My eyes just stared at the blood on my hooves and the wall behind. I let out a slow sigh, and then I heard a hoof hit the door. “Sunrise, can I come in?”

“It's your room, the door isn't locked,” I called back, and Nyota entered. He looked at me curled up in the floor against the corner of the room and placed a hoof gently onto my shoulder. He rolled me over to face him and he stopped to stare at me. His face turned to dismay, and he pressed a hoof against my chin to lift me up so I'd have to look at him.

“Sunrise, I didn't... I didn't know you were so upset. What's going on, exactly?” He asked, but the only thing going through my mind was watching him hand me that eye patch before leaping to what I assumed was certain doom. I saw him entering into the hole blown in the scorpion again and I wanted to strike him so badly.

“Nyota, what is it?” My voice was so cold and devoid of emotion.

“Oh, Sunrise! You're so cute when you’re mad. We both know what you are gonna tell him,” Pink bounced into view with a spring in her step, and I knew where I'd seen that pink pony before. It really was the same pink earth pony that the zebras had feared.

Pinkie Pie! You’re her! Aren’t you?

“I was once, but right now, talk with Nyota. We’ll discuss all of this soon, and by soon I mean... well. You’ll find out!”

“I, um, come on, we have training to do, and you clearly need to talk,” he offered, and I got up on my own, without taking his hoof.

“Fine, we'll train, but first thing is first,” I raised my good forehoof up, and he looked at me, taken aback, before I slapped him as hard as I could muster. It left a hoof-shaped bruise that looked like what I'd done to Corners' earlier. He stared into space, stunned.

“Never do that again!”

He grumbled and sighed, “I probably deserved that. So are we gonna...” His voice carried off as the door slammed behind me. I didn’t make it far as he grabbed my flank and stopped me. My leg still hurt, my heart ached and yet this touch was nice.

“Nyota, you didn’t deserve that. You don’t deserve my ire, even if what you did was stupid,” I spoke, unable to look at him, and my head hung.

“Sunny, please talk to me, you can’t train with your head like this.” He walked around to face me and I stared up at him.

“Nyota, when you handed me your eye patch, I made a decision.” I replied as I felt the mountain of conflicting feelings welling up. I didn’t know how to deal with all of them and kept them repressed as best I could to put my thoughts in order. “I have things I want to talk about but I need to make one thing clear.”

Nyota raised an eyebrow and motioned for me to go on. “You’re cute, too,” I said. His jaw opened as he started to speak and I used my hoof to force it closed. “And, the answer is yes.”

"So, was that the answer you were expecting?" I could still feel the raw anger coursing through my veins keeping me standing, as we had been sparing for close to an hour when my question stopped us. That bruise in the shape of my hoof on his face was joined by a dozen others; I was getting better and not pulling my punches. This was the first time we'd spoken since starting our training session, and it was nearly ten at night by now.

“I want you to talk to me, less venting with your hoofs to my face.” He was panting and giving a sheepish look in response to the rage I had been unloading. “Vent how today was unfair, work out the frustration with less violence, and come away less frustrated, but with that hopeful self I've grown to like.” His words touched me deeper than anything I’d ever felt before. I could feel my anger subsiding. I slowly eased myself from a battle stance. I started to say something, and if I had been in range, a hoof would have been in my mouth again. “The wasteland is unfair and tries to eat everything that makes you better than a raider.”

Nyota motioned me closer and eased himself up onto his hind legs, standing head and shoulders over me. He moved his hooves for me to follow his movements in stretching out, “You still tried to talk to them; even saved one when they shot at you. They honestly didn't deserve it. So talk to me, Sunrise. be that hopeful mare I met back in that pool.”

I hung my head and didn't follow him in stretching, slowly I walked up to him and I jumped up to hug the zebra, holding him tightly as he eased us back to the ground. “Would my parents recognize me? Anypony I knew before the stable?” My sobbing echoed through the isolated area on the ground floor of The Roof. We were alone here, save for the guards patrolling, and I had found a pony I could break down in front of.

“Yes,” he whispered, and I felt the soft comfort of a hoof rubbing through my mane. “You've changed, matured, and still you try to be better. Sunrise, it hurts because you still try.”

All I could do was sob; the rage was gone. The emotional tidal wave of having taken another pony's life overwhelmed me. It took a while before my panting and sobbing calmed down. “I'm sorry for not talking, but I truly am freaked out. I've never killed a pony, and I thought I'd lost you. Please, I don't know where to go from here or if I should just lay down and hope it all—” Nyota silenced me with a shake of his head.

“The world won't go away just because you wish it,” he replied with a gentle, loving smile. “I wish it would. I wish it would go back to the way it was but...” he pulled me close with a tight squeeze. “Then I wouldn't have met you.”

I stared at him, wondering what was so special, and then felt my heart beating faster. A blush had crept up into my cheeks as I looked away, then stared at him from the corner of my eye. “I never realized you felt that way till you said I was cute. Sure you still want me? What do we tell the others?”

Nyota shrugged at me and kissed my forehead, “Do you want to tell them? I think they suspect but if you want to officially announce it, I won't say no.”

Welcome to this new place that I never suspected I'd be! I wonder if, before the stable, I’d be too terrified to do something like this?

“Sunrise, he's waiting for an answer you silly mare! Get yourself together!” Pink hadn't even left my HUD. She was on her belly, rear legs in the air with the girlish, gossipy look plastered on her face.

I shook my head at Nyota and sighed, “No. I suspect they already know. I mean, we did share a room last night, and we were in a bed together.” I got down onto all four legs. So many questions of my own morality combined with this new feeling that made my nethers tingle and my heart palpitate. Right, so this is what it’s like to let somepony in.

“Fix this one issue at a time. Deal with Nyota's actions, then each consequence. I picked you for a reason, now show me that willpower you had in my office!” Pink explained. I remembered what Pink was talking about. The first pieces of what I need to say pieced themselves together.

“I need you to promise me, no more suicidal maneuvers in the heat of battle,” I stared at him with that disappointed mother look I learned from Honey Hearthfire. “Not that it didn't leave an impression, just...”
Nyota nodded to me and nuzzled my neck reassuringly, “I will do my best, and I did not intend for such a thing to push your decision,” he looked out through a gap in the wall towards the wasteland, and I saw the flush on his face. “I'm very happy you, umm, I didn't think you would... uh, return that feeling.”

