//------------------------------// // Chapter 40: Surviving // Story: Fallout Equestria: Heroes // by No One //------------------------------// Surviving “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” I was floating. Weightless, lifeless. Was I dead? Was this what death was like? Floating in nothingness, letting my thoughts carry on for eternity. I was expecting something grander, crystal castles, feasts with Celestia. Or, perhaps more likely, eternal torment in the blackened halls of Tartarus, forever punished for my sins, and my sins were beyond count. Yet instead here I was. Floating through blackness. Wasn’t there more to death than this? “Hello?” I called out after what felt like an eternity. Perhaps it was an eternity. My throat felt sore and my voice was even more rough than usual. Did I have a body? I couldn’t see myself, but I could feel. So I couldn’t be dead. Right? Maybe I just imagined I had a body, or… “Hello!” I said louder to distract myself from my thoughts. But they just kept coming. Dead. I was dead. There was a megaspell inside me, it… I blew up. I fought and fought and fought. One hoof in front of the other. One more step. I kept telling myself I could too it if I persevered, yet in the end I couldn’t. I left Dise in flames, at my hooves. There was no other choice, right? It was the right option, even if I failed. The Watchers, what they did was evil, the sacrifice was worth. Maybe we lost, but we had to fight. Didn’t we? I had to believe in our cause, but there was always that voice reminding me what I did. My sins. How could I say another was evil after my actions? Was it all foolish? Petty revenge that drove me and others. If so that meant… I could see it again. Flare’s final flight. He lost his wing for me, and nearly died when I convinced him to get a new one. Yet at the last moment he still fought my wars. He still gave his life. Maybe. The last I saw he was falling, but surely his old comrades would try to catch him… even as he killed them. Tears stung my eyes. Platinum Haze too. In her last moment she protected an entire ship of enemies. So much magic. She was strong, stronger than she had any right to be. But the strain could kill her, if the crash did not. She was here for me. And Serenity. How could I let them do this for me? Let them fight my wars! I could feel them, the tears running down my cheeks. Could a dead pony cry. I failed them. I brought them together. Made them fight. And failed Them I- “You are too self-centered, Silver Storm.” I opened my eyes to a dull light before me. Off in the distance, like a star, but getting closer. Out of it stepped a pony I didn’t recognize, a walkway forming beneath her as light streamed from her star bright enough to let me see myself, but not pierce the darkness around me. She was tall, near as tall as me. With a sleek silver coat, and a white and pink mane cropped short and well cleaned. She was unmarred by scars or blemishes, and walked towards me with purpose and poise. She was me, I realized too slowly, or me if I had been born at another time, another place. “You know Flare liked you, but he didn’t fight for you alone. His family always came first, The Enclave Remnants, as much as he believed in you, when they called, he always went back. He fought for them.” She brushed her mane out of her eyes and laughed, “And Haze fought for you, to save your soul. But she was not there for you alone. Her little children called the city home, and you know she wanted to allow her and her sisters to reside and work in peace. This was her goal, no matter her love for you. They choose, don’t be conceited.” “How?!” I barked. “How do you know?” “I know because you know.” She sighed. “You always get like this. You get wrapped up in yourself, in your little bubble, and you can’t see those around you.” I found it hard to deny her, the way her voice boomed with confidence and authority. “Am I dead?” “Do you want to be?” She responded in return, a smile playing on her lips. Here, in the void of all places, she seemed at home. “Is this real?” “Does it matter?” Another question in return, talking to myself was frustrating. “Perhaps this is a physical thing. We’re talking some place deep in the universe. Or deep in your mind in a dying dream. What difference does it make?” “It’d make me feel less insane.” “That’s not likely.” She glanced at me, through me. Her violent eyes seemed to judge me, and judged me far too kindly. “They fought for their own reasons. And you for yours. They choose. And so must you. Do you want to die?” “What about the others. The NCA, The Rangers, The Finishers. They’re out there, burning, dying, for my ambitions.” I said ignoring the spectre’s question. “An even sillier question than the others.” She said brushing off my concerns. “You convinced them to work together. But their goals are their own. Do you want to die?” “So I’m not responsible for any of this?” “Responsibility is not a zero sum game.” She was laughing at me, I realized. How could she be so calm and confident at a time like this. “Responsibility is held. But not all of it. It’s okay to let go. Do you want to die?” “Don’t stand there and try to downplay my part. Our part. In all this.” I’ve never wanted to kick myself so much, with that stupid self-satisfied grin she had on her face. “We caused this!” “You were a cause. Not the cause. Do you want to die?” “What’s the difference?” “It’s a matter of proportionality.” I knew that whoever this pony was, it couldn’t be me. I’d never say a word like that. “One presumes you are a catalyst. The other one in a series of