Author's Notes:

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“Remember, that after each person you can no longer speak with; YOU are the living legacy of everything to them. Every person you touch, every interaction anyone has with you, is a reflection of them. I ask you, would they stand beside you and go: “I am proud of you.” is the only question you must answer.”
-Fiaura’s Sensei for Kendo, T. Tokugawa, rest his soul.

I awoke rough, my body not wanting to move. The bed next to me was cold and no one was there. Alarm bells ringing, I sprang to my hooves and grabbed my shotgun. Without thinking, I was already pumping shells into it and racking them into the chamber. Bunny entered the room and jumped back, hearing the shotgun break with a loud yelp.

“Yah! Hey, it’s okay! Not gonna hurt you, please don’t shoot me!” Her stable barding pulled at a plate on her wing and it clattered to the ground. The food she had brought me was scattered across the floor and her ears twitched, just like Bodda Pett’s. Suddenly there was a tingle in the air as my PipBuck registered a single rad for the briefest of seconds. Then I felt the weight of a small rabbit against the back of my neck.

I looked at Bodda Pett then at Bunny then at Bodda Pett, then back to Bunny. The pegasus hybrid was shivering and covering her ears. She was terrified of me. I lowered the shotgun and put it onto the bed. She is so scared of me, and if she tried anything, Nyota’s training would kick in. I should fix this. I very hesitantly trotted up to her and pulled Bodda Pett from my back. With the tiny bunny in one hoof I held it up to the mare, Bunny. Oh no, this is gonna be confusing later talking without both of them here!

“You can open your eyes. Here, see he trusts me.” Bunny removed her hooves and wings from her eyes and looked up at Bodda in my hoof. “Go on, he likes to be pet and I promise he does not bite.” Bunny very slowly reached her hoof over and stroked the ears of Bodda who just purred in response. I noticed the small tiny claws that stuck out of her hoof, it had small pawlike indentions. I looked up at her barding and on this side I could see the yellow number, 112. Her barding was not nearly in as good a shape as mine. Then again, I know we had torn apart three or four stable-suits for repairs to mine.

“So what did they do to you in your stable?” I extended my hoof towards her, placing it gently onto her hybrid paw-hoof.

“No… nothing. Not like the others.” Her voice was shaky, still it was sweet; a kind of purity I only heard when I sang. “It was umm… just as promised.”

I tilted my head, confused by her odd appearance and she smiled, “My parents were a pegasus and a very fluffy diamond dog—well, sand dog now, I suppose. It’s why I look so strange.” All this while Bunny was petting a rabbit colored rabbit, made the sight all the more adorable.

I nodded very slowly, starting to understand that those were not exactly bunny ears, even if they were adorable. “Sunrise! Are you hitting on this pegasus girl now?”

What? No! I can give a compliment about cute or adorable without being attracted to them. Unlike you, PINK!

Pink looked offended then rolled her eyes, “Okay, yeah; got me there. She is cute in that way.”

PINK! Seriously! Tender moment, butt out! I let out a sigh and helped Bunny to her... hooves? Claws? Hoof-claws? I gave her a very reassuring smile and felt the air between us get less tense. “Hey, how about we go down and I get breakfast with you?”

“Breakfast? Umm… for someone called Sunrise, you sure get up late. That was lunch. Though Lunar Spice will get to make it without the mistake he did this time and was constantly fussing over.” My jaw dropped, I looked at my PipBuck and the clock read 12:22pm.

“Yeah, I am the opposite of a morning pone. Where are my friends?” I put my PipBuck down and rolled my shoulders while stretching out.

Bunny passed me Bodda Pett back and I put him into his little nest against my neck. “You had best talk to Soot on that one.” She was very sheepish again and looked away from me, clearly avoiding the question.

We ventured out of the office that had been converted into a bedroom. I had slept on a mattress with Nyota that was too small for two ponies. We had made it work since I wasn’t quite that big, yet. My stomach grumbled halfway down the stairs making me blush and Bunny giggle. “But at least you wake up hungry. We were debating if you were an actual angel or a mortal after yesterday.”

I raised an eyebrow at the bottom of the stairs, “What do you mean?” Something about that statement was actually a little scary.

“The Angel with a Shotgun is a legend. To see her in the flesh is so strange. I mean, how are you like almost two hundred years old? Do you have to eat? Are you a ghoul?”

I sighed, “That is a long explanation, I am not even sure I have enough facts to give, yet. When I know, I will take the time to let you know.” I looked up to see Soot and Lunar Spice both waiting for me. Soot was already starting to get filthy again and I rolled my eyes, hoping bath time would not be as exhausting but somehow still fun.

Soot blinked a few times and smirked, “Well good to know you didn't die in your sleep from the bath.” I blinked a few times back as Soot and Lunar both cracked a smile. The thought of dying in my sleep gave me a reason to pause and felt like a gut punch; rather than something I could laugh at.

