Fore life and death are one, eve as the river and the sea are one. -Khalil Gibran.

I awoke to the incessant poking of a broomstick against my cheek. Rolling over I muttered, “Go away broom, I wanna hug mom-” A sharp yelp shattered the air as the insistent stick poked me right under the tail, my cry shrill enough to wake even the dead.” Flailing wildly I turned to give the stick holder a glare that could melt power armor. There were some places you just didn’t prod on a young filly!

“Sorry 'bout that. We come in every eight hours and poke some folks to make sure they are still alive. We've had a few, expire, on the bed here,” the flophouse mare, whose name escaped me, pulled the broom in close and started to sweep. She had a coat of soft purple with a mane of pure green and a tail that was short chopped off. She looked at me with big brown eyes and kept moving the broom idly.

“Then why did you poke me after I moved?!” I snapped, still quite flustered from the near encounter with the handle.

“Well a mare has to have some fun around here...” she trailed off with a smile as she swept. I could imagine out here there wasn’t exactly a lot of jester ponies bringing smiles to faces. I dunno, something like that. The whole “I got poked in the ass for a rude awakening and don’t say anything about it” seemed weird to me, considering her reaction.

Wait? Expired? “You mean there are ponies that... that die in these beds?” I let out a gulp as my eyes slid down to the mattress I was laying on. The dark stains I had thought were more embarrassing and less lethal. My started my lips to quivering, the feel of fear creeping in, imagining the shades of all those dead ponies looking down upon the bed's occupant, waiting for me to join them.

“Yeah they come in bloody and barely alive thinking they don't have a need for Doc Bonesaw to look at them. Then they don't wake up and I end up with a bloody mattress and quite a bit of salvage. So we check every eight hours to make sure they are still alive or a corpse.” The broom stopped as I screamed and leaped into the air. The covers flew up in a rush as they landed in the floor and I pounced on all four hooves with a squeak of the springs inside the old bed.

I could hear myself hyperventilating as lungs burned for air. Eyes darted around the mattress but failed to find a stain as I gasped for breath. “Calm yourself sweet heart. I saw the stable suit so I knew better. I made sure we put you into a clean bed.” There was reassurance in the voice, almost motherly talk. Slowly my eyes rolled over to the flophouse mare and I let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank you, I guess...” my voice trailed off searching for a name. A look of realization appeared across the mare's features as she interrupted any further talk I had.

“Honey Hearthfire, and you're welcome. Go on down and get your brea... well I suppose it's lunch now. You've been out most of the day. You passed out next to your griffin friend and didn't look injured so we hefted you to a bed.” She hooked a hoof with the broomstick and yanked my weight from under me. With a surprised yelp I crashed onto the floor hard enough to drive the air from my lungs. “No standing on the beds! You'll wear them out and make me have to replace them,” Honey Hearthfire voice echoed with the bouncing springs of the bed and the echo of my body's crash to the floor. She made me blush and feel like I was genuinely guilty of a crime. Just like my own mother, she had a capability of cutting a pony down with nothing more than a guilt imbuing glare and a few snappy words, leaving me feeling lower than a parasprite who just ate the last cookie.

She wields guilt like a Megaspell launcher. If only we had her during the war; the zebras would have surrendered like embarrassed foals. How can you manage to have a voice as sweet as honey and an inflection that literally drips with the venom of 'I'm disappointed' in the same breath?

“She does have a cutie mark that is a bed with a gavel on it. Also, Sunrise she is looking at you. It is rude to not at least say something!”

“Dammit Pink Pone! I'm thinking here!”

I didn't realize I had said that last bit out loud until the purple mare raised a green eyebrow in confusion. I shifted around sheepishly on the floor and crawled back up onto my hooves. The only real wound I had was pride and feeling like a scolded foal. “Sorry, just got a little carried away thinking out loud,” my voice was low with embarrassment as I was simply desperate to get away from the mare now I searched for a polite way out. “My friends are out in the mess hall downstairs?” My head kept hung down trying to hide the light green turning white blush that was burning into my cheeks through my neck.

“Whoo, you blush back to your original fur color! There is no hiding that one,” Pink interjected as though she could see me from an omnipresent perspective.

Honey looked at me and poked my rear, “Go on, grab your stuff and get down to your friends. Everyone probably wants to know what the massive slam into the floor was, Angel with a Shotgun.” The mare said and the name made no sense to me, I looked at her perplexed and then groggily collected my stuff.

The PipBuck beeped as saddle bags and backpack settled onto my flanks. The shotgun found its holster, along with a click of the a buckle to hook helmet chin strap into belt loop. The weight was both familiar and comforting.

My sides ached, my head felt like it was swimming in fog thick enough to drink, and I remembered seeing the sunrise before passing out; it was the first sad sunrise I'd seen in this new world. I knew now what my father meant when he said he had once seen a sad sunrise. It was like the beautiful colors were a reflection of gun blasts into of solar radiation breathing life into the world.

I understood now how something so beautiful, with colors of life giving reds and sweet safe blues, could be twisted into something of pure depression and absolute nightmarish to watch. All the stark, horrific colors and blight sky taken in as I slammed my hoof repeatedly into the scrap metal that served as a door.

Inside I hear the armorer shouting, annoyed at me as he trotted over to the door, cussing up a storm the entire way. As he opened up I held up the bag of bottlecaps, the helmet, and put on my sweetest, poorest filly eyes that I could. I knew it was early, but it couldn’t wait, and I had no idea how long it would take the gruff, burly looking stallion to refit the helm for a griffin.

No one else gets to die like Buddy if I have my way.

As I left the armor maker when he was finished, I looked up to the sickly sunrise, barely powering through the dark, unnatural clouds, the haze in the morning air giving the light an unnatural cast that shook me to the very core. I can't stand to look at a sunrise, my namesake, and want to pluck out my own eyes to look away.

As the memory of the morning came back, I felt tears dropping onto the wood floor as my hooves carried me on their own towards the stairs. These halls were lined with planks of wood that I could not tell if they were stained with blood or wood culture paint. I got to the bottom of the stairs when the tears stopped and my hooves dragged me into the tavern mess hall.

Chifundo was sitting there at a table, eating what looked like veggie slop from an improvised bowl that might have been a coffee table at some point. The wooden table used to be a park bench, as all the other tables in here were. Every single piece of furniture in here was a patchwork of plywood repairs and thin board nailed over cracks or holes. There was even sawdust glued into any gouge smaller than a hoof. I got up to the table and saw an apple that looked absolutely pristine. Thank the Goddesses! Fruit still exists!