ingredients. You did remarkable things. Both great and evil.” “Mostly evil.” I muttered under my breath, but my phantom heard me, and laughed. “Mostly foolish perhaps. You saved ponies when you didn’t have to. You showed mercy at times when violence would have worked better. You befriended those broken by time and chance and helped them rise again. Don’t downplay what you did. But even still it’s not enough. You have to make your choice, death, or…” “Or what?” “Or become a Hero. Not like the Batmare; wearing a cape and ranting about evil. Or even like The Batmare; sacrificing herself at the last moment to save hundreds of lives. You need to be like Pinprick; A hero others can look to. A beacon of hope. A rock others can lay their burdens against. A resource for others to spend and use. A symbol. But you aren’t that pony. Not now. You’re too haunted by your past. The choice is not to forget your past, but to push it aside. To hide it. To become the myth. This is the choice when I ask if you want to die. Neither option is easy.” A hero? I had always wanted that, but after everything I had seen was there such a thing. Pinprick saved her life trying to save mine, but she was a raider first and how many died at her hooves? And what of Littlepip, the Lightbringer. In Marefort I listened eagerly to the radio of her adventures, but to hear Haze tell it she was as much a force of chaos as for good. And me, worse than both, how could I ever be a hero, if everyone else fell short. “I can’t be a hero.” “Is that your choice? Does that mean you want to die?” The mare asked. “It’s not my choice! I just can’t-” I tried to explain, but she cut me off. “Why do you keep avoiding the question? It is why you are here. Why we are here. You can’t leave until you answer it. Not back to Dise. Not beyond this star. Just answer the question.” She looked at me. Not angry, but perhaps a bit annoyed. “Why would I want to die? What kind of question is that?” I scoffed. “The kind that need an answer, do you want to die?” I could feel her. Not just in front of me, but all around. It was like being in Baptisia’s chamber back at the Facility, the power pressing in on me. “This is foolish.” “Do you want to die?!” Her voice boomed shaking me to me core. “Yes!” I gasped. For so long I had wanted to die. I tried before… twice if you count the assault on Stable 42. I needed to die. To feel the release. The past haunted me. My mistakes. I killed Foundation. I let Wildfire die. I killed Post Haste, the child I burned alive. So many mistakes, why should I want to live when I can still smell the smoke. “Then choose. I offer you this. Release. You are not dead yet, but you can be. Wildfire. Foundation. Karkhoof. The Batmare. Pinprick. If you choose their ghosts will haunt you no longer. The pain will be gone, and nothing will replace it. I... I understand.” She stressed at me, her voice cracking. “It hurts. I understand. Nobody deserves to go through what you did, and you did so well. You fought longer than many. You lost a daughter, a marefriend, a home, and still you fought! Nobody would blame you if you let go.” “Yes…” I muttered, staring down into the darkness. It’s what I wanted for so long. Ever since my mother died there was a hole in my heart. I filled it with love and family, and when that failed with adventure and revenge and drugs. But nothing could fill it. I was a broken mare, and had been for so long. So many more than me who deserved to live died. It was my time… Then I saw something. Out of the corner of my eye, a spark of red, and when I looked there was nothing there save for a familiar voice that whispered in my ear. Survive. I could see Wildfire, in my mind, reprimanding me for even thinking it again. I had people who cared about me, who needed me. Serenity was alone in the world without me. How could I look her in her sad grey eyes and tell her I wanted this. That she lost another family because I was too weak to bear the burden of my sins. “No.” I shook my head. “I can’t go. I won’t.” I grinded my teeth in frustration. I was almost free, but I couldn’t take it. “Their pain, their suffering, it is mine to bear. I can’t run away from my problems. Not again. I will face it. Accept what happened. It hurts. But I won’t let the hurt win.” The mare saw this and nodded. “Good.” “Good? I thought you-” “I gave you a choice. Fight, Silver Storm.” Her voice sounded distant, as far away as the star she came from. “Be there for them, even when it hurts. Even when they ask for everything.” She was fading away before my eyes, into glittering starlight. “Who are you?” I knew she was me, but couldn’t be. She was too clean, too confident, too unmarred from the life I lived. She wasn’t me. “I’m who you always wanted to be, but never was, because I am not real.” She faded away hooves first, then up, until only her head remained. “I am who you need to become. Hired Gun. A hero.” I opened my eyes. I took a breath, cold and sharp. It smelled of smoke and ash and life. I expected to see that damnable pink pony’s mane beneath me, from atop the Clips and Clops casino. But instead beneath me was… grass? A bright green patch covering most of the head of casino? I leaned down to sniff at it and take a test bite. It smelled just like it did in the dream Simple Heart sent me too. But how? How was anything standing. I stood up on shaky hooves and looked around. Everything was… still there? I exploded. I remembered with absolute clarity, that I had exploded. The megaspell inside me detonated and yet… for whatever reason the city was no longer engulfed by flames, through