“I suspect the Soviets never did want to use those bombs. The most Stalinist of Soviet hard-liners — Stalin, for example — must have realized a nuclear war would be a hard thing to clean up after.”
- P.J. O’Rourke.

I stood in the mud, Breakfast Blend’s headless body lying in the dirt and grime under me. Why did it have to come to this? Why couldn’t we just talk this out? My light kept the area so picture-perfectly illuminated for us. Scopola Mina checked around us for of Breakfast Blend’s troops. No more showed up. Nyota emerged from a tent limping, Quick Stitch was on him already working on his injured leg; two bullets were pulled from him and I could hear the bone setting inside.

I started reloading my weapons, putting more grenades into my bandoleer and finding places for us to take cover. We used the shell hole with the landmines surrounding it to hole up in; waiting. Tension built between us in the silence. “You beat the boss! You won! What don’t you get about that?” Pink exclaimed out loud and I growled at her.

It’s not a video game or a board game! That isn’t how this works! I growled back. I knew what soldiers during the war felt like on the frontline; the waiting was worse than fighting. Nyota was the first to press a hoof onto my shoulder.

I turned to him and he smiled at me, “I think we did it, they aren’t coming.” We waited another 10 minutes, bringing us up to a full hour since I killed The Goddess with a Gun. I climbed out of the foxhole and a small force of The Roof’s militia approached us, with Alguacil at its head.

“Sunrise, we’ve scouted th’ siege lines, thy’re surrend’ring or retreatin’ on all sides.” Alguacil smiled, and honestly it was still just as disturbing to see on the first one. I smiled back and looked at the rest of my friends. Alguacil stepped further into the light, showing his cheek was cut deeply and his right wing was wrapped in bandages. Chifundo had a cast, split, and crutch on his left foreleg.

Quick Stitch gave a weary smile and snorted, “I’ll get to work fixing them.”

Nyota stopped him, “No, let me do traditional medicine. You get a break; you’ve saved enough lives tonight.” He started to protest and found out what zebra hoof tasted like. I was beaming and smiling at someone else learning that flavor.

“Scopola, help me gather supplies and bury the dead. Chifundo, start giving last rites to those you can. Everyone else, bury bodies or get us some carts to make sure we salvage everything we can.” I looked up at them, my long smile beaming in the night. “We’ve got rebuildling to do.”

Cartloads of stuff were hauled in. Weapons, food, armor, salvage, scrap, medical supplies, you name it; we salvaged it. In addition to this, six carts that contained trees with words on the cart: “Defend with your Life” or “Future of Equestria” inscribed on them. Franz came out to help us and in the commotion, I lost track of Breakfast Blend, The Goddess with a Gun, and her weapon. None of us were sure who buried her or where her grave was.

None of the former Goddess soldiers had proper name tags. Some of them did have wasteland style dog tags and we used those for names on their gravemarkers. No one got a mass grave, I saw to that; we made a proper graveyard. All of us were outside working until nearly 10am. It wasn’t pretty or glamourous. It was work that had to be done.

Nyota insisted we all check into the medical ward once we had finished. “You’re going to get rest, Sunrise, after all of us get medical check ups. Healing potions are only good for emergencies.” He paused and hugged me as we approached the ward doors.

We didn’t get inside though, Blood Work burst out and started yelling, “Picline! COME QUICK! He’s AWAKE!” Nyota and I staggered out of his way. I stared at him incredibly confused. “PICLINE!!!” Blood Work called out sounding as though he would shoot his voice out if he did it again.

Picline stumbled down the streets of The Roof towards us and through the door. We followed and the medical ward was surprisingly quiet. Scopola Mina pushed ahead of us. The first words that filled the room were from an unknown voice. “Hey, mom. How are you?”

Picline squealed at the top of her lungs and we watched her launch herself into Wicker, her patient from earlier. Scopola Mina stood next to them marveling at both of them. Nyota grabbed me and started to try to pull us out of the hospital, then I knocked over an IV stand. I’m such a clutz!