I shook my head and groaned at his starry-eyed, love struck look, “Great, two young lovers who have pissed off this Enclave thing, and I can almost certainly say DJ Pon3 is going to hear about this and announce to the world what we've done.”

Nyota reached over and ruffled my mane with a hoof, and then pulled me back into a soft hug, “I doubt DJ Pon3's broadcasts reach all the way up to the Enclave. That, or they actively block it.” I looked at him questioningly till my tail grabbed around his flank and pulled us back tight. We sat there, at the dark clouds that loomed overhead. I wished to see the stars, maybe even the moon but only an occasional twinkle shined through.

“I think we should leave as soon as possible in the morning, no need to take the risk. If one of DJ Pon3's agents spotted us, he'll announce it as soon as he can,” I took a look at Nyota up and down, sizing him up. “But I also get the distinct impression I'll be dragged into a bed again.”

“Unless you'd rather sleep on the floor?” Nyota chuckled, and his blush eased away after his hearty laugh. “I want to help you piece together that past of yours and get over the things that haunt you.” The black-striped zebra moved a hoof up and pressed it against my chest, making my pounding heart still. “But it's up to you, I want you to want that as well.”

Well aren't you just the perfect gentlecolt! Why couldn't I have met you sooner? I raised my hoof to speak back and saw the stains of red blood deep in my coat. I stared at it. I couldn't look away from the burned soot and red stains. I felt everything Nyota had just given me deflate completely. I moved my hooves out of my sight and stared into Nyota's eye, “I know I can't do it on my own.”

He brushed my mane away and removed his eye patch, letting me look into that sphere of wonder. “Sunrise, I told you, you're not doing this alone.” Nyota warmly kept smiling and let me look as long as I liked while his hoof moved up and booped my nose. “We're all here with you, and even if I'm the only one that helps you through your memories, I'm not going to let you do it alone.”

Alright, let's see if he can help. I've got pieces that need to be put into a puzzle. I moved his hoof away from my face and looked at him, “You want to help? Alright, I had a flash. A memory, I think when I was interrogating Black Hawk; it wasn't pretty.” I leaned in close, now, and nuzzled against him so I could whisper. “That, combined with the zebras showing me the mark I’d left in the station, as well as Pink's reaction, indicates I may have gotten out of the stable before and not remembered. I don't know the things I've done.”

Nyota wrapped his hooves back around my neck and held me there, not letting me pull away, in a soft and loving embrace. “I don't know what to think on that yet. Please don't think yourself in circles about it.”

Oh, like it’s that easy! What am I—

“No, Sunrise, he's right.” Pink said. I wanted to scream at them both, but then all that crashed down at Nyota's next words.

“Sunrise, you don't see horns, wings, or stripes. You see ponies. It is what makes you special to all of us,” he replied and grinned. I felt that grin spreading against my neck.

He's right. I still remember before; what am I talking about. Before the stable, to me, feels like two weeks ago! I pulled back just enough for us to look into each other's faces. “I see the same things I saw before the stable, when everything was ready to snap but ponies tried to make life work. Except now it's all snapped, it's all wrong! Me finally killing another pony today nearly broke my will to go on.” I looked away, unable to meet his loving gaze anymore. I felt shame, sadness, and disgust. “I dropped that cocktail right at my own feet and shot myself with my own shotgun on accident. I'm no soldier. I'm not ready for this.”

Nyota lifted my head back to look at him, and as much as I tried I couldn't look away without using force. I didn't want to pull away from him. “None of us are really ready to fight, except maybe Alguacil and Corners to a lesser degree,” he mused, and waited for me to agree and look at him.

“Quick, Chifundo, you, and I? We're all just normal ponies in abnormally terrible situations. I'm a courier, Quick is still a doctor. Chifundo's a shaman. None of us were always fighters. The wasteland forces you to do that.” He pulled me back into his legs and held me tight. “You're still learning, and don't let the ponies who tried to kill you keep you from picking yourself back up and keeping that hope you have from inspiring us.”

His words dug deep and pulled out a thorn in my mind. I can talk to this pony, just like we were closer than any of my other friends

“Well, duh, silly! This is still the first time you've fallen hoof-over-flank for another pony! Part of calling him cute back and trusting him!” Pink exclaimed jubilantly and sprang to her feet, reaching through my vision, and I swore I felt her hoof patting my head.

“So, what happens when I screw up? How do I know which ponies to kill and which ones to take a chance with?” I started to raise my voice but Nyota's hooves soothed me into remaining calm. My emotions wanted out, but they were diffusing slowly instead of exploding. “I don't think getting lucky will keep getting us very far.”

“Have they tried to kill you without warning? Have they told you how they're going to murder you in explicit detail and how they are going to horrific things to your dead body?” He asked, and my eyes went wide in horror. Pink giggled, and then yelped when I mentally slapped her. “You won't like to hear this, but they're probably folks you should kill, if only to release them from their own torment.” He looked out into the wasteland again and his face became incredibly stern. “If you screw up, you'll have backup.”

I looked at the ramp to see a pegasus. Not one we knew, but he reminded me of a burning question. “What about Black Hawk? I saved her, and yet I think Alguacil and her are going to kill each other.” I turned to look into the wasteland with him and laid my head against his shoulder, his warmth comforting and soothing away all my torment.

“Black Hawk is a special case,” Nyota stole a glance at me as he spoke, “From what little I know about the Enclave, they don't treat failure well, especially if you drop below the clouds.” I felt his hoof starting to rub my back, his touch finding the knots under my armored plates somehow. “You saved her life, but she's at risk from her former friends and she is mad at Al. While you were out, he talked about how he wanted to mutilate her and he threatened her. No pony would be happy after they heard something like that.”

I groaned . “I get the distinct feeling that, one way or another, I'm gonna be butting heads with Alguacil a lot.” I paused at another thought, on the words Nyota used. “Do you make nicknames for everypony you meet?”

“Not all of them, it’s just a pain to pronounce his.” He let out the most girlish giggle I thought he might ever muster. “Sunny is cute, and it fits the cute mare attached to it.” I looked at him with pleading eyes, which brought him back to the subject at hand, “You want to believe that ponies can be better, but for Al the law isn't to be broken, and breaking laws puts you on his list for a bullet.”

I could see his full face, even from this angle—including the bruise I left on his cheek—and nodded to him. “Hopefully I don't end up clocking Alguacil, too.” I softly reached up and rubbed the hoof mark where I'd slapped him, like an unspoken apology.

