Chapter 7: Warm Heart, Cold Shoulder
[Out of all things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!]
“… and I still say I won the fight.”
“Mmhm. And winning the fight landed you in my medical bay with broken ribs and lacerations.” Happy Pills was very jovial and friendly, for a Ranger. He’d made no threats or such in the time he’d been treating me. The two armoured hulks stationed at the door did put something of a dampener on the conversation though. Without them, it might have been pleasant.
I resolved not to show fear, however. “You remind me of a colt I know. Don’t try to rob me of my first solo victory. It won’t work. I won, end of story.”
“But now you’re all the way here. Even if you ‘won’, won’t your coltfriend be worried?” Smarm dripped off his words.
“He’s not my coltfriend. More like a little brother. Anyhow, it’s not the first time. He knows what to do.” I knew exactly what Bosco was gonna do.
Kick my flank for getting myself into this mess again.
“As you say, princess.” He tittered while continuing his magical healing. I preferred Lexi’s approach. More pain but fewer guards.
“Princess?” Is he coming on to me? It didn’t matter how nice the teal unicorn with the pill-bottle cutie mark was acting, it wasn’t going to happen. He was still a Ranger and I was still their captive. Again.
“What else am I supposed to call a pretty mare who appears out of nowhere and bringing wonderful mysteries with her?” I was suddenly very aware of where he was putting his hooves. I looked to the guards in apprehension.
“Eh, five out of ten.” Remarked the one on the left, after looking me up-and-down.
WHAT?!
“Four.” Supplied the other.
HEY!
My jaw stayed dropped for a few seconds, before I hmph’d in outrage. I thought I’d at least rate a 6. Sure, I wouldn’t win Ms. Wasteland or anything but come on! That was harsh.
What, are all the girl Rangers drop-dead gorgeous under that armour or something? Jerks!
“Nobody looks their best on a medical bed.” Happy Pills’ tone was pitying.
I turned my nose up at him, and refused to speak for the full hour that elapsed before Iron Sights stepped into the medical bay.
~~~~~~
“Hello again, Snowflake. I trust Happy Pills has ensured a full recovery?” His civil tone, while not friendly, was a far cry from the angry accusations I’d been expecting.
I don’t like it.
“Why am I here, Iron Sights? More Memory Orbs to view?” I waved a hoof in the general direction of the doctor, “You’ve obviously got a unicorn on base now. You don’t need me.”
“Happy to help, princess.” Both the Elder and I ignored him.
“Please be cooperative, Snowflake. You know as well as I that you were not completely honest when you were last here. There was more to the memories than you let on.”
“Whoops.” I deadpanned. There was no point in denying it at this point. The Rangers clearly knew that there was more going on that I was telling them, the only remaining question would be how I would be able to satisfy their renewed curiosity while still protecting the Stable.
“Would you mind telling me why you withheld information from me?” Iron Sights eased himself into a chair across from my sickbed and pulled down the hood of his robes. He lived up to the title of ‘Elder’, what little mane he had left, including the tufts sticking out of his ears, was devoid of colour and whisp-thin. Age lined his dirty-olive body and he obviously couldn’t move much faster than a dignified stroll.
Still, his eyes were sharp and focused, looking at me with a calculated mix of skepticism and faux-kindness. “What do you know of Stable 61, Snowflake?”
For you? Nothing. “What makes you think I know anything, Iron Sights?” The two armoured guards, clad entirely in their metal exo-skeletons, reacted disapprovingly, resentful of my lack of honorific. Iron Sights and Happy Pills were less concerned, though not happy.
Looks like the angry ones get the guns. That seems totally intelligent.
The doctor spoke up next. “Snowflake, I personally viewed the Orbs upon my return to Neighlway. Caramel and Sassaflash reached Stable 61, yet could not gain entry. After failing to get inside, they left and found their way here, where they joined our great work.”
“One of them, at least,” mused the Elder, “Sassaflash was a loyal Ranger... ”
“… but not Caramel.” I finished, remembering the delicate stallion and his bitterness at the Ranger life. The mare, Sassaflash, had seized on Rangerhood as a way to cope. Caramel looked like he’d only stayed for her.
“Indeed. It would appear he only stayed out of love for her. He has made it very difficult for us to recover any information on the two.”
Thank you, Caramel. I wish Stable 61 had been fairer to you. You, Sassaflash… and your daughter. “Well, you’ve seen the Orbs, what makes you think I can tell you anymore? I don’t know where the cave is.” I was almost glad, almost, that I had no Pipbuck on my leg right now. If I was still wearing it then that lie would have been laughably obvious.
Wait a second, a thought struck me, Wings was on her way to meet the Rangers when we fought, she already had my Pipbuck! It should able to lead them to Stable.
What’s going on?
“Well, I like your flank, but mostly we want to know what else you know. Why else would you have lied to us?” Happy Pills, always appropriate.
Iron Sights grimaced slightly but kept his attention on me. “Yes, Snowflake, why did you think it necessary to withhold information from us?”
“I-I didn’t! I just wasn’t paying full attention. I don’t like Memory Orbs!” That last part was true, even after viewing half-a-dozen of them. The hours-long torture I’d been through with the damaged-and-now-missing Stable 61 Orb had left a lingering unease around the magic. The only time I’d voluntarily entered an Orb was when I was near death, after fighting McCoy in Lethbridle.
And I only did that because the doctor was crap at her job. Do no harm my flank!
“Be that as it may, you did not tell us all that we needed to know. You did not live up to your end of the bargain after we saved your life.” He had the gall to act disapproving.
“You send a griffon after me and think you can guilt-trip me? Think again, Iron Sights.” I hopped off the sickbed, causing the guards to hustle between myself and their leader who, admirably, seemed unfazed by my actions.
He raised his chin slightly and responded coolly. “We sent no griffon after you. That was her choice.”
“Excuse me?” I needed Wings to be working for the Rangers, it was the only way I would have any chance of forgiving her. If he was implying that she wasn’t…
“I believe that the griffon that you speak of would be the associate of miss Venatici? She made the decision to accompany the Pegasus on her own. Only Cassiopeia was acting on our orders.”
“What?!” My outburst had the guards uneasy again. They looked dangerously close to shooting me.
“The Pegasus was acting on our orders. As far as we know, the griffon is merely a friend of hers who she met along the way. Since she accomplished the task of finding you yesterday, I have no objections to her bringing in outside help.”
“Yesterday?” Are you getting senile, Iron Sights? Whinniepeg was a few days ago, not yesterday.
My confusion must have shown on my face because he clarified his statement. “Ah, yes. You were unconscious when the Pegasus and the griffon brought you in. You slept through the night, Snowflake.”
My eyes widened. He… he doesn’t know! He doesn’t know about Whinniepeg! Wings and Cassie never told him! They took my Pipbuck and Orb and the Rangers are none the wiser. Why? What are those two up to?
The entire issue had suddenly become very murky. I had no idea what the truth of the matter was. Everything was up in the air. Cassie, not Wings, was working for the Rangers. From her actions at Whinniepeg and the canyon I’d been convinced Wings was the one making the decisions. Cassie had been tasked to find me and bring me back. She, with Wings’ help, had called me to Whinniepeg and taken my gear but hadn’t told the Rangers. Then I had called them back to me a few days later and ended up helping them to complete their task.
I felt completely turned on my head. None of this was how I thought it was. There was an upside though, possibly two. The definite positive was that the Rangers didn’t have my Pipbuck. Without it they had no chance of reaching the Stable through the blizzard!
The other possible bonus to all this was that Wings and Cassie weren’t completely on the side of the Rangers. They were working their own angle. There was a chance that what they were doing was the right thing.
I have to find them. Whatever they are doing, I want to know. I might be able to help.
I had a chance. A slim line to hold. I relaxed, falling back and letting the sickbed hold my weight up. I finally felt like I could smile. So I did. “I’m not telling you anything, Iron Sights.”
None of them took this well. It was surprisingly easy to spot anger through an expressionless helmet. The 5-of-10 guard was straining in the grip of Happy Pills and 4-of-10. “You dare talk to him like that?! I’ll crush you!”
Is he the same guy from my first time in Neighlway?
The ancient olive earth stallion hadn’t said anything while his subordinates struggled, but the moment he rose from his seat and laid a hoof on 5-of-10’s shoulder, all activity in the room ceased.