smoke still rose. Something felt strange. There was an electricity in the air like it felt just before a thunderstorm, and yet the sky was clear and crisp, bathed in the orange and yellows of a rising sun. Everything remained, despite my megaspell going off. I had questions, and those questions had questions, but they all had to wait. Clean Cutt was still somewhere in the building below me. If I could find him and kill him, maybe I could cut the head of this snake. After I figured out what happened. So there was only one direction to go. My head was dizzy, and I was a little sore, but after what happened I couldn’t complain. I made my way quickly to the hatch I threw Serenity down earlier and pried it open. I dug through my bags and took out the last of my Med-X. I thought about throwing it away for a second. But everything was hurting. I needed to make sure I was in top shape. So I let the relief fill me. Then I head down into the belly of the beast. I didn’t hesitate or look back, I climbed down the ladder as fast as I could without falling off. There was no time to dawdle. I had to figure out what happened if I was going to fix this mess. The walls of the Clips and Clops were bright pink once, but the paint had faded leaving it pale and dull. I stalked my way through the halls, but to my surprise there was nopony around. Neither Serenity, nor Watcher guards, nor any pegasi, nor even that crazy alicorn. There was just me, and my echoing hoofsteps as I searched. Every few minutes I thought I heard voices speaking quietly in the distance. I made my way far around them, but whatever few ponies were in the casino, none seemed interested in guarding it. Perhaps they never thought anypony would make it this far. It did not take long to find what I was looking for. As I searched the empty pinks halls, and darkened rooms, I could hear it. It was quiet at first, but as I got closer it became clearer. It was the sound of someone crying. I made my way to the sound until I reached a large oaken door. On it there was a rusty bronze plaque that once said CEO. I pressed my good ear against the door. The sounds were coming from this room, but I couldn’t for the life of me imagine who it could be. My best guess it was Serenity thinking I was dead, but it didn’t sound like her, and I had heard her cry enough to know what that sounded like. So I opened the door. Inside was a large ornate office. What drew my eye first was a large circular window that took up the entirety of one side of the room looking over the still smouldering city. It took me just a second to realize it was one of the eyes of the pony head that made up the top of the building. From there my eyes swept across the room. There were a series of desks, but only two were occupied. There was a three-legged mare at a small desk at a terminal, who had turned to look at me in shock, and behind the largest desk flanked by rows of monitors on the wall was him. Clean Cutt. His eyes red and bloodshot. “You.” His voice was shaky but he sat up straighter at the sight of me rubbing his eyes and taking a deep stabilizing breath. “You shouldn’t be here.” I walked as quiet as a mouse into the room. It was dark and black, save for the broken morning light peering in, and the monitors. They drew my gaze. On the monitors were names, slowly scrolling. Some of the names I recognized. “And yet here I am. What is all this.” I demanded. He didn’t look away. His eyes were always strange to me, too dark and black, so it was hard to see how bloodshot they were from tears. Perhaps this was a side effect of the necromancy he practiced. He didn’t look much like a necromancer, except for the eyes. “I am in mourning.” He admitted. “I suppose you think me a monster. Perhaps you should. I have done horrible things. So many died for my cause and yet…” He smiled, just a little. I hated with every fiber of my being how sincere he looked. “I have won.” “The names.” There, written on one of the monitors scrolling past: ‘Hired Gun’. Would he really claim he was mourning me? “You had a choice, you had-” “Save me your speech.” He waved a hoof dismissively. “I did what was required.” “So you are going to sit there smugly and say you planned all this. To say you planned for us to fight back. That you planned for me?” “No.” He scoffed. “I lit a fuse. The exact details did not go as I had expected I will admit, but they didn’t have to. For my plan to be successful only two things needed to happen. First, the city had to be thrown into chaos. And second, only The Watchers under my command would be in a position to capitalize. I had not expected you to foil the train station plot, but the result was the same. Minotaurs and NCR fighting once again, the city bathed in radiation, what more you gave me a martyr. I did not expect the sincere citizen lead rebellion in the wake of all this, but I cut off their leadership’s head when I destroyed The Moon, and they agreed to join me. I did not expect you to form your little alliance and yet…” he left the answer hanging in the air. “I planned, but plans are not enough. I had to improvise, and adapt. Easy enough to do, when nopony else knows what game is being played. “The megaspell inside of me.” That was it, the improvisation. All at once everything fell into place. The grass below me when I awoke, and the grass in the megaspell chamber in the mountain. My meeting with the pony from the future Simple Heart sent me to. My extraordinary resistance. My immunity to poison, even Starmetal poison which was always fatal. The white glowing liquid in the vial that triggered me. I