Nyota moved the hoof that was rubbing my back and moved my hoof from his face. “It's alright, Sunny.” His hoof moved onto my back and found the thinnest point in the plating of my jumpsuit and duster to scratch at. Damn, does that feel nice. “It's not the first time I've been hit. It is the first time I've been struck by a mare who is as cute as you...” he trailed off and blushed with a mumble that I swore might have been 'that I like a lot’ but wind from the hole we'd been looking through made sure I didn't hear it clearly.

Pink leaned up and looked like she was on the verge of witnesses a moment. He's laying his heart on the line! And I'm being as oblivious as Chifundo! “Nyota, is this really the first time you've liked somepony?”

“Like this? Yes. Either my stripes kept others away, or I was too young to really understand it all.” Nyota turned his gaze back to me and kept stroking that spot on my back, which I leaned into. “I'm not old, I'd guess barely two years older than you. But I got big faster than others I knew.”

I shook my head and smirked, “I didn't think you were that old, just had the look of a weary soldier coming back from the front,” I explained, and felt my own blush flushing my face, but I stopped myself from hiding it.

“You sure know how to flatter another pony, don't you? I may be weary of the wasteland, but it gave me the chance to meet friends, and you.” He finally stopped paying attention to my back and pulled his hoof away. “Besides, weariness has some very easy methods of relief.”

I looked at him and grinned, “Are you trying to flatter me now, or suggesting something naughty?” I mused up at him, and shifted my shoulders when my back stopped being scratched.

“Just being honest. if I hadn't met you,” he leaned down and put his nose against my own, “I'd still be running packages to random places: bored, lonely, and aimless.” He nudged me with his nose and pulled back to a standing position. “I think some pony needs a massage and a bath. Living on a farm you know when some pony is over-stressed.”

I stared at him, dumbfounded, as my brain tried to process his suggestion, and I felt an itch I wanted to scratch but refused to acknowledge right now. I swear, I can feel the smoke pouring out of my ears! I didn't realize I was looking at Nyota as the myriad of emotions rolled over my face, and the final result was a deep blush and a confused smile.

“S-so,” Nyota faltered and looked away as it dawned on him what I was thinking and feeling. “I mean, if you want to, or we can just talk.” He backed away slowly and mirrored my hesitation. I felt there was something more echoing between us, beyond just talking. His trepidation wanted to coax a response from me.

“Sunrise! You do realize this is where love starts, right?”

LOVE! What are you talking about? I don't—

“You silly mare! You have a crush on him and he has one on you! TAKE THE HINT!”

I swear to you, Pink, if I ever—

“You aren't as new at spotting this as you think you are! Now, take the leap!” Pink slammed her hoof across my vision and I swore I could physically feel her slapping me. I looked up at Nyota and pushed away frustration, wanting him to know I was genuinely relieved.

“Thank you, sorry, I was having an argument with Pink.” I rubbed a hoof against the back of my head while Pink threatened to smack me again. “I suppose if I go with the customs of where I'm from, a proper date would require us to talk, have dinner, and do something besides just meditation and beating the snot out of each other.”

Nyota raised a hoof. “It would be customary to seek your father's approval of our courtship,” he corrected before going on, biting his tongue and turning away while his sheepish blushing grin returned, “I mean, if we wanted to be traditional.”

It was my turn to place a hoof on his chin and turn him to face me. “Well, I'm sure Rainbowrise would love to have you take my hoof,” I paused and bit my own lip, “Though I imagine the Ministry of Morale would be up in arms.”

Nyota nodded in my hoof, and his blush looked so adorable that I wanted to kiss him. “That is true, but I think I'll just be glad they are no longer a concern.” He pushed my hoof away and then held his out for me to take. “Might I ask you to join me for dinner?” I could see his youth now. He was bigger than me, but certainly not older. He only looked older, and now it came out all at once: his inexperience, his sheepishness; my brain added it all up.

“Well, if for no other reason than to make our friends stare in disbelief and to see the look on mom's face when we find her, I would say yes.” Nyota looked wounded, and started to stammer something, before I held a hoof up to silence him.

“But, those reasons are selfish and a horrible way to frame you. I think I'd certainly like to hear about life in Oasis,” I paused and reached forward to grip his hoof. I gave him a soft bow, much like I'd been shown to do at a gala, “Over dinner with the cutest zebra in the wasteland.”

“I w-would be honored,” he stuttered like a colt who'd just been given a trophy he didn't know he earned. He blinked when the words finally left his mouth, and then, shaking, Nyota pulled my hoof up to his lips and kissed it nervously.That caused me to flush from head to hoof, I swore my entire body blushed white in that moment, and I looked almost like I had before the Stable. “I heard the restaurant here is quite the place, or would you rather I cook?”

“Sunrise! That was mean! You can't play with—”

Pink shut it, I wanted to make sure he was serious. Besides, it was fun to see him blush.

“I don't think it's appropriate for you to cook dinner, though I imagine every pony in The Roof will gossip.”

His blush deflated, and he let out a sigh of relief all at once. “Restaurant it is, then. A little bit of privacy before, to get cleaned up, though I don't have anything to wear like Chifundo's stallion dress.” He teased at me, and I felt my blushing slowly ebbing back as I saw my leg turn back to the grassy green it was now. “Would you join me for a shower, or would you rather do so alone?”

I looked at my hooves and the raw streaks of blood mixed with ash, “I-I don't think I'll forget the expression on those pegasi faces before that mine went off.” My words had lost that flirty tone, and instead were full of a haunted tone, back where this conversation had started.

“Sunny, I know it hurts,” Nyota pulled my hoof out of my eyes and covered it with his own. “I know it feels terrible, and it won't feel better if you keep dwelling on it. “But this right here proves you're better. They wouldn't have felt bad if they turned you to pink ash. You do. Don't let this be what crushes you.” I looked up and stared at him in awe. He was right, and I couldn't find an argument to fight back. “Let's get cleaned up, have a nice dinner, and enjoy a peaceful rest.”

“None of that makes me feel better, but I have to say you're right.” I looked away and mumbled to myself, “If I ever hope to make that promise to you come true, I have to get over this.” He started to pull away and I yanked him back, wrapping his hoof around my head, “I really do promise too much, don't I?” I took a step forward and completed the most awkward hug ever.