I picked it up into a hoof and just before I could sink my teeth into the delicious looking red skin, somepony knocked it out my hooves. I slammed my teeth down with a pain that only resulted in my entire jaw screaming. Who am I about to want to buck in the crotch!?

“Sunrise! Look at it.”

My head shifted towards the apple on the table and saw the hole in the bottom now, it was made of wax. Am I so tired I can't tell the difference in wax and real food? While I was staring a griffin talon put a real apple into my hoof now. Algaucil leaned down to see my tired eyes and smirked.

“For someone named Sunrise, you sure don't wake up bright eyed,” the sombrero wearing feathered creature said as he took up the bench next to me.

“Just because I'm named Sunrise doesn't mean I am a morning pony.” My thoughts were interrupted by a lovely delightful smell. Coffee! That still exists! I looked away from the apple that, while ripe had a few extra bumps of growth on it and my PipBuck let out the occasionally click as it rested in my right hoof.

Nyota walked right up with metal mugs in a paper sleeve that breathed succulent scented steam into the air with grayish white clouds. “The vendors have a coffee shop outside with the real stuff.” He held up the 4 mugs. “Would anyone-” I grabbed one greedily before he could finish and was already halfway through it before he ended that sentence, “like a cup?”

I could feel his questioning eye and did not care one bit. Even black this was something delightful that the cheap stuff I'd bought the day before was sludge in comparison. Wonderful black liquid of the Goddesses made of the most bitter beans that bring me to life. Please never leave me again.

After getting the cup down to a third left from a full twenty ounce mug... Okay it wasn't that big right? It still tasted lovely and I felt like at that moment I could take on the world as it warmed my insides. “Thank you, Nyota. I hope you got enough to last a while,” I gulped down another long drought of sweet black nectar and as I could feel my flanks melting into the bench.

Chifundo let out a giggle and poked my PipBuck as I moved to take a bite out of the apple. “Turn on the radio, with a bit of gusto,” he urged and I gave him a suspicious look, taking the bite and munching slowly while my hoof moved and flicked the switch. I was rolling over the taste of the apple as I scrolled through the radio stations. Wow, it's sweet at first and then turns tingly and bitter. I do not like these new apples.

Chifundo pointed at the “Ten Pony Tower” frequency on the list of incoming signal. The tail end of 'Hearts Strong as Horses' by the Cutie Mark Crusaders played as another voice came on, a voice I recognized with quite a bit of shock.

“Greetings Equestria Wasteland! This is your host with the most, D, J, Pon3! Broadcasting live from Tenpony Tower with a lovely piece of mint muffin cake and here is some news from the wasteland.

“Now I had to verify this story from three separate sources because otherwise it would be outrageous. You cannot say that DJ Pon3 is not vigilant with his research.

“The mercenary city of Silver Fang Shanty reports that a piece of Stable-Tec construction equipment, model Sand Dog 3500, rolled up to the settlement under its own power. Arriving at around two in the afternoon two days ago with a small green filly driving it. Said filly was reported to be wearing Stable 43 barding.

Now children, NO PONY knows where Stable 43 is from. But the filly was looking to sell said piece of equipment and sure enough the citizens of Silver Fang Shanty report it worked right as rain.

“A particularly rich ghoul zebra that those from the area will know as The Curator, purchased the piece of equipment for “His Collection”. So children if you ever need a deep hole dug perhaps you can talk to The Curator or find this green filly to get another one working.

“Now this story was strange already, but it gets stranger. Apparently said filly set out with the companions of a griffin, a sand dog, two zebras, and a pony in a box. According to witnesses, they heroically engaged a group of raiders lead by the renown 'Double Headshot Brain Soup' and have returned once again to Silver Fang Shanty. With them were no less than seven additional ponies including two fillies they had rescued!

“Now children there is more to this story but for now, the rescued raider captives have been taken in by the Silver Fang mercenaries as new trainees while the fillies are reported to have new parents to look after them. Let's hear it for the Silver Fang; they have a heart even if it's made of caps.

“But more importantly who is this filly and why are the rescued ponies referring to her as: “The Angel with a Shotgun”? I'll give you more information as this story unfolds.

“In the meantime children, let's listen to an old one but a good one, I ain't Addicted Yet.”

What? He was talking about us? And who had told him? I looked up as I realized during the broadcast I had dropped the apple in shock.

“Where does he get his information? And why did he call Corners an Angel with a Shotgun?” I questioned, when Alguacil motioned a dark olive green unicorn with an orange mane and silver highlights over the dull caution cone color.

The stallion trotted over and I couldn't help but notice the scars on his body around his barding. Even his face was not spared, with what looked like a badly stitched cut across the top of his muzzle from lip to opposite lip.

I looked the olive stallion over and then looked at Alguacil with a raised eyebrow. My eyes were full of questions, but I wasn't asking any yet.

“No one is ever sure where DJ Pon3 gets his information but Corner's doesn't have have a shotgun anymore, Sunrise,” Alguacil looked from the stallion to me then back to the stallion with his one eye.

“Then who is he talking about?” I asked trying to adjust to the taste of wasteland apples with a final bite. At least the taste is consistent all the way through.

“Little one, you don't get it. You're the filly he gave a hit. You little 'un, are the Angel with a Shotgun.” Chifundo pointed out and I stared at him in complete shock.

What!? I'm on the radio? Why? What did I do? How did he know? Why hadn't he mentioned the death of Buddy? DJ Pon3 do you have any idea how much more confused you just made me?

Buddy... I, right. He isn't here anymore and can't hear me. Are my parents, gone too? ... No surely they got put in stasis as well right?

“You have hope Sunrise, until proven otherwise you have hope. Investigate the files, and also push against Alguacil's suggestion.”

What was that Pink? How do you always? Are you the one in control of my tail?

“Sunrise, you are the stable dweller out in and about. Stable dwellers seem to have this special place with DJ Pon3. At least that is how I've always heard it,” Nyota explained as he sipped his coffee after adding a white liquid labeled 'milk' and 'sugar' packets to it.

