Chapter 14: What Remains

Sparks stepped her freshly scrubbed hooves from the shower as her naked body ran wet with rivulets of rinsing water. Her entire body felt as if months of tension had been lifted off her, and she let out a deeply held sigh as she used her magic to dry herself with a towel and squeezed streams from her flat and damp brightly blonde mane and tail.

She gave momentary glances at her fresh scar, the raw pinkish flesh where shrapnel had lodged itself into her only an hour ago, and her lingering eyes traced the jagged lines in her slate blue coat along the wound. It gave her mixed feelings as she slumped into ruminations, none of them particularly frightening or pleasing about the injury itself, but the events that transpired for her to receive such a grisly trophy.

The winged unicorn -Lilac as she had named her- and her sadly nameless sisters and their conflicted desire to save, but being unable to as their salvation proved to be only deliverable at the hoofs of atrocity consumed most of her thoughts however. Such a conflict, one that Sparks’ senses were still raw as she continued to turn the idea over in her head had driven her to mental numbness. She couldn’t simply forget for a time as no conclusive idea or suggestion entered her thoughts, and she sighed deeply.

It was quiet for the past twenty minutes, save for the sounds of running water, her hooves in the refurbished ceramic bathtub, and her own groans of agitation as she did her best to brush out her tangled hair. She was successful in that at least, and with her soaps and brush she had packed in an ignorant preparation before she left her home, regarding how many cleaning opportunities would present themselves, she had managed to get herself somewhat clean. Despite the strange and subtle raw feeling the untreated water left her with, her coat and hair were washed of the week’s journey with muck and dirt drained down the pipes, and she felt almost as clean as she was the day she left her Stable.

The near silence agitated her thoughts back into reflections, but the solution to that she felt would only open the floodgates to a far worse spiral of self depreciation. The PipBuck, scrubbed clean as best she could, that lay serenely on her left foreleg and the radio function inside its frame.

More importantly, the DJ Pon3 that was nestled a thousand miles away in some studio with seeming omniscience of the wastelands happenings.

She knew that he would have found out about the attack... somehow, and odds were in her mind that he would be painting them as monsters with her and Red Eagle playing the heroes as he did with the raider fiends. It left a sickening knot of accusation in her mind to the DJ, and to all those she imagined singing her praises and toasting her as Eagle had said. She wanted to go to Manehattan and rip the microphone from DJ Pon3 and scream onto the air... whatever she would say. She had thought about that a few times, about what exactly... but too many desires and ideas came rushing forth into an unintelligible mess of a wholesale rebuke.

She couldn’t see how killing an entire group of ponies was a good thing in any stretch, regardless of how Red Eagle or the DJ or any creature framed it. It was wrong to her, and with Lilac and her sisters they even had a gram of quality she could use to hammer home her self reprimanding. They wanted to help, despite their means.

All this kept her magic locked from her PipBuck’s controls, and the radio silence provided all the quiet in the world to think since she first heard the first news broadcast. She couldn’t do more than ruminate as she mechanically dried herself off with her now damp towel, her slate blue coat somewhat fluffed and nearly silky with her soaps providing most of the only comfort available to her.

As she continued to scrub herself dry, her eyes trailed over herself as she inspected for missed clumps of dampness and dirt, and eventually her eyes locked with the cutie mark displayed brazenly on her flanks now free of her armor and Stable suit; a symbol whose very obscured nature to her puzzled her ever since her flanks exploded in a showering frenzy of sparkling magics and destiny.

It was shaped like a lightning bolt with a snake coiling around it, but in an uncommon fashion with cutie marks its style was geometric with sharp angles and contrasts she likened to old prewar artistic decorations. The Bolt itself, ebon brown with bronze highlights on the edges matched the snake’s, with the center of the bolt blazing a bright, almost electric blue smaller bolt that highlighted the mark.

Even ever since she was almost thirteen when she received her calling, and with all the C.A.T. results -Cutie-mark Aptitude Test- before and after she got it in her Stable’s so called extensive sciences in one of the most arguably mundane magics of equinity, it was still a subtle enigma of pony normalcy for her. Everypony eventually got one, she knew, and almost all of them that she had seen were simple, direct even, and it laid a clear path for their bearers.

For her though, it only replaced the questions every foal asks before their cutie mark reveals itself in their flanks, and her short lived reverie ebbed away to confusion that no scholarly type in her Stable could remedy; only providing ‘maybes’ and speculation that served Sparks to no benefit. The religious types even more so as she remembered then, chuckling.