“Yeah, but you do your best to make good on them.” He held me and turned the awkward hug into something more comfortable. “So, think we can make a way to heat up that water? Would be nice to have a place to get hot showers.”

I blinked at the change of subject and my mind worked out several possibilities quickly. The sense of relief to have a task at hand—a machine I could fix, at that—removed my emotional turmoil. “I mean, if we had materials I could make a boiler or a spell matrix to attach to the water talisman. That might work.” I shook my head at him and gave a disapproving look.

“You really want to spend our first date building a boiler?”

“It was something to think about. Maybe we could take another day here to make things a bit better.” Nyota stopped talking and held out a foreleg for me to take. “But enough talking till later: dinner first, maybe some dancing, and then sleep.” He blushed and gave me a broad smirk, “But please go easy on me, I've got four left hooves.”

I giggled and took the extended leg as we walked hoof in hoof towards the showers, “If you've got four left, I have four right. You also said dinner, talk, and sleep.” I returned his sly grin, “Now it's dinner, dancing, talk, and sleep. You keep adding to it, like you don't want to get to the sleep part.”

Nyota nudged my cheek and kept his smirk grew into a smile. “Maybe I don't want our first date to end. Not everyday I get to enjoy your company for fun instead of travel, fighting, healing, and dealing with the wasteland.”

I felt so light on my hooves, like a bright glow echoed out of my very being to every pony around. I giggled at him, and then a thought that might restore our hope and cap off our evening creeped into my head. “I have one condition.”

“Alright, fine, what is your condition?” Nyota asked as we got outside the showers.

“We watch the sunrise in the morning, and I talk to you about my parents over it.” I looked at him, carefully observing his every reaction, but also because I couldn't take my eyes away from him.

He nodded to me and let me lead us towards the waiting showers, “If the clouds allow it, I'd be happy to join you.” He paused and gripped my hoof tighter, “I thought this would be more stressful, but it's getting easy the more we talk.”

I let out a giggle and nudged his shoulder, “This is what ponies are suppose to do. Talk, sing, and dance, not fight. At least, that was the world I wish I had woken up to.” We got to the showers and I started to try to get my armor off, only to discover that the duster and stable barding shoulder plating was fused. I struggled and grunted but couldn't get them off no matter how I wiggled.

“Nyota, help me get this off, ponies aren't supposed to wear armor either!” My distressed neighs were answered by him moving to help and finally force the joint to slide off my leg. I didn't realize how hard I was pulling till I tumbled cartoonishly head over flank through the shower doors and into a stall with a bang of flesh on concrete. I put a hoof up to my temple and tried to shake loose the dizziness.

“And, no, ponies are not supposed to wear armor,” he said, following behind with concern written all over his face. “You're gonna need to get this worked on, otherwise it will chafe you raw or get hung up at the wrong moment.”

“Right. Blow torch, a little sewing, and...”

Nyota offered up a hoof to help me up, “No, you let an armorer do it tonight.” I took the hoof and got up, “Now brace yourself.” he said before the cold water cascaded onto my back. I stifled a yelp and bit my lip through the pain of ice cold water. He started to walk off, and I stopped him, reaching up to his armor straps and starting to undo them. I knew exactly where they all were. It wasn't my first time with standard Equestrian combat armor.

Plate after plate fell to the tiles under us, and Nyota nuzzled my cheek while I worked in the cold water. “Thanks, Sunny, I didn't know you were familiar with this sort of armor.” I took a deep inhale and could smell the sweat, blood, and combat fabrics, and yet there was a faint hint of sandalwood.

I smirked a bit and nodded, “Combat armor, tanks, vertibucks, power armor, pegasus battle armor. My dad's shop was converted from civilian to pure military use near the end.” The last plate fell to the floor and Nyota swept it clear of the water, “If it was broken, he had to fix it, and by extension , I had to learn how.” I paused as my body was adjusting to the chilly water, and a flirty thought hit me. “How do you think Corners got the measurements for you?”

“Oh, I, umm... didn't really think about it.” Nyota rolled his shoulders now and stretched out starting towards the water and I could see a deep scar across his chest from something that cut deep.

“Yeah, I was surprised that SATS would actually give me measurements, but oddly enough, it does.” I explained and giggled as I shivered in the cold and finally leaned back into the water to let it soak my mane.

He took a few blinks at me as some realization dawned on him, “I-I hope that wasn't too embarrassing, because, ya know, it means you've seen me...” He trailed off and I couldn't help but push against him for warmth in the cold water.

“I never knew a zebra could blush, but then I met you and Chifundo.” I hid a grimace in his neck at the pain of the chilled water. I felt the warmth of his flush against my cheek, and that was the comfort I needed.

“I mean, you've got my measurements so you've seen me... umm...” He gulped heavily enough to be heard over the water.

I felt wounded that he would think I would violate his privacy! I started to fume and growl at his stupidity, before Pink interrupted and deflated me. “Sunrise, you have a HUD because of your PipBuck, they aren't common anymore. He doesn't know how it works.”

I blinked a few times and slowly deflated, both from the insult that wasn't an insult and the realization. “SATS only measures stuff I can clearly see.” I rolled my neck in the water and was thankful it was covering much of my expression with damp mane. “Which you wouldn't know, because PipBucks aren't on every street corner.” I added, hoping he would realize what I meant by it.

Nyota let out a deep breath of relief and nuzzled my neck, “That's good! Let's get cleaned up.” We got silent and started to work sandalwood soap over ourselves, and gave each other privacy to clean private places. It was soft, gentle, and intimate without being sexual. At the end, Nyota had to break my concentration from me scrubbing my hooves until they were slightly raw. “Come on, let's get a towel from the inn and I'll escort you to dinner.”

I looked at him and nudged his neck. The thought of how I got his measurements came back, suddenly, and I wanted to reassure him somewhat, since we'd been silent for nearly twenty minutes. “I want you to know, I won't violate your privacy. Besides you've been with other mares, haven't you?”

He placed a hoof to his chest, “You mean to ask if I'm a virgin? Yes, I am.” He replied plainly and let out a sigh. “As much as I put up a veneer of bravado, I've only seen seventeen harvests.” He took a pair of towels into his mouth and dropped one on me, which my tail set to drying off with.

“You mean you were kidding about enjoying the company of another mare on the road!?” I felt perplexed and shook my head at him in disbelief.

“The adult pleasures I was referring to were more... intoxicants, not sexual,” He covered his face with the towel, which I suspected was his way of looking away without looking away. “I was an addict at one point a year ago, and I may fall down that slope again.”