I looked at them confused then noticed the full grown stallion had been sitting there the entire time. I took a another look at him, taking in the fact he was a unicorn which made me smile inside. Nice to know unicorn's aren't all evil. His facial features were young, he was older than me but just from what I can tell. His eyes however were the thing that drew attention. There was a hurt there, like something that he struggled to earn and was denied. He had cut something off in his life; something that hurt more than he had ever admitted. It was like staring at a wounded soul, laid bare beyond those orange orbs just over the jagged scar upon the bridge of his nose. That scar seemingly acting like armor to divert focus away from the hurt in his eyes.

My gaze directed back to Alguacil and now that I felt the caffeine kicking in; I could see that his injuries from last night had disappeared. There was even signs of the feathers on his body being better groomed, even repaired. I looked back at the unicorn and cocked my head to the side.

“Hi... I'm Wandering Sunrise, if you can tell I'm not a morning pony.” My weariness was so obvious a school teacher would have kept her eye on me, just in case I fell asleep in class.

“Hi yourself. I'm Quik Stitch, I fixed up your friend over there,” the unicorn replied back ill prepared and off footed forced nicety. He was a soft baritone and I could tell that maybe even had a little singing talent with the way he had a rhythm to his speech.

I pointed at a hoof at Chifundo, then Nyota, outside where I assumed Corners was and then to Alguacil, “Which one?” All of them secretly need some medical attention, probably.

Alguacil raised a talon with his expression not changing to anything other than a smirk along his beak. Quick Stitch as nodded his horn towards the larger non-pony at the table.

I looked at one then the other, very confused. “You willingly let someone put medical expertise to you?”

“It got rid of the headache,” Alguacil said lifting his hat and then pointing his talon to the helmet I had made for him this morning. He was just making sure I knew he took it. “Also, they are in them healer's robes.”

Looking down past Quick Stitch's face, towards his neck and over his body, I was taking him all in now. The yellow barding with armor plates had a set of three butterflies on the chest and another set on the flanks. It was in oddly good shape compared to all the other bardings ponies wearing. I like felt my eyes were going to burst out of my head when it clicked in my head whose armor that was.

“The Ministry of Peace still functions?” I thought out loud while looking at Quick Stitch.

No one seemed to know what I was talking about for quite a few moments but then the darken green stallion got that I was addressing him. “I am not a member of the Ministry of Peace but I follow Fluttershy and her code. And yes I am a doctor.” My hoof pointed at his armor, then at his face, then back to his armor, then back to his face. My mouth fluttered agape, searching for words, until I finally gave up, shrugging and unable to argue. I let out a sigh.

“As far as I am concerned, so long as that armor is on you, you are a follower of Fluttershy and she is the only ministry mare I ever thought wasn't completely off her rocker.” I looked to Nyota and Chifundo implying their thoughts on the subject when I finished speaking.

“Umm...thank you?” Quick Stitch was clearly confused. “I never met Fluttershy personally but I have read some texts about her and the Ministry of Peace's code enough to get an idea that is a compliment from a stable dweller.”

The table got very quiet as Chifundo and Nyota appeared to be speaking their weird silent zebra language with just movements of their eyes and hooves. I looked up at Alguacil and poked his shoulder with a hoof.

“I assume that you want him to join us?” The hesitation in my voice was quite apparent and then I felt a talon on my head petting me softly.

“He's alright by me, you?” Alguacil asked, earnestly.

Did an adult just ask for my approval? What was this place and why was it upside down land? Sparrow went along with my idea for taking in the foals and training the refugees to join the Silver Fangs had gone over rather easy. She was especially happy to take the trainees when I offered the rifles we salvaged. Now, our regulator, whom I had gotten that helmet made for as a panic response to Buddy, was asking for my approval of traveling companions. DJ Pon3 had called me the “Angel with a Shotgun, reminding me of the drawings I had been leaving around the Wasteland.” I don't know why I was leaving them behind or where I had gotten the idea but now I was that to these ponies. An Angel with a Shotgun.

“Oh Sunrise, everyone is looking at you, expecting an answer. You've been keeping them in suspense for nearly five minutes. Equestria to Sunrise. Calling Sunrise. It is time to reveal the dawn.”

Oh right, thanks Pink.

“I, well, if he is a medic and Alguacil trusts him, at the very least we can hopefully prevent losing someone else... or patch up Corners when she smashes her leg on a door again.” I replied then extended a hoof to Quick Stitch.

He took it and we shook, for better or worse we had a medical pony that could do more than just slap a bandage on and force a brew down our throats. I looked at Nyota to see his expression, he was smiling just long enough to be caught.

“At the very least, Nyota will have someone else to work on him if he gets shot again,” I commented with an expression to say to him, I saw that!

Quick Stitch shrugged and smiled while Alguacil mutter something under his breath. I scrutinized him for a bit, both impressed with Quick Stitch's work but also sensing he wasn't telling us everything. “So have you all been busy this morning? Are we still going to try for the coordinates near Applewood and Las Pegasus or did someone get something else that we need to look at?”

Chifundo shrugged while Nyota pulled out a combat helmet like I'd seen on Equestrian Army recruitment posters, shining it up with a hoof. Quick Stitch nudged Alguacil and the griffin let out a disgruntled growl. Before he could speak, a familiar box now covered in scrap metal plates walked up and dumped a bunch of junk onto the ground next to me.

“Hey, what's this?” The box mare interrupted us all with Corners pulling the box up and tossing aside scrap metal, rusted springs, and even half of a plastic pony bank as she seemed to be looking for something specific.

Alguacil and I looked at each other and then to the pile of junk till I picked up a the black looking toy gun. Hey this is one of those guns the zebras have in the posters. It uses darts! Alguacil pointed at it as I made this realization, “That is a needler pistol.”

“It is in awful shape through, I doubt it will fire without a lot of repair work done to it.” I passed the gun back to Corners. She took it into the box with the cutest expression behind that vision slit I'd ever seen, like a filly who just realized someone gave out full size Horseshey bars for Nightmare Night.

“Alguacil, you were saying?” I pried curious as to what could have his feathers in a matted wad was peaked up.

“Well, there is a job at the regulator office but I don't like it. It's fishy to say the least.” He mused. “Something rubs me the wrong way when they won't give any details until you meet them.”

Curiosity officially peaked to the point that I cannot let it go! You are in for a wild ride now Alguacil. “Fine, let's meet with them.” I stood up and trotted for the door just as I got to the point I was halfway in and out of the flophouse I shouted back, “I'm gonna go meet them.”

