Author's Notes:

My editor had a hard week and has been temporarily removed from the project. So after reading through this twice myself, I need your help. Anything that is phrased odd, seems weird, should be re-write, revised, changed, or otherwise is just plain odd: Mark it in the comments and let me know. I need to get this right because I can feel the spark I felt years ago when I wrote but I can't feel it all the way through.
Thank you for the assists guys, don't be afraid to put multiple comments or even out-right tell me I'm wrong. Just please, I have to know if things feel off or need fixing. Since I always suspect things aren't perfect.

The first feelings from the waking world were the waves of misery and nausea still coursing through my veins. I moved a hoof and felt the tug of an IV in my foreleg as an IV of orange colored fluid was being pumped into my left foreleg. The hospital bed creaked and I flinched. I felt tear stains on my cheeks, my senses were coming back to me as I broke out of my mind's prison.

“I forgive you,” I muttered to myself as the tears dried up.

Nyota was next to me, along with Chifundo and Quick Stitch. All three stallions were looking at me with concern as they sipped on pouches of green-orange mixed fluid marked with crude letters, 'Rad-B-Gone'. It felt like something that should be a group of friends meeting for a drink on a hot day instead of an emergency hospital visit.

“You forgive me? What hurt did I decree?” Chifundo blurted out and looked at me like I had shot his dog.

I shook my head, “No I-”

“Sunny, I know you don't like it when I call you that but I didn't realize-” Nyota started to say and I decided to get him back with a little hoof to mouth. Ew! Stallion Slobber is thick! Wait do I slobber on hooves like that?

“No, I was-”

“You do realize I was only trying to-” Quick Stitch began and I quickly realized I'd run out of hooves at this rate.

“No, I was remembering something! Dammit let me SPEAK!” I screamed out at the top of my lungs. “None of you have done anything wro-” the shouted devolved into coughing mid sentence. The anger in my voice hurt, physically throughout my throat and from the expression on their faces, emotionally. I gasped for breath and was relieved when the coughing stopped and there was no blood taste. Well that is a good sign right? Unless I've run out of blood to give.

“Right Sunny, we were just a little concerned was all. You were completely unresponsive there for a bit,” Nyota explained. His hoof moved up to rub against my mane, softly stroking it. I froze up a bit and stared at him, realizing I was starting to tear up. “We just wanted to make sure the radiation hadn't done anything to your mind.”

My Mind!? Radiation can do what we encountered back in the minefield, and the doughnut shop, what could it to do a brain?

“Oh ya know, things we don't wanna discuss tonight Sunrise. You should just focus on your friends.” The way Pink said friends was both creepy and surreal all at once. She felt somewhat vicious about it even.

I shook the tears from my eyes and looked at Quick Stitch and finally Nyota. “Any long term effects? I thought I'd been exposed to quite a lot of radiation, well beyond what would be considered a safe limit.” I felt shiver pass through me as a unicorn magical glow squeezed the Rad-Away bag and forced more of it to pump into my veins.

“Well I am pretty sure we got the Rad-Away into your veins in time.” The mare that had levitated me in here was prancing up, and holding the Rad-Away bag within her magical aura. “You were the only one who needed Rad-Away, everypony else just needed a couple bags of our home-made radiation remover.”

I raised her hoof to stop her from talking further for a bit, “What's your name? We never formerly were introduced. I'm pretty sure my companions didn't shoot you because we were badly outgunned,” The mare looked aghast at me and I slowly lowered the hoof.

“Oh! Sorry about that, I just got so concerned when I saw a filly that looked so close to death from radiation poisoning! I'm Picline!” she smirked as Chifundo started to push everyone away from me.

“Alright, Sunrise is fine, seems to be we are out of this bind.” He declared, starting to nose the other two stallions away. He then turned to Picline with a grateful expression upon his face, “What do we owe for Sunrise's woe?”

“Well it is rare a pretty stallion like you comes along, but we can discuss that in depth. The Rad-B-Gone isn't terribly expensive since we can cook it ourselves, but Sunrise's Radaway may be a bit, costly.” When she said costly, Picline leaned in towards Chifundo and fluttered her eyes at him.

Is she flirting with our strange pink zebra?

“We can cover it, we are not exactly without profit,” Chifundo replied as he was talking to her like he would any merchant.

“Oh I'm sure you can,” the mare purposefully paused and trotted a few steps fluttering her eyes, “After all a handsome stallion like yourself is certainly worthy of keeping healthy.” Picline replied and turns her flank to swish her tail in his direction. She batted her eyes at him again.

He didn't blush, nor look away. The stallion wasn't reacting to the looks at all. “I'm sure you will be reasonable, what do you believe would be feasible?” Chifundo spoke like none of the flirting that any of us were seeing was even happening. Picline rolled her eyes and looked a little wounded.

Is he that oblivious? Really Chifundo? You can sense the moods of spirits but you can't tell when a mare is flirting?

“Oh yes, quite feasible,” Picline moved and brushed up against him, blatantly. This wasn't just flirting it was outright hitting on. All of us saw it and everyone of us looked to see Chifundo's reaction.

The pink striped zebra only took a moment to adjust his weight from the brushing of the mare against his bare flank. “How much do you think, would cover our medical drink?” He negotiated, ignoring the fact Picline was trying the hardest to get his attention.

“Sunrise, you aren't imagining it. Picline is hitting on him and he's clueless!”

I got out of the bed and walked behind Chifundo, I saw that Picline was staring right at his hind quarters. I must confess I even stole a look myself. WHAT THE!? Oh dear, that explains a whole lot that I did not expect! That is why he looks like a stallion but has this really girlish overtone to him!

I stepped in front of him, dragging the line of radaway on the rolling I.V. cart with me, “Chifundo, are you that thick or just plain dense!” I said and startled him quite a bit, he looked at me and raised his eye brow.

“Sunrise what is the matter, this is a delicate barter?” He was quite flustered now and I saw a slight pink blush that matched his stripes.

“She is flirting with you, downright hitting on you! Are you that oblivious?” I giggled at him and looked at Picline with sly a wink.

“Sunrise I am a high doubter, this is a part of normal chatter,” Chifundo replied indignantly, he even put a hoof up as if to stop me from talking. “And what would a filly know, about the ways hearts whoa?”

I grimaced at him and looked past the stallion to Picline. The mare gave the most wounded look I'd ever seen. I darted my eyes to Chifundo's stern expression and back to her, mouthing the word 'Date' to her. The mare nodded cartoonishly back at me several times. I puffed my chest out and stood up on my forelegs tippy hooves. This made my head nearly a full hoof higher in the air.

“Sunrise I know not-” Chifundo stopped talking when I facehoofed hard enough I might have actually given myself a bruise. “As I was saying, you know not what-” I slapped his ass with my tail to get him to shut up and Picline giggled gleefully.

“"I haven't had the hearts and hooves talk yet,” My voice started low and suddenly I was shouting him down. “Chifundo! Spirit Shaman of the Wasteland! I am telling you right now, that mare wants you to ask her out on a date! Take a hint! I haven't even had a proper hooves and hearts talk yet and it's completely obvious to me!” I snorted at him and stared down the pink striped stallion. Every pony else in the room stared at us and then snickered.

His blush turned from just his ruffled cheeks to all the way down to his hooves. Chifundo looked over his shoulder back at the mare that was clearly checking out his hind quarters and tucked his tail down. The zebra awkward trotting around to face her with his chest instead of his rear. “I, well umm... what about, would you like to go on a date tonight?” HA! If you fluster him enough he doesn't rhyme!