She sighed as she wiped the marks with her towel, and she brought herself to her hooves and packed away her small amount of bathing supplies; a bar of soap, toothbrush and paste, and her hairbrush. The bag they nestled in was a small, but luckily waterproof, toiletries bag that she returned to her drenched saddlebag.

She turned to her unwashed and armored Stable suit, still drenched in a twisted mixture of muddy water, sweat, and blood; the once vivid blue and gold trim fading under the duress it had received over the week. She was understandably hesitant to don it again, and left it hanging on the coat rack as it dripped away all its clinging fluids to a puddle on the floor below it.

She emerged from the mayor’s ‘salon’, which felt more like a simple bathroom to Sparks than the name implied, and trotted out the hallway to the now evening darkened view of Mayor Madame’s office. The only signs of life below were lights from lamps or bulbs, and they silhouetted forms of ponies as they bustled even in the dark to rebuild their lives.

The chilly wind from beyond the shattered wall sized window cut through Sparks’ naked and damp form, and with a shiver shooting through her body she looked around for a blanket or robe... or anything she could wear to keep the wind from her. She found none after being cut short by Mayor Madame’s sudden unexpected speech, starling her to a small jumping surprise. “Nice isn’t it, the luxury of something as simple as a shower?”

Sparks turned around as another gust of wind cut through her body in the same manner as the first, her mane and tail fluttering in clumped together damp strands in the wind as a fierce shiver shook her body. She saw Mayor standing there, a slightly black blotched once vividly scarlet robe around her disheveled form supported by a crutch under a fore leg.

She had another similarly colored housecoat over her back as she wore an expression of compassion; a subtle edge of jealousy lay in her eyes though. “Here, you must be coldSparks.”

She turned to the side, offering for her to take the gown, and she did so eagerly wrapping its almost silky thick cotton form around her with her magic. It was comfortable to her, and she would have practically levitated from the floor if it wasn’t for her solemn smile. “Thanks...”

Mayor sighed as she turned back around and made efforts to reach her desk, the body wracking pain apparent in her limbs as she hobbled with her crutch. Sparks’ eyes examined her from hoof to head, and for a moment her mind mused that she herself had been lucky to escape with nothing but a single injury. Mayor Madame had fractured and broken several bones, and a small litany of abrasions and lacerations lined her bandaged body.

Even with the care she had already given her she seemed to be marginally better than when Sparks first saw her, and she spoke with a clearly concerned voice as her expression matched. “Mayor, how are you feeling? I can give you some PainAway if it you want.”

Mayor snickered, and with an expression of shooting pain her grin became a grimace. She shook her head and sighed before speaking low. “I’m not even sure I want some painkillers, it’d be great to not feel like crap every time I breathe, but... I need my senses clear for the next while...” She shrugged her shoulders lightly with a lethargic pace before donning a small smile of gratitude. “But, thanks Sparks... You’ve done a lot already, I can’t rightly ask for more.”

She nodded as she wore her own small smile to match Mayor’s, and Sparks drew the robe tighter around herself as another surge of wind threw scattered papers and debris around the destroyed office. Mayor scowled at the broken window as she shook her head, eyes becoming hard and squinted as she spoke. “Nothing like The Wasteland to make you remember how good life was before tearing it away... I never thought something as simple as broken glass would be a pain in my neck.”

She shuffled around papers and set down paperweights to keep them from flying away from the desk before her as Sparks walked up to the massive shattered remains of the window. She gazed out to the city below and her eyes traced out the crowds of ponies who gathered around the beaming lights, a mixture of campfires and torches, sparkle cell flashlights and lanterns were slowly being added to the glow; the bright orange-white silhouettes of ponies growing, albeit slowly.

Despite the fact that she couldn’t see much to begin with, she couldn’t make out if Eagle was down there with them. She turned to Mayor, who was hard at work scribbling something with a pen in her mouth onto a piece of paper before her, and Sparks spoke up with a caution in her voice that she couldn’t place. “Where’s Red Eagle at?”

Mayor set the pen down after trying to answer it herself, and she spoke with confusion in her words. “Well... after he left I really don’t know where he would have gone. Maybe he went to trade with our stores or...” she rubbed a hoof on her chin trying to guess his mind, but drawing a blank until she had an idea as to where he may have gone. “He... might be in that bar he lodged in when he first came here; a little saloon of sorts, down in the western locker rooms.”