“Sunrise, lighten up. You should get used to morbid humor.”

Says you, Queen of the…. I searched for an appropriate word and thought I found one. Boomers!

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Well, your generation did drop all the bombs that blew us into this hellscape, so I figured calling you a boomer made sense. Pink tilted her head one way then the other. She shrugged finally and smirked.

“You had me going there. Okay, I’ll take that title, but I’m gonna call you Princess of Explosions!”

I started to argue while I walked up to Soot, but Pink held up a sign that had my cutie mark on it. My argument was shot before it even began with a thing like that on demand for her. Fine, I will refrain from name calling; for now.

“Good! You’re better than that. But I won’t! Princess of Kaboom Butt!” Pink trotted off out of my view but I could still feel her presence in my head. It was strange to say that out loud if you’ve never experienced it before. It was like being in a room with someone else sitting there; you know they are there, but neither of you are speaking and you can’t see them. You just know they are right there, within reach.

I looked at Soot. “So where is Nyota? And the rest of my friends?”

Soot cleared her throat, “Well, Nyota is a courier by trade, we actually found his name on an old registry. So he is taking the treaty and trade information to Silver Fang Shanty, The Roof, and Stable Phi. I agreed that we would open up trade with them and provide a safe route in and out of Upsville.” She held up a piece of paper which read just that, it was an agreement of sorts, signed by her. “This is a copy of what I sent. We can’t exactly grow food here reliably, but we’ve got tons of scrap and good machine parts. Alguacil went to get some regulators for us to help replace the guards…” She trailed off, trying to find the right words to say.

She kept holding her hoof up when she thought she found the words, only to groan and return the hoof to her chin. It took a full minute before Lunar Spice interrupted and saved her, “Well, it was our little accident, ya know? Also, I hope you don’t mind, but we used your name as part of our reassurance that you okayed us.”

I blinked a few times and walked up to the bar they had set up down here. It was separating the kitchen from the rest of the expansive space. I could see the differences in the floor for the hard separations for rooms without walls. The mechanic shop with the tank was next to a general living area and canteen, which was beside a kitchen only marked by a bar made of scrap metal and what used to be a couple of carriage fenders. “What all did I miss while I overslept?”

I stood there, admiring the tank. It was a rust bucket right now. The road wheels were in bad shape from being dragged here. Bunny followed me and offered me a cup of coffee. I took a deep long sip of it. “Scopola Mina was bouncing on it for awhile when your friends were getting ready to leave. She kept talking about if she could lift the whole thing with her magic or not. I don’t believe that she could possibly be a living industrial crane.” Bunny mused and I turned to her with a smile.

Pink snickered and sipped her own coffee. “That sounds like her. Let me guess, Alguacil mentioned something insane and went on a rant about justice and keeping the law, because he is ‘The Laaww!’?” I asked with a smirk, wondering if all my friends had played exactly as I would have predicted.

Soot approached the two of us with a laugh. She nodded and took a deep inhale while rolling her neck in preparation, “Quick Stitch asked if we thought we could make it a flying tank. He went to get medical supplies from… Silver Fang, you called it?” I nodded and motioned for Soot to go on. “Well, once he was certain all his patients would make it, he, Nyota, and Alguacil all left about two hours ago. They said they would rather avoid an emotional separation and get going before you woke up.”

I gulped and lowered my gaze to stare down at the floor. Yep… that is way too accurate, because I really wanna hug all their necks right about now. Pink quickly gave me a hug that stopped my heart from falling through the floor.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better; I sent four of our guards with them.” She rolled her shoulders. “That includes Glitch Hammerfeather.” I raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out who she meant.

“The head guard who tried to put a gun in your mouth that Alguacil gave two black eyes to.” I blinked a few times and nodded. “Did she say why he put two black eyes on her? After all this, I’m going to question every one of your party’s sanity every time I see you.”

Soot and I both burst into laughter, unable to help ourselves anymore. I could already hear Alguacil from here without even needing him to be doing the rant in person. Pink did her best to help. “Now listen ‘ere ya varmints! Keep y’er heads in line or the Long Eye of the Laaww! is gonna decide dat Angel and her mercy can shove it; and y’all all just need a good bullet to y’er brainpans!” I finally collected myself and Soot did as well; not sure why I was laughing for much longer than her. I honestly just needed it.

I caught my breath before speaking, panting a little from the prolonged laughter. “Well, Nyota gave her the first one. Alguacil gave her another one when she kept hitting on him after he told her he was taken. It was priceless to listen to those two griffins this morning.” Now I was truly sad I slept in and missed all this.

