"Divine Design. Must've been quite the pre-war fashion store." Rose smiled as she thought to herself, the aged facade of the buildings standing tall around her and her two closest friends. ....No, she thought; friends wasn't good enough. They were family. Her family.

Ibis, the black and grey griffon who had been following her for so long, it was hard to remember the exact number of months that had come and gone. He stood tall and proud to her right, feathers ruffling slightly in the damp breeze, Garden slung over his shoulder and ready for any threats that dare make themselves known.

Lily, the cream coated mare who had been her sister since she had been able to walk. Her green and yellow mane had grown out nicely, transforming into a luxurious, styled mane cut that was stunning even with the slight amount of dirt caked into the ends. Her Pipbuck played softly, a merry tune that kept spirits high and accompanied their trot through the city.

The City was nameless, at least to them. No signs remained on the blackened and crumbled road leading into the concrete depths, and so far, nothing had given hint to what this aged monument to pony kind had been named. They had traveled into the city slowly, wary of anything that presented danger, be it alive, inanimate, or in-between. They'd made it through several blocks without a hassle, until the trio found their route mostly blocked by a collapsed building.

"Hey, Red... Mind staying here for just a moment? I'm going to scout the ruins, could use the cover." Ibis spoke simply, a slight smile on his beak as he looked to Rose.

"I've got your back. Lily, stay here." Rose steadied herself against the rusted hulk of a Chrysalis Air Bus, motioning for Lily to stay at her side before raising her rifle. Giving Ibis a nod, she flicked off the safety, eyeing the ruins as Ibis slunk forward, belly to the ground as he approached the wreckage.

The soft padding and clicking of Ibis's paws and talons were lost to the winds that howled through the ruined metropolis, threatening to pull the constructs of pony kind back down to the rubble from which they came. The toppled building blocking their path was mostly intact at the intersection they were in, though the interior had not fared so well. One golden eye cautiously peeked over the edge of a shattered window, scanning the remains of the building for anything, hostile or otherwise. All that remained were crumbled walls and ceilings, with office supplies tossed about with force; desks bent in two around cracked concrete supports, chairs crushed between the walls, and filing cabinets reduced to nothing more than twisted scrap.

Lowering himself back to the ground, he looked to Rose as she stood on her back hooves, her face a mask of stone as she surveyed the surrounding area. Noticing Ibis, she gave a slight nod of her head, and in turn he waved his front claw, motioning them over. Rose swiftly swung her rifle on it's strap and onto her back before landing on her hooves. Nudging Lily, the two mares crossed the distance quickly and silently, the only sound being the rustling of the wind through the streets.

As they drew close to Ibis, Rose was the first to speak. "Nothing here, so far as I can tell," She paused, shivering slightly in the frigid air. "Something still feels... off. We need to get indoors. Now, Ibis."

"Alright Red, don't worry, we will. Come here and I'll give you both a boost." Wasting no time, both mares trotted to either side of the griffon. Beak turned up in a slight smile, he wrapped one front leg around each mare and pumped his wings evenly, steadily bringing them over the lip of the shattered window and into the precarious ruins of the building. Setting the mares down, Ibis grasped Garden loosely in his claws, searching the building more thoroughly now that they were inside. In the background, soft clangs of metal on metal could be heard as Lily scavenged through the remains, while Rose stalked forwards, climbing delicately over desks and crumbled concrete.

Above them were gaping holes in the buildings side through which the night sky could be seen... somewhat. The clouds were thick and stone grey, an ominous feeling on the wind as it began to howl a little louder, whipping through the streets more ferociously now. Ibis looked skyward for a moment, cautiously eyeing the thick clouds above when the first rain drop came down, landing directly on his beak, causing him to squawk and jump slightly.

"Ibis! Are you alright?" Rose's shout could be heard from the other side of the building where she'd been looking out the cracked window.

"Yea, Red, I'm good, but the rain is coming, we need to move, now!" Ibis yelled back to Rose, not bothering to keep quiet as the clouds opened upon them, a torrential downpour as both Lily and Ibis raced to the side of the building with Rose. The sound of the rain was deafening, the wind making it no better as it shrieked through the city, the groan of aged metal and concrete going unheard in the storm. Rose, still by the window, quickly turned herself around and bucked, her hooves impacting the cracked plexiglass with the force of a pair of powerhooves, the glass splintering and falling out of the pane after the first kick.