Alguacil looked at me dumbfounded at the announcement. It didn't seem to register to him that I had hijacked his mission till I was out of sight.

I heard talons and heavy griffin paws doing a quick jog to catch up to me and the gravel that was this griffin's voice call out, “Hey now wait up! Let's talk about this, I got a bad feeling.”

We kept talking as we made our way down the path to the regulator's tent, seemingly in the process of being upgraded from a bunch of canvas to a scrap metal shack to match the rest of the town. “Alguacil, we hear them out. Worst case, we turn down the job after we hear it.”

“I don't think it works that way kid,” the griffin replied as I kept walking.

“Well the last time we didn't investigate one of your hunches, we lost...” I trailed off unable to voice the thought.

“Push past it, now. Say it out loud or you won't ever be able to.”

Pink, don't push me right now.

“We lost Buddy when we didn't listen to your hunch. You got a bad feeling, I think we should check it out.”

Alguacil was taken aghast at this type of logic. “That is the thing, I don't think we should look at this one.” He went to block the entrance to the tent and I slipped right under his talons. He hadn't accounted for how short I really was.

“And the last time we didn't look into something that you had a bad feeling about, Nyota got shot, you got your face mauled by an explosive and BUDDY DIED!” The last part I shouted as we stepped into the tent. The blue unicorn sitting at the desk jerked up, levitating her colt pistol pointing right at us but then raised an eyebrow as watched us arguing with each other.

“I understand that but this one is different. You have to understand,” The unicorn got up and go behind a curtain to the back room of the puke green tent. “I got a feeling that we shouldn't take this one and it might not work the way you think it should.”

“And I'm curious, you got a bad feeling, we hear them out.” I slammed my hoof against the hard packed earth and with that shut the door to the griffin's complaints. The navy mare coming back in and adjusting her honey colored mane with a box of Apple Bombs munching away at them. She was watching us like we were some form of entertainment. “What is the worst that could happen, we turn it down?”

I got the glare of justice at that moment. “Don't ever say those words again!”

“Which ones, there were a lot of words there.” The shot back was both sarcastic and serious just to see if I could get under his skin at this point. He was more stubborn than an earth pony and a mule pulling a carriage in opposite directions.

“What is the worst, that is just inviting something bad to happen in the wasteland,” the griffin leaned down to emphasize his words and get eye to eye with me.

“Fine, I won't. But we still hear them out.” My focus turned to the mare who was smacking loudly on the apple flavored candy cereal.

“If you two are done? I don't wanna interrupt, seemed important,” the unicorn replied.

I smiled and walked up to her, “The special job, call them up, see what we have to do to meet with them.” My head turned back to Alguacil as we stared each other down for a bit. Waiting for him to confirm and relent, the mare didn't move, as she also looked at him.

“Fine, but I will hold my I told you so, for when the time is right,” Alguacil replied and then turned to the deep blue unicorn to give a nod.

“Alright let me see how long it will be. You will probably have to come back tomorrow considering how late it is.” The regulator sheriff closed her eyes and her horn glowed. The room became much brighter as her magic manifested. Then the horn glow eased away and the unicorn's eyes opened back up.

“Seems you two have a lucky charm, the client will be here in an hour if you want to wait.” The blue unicorn slowly let a satisfied grin spread over her face while another dried Apple Bomb was tossed into the air and caught it.

Alguacil and I stared each other down as we took a seat. He sat upon a chair that looked like it was cobbled together from several other metal desk chairs. It had wheels from one chair, a support rod connecting the wheels up to two halves of a green and black office chair, all welded together like a piece of abstract art. I took my seat in the leather pillow with feather stuffing sized up like a bean bag chair. It only took testing with one hoof to see how soft and responsive it was, before I did a full on belly flop onto it like a newly released foal.

The hour would have passed in silence as Alguacil and I kept exchanging wordless glares. The mare at her desk would munch on an Apple Bomb as the loud crunch drew our attention to her. The sound was just enough to release the tension. I swear Alguacil if she says kiss already I'm gonna strike you harder than that steel ranger could have ever hoped! Then figure out how to kiss someone with a beak. I started thinking the last time I'd been this mad at someone as my conscious thoughts glazed over and a memory overtook my thoughts.

I was behind a Sky Carousel, a new Mark 7 to be exact. The machine was in a state of disassembly, and I was sitting in the spell matrix compartment. However the heavy tiled and concrete wall at the back of the shop was slid up and revealing a hidden room. The lights were out and the shop was closed while my head eased the hood up so I could see into the secret room.

Why am I here? I remember this but this is my own body right? Wait... are memories suppose to be this clear? And what if the mystery person shows up while I'm here? Why does my own memory feel like a memory orb from a recollector or the stable stasis tank system? What is Alguacil seeing right now when he looks at me?

“Sunrise focus on the memory.”

Beyond the secret door laid a set of stairs spiraling downwards, with machine shop sounds echoing from below. I could see the dim edges of lights shining up to the landing of the metal stairs. I felt my host, me, echoing the thoughts about my father spending all night at his shop. He was getting home closer to 3 or 4 in the morning, sleeping till 10 and going back out. Even on days he normally wouldn't work, and I had to know why.

Today when he had sent me home, I'd snuck back into the shop and gotten into this carousel's engine compartment. This wasn't a well thought out plan, just an improvised one and surely Mom would notice me missing, call Dad, and he would discover me. Till then, I had a chance to spy.

With the hesitation of a mouse wanting to scurry during the moment of silence on the Summer Sun Festival raising, my host eased from the compartment. Her head rotated to check both ways; left then right and left again. A feeling of fright pulsed with every heartbeat as each hoof as they took a soundless step towards the stairs. The nerve racking fear made my nose numb and a desire of wanting to be anywhere but here ate at my mind. Slowly the hooves moved up onto the railing of the spiral staircase and looked down; no pony there.

All metal stairs in a tight spiral surrounded by concrete and lit by a bright light at the bottom. There was a dim metal door at the bottom I had never seen before with an insignia I did not recognize on it.

If you go in there, you won't have a way out except the way you came. I could feel the hesitation every second until the hoof touched the first stair down. Then it was a mad scramble.

I remembered that scramble being a lot longer than this. The noise made from hoof on metal grate all the way down to the gray concrete at the bottom and it roared like a summer storm. You were trying to be sneaky! That was the most unsneaky way to do this! With a wince, the host eased towards the door, the trepidation returned with a vengeance.

