hug you, but it’s good to see you again Gabby. I guess it's nice to see that another one of us made it. Even if...”

“Even if one of us is a walking environmental hazard?” Gabby asked before taking a swig of Aqua Cura. “It’s okay, you can say the word ‘Ghoul’. It’s not like there’s a taboo or anything surrounding it or anything.”

“Yeah, sorry, but really it is good to see you again,” Scootaloo said with a soft smile as she took a seat. She sighed a little as she removed her hat and looked back at Gabby. “How are you doing? I mean, you can just turn on the radio and hear about what I’m doing half the time. How are things going with you?”

“Well, I presume you keep hearing legends of ‘The Gray Ghost’ as they call it over certain broadcasts?” Gabby asked before muttering: “...Dunno who came up with that dumbass nickname…”

“Tell me about it, DJ Pon3… I mean Xiraia, started calling me the Wanderer back before the war started and it stuck,” Scootaloo said with a chuckle. “But yeah, I’ve heard the name a few times.”

“Well congrats, you’re looking straight at her. Spirit of the Wasteland’s vengeance and all that in her mutated, rad-infested glory…” Gabby said doing a mock bow. “So uh… surprise?”

“Well, to me you’ll always just be Gabby the Griffon who wanted a cutie mark,” Scootaloo said with a chuckle. She smiled a little upon seeing Gabby still had her custom marks on her saddlebags, even after all these years “Look on the bright side, you’re not named after an old song about a stallion going from town to town getting with mares.”

“Or named after the Devil herself, as Nimbus apparently found out,” Gabby remarked taking Scootaloo aside. Gabby personally thought Nimbus was drunk off his flank when he mentioned meeting ‘the’ Morningstar herself, but then again he seemed to genuinely believe it so… There was no telling what went through that half-crazy stallion’s mind at times. “Mind you, I think in his case he couldn’t give a damn. I think he’s actually embraced being called the Morningstar by Stormy’s forces.”

“Try having the Enclave see you as a traitor and a monster because of the historical record,” Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. She looked around for a moment before she shrugged a little. “Though Winter doesn’t really care about that for… her own reasons.”

“I know. She’s your… great… Oh, I don’t know how many times granddaughter,” Gabby replied. “Wasn’t hard to figure out. You and her, you’re more alike than I’d care to admit. It’s sorta scary really…”

Gabby decided to keep it to herself that Winter herself had told her, figuring Scootaloo probably wouldn’t believe her really. Plus, Scootaloo she figured was probably suffering from so many other issues she didn’t really need to know she and Winter had… talked.

“Don’t go saying that so loudly,” Scootaloo said with a quick shake of her head. “Winter’s not perfect but right now she’s a case of better the devil you know. If it got out then, well, that might change.”

“You know, before all this… I would have been all too happy to out her as being related to you, then sit back and watch the chaos unfold and maybe take advantage of it. Hell, pretty sure Nimbus would very well do that if he was ever given apt enough reason to do so, or became desperate enough to see the war end. As it stands, I’m half-certain he is desperate enough to do just such a thing. End the threat of Winter’s Enclave in one clean swift stroke if you will,” Gabby replied. “Would leave him one less form of chaos to worry about so he can just worry about dealing with Stormy and finding his brother.”

“I know,” Scootaloo said as she ordered an Opal Cherry. Gabby envied her, always were her favorite drinks when she was alive. Although now that she thought about it, Wild Pegasus Whiskey might have been more fitting for the situation. “But I also know that there’s something about Winter that’s off. The question really is whether or not her intentions are good in the long run. She’s, different that’s all I can say.”

“Yeah, her having good intentions for Equestria…” Gabby muttered. “The dice are still up in the air on that one. You don’t think she knows about… You know?”

Protocol Zeta. Gabby remembered that all too well. Like Scootaloo, she was in Stable-Tec and knew very well the danger of that damned thing.

Scootaloo paused a moment and took a long swig of the bottle of the red liquid. She lowered it again and sighed a little. “She knows. She’s sent ponies to Stables 14, 48, and 117 already to get the keys.”

“Damnit!” Gabby swore flashing back to the old days, back before… all this. Yeah, she could really use that Wild Pegasus right about now.