had always assumed there was a balefire megaspell inside me. I was always wrong. “It was a healing megaspell.” I choked out. There it was, that insufferable smile. “I had not intended you to try and pierce my inner sanctum that I had so carefully stolen from the gang here. But when I saw you fighting atop the raptor the possibility revealed itself to me. Did you truly think that we would test megaspells on ponies in the same foolish manner as in the past? For our first tests we used the most benign form of megaspell possible until we found you, our successful test case.” My heart sank in my chest. When he said he won, this is what he meant. “You took credit.” He leaned forward at his desk, the sadness I saw on his face when I entered was gone. He seemed tired, but proud. “The former architect of this city, Wallkirk, he was a paranoid pony. He built a series of speakers and warnings to be used from his office. This office. I explained what happened. The Enclave had betrayed me and attempted to take out any resistance when I told them my plans. I was able to take down their Raptor and use the healing megaspell I made to heal the wounds of battle. Who else but the head of the Watchers, the doctors of the wasteland? Even now the raptor is being surrounded, and the remaining enclave surrendering.” “Skyfall won’t like this.” “He has no choice. With his raptor gone he was of no more use to me. I suspected he would betray me after I cemented my rule. Pegasi are treacherous, all ponies know this after their actions here and in the north. Some of your ponies listened and helped, most retreated, but you must understand it is over.” “No.” I stopped my hoof on the ground to emphasis. “We can still fight you.” “Can you?” He smiled. “Of course, you can. But you won’t. The citizens here were never sure of my rule, in part because of my alliance with the pegasi. But now that I have healed them, their children, and the land of radiation. Who would dare question me? You have myths and fables. I have actions. Direct action to save the city. Even those you have convinced would falter to take up arms. When I had a super weapon hovering over the city resistance made sense. Now that I have saved the city… all you would do is break up peace. The peace I created.” He stood up sharply and turned away from me to stare out the window. The head was over turning, but for now it was overlooking the city. It had seen better day. In the fighting buildings had been destroyed, and fires raged. Now the destroyed buildings laid still, smoking gently as the ashes settled on the streets around them. “I have created peace. With this I can build the city into something proper. I can take the technology and spread it across the land. The water purification, the megaspell power generator and so much more hiding. Without gang rule this place can be a paradise once more. All because of me. Dise is dead. Long live Dise.” I started towards him but felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. The three-legged mare was there, nudging me gently with her nose. I had forgotten about her. She hardly seemed remarkable. “Sometimes what is necessary isn’t pretty.” She said, her voice sweet and soft. “He taught me that. You should listen. I know this has been hard on you. He told me.” “You.” I realized who she was, though it took a second. When I destroyed his megaspell chamber under the city, he spoke to me over a speaker and told me of a girl whose life he had saved by taking off her leg to stave off an infection. “You’re her, from the story.” In the corner I could see Clean Cutt smiling at me. “He likes his stories.” She admitted. “I had to go with Dad after what he did to save me. Mom never approved, but he was right. He’s always right.” “Dad?” Realization hit me as I turned back towards Clean Cutt, his face as still as a mask. “Did you think me incapable of love? I told you before that I understand you, I understand everything you’ve done, you’ve done for love.” Of course he had a kid. The child from the story he told me, I hadn’t expected. Yet it made so much sense. He wanted to build up a stable peace for his family, for his daughter. How could I begrudge him this. “We’re not the same.” I growled. “Family doesn’t justify what you’ve done!” “Please.” The mare pleaded with me, placing a hoof on my back. “Think about what you’re doing. Lay down your weapons and your grief, work for Dad, and for me. You can’t possible be thinking of destroying this peace we built after everything that has happened.” “What you built?” I pushed her away. She had a good heart, but I don’t think she understood. “What you built?!” The words were like bile in my mouth. “What they built!” I pointed at the monitors at the desk behind him. “What Pinprick built. What The Batmare built. What the hundreds of ponies who didn’t have to die built. And for what?! You talk about spreading technology, but why should anypony believe you. A necromancer, a murderer. You’ve brought nothing but death to Dise, and now claim a victory that was never yours and you think that makes you untouchable! Who the hell do you think you are?!” He turned to face me. Where sadness had been there was only pride. “A Hero. The city will look up to me as their saviour.” “Is that it, is that all you are?” I took a step forward my whole body shaking with rage at what had happened. The city had been used and abused, manipulated by his whims in ways not even he could imagine. What good was mourning if you don’t regret your actions! “This wasn’t about Dise. This isn’t about saving the Wasteland. This is about your fucking