//------------------------------// // 8 - Going Home // Story: Fallout Equestria: An Honest Soul // by _STELLAR //------------------------------// Chapter 8: Going Home "Zeebie, zeebie, zeebie!!" Zulu was not impressed with his sister's attempt to torture him. "It only works when I say it," I told Mixen, much to her disappointment. It was getting late by the time Zulu, Ellabelle and I made it to Fetchway. Not knowing where to look for everyone, we started with the Three Horseshoes, where, as luck would have it, we found everyone conversing at the bar while Petal, presumably, was out back for the moment. Zulu stuck a little closer to me as he was getting unpleasant stares from everyone in the saloon. I fancied having a drink, - I was sure we all did - but we were still capless, and Mixen didn't have enough caps for drinks for all of us. I noted how, despite probably having enough for herself, she also didn't buy one. Still, I wondered if stealing caps from Zulu's bags counted as stealing. Even though most (if not all) of what was in those bags was stolen, I still couldn't bring myself to justify stealing caps from him. Petal returned when she noticed the commotion Mixen was making, then decided she'd take matters into her own hooves when she saw Zulu. I believed her when she said she was gonna kick his ass if he didn't give her the caps. We needed to leave soon if we were gonna arrive in one piece. *** Assembled, the Security Ponies elected me as their navigator, seeing as their previous navigator was my Dad, and I was the only one with R7 marked on my Pip-Buck thanks to Maamsir. It was kind of poetic, really. R7 wasn't terribly far. We'd definitely reach it after dusk, though. And while the brewster wolves and other dangers were more prominent during night, we were now big in numbers. Mixen had her pistols back, I had Twinkle, Ella was medically trained, and if we found any raiders, we had a professional thief who could take their stuff! It wasn't dishonest if we were stealing from bad guys, right? Wait, was Zulu a bad guy? Regardless, we had a team. Probably not the group of friends DJ-PON3 said I should have. At least, not everyone here was my friend. But regardless, we looked after each other, and within hours we had exited the Double Eff on the east side, en route to Junction R7. According to Mixen's map, if we traveled south-east from there, we'd find New Appleoosa. If it were daytime, we'd go straight for R7, but we were tired and worn out, and seeing as New Appleoosa was supposed to be a stop on the journey in the first place, we decided to stay the night. We found a lovely pegasus mare in New Appleoosa. A ghoul pony, with even worse skin than Silver Eyes, but what she lost in external beauty, she made up for with her kindness and charming personality. She ran a general store in the town, and told us, via a chalkboard of all things, where we could find an accommodation house. I was starting to feel guilty about not having any money to give people for their helpfulness. She even gifted me a free copy of her self-written book on how to survive out in the Wastes. I had to say the Z-word twice to get Zulu to put back the few things he stole from her. And a third time to make him apologise. Dinner was meager, as it was just basic provisions from mine, Mixen, and Ella's saddlebags spread across ten ponies, but it was enough to survive the night. We only barely managed to rent two rooms for the ten of us, courtesy of Zulu's stolen caps. Unfortunately there were only two rooms with three beds per room, so two pairs of ponies per room had to share a bed. Ella quickly insisted on sleeping with Cuff, causing Cuff to ask again about mine and Ella's 'romantic relationship.' I, however, volunteered Zulu and myself to share a bed. Cuff suggested we cuff him to the fireplace so he wouldn't steal or kill us in our sleep, but Mixen told her that was cruel and unfair, so we settled on cuffing him to the bedpost instead. I got into the old, springy bed, complete with suspicious stains and the odd exposed spring. Stable-Tec's long lasting mattresses put these to shame, but it was better than sleeping outside in the cold. Barely. I removed my horseshoes and leg braces, placing them beside our bed, as I felt uncomfortable sleeping in them. Thankfully my braces had a quick-release, and re-equipping them was just as easy as taking them off. I was awake late that night, waiting in mild fear until I could hear Zulu snoring. The buck tried to kill me earlier today. All he had to do was kill me in my sleep, and he'd never fall victim to that collar again. Supposing he didn't decide to kill me in my sleep, and somehow broke out of the cuffs, he'd probably steal some of our stuff from our bags. If Cuff caught him, though, I suspected Zulu would never