Picline was on top of us within moments and hugged Nyota tightly while holding a scalpel near his head in her telekinesis. “You saved my boy and he’s awake!” Nyota looked incredibly uncomfortable as he stared at the scalpel and then rolled his eye back at Picline nervously as she held onto him. I gently patted Picline on the shoulder. Chifundo took the opportunity to gather the scalpels from her TK field, as well as her nurse bandoleer.

When they finally separated, Picline didn’t have the usual wild look or forced happiness in her eyes. She was glowing and smiling from ear to ear. “You brought one of my babies back. Thank you.” Nyota looked completely surprised and then glanced at me with an expression that was begging for me to save him.

“Picline, maybe you should go spend some time with him.” I suggested while stroking her mane. She turned her head, slowly releasing Nyota’s neck. “Nyota and I need to see a doctor and make sure we’re patched up.” I helped pull her away then Chifundo took over, guiding Picline back to her son. Picline was already talking with Scopola Mina and they were laughing; well out of earshot to hear what they were laughing about.. I smiled, I couldn’t hear the conversation but Scopola Mina was glowing, and that was a new sight.

Nyota leaned over to kissed my cheek. I snapped my head to make sure he caught my lips instead with a surprised look on his face. Out of the corner of my eye, Scopola Mina was staring at us; not with envy but something else I couldn’t quite place. “Oh yes, all Filly Scouts are such voyeurs.” I flushed immediately at Pinks comment before we headed to the line of creatures seeking to get examined who did not have critical injuries.

I was busy looking through the various pieces of equipment we had recovered. I had taken off most of my armor, save for my Stable-Suit and its built in plating. There was a lot of ‘spoils’ to even start to inventory. Hans and Franz were approaching from outside. Picline and Blood Work had insisted we take first pick of the salvage. Chifundo took the battle rifle that had shot Alguacil. It was a freshly manufactured A1 Grand Apple. I’m excited to see if it pings like the stories about it.

I took the two gauss weapons, going to use the parts for fixing up ‘Celestia’s Hammer’. I did not see Breakfast Blend’s gun at all; no one had. Several other parts and bits of scrap were taken here and there in order for us to repair armor, weapons, and for me to make new explosives.

Franzpone arrived being helped by Hanshoof to find direction. He had a massive bandage around his head. "Hey, Kumpel, danke Dir ! Wo willst Du den ganzen Bergungsschrott hin?"

Hanshoof shook his head and sighed, “Zere is some brain damage, he is having trouble with Ponish so we resort to speaking Germane.” Hanshoof hugged me, and then Nyota as he was helping carry away the pieces we were taking with us. “He wishes to say, zank you, Frauline. He wishes to know where to put this load; it is the last of their things we cleaned up.”

I hugged them both back, gently. It was strange to be out of my armor and safe. My armor plating was all up in Mad Mac’s workshop being repaired or in states of disassembly. When I left, Mad Mac was still counting the hits and determining the amount of plating we’d need to replace. I took some coffee and Nyota walked away with the pieces of scrap. “Anywhere really; it all belongs to The Roof. Did you find The Goddess’s gun?”

“Nein, frauline. But we did find four of zier AA guns that were not destroyed. I still cannot believe you saved mein brother.” He pulled out a large caliber round in his massive hoof. It looked small for him and his muscles but when he passed it to me, it was half the size of my shotgun. ‘40mm Flak’ was engraved onto the side and bottom of the round was the symbol for H&K.

I took a long drag of my coffee, taking a step away from the piles of salvage and looked it over, “I am glad to disappoint you. You said four of them?” I looked at the piles of weapons and noticed some wagons containing trees with several pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables spilling out.

“Ja, four of them in double sets, with mounting and everything!” Hanzhoof was extremely excited as he spoke. “It may even make me take up learning to shoot; they are big enough for me to get pumped up moving ze bullets!”