pride. Your desire to look down on ponies, and see them look up! You’re no hero!” “Does it matter? They will think I am.” There was a spark of sadness in his eyes again, but just for a second. “I’m sorry Hired. I always underestimated you, I never listened to Dragonslayer’s warning. You fought hard to get here, so I thought you deserved to know the truth. You deserved that much. Goodbye, may you find more peace in the next life than you found in this one.” There was something metal in the corner of my eye. Floating in magic. Why couldn’t I feel the magic in my shoulder. My shoulder always burned around magic! BANG The noise was deafening. I twitched hard to the side trying to dodge it, but there was no way. At this distance I was dead. Only I didn’t die. Once again I was still alive. Glimmering in the rising sunlight was a pink magical shield. Looking back in the doorway I saw a pony standing there. It took me a second to recognize Tight Lips, the cybernetic security guard who betrayed Mr. House and helped kidnap Serenity from the BS so long ago. I had almost forgotten her. Behind her, half hidden in the doorway, her horn glowing pink, was Serenity. How long had she been stalking Tight Lips? Was she looking for revenge or looking for me? “Mommy watch out!” Tight Lips leaped at me, her cybernetic legs revealing claws as she dove. At Serenity’s cry I ducked and weaved out of the way. Tight Lips missed me, shouting. “Fucking shit kid, I knew you were trouble.” She turned at Serenity in the doorway, her gun pointing towards her. It gave me plenty of time to slam my hoof into her face sending the cyber mare stumbling. “Catch Mommy!” With a burst of magic Serenity’s pistol was flying through the air. She said she never wanted to shoot anyone again. Not even her former kidnapper. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t defend her mother. I caught the pistol in my mouth and in one swift motion shot Tight Lips in the head. Her head snapped back and blood sprayed on the wall. I was sure she had her own backstory. He own petty little motives. But I’d never learn them. They didn’t matter. And neither did his. I turned quickly back to Clean Cutt. He’d was improvising, as always. I saw his horn crackling with deep purple energy. Then I shot it. His screamed echoed through the office as I shot it again and again until it shattered and I was out of ammo. In my frustration I threw the pistol to the ground and took a deep breath as Serenity limped her way between my legs, rubbing her head against my foreleg right above my pipbuck to try to calm me down. The sun was fully risen now, and light was shining through the window into the room as silence overtook us. Behind me was a mare’s corpse. To my right the three-legged mare, paralyzed in shock. In front of me was Clean Cutt, gasping as he grasped at the shattered ruin of his horn. And below me, my precious daughter. The reason I was here. The reason I had to do, what I was about to do. The same reason he had. But I wasn’t him. I took a step towards Clean Cutt. He never looked away. He never begged or pleaded as he saw death approaching. I had to respect that, if only a little bit. I reached him and looked down, taking it all in. He was a doctor, not a fighter, and his body showed that. He wasn’t weak, but neither was he strong. Tall and skinny, but not imposing. He blue coat was clean, and beyond the burns on his back half where his Cutie mark was burned off, completely unscarred. He didn’t look like a villain, he looked like a… like a doctor. He was. But when I looked closer I could see his sharp knowing eyes, marred by darkness. I could see his disdainful smile, and the dark crackles of energy his broken horn was emitting. This was not a pony to pity. “So this will be it? The end of peace. You will cut off your nose to spite your face. Do you hate me that much?” He all but spat in my face. “Yes.” I scooped him up with my cyberleg with all the strength I could muster and threw him through the window. The eye of the tower shattered all at once, and then, he was falling. As glass rained down around him ,and he plummeted to his death, we locked eyes. It was only for that split second before he fell out of view, but I would never forget that look on his face. He was so confused. How could I not love it? The three legged mare started to scream “Daddy!”, but not for long as I charged over to her. Distantly I could hear Serenity try to calm me down in increasingly pleading tones. For good reason perhaps, but I wasn’t going to hurt the mare. I needed her. “I won’t hurt you. If you do what I say.” I said towering over the mare, backing her into a corner. The mare looked terrified as she cowered in my shadow. “The speaker system. Show me how it works.” I demanded. “I-I-I.” She stuttered, her eyes looking past me to the shattered window. “O-over here.” She took me to behind Clean Cutt’s desk, pushed a few buttons and pushed a microphone towards me. “Say what you want to say…” Her eyes kept looking towards the window, tears pouring down. “My name is Hired Gun.” I said into the microphone, distantly hearing my voice repeating what I said. “I worked for Clean Cutt with the Watchers. After releasing a healing megaspell and outing the Enclave as traitors he was attacked by a traitor in his own ranks, Tight Lips. Clean Cutt’s daughter and I fought off the assassin and killed her, but not before she was able to throw Clean Cutt from his office. We are deeply in mourning for his loss, but we must continue his great work. We can’t let mourning get in the way of our… our great work. We