//------------------------------//
// The Road Not Travelled 
// Story: 22 Short Films About Fallout: Equestria 
// by hahatimeforponies 
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I woke restlessly. How could I not? It was always way too bright. You'd think there'd be a thriving eyemask business up here, but I guess they're all used to it. The cushions were second to none, though. Perfectly malleable, never tangles, so breathable you can lie face down in your pillow and be completely fine. As long as you do the sensible thing and go to bed when the sun goes down, a night in the clouds is the best night's sleep you'll ever get. Unfortunately, I was not sensible, and as soft as the bedding could be, I found myself wrenching my eyes shut and stuffing my face into the mattress in an effort to get another five minutes' rest. There wasn't enough booze to go around to leave me with a proper hangover this morning, but there was enough to keep me up to an insensible hour.

A hoof travelled from the base of my wing up to the hairline of my crest. "Time to get up, babe?"

"No. Sun can piss off."

Thunder Blitz chuckled, scratching behind my ear like I was a cat. She knew what I liked, and knew when to use it against me. "I know you were a cave bat, Atom, but I think this is your own fault."

"Shut up and snuggle me."

"Now you're talking." The cloud shifted as she climbed on it by my tail, and then crawled around behind me. It bounced when she dropped at my back. Then her weight rolled against me, and her nose found its way to my cheekbone. I reached for the hoof curling around my stomach, and curled around it in turn. She did that thing with her wings where she wiggled the pinions up the front of my chest and interlocked her feathers around my whole body from the waist down, and I didn't want to be anywhere else.

"Hey Blitzy," I asked at some point. Two minutes later? Twenty minutes? No idea. "What time is it?"

She squeezed me, and kissed my cheek from behind. "Like, eleven or something."

"Shit!" I scrambled out of her grasp and out of the side of the bed. I landed with a soft non-noise, and started looking around. "I'm so late for my watch. Shit fuck shit."

"Atom..."

I staggered around our room. My balance hadn't caught up yet, never mind my eyes burning. "Where's my uniform? Agh, it's probably not clean, they're gonna kill me..."

"Atom, it's Saturday."

"Do you think they- what?"

I looked back at her, sprawled across our bed with a knowing smirk. She looked like a lifeguard, or an acrobat. She had that lean muscle that concealed the power in her body in a petite frame. I was the lap cat, but she was the panther. Sometimes I didn't know what she saw in me. "It's Saturday, babe. You're not on duty until tomorrow."

I squinted out the window. I couldn't see, the sun was that way. "Fuck. So it is." I rubbed between my eyes and sauntered back to the bed. "Well I'm up now."

"I got you coffee. It might be cold by now, though." I looked at the bedside table. I felt the mug.

"It's fine." Black, weak, barely sugared. "One of these days I've gotta steal you some surface stuff. It's just so much better."

"Careful who you say that around, babe." Blitz looked at me like I was casually suggesting a crime against the state. Which, to be fair, I was.

"It'll be a secret surprise for you, love." After a sip, I set the mug aside and slipped into bed again. She had a kiss waiting for me when I got in. "So what did you get up to last night? I didn't see you when I came in."

"I left the watering hole an hour before you did, genius."

"Tired?"

"A little. And I knew you'd be waking up in a state today."

"Blitz, I don't need you to mother me, holy fuck."

"Yeah, but you like people taking care of you." She smiled and kissed the end of my nose. I scrunched it, and stuck out my tongue.

"Have I ever told you how weird it sounds when you say phrases you picked up from me in your accent?"

She squinted. "Like what?"

"'In a state'. Like, it's just words, but it sounds wrong for some reason. Or like, 'bloody'. Say 'bloody'."

"Bloody?"

"Well like, if I say 'bloody hell' it just seems natural. But when you say it it's like... I dunno."

"Bloody hell... bloody hell." She went cross-eyed. I giggled and brushed her cowlick out of her eyes. "Now the words have just stopped meaning anything."

"Then how about you shut up and kiss me?" I licked my lips. She rolled her eyes and squeezed my middle, then begrudgingly gave me what I wanted.

We let another twenty minutes pass in bed, and my coffee really did go cold. With the sun high above the complex, the light became more diffuse, and it became easier to sleep. However, if I linger on the details of the room, I'll just go back to waxing lyrical about cloud beds, and how the way the breeze passes right through it is perfect for trying to sleep through hot Neighvarro afternoons.