I motioned for Soot to go on. “Alguacil is getting his gun looked at by Mad Mac at The Roof while he gathers a regulator force to move here. Nyota insisted they set out as soon as possible so they could get back, he did not like leaving you alone but said‒and I am quoting here‒” She changed her voice to match Nyota’s as close as possible. “She’ll wake up and be lonely, but if I don’t follow her way and trust you, she will never let me hear the end of it. So, if you betray that trust, know that not one of your guards noticed me or managed to get a shot at me till I decided to reveal where I was.” Soot rolled her eyes and sighed at the implied threat, then looked up at me.

I smiled just a little bit and reached up to wipe the tear out of my eye. I was both upset that only Chifundo was here with me now, but relieved to finally see this change in Nyota. “Yeah, that sounds like something he would say and believe.” I started to speak and Soot held up a hoof.

“He also said to tell you, ‘I love you and this isn’t goodbye, just till I get back.’ The other thing he asked; I think Lunar Spice should do.” As soon as Soot stopped talking; Lunar Spice did not miss a beat and crossed through the swinging scrap metal that made a door through the bar to the kitchen and walked right up and kissed me on the cheeks then gave me a deep tight hug.

“He said on the lips, but I never kiss another stallion’s mare on the lips.” He whispered in my ear and made me blush as he held the hug for an extended period of time. He pulled away as my cheeks burned as feelings of longing filled my heart and head, as well as the intense blush knowing the scene Nyota would make if he had done it in person.

“Well, I mean, aren’t you glad for the silencing talisman? Ya know, when you’re in The Roof, you should talk to Cross Stitch again, you know him as another name. He also could make a bridle for you; just in case the talisman breaks again.” I yelped mentally and glared at Pink as my blush faded and I was lost in my thoughts for the longest time.

I hesitated and whimpered, and everyone could hear me. Thankfully this only got a very loud chorus of laughter from everyone around as they thought it was what Lunar Spice did and they thankfully couldn’t hear Pink.

Bunny trotted off with Lunar to get started on a new lunch for me when Chifundo approached. He passed me my father’s gun and a memory overtook me. As he spoke, “Sunrise my dear, today is the best of days, if you wish to see where your father lays. The veil between spirit and realm is rather thin, it will allow us to see the farthest therein.”

I smiled at him but any vision I had of him was overshadowed and overtaken by a memory too strong to push away.

“Sunrise, go on, take the pistol in your mouth like I showed you.” I picked up the weapon and got my teeth around it. I felt my dad’s wing pull my head to the side and his hooves adjusted it. The bit trigger slid deeper into my mouth of the Colt .45 pistol. I winced until I felt it settle on the muscles between my teeth and my gullet. I could feel how I was supposed to curl my tongue around inside the trigger guard and squeeze the trigger when I was ready.

“I see you have got the tongue part down already.” My dad spoke like I did. I looked to my right and there was a very large thestral, a bat pony. She looked very much like a pegasus except the feather wings were replaced with predatory bat ones, she had sharpened fangs and a thin slit for an iris instead of my round one. The very appearance of them was slightly off putting if you were not used to them. She took a moment to give me a nod and acknowledge my presence.

I understood why zebras feared them on the battlefield, especially if this creature was an example of their normal size. She was white—well, not white like me, more a pale white. Her mane was a combination of dull pink and sky blue while the membranes of her wings were a slightly brighter pink. She was the firing instructor today, her Equestrian military fatigues had a name tag that read: Chroma Slip. My dad softly tapped my head to get my attention off Chroma Slip.

“Sunrise, pay attention, every citizen in Stalliongrad is required to learn this now. We’ve been at war for nearly five years. If the shields fail and the tunnel doesn’t get completed, we will have to fight for our lives.” My dad leaned down and kissed my forehead softly. It made my neck feel warm and safe to have his hoof rubbing it.

“Little Wanderer, my worst fear is that I will not be here one day to protect you. Once you’ve got the basics, Chroma Slip is gonna teach you some more, okay? I don’t expect you to ever be able to use anything but a pistol.” Rainbowrise hesitated, and Chroma Slip nodded to him over my shoulder. “Maybe if these new laser weapons work out, you’ll be able to use them instead. Now, look downrange at the target.”

I looked at the target. It had a red center, a black inner ring and a grey outer ring against a white circle background. It didn’t look like anything specific or like any creature at all; just more like a dart board. “That is a beginners target. Now, I want you to remember one very important rule: aim small, miss small.”

I nodded to him and Rainbowrise shook his head, “No, Sunrise, you did not hear me. Do not aim at the bullseye, aim at a pixel on the bullseye.” Dad gulped and hesitated with his next words as his wing stroked my cheek reassuringly. “If you ever have to aim at a creature, pony, zebra, griffin, or anything living, aim for a very small spot on them. Their eye, a single feather on their wing, a small spot of color on a cutie mark, or a single stripe on their coat.” I could feel the dryness in his throat as he leaned down to kiss my forehead again.

“Now, I am gonna take the safety off and leave you today in Chroma Slip’s capable hooves, okay?” I nodded with the pistol in my mouth, noting the safety was still on. Dad gave me a tight hug and very slowly took a few steps away.