His expression was suitable for the leader of the Steel Rangers, cold and hard. “That is a pity, Snowflake. Just as before, all I can do is offer you a choice: Work with us, provide us with the information you are hiding, and we will guarantee your safety. If not, we will have to treat you as an intruder in Neighlway, and you will be detained for as long as we see fit.”
“I’m not afraid of you, rusty, or your walking fridges.” And I wasn’t. I knew I was running headlong towards a Neighlway jail cell but I simply didn’t care at this point. I’d won a victory over the Rangers without doing anything. They had no Pipbuck and no way through the blizzard. Stable 61 was safe. Wings and Cassie might not be the backstabbers I thought they were.
I could figure out a way to get myself out of here later. For now, this was enough.
“You guys are totally crazy, by the way. She’s a 7, easy.”
“For fuck’s sake, doc, you’ve got a wife!”
~~~~~~
“Good morning, Princess. Sleep well?” Happy Pills was tapping his hoof gently against the cell bars.
Yawning, I sat up, careful to keep the sheets around my body, just in case the perverted doctor was leering. “Mm, not great. You guys need to fix your air flow, I kept overheating and waking up.”
He just smiled knowingly. “Yes, I suppose a cool filly like you would get hot in there, wouldn’t you, princess?”
I didn’t like the way he said it. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
He pointed, and I followed his hoof to a reinforced box high on the wall. “Magic stopper. Shuts off a unicorn’s spells. Even passive abilities are affected. According to the knights, you, Snowflake, use ice magic, don’t you?”
I shrugged, not bothering to play it cool with my name and cutie mark being public knowledge. “Yeah, so what?”
“So, an absence of ice magic could lead to a higher-than-normal body temperature, no?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, “want me to get my thermometer?”
I ignored him. I hadn’t noticed that my magic had gone. I’d used it more in the two weeks out of the Stable than I had in years inside, but I still didn’t consider it a primary move. I couldn’t use telekinesis and the only ice spell that I knew, the… snake-thingy,
I have to get a name for that one of these days. Maybe I’ll ask Breeze when I see her next?
… was still basically uncontrollable. I really wasn’t a very magic-focused unicorn, was I? “Um, is it permanent?”
He chuckled. “No, of course not. That’d make us monsters. Plus if one of ours wandered into the range of it accidentally…”
“Right, right. Idiots everywhere, I guess.”
He winked at me. “Precisely. Sometimes you’ve just gotta foalproof stuff. Of course, you’ll be here for a while so it might seem permanent…”
“…” Like I needed you to remind me of that, you jovial jackhole.
“Anywho, you’re not staying in there today. We have a job for you. Helping us out with this would go a long way to getting Elder Iron Sights to go easy on you.” He flicked a small ring into the cell, and a clear tingsounded as it bounced along the floor. “Best put that on. I’m afraid I’ll have to insist.”
I made no move to get off the cot or even lower the blankets. “What is it?”
“Magic nullifier. Basically a portable version of what’s on the wall. Slip if over your horn and we can go.”
Same as Latvi’s doodad, it seems. Must be Old Equestrian tech. I wonder if I can snag it. Breeze’d be over the moon. I had to frown at the doctor’s nonchalance, “Aren’t you worried I might make a move the moment I’m out of the wall box’s range, ring or not?”
Happy Pills just grinned as the two guards from yesterday slipped, surprisingly quietly, into view. “Not terribly, no. Besides, I’ll be doing the final touch-up for your recovery along the way. You’ll want to stay for that. Doctor’s orders.”
“…” I grumpily lowered my hooves to the stone floor.
I nodded towards the ring. “Care to do the honours, doc?”
“I don’t see why not. It won’t be the first time I’ve put a ring on a filly.” His horn glowed a gentle pink and an identical aura surrounded the ring, lifting it onto the floor towards my horn. I watched it with my eyes until I went cross-eyed, then just stayed still until I felt it nestle around the shaft.
No reason to inform them that I’m telekinetically-impaired.
As soon as the ring was in place, the two guards rumbled into the cell and frog marched me out. Happy Pills took point, leading us through the halls of Neighlway.
~~~~~~
“Aaaand here we are!” Proclaimed the medic cheerfully. He had led us to a room that housed nothing except a large monitor.
I looked around but saw no other indication of activity. “What is this place?”
“It’s a monitor room. We’re going to put you to work.”
“Me?” I was surprised, for sure. Letting a prisoner watch the security cameras?
“Well, as the Elder has previously indicated, we are short-staffed thanks to that Red Ice stirring up the Plottawan slavers, and now the Grindstone buffalo too.”
Hah! Serves them all right!
However my good cheer died as Happy Pills clapped his hooves and an image appeared on the screen.
A blue Pegasus with a red-black mane, and constellation cutie mark, alongside a short-for-her-species, chocolate-and-cream griffon with blazing blue eyes.
“Cassie… Wings…” I murmured, keeping my voice low.
“Since we’re running on empty, we’re gonna have you watch your friends for us It saves on personnel.” The Ranger medic was beaming at the cleverness of it. Perhaps it was his idea?
“So what’s to stop me from simply walking out of here?”
5-of-10 stomped forward. “Me.”
The teal unicorn spun around, still wearing his wide smile. “Indeed. Him. You didn’t seriously expect us to leave you completely unsupervised, did you? No, this is just to allow us to rotate one of our guards back into duty. While you’re watching those two on the screen, our colt is watching you. Effectively we’re keeping three outsiders under observation with just one Ranger. Isn’t it efficient?”
“Efficient.” I deadpanned.
“I knew you’d like it, princ-“
“But it still doesn’t explain why I’d do this.”
“Oh that. Well, don’t worry. That one’s simple. You’ll do this, or else the other Pegasus will die.” Even though his words were horrible, he still smiled.
I wasn’t sure who he meant though. “Other Pegasus?”
“Yes, the other Pegasus. The one with a blue-and-white mane.”
“!” I instantly tensed up. Breeze! She’s here?! When did they get her? “Where is she?”
“In a safe place. It’s up to you whether she stays safe.” His tone still help good cheer, but Happy Pills was definitely putting an edge on his words. I stared back, helplessly.
They’ve taken Breeze hostage. How? Did she get caught after she and Naiara left at Sombra’s Shadow? Is Naiara okay? What happened, Breeze?
“Well, I’m off to work, enjoy your day!” The doctor and 4-of-10 strolled away, leaving me in the room with the monitor and the Ranger.
“Get to work!” He barked, before taking up station at the door.
I glared for a moment, but complied. I was under no illusion that I could fight him. He was fully armoured and if I made any sort of motion to remove the nullifier on my horn I was quite sure he’d open fire, more than likely smiling widely behind that helmet of his.
Plonking myself in front of the monitor, silently fretting for my missing acquaintance, I listened as the two fliers conversed.
Breeze, what the hell happened?
AND WHY THE HELL AM I STILL ON F*%&ING MONITOR DUTY?!?!?!
~~~~~~
“Did you see her?”
Cassie shook her head sadly. “No, they refused to let me see her. They would only repeat the same threats. ‘Do as we say or we will kill her’. Nothing new.”
Wings rested a comforting claw on her shoulder. “Relax. They need her alive to get what they want. You know they won’t risk losing out.”
The Pegasus was not comforted. “Perhaps in my head, but my heart is another matter.”
The griffon, known to some as Blue Fire, didn’t let up. “Listen, I owe you. For as long as it takes to get her out, I’m here to help.”
Cassie nodded but still held some apprehension. “Thank you, Wings, however we have to play this carefully. We cannot simply push through and hope for the best. That is what caused all the trouble at the canyon.”
“Hey, I said I was sorry about that!” Perturbed, Wings had withdrawn her claw.
“It is all very well and good to be sorry, Wings, but you went against the plan and it worked out badly for everyone!” Cassie was less than happy herself.
“I didn’t ask you to come!” The griffon shot back.
“If I had not accompanied you, then this whole enterprise would have been for nought.”
“I knew what I was doing! I didn’t use my guns or anything. You know she couldn’t beat me.” It might have sounded like bragging, but the griffon wasn’t smirking or showing any pride in her words.
“It didn’t matter which of you would have won. I would have stopped the fight if things got out of hoof.” Personally I had my doubts on Cassie’s ability to stop Wings, but she held herself confidently regardless.
Wings just barked out a derisive laugh. “You would have stopped the fight? I saw how you were getting on against the other two. A whip? Against her? You were lucky to get out of there with your dignity intact!”
Miss Venatici bristled. “Ooh, I should have left you to those Raiders!”