The smokes and you looking like a wild-eyed, drugged out raider earlier make a whole lot of sense, now. I pulled the towel away so I could look in his face. “I see. You know, after taking that dose of Med-X, I can't possibly say being an addict is that bad, is it?” Way to sound like a naive little filly!

Nyota frowned at me and snorted, “When it consumes your life? When all you can think about is your next high? It is insidious and vicious.” He punched my shoulder with a hoof. “Enough of this depressing talk, what kind of surprises do you like?”

I looked at him, rather startled, and snorted back while batting his hoof way from my shoulder. “Surprises? I'm a bomb pony! Surprises are generally when I leap for cover, and typically very bad.” I felt my tail plop my towel onto my head and I glared at Pink, who was trying so very hard to not giggle. Nice try, Pink.

Nyota ducked under the towel and pressed his lips to mine in a gentle, quick kiss before pulling back from under the cloth. I flushed once more, and my heart skipped several beats. I lost the ability to stand and thudded on my flanks, utterly stunned. Pink just started laughing hysterically. “Nyota and Sunrise, trotting in a meadow, K-I-S-S-I-N-G-”

SHUT IT or I will shut it for you! I mentally slammed at her though my panting and pounding heart.

“Surprise!” Nyota called out from beyond the white cloth over my eyes and I shook the towel off. My instinct to jump out of my skin at the shout was suppressed by the fact I couldn't make myself move.

“I-I-I...” I saw his face and the sweet fire that had built up in him. “I might start to like surprises if this keeps up.” I beamed at him and finally started to reach for my armor, “Mom's gonna kill me, going on my first date and I have nothing to wear.”

Nyota put a hoof up to his chin in mock thinking, “Well I think there's a solution to that. I mean, we have a particularly fantastic tailor in town.” He picked up the towels and passed them back across the counter where somepony would collect them.

“She would also pitch a fit that you're a zebra, and how much the Ministries are going to flip out.” I pulled the hoof from his chin and pushed it up against my fluttering heart for him to feel. “Why not go as a pony would from my day? Without clothes! Show off our marks and flanks?”

Nyota smiled at this and closed both of his eyes in a happy grin, and he placed his eye patch in with our gear and tossed them into the room, “Well then, we'll have a leg up on most ponies, considering we're clean.” He took a breath and looked into the room, I followed his eyes to the eye patch on top of our clothes. “And it's about time to stop hiding things. My eye patch stays here.”

I closed the door for him and locked it. “It can't be worse than having a HUD everywhere you look, or having an insane pink pony talking at you all the time.” Pink stopped her teasing and giggling looks and gave an indignant grunt.

We trotted to The Roof Eatery, and Nyota held the door open for me as our conversation continued. “It's very similar, I imagine.” I stopped beside him while he was holding the door. We exchanged a looks and he motioned for me to go inside.

“Aren't you going to go inside?” I asked, rather puzzled at him.

“After you. Mares first, ya know.” He leaned against the door and motioned for me to head inside. I looked at him and then realized it was something any gentlecolt would do. I took a few steps in and he followed as we seated ourselves, and a helpful pony came by to drop off menus.

“So, have you ever had curry?” Nyota asked as the waiter pony stayed and his horn glowed while he held a notepad and pencil. “I think you'll like it, especially if it's spiced the right way.”

I felt a weight in my tail and turned my head to see an apple; the last apple I had and the last of my fresh food. How is that still fresh after two weeks? Explain this? Somepony get into the wasteland and explain to me how an apple is fresh two weeks later. I held it out to the waiter pony, “Sure, I guess I'll try the curry. Can you use this?”

The waiter unicorn snorted at me and shook his head as the apple was enveloped in his telekinetic bubble, “No, that is for something sweet. We'll use this apple to make you a fine dessert, and will that be two curries?”

Nyota licked his lips and nodded. “Spicy as you can make it!” He declared with glee as the unicorn trotted off, and the zebra rubbed his hooves together. He stopped and hollered off to the unicorn, “Make sure it's veggie curry!”

I looked at him and grimaced, and Nyota just sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with a hoof as his mohawk started to dry out. “If I knew you liked it so much, we should get you a preserved spice rack. You are our cook, after all,” I teased and kicked his hoof under the table.

“Those are expensive. Sorry for yelling, but I want to try to make sure you don't have to eat meat if I can help it,” Nyota yelped back through the pain of having his hoof kicked.

“Thanks, and yeah, I know they’re expensive, but I think it would be worth it. Might make that canned food taste a lot better. That, or we can have you cook it, then jar it for us to open up later.” I just wanted to keep talking to him, and the thought of not having to eat the same old canned food over and over again was a welcome one.

Shortly after that, two hot steaming plates of orange, sauce-covered broccoli and mystery veggies were placed in front of us, along with an apple-oat crisp in a worn pie tin, along with a small bowl of sweet cream. I took a deep inhale and almost choked at the scent of peppers. Nyota dug in wholeheartedly and let out satisfied humms of delight from the taste. He slowed his eating and looked up at me, waiting to see my response. I took a cautious bite and chewed twice. The taste was delicious, quite earthy and very much provided a soft, hearty meal to bite into, with one exception.

My hooves grabbed for the glass of water and I drank half of it, screaming into the liquid, “GODDESS! HOT!” I panted for air, and Nyota giggled at me and let out a smile as I swore steam pushed out of his ears.

“Almost as good as mom used to make,” he teased while I caught my breath.

I groaned at him and looked at the food. It was delicious, but my tongue felt like an entire layer of skin was gone. I'd be going through a whole lot of water to finish it. “Like Mom used to make? This stuff could burn the tongue off a dragon!” I finally declared after two more bites and finishing an entire glass of water.

Nyota kicked my hoof under the table playfully, “Well, yeah, curry is hot, spicy, and so filling. The spice makes you drink water.” He pointed a hoof at me then my empty water glass, “You've been drinking a whole lot of coffee and not near enough water lately.”

I groaned out at him as the waiter offered another glass of water, which I had to pay him eight caps for before he would actually pour it. Eight caps! Eight bits for a glass of water would have been highway robbery. Wait, if you can’t drink the rain water, does that means they are using a talisman? How rare are those, now? Pink started to talk and I didn't listen, instead focusing back on Nyota.