She sat up slightly and made eye contact with Sparks, making directional gestures with a hoof. “Alright, you’re going to want to take the elevator down and cross the high stands down to the edge of the market square, make a left and follow the alleyway until you see a big neon sign; one with some poorly drawn yaks on it. Vadim’s bar is where Red Eagle might be.”

Sparks absorbed the directions fairly well until her focus seized on ‘yaks’. She had heard of them, but as always she had never seen one; only heard descriptions of them in history classes. She voiced her confusion, expression matching. “Yaks? Big and, well...hairy?”

Mayor nodded once, and gave a small grin edged with distaste plainly shown in her tones. “Yeah, and loud by the way -that’s a yak for you. We have two residential yaks and, coincidentally, they both live there; pushing liquor and bunks for caps.” She gave a small chuckle that caused her subtle pains, and with an irked groan she held her head up with a hoof. “But... yes, I think Eagle might have gone to the bar. Probably to sauce himself after today; I wouldn’t blame him though.”

Sparks’ thoughts lingered for a moment on her words, and nodded before giving the robe wrapped tightly around her a glance as concerns for it grew. “Thanks Mayor, I’ll be heading out to find him. Do you want your robe back? I might get it dirty out there...”

Her timid voice and small chuckle brought a grin to Mayor’s face, and she shook her head as she spoke. “If you want to, you can keep it. Consider it a ‘thank you’ gift...” she gestured a hoof to her right, toward the back rooms before she spoke barely above a whisper. “I have more, anyways...”

Mayor’s eyes searched Sparks up and down, taking in her visage and musing that the robes suited her; the dark burgundy strangely complimented her blue slate and blonde palette. A small smile drew out her lips and a sigh followed, and with a sudden question in her mind she tilted her head raising a brow. "What about your Stable suit, or the rest of your pack? I don't see it with you."

Sparks’ expression shot to a small confusion of her own before the comment registered, and she cracked an embarrassed laugh after she glanced to either side of her. She rubbed the side of her head with a hoof up as if she was treading eggshells. “Oh! Right, heh heh, yeah I almost forgot...” she placed the hoof on her chest and took a slow and deep breath as she spoke self consciously. “I uh... wanted to ask if anypony had a... a laundromat in town, or something. My clothes are kind of...”

“Soaked?” Mayor interrupted, finishing Sparks’ sentence leaving her jaw hanging slack. She giggled as she nodded her head side to side with an embarrassed smile, subtly amazed on just dirty her effects were.

“Yeah, among other things; filthy, ragged... ugh!” she made a slight gagging sound as she stuck her tongue out, and collected herself as she gave Mayor a pleading smile. “Sooo... can anypony help?”

Mayor put a hoof to her chin as she played coy, and with a smile she nodded shortly after, speaking amusedly. “I can see to it, don’t worry Sparks.”

She let out a breath she wasn’t aware of holding, and the sigh of relief brought a small joy to her face; a beaming smile crossing her lips. “Thanks! You’re a lifesaver Mayor!”

“No, you are. Don’t forget it, you helped save our town. The least I can do is wash your clothes.”

Mayor’s words hit Sparks in much the same manner as all the praise she had so far received, and her smile ebbed into a somber expression that Mayor was confused to see.Sparks sighed, and gave a faux smile. Mayor wasn’t convinced, but she didn’t press her. “Well... thank you Mayor Madame, I’m going to... go find Eagle.”

They exchanged nods and as Sparks left her office, and Mayor let out a sigh of exasperation. She didn’t understand why Sparks seemed so resistant to accepting praise, especially the kind most Wastelanders would be eager to garner for themselves, but in the end she, perhaps in half ignorance, figured it might just be a Stable dweller thing; an affect of their isolated culture and such. She shrugged the thought away and returned to her work, kneading a sore and tense muscle to relax as she picked up her pen again and began scribbling away at a piece of paper before her.

*** *** ***

Sparks’ long ride down the rickety elevator system gave her no comfort as the random pops and spring loaded sounds of stressed metal tore her eyes away from the small splendor of civilization below. The camps were growing larger by the minute it seemed, with bonfires rising and beating back the darkness with fluttering columns of white-orange might. Around them, however, was a sight far more comforting than any she had seen.

The black silhouettes of ponies nearly uncountable from her vantage that bustled and communed around the fires, tending to the injured or passing plates of food around the pyres, wrapping blankets around the shivering forms and singing hushed lullabies to lull the foals to sleep; simply put, caring for everypony in the wake of destruction.