“Yeah? Well, you didn’t! Now you’re stuck with me!” The two stood staring daggers at each other without speaking.
Finally, physically and symbolically, Wings backed off a little. Sinking onto her back paws, she managed a smile. “Thanks, for back there.”
Surprised, Cassie mirrored her actions before waving a hoof casually. “You do not need to thank me. I admit that I did not expect to find you there. I believed that, when those Raiders were making their crude remarks about feathers, it meant that my sister was nearby. Not that I need much of an excuse to kill those filthy savages, but I was hoping to find a Pegasus.”
Their anger dissipated, Wings felt it easy to return to a comradely atmosphere. “And you will. We will. I’m not going to let those amazing skills go to waste.” Her blue eyes drifted away for a second and she chuckled, “Heh, when those Raiders got the drop on me I thought I had a real fight on my claws, then that big bastard’s head gets drilled. That girly didn’t even have time to do anything except gape before you plugged her too! Hell of a shot, by the way.”
Cassie flushed. “Thank you. I practice a lot. Breeze keeps telling me not to waste my eyes. Sniping seems like the right idea for a pony possessing my powers of perception. Also, as I said before, I believed you to be my sister,” her lips instantly curled into a vicious snarl and the next words, though delivered with her customary refinement, had some bite to them, “and I will not let even one single Raider get close to Breeze!”
Still sitting back, Wings’ interest had been peaked, and she leaned forward. “That’s more passion than I’ve seen from you about anything.”
Wings’ words seemed to shake her out of it. Embarrassed, Cassie deflected. “Yes, well, Raiders are no friends of either myself or my sister. They never will be.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” The griffon was definitely intrigued now.
Wide-eyed, Cassiopeia Venatici shook her head forcefully. “No, I cannot! It is too personal.”
Wings threw up her claws in disagreement. “Oh come on! You can’t let out that much and then tell me nothing! You gotta give me something. I’ll trade ya a little of my story for a little o’ yours?”
Frowning, but herself intrigued, Cassie mulled it over before relenting. “Very well. However, I ask that you not inform Breeze about this. She does not know, nor should she ever need to. It would only confuse and sadden her.”
“Deal.”
Rearranging herself into a more comfortable position, Cassie spoke in a low, reminiscing tone. “What do you know of the Pegasus Enclave?”
Wings scratched her chin with her claw before shrugging. “Not a whole lot. They run the show up above the clouds, right?”
Cassie nodded. “Indeed. They make the decisions that govern Pegasus life. One of their core decisions is that no Pegasus should descend below the cloud barrier. My parents… disagreed with this.”
“Woo, rebels!” Cheered the griffon.
Neither Cassie or I could resist a small smile. “Precisely. They rebelled. And were branded, literally, as traitors. Their cutie marks were scarred over with the brand of Rainbow Dash, the first Pegasus traitor. Those with this mark are called Dashites. Our parents… they were outcasts above the clouds. Not maliciously so, simply misfits, born to the wrong time or place. They decided that they were willing to risk the Wasteland in search of happiness.”
Wings was not poking fun anymore, instead listening intently. “Go, mom and dad.”
Cassie gave an appreciative smile. “Thank you, but they were… unprepared for the realities of Wasteland living. Almost immediately upon descending to the Wasteland, they ran afoul of Raiders, and suffered terrible atrocities at their hooves. Things… changed after they got away. Nothing was the same anymore.”
The blue fire in the griffon’s eyes had faded to a warm glow. “What happened?”
Cassie hesitated. “I… don’t have all the specifics. Breeze and I were… too young to fully understand. I learned the full extent later.”
“Did your parents die?”
Cassie turned away, taking a few shuddering breaths before responding. “Yes, but not there. Later. Though I have no doubt that the Raider’s actions played a large part in their fates.”
“So you hate the Raiders for what they did to your parents?”
Cassie smiled sadly. “Were it so easy. But that is as much as I will divulge for now. I do believe it is your turn.”
Wings tch’d in mock-disgruntlement. “You gouger. Alright, alright. Lemme tell ya a little something about griffons then. I’m guessing you’ve not met a whole bunch of us?”
“Just you.”
Wings was not surprised. “Thought so. We can be pretty private. Anyway, griffons are big on keeping your word. About everything. You get in real big trouble if you break your word or your bond or your contract. It’s damn hard to get your trust back with other griffons when you do.”
“Fascinating. Tell me more.” Cassie was a good listener, not butting into Wings’ space, but giving an expression of perfect attention.
“Well, I’ve broken my word, my bond, and my contract a bunch of times each. I’m not gonna tell you all of them now, but I’ll give you one of the earliest examples. I’m an only child, but I’ve got tons of cousins. Some bigger and some smaller. This happened with one of the little ones. Barely out of the egg.”
Cassie was almost bursting with fraternal concern. “What happened?”
Wings took a few moments to marshal her thoughts. I took the time to look between the two. Cassie was at ease one moment and frowning the next, while Wings had tensed up considerably.
Finally the griffon spoke up. “Well, this little chick, cute as a button, had never really been the picture of health. Always sick with something. We made sure she always had somebody watching her. That day it was me.”
“… and?” Urged Cassie when Wings failed to keep talking.
“Well, I dunno what happened, but I had specific orders to not let her out of my sight. Except, well, it was just me and her, and she got sicker than usual. Like real bad in a hurry. I was tearing my feathers out in panic. I wasn’t exactly full-grown yet either. I felt like I had to help her, take her someplace to get some help, but she got bruised just from my picking her up! There was no way she could travel. Still, she was getting sicker all the time, and the doctor didn’t live far. So…”
Cassie seemed to know before Wings said anything. “So you did what any good sibling would do. You got help.”
Wings nodded, stone-faced. “I got help. It was a few minutes, tops. I ran, got the doctor, and dragged him back with me. Lied and told him it was on my father’s orders. Doc got her back to normal quick enough, and told me I’d done the right thing. Another hour and she would have been a goner. So I did the right thing… but I broke my word, and my bond, in doing so. My family were pissed.”
I mouthed ‘what for?’ just as Cassie asked in a more polite manner. “Whatever for?”
Wings shrugged, eyes downcast. “Because I let her out of my sight. That wasn’t paraphrasing. It was important that I stick to what I’d been ordered to do. We can be pretty literal, us griffons. Anyway, same as you after that. Nothing was the same anymore. I never got to watch a cousin again.”
Cassie looked like she wanted to embrace Wings, apparently family was her weak point, but the Pegasus held herself back, perhaps out of etiquette, that would be the sort of thing she worried about. She was not stingy with the smiles though, which seemed to warm the atmosphere a little bit. “Was this in the griffon lands? I confess that I don’t know much about where griffons call home.”
Wings just snickered. “Nah, this was just some mountain where my folks and the flock chose to roost. Somewhere down south, I forget where exactly. Ain’t been back in ages.”
“How long?”
“Ages.” Wings replied with finality. Cassie had enough sense to let the matter drop.
~~~~~~
I mulled over what I’d heard. I couldn’t help but think it was kinda cute for Wings to play nursemaid. Especially to a little baby griffon. They were awfully adorable critters. I remembered crèche duty in Stable 61. Sure it was messy and they wore on your nerves after a few days, but stomaching a day or two wouldn’t be bad.
Would she smile when her little cousin giggled? A proper smile, not the tough-girl smirk she wears in public.
On the other hoof, Cassie’s story had given me another reason to dislike Raiders. It must have been terrible. Nearly 200 years with just Pegasi around and the first non-fliers you come across are violent, chem-filled psychopaths. Mister and missus Pegasus must have been terrified. Rejected by their home and straight into danger.
Like me and the Molar Bear.
Damn. This is gonna make it harder to stay mad at Cassie, Pipbuck or not.
The Pegasus had been through a lot, some of which struck a chord with me. Her aloof attitude might be unpleasant, but at least you could justify it as a reaction to her parents’ troubles. Acting as civilized as possible to distance yourself from the monsters-in-pony-shape who terrorized your parents. Her actions were for Breeze’s sake too. It sounded like she was as devoted to her sister as her sister was to her.
I didn’t know whether it was the sense of empathy I was feeling at the time, or some of Wings’ story mixing in, but I couldn’t help that, like me, Cassie was a big sister to Breeze, rather than a twin.
Well, except the mane. That’s where they aren’t twins. But you expect everything to be just right.