“Yeah, but the coffee we got back in Silver Fang is sooo good...” I could feel myself drooling at the thought of drinking that coffee again. Something about it made it so delicious, like I couldn't go without it.

“Oh, no argument here, and I won't stop you from drinking it but...” he reached over the table and ruffled my damp mane again, “You should drink more water.”

We finished eating and I put the apple crisp between us. “This is gonna taste so much better than the apples you're used to!” I let out a squee of delight, but then Pink had to ruin it.

“And it's your last one.”

Nyota saw the drop in my demeanor as I looked down at the sweet baked treat, and his hoof grabbed onto my own, “It is a truly generous gift, Sunrise. I must admit, I've never tasted apples not preserved in syrup.” He waited for me to take the first bite, my hoof tearing off a piece of the small treat that would normally be for a single pony. I dipped it into the cream and let out a sigh.

“Hot Cross Buns and all the other ponies have somewhere to stay tonight?” I asked cautiously, realizing I had abandoned everypony the moment we had gotten through the city gates. Abandoned them all to go feel sorry for myself for killing a pony. Really, Sunrise? With so much else to do, and yet the first thing that truly goes wrong happens, and you vanish again.

Nyota nodded with a mouth full of apple crisp. He'd put a whole lot of cream on it and the oats added a kind of depth to the sweet apple and cinnamon. He motioned towards my mouth, as he was saving the bite then to his own cheek. I reached down and blushed to find I'd smeared cream halfway up my jaw. “I-I... well, I have quite a sweet tooth.”

My zebra date—Oh Goddesses this really was a date!—snickered at me and covered his mouth to be polite. He swallowed and shook his head. “Then I will have to get the first sweet thing we come across to tuck away for you.”

I looked up from the plate with the final piece between us, as we both awkwardly paused eating. “This is the last one that doesn't have the radiation aftertaste.” The pause between us just got thicker and stretched on like the flow of a river. Neither of us could interrupt it if we wanted to.

Nyota reached forward to reassure me and picked up the plate with the apple crisp on it. “Then we'll find more eventually. When we rebuild and settle down at a new Oasis.” Nyota motioned our waiter over and wrapped the rest of the crisp into a napkin for later. “Come on, Sunrise, I paid for dinner already.”

You what already!? I glared at him and wanted to say something, but his hoof found my mouth again and I swear it still had apple on it. “I didn't know If you were coming or not, so I paid for us both and would have brought it up to the room for you if you said no.”

“Fine. You go prep the room, I'm going to go and put our armor in for repair work, then join you, okay?” I was hoping I could at least push some of this onto him to let me do that much for him.

I got to the workshop with our armor, and there was an older pony still minding the shop. The Roof was busy enough that I suppose armor and weapons would be available to be worked on round the clock. It was nearly eleven thirty at night, now. The pony had a simple form to fill out with options for rush, next day, or when he could get to it. I marked rush and paid the extra 50 caps to have our things ready in the morning.

Quick Stitch walked in and took an exam of my leg. “Thank you, Quick Stitch. You are truly a talented doctor and medic. I'm glad to have you,” I told him as he finished the exam.

He stared at me, perplexed, and shook his head. “I'm not that special. I mean, you could have died when you dropped that firebomb, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I froze up and hesitated, because that fire terrified me. But, I knew you needed somepony to save you.”

I placed the freshly healed and repeatedly examined hoof onto his shoulder to prove to him it worked. “Yes, but I didn't die because you acted. You dove right into the fire and put me into the water. If not for that, I doubt I'd be alive right now.” Quick Stitch didn't speak, he just wrapped his legs around me and pulled me into a tight hug. He held me tight and close until the shop owner grunted at us to wrap up our business.

“Call it old world friendship. Even if you don't think you can do it, you can for a friend.” I paused in odd places while I spoke to make sure I had the olive-green unicorn's attention. He held onto me for a time longer, and then let me down to all fours.

“Then let's hope that this friendship manages to keep us all alive a lot longer,” he said, and I nodded in agreement. I finished filling out the repair work form and put the total price of caps for Nyota's armor onto the table. I turned to leave and rushed to Quick Stitch for one last good, tight hug.

“Please, I trust you to keep your oath to do no harm,” I said, nervously separating from him to back away slowly. He's a doctor, and no matter what he always will be.

“Sunrise, not all doctors are bad. Remember Hacksaw and Bonesaw?”

And 9, and 71, and 88, and Stable-Tec's host of doctors? Yeah, I remember them all! No need to remind me, Pink. Pink skulked away, out of my sight and my mind. I returned my gaze to Quick Stitch, “Just remember, please be better.” It was an old saying from the Ministry of Peace. Quick Stitch nodded to me and I watched him as I backed away slowly. I couldn't look away. He was my friend, but he was a doctor. He stared at me, rubbing his destroyed ear and muttered, “Be better...” trailing off as we parted ways with the closing of the door.

I made my way back to the room; the room where my night started with tears. I started to put the key in and stopped. I knocked softly with one hoof, and Nyota opened the door. Inside he had pushed two of the beds together, and our sleeping bags were zipped together. He walked back and hopped on the new twin beds in one smooth motion. “I figured this would be okay.” he said as I closed the door. “If you'd rather not share a bedroll, I can fix it.”

I looked at the two beds then the bed roll, and slowly I trotted up to the bedside and smirked at him. “I feel like if I said no it would be strange, considering I slept on your back most of the way here.” The sound of bed springs as Nyota moved to the edge of the bed unnerved me. It made my skin crawl and I wanted to back away. Something about seeing the swirl striped zebra's hooves extended to me helped me stay, and removed the dread that filled me when I heard the springs protest.

“Sunny, there is a difference between exhaustion from needing to heal and willingly sleeping in the same bed.” He nuzzled against my cheek and stroked my mane lovingly, “I will understand either way. Would you like help up?” I stared into his eyes, both of them, one natural—a sweet welcoming blue—and the other a wonderful gaze into the essence of the cosmos. I saw what looked like a comet streak across his eye and slam into another, creating a spark that I swore started a hundred thousand new lives. I couldn't look away, and my hooves moved on their own and grabbed onto his.

Nyota moving his head to nuzzle me again brought me back to reality and made me speak to him. “Nyota, you've been a perfect gentlecolt since we woke up in that pool. You've helped me, watched my back, and not once have you done anything to make me think you were not a genuine friend. I trust you.”