Then I saw the eight total 40mm barrels with their muzzle breaks poking up out of the pile, each one attached to another, making four total guns. “Well, The Roof has some heavy firepower now.”

“Sunrise, what about those fruity tooties; that looks fresh! And Untainted!” I shook my head and looked at Pink slightly upset.

I will deal with it later. It’s food for us, for now.I finished collecting parts and offered Hanshoof and Franzpone a cup of coffee, which they enjoyed

“Alguacil! Where are you?” I knew that voice as I heard it over the commotion and we turned in the direction of a very upset griffoness. “Stormy Gailforce is going to make you keep that promise!” The regulator stormed up to me, talons scratching at the concrete under her. “Where is he?”

I shrugged and shook my head, “Sorry Sweetie, my guess would be The Roof, but I haven’t seen him since we were burying bodies.” I looked down at my hooves, covered in mud and grime still from the work. We had completely ruined Quick Stitch’s impromptu cleaning earlier and would need proper baths soon.

While Franzpone was sorting the cart to empty the scrap into various piles of guns, armor, food, medical, or other; Hanshoof offered me an open box. “We found zese, and they are amazing!” I looked up to see a half-eaten box of fresh donuts. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“You found them?” I asked, touching one and finding the glaze was still gooey. “I was hoping for ice cream one day, but I’ll take a donut instead.”

“What is ice cream?” Hanshoof asked with a puzzled look upon his face. I stared at him, stunned, and nearly lost the grasp on my donut.

I shook my head and sighed, “Right, 180 years and no refrigeration. Maybe I’ll find some that isn’t expired one day and tell you.” The donut put me back in time, back to a place that I had long since missed.

I was sitting in an ice cream shop on a stool at the bar. In front of me was the glass that shielded the display refrigerator. Rows of colors made of flavourful ice cream lined the frigde from end to end. My dad, Rainbowrise, sat on one side of me and on the other, Shadow Window, my mother.

They were beamingly happy. Slowly I realized where this memory was, it was 15th birthday. Just before I was due to start my final year of high school. The war still waged outside of Stalliongrad, but the defenses and defenders had nearly completely broken the siege. Only one flank of the city still had siegeworks and trench lines on it.

Creamy Treat was working behind the counter and looked at both of my parents, “It has been a long time since I was allowed to go beyond just a few flavors, much less something this elaborate.” He slid the cake up to me, and started lighting the two candles, one was in the shape of the number 1 and the other the number 5. “I would say ‘there ya go, filly’ but you’re a little mare, now, aren’t you?” Creamy Treat teased as he slid the cake across the counter.

“That’s the first ice cream cake I’ve served in fifteen years. For you, young mare; you deserve it.” He said rather happily. There was a gleam in his eye, like a master craftsman had just made something truly special and was waiting for the client to react.

I reached up with a white hoof and white leg. Wait, I’m, I’m me again. There isn’t anything terrible here is there Pink? Pink remained silent and absent. The memory just played before my eyes.

“We know you don’t have your mark yet and your destiny is uncertain.” Dad said before he nuzzled up against my ear and kissed my forehead. “But you mean so much to us; we wanted you to know whenever you get your mark; we’ll support whatever it is.”

Mom tapped my shoulder with her hoof and I turned towards her. She was still wearing her field medic kit, just in case. Nothing had happened for over a month if I remembered correctly. The zebras couldn’t penetrate the shield anymore and were being gradually pushed back. “Wandering Sunrise, hun, the war will be over soon and then finally you can see what peace is like.”

I felt a warmth surge through me. I feeling of pure delight and joy. I had heard what peace was; but never seen the city I lived in, Stalliongrad, be at peace. I looked at the cake and beamed as I reached across and touched the tray it was on.