A white hoof reached for the door and eased the long handle down, there was a click and the door swung open as if pulled by someone else on the other side. Rainbowrise stood behind the door but my attention was devoted to the other pony in the room. A pink furred, white mane pony in all black armored barding. This mare did not hesitate.

She leapt forward and slammed into my host as the world went for a tumble. I felt a hoof upon the throat and slowly choking out as my host struggled to move. Full blown panic spiked as the feeling of life ebbed away. This was not meant to put me unconscious this was to kill!

“Sunrise! Get off her! That is my daughter!” I heard my father's voice yelling but sounding miles away, the shouting was barely heard over the ringing in my ears and the dimming of the world around me.

“What do you mean? How did she get in here?” The stern mare's voice was direct, her hoof pressed harder into my throat and I could feel my windpipe wanting to give out.

“Get off her or I will not work for you!”

The weight shifted as the sound of a meaty twack rang out. The host's air was completely cut off, just long enough to drop to blackness.

The memory faded with a jolt. My throat ached and body felt sluggish. The pain of the memory was coursing into me, like it had just happened. Was that the last time I was met someone mysterious? Who was that pink mare again? Why did she-

“Sunrise STOP! You were almost gone an hour as is. You realize your brain and memories are working funny!?” Pink yelled at me.

Wait what are you talking about and how deep are you in my head?

“Oh Sunrise, you'll figure that out if you live long enough. But get into the here and now worry about Pinkie 71 later.”

My eyes drifted over to Alguacil, who looked back at me disapprovingly and then huffed. He turned his head to the entry flap a second before it moved.

I could see a pony under hood and cloak walking in. They stopped and raised a familiar dull gold hoof apprehensively hesitating before finishing entering the tent. There was a shrug and roll of the pony's shoulders, body language that my instinct recognized but couldn't place. She reached up and removed her hood, revealing herself as the mercenary captain and runner of Silver Fang Shanty, Sparrow.

“Well I did not expect it to be you lot,” she said and made her way in. Sparrow did not sit but stood in front of the two of us instead. The unicorn regulator's horn lit up and my eyes were drawn to the pop of the telekinetic envelope wrapped around the tent flaps. After a few flicks of the mare's horn, the tent was tied closed for our privacy.

“Alright I don't have a whole lot of time and you can come by my house later to ask questions,” the pegasus paused for a bit and closed her eyes. “My husband is missing, has been for almost half a year. I want to send somepony out to find him.” She hesitated again, this time for a long period. I started to speak up but she cut me off, “I doubt he is still alive but if he is bring him home; otherwise find out what happened to him.

“He was a Dashite from the Enclave. He disappeared one night without sign of struggle or a sound. I climbed into bed next to him, curled up against my Hot Cross Buns and when I woke up, he was gone. I know in the days leading up to his disappearance...” A tear rolled down her cheek unto her cloak. This wasn't the same jaded pegasus commander we had known when we entered town, nor was she the shewed detective to ensure who we were and lastly certainly not the no non-sense mother we had encountered at the gates this morning. This was what she looked like with her guard down and her heart exposed. “He kept looking over his shoulder and searching for shadows from the west. He'd fly out in the morning and always checked west.

“I didn't think much of it at the time, everypony here has something they're always worried about. But he was downright obsessive, up with dawn, flying patrols to the west no matter the weather or risk.

“He kept telling me he saw shadows out coming from the west, from the ruins of Los Pegasus.” Sparrow finished and finally took a breath. She spoke with a fury that if she didn't get it all out in one go it wouldn't happen. She placed her head into her hooves and held it there covering her face.

“Did somepony here have it out for him?” Alguacil coldly fired as he adjusted his sombrero so she would have to look into his eye.

“He was a Dashite so I assumed the entire Enclave would be after him. He also got into squabbles with earth ponies here.” She paused for a bit and lifted her head. “There were some earth ponies that were openly hostile. The only reason they didn't strike him was because he wore our mercenary uniform.” She banged her head a few times as if trying to remember exactly.

“There was a high end merchant, eccentric, that showed up on the day he disappeared. He had Talons escorting him and they didn't seem to care for pegasi at all.” The pegasus lifted her head and looked at us with a desperate expression.

“Do you have an exact date when he was taken? Do you keep a log book of traveling merchants in and out?” Alguacil demanded, his own interest starting to peak up at the mention of Talons, whatever those were.

“Yes we keep a log book you can speak to the quartermaster about it. He should know plenty. As for when he disappeared,” Sparrow inhaled. “I last held my Buns 137 days 12 hours and 24 minutes ago.” She spoke the exact time like it was a moment she refused to let go of and her day of the year wasn't a normal calendar but how long it had been since she held her lover.

“He also occasionally spoke like they might come get him one day. I thought he meant the Enclave...” Sparrow took another breath and moved to get out of the chair onto her hooves. “I just never thought it would happen. Least of all, him disappearing from our own house,” the pegasus hung her head for a moment then looked up at us. “If you want the job, it's 1000 caps.

“You can ask more questions tonight when we have some privacy at my house.” Sparrow stood up and put the hood back up to conceal her face. “You can talk to me at my house tonight.” She hefted the cloak to cover herself back up. “Nugget will be happy to see you before you leave as well. If you want to the job stop by for more questions and I'll make your group dinner.”

She must really be driven crazy by the thought of her lover leaving. I know if my parents had disappeared in the night like that... I looked at my PipBuck and saw the section labeled, special files. Oh wait I do and I know exactly how she feels. How many had turned her away or told her to give up? No, I don't care what it takes even if all we find is a body it is better than living this that both of us are enduring. My parents will take a long time to solve, much longer than just looking for a pegasus.

“Well we are heading west tomorrow anyway, we'll do it Sparrow.”

The pegasus looked rather startled that we didn't have more immediate questions. Alguacil snapped his attention to me like a hawk about to strike. “We will?”

“Alguacil we are heading that way anyway and if there is a chance we can help this place out even more, why not take it?” I turned to Alguacil with a smirk and a winked at him with my eye away from Sparrow. “Besides isn't there a bounty from the Regulator's that covers ponynappers and rescuing the kidnapped?”

“I can't believe I'm saying this,” he grunted to try to get past that point. “But fine kid. You've got some sort of head on you.” His head lifted up with what looked like hope in his eyes for the first time since I'd met the griffin. “And well I suppose if he was ponynapped, it would be part of my regulator position to make sure justice was served.”