211 years ago -give or take the odd month- the idea of Zeta was nothing more than just a thought in a few heads. Gabby personally hated the idea. No, she despised it. This was more than just a simple doomsday weapon. It was more like a big middle finger to all of Equestria in general.

“SCOOOOTALLLOOO!” Gabby bellowed as she barged into one of the labs. The shout was so loud it rattled the room, and probably would have done Gilda quite proud. “You want to explain what the FUCK you’re thinking?” she asked slamming her paws down on a nearby table.

“Mind shouting it a little louder? I don’t think they heard you in Seaddle,” Scootaloo said with a slight chuckle before looking at Gabby. “What’s going on?”

Or in other words: “I'm doing a lot of screwed up things right now, please be more specific.”

“Did a bit of digging around in your files, and yes I know there’s probably a law against that somewhere but I don’t really give a flying feather right now okay?” Gabby hissed out her claws just barely retracted. It was all she could do to keep from throttling Scootaloo on the spot. “Protocol Zeta. Explain what the big idea behind that ‘work of genius’ is okay?”

Scootaloo paused a moment as she looked down at her notes and then back at the others she had been working with. “Leave us.”

“Ms. Vice President?” One of the ponies asked in concern upon seeing the look on the mare’s face. A few whispers began to fill the room

“This is between me and my friend, Archer,” Scootaloo told the blue-coated mare silencing everyone with a glare. “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay.”

“Okay,” Archer nodded as she and the others headed out of the lab together.

“So, you want to know about Protocol Zeta and what’s at the core of Mount Hoof?” Scootaloo said as she turned back to look at Gabby sadly. “You’ve seen the files on what that thing is capable then?”

“Quite. So, this is your big middle finger to Equestria then? Blow up the whole planet?” Gabby hissed out.

“I didn’t build Rockhoof’s Thunder,” Scootaloo whispered with a shake of her head. “I didn’t even know what that thing was when they gave it to us for an ‘experimental energy source.’ What you saw was documentation of the experiments that was sent to me by… somepony.”

“So get the fucking thing decommissioned!” Gabby barked out looking very much the image of her older sister. For just a moment, a brief one but just for a moment Scootaloo saw Gilda in Gabby’s place. “Whoever designed that thing should be arrested on the spot and put on trial for crimes against Equestria!”

“I can’t dismantle that thing, it’s turned on,” Scootaloo grunted out with a sigh. At this, Gabby let out a screech of rage and punched a wall denting it. “It’s filled with excess energy and the only way to dissipate it is to fire it. The best we can do is contain it and make sure it isn’t used, by any being.”

“At least get the idiot who thought the damn thing up arrested!” Gabby snapped. “What would your marefriend think if she knew that you were part and party to this… this madness!?!”

“Because whoever it was was high up in the Ministries, they buried this thing so deep I don’t have a lot of options,” Scootaloo said. “I don’t want to have this thing either, and I know Sweetie wouldn’t be happy about it. I’m not happy about it either if I had my way I’d make sure that thing was torn apart. But you also have to realize that if we don’t lock it away in there somepony might use it.”

“And if we out it, there will be outrage in the streets, rioting. Chaos, and that’s the last thing we want right now… especially now of all times…”

Just last week, several Zebra sympathizers had been outed and shuffled off to only Boreas knew where. Needless to say, certain Ministries were up in arms about the whole thing considering several of them were higher-ups.

Scootaloo paused a moment as she looked through her notes for a long moment. “Stable 14 in Mount Reinier is one of the Stables that’s part of the locking system. I can shuffle things around and make it a Griffon Stable and make you the Overhe-”

“No, I don’t want any part of this,” Gabby growled. “This is where I step out,” she snarled ripping the Stable-Tec insignia off her jacket. Giving her old friend one long sad look, she walked out of the room whispering: “Goodbye, Scootaloo.”

“I’m sorry Gabby...” Scootaloo whispered softly as she looked down for a moment. A tear fell down her muzzle as she watched her friend leave.

“And then, about a week later Griffonstone was bombed, you remember?” Gabby asked, an old song playing in the background off the jukebox. “So very… so very few of us got out of there alive. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones. So much for that Crusaders Forever nonsense right?” she laughed bitterly.