“Go on, Little Wanderer, make a wish.” Dad whispered in my ear and my heart skipped a beat as I blew out the candles. I remembered the special dinner we’d had, a bowl of ramen with tofu; real tofu. I had been so used to the more bland food we could get; that my stomach was still protesting it. Now I had this lovely cake made of ice cream in front of me. I couldn’t remember the last time I even had ice cream much less a cake made of it.

Dad cut the first piece and I could see the cake melting around the knife. He laid it before me and smiled. Dad looked over my head at Shadow Window with a very loving glaze in his eyes. I understand that look now, it's how I look at Nyota. They both waited for me to taste ice cream cake for the first time in my life. I knew the looks would mean me going to my room early tonight but I didn’t care, my mouth approached the piece of cake.

I took a bite, and the frosting was like donut glaze. The ice cream itself was hard then soft, almost like a layer of whipped cream was between two pieces of an ice cream sandwich. There were hard pieces of cookie chocolate chips, frozen harder giving it a crunch and something to chew. All while letting it melt in my mouth. I was genuinely in heaven, this was the best birthday ever.

Just me, my parents, a day out, no worries about the war. A celebration was in the air. The newspapers reported over land routes into and out of the city were established. The zebras were falling back and for the first time in eleven years; Stalliongrad could breathe a sigh of relief. The city shield wasn’t constantly under hammering and I noticed the other ponies walked lighter in their steps or even congregated in the street together.

The magical tunnel restrictions no longer in place; since the first train arrived. The war was on the horizon but we knew the zebras would no longer be able to threaten our city with conquest. I could get used to this, peace thing if it meant ice cream cakes and tofu at least once a month.

And this is the part where the memory ends, at least this time. By the way, I had a tummy ache for two days from the amount of that cake I ate. Yes, it was that good.

I was back at The Roof with Hanzhoof waving a hoof in front of my face. I looked at the donut, then up at Hanzhoof. It was in that moment, I knew why I had that memory. I’ll never see ice cream ever again will I? I’ll never know what that peace thing actually is, will I? I started to tear up and dropped the donut on the asphalt floor.

My heart sank to my hooves. “Nyota, zebra friend, come zere. Your mare is upset.” Hanzhoof called. I was staring at the floor, the donut on it as tears dropped from my eyes and bounced off of it. Everything felt wrong as Nyota’s hooves came into view, he lifted my chin and tilted his head.

“Sunny, hun, what’s wrong?” He started to wipe the tears from my eyes and I shook my head, pulling away just a bit.

“Sorry, the donut is delicious; it reminded me of something special. Now I feel like something special can never happen.” Nyota and Hanzhoof looked at each other confused, then back at me.

“Sunny, what is it you miss so much?” Nyota asked and stroked my mane as he pulled me close into a hug.

“Something I never had or knew; peace.” I whispered into his ear through sniffles and holding in the need to pour out all my emotions.

“I can help you find inner peace, Sunny.” Nyota whispered back, his voice trying to reassure me but he was missing the point.

“No, Nyota. Not that sort of peace.” I pulled away and looked at him, Hanzhoof had recovered the donut and was dusting it off. “Peace from war is what I meant. I have never known it; I was born when the war started. I went into the stable when the war ended. I woke up to find this place a battlefield at every turn. I have never known what peacetime is like.” I inhaled and tried to talk more but my lips quivered, my emotions wouldn’t be held back anymore. Instead what came out was a wail of anguish and loss. I pushed my head into his chest and balled my eyes out, matting his fur and letting my heart bleed out. I needed to let this out and he was content to just stroke my mane and let me.

Dad’s dream, mom’s hope that I would see peace; gone forever. Why? Why is all this stolen from me?

A voice I’d never heard before in the back of my mind spoke up. “Because ponies are fuck ups. They don’t know when they have a good thing and their greed is the reason you live in this hellhole. Admit it, ponies are awful and you should fight for what you want and screw the rest of them.” I shuddered and stopped my weeping at the voice. I felt this sudden need to beat it down and shove it back into its cage.