see the end of it. I could hear Cuff snoring. She was loud, and snored like my Dad, but Mixen's snoring was quiet, somewhat ladylike. Brandy, Ella and I would have sleep overs as kids (and sometimes as adults too), so I knew Ella wasn't asleep yet based on her lack of snoring, which sounded like loud breathing. Zulu was dead silent. He decided to sleep by my side rather than top and tail, which I didn't question, rather welcomed. I couldn't tell if his being a full-blooded zebra meant he slept silently, or if he just wasn't asleep yet. I would stay up all night if I was even a little uncertain of his being asleep. "Can you believe we're finally doing it, AB?" I heard Ella whisper. Clearly she used the same snoring logic I used to determine whether she was asleep or not on me. "Having a sleepover with not one, but two other girls? Never thought I'd see the night." She giggled quietly. "No. Going home. When we see Brandy, he's gonna have so many questions as to why we're late. It's been, what, half a week since we've seen him? But it feels way longer, ya know?" "Hey, you were asleep for most of today. I was the one who had to go on a whole adventure and rescue this idiot next to me. And all for a magic necklace I wasn't even allowed to keep." "Ah, but you don't need it, so Maamsir told me. You're a unicorn, they tell me." "Hah. It's a long story, Ell. You still think I'm full of shit when I say my hat is alive?" "I trust Maamsir, and they said it- she is. So no, I don't think you're full of shit. I'm sorry I didn't believe you, AB. I think we're gonna have a hard time convincing Brandy, though." "I honestly couldn't care less if he believed me or not. I just want to see him again. I'd do anything just to see him right now." "Gaaaay…" My face went a shade of red. "Sh-shut up. He's our friend, Ella. You know this." "Who are you kiddin' AB? You're one smooch away from loving him." "Y-yeah? Well I noticed how quickly you agreed to sleep with Cuff." "W-well that's because I don't want to sleep with a Surface Dweller! I don't know Mixen. And I don't know why you have no problem with Zulu. Oh wait, I do. You're cheating on Brandy with him." "How can I cheat on someone who isn't even my boyfriend?!" "Will you two shut your mouths!" Zulu shout-whispered. "It is bad enough I cannot go to the bathroom; I do not need you Stable Morons keeping me awake!" Now I was blushing even more. I really didn't want Zulu to hear that! "Hey, Zulie," Ella said lightheartedly. "AB was staring at your butt on the way here." "W-what? No I wasn't! Shut up, Ella!" Zulu turned his whole body. We were both facing each other now, barely an inch away from each other. "I do not care," he said. "Stare if you like, but soon I will be gone. You will see." "Oh yeah? We'll see about that, zeeb." He recoiled, blushing and starting to breathe heavier. I leaned closer, softly whispering, "Zeebie zeebie zeebie!" repeating it more times than I could count. His face seemed redder than his sister's, his breathing worse than a smoker doing a marathon. When I wouldn't stop tormenting him, he found one last ditch effort to shut me up. Zulu's free arm went to the back of my head, pushing me closer as his lips made contact with mine. It could have been three seconds; it could have been three years. My brain was too frazzled to keep track of how long it went on for. Either way, it was over far too soon. As he retracted both his head and his hoof, I stared at the red and black zebra. My own coat was probably a similar shade, minus the stripes. His eyes were gorgeous, and I was quickly lost in them the same way I was lost in that kiss. As quick as a lightning strike, my emotions switched, as I felt a pain all too like an old friend. Zulu had rammed his knee into my crotch. "That was for earlier, Stable Dweller." I recoiled in pain. I couldn't see or hear Ella, and quite honestly, I didn't have the care to think of how she saw all that. I was in too much pain. At some point in my riding out the pain, I drifted off to sleep. *** I awoke in the middle of the night. I heard a soft breathing from my side. I noted that as what Zulu sounded like when he slept, for future reference. Zulu. He… he kissed me. I had never been kissed like that before. I wished my first time would be… No! This was good. Zulu. I wouldn't mind him being a boyfriend, as flawed as he was. But not Brandy… I still blushed remembering what almost happened at the Atrium all those weeks ago. I clumsily reached over the bed and encased myself in my braces. I didn't feel like waking Ella up to help me, for a plethora of reasons. I wished memory wiping was a part of Suki's crazy unicorn powers. I started for the bathroom. It was the first time I had used it by myself since the attack on Stable Two. I was happy to feel a bit