Moving on from Cassie, I thought of Wings’ tale again. She seemed kinda sad that she couldn’t be the griffon her family wanted her to be.
An outcast in her own home. Both of them, actually. I can relate. At least these two can look after themselves out here.
Wings went against griffon values to ensure that her family member was cared for, and she was helping Cassie out of a sense of gratitude, or a debt to repay. She owed Cassie a favour and she aimed to make good.
That’s still pretty griffon, Wings, you’re just putting your own spin on it.
Would she see it that way? Considering how easily she admitted to breaking words, bonds and contracts over and over, did she even want to keep following griffon doctrine? Why did she dole out favours, which McCoy specifically thought of as social contracts to be followed to the letter, and stick so rigidly to them if she disagreed with the overarching griffon culture on the matter?
Just who are you Wings?
And what’s the rest of your story, Cassie?
~~~~~~
While I’d been thinking on the matter, Cassie and Wings had taken the time to clean themselves up and begin their preparations for the day, and soon resumed their conversation.
Twirling the empty barrels of her revolvers, Wings seemed to be looking for blockages. Cleaning supplies were laid out next to her, along with the newly-gleaming bullets. “So what’s the plan now? I mean, I really wasn’t expecting to find Snowflake yesterday. I almost couldn’t believe it.”
Cassie sat with her hooves wrapped around the barrel of her long rifle,
Still don’t know where she keeps the thing,
And was attempting do as Wings did, though her clumsy hoof movements had me thinking that perhaps the mechanically-minded Aqua Breeze took care of the majority of their maintenance. Still, she didn’t shirk from the work and stubbornly kept at it. “Indeed. You had mentioned that she was acquainted with Schwarzwald, but from your descriptions I assumed their personality differences would cause too much friction for them to work closely together. I hope you noted that Schwarzwald was privy to the entire affair. She knew what was going to happen.”
Wings just chuckled, utterly unconcerned about Schwarzwald’s potential sneakiness and loyalties. “Schwarz does whatever the hell she wants. Sure she travels with me when we have nothing better to do, but I don’t claim to know everything about her, nor do I think that I’m irreplaceable to her. She’s a great friend, and I think she does care for me, in her own way, but what drives her is excitement. She’s lived long enough and gotten so strong that nothing can really challenge her. Seriously, she could kill a Ranger by herself, so she spends her time looking for the next laugh. I just happen to be funny enough.”
There was definite pride in Wings’ words. I thought of how Schwarzwald had acted towards Amber back in the snowfields. Dismissive, barely tolerant. After the fight was over she wasn’t interested in much else. To be travelling with Wings for so long meant that Schwarzwald saw something in the diminutive griffon to hold her attention.
Poor Amber, she seemed to be a little sweet on Schwarzwald too.
Cassie had run through a whirlwind of emotions as she sought to process this new information. Approval, disgust, surprise, deep thought and others played across her cyan cheeks. Eventually she just looked lost. “Is… is that healthy? Do you feel like you are okay with that?”
Wings set down the pistols and shrugged, which then turned into a stretch as she lifted herself off the ground momentarily. “It is what it is. I don’t regret it, if that’s what you’re asking. Schwarz is capable, funny and always a good time. While she’s looking for interesting things she doesn’t disappoint herself. So, yeah. I am okay with it. She’s my friend. I can count on that. She doesn’t really lie, I don’t think she sees much point besides single instances like at the canyon, so I can take her at her word. It’s refreshing, even if she does regularly scare the fuck out of me.”
Cassie spread her own feathers and joined her companion in the air. The two began lazily drifting around the room, chocolate feathers keeping pace with blue wings. “She is certainly forceful. I have never had anypony react to my whip like that,” she seemed to suppress a shudder, “but I still have to wonder how Snowflake convinced her to participate. When I first met her, Snowflake did not strike me as greatly forceful. She also did not tell me that her name was Snowflake.”
Wings flipped onto her back, swimming face up through the air. “Oh, she used the other name? She’s getting smarter.”
I flushed, despite myself.
Their aerial exercises became more elaborate. Cassie began to twist and twirl in the air, controlling her speed and course through elegant feather flicks. “Still, I do feel bad about what happened in,” she managed to stop herself, as if unwilling to reveal where she’d been, “… um, that is, I feel bad about our actions. I worry that there might be unforeseen consequences.”
Wings bounced gently off a wall, missing the secrecy. “You mean with the Memory Orb?”
5-of-10 stirred behind me. “Memory Orb?”
Oh no. Wings you’ve gotta shut up now! That Orb came from within Stable 61. It might show them the way! They might be able to get inside! Whatever those unicorns were working on in the memory took days! It has to be big! Latvi retirement fund big! The Rangers can’t get to it, and they can’t attack my home!
My silent wishes didn’t reach Wings, who continued. “Look, we did what we did for a reason. You know that. The Memory Orb kept her from finding out what we were up to. It’s the reason she had to go through Schwarzwald just to see us again. Hell, it was mostly your idea! If she’s chasing that then she won’t be chasing us.”
Cassie was not placated. She fidgeted guiltily in mid-air. “I know that, but it still bothers me. She really seemed to value it when I first met her. She might never see it again.”
Wings made a noise that was half groan and half sigh. “Oh lay off the guilt trip, will ya? She should have had plenty of opportunities to see it. She lived for almost her entire life in-“ Now it was Wings’ turn to stop. She apparently valued the secret of the Stable more than the Memory Orb, “… in her home. She had that stuff with her when she first left. I thought that was half the reason for taking the stuff, to keep that a secret?”
“More secrets, princess?” Came the tinny growl in my ear, “Isn’t this interesting?”
How can he move so quietly in that armour? I stared wide-eyed at the screen. It was happening. The Rangers were going to find out about the Stable. They wouldn’t stop until they got in, and they wouldn’t be gentle. The Stable would fight back, most definitely including my brothers, and they’d suffer for it.
Shut up you stupid fliers! You’re gonna kill my brothers! My home!
For a second, I thought that Cassie might have heard me. Her hooves shot up and covered her mouth. “I-I didn’t realise! Oh, what have we done? We’ve robbed her of her memories, her home! We have to make this right!”
“SHUT UP, NO!” Wings was all business now, getting right into Cassie’s face and seizing her shoulders, “We can’t! You were right about throwing her off by taking that stuff. Forget all that other nonsense. She has to stay in the dark about everything! She isn’t the only pony who might take an interest, just look where we are!”
“But she must be devastated!” The Pegasus was surprisingly resistant to her own plan.
Wings threw her arms out dramatically. “All the better! That means she’s safe and not likely to do anything else stupid. If she doesn’t know then the R-, then none of those other bastards do either. Everything stays under wraps until the right time! Dammit Cassie, I’ll say it again. This. Was. Your. PLAN!”
The Pegasus returned to the ground and stood with a wing over her eyes for a long time. Wings flew short, angry circles around her until she spoke up. “I-you’re right. I know you are, but… her home. I didn’t want to take that from her. She’s never going to forgive us.”
Her head shot up as a terrible thought struck her. “And what would Breeze say? How could I face her after this?”
Wings scratched her claws across the steel wall in frustration, throwing up sparks. “All this is for Breeze! Getting your sister back is more important than Snowflake’s feelings! One thing at a time, Cassie.”
Cassie didn’t look particularly convinced, still wrapping a wing over her eyes and looking forlorn, so Wings took a deep, steadying breath before trying again. “Look, Breeze will forgive you. You’re doing everything you can just to see her again. If she loves you as much as you love her, then this is the way things have to be. Breeze’s safety is paramount. Like you said before, that’s what being a good sibling means in this case. Snowflake will make her own decision. She either forgives us or she doesn’t. We have no control of that and we’ve already crossed that line. Breeze is in danger here. These Rangers are not nice ponies. The moment they give us Breeze is the moment we decide what to do next. We don’t have that luxury yet. I won’t let you lose your sister just because you’re worrying about Snowflake.”
The griffon laid a claw on the Pegasus’ shoulder. The stallion laid an armoured hoof on mine. Somehow I doubted the intention was the same. “Keep watching, Snowflake. They might tell us what you didn’t. Isn’t it fun to think about what will happen if that’s the case?” Even distorted through his helmet’s speakers, his mocking cheer was evident.
It was like being told not to look down. Countless scenarios ran through my brain, mostly about how inventive the Rangers would be in punishing me for giving them the run around. 5-of-10 would be right there too, he wouldn’t dare miss his chance.