No, it has to be better than that. We have to be better, go back into your cage! I felt Pink helping me put that thing in my mind back into a locked box; removing its presence and ability to keep speaking.

I looked into Nyota’s eyes and he smiled, “It’s okay, Sunny. It’s okay, you’ll get there, we will get there. I like the sound of that. And maybe a couple of little ones on a peaceful farm.” I just solemnly nodded at him as Hanzhoof offered me the donut with a bite out of it.

“It is dusted off fer you, frauline.” I smiled and took it into a hoof, still hugging Nyota and slowly eating the sweet cake treat.

Nyota kept patting me and somehow the donut was more comforting now. I kept still and Nyota just softly patted my back; lovingly rubbing on me and never leaving my side. Alguacil started to walk past us with a set of ears on a string; ears recently removed from their owners.

I jumped up and stopped him from walking into The Roof. He looked at me confused with a raised eyebrow. “No, you are not turning those in; return them to their bodies.”

“Sunrise, it’s my job! How else do ya expect me to make my caps?” Alguacil squawked back defensively and started to push me aside.

“Alguacil, no, not like this. No one should profit off the death of others. You and I both know it’s wrong and we’ve got plenty of payment here!” I pushed through his talon, the tears starting to return while my blood ran hot.

Alguacil took a step back and then tried to walk around. I stepped up between him and the doorway. “No, Alguacil, I’m not giving an inch on this. There is a difference in holding up the law and exploiting it for greed. Put. Them. Back!”

Nyota came up to me and started to try to pull me aside. Alguacil stared at me, both perplexed and surprised how mad I was. He had an expression that you get when you expect someone to strike you to prove their point. “Come on, Sunrise, it isn’t worth it. Let him have his bounties, even if it is in poor taste.”

“Sunrise! You need to come see this!” It was Quick Stitch and Scopola shouting at me from the door. I stared at them perplexed, then motioned to Alguacil to indicate I was busy. They shook their heads and insistently motioned me closer. I sighed and grimaced at Alguacil with an expression to indicate that we would discuss this later.

I walked up to them and Quick Stitch levitated a pair of binoculars in front of me. I looked out and he pointed with his hoof towards something in the distance that shimmered. In the very small clearing, I could see find a small, freshly and hastily made wreath of various exotic flowers. In the center, there was a burned out candle. Out in front, a single cut pink rose. Between the rose and the wreath, a small folded piece of paper.

A wreath? In the middle of nowhere? Why? “What in the world?”

I looked at both of them and they just shrugged. I started to gather my gear and put on my armor. “Sunrise, it could be a trap.”

I nodded, “Probably, but we can’t just leave it out there without checking it.” I checked my shotgun. Most of my body armor was still being repaired, so all I would have is the underlying armored stable-suit.

“Come on, get your stuff together. We just saved this settlement.” I pulled my helmet on and looked up at my friends. Alguacil approached us seeing me dressing for combat. “I won’t lose it to some random token in the distance, or have the remnants we didn’t capture start being raiders.”

Nyota nodded and slipped on his brass shoes. I smiled at him. “Nyota, disappear and scout ahead for us. Scopola, keep me covered. Alguacil, do a flyby. Quick Stitch, get the medical team ready just in case. Chifundo, get up top with your new rifle.” There was a pause as my friends all looked at me and I held up the officer’s manual I’d been reading every night before the siege. “I’ve started applying what’s in this book. Now, let’s get going.”

We arrived and stared at the wreath from a hole in the ground. One that we had probably blown the night before considering the camp ruins around us were burned to a crisp. The smell of long-since-burnt corpses hung in the air and made me gag. Nyota appeared and jumped into the hole, giving myself and Scopola a start. I turned to him with a relieved sigh, happy that we weren’t being ambushed in melee in our own fox hole.Honestly, I nearly turned and shot him.