Picline jumped up and hugged him so fast I thought she might kill him from the impact. “ABOSLUTELY YES! You are the most handsome fine example of zebra I've seen ever!” She hopped down to all fours. Quick Stitch and Nyota were picking their jaws off the floor at the display. “Not to mention the traveling companions you are with are quite wonderful. You're all stuck here till the rain passes anyway,” she glowed like a beacon now in the medical office while I took a seat next to the bed and let the IV of Rad-Away work to restore me further.

Picline dashed for the door in a full gallop, “I'll see you tonight Chifundo! At 7;30! Use the clock in the market square if ya need one.” She shouted back at us as the doors didn't even have a chance to close by the time her red mane was out of sight. I did notice one thing when she went between those doors however, a PipBuck on her arm and it was on with her name on the screen. Stable Dweller? Maybe, oh dear Goddesses my stomach.

Once Picline left and Chifundo was standing there dumbfounded for quite some time, another pony walked up to us. Earth pony with medical labcoat that was in good shape actually with those three pink butterflies across the chest and another set on each flank. He was much older than the rest of us, even with a salt and pepper mane and a long beard from decades of experience. He dragged his hooves along the floor like he couldn't quite lift them. His face at first was a deep lost depression. Then his eyes drifted up to me and he lit up like a grandpa who just saw his grandchildren for the first time. A smile so warm, it could break the ice on even Corners's heart brightened his features before he spoke.

“Ello there, I'm Doc Hacksaw, father of Doc Bonesaw. I got a letter informing me who your group was from him at Silver Fang Shanty.” He took a long drawn dry breath and smiled a bit more. “So, with your zebra friend here, Chifundo was it?”

“That is the name I hold in this domain.”

Doc Hacksaw snorted at him, “Right the peculiar sort I have to admit but Picline has never been known to go for the normal ones.” He looked right at me and nodded, “I suppose you are the leader of this group. Now considering how happy he made Picline, I'm willing to give ya a discount.” My eyes and face brightened up at that comment. “It'll be 400 caps for all the anti-radiation meds ya consumed.” Then immediately the world came cashing back down around me.

That is a third of the caps we set aside to treat the group with! That is a whole lot more than I thought we'd spend in just a few days. If we kept this up we'd be broke in less than a week and still manage to be maimed, cut, or radioactive in the process.

“Maybe he knows about Hot Cross!” Pink chimed in my head and I rolled my eyes.

I swear you always have some direction to push me in, that if I go that way, it's going to lead to more danger.

“Yes, but remember I'm apart of you. I wouldn't give you thoughts, questions, or directions if you actually did not think about them.” Pink pointed out which silenced any other thought I had or protest I could make up to that figment of my imagination.

Chifundo didn't even protest, he just took out the caps. “How do you make the Rad-B-Gone? Can we get the recipe for ourselves?” Quick Stitch chimed up while Chifundo was counting caps onto the bed I'd been laying on.

Hacksaw chuckled and nodded, “Of course ya can, 25 more caps for that one.” Doc Hacksaw was just like talking to a grandpa as well. He looked at each of us and he would brighten up for a moment. Then as he spoke his weary of the world expression would creep back in till one of us talked again. “And what about you Sunrise? I see a question on your lips and you haven't asked it yet.”

Are you a mind reading Earth Pony?

“Have you seen a brown pegasus with a hot cross bun cutie mark pass through here?” Even as I spoke the question, Hacksaw didn't light up this time. Instead he got a very grave worried look.

“Yes, yes, he was here,” his age was showing as he spoke and his voice was overly concerned. “He was here, badly injured. His wing was nearly torn off completely and he was heavily radiation poisoned. But he was here.” There was a long pause as I started to speak, Hacksaw cut me off, “He disappeared from our medical ward in the night. I don't know what happened to him but pending any further injury, he is quite alive and was here two days ago.”

Well there is hope yet, he was spotted two days ago! That is less time than we've been in the wastes. I may make good on that promise to Nugget yet. I smiled a bit of relief as another shiver hit my veins from the drip of the Rad-Away.

Chifundo blushed a bit and rubbed his head after a few minutes, “I think I should head out, and powder my snout.” The pink zebra sheepishly watched us all while he backed out of the office and left us. Nyota raised an eyebrow over his eye patch and Quick Stitch shrugged. His eyebrow does work! Wait, does that mean the eye is there?

“Think it will go well?” I looked at Nyota after Chifundo was out of sight.

“No idea, but I suspect he will be fine,” Nyota replied and I could swear his patched eye was somehow still looking right at me.

Corners was out of her box. Well that is extremely new! She actually comes out of the box? She had her cutie mark and was looking at it, pressing hoof to it and rubbing her flank. On there was a cutie mark now: A box with several wrenches sticking out of it and metal plating it on. She had gotten her mark.

“You seem awfully proud of that,” I teased with a grin.

“Aren't you proud of yours?” Corners shot back and looked at me like I was stupid.

“I don't even remember how I got mine,” I replied and looked back at the mark of a power armored earth pony exploding from the inside out. All of it plastered on my skin permanently. I don't know how I got you, how many ponies can say that? Almost every pony I know remember precisely how and when they got their mark. I haven't the slightest clue where I got you or where this insane knowledge of explosives comes from.

“Well I feel like I should share where mine comes from,” the voice of Quick Stitch was cracking as he spoke, breaking from some emotional weight we couldn't see.

“You should listen close to this! He's about to open up his heart a bit.” Pink said and was wearing what looked like a reporters trench coat and angler hat. A set of notebooks poking out of her hat as she herself had a notepad and pencil in hoof.

Where do you get that stuff? How do you know? Nevermind, I'm gonna have to learn to just roll with you aren't I?

“SHHHH!!! Details to get!”

Did the figment of my imagination just tell me to shush? Did that just happen? Are you serious right now? Pink since when do you think you have the right to-

“I said be quiet! Right now! I have details to get!” I thought Alguacil or Nyota could be scary, Pink screaming was the most intimidating thing I'd ever experienced. Her head got three times the size and she looked like an absolutly nightmarish monster. The expression closet boogie pony came to mind.

Okay! I see why the zebras are afraid of you!

Quick Stitch during this time had been trying to work up the courage to speak. He bit his lip and looked to me. I pulled the now empty IV out of my arm and approached him, placing a hoof onto his shoulder and then giving him a soft embrace to hold the medical pony against my barding. He was without his MoP armor so this was the closest we had ever been. I held him for a bit and then released with a soft gaze and reassuring smile, “It's okay Quick Stitch, take your time.”

Quick Stitch let a tear roll down his cheek onto my hoof and that was enough as I wiped his tears away. I felt my own heart ache seeing him in pain. “I got my cutie mark when I was with my parents, Scorchmark and Meat Slab. They were, raiders. All my scars are from their torments to get a cutie mark for fire magic.” The olive stallion hesitated and winced like he expected us to strike him or something. I reached up brushed his cheek with a motion to go on.

“I had been tortured by them all my life." I kept a hoof on Quick Stitch's shoulder, something inside me wanted to keep him reassured and I had to keep it there. I wanted to hear this as much as I felt like he needed to get it out. "Then one day, they captured a mare, some earth pony who didn't know better to run.” He looks lost in thought, hurt in his eyes. His lips quivered while he continued to speak. "They sent me in there and locked us in private." He hesitated and I simply reached up and rubbed his cheek. "They wanted me to torture her with fire till I got a cutie mark or she died."