It didn't mean a whole lot to me, considering I gave benefit of the doubt to every pony. I trusted them all easily, but Nyota was different. I wouldn't trust a random wastelander with my life, but if Nyota asked me to let go and fall from a cliff, I would do it. He smiled at me and gripped my hooves to help move me up beside him. “One thing I remember being taught was the difference in fillies and colts, and my parents would damn me to ages of torment if I ever took advantage of a mare. Especially my closest friend I'd ever made.” He added the last part for good measure and started to pull me up. I took advantage of the moment, though, and dove forward.

My lips met his and I held myself there, embracing him this time. We held the kiss and used it to move me onto the bed. My ears perked up at the noise the bed springs made, but I kept going. Nyota tried to pull away and I kept holding our embrace as long as a pony could. My heart fluttered, my eyes closed, and I let Nyota guide me forward. Nothing in all the wasteland could separate us, and that is what mattered in that moment. Then, when I was forced to pull away to breath, a squeak of the bed made me freeze.

My heart pounded with a compound mix of fear and exhilaration. I couldn't decide if I wanted another kiss or to flee the room. Nyota blushed at me and just sat still, watching me. He didn't move, and then his hoof patted my Stable 43 bedroll, “Come on, Sunrise, I promise I won't let you come to harm while I am here.” He drew me into another kiss, holding me there as his hooves guided me into the sleeping bag. Each crinkle brought a set of goosebumps that were driven back by a flush of blood rushing to my cheeks and body. When it was all done, I was in the sleeping bag along with Nyota, pressed close to him as the kiss released.

“I-I...I'll hold you to that. Nyota, thank you, I want you to know you are more beautiful than you ever give yourself credit.” My head was pressed to his chest, up against the place where he had his scar. Nyota just kept stroking my mane reassuringly as we sat perfectly still, other than the butterflies in my stomach and his soft gentle touch. “Especially your eye. You choose to cover it, but it is one of the most wonderful things I've seen since I woke up. Just like the zebra it's attached to.”

“If it were anypony else saying that, I wouldn't believe it. But you're uncharacteristically honest and straight forward.” I could tell the extra care he took in moving to make the mattress be quiet. “It's quite refreshing, honesty like that, and your drive to be better. It is so rare in the wasteland to have friends like those we have close.”
I pressed my head into his chest and slowly nuzzled up against him till I opened my eyes again and looked up into his own. It was so strange, like looking at two different zebras with our noses splitting my vision. Like a mirror, or two brothers, because of his different eyes.

“Whooo... I'm going to commit this one to memory. It's a face I hope you wake up to more often!” Pink exclaimed, rolling into view, but a quick mental slap and she left my view. I wanted to reach my PipBuck and cut the HUD off but couldn't. I just maneuvered it clear of us and put a pillow between it and both of us.

“I'm glad to have friends I'd take bullets for, just wish I didn't have to.” I paused and considered his words, letting them sink in along with the kisses we had just shared. “I agree, I value your friendship... but you had to go and call me cute.”
Nyota groaned and stopped stroking my mane, “That is true. Cute, desirable, intelligent, and easy to get along with. You didn't mind me being quiet and distant, and when I opened up,” Nyota kissed my forehead and turned his words into the softest whisper, “you didn't turn me away. You embraced me instead.”

“Nyota, what do you expect from me? I mean, I could never imagine ponies referring to me as an angel, much less that I would choose to have something closer than friendship with what others called a demon.” Nyota placed a hoof against my mouth to make me still and quiet again.

“I don't expect anything, Sunny.” He gave the most honest reassuring smile he could muster right then. “The only thing I know is that I want to be with you. Whatever the future holds, one day I'd like to be your mate, if you'll have me. Beyond that, I want to help you on your path and keep you safe.” He pulled the bed rolls up over my shoulder and patted my neck softly. “Maybe warm when I can, too.”

“At least you promised no more suicidal attacks; otherwise, we wouldn’t have something so wonderful. I'd like to have you around long enough to really decide that.” I looked at him and the blush never left my cheeks. I could see in his blue eye a reflection of how I looked: white around my cheeks and neck from blushing. In his spiritually awakened eye, I saw something else, deeper, like looking at a soul. Me with a pair of wings and a halo, holding a shotgun. I floated in the air in that eye, my hooves blackened along with a spot on my chest, while the halo looked battered, like it might fall off. His voice brought me away from the vision and back to reality.

“I will keep that promise, so long as you do.” Nyota stopped as I yawned and nestled against the warm stallion breast in front of me.

A smile spread across my face, as I found one more thing to say to him. “At least long enough that, when I'm ready, I have to explain to my parents that their grand foals might be zonies.” My memories flood forward as my body let exhaustion take it. I couldn’t fight it, I was too tired. Simply put, one moment I was looking at my PipBuck clock past Nyota’s head. The next, I was somewhere else staring at a clock with a very similar digital readout.

The clock struck midnight as I was left outside the door inside the Ministry of Morale. Celestia and her royal guards were gone, and only Silver Zoom and two guards remained. They had escorted us clear of the onlookers, and the princess’s presence alone had kept me silent. I could see the Pinkie Eye cameras trained on us from two different angles. There was an earth pony in full power armor, 51-B style, painted in bright obnoxious pink with white M.O.M. letters across their flanks. I couldn't see what weapons they had, as those were concealed inside the armor plated saddle bags. The door opened and I shuddered at the sight.

A pink earth pony with a very fluffy, curly mane and tail with streaks of white running through it showing her age was standing there. Three ponytron robots stood at attention nearby as she looked down at me, then to Silver Zoom. “Sliver, you were not supposed to bring her right up to me.”

Silver Zoom nodded and gave a sharp salute with his wing, “I apologize Pinkie, but there was an incident at the gala, attention was brought to us, as well as Octavia. I was forced to have agent 17 act and put the target into the spotlight.” I looked between them, utterly confused. Wait, I remember this, I was the target—
“I have a name, you two know? It would be nice if you used it,” the sound of my voice brought their conversation to a halt and Pinkie Pie looked down at me.

“Right,” she turned and began to bounce towards a desk at the far end of the room. Now that the much larger Pinkie Pie was out of the way, I could see the room. It was covered from one end to the other in ornate oak.

Pictures of the six ministry mares decorated her walls. The desk lacked a computer all together, instead only having rows of notepads on it. An ornate stained glass window of Luna with the six ministry mares holding the ground she walked upon guarded the outside world. On the desk next to Pinkie Pie were rows of tins marked P.T. Mint-Als. She opened a tin and tossed one of the small, pink pills into her mouth, crunching down upon it.