“Jumpy much?” Nyota teased with a broad grin at my half-raised shotgun.

“Wouldn’t you be? I have to remember even if I can’t see you; you’re there.” I sighed and hugged him, then look a step back, “So, how is it?”

“Well, it isn’t trapped; no explosives, no mines, no surprises, nothing. I’ve been checking it for half an hour just to be sure.” I nodded to him and slowly emerged from fox hole, approaching the wreath. Inside was a note. I grabbed it and began to read it aloud:

“Heroes. Breakfast Blend.”

I stared at the writing in disbelief. I killed you! Quick Stitch approached and looked at me, then at Scopola, “I think Chifundo and I have some explaining to do.”

“You What?!”

Back at The Roof, Quick Stitch and Chifundo gathered nearby, both of them looking at me, then at each other. Finally Quick Stitch signed and nodded at me, “So the box we found is a soul jar, according to Chifundo, and has an unholy amount of magic in it.” He paused and gulped. “Dark magic; magic that requires blood sacrifice to activate. But it’s all healing magic I don’t understand.”

“Why do you not understand it?” I asked leaning up at the pause is his sentence. He spoke as though I should understand this but I was not a unicorn; I did not use their magic spells.

“Dark Healing Magic shouldn’t exist. It should be necromancy but it’s not. It is genuinely healing magic that required blood of another to create.” Quick Stitch nodded to me with an expression of a teacher catching a student who didn’t do their homework.

Was he testing my knowledge of magic? Wait. I hesitated with my next question. “How much blood did they use?” I knew blood for magic required it to be fresh, fresh from some creature still alive. Quick Stitch didn’t respond and the pregnant pause in the room built a tension. Every second implied heavier and heavier for the sacrificer of the blood, to be dead because of our boxes that kept us alive.

“Wait, are you saying it’s a blood ritual to heal? That is something from my tribe; something forbidden.” Nyota spoke up, saving Quick Stitch from answering the question as well as our sanity. stepping forward and pressing a hoof against Quick Stitch.

“What we did was suspect, we were unsure was correct. With Breakfast Blend’s resurrection, we can now confirm the connection.” Chifundo explained then motioned to Quick Stitch.

“Before I found you all, I woke up in a shallow grave. Not sure how I got there, at a burned out farmstead with a mess of dead radroaches and a cow pony hat pinned under a rock.” My blood ran cold, so cold that I physically began to shake and shiver. “Chifundo and I kept that from you for fear of how you would react, but I surmised I wasn’t there by accident.”

“You...you woke up in Buddy’s grave? How?” My brain was trying to process it all and I couldn’t pin it down.

Pink rolled into view and pointed at me, “You’ve been dead twenty-seven times! You’re around 180 years later! This makes perfect sense as to why you can’t STAY DEAD! You’re like a zombie but a million times better!” Everything grew distant, my body felt numb. I kept trying to put the pieces together but the puzzle refused to stay.

Nyota hugged me, stopping my mind from racing. The feeling of his touch restored some warmth to my body. His smell of sandalwood over the sweat and gunpowder brought my mind back to the present. I reached up and hugged him back. “Okay, so walk me through this. The boxes inside us resurrect us, but not always as the same pony.”

Quick Stitch pulled out a book. It contained the x-rays from Silver Fang. “These four are our boxes.” Quick Stitch used his telekinesis to hold up and light the x-rays so I could see them. He held up the box we had received from corners; it was no bigger than the donut I’d just eaten. “All uniform in size and design to this one. Now,” he pulled out a fifth x-ray and held it up separate from the others; then slowly layered it over.

This one x-ray had a larger box with a different rune engraved on the side. It wasn’t so much larger that it dwarfed it, it was just large enough that you could tell it was bigger than the other one. “This larger one is yours, Sunrise. I suspect the reason it is larger is because it only contains one soul instead of many, but it has to keep that soul intact and resurrect it with all the memories of the previous lives.”