The sight brought a small and weak, guttering but oddly warm hope in her bosom as a grin crossed her lips. After such a terrible atrocity they still persevered and, much like their ancestors before them going all the way back to when The War razed civilization, stubbornly survived despite the odds and horrors the balefire forged deserts of Equestria held for them. That tiny hope flowered against the frigid whipping wind, girding her senses against the untrustworthy nature of the elevator she rode, and the small smile grew to genuinely warm her heart despite how terrible her short time was in The Wasteland.

That hope, however, despite growing strong, was dashed a hair by the passing thanks and subtle wayward stares of ponies; their expressions an awkward mixture of gratitude and uneasiness, and both caused Sparks to return her own awkward smiles and nods. The seeming uneasiness or disdain was what gave her pause, and confusion wracked her as to why they would wear such expressions.

As she made her way through the crowd of ponies a sudden jarring sound ripped her from her ruminations. The cantankerous litany of what sounded like a metallic roar of steel on steel caused her to jump and turn in the direction of the noise. It was off in some distant, unfamiliar corner of the stadium, and after a curiosity seized her mind she cantered off into the direction of the sound, her eyes darting around as she tried to keep her freshly washed form out of the muddy pools of water that remained.

Sparks managed to reach the source of the noise, and to her surprise she found that the racket sounded from the terribly overexerted gate as its mechanism rebelled against the guardsponie’s commands. There were four ponies there, two earth ponies with their battle saddles at the ready and two unicorns whose horns fizzled and popped as they exerted their full magical strength on the massive gate, albeit failing to lift the gate.

Sparks in a near instant realized that the patterns of the magical auras displayed the threat of burn out, and she suddenly wondered if the gate’s mechanisms needed magical aid to lift properly. Her Questions were short lived however as an earth pony mare, her disheveled and short cropped teal mane and tail crowning her dirty white coat and armor, the latter bearing a five pointed star, turned around and after glancing at Sparks’ horn thrust a hoof at her as she barked orders.

“Help them lift the gate, they don’t have the ass to do it themselves!” Sparks stood there wide eyed and flustered at being thrust into the spotlight, and she found out the hard way that the guardsmare had no patience for her confusion. “Lift the gate!! Come on!!”

Her shouting reprimand sprung Sparks into sudden action as she darted ahead and all her focus was poured into her horn’s magic. Her cyan aura of magic adding a solid sheen to the puttering prismatic gradient of green and yellow, and it created an odd mixture of colors as the door’s mechanical cacophony lessened. The strain was immense on her head, like her horn was throbbing and threatening to tear itself from her skull as if she was the sole force moving the gate. Sweat beads managed to emerge despite the chilly evening air; her face screwing up in the effort.

Inch by inch however, the gate relented and nestled open after the chorus of strained half shouts of the unicorns forcing it open. Left panting and gasping for air Sparks and the rest of the ponies at the gate peered out into the darkness with a single pale green light piercing the bleak beyond.

The light emanated from within the cabin of the chariot that she and Eagle, along with Tato and Green, had rode from The Hoof all the way to the outskirts of town, and with a stunned mixture of gasps and expressions of surprise the guardsponies around Sparks stared slack jawed at the sight.

Eagle opened his door and hung his head out, half shouting to the stunned group as he adjusted his black hat. “It’s just me! Found this in The Hoof!”

The guardsmare with the badge was the first to speak, but her voice was shaky in her confusion. “Where the hell did you find that!? Great Goddesses Red Eagle, we don’t even have roads and you expect to drive that through town!?”

Eagle gave a single grim chuckle as the guardsmare threw her hooves in angered gestures at the machine, and shook his head. “I want to take it to your scrap dealer. Wondering what she’d give for it!”

The guardsmare let out an agitated sigh as she face-hoofed, and repeated herself with an accusing stare. “As I said, no roads!”

“You of all ponies here ought to know somewhere I can park it then for the time being!” Eagle snapped at her as his gravelly voice boomed over the cacophony of the chariot’s engine.

The guardsmare balked, shook her head and waved her hoof as she turned around groaning. “Alright then, calm down! Follow me, and watch where you’re goin’!”

As the group parted to let the wide chariot through, all the gathered guardsponies stared in awe of the noisy racket emitting machine as if it was an alien contraption. None of them had seen one, moving and operational at least, and the gasps and expressions several of them displayed gave cause to follow the machine staring like foals at a magic show.