Chroma Slip reached over and turned my head to face the target. I watched her out of the corner of my eye, flip the safety off and point my eyes down the sights. In a voice that sounded like it had been shot and repaired by a surgeon, she gave instructions. “Alright, Sunrise, do as he told you and empty the clip. Let us see if you can even hit a target.” She was incredibly surly and dismissive of any potential skill I might have. She growled while waiting for me to pull the trigger.

I gulped at the bat pony nearly twice the size of my father and took aim as best I could from the sight poking above my muzzle. I yanked on the trigger and like that; the bright flash of the muzzle brought me back to the present.

“Sunrise, are you alright? Have you come down with a blight?” Chifundo was waving his hoof in from of my face and I felt the light from the muzzle flash still blinding me. I closed my eyes right away and shook the cobwebs from my head roughly. The ringing in my ears from the gunshot dying down. I felt half in the memory still as my senses gathered what was around me in the present. A fresh plate of food was on the counter, I could see a chicken leg on it but also noticed Bodda Pett munching the tomato and lettuce off my plate.

I looked to Chifundo who gave me a deeply concerned stare. I reached over to the plate and set the chicken leg aside on a nearby empty plate for someone else. I took what Bodda Pett hadn’t eaten, which was rice and carrots, ignoring Chifundo and his concerns for now. Chifundo prodded me, “Sunrise, dearest battle sister of mine, what clouds have come to block your shine?”

I bit my lip, carrot in my mouth. I noticed now how dry it was. I could still taste the gunpowder and the sudden need for water that firing a gun left with me. I reached for the cup of water, taking a long drought of it. My PipBuck clicked with a couple of rads as it tingled against my throat. The magical radiation likely doing it’s best to mutate or break down my DNA. I rasped at Chifundo and sighed, “So, I do just zone out sometimes and no one has really brought it up besides Nyota?”

Chifundo nodded slowly, “You do just stare off into space, with no awareness of your present place.”

“Chifundo, I think I should have Quick Stitch find us a memory specialist or a brain specialist.” I held my head as I sipped on the water some more, it was helping clear the fogginess. It was so hard to describe, like I was only partially connected to my body. It was more like I was a tiny pony inside a pony robot and I was controlling the robot. I sighed, “But yes, when I zone out I am overwhelmed with a memory and it acts just like a memory orb. It shuts out any hope of noticing the world around me and being able to see the present. I become a passenger, remembering something from my past; never in the right order and it is always just snippets triggered by something in the present.”

I held up “Rainbowrise’s Protector’ to Chifundo to emphasize my points. “Dad always carried this, and it was the first gun I ever fired.” Chifundo took the weapon into his hooves as delicately as he could.

“When you have eaten and inclined, the seance is ready as your remind. We can use your significant connection, and locate your father with near perfection.” He slowly moved away from me, then stopped and about faced. Without warning he jumped at me, wrapping me in a tight hug. I was taken aback just long enough to realize his sudden movement was a warm embrace. I held him back for a moment that felt timeless. I could feel what it was like to welcome a sibling home from war.

“Thank you for allowing me this insight, to perform that which I have the most might. To know what is deep within another soul, has been my destiny since I was a foal.” He released the hug and his smile was beaming so bright he could blind any dark melancholy away. “I must thank you, Sunrise, for the trust you have shown, it is one of the greatest honors I have known.” He took a bow so deep his nose nearly touched the floor and waited.

I eventually realized he wanted me to bow back and blushed as I bowed back to him. “I will one day understand it hopefully, let me finish eating and I will join you.” I turned around to find Bodda Pett was starting on my carrots. There was some intelligence in that rabbit’s eyes through, as he stopped mid-munching and his jaw dropped; he was staring at the exchange between Chifundo and myself. I couldn't quite make it out, but I swore he said a word in Ponish. Bodda Pett’s mouth moved like he was speaking and the softest echo of the phrase “full of surprises” reached my ears in a voice I would expect to belong to a bunny.

Just as I stopped questioning the idea that Bodda Pett might be able to talk, a bright flash filled the room and Scopola Mina appeared just a few hooves away from me. “Scopola!” I scouted and charged her into a tackle hug. Both of us rolled on the ground until we dinged off the side of the tank. Scopola yelped in helpless unicorn mare and then gave me a hug back.

“Calm down, Sunrise. I’m only here with y’all till the Filly Scouts summon me again.” I blinked a few times, rather confused. Scopola simply pointed to a merit badge that was new on her chest. It gave a faint glow when she touched it. “Recon Scout badge; they can teleport me to them now.”

I hesitated, “Scopola, Recon Scouts are like Filly Scout commandos.” I asked with lips quivering in hesitation. She nodded in the affirmative. “You understand those sorts of missions are very dangerous right?”