“Well then it is settled. What was his name? Do you have a picture or can you describe how he looked? Anything about him that is unique besides his cutie mark?”

Alguacil chimed in to interrupt me, “What was he looking for in the west?”

Sparrow held up a hoof, “Hot Cross Buns was a plain brown stallion, like a piece of baked dough and his mane was salt and pepper.” She took a breath before continuing. “He kept it cut short, like it was buzzed by one of those old spell-matrix shavers.” The tent filled with the sound of Sparrow's voice breaking. “My husband had a hot crossed bun, literally like a dinner roll with white cream on top for his cutie mark. But it was branded over on his right flank with a black lightning cloud with rainbow marks around the cloud. He also had a heavy ring around his neck from where he wore his necklace all the time, he never left without it.”

Sparrow took a moment to collect herself before continuing, I could feel the hard time she was having, like if someone mentioned the name Buddy to me. “He never left without this necklace,” The pegasus pulled out a small ruby necklace with a rainbow sculpture inlay. “He never went anywhere without it. That is why I know that he likely didn't leave of his own accord. He never left without it.”

Alguacil made a motion with his talon to continue with her answers. Sparrow nodded and obliged, “Every time I asked why my Buns kept checking west his response was that he got a bad feeling coming from Los Pegasus. But that is at least a day away flying and so much more by land. I couldn't believe that somepony would head to those ruins or come all the way out here.”

I nodded and looked at Alguacil to see if he had any more questions. When he remained silent I chimed in. “I don't see why we can't help. We're going out to Los Pegasus anyway; may as well look for Hot Cross Buns while we are out there.” I gave the best, bravest smile I could to the mare. The kind you give someone to tell them you've done this a hundred times before. Sunrise just don't get anymore of your friend's killed.

Sparrow shook her head at both of us, “Stable dwellers, always the hopeful ones that make even the hardest of us have a heart.” The mercenary commander pulled the tent open with a twist of her head and walked out as quickly as she had entered.

Alguacil watched her leave and then started to speak only to be silenced as I put a hoof up to his beak. “Talk to me about it later, when we don't have an audience treating us like their personal entertainment.” I gave him that cute filly smirk I knew worked so often, especially on people older than me and trotted out into the crowd to see that Sparrow had disappeared. Alguacil's talons and paws were not subtle as they could be heard behind me.

“Alguacil, you go check the merchant's log books and find out anything you can,” I told him at the junction between the flophouse and the bazaar. You will at least know what to look for while I would have no idea how to examine a merchant's log. I only got a grunt of acknowledgment and started towards the flophouse to gather our friends.

“Sunrise you do realize you just made a major decision about this journey without consulting your friends?” Pink casually whispered in my ear.

I can't stand the idea of leaving a pony in distress. Besides... Sparrow adopted Nugget. Even if we fail, isn't it better she has some hope to inspire that little filly? To know that life can be better? She has been a good pony, she deserves ponies to be better to her. Pink shut up and slowly drifted out of my sight. Well more bounced like a squishy squeeze ball across my vision till she was beyond my sight. You do realize you are absolutely insane seeing Pink and hearing her? Though I suppose al of us have our quirks, I wonder if Nyota and Alguacil have something like you, Pink?

By sunset, we had gathered Chifundo, Nyota, and Quick Stitch at Sparrow's home. It was easy to find since it was the one marked, 'Commander and Queen'. Mares what an Ego! We shifted around nervously, looking this way and that for the large griffon, wondering what would make the relatively disciplined regulator late as the minutes ground on.

Suddenly a gunshot echoed from the direction of the flophouse. Everyone turned and stared in the direction of the tavern as had everypony elese in Silver Fang Shanty for a brief moment of silence. Then the silence ended and they went on about their business as if nothing had happened.

While my friends went back to their various tasks I kept looking in that direction till I saw Alguacil flying through the air. He landed right next to us and I gave him a hard stare at him, expecting an explanation. The others were talking but I was ignoring them glaring at him like he had glared at me.

“Did you explain it to them?” The griffin wiped his talons while he spoke, I noticed the ear poking out of his duster pocket, fresh and bloody.

“No, I just told them we had to meet Sparrow. I thought I'd let you explain to them if we were taking the job or not, with what you learned out about the merchant.” My eyes looked away from Alguacil in disgust. How can they kill so easily, callously, or without a second thought?

“Well then kid fine. But this is the last time I am the one to relay the decisions you make for us.” He adjusted his hat and patted the helmet on his waist. “Even if you get us protection, you still need to face the consequences of your decisions.”

Way to give me the guilt trip! You and I both know we are doing this because it is the right thing to do; even if I had to kick you in the beak to make you realize it. “We can still walk away and they don't have to come with us if they don't want to.” I snorted back, though the hurt in my voice was obvious to anyone with any sense.

Alguacil eyed me with his patented glare, then turned to everyone else present, “Alright, where is Box Pone?” He reached up to scratch the back of his head against his ear.

“No idea, I haven't seen her since we worked on improving her box,” Nyota replied chewing on a cigarette in his mouth.

“Well this is what is going on, Sparrow has asked us to go find her husband, Hot Cross Buns.” I hesitated at this point and let out a sigh as Alguacil continued on. “Since we are heading towards Las Pegasus anyway and that is the direction she thinks he went. Sparrow isn't sure if he was taken or left. She has been kind enough to offer us dinner as we talk to her about all of it.” I looked at all of them, from face of friend to friend to well, Quick Stitch was a new found friend right?

Nyota shrugged and smirked, “So long as it is on the way.”

Chifundo looked at Nyota then mirrored his shrug and body language, “I am not opposed, it is like one of goodness I suppose.”

Quick Stitch shook his head, “Well if I am going to help the griffin, I guess I am stuck with the rest of you.”

What did you do that Alguacil has bound you to us? Do I have Alguacil or DJ Pon3 to blame for this one?

“Does it matter Sunrise? You are making friends! Just keep doing what you are doing and be the better pony!”

Dammit Pink! Fine, wait, “What is your name?” Pink was already gone out of my vision and I couldn't find her anymore.

I turned and knocked on Sparrow's door with a hoof twice. Before the third hit of my hoof Sparrow opened it with a jerk and I had to avoid clopping a hoof onto her chest. “Sorry!” I yelped out as the pegasus looked at me with a gotcha grin.