Meanwhile, the Pegasus had managed a weak smile from Wings’ encouragement. “This is an awful lot of help for a pony you don’t know all too well, Wings. I didn’t help you out that much.”
A familiar grin broke out over Wings’ face. I’d last seen it in Vanchoofer, when her claw was around me, and I was inches from the blue fire. It oozed confidence. “I decide what I owe and what I don’t. I’m in this until Aqua Breeze and Cassiopeia Venatici get their reunion hug. End of story.”
Cassie’s smile was stronger now. It suited her more than the sadness she’d born the entire conversation. Wings had lifted her spirits enough for some genuine hope to get in. “No matter what else, you have the griffon tenacity, of that there is no mistake.”
Cassie brought her bracer up and sighed wistfully. “I just hope I can see her soon. It was so unlike her to double back after Snowflake when the Rangers took her on the way to Neighlway.”
I froze. What?
“Breeze usually isn’t the type to take a shine to a pony so easily. Snowflake must have intrigued her. Though I confess to being confused that they didn’t let my sister go when they released Snowflake.”
Wait a second… what?
Wings didn’t lose her smile. “We’ll get her back. Neighlway can’t hide her forever.”
I glanced sideways at the Ranger still watching with me, but he neither looked at me nor made any sort of motion. It was like trying to read a wall.
What is going on?
Cassie rubbed the bracer tenderly. “I do hope she’s doing well. Those feathers of hers weren’t in the best condition when the Rangers showed them to me.”
Wings flipped over Cassie and tussled her mane in the process. “I’m telling you. They’ll let you see her soon. It’s just a matter of finishing up what we have to do.”
A roaring in my ears alerted me to the breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding. Everything was clicking into place.
Clever, Iron Sights, very clever. Plenty of feathers lying around a Hissyflit attack site, aren’t there?
It was a bluff. I huge con being played out by the Rangers. I mentally kicked myself. I should have seen it when I first walked into this room. If they were so short-staffed that they had to coerce me into watching over these two with just one Ranger to hoof, then how were they able to successfully keep Breeze out of sight for that amount of time?
The answer, of course, that they weren’t able to do it. They’d been lying to us all. Breeze hadn’t been taken right after me, they’d just gathered up the feathers from the attack and fooled Cassie into thinking they’d been plucked fresh from her sister. Cassie’s desperation at being separated from Breeze would do the rest, keeping her from thinking too hard about the lie.
In the meantime, I was inadvertently dragging Breeze around the flank-end of nowhere and doing my part to accidentally corroborate the Rangers’ trickery. Cassie was a logical pony, she had no reason to be looking around Crystal Point and Sombra’s Shadow.
Heh, Breeze even said it herself. “Cassie has no reason to be this far out. I have no reason to be this far out. There’s nothing here.”
I should have listened. Sorry Breeze, Cassie. It’s all my fault.
But I was damn sure going to make it up to them. Now I knew what the Rangers were up to, and they didn’t know that I knew, so I had a chance to turn their whole scheme back on them.
I would need some time to figure out how, so I tried as hard as I could to keep my overflowing sense of elation from showing.
They wouldn’t know what hit them.
~~~~~~
Wings and Cassie had been sent on a patrol for Plottawa activity. Cassie had protested fiercely to Iron Sights, demanding to see her sister, but the Elder had coldly informed her that she would not see Breeze until I yielded the necessary information. The two fliers had stalked out shortly after and, now that there was no more reason to observe, I was returned to my cell until I decided to yield said information.
Not gonna happen, rusty, I know you’re bluffing. Breeze is far from here. She’s probably still with Naiara. You’ve got nothing.
Well… almost nothing. I was still at the mercy of Neighlway hospitality and, as I was not watching alone, Iron Sights would soon learn a little bit of what I was hiding. No doubt 5-of-10 would be telling him all about the Memory Orb.
I didn’t even know it was possible for an fixed mask to look smug until now.
Once the old Ranger discovered that Wings and Cassie had my Orb, things would get complicated in a hurry.
I needed to find a way to complicate them in our favour. And soon.
I sat on the plain bunk of the cell, the magic nullifier whirring quietly in the background. I had to think about my next move. How could I do this? So far the Rangers had been above torturing me for information because they thought they had Breeze as leverage. They would probably threaten her again, because they didn’t know that I had been with her during the time she was ‘captive’.
Could I use that? Act like I still didn’t know they didn’t have her? I’d have to give them something though, or else they might catch on. What could I give them? Could I make something up about the memory in the Orb?
I shook my head. No, that wouldn’t work. They already don’t trust my word after the last time. They’d want to get the Memory Orb themselves to make sure. That would mean having Wings and Cassie give it to them in exchange for Breeze’s safety…
Vexed, I buried my face in the thin blanket of the cot and let out an exasperated sigh. It all hinged on the Breeze deception. I knew, and the Rangers knew, but Cassie and Wings didn’t know. I’d need help to get out of my current predicament, but Cassie wouldn’t make a move without knowing Breeze wouldn’t suffer for it.
Somehow, I had to let them know.
But what could I say? The Rangers weren’t just going to let me have a casual chat with them. They couldn’t risk that I’d say something to spoil their plans. Not to mention that Wings and Cassie would be less than enthusiastic about divulging anything to me, since at least part of their plan, whatever it was, rested on my being in the dark about their actions. Cassie wouldn’t give up anything until she knew Breeze was safe, and Wings would go along with the Pegasus’ wishes since she didn’t yet consider the debt she owed to Ms. Venatici repaid, just like any good griffon.
My eyes widened.
It’s as good a chance as any. Wings was, by her own admission, NOT a good griffon. She forsook literal obligations for doing what she saw as the right thing. I could use that to try to convince her to forget Cassie’s favour and keep the Memory Orb and Pipbuck away from the Rangers.
If I get that far. First I have to have to try to convince Iron Sights that he should let me try to convince Wings to give up my things by trying to convince her that doing that is the right thing to do.
I twitched as my mind tried to jumble that mess into something that made sense. It was already giving me a painful headache.
This plan was still very basic and already relied on so many things happening; Iron Sights needed to trust me even though he didn’t, Wings needed to listen to me even though she wouldn’t, Cassie needed to be open to compromising on Breeze’s safety even though she wasn’t and Wings also needed to act like a good-natured Stable dweller even though she was a morally complicated griffon.
I was going to have to be more cunning and convincing than I ever had been before.
If I pull this off, it’ll be Red Ice’s finest moment.
I flopped back onto the cold, hard pillow and sat staring at the ceiling, the gentle hum of the dampening field surrounding me as my mind remained stubbornly blank.
~~~~~~
The latch of my cell clicked open and the door swung on its hinges. A fully-armoured Ranger, not 5-of-10 this time, perhaps 4-of-10, stood silently in the door for a moment before stepping aside as Elder Iron Sights and Dr. Happy Pills entered side-by-side.
Good timing, boys, I’ve just about got all the details down.
“Hi, princess!” Happy Pills was as chipper as ever, waving jauntily at me while his eyes travelled over my reclining form. Thankfully, he made no further comment.
Iron Sights did. “Your minder during your Monitor duty, Paladin Sticky Buns, has relayed to me what was said between the griffon and the Pegasus under your watch, and how it relates to you. It gave us some answers, but also raised more questions. I am giving you one last chance to give us the remaining information, or else you and your Pegasus friend’s sister will suffer the consequences.”
A big smile blossomed on the doctor’s face. His eyes were also glazing over in apparent delight. “I’ve already called dibs on the Pegasus. Oh, such fun I shall have-”
“Yes, thank you, Doctor.” Iron Sights’ reply was swift and cutting, instantly conveying the idea that Happy Pills should stop talking.
The Elder’s gaze returned to me as he continued. “Much as I have my doubts on the matter, I feel that you might perhaps have formed the wrong idea about us. It is not a personal matter that we have invested so much in your apprehension, rather we simply are following our doctrine and believe you may be of help to us in this matter. In fact, I am willing to offer, conditional to your cooperation, a place within the Rangers for you, Snowflake. I assure you that you would want for nothing within our ranks, and all previous transgressions would be forgotten.”
Everybody in the room, most definitely including myself, was looking at him in shock, even the armoured Knight. Was this a spur of the moment idea on the olive stallion’s part?
It was damn bold, either way.
Finally, I blinked. “That’s… uh… wow. I wasn’t expecting that. You want me to be a Ranger?”
“She would look good in armour…” Mused the doctor to himself.