“Wait, what? Then why can’t I remember anything?” I asked. Quick Stitch shrugged and looked at Chifundo. Pink giggled and I turned my attention to the pony only I could see.

“You asked me to start over, so that is why. NOW stop scratching at the walls! You’re almost further than you’ve ever been before! You’re going to ruin the surprise, and the frosting on the cake to boot!” I wanted to scream at her but in that moment, with a pop in my ears, Pink was gone. I could feel her hiding in the back of my mind but not see her. It was like knowing someone was in the house but you can’t find them.

Quick Stitch touched my shoulder, “Maybe after so many times, the box resets or something was done to it.”

Chifundo stepped forward, “Pinkamenia Diane Pie, would be the one in this lie.” We all turned to him, rather perplexed. “Just as you, I can hear her, it is a part of being a spirit seer. If my history is remembered right, she created the memory orbs in which we delight.”

I nodded towards him as he continued, “The Ministry of Morale where that your father worked, Pink must be involved with this latest piece we’ve perked.” Pink was dead silent as we put all the pieces together. Chifundo was right; it explained so much, but the power of resurrecting the dead? That was still something beyond what should be possible. The puzzle pieces were fitting better but still not holding. I resolved to put it to the back of my mind.

“Alright, well, it’s a good theory, but till we physically see a creature get up after it’s dead, I don’t think we can really believe these boxes do that.” I managed through quivering lips and hesitant steps of logic.

Quick Stitch nodded, “I agree, but the circumstantial evidence is strong. I suggest we put this to the back of our minds until we finish cleaning up The Roof.”

We moved back inside with Scopola Mina taking apart the flower wreath for ingredients. I remembered something back from an old Stalliongrad Post paper. Something about zebras no longer leaving the memorial wreath at battlefields. The wreath was a throwback to that tradition, the two sides would leave a wreath for each other’s dead.

I looked at Scopola as she was taking apart the wreath, “Can you make a wreath of some sort and put it out there on the easel.” Scopola blinked at me a few times. I sighed, “It’s an old tradition before the war went too far; armies would leave wreath on the battlefield to commemorate their dead.”

Scopola Mina nodded to me and we resumed heading inside. I poured a fresh cup of coffee from the inn. I inhaled it and a slight tinge in me missed the drugged Filly Scout version. I watched as the mug heated and the image on it turned into a very Hearth’s Warming Eve scene, with snow and Fluttershy, leader of the Ministry of Peace, in a red and white reindeer outfit.

I fondly remembered the night we encountered Sandy Claws. My mind drifted to Corners, and I wondered where she was now. I wanted to know if perhaps I had been too harsh on her. My tail pulled out a shot of Med-X, and I licked my lips thinking about it. Thinking about the coolness it would bring, how I wouldn’t have to deal with these complex feelings. I almost said yes, if not for Nyota giving me a strange look as he poured his own cup of coffee.

“Sorry, I miss the tingle the Filly Scouts coffee gave us.” Nyota shook his head at me.

He reached across and placed a hoof against my own, “It’s addiction, Sunny. I remember what drugs were like; how it was to carry packages to get my money for my next high.” He leaned over and hugged me, setting our coffee cups down onto a table.

I pushed him back, “So how do I deal with it?”

Nyota smiled at me as reassuring as he could, “You come to me, we talk it out, I hold you through it, whatever it takes till your body doesn’t want it anymore.”

I sighed and sat down against him. He pressed against my back and held me as we slowly drank our coffee to prepare for a long night. It was night, and slowly the craving for the coffee went away. It was nice, his warmth drove away the chill. His touch stopped the goosebumps and instead made butterflies in my stomach. His voice stilled my heart from pounding in my head. The gentle rise and fall of his chest was like a magic that made the tingling pain in my back stop.

I had begun to understand why my parents looked at each other like they did. If I could have this every time I felt a crisis, everytime I felt like I needed support, I would do anything to keep it.