“Oh, it is not like I wasn't listening from the other side of the door and waiting on you for nearly half an hour, with dinner already made and Nuka Nugget munching down on veggie stew.” The sarcasm in the air made everyone of us roll their eyes. When Alguacil and Nyota roll their eyes do they move the eyebrow that lacks an eye? Sunrise! Focus on the task.

“Well don't just all stand there, come inside and let's have a conversation about my Hot Cross Buns.” The way the mare said it, it sounded like we were talking about sex, and not her husband. It got a blush from me, a questioning look from Nyota and Chifundo, and another eye roll from Alguacil. His other eyebrow does move!

We all shuffled into the shanty house, which as it turns out was built on an actual house, or what used to be one from before the megaspells fell. We could see the remains of the foundation as well as the steel beams reinforcing its structure. Inside were several pieces of improvised shanty furniture mixed with pre-war pieces.

The chair was a repaired lazy-pony patched with enough duct tape to nearly cover it completely, while the coffee table looked like a box that had most of the sides cut off so you could stick your hooves under it. Meanwhile there were a couple of nightstands that were made from ammunition crates with the words Canterlot Armament faded on their sides. The room was lit by electrical lights being run by a spell-matrix generator in the corner. At least she had electricity. The kitchen was also now attached to the living area, with an old pre-war stove that somehow still worked.

Nuka Nugget was by the counter with her dull gold mane that really came close to matching her new pegasus mother's. No wait! She is brighter. Nugget looks almost exactly like Sparrow now that she... she... had a bath?! How dirty is the wasteland? How bad do I look without having bathed in the last couple of days? Makes me appreciate showers or long baths now. Add them to the list of other things I miss now.

AsNugget got out bowls made from various pieces of metal, I took a smell. Carrots and Potatoes! They still exist! I dug into the soup with gusto and I savored every spoonful. Somehow Sparrow had gotten rosemary and pepper, as well as a decent amount of salt. Either way, the combination of tomato base with potatoes and carrots was delightful. While I ate, rather noisily might I add, everyone else took their time picking at it while asking questions of Sparrow.

“Did he have any features besides the necklace impression on his neck?” Nyota prodded as he took a bite of potato.

Sparrow shook her head, “Not that I can think of and I know every inch of my Buns.”

Chifundo got up from his seat and started to walk towards the exit to the common room, a hallway made of scrap metal, “May I check upon where you last saw your Buns, so that we may have a better chance of returning him to his huns?”

Sparrow blinked a few times at the pink striped zebra then looked up at me, as I had a mouth full of soup I just shrugged and chewed. The mare turned her head to Alguacil who nodded to her. “He has some sort of ability to talk to spirits. He hasn't been wrong yet about them.”

“I commune with lost spirits, wisdom imparted by their visits.” The curious way of Chifundo replying and always so fast, it was like he had two million rhymes ready to be issued out of his mouth at a month's notice. I sipped on the soup, muddling this over when Nugget walked up to me and poked my side.

Without hesitating I did what I would have always wanted to do to a little sister, I tackled the gold filly into heap and started using my hooves to tickle away at her flanks. The outburst surprised everyone in the room and relieved some of the tension for the rest of us.

My friends all reached for weapons and I heard the cocking of pistols before the stream of forced laughter came from Nugget and they saw our smiles which were fading under the gaze of pistol barrels on us. I used my other hoof to motion for them to put those away and then returned to tickling the little filly under me.

“Mare! MARE! MARE!” Nugget cried and I stopped tickling her and gave a gentle hug. It is nice to have a filly close to my age who isn't obsessed with boxes. I helped the filly up and grinned at her before ruffling her mane with a hoof. Yep, wish I had a sister now!

Sparrow pointed a hoof to Chifundo, “Go ahead then and do your thing then Chifundo. If it helps you discover where my Buns is, then I see no harm in it.”

Chifundo started to speak to the air, “Hello spirit, I do not mean to make you bear it. But can you remember back to the day when the one called Buns was made to leave his lay?”

There was a shuffle from Chifundo's hooves as we all watched and waited. “Some of my energy? I believe I can spare it like a friend with a berry.” We could all see the heat in the air around Chifundo rolling off of him before my eyes.

I felt dizzy, like that raider smashing me in the head with that hoof. My vision became blurry and Chifundo's words became distant. I heard the words “Back when I remember,” and I realized they did not belong to Chifundo right before the world went black.

I was inside a host body, but it felt strange. Like I didn't have a physical form, just one that existed. When my host looked down for a moment to investigate a rat, I saw why.

I'm in a spirit!? I have no body, how do I exist? What is this? Chifundo you have some explaining to do!

Is this what it's like to be dead? You don't feel your body so much as your mind just free floats? This is, way too strange, and note to self; if I ever feel this panic or find my body and hope I can be brought back!

The host looked up to see Sparrow with a wing wrapped around a stallion that was slightly smaller than her. He was certainly a plain brown, like a cookie or wet sand. It must be nice to have wings, you can do things like cuddle without using a hoof. … Seriously Sunrise, this is a ponynapping investigation and that is what you focus on?

Suddenly my host turned to see the window opening up and a device hurled inside. It bounced twice and on the second bounce, there was no sound. My host staggered and I felt like I'd had the wind bucked out of me. Two creatures in sleek, all black armor, it faded in and out of sight; like it had some sort of camouflage that made it almost invisible. I couldn't get a feel for the size of the two creatures, their constantly shifting fields made it impossible to tell if they were even ponies or something else.

A weapon came out from under the cloak shield, at the head level of the two sleeping pegasi. I saw a hoof emerge and push the lips of Hot Cross Buns closed in his sleep. His eyes popped open as another hoof came out and held a gun. The needler gun! That looks like the exact same one Corners found. A dart hit him in the side of the neck followed by another that hit Sparrow. The two figures grabbed onto Sparrow's wing and lifted it out of the way.

The first figure took Buns by the shoulders and dragged him out of the window, without taking flight or making a sound, just walking out; climbing up the wall. The second creature followed after removing the darts. They stopped and took a knife out of dresser; turning the blade around in pale moonlight before taking the blade into the armored cloak which shimmered to adjust. I could see the hoof now and knew it was a pony.

They took the device off the ground, it looked like a large apple with a pair of speakers on it. As they left the room, sound returned and my host felt the distress of having just watched the ponynapping.