must work even harder to rebuild this city, and ensure his legacy and the legacy of The Watchers. I’m sorry I could not be the bearer of better news, but we can’t give in to despair!” I could only hope I sounded sincere enough. It was the best I could do. “I will turn the mic over to Clean Cutt’s daughter, she has a few words to say,” As I heard my words echo behind me, booming over the entire city I pushed the mic aside and whispered so it would not pick up my voice. “You have a choice. The options aren’t pretty. Peace is still obtainable, but only if you play the part. I’ll give you the Watchers, I’ll keep the peace. In exchange you’ll do what I say. You’ll be head of the Watchers in name only. Choose.” I stared the mare in the eyes. They were dark, like his, almost black, and they had that same look of pride and determination. “What would your father do?” She took a deep breath and wiped her face before taking the mice and staring at it. She took a second, but then, she started to talk. --- It took days to count casualties and get everyone together again. Flare had suffered severe injuries from his fall, but had been saved by the healing megaspell. Platinum Haze had fewer injuries, but had shorted out her magic saving the lives of the ponies in the Raptor, though Molly had fallen off and cracked her skull. She was apparently losing a lot of blood by the time the healing megaspell saved her as well. And Serenity… she had been limping since the fight. Maybe her leg wasn’t as healed as she claimed, and when the megaspell went off who knew how wrong it healed. Not everyone could be saved though. Ponies who were well and truly dead stayed well and truly dead. Photo Finish’s body was never found after her head quarters burned to the ground. Countless others perished in the firebombing of Parasite Mound, but many more survived thanks to the actions taken by the Applejack Rangers and the NCA. Many pegasi on both sides perished as well. Flash, Flare’s brother, apparently died fighting another pegasi to stop him from attacking us as we ran for the Finishers HQ and most of Molly’s gang perished before they could escape when her Hotel was breached. There was death after the megaspell as well. Though I had attempted to take most of the Enclave Remnants from the raptor into custody, a mob broke through and lynched a few. Clean Cutt’s daughter, Redemption she named herself later, was able to restore order, but tensions were still high. Beyond that everything was quiet as preparations were being made to travel north to the Facility. All we needed was the magical code to unlock the stores of supplies, and we could rebuild Dise proper. But first we needed the code. To that end everyone was summoned to Redemption’s office in the Clips and Clops, for the first time since the meeting preceding the fighting. The table we had built burned with the Finishers, so we pushed the desks in Redemption’s office together to make as similar a table as possible. It was around noon when the last pony arrived to the meeting. High General Steel Wing made his way to his seat, this time lacking the awkward power armour he had before. Across from him Paladin Lemon Cake of the Steel Rangers gave him a pleasant nod. I closed the door behind him, and stood guard at it. “You’re late.” Screenshot said from her place at one head of the table, having taken the leadership of The Finishers after their leaders death. She seemed nervous, but held herself with as much confidence as she could muster. “There was an incident at camp.” The High General admitted. “My ponies are being harassed again. “The sharks smell blood, and they will have it.” Said Molly relaxing in her chair. Her head was bandaged up from the wound, but she was alive. She would never know it was because of me. “You need to calm them, your Highness.” Molly said with a half hearted bow towards Redemption, who shuffled awkwardly in her seat. It had been my seat once, but there was no more room at the table so I gave it to her, leaving myself to stand in the back. Redemption looked conflicted before staring back at me. I gave a slight nod and she sat up straighter. “I will hold a rally before you leave for the Facility to ensure they understand what The High General and his ponies did for the city.” She looked around the table and then asked generally. “Where is Major Lucky?” I answered this question from the back of the room. “He was unable to make it, he is overseeing preparations and received urgent news from Eye Glow.” There was trouble brewing back in the NCA to hear him speak of it. “Then we should begin.” A cold breeze blew through the room as Redemption spoke. The shattered glass hadn’t been fully cleaned or repaired, but there were plans. For now it worked, so long as nobody got too close. “About the codes.” Paladin Lemon Cake spoke up. “I have spoken to Wishing Star, who claims leadership of the Hizai.” Last I saw him he was pretending to be Mr. House atop The BS Casino. I was not surprised he took control. “He claimed that before the Raptor fell his agents infiltrated it to find Mr. House who was held captive inside. He claims the old ghoul was tortured to death.” I winced at that thought. For all his faults Mr. House had treated me well. “He is demanding the perpetrators put on trial, and a seat on this council. In exchange he will give us the magical codes to use the facility.” “Are you sure we need them?” High General Steel Wing asked with a frown. “That is a tall ask…” I had the answer, but I let the ponies debate it themselves. I was not officially on the council. Molly shrugged as