The armoured pony said nothing, he-or-she just stared impassively at me.
“Obviously you wouldn’t be a soldier,” Iron Sights continued offhoofedly, “I suggest Scribe or technician work for you. Unicorns often do well in those areas, plus they don’t have to worry about helmets damaging their horns.”
“Uh… no?” I found that I was so surprised by the offer that, even in turning it down, I could not put any force behind the words.
“Hmph,” he sniffed, “A pity. In that case, I am sorry but we will not be kind from now on.”
“Waitwaitwait!” I bounced off the bed and waved my hooves in a frantic halting motion, “Might I make a suggestion?”
He had already half-turned to leave. “About what, my dear?”
I indicated at the entire room and everyone in it. “About this! I don’t wanna be a Ranger but I have an idea that you might like instead.”
He still had his shoulder to me, but made no further move to leave the cell. “Go on.”
Now or never. Trying to calm my suddenly-accelerated heart rate, I martialled my thoughts as best I could. “Well… like I said, I don’t want to be a Steel Ranger, buuut I also don’t want to be a ‘guest’ in Neighlway forever either. So I would like to negotiate for both mine and Aqua Breeze’s release.”
Happy Pills barked out a harsh laugh. “You’ve got guts, princess. This oughta be good!” He cantered over to the bed and flopped down on it, content to lounge through the bartering process.
Iron Sights gathered his robes about him and turned back to me, a thin smile on his face. “How interesting. Normally, the only Sprinkles Supplies pony I bargain with is Fedexi Lexi. I do hope you can argue as well as she can. You will need to, given how tenuous your position is.”
I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea when he finally found out that I was tricking him again, so I decided to correct that assumption as an opener. “I don’t actually work for Sprinkles Supplies. I was taken on as extra muscle for that one delivery run to Grindstone. I don’t have anything else to do with the company.”
The prompted a raised eyebrow. “I begin to gain a clearer picture of what kind of pony you are, Snowflake. Do make your offer.”
That did not sound good. “Well, as… Sticky Buns?”
“Paladin Sticky Buns.”
“Right. As Paladin Sticky Buns has no doubt told you, I had a Memory Orb in my possession. It is quite a special Orb. I have only viewed a few minutes of the Memory, not the whole thing, but I c-“
“I’m sorry, what?” Iron Sights was all business now, “How is that possible? Memory Orbs must be viewed from beginning to end.”
“… As I said, it is a very special Orb,” there was no reason to reveal that it was damaged just yet, “and those few minutes, of a days long memory, hinted at an incredible secret that could alter the balance of power in the Wasteland forever in the favour of the Rangers. A secret unicorn project that was near to completion at the time of the memory.” Probably
Happy Pills was facing the ceiling as he mulled over the information I was providing. “Days long… secret unicorn magic… it could be a hidden Ministry of Magic Megaspell! Why, if we had it in our possession…”
“Doctor, please,” The earth stallion was frowning, “these claims are obviously fabrications, born of a desperation to save herself further hardship. Snowflake is a liar and I have no more patience for her treachery!”
He indicated to the statue-like warrior stationed at the cell entrance. “Knight! Take this time-wasting annoyance to be processed. I tire of her pathetic attempts at deception.”
“At once, Elder.” The Ranger stepped forward and placed a firm guiding hoof around my shoulders, irresistibly forcing me towards the open door. Neither the Doctor nor the Elder moved with us, the former pouting and the latter directing a withering glare at me.
I had to try again! Everything depended on my success. I’d have to give up more than I wanted but there was nothing else for it. “Wait! I have more! I can… I can… I can give you other Memory Orbs!”
“Stop resisting, prisoner!” The guard’s augmented strength was unyielding and I was rapidly being dragged from the cell. Still, I resisted as much as I could, fighting with hoof and tooth to get back to the cell and make a deal. Eventually the Knight seemed to tire of the struggles and hoisted me up over his shoulder, pinning me to his paldron.
“No, let me go! I have to talk to Iron Sights!” I battered my hooves against his metal fruitlessly.
“Knock it off,” he shook his head against my blows before uttering, in a much lower tone, “svara.”
My jaw dropped. Svara? That’s…
“Who are you?” I challenged.
He shucked me in warning. “Not so loud! Iyanda tunyel roga.”
“You’re a zebra!” I hissed, “How?”
A metallic chuckle came from his helmet’s speakers. “We have been watching you. My clanmate speaks highly of you.”
I was still held by the idea that a zebra was walking around Neighlway in full Ranger power armour. “Your clanmate?”
Another chuckle. “I am told she introduced herself to you as Two-tone?”
Astonished delight escaped me in a huge gasp. “Is she here?”
“Nearby. You shall be reunited with her soon. But first we must take you from this place.” Glancing around quickly, my nameless stripy saviour ducked into an empty alcove and set me down. As I recovered from my shock, he produced a set of robes, like those Caramel had been wearing in the Orb memory, and held them out to me. “Put these on, quickly, and then follow me. Be sure to keep your head down. We do not want you to be recognised.”
Doing as bid, I struggled into the coarse fabric. Damn, this stuff’s worse than the Plottawa uniform. Do all these nutcase groups have something against comfort?
Finally I managed to get the attire to cover my form and tugged the hood down as low as I possible while still being able to see. I nodded to the zebra, who wordlessly set off at a brisk pace. I had to half trot to keep up.
Walking close behind a living siege platform and keeping my head low made me all but invisible to those we passed, who made way for the imposing soldier but ignored the slight acolyte. For all the success that we might have had so far, I was always waiting for Iron Sights or Happy Pills to discover that I was not where I should have been. It was only a matter of-
ALERT! ALERT! PRISONER ON THE LOOSE! PRISONER ON THE LOOSE! ALL PERSONNEL BE ON GUARD! REPEAT! ALERT! ALERT…
-time.
Kicking at the ground, my new svara cocked his head forward. “Mua leija! No more time for tricks. Now we run!”
I was more than happy to oblige. Using the ample weight of his armoured form, he barrelled through the suddenly pony-filled halls with me sprinting at his heels. I had no idea where we are, and asking directions would be an obvious giveaway, so I had to trust that my rescuer had done his homework. He seemed sure enough, taking corners and choosing doors with confidence.
I almost cried with joy as the entrance, still recognisable from my Hissyflit-poison daze, was before my eyes after more twists and turns than I could keep track of.
I almost cried with despair when the two Knights at the entrance barred our path and yelled “HALT!”
I almost cried with artistic appreciation as my Zebra Ranger flew at them and effortlessly incapacitated them in a master-class display of Fallen Ceasar style combat. How he managed to move like that while lugging all that plating was beyond me. In seconds the two Rangers were staggering around, punch-drunk, and we passed between them with no further trouble. It didn’t look like getting your head rattled around inside those helmets was any fun.
The outside air was the sweetest I’d tasted since leaving the Stable.
“FOLLOW ME! AND DON’T LOOK BACK!”
I sure as hell wasn’t about to argue with him after all this. Still, it couldn’t be this easy. “They’ll come after us!”
“Do not worry, svara! They will not have the opportunity.” He didn’t break stride, just called back vigorously.
What does he mean? I couldn’t help myself, I had to look back. They must be coming after us! My eyes fought their way around until I was looking back at the Neighlway gate. The doorway slid open and the two recovered Knights, plus unarmoured support troops boiled out like a swarm of Hissyflits.
They got maybe 10 meters out before it began to rain. This was no water though. This rain clanked off armour and floored unshielded ponies. These raindrops were half a hoof across and a far greater distraction. As I watched, the metal precipitation fired out hooks and barbs which grabbed at joints and seals and robes and flesh, and as soon as they found purchase they retracted. The two front runner Rangers found themselves being slammed together as the unknown weapon pulled them towards each other. The uncovered acolytes fared much worse, whole groups were knocked unconscious as they collided.
Unable to free themselves, the pursuit was momentarily stymied. Though even that wouldn’t hold them for longer than a few seconds. We’d need more…
More turned out to be four. Four familiar shafts slammed into the dirt around the gateway.
“Breeze!” I gasped as I rain, the Shock Lock cage forming a semi-circle around the Neighlway entrance, barring any Rangers from moving further than the small space where the snarl was still going on. A few ponies, unhindered by the initial trap, prodded experimentally at the sparking cage, instantly dropping in shuddering heaps as the electricity overwhelmed their systems.