"Nice going, Red! Come on, we've gotta move!" Ibis shouted to be heard over the roar of the storm, wings flapping and propelling him faster through the wreckage, Lily hot on Ibis's paws as he flew to the window. Ibis swiftly folded his wings in as he reached the window and bounded out, followed by Lily clearing the sill with Rose hot on her tail. The trio raced down the street, legs and wings pumping hard, only slowing to scan the numerous buildings that surrounded them. Ruined storefronts, collapsed hotels and buildings threatening to topple were all that remained, and as the rain fell harder, one building stood out at the end of the street. The store was only 2 stories tall, and was situated dead center at the end of the street the trio were on. An aged neon sign that proclaimed "Divine Design" hung precariously from the left hoof side, the right having fallen onto the sidewalk below. Three pairs of eyes met each other in a single moment of clarity, time seeming to freeze as pony and griffon nodded in unison.

"Quick! Into the store, move, move, move!" Ibis screamed to be heard over the din, wings flapping once more as Rose and Lily followed, making a beeline for the store. Gardens drawn, Ibis blasted through the partially rotten wooden door and scanned the room. He quickly swung Garden from left to right, moving to holster it just as Rose and Lily slammed into him from behind, the three of them landing in a heap of soaked fur and feathers.

"Oooh... Ugh... that's going to hurt in the morning. You two are heavier then you look!" Ibis groaned and rubbed his head with a claw, Rose laying atop him and beneath Lily as they laid on the floor. Lily, still dazed from racing through the soaked streets, barely paid Ibis any attention, instead deciding to lay her head on the softest thing she could; Rose's butt. Rose simply buried her face into Ibis' feathers, her legs limp as she near straddled the griffon.

"Hey, Red... Lily? Hey! Can you please get off of me? You're kind of... Crushing me!" Gasping and panting slightly, Ibis grasped Lily's leg and began to not so gently yank her from her perch on Rose, the cream mare landing in a scowling heap to his side.

"Ibis, that wasn't very nice. Apologize to my sister." Rose raised her head from his chest and looked Ibis in the eye. Meeting her gaze, he blanched at her, even her slightest glare sending a shiver down is spine.

Quickly, he turned to Lily, a single talon patting her on her head. "Sorry, Lily. Just had to get at least one of you off me." Giving a nervous chuckle, he gently pulled his claw back, clicking it against his other talons while both mares shot him dirty looks. Huffing to herself, Lily stood up and began to inspect the room they laid in, rotten carpet squishing under her hooves.

With the love birds laying on each other, Lily was free to explore their surroundings. Ponyquins still standing, fancy displays standing around the shop, cash register atop the counter, and a... Wait a moment. Cash register? Lily's head immediately swiveled back to the register, thoughts of pre-war bits running free in her mind. Without a second thought, she was behind the counter, hoof on the machine. Smiling proudly, she quickly introduced her hoof to the button, a soft ding ringing through the shop, accompanied by the drawer sliding open.

"Score!" Grinning ever more, she quickly did a double take. The drawer was filled with bits, so bright and golden, like somepony had just polished them. Turning her head, she quickly undid the clasp on her saddle bag, a small sack floating out with the bits meeting it in mid flight. Looking around once more, she also noticed that this side of the counter was lined with shelves. Dropping to her belly, she began to meticulously search through the belongings, her horn lit up in a simple light spell. "Hmmmm... Ooh, a bobby pin." Scanning the shelves and thinking to herself, she almost didn't notice the pale white light that flickered to life behind her. Shaking slightly as she was bathed in light, she ever so slowly turned her head upwards, the face of an unknown mare almost within her own. "Ghost! Aah, help me!" Screaming, she backpedaled straight into the wall, just as the apparition spoke.

"Good day, and welcome to Divine Design! I'm afraid that I'm not in shop at the moment, but if you wouldn't mind waiting I'm sure that I'll be here in no time!" the strange mare proclaimed, her form shimmering slightly before disappearing altogether. Ibis and Rose jumped at the sudden noise, both of them rushing to Lily just as the specter faded. Ibis hung back, still wary of ghosts and the like after the Robronco incident, while Rose was much braver; she was just a white and red blur as she vaulted the counter top and landed next to her sister, forelegs around Lily in a gentle hug. As Rose whispered soft and soothing words to her still shaking sister, Ibis turned to look around, Gardens at the ready.

"I'll be back in just a moment... Going to take a look around." Stepping carefully, he meandered his way through the heart of the shop, the carpet dry as he weaved through toppled displays. As he moved to the far side of the shop, Rose kept Lily in her embrace, gently stroking her lush mane while murmuring quietly. With a gentle nudge and hushed sigh, Rose brought her sister back to her shaky hooves, letting her lean against her side as they moved from behind the counter.

"You do know that wasn't a ghost, right?" Her face was neutral, but her tone betrayed the slightest hint of a snicker. "It was a hologram, meant to greet clients."

"Hu... A what now?" Puzzled and slightly bleary eyed, she met the gaze of her younger sister as they passed a ponyquin, still adorned in a marvelous dress, even if it was somewhat moth-eaten.