Scopola Mina nodded and smirked, “I’ll be fine, Sunrise. Go on and do what you were doing before you tackled me. Also, I kinda need to get up, the concrete is hard.” I nodded and helped Scopola back up to her hooves. Then I stopped and dusted her off.

“Okay, we’ll get to work on the tank soon. I need to go, well, locate my father with Chifundo first.” Scopola nodded and shooed me away with a hoof. I turned around, trotting off to find out where my father was.

I entered the small office and the first thing that hit me was the smell. Some mix of lavender and pickles permeated the room. It was incense burning in a small bowl. Chifundo had pushed all the furniture to the walls. He had placed my father’s pistol into a set of several connecting zebra glyphs that I did not understand. Chifundo sat on his haunches, somehow with his rear legs crossed in front of him and upright.

“Chifundo? I umm… why does this smell that way?”

Chifundo chuckled and smiled, “The scent of this incense is intense, for the emotions you feel are what the spirits sense.” I blink a few times, taking in what he was saying. I was in completely unknown territory. I had carried him through the trenches of war, trenches I only learned from our experiences in the wasteland and an officers manual. Here, I had seen things with Pink, the spirit of the forest and its potato, and Chifundo saying ‘Bad Juju’. I had no idea what to expect.

“So, what do I need to do?” I took a seat and tried to emulate his pose, only to immediately lose balance and fall over.

“You need not sit in such a way, just clear your mind and do as I say.” I got back upright and Chifundo reached across the circle, moving my legs so I could sit on my haunches like I normally did instead of copying him.

Chifundo took out a deck of cards, he began to shuffle it while keeping his eyes closed. Pink let out a yelp and shuddered, “Okay this is weird, even I feel the compulsion to obey whatever that deck says.” I jumped and looked at Pink with a nervous smile, then back at Chifundo.

“One of Pink who likes to chatter, please stay silent for this matter.” Chifundo replied and finished shuffling the cards. “Sunrise, please cut the deck for me, so the spirits may guide our coming journey.”

He dealt out five cards in a line and then one more above the rest. Chifundo did not flip any of them over. He took my hoof and smiled, “Your father's weapon is merely a single part, the connection you feel is the essential heart.” He replied, and suddenly darkness enveloped everything I could see. I heard a raspy voice, and I immediately recognized it. It was my father’s voice! My heart soared, while at the same time plummeted in a mixture of hope and agony.

“Who is there?” The voice rasped through the darkness.

“Chifundo, a humble shaman, is whom with you are speaking; I am here with Sunrise, you are the one she is seeking.” Chifundo’s words did not just come from him but seemed to come from every direction in the darkness around us, echoing from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“Sunrise? I have not heard that name in so very long. It is so cold.” My heart was pounding in my head, my lungs wanted to scream but I could find no voice with which to speak. Something about this place, something about this contact with Chifundo, prevented me from saying a word.

“Sunrise's greatest wish is to discover her parents. Rainbowrise, you have come, so this wish is not errant. Her ultimate goal is to find where you hide, I hope, to that end, illumination you can provide.” Chifundo spoke evenly, cold. His hoof was frozen to my touch, I started to pull away and Chifundo gripped me with his other hoof. Suddenly he appeared through the blackness.

His stripes glowed with a pink light and he was the only light in this emptiness. “Angelic one, stay with me in this darkness, to me you shine with a light we must harness.” I blinked a few times and Chifundo’s hoof glowed as it reached up. “Allow me to awaken your spiritual sight, so that you may receive your father's insight.”

I blinked a few times at those words and Chifundo slowly moved his hoof up to my heart. My whole body suddenly burned like it had been thrown in a blazing fire. I screamed as pain overwhelmed me and I found I had no voice. All I could do was wail silently, when suddenly the burning sensation spread around me and my voice appeared in a shrill shriek of agony. My eyes slammed shut as my scream acted like Chifundo’s voice, coming from all directions except from my mouth. I whimpered and fell into Chifundo’s forelegs where he caught me and held me close.

“SUNRISE! No, you are hurting her! Stop!” My father! I could hear him now, crystal clear. I could feel him all around me. It was like he was in the room, his wings wrapped around me and I was held in his care.

“Do not worry, dearest father, I would not do harm to your daughter.” I slowly blinked my eyes open and was nearly blinded by the light around me. Chifundo’s glowing stripes were nearly muted by the bright lights that seemed to surround us. I blinked and tried to shield my eyes. I pulled away from Chifundo, yet it did not die down in the slightest.

The world materialized around us, coming into view so slowly that it felt strange. Chifundo and I were standing upon a bridge. We were naked now, except around our necks were collars from Stable-Tec Jumpsuits with the number 43 on them. A pink bubble resembling a unicorn’s shield surrounded us. After my eyes adjusted, I realized that I was the source of light.