"Unfortunately babe, I do have duty today."

I squeezed her the instant she tried to pry me off and get up. "No. Your duty is to cuddle me, soldier."

"I outrank you, babe." She stunned me with a brief smooch on the lips, and slipped out, letting her wingtips linger on my chest as she rolled gracefully on to the floor. She yawned and stretched, and stole some of my coffee on her way to the wardrobe. I didn't mind. I had a stretch myself as she dressed. I must have zoned out, because I feel like she did it pretty damn quick. She was in light battle armour, battle saddle at the ready. I was pretty sure we didn't keep that in our quarters? That was odd.

"Uhh... when did..."

"Hey, toss me the guns, will you babe?" she said, as she casually tightened her boots.

"Guns? We don't have arms in our..."

Blitz laughed. "They're above the bed. Man, you really are asleep, Atom."

I looked up. There were four sunburst rifles hanging on the wall. Baffled, I took one down, tentatively. It was well-worn. Both of them were. "What duty were you on today again?"

"Oh, we're glassing some ground-pounder village, it's no biggie. You gonna give me those blasties, or am I gonna have to take 'em over your corpse?"

Two, four... seven... I stopped bothering to count at eleven notches on the barrel. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Give me the rifles, Atom." She flashed me a glare like a displeased teacher. "Oh, not that one, that one's yours. Do wake up, babe." My mind raced. Something was definitely wrong. I threw it aside and rolled out of bed, stumbling to the kitchen. "Well fine, don't be my accomplice to genocide," Blitz snorted. The Enclave flag hung next to the San Palomino province flag on the wall by the door to the lounge. The starred E decorated our mugs, our chairs, everything that wouldn't be obviously gauche to adorn it with, and a few things that were. The bottom of my stomach fell from the clouds, and I lost control of my breathing. The overwhelming wrongness of this place overpowered my sense of balance, and I tipped out the window, my wings too stunned to catch me.





I flinched, and fought to be free of the sheets. Nevada didn't help, since he was standing on top of me, trying to lick my face. I love the boy, but I had to push him off the bed just to be able to breathe. The little angel jumped right back on and circled around my back, whacking his dusty tail against my shoulder. I had a bit of a headache, troubled sleep aside. In fact, maybe they were related. I looked around. Drizzle peppered the window of the guest house, with the shacks of the Warreington skyline outside. It looked like early morning, but with the cloud cover, it was difficult to tell. I rubbed my eyes and stood up. Nevada stayed close by my heels, and only tripped me up once.

I was the first one awake, so I helped myself to some juice and bread. I'm sure they wouldn't mind me raiding the kitchen. It was nearly an hour before anyone else came down, and I tried not to think. I didn't feel like sleeping, but I sure was tired, so I just slumped on the grotty armchairs in the half-light with the radio, entertaining more idle thoughts. I should really see what Tribute is up to these days. The radio is still going, after all. And how the hell did I stumble into my old place the other day if I'm staying in Warreington? Colton is at least five hours on foot from here.

Rainbow Code, the first riser in the building after me, looked like he was looking around for the innkeeper to see if breakfast was ready, and coming up short. I slumped over the side of the chair, and Nevada went over to greet him.

"Hey," I said. Wow, that was a croak. I should have had more than just some warm juice.

"Oh, morning Atom. Wasn't expecting you down so early."

"Neither was I." He chuckled.

"So, no breakfast yet?"

"Y'know they don't keep the kitchen locked?" He glared at me. "S'just facts, mate. I'm not telling you to do anything." He shook his head, and turned his attention to Nevada, who was enjoying a good belly scratch. "Say, uh..." I licked my lips and thought about what to say. Rainbow, bless him, waited patiently, looking at me while he rubbed my dog right where it got his leg kicking. "Do you ever think about Valkyrie's offer?"

His gaze drifted for a moment. "Not very often."

"Do you ever dream about it?"

"Can't say I have. Not that I remember. Did you?" After a guilty pause, I nodded. "I wouldn't dwell on it. We both made the right choice."

"I know." Nevada, now that Rainbow was giving me his full attention, got up and wandered back to me, parking his nose on my lap. Duty-bound, I petted. "Still, it's... interesting to think about what could have been."