Nyota moved up behind me, I took a moment to look. Hacksaw, old as he was, just sat there with the saddest expression I'd ever seen. Chifundo was still in shock from Picline and this wasn't making his shock any better. "Well, go on Quick Stitch," Nyota didn't sound like he had a lot of patience right now for this. My tail batted him in the face and I gave him an angry glare which stopped anymore comments from him.

Quick Stitch nodded, his face filling with grim determination, like some little piece had changed inside him, "I didn't torture her. I told her if she wanted to live scream." He stood up tall and proud, like he had done something amazing. "I stitched her wounds closed, did my best to heal her, and then shoved her out of a hole in the back of the torture shack. I was so busy working on her I didn't notice my cutie mark had appeared." He paused and looked down at me into my eyes, "I had to create a lie, so I burned a crate into a pile of ash. When I stepped outside, everyone was celebrating that I had my mark."

"They never knew it was for healing, not torture or fire." Quick Stitch stopped and chewed his lip. Nyota approached and placed a hoof over his neck against my own. This made the olive medic pony brighten up just a bit, the tears in his eyes dried just enough. “That night, I snuck out the camp and never looked back. Till I found you, Sunrise.”

I felt the impact on my shoulders like a mountain falling and me expected to carry it. He hasn't dealt with any of the pain. He hasn't even considered the damage it has done to him. He needs to let all this out. Mom would be furious if I let anything close to this build up inside and not release.

“Go on Sunrise, show him what you showed those ponies you rescued.”

I leapt up at Quick Stitch and he flinched expecting a blow that never came. My hooves around his neck as I nuzzled up against his cheek. Nyota pulled in closer and turned this into a tight group embrace. I sighed lovingly into his neck. While Nyota stroked his mane. “I've got you Quick Stitch, I promise,” I whispered into his ear and just held him there as he wept openly into my mane and shoulder.

The radiation sickness was starting to get to me again. I could feel my body's weakness wanting to take over and I refused it. There would be time for rest later, now was the time to make sure my friends were cared for. Even Corners was outside her box and rubbing at our sides. Quick Stitch brought her in close and made our group hug last as long as I could stand.

We stayed there till Quick Stitch stopped crying and we all shared in drying his tears on our fur coats. With a sigh I took to all four hooves and then gathered my equipment. Out of all of us, I still hadn't removed my barding. I looked to Quick Stitch, Corners, and Nyota; there were marks of dirt and grim on their coats in the shape of my armored plating sown into my jumpsuit.

I headed into the second floor where the market was. Many merchants were preparing closing time. There were just several things that needed to be done, so I had to be quick. High quality bits for a pump action shotgun, a stable-suit with a utility belt, and several other random parts I needed as well were put together for upgrading equipment. I took them all in and stopped when I saw a book vendor finishing closing. He still had one book on the counter that caught my eye: 'Equestrian Army Officer's Basic Guide to Decorum, Discipline, and Tactics.' I'll need something to read while the chemicals cook for explosives and armor augmentation.

With all my new found parts, I started to leave when I noticed the tailor was still open. This was one of the stand alone buildings inside the parking garage. The walls were much more uniform and the sign was even made specifically for that shop: 'Cross Stitch Exquisite Designs'.

At that moment, I ran smack into Chifundo. The chair strapped to my saddlebags, everything in my mouth and tail, along with a few pieces from my backpack flew up into the air. I wanted to squeal but only got a rush of air from my lungs. Chifundo's hoof caressed my cheek as he scrambled to help me gather up the bits.

“My apologies Sunrise, you caught me by surprise.” Chifundo replied with a bow towards me.

“It's alright Chifundo, getting ready for your date?” I was genuinely curious but my gaze was not on him. Instead I was scrolling through the inventory on my PipBuck to make sure I had everything.

“I believe I am ready, unless you have a suggestion breaker of day?”

Great, more of that rhyming, I really hope Picline doesn't mind the way he talks. I took Chifundo's visage in and saw he was wearing nothing. Oh no! You're going to do this date right.

“Chifundo, go inside that tailor shop, I'll be back in a second.” I stayed and made sure he went in then trotted off to put away all bits and bobbles I had. There was a workshop with lockers in it and cost me 10 caps to rent a locker to store everything inside there. Then darted back and poked inside the tailor shop.

“Yes little mare what can I help you with?” Inquired a unicorn ghoul as the measured up Chifundo's inner hindleg. The zebra blushed and made me realized it was going around a sensitive area.

Always ghouls? Really? How many old world relics are there that we are going to run into? Oh wait, I am literally an old world relic aren't I?

“Oh Sunrise, you have to learn exactly how much they matter to the world. Now answer his question instead of looking at him like he's lost his mind.” Pink's reply put a shock onto my features while I took in the unicorn and fumbled for words to answer his question.

I giggled, “Oh nothing, should I help pick out stuff for my friend and his date here?”

The shrivel skinned unicorn looked at me and then up to Chifundo, “Is she your date? Isn't she a bit young for a middle aged zebra like you?”

I fell onto my belly and rolled across his floor laughing. The two of them looked at me rather perturbed at my reaction. “Oh, No no no no” was all I could get out. Dear Goddesses please, kill me now if I ever date that rhyme machine! I wasn't sure how long I'd been laughing when I finally got control of myself. I kept giggling and snickering between words, “I needed that, thank you...” I trailed off looking for a name as I waited for the unicorn to reply.

He flicked what was left of his decayed blonde mane aside and straighten out his suit, as though I had flicked dirt on him with my laughter. “I am the great one and only, Cross Stitch! Renowned across...” He trailed off for a brief moment, “Well I suppose after 180 years I am not renowned as I used to be. But yes, Cross Stitch will do.”

I hadn't stopped giggling here or there, “We have a stallion named Quick Stitch, I assume no relation?” And like that, almost on queue, Quick Stitch and Nyota behind us walked in. I looked at him and burst out laughing again. Oh by the Goddesses this is gonna get so very good! After a few moments of the giggle fits, an odd thought struck me. Both of the new arrivals looked at me like I was some cackling mad old granny.

“Chifundo, would you prefer a suit like Cross Stitch or something more like what I'd wear to a date?” I teased through the heckling as my insides began to hurt from how much I needed to let this out.

Cross Stitch looked at me a bit distressed and then reached back to lift Chifundo's tail while he blushed furiously. The zebra stallion squirmed and tried to put his tail back down for modesty. Then the unicorn huffed and used his telekinesis to bring over additional pieces of template fabric, this one for dress forms. “Don't worry, I will measure you for both and fashion something that will be quite stunning. Wait, who is your date?”

“I am going out with Picline, tonight to see how well we will dine,” Chifundo replied with a bashful grin.

“OH! Picline! Well then, I shall have to make sure something special is ready for her to see!” The entire demeanor of the tailor changed. He got brighter like a light had been cut on over his head. He moved with a purpose that could not be doubted this was a very special task.

“I have the very reason of inspiration now!” He declared and scissors began to furiously cut away at fabrics. Two sets of clothes, one a stallion suit and the other a blank dress form. “Go on, step back there and try both of these on then come out and show us!” Chifundo took the suit and dress onto his back and trotted out of sight.

“Is, Chifundo going to be wearing a dress or a suit?” Quick Stitch questioned with a very confused look. Chifundo nearly fell head over hoof getting behind the curtain.