more independent now that I had my new legs. I really did owe Maamsir a drink sometime. When I returned to our room, I noticed Zulu's saddlebags were within his reach beside our bed. That memory orb thingy; I was curious about it, so I silently trotted over and took a quick peek in his bags. In his bags were basic odds and ends, looted items and the such. Plenty of caps (That liar said he was broke! He was so buying us breakfast in the morning), bullets, but no weapons, a screwdriver of all things too. A little fox doll I noticed from Ditzy Doo's was in there as well… I grabbed it and told myself I'd return it in the morning. Finally, I found it. A shiny silver orb that looked to be made of solid glass. I held it in my hooves. As far as I could see, there was nothing interesting about it. It was just a glass ball. Okay, time to crack out my inner Sherclop Pones. Memory orb was what it was called. Did it contain storage for a terminal? Was this some magical external harddrive? It didn't have any ports, but it may have hooked up via special plugs. No such plugs existed with any terminals I was familiar with, like Silver's terminal in Silver HQ, but perhaps it was compatible with some special computer elsewhere. If this was valuable, then it was a bargaining chip. If Silver wanted Suki, he'd have to choose between her and this orb. Not that I'd ever give him Suki anyway. Most likely, I could trade this in exchange for help in finding Brandy. I considered putting the orb in Cuff's saddlebags, as she would never let Zulu anywhere near them, but I got some awful feeling that, even in her sleep, she would cuff me to her bed if I got close to her, leaving me stranded all night. I settled with storing the orb in my own bags for tonight. We'd be home before midday anyway, so I didn't worry much. I got back into bed, removed my braces, awkwardly pulled each of my legs into position, then got under mine and Zulu's covers. As I looked at the sleeping zebra, watching his chest rise and fall with his soft breathing, I wondered where we stood now. I was still very embarrassed about that kiss. And it didn't help that Ella probably saw everything. Did this mean he liked me? He was still prone to thieving. I was certain his condition was compulsive. But was I at any lethal risk anymore? At the very least, was I safe around him? If I tried to answer that question, I'd be up for the rest of the night. So to hell with it. I'd let his future actions dictate where our relationship stood. *** Morning was hectic. Between ten ponies, we had one bathroom, so it was over an hour before everyone was even ready to leave the accommodation house. Cuff was clever, and set her alarm for twenty minutes earlier than the rest of us, so she could get ready for the day hassle-free. By the time I was awake, she was already lying on her bed, reading Miss Ditzy's Survival Guide. As we left our accommodations, Mixen suggested we get something small to bite for breakfast, to which we all looked at Zulu. I knew for certain that Zulu could afford to get us something big to bite. He sighed, but agreed, giving the caps needed for breakfast to Mixen. I told everyone that I needed to go back to Ditzy Doo's for something (I didn't say what, but Zulu's face changed, and he checked his saddlebags, presumably for 'his' fox. If looks could kill…) and that I'd catch up with them in a bit. Unfortunately for Zulu, Ella suggested he go with me, as no one else could use his collar to keep him in check if need be. As Zulu followed me to Ditzy Doo's, he asked me why I was looking through his things. "I knew you had that orb," I told him. "Silver really wants my hat. But he also wants that orb. Seeing as it wasn't yours to begin with, I helped myself. Now, it's my bargaining chip." "That is dishonest, hypocrite." Huh. I told myself it wasn't stealing if I stole from a thief. But I supposed I was being a hypocrite. Ignoring the moral conflict, I asked Zulu what the orb even did. "It is a memory orb. It is not difficult to understand. To people like you or I, it is useless. To unicorn ponies, it is a gateway into the past. Allowing one to view any one recorded memory per orb. That one is one of Silver's memories."c "Do you know what happens in it?" "Like I said, it is useless to non-unicorns. They only work when you press your horn to it, which we do not have. Unless you have a special device, or a unicorn who is skilled in memory magic who can project the memory onto another, it is completely useless, other than vanity." Ella! She said she knew a bit about memory magic the night we snuck out! Maybe she could show me the memory in the orb. We were just outside Ditzy Doo's when a thought came to me. "So what did you want the doll for anyway? Aren't you a bit old for kid's toys?" "I saw it. I