I saw dozens of books in shelves that were built into the walls, some marked with labels that said: 'For Review' and others 'Not for Public'. Silver Zoom nudged my flank and urged me forward. My vision rested on him. “What do you mean, put me on the spotlight?”

Silver Zoom took a brief moment and stared off into space for a bit, then his vision returned to the present. “Agent 17 is a unicorn, she implanted a suggestion to you, so we could get out of there. If anything, we would have preferred to not be noticed. Agent 17 informs me the suggestion was to slip away though, not challenge Celestia.”

“Yes, but you were nearly compromised, and suspicion is going to be heightened with tonight's activities,” Pinkie Pie replied, and continued to look over her hooves at us, judging us and re-evaluating the judgment everytime we moved or spoke.

“Octavia's outburst put us into the position before I could escort the target into the crowd. Agent 17 requested a course of action, that course was to implant a suggestion for the subject to move and act. Instead of withdrawing though, Agent 17 informs me she sought to challenge the princess. I am unsure why.” They both turned their attention to me and stared, like I was supposed to give some response to an unspoken question.

“I just acted, okay? What do you mean, implanted a suggestion? Are you talking about mind control? Besides, I couldn't just let anypony bully somepony who was already in distress.” Pinkie Pie held up a hoof to stop me speaking. The room grew quiet, and I wanted to fume at this mare, the very mare responsible for 9 and the things she had done to me so far. I remember this meeting, how you didn't lift a hoof to stop it yet. You should have, damn you, Pink. We're gonna talk about this when I wake up!

Pinkie sat down, slowly pressing her forehooves together and then releasing them as the door closed by itself behind us. I took a few more steps and her hoof made a motion to stop both of us. “Stable resident 043-014, commissioned there by special request of Applebloom herself.” The way Pinkie Pie spoke it invoked a sense of pure fear and a compulsion to answer her all at once. I nodded to her. “Wandering Sunrise is your name, and what I will call you so long as you are a good pony. Tell me, Sunrise, has agent 9 interrogated you?”

Something about Pinkie Pie's face made it obvious her questions were redundant. She was reading into everything around her deeper than you could ever read a book. She knows the answers to these questions. I didn't know, then, but she knew every answer before she ever asked! “I-I—”

A hoof slammed onto the desk and the Pink Pony stood up, forehooves on the desk, leaning across the heavy polished oak, and shouted with a voice the shrilled into the night, “You listen and you listen good! I know what you are going to say before you say it! I am always watching!" Her eyes darted out of her head unnaturally at me and caused my skin to crawl at the sight. "And right now, you need me to investigate Agent 9. If I'm going to investigate 9, you're going to answer my questions truthfully and directly. Or you can get out of my office and stop wasting my time!”

Something inside snapped, like the memory coming unraveled. I realized, this entire conversation actually happened and what came next was as surreal as meeting Celestia herself. I bolted across the room and slammed both forehooves of my own onto the desk. I had to use my rear hooves to reach her height, but I got into Pinkie Pie's face and glared into those pink eyes. “You listen to me! I'm sick and tired of this! My parents are tortured because they've seen me hurt! I haven't even seen mom since I tried to sneak into dad's shop!”

I paused, and heated breath after heated breath rolled over her snout as I felt, for the first time, the raw rage building up and needed to be unleashed. This time it was only with words, but the first time was the most peaceful. “9, was it? Yes, that mare interrogated me, she tortured me, along with 81 and 77. They helped her!” I shouted at Pinkie Pie, who was slowly sitting down in her chair while Silver Zoom finally caught up to me. He'd been stunned by my initial bolting forward, the ponytrons not vaporizing me and now my screaming.

I may be a small earth pony, but ain't no pegasus going to convince me to back down. “So yes, Pinkie Pie, do you want the details about how Applebloom said I was off limits, about how my dad flew me here tonight all the way from Stalliongrad because he was worried, or—”

Pinkie Pie put a hoof up to my lips—not in my mouth but just up to them—to silence me. Silver Zoom finally yanked me down and into the seat and snorted at me as the room grew quiet. Pinkie just kept slowly pushing her hooves together and then rubbing her temples, as her eyes started to come alive with other thoughts and processed what I'd said. “I'm doing an internal affairs investigation of abuse of power. 9 is the highest ranking agent of the Ministry of Morale whom may be abusing her position.”

She pointed a hoof out to me and even touched my nose with it, “You are my star witness. As such, Silver Zoom's retirement from the Wonderbolts is being played up as an injury. He is being assigned to Stalliongrad.” Silver Zoom stood up and pushed his chest out with another winged salute at Pinkie Pie, then he looked at me.

“He is assigned as Special Party Pony number 22. S.P.P.'s report directly to me and only to me. His job will be to supervise the situation and keep me informed until we have enough evidence to discredit and move on 9. Silver Zoom, by consuming this badge, you become my newest SPP.” She passed a badge across the table to him, which he took into his mouth and then folded it in half. With a gulp, it eased down his throat, and even I could feel the magic slowly echo from the pegasus and fill the room. He glowed with a pink aura for just a few moments, then returned to his normal self.
“Sunrise, I need you to work for us simply by continuing to be who you are.” Pinkie Pie leaned across the table and smiled, “Your father will be waiting for you. Hand him this note.” The aged earth mare pulled out a note from seemingly thin air. “It has quite a few bits attached, as well as instructions for him to return to Stalliongrad tomorrow.

“You are to continue to investigate what he has been doing and why,” she paused and looked away, out the window that I couldn't see out of at all. “Silver Zoom, use the recollector to get her memories, but do not harm her. Make sure Sunrise keeps those memories and make sure 9 has nothing to suspect.” She turned her head just to see us out of one eye and after glaring one to the other finished, “Do not disappoint me.”

Silver Zoom produced a crown-looking device with several memory orbs on it, all of them completely clear and unused as of yet. They lacked that subtle mist that swirled inside the ones already filled. Suddenly, I was lost to the black mist of sleep as the recollector was placed upon my head and reality warped to collect the memory. I guess a ponies mind is not able to inception a memory within a memory, is it?

Level Progress - 22% to Level 7

SPECIAL Reveal! - Charisma - 6 (7 in Armor) (5 Base + 1 For Pinkie's Disarming Gift)