“Apparently if I understood Cross Stitch right, both.” I turned to the olive stallion and giggled. “I also assume no relation?”

Quick Stitch blinked at me and growled a bit, “No, I highly doubt I am related to-”

“To be honest, yes he could be.” Both of us turned to the ghouled unicorn with a dumbfounded expression. He continued to cut along a pattern and was making Chifundo's suit-dress in rapid succession. “I got around before the megaspells went off, I think I must have bedded at least 100 mares back then. I would not be surprised if he was related to me.”

The case of my giggles continued and seemed to have nowhere to stop in sight. “Oh, if you really are related to Quick Stitch, I swear, I'll make him never pay for anything ever again! Alright, Quick Stitch make sure-”

Nyota was standing there, having snuck up to us and put a hoof in my mouth to shut me up. Now with improved brass shoe flavor? He looked at me, then at Quick Stitch, then back to me. “I've gotten our room arranged,” he spoke removing the hoof and that apparently broke my giggle case. “Sunrise, 100 caps says Chifundo looks better in the dress.”

I blinked at the black striped companion a few times and then put my hoof out, “I don't have 100 but 50 caps I can wager on that one.” We shook hooves and sealed our bet then waited for Chifundo's appearance.

Did I just strike a bet that our zebra shaman looks better in the dress? Well no I bet against that. Then again I've been looking at him as a stallion and does that mean Nyota has looked at him as a... mare?

“Oh My GOSH! That is so adorable!” Pink squealed and tossed a bucket of ethereal popcorn around my vision.

Chifundo exited first in the dress form. It was an elegant pearl white with a set of soft red roses arranged from the v-neck collar. Those flowers ran from the zebra's breast to hem at the bottom with his rear hooves. He twirled and pranced with the best mare's I'd seen at a gala. Then Chifundo froze and blushed before retreating behind the curtain. Quick Stitch stared in awe while Nyota nudged my armor plated shoulder, “Also Sunrise, you can get a shower and the inn here does laundry for free with a room.”

I placed a hoof up against my stable-barding under my duster. While the collar and chest were visible, the leather armored cloak kept most of it hidden. I don't wanna take my jumpsuit off. I feel like it's the last thing I got from my parents. Even if Stable-Tec issued them to us all. The thought of removing it is just, chilling.

Chifundo stepped back out in a sharp black suit, he looked handsome. Even I might ask him out if I didn't have to deal with his rhymes. The suit covered and complimented his stripes despite his pink color. There was a tall top hat to finish the ensemble along with a cane in his hoof. I looked at Nyota and almost asked him for the caps then and there.

“Ya know, as much as I would like to put you into the dress, I simply do not have the right fabric or material for it.” Cross took a breath and then smiled, “But my inspiration is to have a very interesting blend between the two.”

I grinned from ear to ear at Nyota, “Ya know if my mother was here, she could work some amazing magic with a bit of makeup and a slight trim of his mane.”

“Make Up! How can you have joke, when I am the one you poke?” Chifundo blurted out which we ignored him. Nyota even chuckled a bit at Chifundo's expense.

“But since Shadow Window isn't here to make him even more fabulous,” I turned to Nyota and extended my hoof. “50 caps.”

Nyota handed me the caps and then walked up to the counter and put Nyota's 50 and my 50 together. “For the suit-dress.” He and Quick Stitch stayed and began to converse back and forth. I made for the door. As much as I wanted to stay to see the final product, there was a lot of work to be done tonight.

“I'll meet you at the inn when I finish working.” I called back through the doorway as my friend's vanished from sight. Outside, every single filly, colt, stallion, and mare carried weapons. They had guns, magical energy pistols, or vicious looking melee weapons.

A crudely drawn sign drew my attention outside the workshop, 'Keep your weapon at all times. An armed Society, is a Polite Society. -Sincerely, Management of The Roof' The Roof? Is that where we are? I checked my PipBuck map and on it, a marker had appeared for this parking garage, 'The Roof'.

How does it do that!? Seriously, like how does it know that needs to be done and where this place is? Never mind, probably something programmed into the spell-matrix so it's hard to get lost. I let out a sigh and walked into the noisy workshop. There were workbenches, tools, even electrical power tools and sanders available. It appeared public so I just started working once I had recovered stuff from the locker.

I set a Bunsen burner to work cooking up the gelatin oil from the doughnut shop. I opened the office manual and started to read while the chemicals cooked and mixed. I wasn't sure if it was books or memory orbs that let me know so much about explosives but here I was making bombs. The stuff gathered would make a molotrot bomb and homemade plastic explosive. Even the sprinkle packages we had would come in handy. They were so stale with a little bit of soldering to harden them, they would make good shrapnel.

Pink was way too happy, giving advice and pointers about each individual concoction in order to make the mix as pure and stable as possible. I took my shotgun apart and looked at all the different bits. I took a new firing pin and fire hardened it first, then put it into the custom sized pump-action. My revolver got a new barrel which using the welding torch and a bearing screw, I lined up the cylinders to be an exact match to the barrel.

I finally took off my Stable-Tec barding, with a lot of reluctance. The feeling of cool air against my skin was unwelcome at best. I used the trashed jumpsuit I'd acquired to perform repairs to cloth fabrics. I added more armor plates while removing the ones that were damaged. I was surprised how easy this came to me and how good the repairs looked. I couldn't even tell that the right foreleg to my barding had been hit with a landmine. Guess dad's shop work paid off.

“Hey you aren't a resident are you?” an unfamiliar mare asked.

I turned to her and shook my head at the baby blue coat and dark brown maned unicorn mare. “Alright then,” she took out a notepad and handed me a slip of paper when she finished writing on it.

'This is a ticket confirms payment of the 25 cap fee for use of the workbenches for non-citizens on this day after Hearths Warming.'

I blinked at the note stunned and then turned my head back to the mare who was wearing some rather heavy plating that had the word 'Police' stitched into it.

“You gonna sign your name to that? So no one thinks I just made it up?” I asked suspiciously and the guard mare took the note back and scribbled down onto it, '-Fancy Cannon'. I looked at the name then at her, she had no weapon, no cannon as it were and this made the hairs on my mane stand up.

“Oh! She doesn't need a gun, she is the gun!” Pink declared with a giggle.

I passed her the caps and shied away. I don't want to find out why they call her a living cannon. When she trotted off and I went to resume my work, only to be interrupted again. Alguacil came in and took the back support of the chair with him.

I didn't mind, I took the chair seat and a blowtorch to flex it down to smaller plates. These replaced the steel plating inside my duster with. Making them lighter and more flexible without losing any of their resistance to damage. Oh stubbornite, how I missed you. So much fun to work with! Lighter than steel, stronger than hardened battle plates. I love this stuff so much! Why did we make chairs out of it?

I must have been working, reading, or experimenting well into the night as I was the last one still in the workshop and I looked around to see Fancy Cannon was still standing there. She was one very persistent guard at least. I looked over at her when I finished putting together the final bomb I could make. “You going to stay here till I'm done?”

“Requirement!” She touted off with a salute of her hoof at me. “I have to stay here till all non-residents are finished. However at midnight I have to charge you an additional 25 cap fee, which is in 10 minutes.” The mare rubbed the back of her head nervously and winced. “I also wanted to make sure you didn't blow up the workshop without somepony here to shield you.”

I blushed and nodded to her, “I'm just about finished, I'll clean up this bench for somepony else to use. Sorry I kept you up.” The mare grinned at me and then gave a flirting wink which made me shiver. Nope! Not touching that one.Pink is that everything?