wanted it. I took it. And I do not care if you think it is a kid's toy." "But, you have caps? Why didn't you just buy it?" "Stealing comes more naturally to me, Stable Dweller. Deal with it." "Hm. In that case, stay here. And stay out of trouble." Zulu glared as I entered the general store alone. When I entered, I was greeted by the pegasus behind the counter, as well as a lavender unicorn filly with a blonde mane. "Good morning, Miss Ditzy Doo. Who's the girl?" The instant I finished speaking, I felt incredibly stupid, remembering she couldn’t talk. Thankfully, the filly spoke for herself. "My name's Silver Bell!" the filly cheered. "I'm Mommy's personal assistant. If you ever want to ask a question, I'll be able to answer for her!" How cute. Ditzy and her little assistant. She must have already been in bed last night. "Anything we can do for you, Mister?" "Um, well my friend st…" Sigh…. "my friend has terrible anxiety issues, and she didn't want to ask about this doll." I produced the fox from my bags. "She saw it and loved it, so she pocketed it. I haven't got any caps, so is it okay if I trade something for it?" Miss Ditzy knew Zulu to be a thief, so I hoped she didn't see through my story. Regardless of whether she did, she nodded, then signalled to Silver Bell. "Watchya got for trade, Mister?" What did I have for trade? All my medical stuff had been returned to Ellabelle. The orb? It was too valuable to give up. My Pip-Buck? I couldn't even remove it. And trading Suki was completely out of the question. I realised then that I would have to start getting into the habit of looting from random places for anything valuable. But right now… I removed my cloak. It was valuable, that was for sure. But as much as I liked it as a fashion accessory, Its practical use was where its value came from, and though it saved me from Silver Eyes back in Fetchway, I could live without it. I placed the cloak on the counter, then Ditzy examined it, tilting her head at it. "Is this enough?" I smiled. I was gonna miss this cloak. Why was I trading it again? Oh yeah. For a stupid doll. This trade probably wasn't worth it. It's not like Zulu would even appreciate the sacrifice. She smiled at me and nodded. She then went out to the back of the store. She seemed to be rushing off a little quicker than usual, though. "Where's she off too in such a hurry?" I asked Silver Bell. "Mommy probably thinks the cloak is more val-yuh-bull," - she pronounced the word slowly, leading me to believe Ditzy had only recently taught her the word - "than the doll, so she's probably getting something better for you." "But I just want the doll…" Before the filly could reply, Ditzy returned and presented some damn good quality barding on the counter top. The barding put Maamsir's second-hoof barding to shame. A sleek black finish with thick metal plates sewn into the tough material. It looked heavy, but as a piece of protective gear, it would sure as hell get the job done. I gave the pegasus a quizzical look. All I wanted was the doll. She pointed to the ancient blackboard hung around her neck with text that read: 'Fair trade :) ' I felt an earnest smile form across my face. Zulu thought there were no honest people in the world. How ironic that he was lying to himself. I thanked Ditzy profusely. She nodded with a goofy grin on her flakey-skined face. If I didn't know who she was, it may have looked threatening. I wondered how someone who looked like that could smile that earnestly. She must get some nasty customers with even nastier comments sometimes. I got one last look at my cloak as the pegasus mare took the cloak out back, probably to replace the barding in front of me. It didn't matter if Zulu appreciated my sacrifice; Ditzy made sure it was a fair trade. I placed my saddlebags on the floor and stored the fox doll in them, then retrieved the barding from the counter. I was right in assuming it was heavy. I sat on my haunches and felt the heavy weight in my fronthooves. It took me a good minute or two to equip my new barding, and I was barely able to maneuver the sleeve under my Pip-Buck, as the sleeve had a metal plate sewn in. Looking myself over, my eyes were drawn to my flank. In my braces was that thick pane of glass, presenting my heart-apple cutie mark. An upside to me not having a cloak anymore was that I got to show off my cutie mark. I was always proud of it, though I no longer understood it now that I didn't work in the Orchard. Steadying on, I started to move about, testing my maneuverability; I quickly found the barding was indeed heavy to wear. I was glad working in the Orchard for so many years made me stronger than the average pony, or else I might have found it quite cumbersome. At the very least, it wouldn't drain my energy all that much trying to