I slammed forward and my body felt like it had been injected with a dose of pure nausea. I couldn't take it and vomited into the bowl of soup I had just had. Soup never tastes as good on the way back up! Why, why could I not simply have a meal without something happening. I didn't lose everything but the foul taste in my mouth meant I wasn't hungry anymore. As I looked up, every eye was shifting between myself and Chifundo.

“Chifundo, can you give me some warning next time you are going to use some zebra magic and pull us all in with you.”

“What does the little pony mean, pull you all in? I was the only one who was meant to see where to begin.” The pink striped stallion gave me a questioning look as did everypony else in the room when I spoke.

“So did everyone see what happened?” I asked aloud before seeing a mass shaking of heads.

“We thank you kindly spirit, you have proven merit,” Chifundo spoke to the air and then waved it away. I thought I saw a wisp of smoke then nothing. “Sunrise, I know not how you entered the vision but you were not meant to go beyond the great division.”

I blinked away the sickness as I felt two hooves touching me. One belong to Quick Stitch, the other Nyota. I looked from olive green stallion to black striped stallion, then back. Great both the medical ponies are now concerned. Quick divert attention elsewhere.

“Why don't you tell them about the vision and whatever that, spirit was it?” I took a moment to get approval from Chifundo before continuing. He motion a hoof and nodded in approval. “Yeah, the spirit, what it showed us.”

Chifundo took his time relaying to the rest of us, in complete rhythm. It was pure torture on me, to the point I think I might prefer a broken knee. No, No, I refuse to think in the way Chifundo talks! When he finished he seemed most disturbed as he put a hoof up against his chin.

“I think the device was something used by my kin of stripes. Thus the spirit heeded the call of its pipes. The device's purpose to make quiet, the crimes of the ponynappers sought to hide it,” Chifundo finished speaking and we remained quiet for a time.

“Well that settles the matter. We have ponynappers to catch, for justice,” Alguacil stated quite coldly and I swore I heard the spinning of a snake rattle somewhere. It was like this griffin was a walking talking embodiment of a wild Appleloosa western.

“I talked to the merchant book keeper, Quarter Keeper.” He took a long draw of air. “His books had been fixed by someone who was a former raider and sold out Hot Cross Buns then fixed the books. All for just 300 caps.” His stern look went from pony to pony as he waited to continue. His eye focused on Nugget for a bit and then I realized what he was about to say.

I jumped up and covered Nugget's ears with two hooves as the gravel grated on steel voice spoke again. “Quarter Keeper then did what I should have done in the first place. He took a baseball bat to that damn piece of lying shit till all his legs were broken,” Alguacil took a glass and sucked down the water. “Then that stupid piece of horse shit mentioned he should have done it for 700 caps so I shot him. Blew his brains all over the flophouse table and scalped his ear.”

“There are FOALS IN HERE!” Nyota and Quick Stitch shouted in unison as they looked at Nugget and me. I was listening and glaring at Alguacil while Nugget was toying with her piece of potato in the soup. She was completely unaware of anything going on while I kept my hooves firmly placed against her ears.

“I ain't gonna spare any details on their count. They need to know the truth, the cold hard truth,” the griffin replied and stared at all of us to challenge him on it.

“Let's get going, we have bugged Sparrow enough I think and made her night quite eventful. We can speak to you tomorrow if we need anything before we go right, Sparrow?” I turned my head at the sound of a bottle uncorking and Sparrow was turning up what looked like a dark red wine to her lips.

Sparrow, oh no you don't, you don't get to hide in that right now. I huffed, stomped over and grabbed the bottom of the bottle trying to tug it away.

Sparrow pulled it down with a heavy gulp, “Oh you want some?”

I could feel the eyes in the room staring at me. I felt the expectation was that I was going to say yes. “No, but you don't get to do that anymore. Not in front of a foal at least!” I declared and nodded my head towards Nugget. The poor foal had a face of shock that another filly was standing up to a full grown mare with that much defiance.

“Sunrise has a point. You have a foal in the room, and we aren't gonna let Alguacil off the hook anymore than you!” Nyota was judgmental enough that you could feel the guilt trip attempt tugging on your throat. Holy cow! There is a whole lot more to that quiet zebra that any of us ever give him credit for.

Sparrow stared at me hard, then looked at the foal and her eyes softened. She put the cork back into the bottle of wine, while staring at me with a glare the entire time. She deposited the bottle into the coffee table next to her couch. The sound of metal on glass rolling till there was a tink as it came to a stop inside.

The mare then looked over at her foal, “Nugget dear, go to your room. It is late and you need to get ready for bed.” Her tone was a motherly, defy me at your own risk declaration.

Nugget let out a discouraged aww, then looked up and nodded, “Okay mom. Sorry Sunrise but I have to do-”

“Its okay Nugget, I'll see you when I get back.” I paused for a moment, “With your new dad, Hot Cross Buns, in tow.”

“You don't even know if he is alive! You saw the wasteland take Buddy and only knew him for 2 days! You can't possibly be-”

Shut up Pink. We saw him leave here alive still, I'm bringing him back. I have to do better than.. than..

“Headless friends that you bury?”

Yes, and I need to make sure that little filly gets the hope I have restored to her. I don't care how but I would rather her be hopeful than think none of us are coming back or that her mom won't see her Buns again. I had a mom and dad, she needs one too.

As soon as we heard Nugget's door close, Sparrow took her wing into the table and the wine bottle came back out. She resumed glaring at me, daring me to say something as the cork came undone, spitting it across the room. Then took a long swig, never once did that piercing death stare leave me. Once she finished the bottle, she set it back down.

“You lot should see yourselves out. I need to go tuck in Nugget and be alone for a bit.” The pegasus walked past us and there was silence in the room. I noticed Quick Stitch's horn glowing and saw the dishes wash themselves clean as well as stack themselves up perfectly into the drying rack. Well he can't be a bad stallion, he did just clean her house for her. As I finished my thoughts, the pickled-olive stallion's cleaning spell finished up. It wasn’t exactly what mom would have considered acceptable, but it was definitely far better than anything I had seen since I woke up in that miserable pit. At the very minimum the dishes were done and I could see the floor.

We had a plan now and at first light I would begin to execute my sixth day in the wasteland, to head to Las Pegasus and find Sparrow's Buns. All while we figured out what that strange coordinate were and where my parents were.

Fan Artwork: Alguacil Hit!

Level Progress - 22% of the Way to Level 5.