The light was golden and shined with a purity that almost burned my eyes. Chifundo smiled, “Now you see what Nyota sees through his spirit eye, it perhaps makes you understand why his eye-patch is an ally.” I nodded to Chifundo and looked around us, taking it all in.

The bridge we were on was decrepit. It was a long suspension bridge with several heavy chains in place of hardened cables, with tatters of cloth blowing in a chill wind that left ice along the edges of the cloth. Surrounding us were dozens of ponies, of all different shapes and colors, though they glowed with an inner light. It was dark here, save for the light coming off each pony. Some ponies were dim or dark as the night, others were brighter. None of them appeared happy and all of them were shaking from the cold.

“Chifundo… where… are we?” I asked, but a familiar voice stopped him from answering.

“Sunrise, I don’t know where your mother is. She… she is lost to me, and you… well...”” My vision had cleared now, from the shining light blazing from my entire body, and I started to make out his features more clearly. “You’re so bright, it’s hard to miss you,” he finished. A second pink bubble appeared around us, outside the first, enclosing just one other pony. They were mostly non-descript along the bridge, but this one was more clear than the others, and his form solidified as I focused my attention on him.

This one spoke with a rasp of my father’s voice again. He was a pegasus, and his body was decayed and withered. His coat was shredding away. He was trembling. “Dad?” I asked and he ignored me as he took in his own form. He pulled up his blue mechanic’s jumpsuit in one hoof, and only now did I notice the multiple gunshot wounds and blood stains.

“I do not think… yeah, those are gunshot wounds.” He poked into the hole in his flesh with a hoof and shuddered. “Yeah, that hurts, but I am pretty sure I am either hallucinating or... dead.”

I spun to Chifundo, my eyes wide with fear. The brightness within me warmed and glowed with urgency that blinded even the pegasus enclosed between our shields. “Chifundo! Where are we!?”

“Every soul, from time's beginning to end, will come to this bridge to make their amends. Each creature must travel across and have their deeds weighed and known, their soul must be judged before they enter their eternal home.” I shuddered and Chifundo reached over to my hoof holding it. “Fear not, Sunrise, for this bleak space is not a soul's final resting place. Now, do not be surprised, for your spirit's connection is nearly catalyzed.”

I wondered what he meant as I felt a raw power course into me and suddenly I lit up like a glowing piece of megaspell radium. He moved the shield towards my father and I could see it was more akin to a memory spell, as my dad reached forward and met Chifundo’s hoof. They touched with a flash of soft illumination, nothing blinding or disturbing to the eyes. This was a pleasant glow, like walking through a cleansing shower and coming out sparkling on the other side.

I stared in awe, as from the withered husk of a pegasus, a fully furred, feathered, and smiling pony appeared.

My father.

I rushed past Chifundo and slammed against the shield. Chifundo winced and grabbed onto my shoulder as I felt the collar around my neck tighten and something yank on it harder. A dull stable-tec yellow chain had attached itself to my collar from under the bridge and yanked on me.

“The chains we bear prevent us from drawing too close, this is the furthest that our spirits may impose. The black boxes within us create this effect, just another piece of their mysterious aspect.” I whimpered and felt myself tearing up.

“Chifundo, where is this?”

Chifundo took a deep inhale and started to speak when Rainbowrise interrupted him. “No, let me tell her.” Chifundo blinked a few times and gave him a slow nod.

“It is a request that only seems right, please explain to Sunrise your plight.” Chifundo motioned me towards Rainbowrise as he spoke and then took a seat, placing a hoof on my shoulder and against Rainbowrise’s hoof. I could feel the energy coursing between us. It both warmed my body and gave me goosebumps at the same time. The hairs on the back of my neck raised and all four of my hooves itched so badly it took active effort to not scratch them. “I cannot promise how long I can maintain this position, but I shall do my utmost to allow this exposition..”

Rainbowrise smiled and nodded, “Thank you, my friendly shaman. Your people have always been kind to me and wonderful, despite what the ministries may have said.” My dad turned to me. “Sunrise, I am certain I am dead. This is the bridge between life and death, on our wait to purgatory and then judgement.”

My heart stopped and skipped several beats. I felt a chill of raw terror pass through me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt the overwhelming sensation to run and hide. To bury my face into a pillow and wail into the night, until I could no longer feel and the sweet release of sleep finally overcame me. Chifundo pressed his hoof into me as I felt the radiant light around me dim and start to fade.

“Sunrise, be strong, you must not despair, your presence assists with the connection’s repair. Stay with us and fill your heart with courage, despair will destroy our harmonic anchorage.” It took me a moment to fully grasp what Chifundo said and I took a deep inhale to pull in my emotions as I stood there, whimpering and shaking. I took a deep breath, and with that I felt my emotions sink down as my heart dropped to my hooves. I have to be brave. I have to keep myself together. I have to not let this news ruin it yet. This may be my last words with him.