“You know that Buddy would be proud? He taught you this the first day out of that pool you woke up in. Now look at you? Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.” Pink replied as she bounced back into my view.

Have you just been staying out of the way to not distract me?

“Absolutely! You're playing with things that could explode and make a very bad day! In their most unstable states to boot! I would certainly not want to get in the way of that! Though even I am SUPER DUPER insanely happy that you managed to rediscover the art of the Surprise Super Boom with Sprinkles!” The pink pony's smile was somewhere between too much and killer creepy. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

If I ever understand you Pink, I'll let you know. I wiggled back into my barding and got all my gear placed on. It was lighter now with stubbornite instead of steel plates. I felt like I could move easier too!

I had used the last parts to reinforce the Ministry of Peace cloak and weave clips on it to the inside of the duster. This way it wouldn't inhibit my movement or cover up my stable-barding. This also meant that the bright white color wouldn't be visible from miles away. “Well duh, no sense giving the sniper a bullseye on you Sunrise!”

I arrived into the room and only Nyota was present. I set down on the floor and unrolled my sleeping bag. An exasperated sigh rolled from my lips and I slumped onto my Stable-Tec bedroll against the concrete floor. I lowered my head and took a long examination of the dimly lit room.

There were additional beds, one for all our group. We honestly did not know if Chifundo was coming back here tonight. His date might take a turn we had not expected when we first arrived. None of us knew where Corners had gotten off to, and Alguacil had just taken the chair backing then vanished again. I suspected that Quick Stitch was taking care of some medical business somewhere as well.

That left just the two of us, when something really started bothering me that Nyota had mentioned at breakfast when I had not been paying close attention. “I um, what did you mean by your tribe call you a demon?”

Nyota rolled over the bed, the springs groaning made a shiver crawl up my spine. What is wrong with beds again? Why haven't I slept on one willingly yet? He took a long hard look at my face from his comfortable position. The simple question had caught him off guard and he was searching for some ulterior motive to my question.

He gave me a sad smile of resignation finally when he decided to the answer. "Ah, that is long and boring story Sunrise, but the short version is a bit more interesting." he slid up into a meditative position, The zebra sitting upright with forehooves out to his side and his rear legs crossed. Nyota took a deep long breath before continuing, "Would you like to hear it?" He asked sitting cross legged with his eye closed as he took in a breath to relax.

I sat up in the Stable-Tec sleeping bag and pressed my back to the wall for support. After making sure we could see each other I spoke. "I'd like to hear the full story if that is okay, I like knowing more about my friends.” I chewed the words as he opened his eye and I felt like some sensitive subject that should have stayed buried had been dragged out of the ashes. “And you can always ask questions back." I added hopeful it would let his guard down.

He nodded gently to me, "Well it will take a while and we both need sleep, so I will speed things up a bit." He managed to tweak down the tension one little racket at a time with each word. His words were doing more than offering exposition, they were being spoken in a way that was soothing. "The first of the Starkaterri, my ancestors, used forbidden magics and rituals. They called down the stars, raised the dead, and lay waste to those that opposed their rise to power. The other tribes stood united and through years of war eventually our tribe was brought low. They were scattered to the winds to ensure we could never gain such powers again."

He spoke continuously without taking a break or either of us moving. Then the zebra turned his head took a look out of the window into the rest of The Roof. I could see a few ponies passing by but most had already gone off to bed. "We are the unnamed, the outcast, and shunned. The thirteenth tribe marked for our hubris. We have a unique bond with the dark, death, and all negative emotions."

I tilted my head in a bit of confusion at this, there were so many foreign concepts hitting home and I had to know. "So just because of who your ancestors were and nothing you did, means you get punished?"

"Most care little for the squabbles of the tribes, but yes. Most zebras would find me particularly unsettling, an ill omen or demon come to lay destruction, famine, or even death upon anypony nearby." He let out a chuckle and shook his head as he turned back to me, "When in actuality? We're just zebras with funny stripes."

"That sounds like a horrible thing to be told. So how do you deal with it? Have you been alone before you met us?” I asked getting up onto my hooves and turning to face my friend on the bed.

"Physically yes, spiritually though..." he paused and his gaze took me in. It felt like that look he gave through his eye-patch was piercing into my soul. My skin crawled a bit when his hooves reached to his face. Nyota removed the leather from his eye for just me to see in the dim light. I cut on the PipBuck light to give us a better look at each other.

His milky jade colored eye danced with faint glimmers of starlight. It brought upon me a chill and a sense of wonder I hadn't felt since I woke up. It was like I could see the things Chifundo talked to looking back at me. We recognized each others presence not in a physical sense but the in sense of two sentient creatures seeing each other for the first time. The gaze was alien and beautiful all at once. "I am never alone." Nyota spoke and interrupted my staring.

After a few blinks and I managed to take all this in. My lips were dry when I wanted to ask a question and I held back for a bit, waiting to get the right question. "What is that? I've never seen anything like it. I thought you were like Alguacil and were just more modest about it."

"It's a mark of my tribe's pact in blood.” Nyota gave a grimace as if expected a blow that never came. I understood now why it felt like he could see through the eye-patch. I moved and that eye followed just like his other one. “My tribe gradually goes blind to the physical realm with age. Our sight is replaced with what dances beyond the veil. I cover it to prevent others from being unnerved and to shield myself from the tortured souls that wander freely among the world when we destroyed it long ago." His honesty and openness shocked me for a bit.

I realized now he only acted gruff to keep his distance. In fact, if we just asked, he was an open book. At least to me he was. Furthermore, I could hear it in how he spoke and the fear in his voice. There something about the mix of emotions. “Sunrise! He isn't that old! He is barely older than you are!” Pink was right, Nyota wasn't some old battered stallion, he was a young buck at his oldest.

I stared into the eye for a while. I expected something to happen. Nothing jumped out at me, just the sense of wonder filled to the brim. There was no fear from it, no sense of dread, just wonder at a truly alien new concept that I wanted desperately to explore. I had to let him know, I fumbled with the words at first and then found exactly what I should say, "I-we... I mean... I can see how others might be unnerved. But...I..umm don't think you should cover it when we are together with just the six of us. I think it's apart of you that is quite beautiful to behold."

"I would were it not for the souls wandering the wastes," he offered his eye-patch to me. I refused and pushed it back to his grip. "I found this in a box not unlike those we received this morning, it blocks my sight of the spirit world and has been a boon to my sanity. If you wish it I will remove it while we travel but I'd rather not share this with the others."

I rubbed a hoof behind my mane and felt a conflict rising up inside me. Nyota was sharing something deeply connected to himself. Far deeper than I suspected he'd ever shared with any pony else. "I suppose if given the choice, I would rather not interact with that world.” Given that so far it has been freaky, made me throw up, and generally felt just wrong! “It is not about what I wish in this case, I thought you were doing it because you were afraid of what others would think."

"A bit of both honestly," he said with a smirk. "And as you've discovered why I prefer to cover my eye, I would like to discover why you prefer sleeping on the ground.” Nyota pointed a hoof at my sleeping bag on the floor. “It seems odd that anyone would forego the comfort of a bed no matter the state of it and even more so when the bed is this clean." He gestured to the mattress he was sitting on and it certainly looked rather clean. They even had sheets on it that were soft and welcoming. I still felt a sense of foreboding towards the bed, from my experiences in the Stable and before. "Could you tell me why?"