Finally the Pegasus herself made an appearance, swooping in low for a single strafing run, loosing more waterless rain on the confused Rangers. There were no fancy tricks this time.
Just a whole bunch of explosions.
“Eyes forward, Snowflake! We have a lot of distance to cover!” The snapped command brought an end to my entertainment. I turned to discover that I’d lost a fair amount of ground to the zebra, and had to hustle to draw level.
As I did, the sound of beating wings reached me from the other side. “Been a while, Red Ice. How ya been?” Breeze wore an easy grin, as if she hadn’t just ruined several dozen ponies’ day.
I could do nothing but puff heavily, and blink away sudden tears. “Breeze! You have no idea how glad I am to see you!”
“You’re not the worst sight in the Wasteland either, Snow. What are you doing here? We lost you after Whinniepeg.”
I stumbled a little at her words. “After Whinniepeg? You left before Whinniepeg!”
The smug smile returned. “You really thought we were gonna leave you to go meet your ‘Watcher’ and ‘Wings’ all by yourself? Naiara’d never leave me be if I did that.”
I almost choked as I gaped. “Naiara’s here too?!”
Breeze’s grin grew even wider, and she nodded in the direction of our third member. “Follow the boxed zebra. She’s waiting a few hours out in a safe place. He knows the way.” She flew close enough to give me a small, friendly nudge, “I’ll keep you company too.”
“NO!” I cried, startling them both.
“What is the matter?” He called back.
“I dunno,” Breeze replied before turning to me, “What’s the deal, Snowflake?”
“Breeze, you need to go back! Cassie’s nearby!”
Instantly I had her full attention. “Where?!”
“She’s being blackmailed by the Rangers. She thinks they have you! You need to get to her. Stay high, out of range but in plain sight. Cassie’s got good eyes, she’ll see you!”
Breeze’s eyes were watering, but her jaw was set firm. “Got it. I’ll bring her to the meeting point later.”
“She’ll have a griffon with her. Bring. Her. Too. I want a word with both of them!” I could not stress that enough.
Without another word, Breeze peeled off and started winging back towards Neighlway.
“Ira leija!” The stallion cried as she sped off, to find the most important pony in the world to her.
I couldn’t agree more. Good luck indeed, Breeze. Bring them both back safe.
That was all that was said during our escape. The zebra passed me a hit of Buck, and then we simply ran.
~~~~~~
“SNOWFLAKE!” A blur shot out of the undergrowth and pounced on me.
“NAIARA!” Still hopped up on Buck energy, I was able to grab her in mid-leap. We went down in a pile, rolling and laughing.
“IfoundyouIfoundyouIfoundyouIfoundyou!” We happily chanted together.
It was good to have a simple relationship with one of my friends.
We’d run for hours with no sign of pursuit. No way they would catch up to us any time soon. The Rangers would certainly come, of that there was no doubt, but for now they would have given up the chase to concentrate on fixing the mess we’d caused. I was in more long-term danger than ever, but at least I could take a short breather. This was a good place for it too. A small wood with surprisingly thick foliage, given the overall barren nature of the Wasteland, it was the perfect place for a joyful reunion.
Naiara slugged me in the shoulder.
“OW! What was that for?” It really hurt. She didn’t hold back,.
“Messing around with the Rangers! I told you they were bad news!”
“I had a plan.” I sulkily responded.
She rolled her eyes. “Sure, just like your plan to surrender at Grindstone so me an’ Breeze could get away?” She raised her hoof again, and I flinched back, expecting another punch, but she just made a non-committal annoyed grunt and fussed over me, “Relax, I’m just checking for anything the Rangers might have done. They’re tricky, you should watch out more.”
Apparently satisfied with her search, she strolled over to have a hushed conversation in zebra with the still-armoured stallion under the tree canopy..
For my part, now that things were slowing down, I was starting to feel a little bit cheated. “Plan was totally gonna work,” I muttered, “Was gonna be Red Ice’s finest moment… all for nuthin’ now.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” I grumbled, before scuffing at the ground and moaning quietly to myself at the unfairness of having my plan ignored, “I can be tricky too… Rangers aren’t so smart… never gonna get my Pipbuck back now.”
Their conversation finished, the two zebra were walking over. Naiara was sporting a bright smile that made it really hard to stay mad at the glory-stealing rescue. “About time we all got introduced, don’tcha think? Snowflake, this is my clanmate… “ She waited, giving him the opportunity to provide his own name.
Reaching up, the zebra stallion triggered the release of the helmet. A short puff of air announced the breaking of the seal, and then he tugged the constricting apparatus off his head.
I almost laughed.
He had a major case of helmet mane. Like, ludicrously so. Sweat had caked his frizzy mane over his eyes.
“How did you even see with that thing on?” I joked.
Grinning back, he tried to wipe the hair away, almost knocking himself out with his armour hoof in the process. Naiara scoffed, before jumping up and dragging him down so she could do it for him. Their close proximity highlighted the difference in their manes. Hers, long, wavy and lustrous. His, cropped short and coarse.
His grooming complete, he stood back up to full height, finally revealing a pair of dark gold eyes. “I greet you again, Snowflake. Wiv pec Cept.”
I bowed in response, “Iyanda tunyel roga, Cept. It’s an honour to meet Naiara’s clanmate. And you have my thanks for all your help.”
He clanked out a bow himself. “I could do no less for one who has been so kind to my clan. You showed kindness to Naiara when others would not. This is a rare thing in Equestria.”
I glanced at Naiara as he spoke, and she flushed slightly in embarrassment. I was just glad I could show that I didn’t hate zebras, even if the rest of the Wasteland did.
“So, what is your clan doing in the Wasteland? It’s pretty far from the zebra lands.”
I’d meant the question to be innocent and friendly, but the look the two shared in response told me that perhaps I was prying into something I shouldn’t. Cept coughed and abruptly changed the subject. “That is for another time. For now, I must rid myself of their armour. It is... restrictive.”
“We’ll help!” Naiara had an impish twinkle in her jade eye, “Cept, you and I can work on the top half, while Snow can focus on those… hard to reach places.”
It was my turn to flush. “Naiara!”
Still, as we worked to free Cept from his bindings, it became very clear that the Fallen Ceasar prowess he’d displayed in the tunnel was well earned. He could give Peanut a run for his money in fitness.
Definitely no tubby Raider, this one.
No matter what Naiara said, I stuck stubbornly to the top sections of armour during the removal. Naiara didn’t displaying an ease and comfort around her clanmate that made it clear they’d known each other for a while. She didn’t even look away when the undercarriage was removed. Wow.
Ten minutes passed before we finally removed the last piece and tossed it onto the pile. “Well, now what? Do we leave it here?”
Cept shook his head. “If the Rangers found it, they might use it to track us. It would be best to destroy it.”
“I don’t think so!” Breeze crashed through the tree canopy next to the armour. I jumped back into Naiara, unbalancing us both.
Cept had started as well, but recovered faster since he didn’t have to untangle himself from another filly. “Ah, Aqua Breeze. I am overjoyed to see you unharmed. Were you successful?”
When she didn’t immediately respond, I raised my head to look at her. She stood stock still in the pose she’d landed in, but her eyes were slightly unfocused and there was a girlish shyness in her demeanour as she looked at the now armour-free stallion. “H-hi, Cept. Um… successful?”
As the stallion took a small step forward, Breeze’s blush grew. “Your xilia? Your sister? Did you find her?” I might have been imagining it, but it seemed like Cept was subtly flexing while speaking with her.
“Oh! Yes, thank you. I did. She’s up there right now. She didn’t wanna come down because of Snowflake.” She managed to break away from drinking in Cept’s physique to shoot me an apologetic smile.
Now they get sensitive to my wishes. Of course. I sighed. “Just tell ‘em to come down, Breeze. Both of them. I don’t plan on starting anything at present.”
It was to her credit that she was trying to apologise to me on behalf of her sister, but I really needed to hear it from the source. The tense atmosphere still didn’t keep her from her fancies though. Somehow, she was staring even more hungrily at the armour than the zebra. “Okay, I’ll bring them down. Just don’t destroy that armour. I had to leave some of my custom tech with the Rangers to spring you, and if they’re getting something of mine to poke through, then I deserve something of theirs!”
As she took flight again, I clued in the clanmates. “This is gonna be uncomfortable as all hell. Just try to stay calm while we work this out. Stay calm… but be ready if it goes south.”
“I gotcha.”
“Understood.”