Sparks wiped her forehead beneath her horn with a sleeve of her robe as the group was reduced to her and the two unicorns. Letting out a deep chested sigh, she turned to her side with a grin and spoke to one of them. “Whew, that... that thing’s definitely heavy! How do you manage to-”

Sparks’ eyes locked onto the deep and milky orbs of what at first she wanted to scream in response to seeing, but her voice was locked as she saw what she could only describe as an utterly repulsive... zombie pony? Had she her senses she would have remembered Eagle’s Wasteland lessons about what he referred to as ‘ghouls’, only for a precious few seconds her vision was rapt in utter horror to the peeling flesh, stringy orange mane crowned face set with those featureless milky orbs.

To top it all off, the zombie pony grinned wide, bearing a set of yellowed half rotten teeth that had more gums than bone, as it -she?- spoke in a delightful voice that Sparkscould’ve sworn had no business emanating from such a grotesque creature.

“Well normally it isn’t so hard to manage, but after that fight practically all our unicorns are burned out. Usually me and Gale here can manage-”

The beautifully voiced ghoul pony caught Sparks’ horrified stare, one she had seen so many times before only on such a level she hadn’t. Her milky orb-eyes looked Sparks up and down, her gaze seeing the PipBuck that lay on Sparks’ foreleg, and tried to don an expression of compassion; albeit failing utterly in both form and function for Sparks’ sake.

“Oh! You’re the Stable mare everyponies talking about right!? If so, I’ll forgive the staring. Odds are you haven’t seen one of my kind before...”

“Uh- Y-y-yeah! I... um, I-I-I have h-heard of... of ghouls before b-but...” Sparksstammered fiercely as her fright clashed with embarrassment, her blue-slate cheeks blushing hot red as her eyes couldn’t decide which details of the ghoul to focus on before planting her gaze firmly on her hooves. “I-I-I-I’m... s-s-so sorry ma’am...”

The ghoul laughed cheerily in an admittedly adorable squeaky voice, and she shook her head and held out a hoof in greeting. “Don’t worry! I’m used to it... My name’s Desse, short for Decibel Ensemble; it’s a pleasure to meet our city’s savior!”

Sparks saw on the top of her vision the flesh molted and cracked hoof that Desse extended, and it took all her control to return the gesture, unable to escape her wide eyed nervous expression as her hoof touched the rotten member in hesitance. “G-Good to meet y-y-you too, D-Desse! I’m... ah, m-my n-n-name’s Sparks!”

The cheery demeanor of Desse was all that kept Sparks from bolting there and then as she spoke, along with all the lifelong lessons of manners and civility -politeness and such. Desse shook her hoof vigorously and with a half toothy smile she nodded, bobbing her stringy mane in the gesture.

“That’s a pretty name you have! Stable ponies usually do, I knew one a long time ago who had such a gorgeous name and, well...” She coughed, clearing her throat with a phlegmy racket before her milky eyes rolled in embarrassment. “Nevermind that, tangential tendencies and all, happens when the years start piling on, ahem... Anyways, how’re you liking our town so far? I know it’s... ah, ‘amenities’ aren’t at full strength for, well... obvious reasons, but I’d still like to hear your thoughts!”

Sparks flustered for a moment as she fought with her staring eyes to say something nice, especially since she hadn’t really been in the town yet; not truly. She waved her hoof around, gesturing as her tongue was twisted and her eyes avoiding Desse’s form. “Ah... w-weeell... I’m rather, f-fond of the... ah... um...” Her eyes saw the massive door behind her, and she thrust her hoof towards it. “The door! It’s a... a n-nice gate! K-kinda reminds me of m-my Stable’s b-big... well, door.”

Sparks tried to put on a smile to show sincerity, but her nervous expression dashed any hopes of her belief. She sighed after Desse raised a brow maintaining a smile. “I-I’m sorry... but I haven’t been here long enough t-to... um, get to know the town... all that well... Besides I, uh... me and Eagle kinda... well, blew up a bunch a stuff too...”

Desse let out a snickering chuckle, and shook her head still bearing that wide and sweetly rotten smile. “Well, at least you’re being honest... Stick around for a while and sure as rain we’ll have this town back up in no time! Then we’ll see what your opinion is; and don’t think you and Mister Eagle blowing up a few buildings is bad, because those... winged unicorn things, did more damage. The two of you didn’t kill any of us.”