“I wanna wake up in a city
That doesn't sleep

“To find I'm queen of the crowd
On top of the heap…”

“I sometimes wonder, if I’d stayed in Stable-Tec, maybe… just maybe I would have avoided it. Maybe I could have survived and lived on as an Overhen or whatever you wanted to call it. Might have taken one of those stables and helped it to keep from repeating the mistakes of the next generation,” Gabby whispered before choking on her laughter. “...Fuck, might have become the Overhen of 101, maybe Red Eye might never have come to power or something.”

“We cut it kind of close on Stable 14,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “But yeah, with everything that’s happened… sometimes it feels like we did more bad than good.”

“Yeah, I suspect when we finally have to meet our makers, we’ll have a lot to answer for. Try not to look so surprised,” Gabby remarked as Scootaloo gave Gabby a look of shock never figuring her for the religious type. “Yeah, I've got a lot to answer for when I meet Him, but I'd like to believe that for all the harm I've caused I've also done some good. I’m trying to make up for my sins every day, just by bringing a little bit of peace and tranquility back to the wastes however I can.”

“I’m trying to do the same,” Scootaloo said as she looked down at her hooves. “I have to live with my mistakes every day of my life. It’s not easy, heck two of my traveling companions are from Stables that I… well I could’ve done better by them.”

“Yes… Perhaps, but we can’t change the past, can we… We just have to learn to live with our mistakes, and if possible, try to atone for them…” Gabby murmured. “Sweetie, she’d probably be proud of you. You know that right? Her and Rainbow, you trying to make up for all of your mistakes.”

“I’d like to think so,” Scootaloo said with a soft smile. “There are times I wish that you know, me and Sweetie could’ve stayed together when the bombs fell. I got stuck above the clouds and she was in Stable 2. We both found somepony else of course, but… sometimes I wonder what might have been.”

“I think we all wonder what might have been had Equestria not gone to hell. Could have, would have, should have. We all should have pitched in better, tried to understand the zebras better… Instead, here we both are, two ghosts from the past trying to drink our troubles away eh?” Gabby remarked.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo replied as she took another drink. “I found another pony you know… she reminds me a lot of Sweetie sometimes. I love her, but sometimes that just makes me miss Sweetie even more when she says or does something that reminds me of her y’know?”

“Yeah, I suppose, but look at it this way okay? I don’t think Sweetie would want you to mourn her forever right? She’d want you to move on, make yourself happy. Live again right?” Gabby asked. “Is there anyone, besides this mare -who I must simply know the name of by the way!- which makes you want to live again? Not just your friends, but any other loved ones.”

“Her name is Cherry Blossom, she’s from Stable 48 actually,” Scootaloo chuckled a little as she nodded. “And to answer your question, probably Serenity. I met her before the war started and, well she’s my descendant but she reminds me a lot of myself back when I was younger. Even has a scooter.”

Gabby smiled softly. “Is she here? Like in Manehatten?” Gabby asked.

“Well, she’s above Manehattan,” Scootaloo said with a nod. “She came on Nomad City. I really should go check in with her actually. There are a few things I need to tell her, and a certain line of teasing I need to ruin.”

“Then do so,” Gabby smiled. “Me, I’ve still got things to do. Boreas only knows now that Nimbus knows a possible location of his brother he’s probably already thinking up something crazy on how to get to him. And I intend to make sure at least he doesn’t get himself killed. The poor stallion needs someone to watch over him at times you know…”

“Yeah, I know,” Scootaloo said and got up as she finished her drink. “It was good seeing you again, really. Maybe we could keep in touch.”

“I’ll try, trust me. Crusaders Forever and all that garbage right?” Gabby smiled as Scootaloo walked off. “Oh, and Scoots? So glad to see you’re still alive.”

As Scootaloo left with a “Likewise.” Gabby raised her glass to those long gone even as the music played.

“I don't have any reasons
I left them all behind
I'm in a Manehatten state of mind…”

Author's Notes:

Okay, first off... Massive thank you to both RuinQueen and her wonderful girlfriend Pwincess Twiwee for their hard work on this chapter. Twiwee for the character of Gambit, and RuinQueen for Scootaloo's lines obviously.

Now, decided to devote this entire month to getting back to work on this story. I want to get at least one more chapter done this month, and then work on other things. Put my other fics -aside from That Long Wandering Road- for the month, you understand. Been neglecting this piece for far too long. Now as always, comments and feedback are extremely welcomed.