I pressed my hoof as hard as I could against Chifundo’s and Rainbowrise’s. I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks; the light within me stopped dimming. I felt my courage rising, physically, as warmth coursed through me. For you, dad, I want this moment to last as long as possible.

“That’s it, Sunrise! Do it! Help Chifundo bake this pie! Make it the essence of perfection!” I looked at Pink, not sure what to do.

How? I don't know how this spirit stuff works?

Pink reached forward and placed a hoof against the other three of ours. We all felt it, physically and emotionally. The moment was coming to fruition, the energy coursing through me was strengthening. “Your karma, silly. The wasteland decides how good and how bad you are, remember? Others can sense it. Here it is amplified into pure energy. You are a good pony, Sunrise. Just hold onto your father with all that you are, let your being shine in this place of death and loss. Push with me, Sunrise.”

I felt Pink wrapping me in an embrace, a full, tight hug that touched everywhere all at once. She held me close, and the feelings of what it meant to be her friend coursed into me with a burning magic that made my entire body tingle. This wasn’t the tingle of magical radiation that every instinct in me said would kill me; this was pleasant. It was a warmth that could only be found when magic sparked over a friendship. I felt myself trying to push through, into my father, trying to break through the bubble. Chifundo stepped back, shielding his eyes as the light became more blinding than the highest temperature flashbang I could ever hope to create.

I kept my eyes closed, tears streaming from my face, cascading down to the bridge and leaving steaming whisps of water vapor upon their impact. I whimpered and bit my lip, fighting my emotions to push more power towards my father.

With what felt like the titanic effort to move a boulder, the shield opened and surrounded my father, dragging him just far enough over to me, and I felt the warmth of his wings around my body and his hooves around my neck. “Sunrise! STOP! I am here! I am here, Little Wanderer.” I felt all this rush to the surface at once and overwhelm any coherent thought except joy. The joy of having my father's winged embrace holding me tight once again.

I clung to him and smiled, “Yes, and this is what I have wanted since I woke up. Just this.”

My dad started to speak and I put a hoof over his lips, shaking my head. I did not want another word uttered right now, nothing to ruin this moment. I just wanted to be there and be held.

I wasn’t sure how long we were in the embrace but Chifundo nudged me with his head. “A locus is an exact position. Mathematically, it is a curve or other figure formed by all the points satisfying a particular equation of the relation between coordinates. It is what is formed when a spatial equation is solved, essentially. I feel it's a perfect word..”

I nodded to him and slowly, reluctantly released my father from the hug. He had a true spark of life about him, now. “Sunrise, there is so much I wish to tell you and ask you; please tell me what you can.”

“Dad, I am not sure but I think mom may be responsible for the boxes that keep us here. I also met a stallion.” I hesitantly hung my head, knowing I had not asked his permission, but suddenly his hoof pressed against my shoulder.

“Go on, Little Wanderer, it is okay. Nothing you could say right now would make me any less proud.” I felt his gaze and was even more embarrassed I hadn’t waited to ask him.

“I, well, you’re going to be a grandfather.” I spoke hesitantly and looked up at him, blushing, while expecting some scorn for not keeping my Old-World value to ask him first.

I suddenly felt a rush of wings around me and the warmth of my father’s embrace again. “That is the best news you could have given me, Little Wanderer. What is his name?”

I bit my lip, “His name is Nyota, he is a—”

“Nyota… hmmm, good to hear; he is a zebra, yes? I hope you are not enslaved or something terrible like that.” My dad looked down at me, very concerned.

I shook my head. “No, he has been nothing but a gentlestallion. He waited till I was certain before we, ummm…” I felt my face flush and looked down at the bridge. I felt his wing caressing my cheek reassuringly as he tilted my face up to look into his eyes.

“I am more happy than ever. My little filly is a full grown mare and she did not judge a zebra by their stripes. I must say thank you, too...” He was looking at Chifundo.

“Chifundo,” I reminded him.

“Chifundo, for letting me hear this news, even if it was after I passed on. You will have to bring him next time to meet me. Regardless, I know you can make the right decisions.” Rainbowrise leaned down and nuzzled against my ears. “You have my blessing, Little Wanderer, do not worry about that.” I looked up at him with big thankful eyes. “I could not hold anything against you now, not after I have already passed away. Go on, what else has happened?”

I hesitated and bit my lip as the flood of memories from the Wasteland rushed to me. The times I had killed so many others to get this far rushing to the forefront of my mind. The things I had done, and finally the detonation of the megaspell at The Roof. I whimpered at my father, “Dad, I...I have done some awful things. Please I want you to understand—” The wingtip was at my lips again, shushing me, and he shook his head.

“You have made friends, right?” I nodded against his wingtip. “They support you and helped you get this far to find me, right?” I nodded again. “Good, and you have found a stallionfriend; Nyota, was it?” He got another nod. “He protects, loves, makes you happy, and supports you, doubly so, right?” I tiled my head with a frustrated look on my face and gave him another affirmative nod.