My guard was lowered and I shrunk my head towards the ground. I started to recall and then stopped myself, NO! You are not going into a full memory right now! This is your friend opening up to you and freely speaking. Talk back and keep the memories at bay. This memory thing isn't normal ya know?

“Sunrise! Deal with it later, he's waiting for you to reply! So reply already before I kick your flank!” I'll give Pink credit, she knows how to push my buttons.

"Earlier when I was remembering, in the Stable if you were sleeping on a bed was when they would do experimentation to you. If you were going into a stasis pod it meant the release of memory orbs to keep you dreaming and you didn't have to worry about waking up; altered." I pressed a hoof onto the mattress. When a spring groaned, I winced and retreated back. The same kind of wincing I'd done in front of Honey Hearthfire at Silver Fang Shanty. The same kind of wince that had induced the memory earlier that night. "I don't feel safe on a bed." My last words were hallow and felt like some empty broken thing inside me had been exposed.

"Would it be easier if you were held?" Nyota reached out to touch my cheek lightly as he spoke. I looked into his face full of concern and worry not sure if I should back away or press forward. "Sleeping on the hard ground has been taking a toll on you Sunrise and if it helps I will make sure you do not wake up 'altered'."

His words frightened me enough to staggered back. I stumbled and nearly fell over backwards with hooves slipping on my sleeping bag. Alright fine, if he is going to open up and be honest, I should too. Only fair right? Friends should trust each other with sensitive things right? The thoughts raced through me as I tried to piece together my combinations of emotions and my stomach felt like butterflies were prancing through it.

"I don't think it would.” My lips quivered and I could feel the shaking of hooves into the floor. “Not till I understand what they did. I mean, I didn't have a sentient tail when the door was sealed." I felt a weight and a piece of cold steel against my cheek. My tail was offering one of my canteens. One day I'll understand how you always know! I took a sip and my tail resealed the canteen on its own. That would have calmed me if I didn't get feelings from my tail. I could feel it, every nerve ending moving, how it manipulated the bottle and then tucked it away. But I had no direct control over it.

It made my skin crawl to feel my tail doing something but not have direct control over it. I took a breath and continued describing the changes I'd noticed. "And my coat was white. I certainly didn't have some pink pony in my head. And I have no idea where I got all the information about explosives."

Nyota chuckled at me softly and both of his hooves moved to pull me back into a hug. He was forceful to get me close then gentle. My head softly pressed into his chest while he held me. "I do not mean to make light of your past Sunrise,” his slow deliberate breathing calmed my nerves only a little. “But what I can say is that the knowledge you have has saved us all on more than one occasion. Even if it seems strange?” He released me from the hug and let me get back under my own weight but I didn't move. Both of us found my forehooves clinging to him and not wanting to let go.

“You are you, Sunrise. Despite your physical differences between then and now.” Nyota pulled my head back so I had to look up at him. “And honestly? You're the reason I'm still here.” There was some final word to that, like I couldn't be sure if he meant alive or with our companions. It was so strange to have a feeling that friend might be alive because of me. Like having responsibility for a life and for happiness thrust on you but a responsibility you were honored to take.

“I wasn't sure at first that any of you would be someone I called friend, but in you I see a kindred spirit. Someone raised on the ideals of friendship and harmony, and unlike me..." he let out a soft sigh and it was like some sort of signal to release my hold on him. "You still have hope that that way of life may come back."

"Yes but I still got Buddy killed." My thoughts came rushing back about how I was responsible for leading them on our journey for some reason. Every step of the way had either been my suggestion or my fault, "I feel responsible for all of you being here and if Chifundo wants to say because he likes Picline, I would be happy to know he was safe." I looked down at the floor and saw the dirt on my own hooves as something that might one day be blood. "It has only been three months since that way of life was lost to me."

Nyota let out an angry snort and rapped me on the head almost hard enough to bruise, "You didn't get Buddy killed anymore than the rest of us did. He rushed into a situation without help instead of waiting for the rest of us.” His hoof rubbed where he struck me to make sure it wasn't going to hurt for too long. “What happened is regrettable, but you cannot beat yourself up about the actions of others." He gave me another three baps on the head and then pulled me into a hug again. The squeaking of the bed springs made me flinch trying to get away. This time though, Nyota held me tight and refused to let me squirm away.

"Friendship and joy are rare in the wasteland and death is depressingly commonplace." Nyota sensed I hadn't gotten more comfortable and released me. He made sure I was on all four hooves before continuing. I just hoped he couldn't see me shaking with emotional turmoil. "Before I met the rest of you? I spent my days traveling from place to place delivering packages and parcels before finding a bed and perhaps enjoying more... adult pleasures."

I held my hoof to my opposite leg and sheepishly looked away from his gaze. "Yeah except I panicked and ran for cover. Even after all of his fretting and taking the time to make sure I had good protection, I left him high and dry when I should have moved to help him." I stopped myself and then felt the conflict inside of wanting to blame myself or admit that Nyota was right. I couldn't determine what to make of all the other information though. Nyota was quickly turning from a rubix cube to a rubix tetrahedron. “At least I learned the lesson to help even if it means facing gunfire.” My heart felt like it was dropped off a cliff before I could get the next words out, “Even if it cost Buddy everything.”

"And you can say sex around me.” I bap his chest to drive the point home. “Goddesses only know what all memories are in my head from those orbs." My tail had pulled out the book and was prodding me with it.

Finally Nyota gave a smile and then he blushed when I rapped his chest, "Uhh right... sex," he turns to look back out the window, "You should probably take that book, seems like something important."

I took the book under hoof from the tail and growled at it. I'm not quite done talking to Nyota yet so back off. I know I need to finish reading the tactics section but it can wait! For once you are wrong tail! My tail shrunk back at the mental beat down it had just received and it looked like I had wounded it. Yes! My tail gave an emotional expression at me.

"Did you want to get some sleep? Or is something else on your mind?" I prodded while setting the book onto the floor.

"No, I'll keep an eye on you while you sleep tonight," he said while putting his eye patch back in place. "I... I don't know," he returned to looking at me with his normal eye now; but his expression was more thoughtful than examining. "I guess I just..." he started before trailing off and for the first time ever, I saw Nyota's confounded expression. He was tongue tied.

"I'll listen, I haven't got a whole lot better to do at this hour,” I offered while sliding the book out of sight into my sleeping bag. My tail started to protest till my eyes shot it a look that could kill.

"Have you ever wanted something you know you cannot have?" he asked hesitantly.

"I've been a filly till I woke up. I'd say 80% of the time anything I wanted I got told no to. So I would say yes, intimately. Why?" I mused for him to continue.

"Ah, I suppose that's close," he said and reached into his bag at the edge of the bed. He pulled out a small box and then a the picture still in its frame. Nyota offered the picture to me and I took it. "The oasis... my home is gone, and even if we remove the legion from it? The legion will come back..." The picture showed two zebras that looked very similar to him. His parents?

They looked so much like him down to the odd turned and curled stripes. I could clearly recognize the much younger Nyota smiling happily. All while they posed for the picture and held Nyota. His head was cutely nuzzled into his mother's chest for the portrait and the other zebras in the background were clean. The area around them was lush, green, and very much like the idyllic 'wish you were here!' sort of image. I would even call it a postcard for a family that couldn't make it for a visit. Like something straight out of the time before I went into the stable.