she picked idly at the bits of food provided. “Her Highness claims so, given the Watchers were crawling all over that facility like rats, I’d believe them.” Redemption nodded at her claim. “It is still a lot, there are surely some other means of appeasement without a seat.” The High General said. Surprisingly Lemon Cake agreed. “They did nothing to defend or protect this city. We cannot give out membership to anypony…” I couldn’t help but notice that Lemon Cake was staring daggers at Redemption as she spoke. “Their leader died for the city.” Screenshot said defensively. “And they control a lot of technology. They faced great losses, but who among us did not. They deserve a spot. Regardless, we should vote on their proposal.” I spoke up, my one official job in these meetings. “All opposed?” I asked loudly and clearly from the back of the room. Two hooves shot up, Lemon Cake and Steel wing. “All for?” Two more hooves, from Molly and Screenshot. There was a slight pause as Redemption stared at me in thought. I gave her a slight nod, and her hoof rose slowly as well. “Motion passes.” It was the first official vote of the council. Rules had been made somewhat haphazardly, and things had to be ironed out, but it seemed to work. There was grumbling from the losing parties, but that seemed to stop as a cold wind blew through the shattered window and both stopped to stare at it. I hardly had to say a word to get them to agree. The meeting continued without incident. Talks about land, movement, and other such things I did not care about. I didn’t have to interfere again as Redemption held her own on these minor matters leaving me standing silently in the back, watching and waiting to see if tempers would flare. Hours later the meeting ended. It was decided the party would leave the next morning for Timber to gather supplies from the Facility, I along with them. I had unfinished business there to ensure they had safe passage, and proof of a contract sealed. As everyone left the room I stayed back to speak with Redemption alone. “Would he of been proud of me?” She asked quietly after everyone was gone. It might have been to herself, but I answered anyway. “I don’t know.” The mare was as old as me, but she still seemed sheltered despite everything that had happened. “But he achieve his goal. He’s a hero. There is peace…” “You seem upset… wasn’t killing him enough?” “No…” I said quietly. “But it will do. When we return, I will expect the designs for his statue. I want that finished as soon as possible.” People demanded a memorial to the war. The Battle For Dise they called it. They would have it, but it was hard to stomach. “You don’t have to micromanage me.” She huffed defensively. “You don’t trust me.” “I never will.” I said looking down at her. “Even still, this is where fate has brought us. Don’t take it personally.” There was a long period of silence before a sigh. “Fine. I’ll ensure it’s done. Anything else?” “Don’t ruin the city when I’m gone.” Wind rushed through the shattered window. “I want you to do well. You know it is what he would want.” I refused to say that fuckers name. It was bad enough everything I was doing to prop up the legacy of a monster. As I turned to leave I heard her call back to me. “I hate you. I won’t forgive you for what you did to Dad.” I stopped for a second, and let the hate wash over me. I could understand it. The hate. Maybe she would try to kill me one day. I could hardly blame her. But now, we had peace. No matter how much hate churned in her stomach or how much churned in mine. So I didn’t say a word, and kept walking. I left her to my thoughts to find ponies waiting for me. “Mommy!” Serenity gave me a flying hug to the neck that nearly choked me. But I couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey kiddo, didn’t get too bored?” “Nah, Uncle Flare and Haze kept me company.” She said waving to Platinum Haze and Flare waiting nearby. I hadn’t seen much of Flare since everything had happened, he was busy, as always. “How are Rain Dance and Moondancer?” Their father had died in the fighting, I had only wished I could have saved everyone. Not even my megaspell could bring back the dead. Not that I want them to know it was me. I told Flare and Haze and Serenity of course, but told them to keep the rest secret. The councillors, such as they were seemed curious, but none broached the topic about what happened, at least not after seeing the shattered window. And the corpse of the mare who did it. How could a small mare like Tight Lips possibly have thrown Clean Cutt so hard? I am sure they wondered. “They’ve been better. Rain Dance has been worse, crying when he thinks we don’t notice. Moondancer has been more sullen, but she hasn’t stopped smiling.” He admitted with a sigh. “Dad’s taking it the worst.” “You’ve been visiting him?” I was a little shocked to hear that after what happened. “In his cell. Once or twice. He’s halfway between depressed and indignant.” Flare looked away from me as he spoke. I probably shouldn’t have brought it up. He hated talking about his family, not that I couldn’t understand why. “Do you have any idea when the trials are set for?” “We haven’t decided.” I admitted. “Lemon Cake seems insistent on a mass trial to get it over with, but Steel Wing is demanding each be tried separately.” “Not everyone understood what they were doing, but some did. Skyfall needs to be dealt with as the organizer of the coup, but… the mood in the city has been troublesome. I want this shit over quickly, but I don’t want to feed into the paranoia.” He looked around to make sure nopony