“And you have only killed when it was to save others, right?” I nodded a final time. “Then you have nothing to be ashamed of with me. You should know that. All the arguments during the war, everything that happened in Stable 43. None of it matters anymore to me. Just that you are happy and safe.”

He removed the wingtip. “Sunrise, the brightness of your aura tells me all I really need to know.”

I listened to him and turned to Chifundo, “Please, give me some sort of warning when you are getting too close to giving out, okay?” Chifundo nodded as his brow furrowed and he closed his eyes, focusing on maintaining our link.

I just started to unravel every detail of our adventures so far. I told my father about my friends. I told him of all the creatures we had met. The things we had faced together. The long talks in bed with Nyota. The little details of everything we had decided and experienced, right up until The Siege, when I faltered. I felt a voice in the back of my head, that voice trying to work its way up and speak. I also could sense Pink fighting to keep it within its cage. “No! This is her time with her dad! You little devil, stay in there!”

I began to explain about Pink to him, when Chifundo howled in pain and both of us looked at him, very concerned. “Well, we do not have much time, but I can promise this,” Rainbowrise took both of my forehooves into his own. “I will stay here till you can return; I will do my very best to hold on and wait for you. Then you can finish your story, and maybe I can even meet that stallionfriend of yours and tell him he has my blessing.” I looked up at my father, tears rolling down both our cheeks, the light burning from me getting dimmer. Chifundo’s pink glow was especially dim, almost non-existent now. The shields around us became less solid and more transparent. We could see the host of other souls all gathered around us now, staring at what was going on.

I started to protest and I found a wing tip at my lips. “No, Sunrise. No arguing here, your shaman friend is fading and I do not want either of you to risk your lives. Now, get back to the world of the living.” Dad slowly pulled back across the force field as it collapsed in on Chifundo and I. I grabbed his hoof and I felt the magical energies pushing us apart. The shield was just big enough for Chifundo and I to stay within once again.

I burst into tears and screamed.

“NOT FAIR! It is not fair!” I cried out in agony as my emotions finally overwhelmed any willpower I had and I desperately tried to push through the shield towards him.

“Little Wanderer, life is never fair, so why should death be any different? I will see you soon, hopefully I can meet the stallion that captured your heart next time. I am proud of you; regardless. Find your mother, help her if you can. I will see you soon.” He called out as the darkness surrounded us again. I pulled against the chain around my collar, I yanked on it hard.

“NO! STOP! Not yet, I just need more time!” Chifundo jumped onto and wrapped both hooves around me.

“Sunrise, if you break the chain that binds your soul, your life is what must pay the toll!” Suddenly, we were back in the office room, the darkness of the area between worlds fading from my vision to blend back into the real world. Chifundo released me and I fell over with a thud. I had no will to stand back up. Not in that moment. I just sniffled and started to bawl into the cold surface.

I stayed on the chilled floor, whimpering and crying. My whole body ached. My heart felt like it had been split in two. I failed, I completely failed him! This isn’t fair! I tried so hard; why? Why did I fail him? Why wasn’t he given a black box? I didn’t care about the things Chifundo might have done to me or their implications, all I cared about was my dad. He was gone now, and it simply was wrong.

I wanted to just curl up and sleep. I wanted to find a bad pony and pound his face in. I wanted to plant myself into a bed and cling to Nyota, then weep until my eyes were completely dry. All of these emotions slammed into me all at once, and every one of them fought for control. None of them would win and all I could do was stay there and cry while my heart put itself through a shredder, over and over again. Most of all, I wanted the pain in my heart to stop, bullets hurt less than this.

I had been denied everything; my quest had failed. I had failed my father. I had no idea how long it had been. Then Pink reluctantly held up a quest marker sign: ‘Objective Complete - Dad Found, Quest updated.’

Pink, this is one of those times where I just want you to be quiet. Pink nodded and pressed a hoof against my shoulder, dropping the sign.

“I’ll be here when you are ready, no puns, no references, nothing. Just a friend waiting for my friend to say they are ready.” Pink went silent but I never stopped feeling her presence. Even as I cried myself to sleep on the cold concrete floor, and the sweet release of dreams dulled my pain, I could still feel her there with me.

Progress to Level 15 - 39% of the way to Level Up!

Quest Perk Lost - Shaman Apprentice

Quest Perk Gained - Shamanistic Awakening - A Shaman has reached into your very soul and pulled you into the spirit realm. You were not prepared for this. This replaces the Shaman Apprentice Perk Outright. You may now put ranks into Zebra Shamanism, you gain +5 bonus to this skill. You may make a willpower roll and spend 50 Strain, as if you were a unicorn casting a spell, to gain double your Zebra Shamanism Skill for the next shamanism roll. Must be spent before you make the roll. —What in the wild world of the Equestrian Wasteland did Chifundo do to you?