I turned up to him and smirked with an idea. "Then we stop the Legion. For good. We find out what these coordinates are, why we ended up in that hole, what Stable 43 did to me, and where my parents are. Then we stop the Legion for good." I spoke with certainty that these were our clear objectives and I had set my mind to it.

Nyota looked at me with a new expression. Like I had grown a second and third head. Then he burst out laughing and reached out for another one armed hug while uncontrollably cackling.

"Sure," he said through his deep chuckles. "We'll just get our ragtag group together and face down an entire army.” He was tearing up through the laughing for lack of taking a breath. "Walk right up to the Caesar and tell him to stop being a meanie because we should be better than our ancestors." He slapped my back with his hoof and had to steady himself from rolling off the bed.

I struggled to get away. All my wiggling to no avail, even when I started bapping the shoulders of the zebra to let me go. "I mean it! Look we're already going all over Equestria to get into what are apparently secret Stables. In the process of rescuing a ponynapped pegasus.” Nyota started to calm his laughter and looked at me trying to take me seriously. “Then I'm gonna ask you all to come with me to Stalliongrad, where Stable 43 is, right next the border where the Zebra-Equestrian War's front line was.”

I paused as I finally got him to realize I wasn't joking. I was dead serious about all of it. “It isn't like we can't go a few more days travel, free Oasis, and face down Caesar!" I gave the most determined my mind is made up look I could. What was I getting myself into?

"Sunny...” he stopped himself when he saw the glare. “Sunrise. It's not that simple, the Caesar, and by extension the rest of the legion? Wants nothing more than the eradication of everyone that isn't legion. Pony? Dead. Griffon? Dead. Anyone that isn't already legion? Dead. They're about as reasonable as a hydra and much more dangerous."

"Nyota, I'm sure by the time we reach them we can do something to change that part of the world. If you are willing to follow me, then I should help you. How can I say no?” I waited to see if he had an answer then continued speaking on my position. “You are all following me right now and I don't know if you will accompany me all the way to Stalliongrad or Stable 43. But if it comes to that we'll cross each bridge when we get to it right?"

I was trembling from head to tail, the thought of going back to Stable 43, the feeling of dread the memories I kept suppressed from that terrible place that slowly reviving. All of it wanted to come flooding back and I pushed it aside with a bite of my lip to force pain to keep me thinking about something else. My eyes closed and I turned my head away from Nyota. My entire body expected a blow that never came. Only soft words.

"I'd much rather find a quiet home and a mare to love, maybe start a new oasis after exacting my revenge on the ponies of the legion that razed my home." He stopped and I could tell he sensed my distress as I opened one eye to look at him, "Are... are you okay Sunrise?"

My defenses crashed down and I laid my head into his chest, even if my back gave an uncomfortable shiver at the sound of bed springs. "The prospect of having to return to Stable 43 scares me, terrifies me even. I'm hoping we can do anything else to locate what happened to my family before I consider we may have to go there.” I hesitated to speak further and then glanced at my stable-barding before looking to my Stable-Tec sleeping bag with the obnoxious 43 across the front.

“I wear the barding because it smells of my father and the sleeping bag has my mom's scent but the place..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. I could feel the memories wanting to come forward but refused to let them. "Right now though, my friends are the closest thing to family I have."

"You'll have friends with you," he spoke with an honesty that rang me free of fears and shakes just to listen to it. His words were not just honey, but the genuine article of care. Care I missed from before the Stables. "You won't have to do it alone. So... don't let it bother you so much, and if you need someone to talk to, I'm always willing to listen."

I leapt at him and hugged his neck tightly, I didn't dare speak above a whisper while I clung to his neck with all my strength, "A part of me feels my parents are dead or something horrible has happened to them. I'm glad I'll at least have friends like you if that is the case, and you remind me, there is still a hope, no matter how slim.”

He reached up and gently stroked the red half of my mane, "Well, one way or another you'll have some closure." He was patting my back to signal me to let go. Apparently tonight is the night of hugs! "And I'm glad that you're not gonna call me dad or something... that would make things awkward."

"Ya know you started off as cold as Alguacil, instead you've been the warmest nicest pony underneath that layer of coldness. Why don't you relax and act that way around the others?" I put my forehooves onto the bed. Part of me wanting to climb up there and relax on the soft sheets. I froze like a leaf in winter the moment the springs creaked under my weight. I couldn't bring myself to get up there or move away.

"Because I generally don't like any pony. You grew up like I did." I pointed at me then at the rest of the room like one of these things doesn't belong. "But like I said, you still have hope that the world can get better, I've seen most of the world. I am jaded. I accepted that I couldn't change things. But you've brought that hope back and you're... cute." He finished speaking and turned a bright pink, pinker than Chifundo's stripes.

I was taken aback and tilted my head sideways. My thoughts lost in confusion as I stared at the zebra trying to understand. Slowly I pieced it together and suddenly felt deeply insulted and rage began to build up inside me, "Cute? Ya know what," I wanted to hit him. I was cute!? Cute like a little filly who thinks she can take on the world. "Fine." I darted down and threw my sleeping back onto the bed. The clatter of the book tossed into the wooden wall shook his blush away. I wiggled free of my barding and took a moment to notice the very distinct lines where the barding had been and where my coat had been exposed to the elements. There were several shades of green on me now, you could tell which layer of clothing had been protecting where. I moved back to the bed and put both hooves up on the bed before the sound of the springs froze me in place again.

"Uh... did... did I say something wrong?" Nyota took the time to remove the sleeping bag that had landed on him to the bed properly. "S-Sunrise?" His words were hesitant and his expression was thoughtfully trying to figure it out.

"No, you're right. I grew up, I slept in a bed. I didn't wear armor when I slept or for that matter for weeks on end.” I told my legs to move but they wouldn't budge, it was like my body was protesting against my conscious mind. “I should be willing to sleep in a bed, in my sleeping bag, next to a friend." The force in my voice was a stark contrast to the struggle to make progress onto the bed. "Otherwise I am just cute, a cute idea."

"That's... that's not what I meant Sunrise." Nyota shoved a hoof onto my bare shoulder and everything stopped. The feeling of another pony against my shoulder without the barding separating us was so alien now. "I meant cute like..." he trails off and sighs, "Look I'm sorry that you took what I said the wrong way, I didn't mean to upset you."

I turned my head to the much brighter less dirty part of my body he was touching, then back to his gaze. I could see the hurt in his eyes and I stopped my struggles. My rage deflated and suddenly I felt like I was in the wrong. "Then what did you mean? And you didn't upset me, you proved your point from the start. If I can't do this, I can't get into that secret stable. I can't save Hot Cross Buns. I can't figure out what Stable-Tec did to me or how to undo it. I can't-

I swear at this point I know this taste so intimately it is basically my breakfast.

"I meant you're cute physically, and I wasn't trying to prove a point I was curious..." his gaze was someone clearly giving the same look that Picline gave Chifundo when she first saw him. I could feel the burning blush pushing into my cheeks. I'm attempting to crawl into bed with a stallion who isn't my father, who thinks I'm cute. This couldn't possibly be more awkward could it?

“Oh Sunrise, you don't know the half of it! If I told you my stories-” Pink wasn't going to be allowed to finish her sentence.

"I'm here to help you, I'm sure the others are too. I would have followed you regardless but you're also a cute mare. So... yeah..." Nyota replied rather bashfully and I was surprised to see him looking away, then stealing a glance with his eye while blushing. “I think you're cute in that way.”