Desse put a hoof on Sparks’ shoulder, the expression she fought not to pull away from, and she sighed shaking her head. “Well... we’re going to be leaving tomorrow... I’m sorry to say. Can’t stay since The-” She caught herself mid sentence, her eyes going wide as she kept herself from divulging any sensitive information to their mission; or the possible fate of Crystal City soon to come. She coughed a little, and a small grin spread on her lips. “Since... We’re -I’m-... needed elsewhere. This was just a stop for me -us!”

Desse’s milky eyes locked onto Sparks’ and the void of expression in them made it hard for Sparks to discern whether or not she believed her. Shortly after though Desse nodded her head and her smile grew wider, revealing more of her stained teeth. “Don’t worry then, I’m sure you can come by some time in the future! We’ll have had time to iron out the kinks -so to speak- by then anyways!” she closed her eyes and nodded, putting a hoof to her own chest as she spoke. “Do take care on the road Sparks, stay safe. It’d be a shame for something awful to happen to you.”

“I... I’ll try my best, thanks Desse.”

“Think nothing of it friend!” Sparks looked from her to the unicorn guardsmare beside her, Gale according to Desse, and she nodded to Sparks with a short hoof gesture, a short flourish and touching her chest. Desse looked to Gale and gave a short nervous chuckle, turning back to Sparks with a smile. “Yeah, she can’t talk... she said ‘Good luck’.”

Sparks had a flash of recognition and nodded, bearing her own genuine smile. “Thanks, you too in the whole... rebuilding the town... thing.”

Gale nodded with a grin, and motioned her head in the direction where the guardsmare and Eagle went, the cantankerous machine having long since passed them by.Sparks’ eyes turned and looked in their direction, and a sudden remembrance flashed across her. “Oh right! Yeah, I need to catch up with Eagle. Take care!”

They exchanged smiles and nods before Sparks bolted away in a mad dash, both to catch up with the chariot and to make distance between her and Desse with subtle self-hating thoughts that she felt so strongly disgusted. Desse and Gale watched her gallop away, and with a smirk combined with squinted eyes she nudged Desse with her knee, holding her hoof up before her.

“Alright, fine... you win that bout.” Was all she said in an agitated voice before slapping a small sack of caps in Gale’s outstretched hoof, bearing a scowl as she did so. Gale simply bore a smug grin and gestured her hoof around more in seemingly pattern lacking motions, much to Desse’s displeasure as she pouted. “Yes, I know. Stable ponies. No need to rub it in...”

She turned around and eyed the massive gate behind them and gave Gale a retorting smirk of her own, her ghoulish lips teeming with pleasure. “Now... we have to close this ourselves, ready?” Gale’s expression shot from smugness to dread, and another flourishing gesture followed. “Uh uh! No complaining! You’re the one who sent her off. Now keep it steady!”

*** *** ***

Sparks followed the deep, trench like tracks of the chariot through the back alleys of town and found they led to a small garage of sorts, the slated door flung open, and inside she saw Red Eagle standing there speaking to another pony. An earth pony mare wearing a grease stained leather apron with a wild mane and strange stare in her eyes as her gaze shot between her griffon guest and the chariot before them.

Both of them were surrounded by heaps of scrapped parts and metallic pieces of strange mechanical design that lined the walls with scattered tools here and there, including wrenches, ratchets, sockets and so forth in a haphazard lack of pattern. Among the detritus asSparks’ wandering eyes found were half smudged, but proudly lurid posters and calendars depicting ponies, mostly mares, in erotic fashions plastered on the concrete walls among a litany of other paper scraps. With a deep blush she approached the flung open door, carefully avoiding patches of mud and pools of water, and their conversation inched its way into her hearing.

“-mean to tell me that raider fiend fuck-heads were clever enough for this?” The mare said, her speech confused and accusatory. Eagle just shook his head, scoffing before he spoke.

“You think I know? They had it and I took it, they could’ve stolen it or something.” He gave a long stare at the machine, and his eyes glanced at Sparks in the corner of his eye as she approached in the distance, his gaze subtly angered. His scarred beak twitched before he turned back to the pony. “I’m inclined to believe they stole it, considering they raided other gangs. Doesn’t matter though; I’ve got it now and I’m asking you how much you’ll pay for it.”

The mare screwed her face up as she tried to understand, and shook her head as her eyes traced the chariot’s body up and down from wheels to roof. “Why the hell would you want to sell it though? You know how many po- erm, creatures would kill for a working chariot!?”