In the salvage were over 200 footlockers. I’d already decided we were only going to take useful gear. Any personal mementos, journals, anything else we would either put into the growing library here at The Roof or take out to bury with the bodies. We had to make a way to remember everyone here; let none of them have died meaningless deaths.

I have to atone for that bomb.

Alguacil found the contract for the Breakfast Club: Breakfast Blend, along with another 100 ponies, all had bounties on their heads. We’d only collected around eight of them. Apparently there was some break in their organization with Breakfast Blend and the rest of the club. Barista Foam had followed her on orders from some other Goddess to observe.

Inside the boxes was also the contract to work for Breakfast Blend, it offered 4 caps and 3 coffee beans a day; as well as a full diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, un-mutated by radiation or taint. This struck me particularly hard. Where is she getting the fresh fruit and veggies?

I listened to the music on my Pip-Buck until there was a record scratch and an interruption.

“HELLLOOO!!! Equestrian Wasteland! This is your pone with the most, the one with all the news and goings on; the only D-J Pon-3! Here today with some very important news that just came in from Las Pegasus.

“The army of The Goddess with a Gun is No More! It took an entire megaspell apparently from the one and only Angel with a Shotgun! That’s right, the Angel and Goddess with a Gun showdown happened at a place called The Roof. It apparently used to be a parking garage.

“Witnesses say it was as epic as you think it was. Like an old school Equestrian army versus Zebrican Legion battle to the bitter end, megaspell included. The Goddess’s army has been dissolved, surrendered or dead; with the Angel doing the unprecedented of creating and detonating a megaspell to save the town.

“I really advise you to go there now if you don’t believe me. I wish I could broadcast video evidence over a radio but ya know, limitations of technology. Now if you’ll excuse old Pon3 I’ve got a little song for you; all the way from Stalliongrad in honor of our angel.

It’s Called: Katyusha by one Starlight Glimmer.”

Everyone turned to face me, while I was stunned. I could feel my eyes physically widening in shock. How does he know already? I looked around, trying to find some pony with a camera or a memory capture spell active. I couldn’t see one.

They all view me as a hero, but if this is what a hero feels like; I don’t want it. I hesitantly reached down and turned the song down. It had been one of my favorites during the war, but for now this report was more of a shock than anything. I felt the coffee wearing off; fatigue setting in. The sudden rush of attention made me feel self conscious; starting to examine my body.

My eyes felt heavy and my body felt weary. I wanted out of the public, away from all the eyes that were now looking at me, idolizing me in some cases. I scrambled up to The Red Roof, the inn inside The Roof. My heart was pounding, my eyes were watery and my body shaking as I walked into our room. My vision was narrowed into a tunnel. I could feel my breathing getting shallow and my heart pounded against my skull.

Why do I feel so… I got into Nyota and my room; blackness said it was time to crash right there.

I woke up slowly, feeling Nyota’s leg across my bare chest. What, where am I? I turned and he slowly opened his eyes.

“Hey, Sunny. You passed out from exhaustion.” I blinked a few times and he nuzzled up against my cheek. “Comes with drug use and overcoming it. You stay awake because you need it.”

I hesitated and started to try to speak; I found the taste of his hoof in my mouth. “It’s okay, Picline and Blood Work said you’re going to be fine and agreed to keep it quiet that you passed out. You feeling better?”

I tried to move and my body responded by aching all over. My back, legs, neck, jaw, all felt like I’d been hit by a truck. I groaned in pain as half of me was really warm from being held facing Nyota, and the other half was just lukewarm from the blankets. “I guess not that great, why don’t I give you a massage before we start the day?”

My heart felt lighter at his offer and I nodded softly to him. If all of my days start with his massages, I think I will gladly stay in bed another hour.

Level 13 Progress - 0% HA! It's the start of Act IV and you just killed a boss; you think I'm giving you XP Now?