was watching. “In my opinion, the fact the Watchers fucks are walking free irks me. We know who was really behind everything.” He was right, of course. The Watchers were untouchable now. Saviours of the city in name, even though I co-opt their victory I couldn’t officially touch anypony without causing pandamonium. “I’ll deal with the worst of them.” “Hired.” Haze said with a frown towering above me. “Haze.” I countered back giving her a peck on the lips. “I didn’t say I’d kill them… didn't say I wouldn’t either. But some of the top brass could use a long vacation. I hear the Zebralands are nice this time of year.” She was still frowning a little, but the blush made it seem less imposing. “Any news from Diamond Sky?” “She is working on returning to the city with the children, we shall remain here and help set up our orphanage. She has informed us she has spoken to The Followers of the Apocalypse leadership, and they shall be sending aid. It shall be nice to no longer be required to remain hidden, although it has always been our talent.” “Good. When we return I’ll make sure you get any supplies you need. Celestia knows the children have been through enough.” “We thank you… uh…” She glanced over at Flare and Serenity, “We had hoped we could see you later tonight. We have much work to do, but we have not spent much time together since…” She let the words hang in the air. “It’s a date.” I said cheerfully. “Hey Serenity, sweetie.” The filly looked up at me curiously. “How would you like to stay with Flare tonight.” “But Momma, you said we could go look at the Finishers new dresses today.” “After that.” I said with a smile kissing her on the head. “You won’t get to see him for a while when we head north.” She scrunched up her face, but narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously before nodding slowly. “Okay…” I wasn’t about to explain why we wanted the privacy, but she was a smart filly. I scooped her up on my hoof and placed her on my back. “Well. I promised this little filly we were going to look at dress.” I said with a smile to the other two. “We’ll be seeing you later.” I said to the two, giving a wink to Haze as I trotted off down the hall. Behind me I could hear Flare whisper something to Haze. A second later she smacked him upside the head with her wing, so it was probably something not fit for the ears of foals. It was a long quiet walk to the elevator, and through the main complex. There were ponies working in the casino, Watchers mostly, but they avoided me. Some of them knew who I was, most knew I was lying, but they never said anything. There was one who confronted me and told me he was going to tell the city I was a liar. He… hadn’t been seen since. It would take a long time to remove the weeds from The Watchers, but I didn’t have another option. “I’m glad you’re okay momma.” Serenity said from my back, resting a hoof on the top of my head. “I was worried…” “I’m sorry I put you through that.” I sighed as I pushed open the doors to leave the casino. “It wasn’t fair.” The Casino was flanked by Ponitrons on either side, only now they were controlled by The Finishers. Not that anypony knew that. The city had barely recovered from the fighting. If you looked north you could still see wisps of smoke from parasite Mound, and rubble covered the street from the fighting, and that wasn’t to mention the destroyed raptor that was taking up most of the mainstreet not far away. It was starting to be taken apart, piece by piece, but it would take years for something that massive. For now ponies simply walked around it delicately. But there were ponies! Hundreds of them coming up from the underground where they huddled, dying from radiation to breath the fresh clean air. After all that had happened I had expected fewer, and that those that remained would distrust the idea of helping rebuild. Yet there they were, doing their part despite it all. “It’s okay momma, I understand…” She looked like she was about to say more when a couple of foals came running over. The two of them stared up at me in awe. “You’re her!” One of them shouted in glee. “You’re uh… Hired Gum. Mom told me about you.” It was hard not to smile at their enthusiasm. It seemed my reputation was spreading no matter what I did to stop it, not that I was doing that much to stop it. “Yea!” The other foal said. “You worked for Clean Cutt and the Watchers!” The others said just as excitedly. It felt like I was kicked in the stomach, but I choked down the bile and kept on smiling. “He saved the city, he was really cool, mom said.” My cheeks ached as I forced myself to keep smiling. “Yes. He was.” I replied curtly. “I’m sorry kids, I’m a bit busy right now.” I quickly turned away and walked down the street, letting my face turn into a scowl. “Momma, are you okay?” She asked peering down at me from atop my head. I closed my eyes and pushed my hate down. The thought of that bastard getting credit for fixing the things he himself destroyed. Kids being told heroic stories of him. People praising his good deeds. The thought of it all burned hotter than the megaspell ever did. But I had to push it down, there was no other option. I opened my eyes and looked around. The city was safe. The city was rebuilding, slowly to be sure, but it was rebuilding. Ponies could walk the streets without fear of radiation or attack. The gangs of the city had been neutered, and their petty wars stopped. There was peace in Dise, and the price for this was my pride. I could pay that price for as long as I lived, I had to. “I’m fine.” I lied as I took another step forward.