While we waited, I poked at the armour pile for a clue as to what Breeze might want from it, but it might just have been so much scrap to me. Fixing gadgets was not in my limited skill pool. I remembered one time I’d tried magical toaster repair…
~~~~~~
It wasn’t long before the fliers returned, not with a bang, but with a whisper. All three touched down light as their feathers. I watched silently as they landed in a tight group. None of them seemed all that interested in looking at me.
Well Breeze is interested in looking at other stuff. Still… what the hay am I supposed to say?
The other two had robbed me, ostensibly to screw over the Rangers. I could have lived with that… if they’d thought to clue me in, but they hadn’t.
That was why it still hurt, even after all I’d heard on the monitor.
“Snowflake.” Cassie said by way of greeting.
“Cassiopeia Venatici.” I responded, equally formally.
“Snowflake.” The griffon repeated.
“Wings.”
“Naiara.” “Cept.” “Breeze.” The three bystanders shared a quick chuckle between themselves, which broke the tension a little.
Naiara looked between the two pegasi. “Your sister really looks like you, Breeze, are you twins?”
“Yeah. Been together our whole lives.”
“So who’s the pretty one?” Naiara found her fun wherever she could, it seemed.
“She is.” The twins answered together, before shooting a surprised look at each other. Naiara’s hooting laughter further cracked the tension.
Cassie broke it a little more. “Snowflake, regardless of everything else, I extend my thanks to you for all you have done for my sister and I.”
That’s something, at least. “You’re welcome. I know what it is like to have siblings you worry about. Be happy you have yours back.”
She had the decency to look ashamed.
“If you brought us here to guilt trip us, Snowflake, make sure you’ve got the whole story. There’s more at stake than you know.” Wings might have been ashamed, but she went on the attack instead of shrinking back.
Luckily, I had a few bullets in my chamber too. “Babysitting and Dashites, Wings. I know enough.”
All three fliers looked surprised at that. Especially Breeze. “Who told you about that?”
Still facing Wings, my lips curled up in a grim smile. “Technically, nobody told me… but you’d be surprised how far sound carries along Steel walls.”
They looked impressed, and a little bit scared. It wasn’t an expression I’d seen them send my way before.
That’s right. Little Snowflake is growing up. The Wasteland is a fast teacher.
“So,” Wings stood a little bit straighter, though whether it was out of respect or she was getting ready for action was hard to tell, “What now?”
Again, all eyes went to me. I took a few seconds to mull my options. Mostly I still wished I could brush it under the rug, forget the whole thing, and invite them back to a party at Hoofshine. Wings could call me her friend again, Cassie and Breeze could be together in comfort for a little while, Breeze could ogle Cept, and, if Bosco and Schwarzwald showed up, we could all get acquainted.
It still sounded tempting. Oh, how it still sounded tempting. However, there were two things standing in the way of that.
The Pipbuck and the Memory Orb.
“Where are my things, you two?”
Both the Pegasus and the griffon looked like they’d been expecting that. “In a safe place.”
“What’s going on?” Naiara broke her silence, looking less than happy as she examined our faces. Cept was not smiling either.
I stayed silent. I wanted them to admit what they’d done with their own lips. “We stole Snowflake’s Pipbuck and Memory Orb.”
“You WHAT?!” At least this time Breeze wasn’t a part of it. She and Naiara seemed to be developing a vitriolic friendship. I didn’t want to ruin that.
“The Rangers want them. No doubt others will too once word gets out,” I thought of Latvi and Plottawa, and definitely felt the truth in those words, “and Snowflake is not strong enough to keep them safe.”
It is very annoying just how clearly you can realise somebody is right about your shortcomings.
I rubbed the bare leg where the Pipbuck should be. “You’re not going to give them back, are you?”
“No.”
Damn. This is it then. I turned to the two zebra and the one Pegasus present that I was actually fond of. “Can you let me talk to these two in private for a moment? I promise it won’t turn nasty.” I had to add that last part when Breeze began to frown.
Hesitantly, the three onlookers backed off enough that Wings, Cassie and I could talk in low voices without being overheard. I kept up a smile as they gave us our space, before finally dropping it when I turned back to the two thieves.
“That Pipbuck... and the Orb... are not things I can just let go. They mean too much to me.” The mix of emotions running through me were making this hard.
“We can’t... we can’t give them back.” I was both happy and sad at Wings’ breaking voice. On one hoof, it meant that she didn’t want to do this. On the other, it showed she still planned on keeping them.
Cassie said nothing, just morosely looked back and forth between me and her sister. I thought it might have been cruel to do this where Breeze was watching, but it was too late by this point.
“I... have to chase you. I don’t have another option.”
“I know.” They chorused.
It was a very sad situation where trying to find a friend brought this much heartache. Try as I might, I still couldn’t simply hate either of them. I didn’t regret feeling that way, but I was a long way from liking it, too.
“Please,” I begged them, losing the battle to hide how much it hurt, “please just go.”
~~~~~~
“You sure you wanna do this, girl?”
Fedexi Lexi really was a good boss. She hadn’t cared much when I showed up and asked to use her gear. Wouldn’t even accept payment. Not an eyelash was batted about the zebra filly with me. Naiara had stayed, citing her worries that I was troubling her, while Cept returned to his other clanmates.
I appreciated the gesture from both Naiara and Lexi, and wished Cept well.
“I’m sure. I promise I won’t put Sprinkles Supplies in any danger.”
“Hell, Snowflake, I ain’t worried about that! What you think I got all mah boys fer? I wanna make you’re doin’ the right thing for you.” Her posture indicated that this should have been obvious.
“… Thanks, boss.”
She flipped a few strands of frizzy orange mane away from her purple snout. “Anytime. We take care of our own. Jus’… do me a favour and say yeh’re someplace else. Mebbe we don’t have THAT many guards.”
“You got it. I’ll get started now.”
The Sprinkles Supplies boss and also medic nodded and laid a hoof on Naiara’s shoulder. “Awright, we’ll git outta yer way. C’mon Naiara, bring your pretty self o’er to the bar an’ we’ll talk about Snow behind ‘er back. I gotta tell ya ‘bout her first time here.”
Once they were out of the room, I keyed the comm button. The signal would spread out to all receivers that could pick it up, sending out my message. It would be the single craziest thing I’d ever done, even more than reaching out for an Orb about to roll over a precipice in Stable 61.
Here goes.
“Greetings from Whinniepeg, Equestrian Wasteland. My name is Snowflake, though I have been known by another name. Tell me if it rings a bell.
Red Ice?
Now that I hopefully have your attention, I feel like I need to set a few things straight. First things first, that was me who attacked Plottawa, not Red Eye. I have never met Red Eye and I definitely don’t work for him. Anyone who has been told differently and expects something from me on his behalf will be very disappointed. Back on topic. Plottawa is not a friend of mine. They tried to get me once at Grindstone, and instead killed a lot of Buffalo. I actually like Buffalo, for the most part, so I didn’t like that.
I also don’t like Steel Rangers. As soon as he hears this, Iron Sights, their so-called ‘Elder’, will be kicking himself, because I just strolled out of a Neighlway cell a few days ago, and they couldn’t stop me. The Rangers and I will not be friends, and they also won’t get anything from me.
In fact, I’ll generalise that. Anybody who thinks they can take something from me, without my permission, will not be my friend and they will not get anything from me.
Finally, There’s another name I feel I must mention. Blue Fire.. Contrary to previous reports, she is no pegasus. She is, however, my prey. Anybody who gets between us will be in danger. I will not be held responsible for their safety. Do. Not. Interfere.
That is all.”
I shut down the mic with a sigh. I’d done it. I’d announced who I was to the entire Wasteland.
Latvi, Peanut, Iron Sights… Wings.
Your move.
~~~~~~
Level Up!
Perks gained: Spoiler Warning – Snow has gained a reputation among the ponies of the Wasteland, resulting in changing dialogue and reactions.
~~~~~~
Author’s note: And that’s it. The first arc (still nameless – open to suggestions) is complete. Hell if I knew it would turn out like this in the beginning. Hell if I knew.
Still, 100,000 words. Go me.
As always, a huge thank you to the readers, Kkat, Hasbro, Lauren Faust, and most of all, my prereader Y1. Go read his Conviction. Do it now. Do it do it do it. Another thank you for Cascadejackal for the title artwork. Click on the links to see more from these lovely people.
Leave a comment if you choose to, if not then please enjoy the fic.
The second arc will begin soon.