Her eyes examined the vehicle in detail, putting a hoof on a fender staring long at the machinery inside the wheel well. “Nevermind one so extensively modified... or useable for us ‘dirt-trotters’. No need for a pegasus to operate...”

Eagle just groaned under his breath, and scratched his beak with a talon before his voice emanated with an agitated tone. “Look, long story short I’m better on my paws, and these things require parts and resources for upkeep. Not to mention they’re loud and the exact opposite of inconspicuous.”

The mare just held a hoof up and bobbed it slightly before she met eyes with Eagle again. “All right all right, just strange is all... You never see these things moving and folk tend to keep these things like this under major lock and key.”

She paused, tapping a hoof to her chin before her eyes shot up in a wild stare and startle as Sparks knocked on the garage’s sheet metal siding. “Hey every creature, how’s it going?” Sparks said with a warm smile, but it was met with silence and a dangerous glare from the mechanic mare.

“Damn girl, don’t sneak up on ponies like that! Shit!” she put a grease clumped hoof to her forehead, leaving a smudge of it on her brow as she breathed deeply. “Who the fuck are you?” The mechanic said, glowering at Sparks, and she had to shake her head free of the blunt nature of the question.

“I’m... um... Sparks ma’am, pleased to meet you!”

Recognition flashed across her eyes, but her expression remained sour as she turned around to continue eyeing the chariot in her garage. “Ah yes, our ‘savior’ probably making the rounds. Crock of shit if you ask me...”

Sparks’ expression twisted up in confusion to her words, and before she could retort or ask questions Eagle cut in waving a talon. “Alright, how much?”

The mechanic mare once again scratched her chin and in exasperation sighed as she turned back to Eagle, speaking flatly and to-the-point.

“Look Red Eagle, I can’t say for certain. Normally I’d say nothing simply because chariots need pegasi to run. This though, being rigged for cabin driving, bit and all, means anypony could drive it. That alone shoots the price up a thousand, maybe more. That ain’t even considering the internals like the cylinders, arcano-tech matrix, talismans, power alternator, the transmission, and a whole lot of other parts and pieces that just aren’t common.

“I’d have to get a look at specific parts and components before I can give you a number. There’s just too much in this... this thing to determine now.” She didn’t seem phased when Eagle locked eyes with her wearing a glowering agitation, and she sighed again before trying to reassure him. “Alright, tell you what. For you, I’ll give this baby a once over tonight and give you a number. I need to eye the details and all that shit, just give me until morning okay?”

Eagle grumbled and gave a few second’s contemplation before locking eyes with her again, speaking in a level voice. “Until morning is all you’ve got. We’re hitting the road come sunrise.”

The mare nodded her head wearing a scowl that betrayed her agitated thoughts. “Then we got a deal, now leave me to my work.”

Eagle turned around with a scowl of his own as he made a decent pace to leave the shop, avoiding the scatters bits of parts acting as caltrops in his path and passing Sparkswithout a word as she watched him leave the shop. Sparks turned and waved a hoof at the mechanic with an awkward smile, who didn’t return the gesture and scoffed, and she turned back to Eagle and trotted after him trying her best to avoid the muck.

She sidled up next to Eagle who kept his eyes ahead, and she panted a little and smiled as she spoke to him. “Hey Eagle, I’ve been looking for you!”

He scoffed under his breath as he kept his pace, winding this way and that through the evening darkened alleyways that bore only scattered lights for passage. He shook his head he spoke low and flatly, his gravelly voice showing agitation. “I’ve no doubt.”

He spared a glance at Sparks, his sharp blue eyes droned her from head to hooves, and abruptly turning back ahead without a flicker of warmth in his coarse voice. “While you’ve been cleaning up I went and got the chariot, if that wasn’t obvious. We don’t have much bunk time as it is and we still need to stock up on essentials.”

His eyes squinted as he grumbled again, his mind locked on preparation. “Can’t know how much these ponies will be willing to part with on ‘credit’. Food, ammunition, medical, all of it is up for grabs at this point. Less than eight or nine hours before we need to move.”

Sparks struggled to keep pace with Eagle’s seeming warpath, and she cracked a small smile trying to calm him down if only slightly. “I’m sure we’ll manage, don’t worry about-”

“You don’t get it do you?” Eagle snapped at her with a dark glower that seized Sparks’ words almost instantly; her eyes widened and smile disappeared. “This isn’t some milk run half mile trot we’re talking about. If we can’t get what we need here, at least enough to get to the next town, we’re dead in the water. With so few reliable towns between here and The West we can’t afford carelessness. You should have more than enough reason to be tearing your mane out in a panic with this little ‘quest’ of yours.”