Giving her sister a gentle nudge, they continued to meander through the store. "A hologram. Pre-war tech. Basically a robot, but made of light."

"So, you mean to tell me that I was scared by a... robot-thingy?" Rose gave a slight nod, and both mares smiled as Lily sighed, a slight spring in their gait when Ibis called to them.

"You two going to screw around all day, or are we going to check this place out? I'm sure there's plenty of bits to be found, and maybe even a pack of gum or three." In an instant, Ibis was pounced by a blur of red, green and white, the three of them falling onto the ground in a tangled, laughing mess. After a few moments, the trio picked themselves up, with Ibis and Rose taking point while Lily trailed behind them. Opening the door at the back of the shop, they stepped into the wane light and were greeted by what must have been the design studio, with a spiral stair case to their right. The decay that typically pervaded the urban sprawl was almost nonexistent here; the only indication that two centuries had passed was the layer of dust that coated every surface. "Hey... What's that in the corner?" Ibis asked, his eyes catching the faintest glimmer of metal in the far side of the room.

"Hmm... I think it's a generator. It must be a fallback power source for the building. I can probably get it running in a few minutes," Rose spoke calmly as she trotted over. Reaching the machine, she swiftly pulled off the front hatch and laid it to the side. Leaning in, she systematically checked the innards of the generator out, rummaging about inside as the soft clank of metal on metal echoed through the room. Meanwhile, Lily was having a look around the room, meticulously searching for any valuables on the dusty tables and cabinets. She was just beginning to examine the locked door as the soft panting of an old motor filled the room. The soft humming of magical power filled the air as the lights buzzed into life, steadily illuminating the room as Rose replaced the maintenance hatch.

"And let there be light." She wore a grin that outshone the lights above as she turned around to her family.

"Well done Red! In record time too, I believe." Ibis gave her a playful nudge as Lily trotted over, the two sisters bumping hooves.

"Oh, it wasn't too ha...ha... ha-Choo!" Roses face scrunched up as she sneezed violently, propelling herself back into the generator with a soft thump, with both Lily and Ibis breaking out into laughter. The mare picked herself up from the heap she had landed in and gave the others a death glare, complimented with a sharp yank of Ibis' feathers and a few colourful phrases. Ibis groaned and rubbed his chest were she bit him as Lily laughed even harder, her face quickly reaching the same shade as her sisters mane while she rolled on the floor. After a few more minutes and several soft jabs from her sister, Lily managed to pick herself up from the floor with an apologetic smile on her face.

"Heheh.... Sorry Rose... it was just so cute! That had to have been the strongest sneeze I've ever seen, and... Oooh... What have we here?" Lily pushed past her sister as she went over to the bottom of the staircase, where a lumpy sheet was hung over something or another. Giving it a magical tug, the sheet billowed into the air and threw a dust cloud at the group, forcing them to cough and close their eyes. Lily, quick to recover, let loose a small gasp as she stared in awe at what had been protected by the old sheet. Three ponyquins stood in a 'v' formation, the one in front adorned with a breathtaking dress of the purest silk and velvet that was vibrantly coloured with black and red hues. The ponyquin to the left was dressed in a fashionable emerald business suit with cream accents. The final one, set a little closer to the first than the other, had been fitted with what could only be described as a bold and extravagant tuxedo, complete with its tails coat, top hat and monocle.

Ibis, second to recover, gave a soft whistle as he eyed the pristine outfits. They almost seemed to glow in the light from above, with not a speck of dust or other sign showing their age to be found. As he continued to gawk, he steadily came to the realization that these outfits seemed to match them... three outfits, same colours... almost like some cruel, cosmic prank. It seemed impossible, and Ibis was just beginning to get worked up when Rose gently placed her hoof on his chest, and then pointed to the wall. Partly obscured by the outfits and the dust coating them, three pictures hung on the wall, each just behind their respective ponyquin, it seemed.

One was of a mint coloured mare, whose mane shared the same hue as her coat and was complimented by a white stripe that accented her well. Upon her flanks was a golden colour that seemed to be an instrument of sorts. She sat on the ground with a smile on her face as the sun shone in the background. Next to her picture was a second mare, whose mane was a luxurious red colour that matched her light cream coat perfectly. Her flank was adorned with an intricate rose that seemed to blossom forth from both her rear and the picture, which was taken in a lovely garden filled with a plethora of flowers, and multiple rose bushes. The last image, however, was aged and discoloured in its warped wooden frame. Upon looking up, they noticed the entire wall was discoloured up to the ceiling, where a slight water leak had stained it over the years.

"Wooow... Who were they?" Lily wove her way between the three stands, admiring each and every detail she found on the outfits.

To be continued~