Stunned at this revelation, I collapsed under my own weight onto the bed. All my efforts now deflated completely. "I... I've never had someone refer to me as cute as anything other than a filly." I chewed my lip against the mattress for a bit and a playful thought was loaned to me by Pink. "If the Ministry of Morale caught me even being friends with a zebra I'd be shipped off to a camp." I rolled my eyes at him. “I'd be deported if I was found dating a zebra.”

“Go on Sunrise, take the chance, get onto that bed.”

I am! Give me a minute to find the right words you little pink play monster inside my head.

"But they don't exist anymore. Help me up."

He blinked repeatedly at the statement and request. After a tense moment, Nyota grabbed my hooves and helped me forward. "Yeah, well, if I were alive back then I would have been shipped off to a friendship camp so we never would have met." Every single creak of a spring made me hesitate again, till Nyota got me up onto my sleeping bag and set me down on my own weight. His words though kept my hooves from retreating back, "I'm glad I woke up in that pool you know?"

Finally I settled in and continued to roll the joke for comfort, "You're right and that would be a shame. I'll need some time to think about what you said, but we'll talk about it when the rest of our friends can't walk in on us at any moment." I slid into the stable-tec sleeping sleeve then curled myself into Nyota as close as the winterize fabric would allow.

Nyota for his part was very careful with me. One leg supported my head while another wrapped around my shoulders. He was very gentle and took his time to make sure every piece was placed in the most gentle colt fashion possible. It was like he was treading a minefield, "Well I probably wouldn't have said anything but I don't like seeing you angry." He replied once we had gotten still.

"I don't know last time was pretty great, I broke Corners nose and she stopped acting up so much." There is a sigh, "Nyota can I ask one last thing?”

He simply nodded against my head.

“Can we train in the morning? Hoof to Hoof? I'd like to be more capable than this next time I need to box somepony in the nose.”

He gave another sheepish nod and I listened to his words as best I could as the world around us faded away and I felt an extra blanket land over us.

"Rage with purpose is a useful tool, rage without purpose is the flame that consumes. G'night Sunny. I look forward to training with you as well."

We had been called to the Stable in the early morning. This didn't feel like a drill, it was just as Celestia had begun to raise the sun. Stable 43 had nearly 200 ponies waiting to get inside. Everyone had foals my age or younger without a cutie mark and we were walking into the stable as quickly as possible. We could see various mares and stallions in white lab-coats with the Stable-Tec logo on their right breast as well as their back. They had clipboards asking us all questions and checking off citizens as they got to the huge gear shaped stable door.

Inside, my father took a stable jumpsuit and got into it himself. His wings had to get out of special slits cut for a pegasus. Then he turned and helped me into one. By the time we were done, I had been rubbed with his cologne he had put on before the drill was called. Mom's deep black fur contracted well against the obnoxious Stable-Tec blue. She flicked her white and orange mane aside with a grin. That smile didn't last though as she get beyond the outer doors. Something new about this drill which upset everypony going in.

There were two lines just past the outer doors, one full of foals and one for our parents. Both led deeper into the Stable, but the foals were not happy about being separated from their parents. Mares were protesting and stallions looked like they had been taught lessons by Stable-Tec security. Shadow Window was stopped by a Stable-Tec mare and her voice sent a chill down my spine, I know that voice but it can't be!

“Hello there, the requirement is that foals be separated just in case they have been exposed to radiation. They are much more vulnerable to it than their adult parents.” This mare explained to my mother. I knew that voice, and it wasn't a voice I would ever welcome.

Mom was having none of it, she wrapped two solid black hooves around my white neck and pulled me in tight, “That shouldn't be necessary, this is just a drill isn't it?”

Rainbowrise stepped past us and started to speak when two security officers, one unicorn stallion and one unicorn mare both stepped up. I couldn't make out much behind their riot helmets and heavy plated armor. He looked at the two of them, both had solid black clubs floating in the air along with 10mm pistols on their side.

“Now look here, no need to threaten with violence we just don't see any-”

The lab technician waved a hoof in front of him to silence him, “Mr. Rainbowrise, you will fully understand that as apart of this-”

She was interrupted by a rumble in the distance. A flash washed over us and everypony turned their attention back to the city. I looked past my mother, past the line of families waiting to get inside, all the way towards Stalliongrad. Way in the distance beyond the base of the mountains at the river, a mushroom cloud was slowly rising from the city as a giant red shield slowly enveloped the entire city.

It all started happening so fast from there. Hooves of the lab-tech grabbed me and something about them. the way they were cut and manicured caused me to realize this wasn't the first time they had touched me. Agent number 9? No this can't be, her voice, her hooves, they they...

I froze in fear and she tugged on me to get my mother to let go, but Shadow Window would not relent. Stable-Tec riot guards ran past us to stop the impending rush into the stable while a loud speaker kicked up, “All stable residents! Keep orderly, form a line with foals on the right, adults on the left. The faster you do this, the faster we can get you inside.”

Rainbowrise looked fearful as the two security ponies pushed him aside while Agent 9 and Shadow Window had a tug-o-war over me. “Listen here Shadow Window! Regardless of what you think, I I must keep to regulations!” She went so far as to strike at my mother on the nose. “You will see Wandering Sunrise on the other side of decontamination! Now let go before I have security make you let go!”

I could see my father fighting to get them to let him go. My mother desperately gripping to hold on as the earth pony was proving stronger than my unicorn mother. Then mom launched herself forward and into the pegasus and bumped her off of me completely. With space between the two mares, she held me tight and all I could do was shiver in terror. Agent 9 clopped her hooves and security guards began to approach us as she grinned. That smile could only be described as bone chilling.

“Hold on, look, let me say a few words to Sunrise and then we can go into the separate decontamination areas okay?” Her horn glowed as she spoke and a magical shield appeared between us and the guards stopped. The orange glow film encircled the world beyond and the guards looked to Agent 9 for instructions. She motioned a hoof at them to back off.

“You have 10 seconds,” Agent 9 told my mother. Shadow Window hurriedly hugged me and kissed my forehead. She held onto my shoulders tightly and the warmth of her smile put some of my fears to bay.

My father flapped his wings in hopes of gaining some traction and Agent 9 turned her attention to him at the sound. She used a hoof to motion to let him go. Rainbowrise blitz through the air over to us and hugged me tightly as I looked very confused. “Please, don't let me go with her, she is-”

“It's alright Sunrise, we'll see you soon, on the next sunrise at the latest, we promise,” while her words tried to sooth me. My father wrapped his wings around my body to hug me from the odd angle. I just started at Agent 9 out of one eye. She stared back, there was an amount anger going between us but her smile sent goosebumps down my spine.

“That's enough, other families are waiting and more megaspells are likely to go off soon.” Agent 9 told my mother who held onto me protectively as long as she could. As soon as I was out of her hooves, Rainbowrise rushed forward to guard me. The security ponies were having none of it and immediately pressed the black batons against his chest and held him back. I walked sorrowfully away, tears falling from my eyes to the concrete floor. I looked back as my parents went into their decontamination room and could see the flashes of explosions miles away. The mushroom clouds rising from the city we called home to the sky. All against the backdrop of the sunrise. On that day I learned what dad meant by a sad sunrise.

I turned to what was in front of me and a bright white decontamination light blasted my face, back to the waking world.

Fan Art - Hell Hound Deathclaw! For reasons to be explained soon™

Level Progress: 22% of the way to Level 6.