He reared his head back, locked his dangerously fuming eyes with hers and he stopped cold in the alleyway. “Our quest, I should say; basically volunteering me for the fucking job.”

Sparks stammered for a moment, and a nervous expression spread across her face as she spoke. “W-what do you mean I volunteered you?”

“Don’t play coy with me. Your little heroic and blindly ignorant display is what I mean. You know you wouldn’t manage the journey by yourself, and charging into hell has a tendency to drag folk with you; idiots too enamored by foolishness to see they’re committing effective suicide.”

Eagle turned back, kept his eyes forward and resumed his previous pace as Sparks’ mind was trying to understand him. Bafflement became a subtle anger and her expression twisted to match. She galloped up next to him and all but shouted at him. “I didn’t volunteer any creature! I told you, my Stable need this! I don’t have a choice!”

“So nothing more than the march of duty? Count yourself among the idiots following ideals and heroism because those two words have killed more creatures across the world than you will ever know girl. Remember that little ‘heart-warming’ speech I gave about getting burned for trying? You won’t even remotely stop at ‘burns’, this is a full scale suicide mission.”

Sparks’ anger boiled to a full scale wrath that she could barely contain. She knew full well how bleak the outlook was on her mission, but her own ideals he so blatantly tossed aside as foolishness and calling her an idiot for trying ran raw a nerve, and it birthed a sudden fury. “How would you know Eagle!? So far I’ve only heard-”

“Because I’ve been on one before!! I’ve seen firsttalon what happens when-” Eagle snapped of a sudden; his pace seized as his furious expression choked his words mid sentence, and he scoffed as he faced away from her startled expression. He sighed deeply, and turned to face her again, speaking low and dangerously. “And I must be an idiot too; going back into mad ventures -not only once but twice- for fucking caps.”

He turned to continue trotting off, and he muttered under his breath as he trotted on. “I never should have come here again.”

Sparks stood there, her eyes wide and her mind baffled as she didn’t know what to think. Her thoughts passed each other faster than she could make sense of it, and she voiced the only curiosity she could; the fury replaced by a strange concern she couldn’t place. “What do you mean ‘again’?”

“This conversation’s over; we don’t have time for it. Once we’re stocked up we’re going to get some shuteye. We both sorely need it.”

Sparks followed after him; her confusion slowly unraveling bits and pieces of the mangled ball of yarn that represented their entire exchange, only making no progress towards understanding. She sighed and hung her head low as she trotted close behind Eagle without the strength to press the issue. Unvoiced questions like ‘He had done something like this once’ mingled in transience with ‘Why is he even going with me then if he doesn’t want to’.

Some deep part of her refused to believe it was for the money, but she couldn’t be certain as his entire character was so alien to her, so foreign in nature that she simply couldn’t decide what would be his price for leading her through The Wasteland.

Among all her thoughts, however, was a sudden wave of tiredness that Eagle seemed to have summoned, as if on cue, and her eyes began to droop, vision blurring as she yawned against the sleep deprived nature of her time on the surface. She wanted to sleep, but a small wonder grew if she even would get the chance; provided her head ever met a pillow tonight. The drive Red Eagle had made her question if she even would get the chance, but restless nights mounted against her ever since she was made witness to The Wasteland’s horrors.

Unfortunately for her, a small concern grew in her mind, almost subconsciously, that her journey wasn’t nearly complete. Images flashed in her mind of the large maps of Equestria, spanning coast to coast, summarizing hundreds of thousands of square miles of hellish landscapes, and all the unseen terrors it must have held. She balked inside at the prospect of seeing it all, and hoped silently she never would, but her own ideals held her fast to keep her promises.

‘Anything for home’ was what she told her Overmare, her family and friends, and now Red Eagle and practically all of Crystal City as her oaths began to be regretted with a mountain of seemingly insurmountable obstacles mounting. The unfathomable truth of how daunting her task was seemed to grow with each worry, each hesitation; only she continued to gird herself against it, even if it was lying to herself that she was ready.

She wasn’t, but she had made a promise.

‘Anything... for home.’

Footnote: Red Eagle level 22

Sparks level 4

Next Chapter: Chapter 15: Way back Home Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 44 Minutes