move in it. Other than that, it was a perfect fit! Miss Ditzy was right in calling this a fair trade, I thought, as the thick metal plates would surely stop a bullet, and maybe even stop it from hurting - if I was lucky. I left the building after thanking Silver Bell and Ditzy again, and found Zulu next to the entrance, pawing at his collar in a futile attempt to get it off. I placed the doll in front of him. He stopped and stared at it, then at me. "All you had to do was ask, Zulie. Just ask. And a true friend will do anything for you. As long as you don't abuse that friendship." He held the doll, almost caressing it as he smiled slightly. He quickly shook his head, returning to a neutral expression, and quietly muttered a 'thank you', unable to face me. Sarcastically muttering a 'You're welcome' at the same volume, I checked my Pip-Buck so I could track Ella's tag. She was moving. I called Zulu to follow, and he saddlebagged his doll as we made haste for wherever Ella was headed. "You gave up that cloak," said Zulu as we followed the trail. "I am sure it was worth more than that barding, as well as breakfast for us all, and more." "Maybe." "Then why did you trade it? Those are a rarity." "I reckon a true rarity out here is someone who gives up their things for people." He paused for a moment, wondering what to say. "Well do not expect me to do the same for you. You are foolish, Stable Dweller. But… thank you…" I smiled at him. I was gonna miss that cloak, but the barding was useful, and Zulu being happy with his doll made it worthwhile. "Hey. What're friends for?" *** Another saloon. Typical. When I entered New Appleoosa's saloon, I found all eight other members of my party sitting at a corner table. They made room for me, but only Mixen scooched over to make room for Zulu. Eight drinks were placed on the table, as well as what looked like takeaway breakfast for Zulu and myself. Ella told me that there was good news! Apparently, a pony in the saloon overheard our group talking about going to Junction R7, and informed them they were going the same way. They were doing a job for the Barpony, delivering a shipment of alcohol to R7, and said if we'd help load up their wagon, and do some of the hauling on the way there, they'd let us use them as transport. After breakfast, the group of us made for the back of the saloon and helped the ponies pack their wagon. Except Zulu and I. Ella suggested I stay because I shouldn't exert myself lifting stuff (I was perfectly capable, Mom!). And Mixen suggested Zulu stay here, so as to not be tempted with the alcohol. He wasn't a massive drinker, so she told me, but he would steal anything of mild or moderate value if no one was looking. Zulu and I decided to take a seat at the bar while we waited. It wasn't as clean as Fetchway's bar, and the Barpony wasn't as chatty, but the whiskey was good, and the Barpony's radio was playing a beautiful mid-war anthem I didn't catch the name of. Something about tomorrow being a better day? Zulu paid for a small bottle of Wild Pegasus, and bought me a shot of New Appleoosa's famous apple whiskey. I'd tried apple whiskey in the Stable from time to time - usually for celebrations - but I had to admit, this stuff was infinitely better. Zulu took a sip straight from the bottle, then asked me an inevitable question. "When do you intend to remove this collar?" That was a good question. When did I? When he was trustworthy, I supposed. When I got home, he would have been none of my business. But Maamsir punishing him with this collar was just as much a curse for Zulu as it was for myself. Assuming I didn't break my promise to release him when I knew he was ready, that is. Which I knew Suki would never let me break. "When you learn to control your stealing habits," was the best answer I could provide. "Then I am forever your slave, Stable Dweller. Even if I wanted to change, I am all of me. And neither you, nor my sister, nor a torture collar can change that." "We've got ponies in R7 who can help you, Zulu. Counsellors. Therapists. Doctors. There are ponies who want to help. Maybe there are no honest ponies in the Wasteland like you said. But we're not from the Wasteland. Stable Two will help you, Zulu. And that's the honest truth." "You mean the decendents of ponies who murdered zebras in a pointless war? There was a great warrior who lived not far from your Stable. He was called Macintosh. There is a memorial for him in Ponyville. That pony was praised for killing zebras, and when he met his fate, they built a statue of him. Your people did that. If he were alive today, he would kill me, and only praise would come from my demise. Even all these years later, no pony ever gave a damn about a zebra!" "That's just stupid, Zulu. I just told you, we don't care about the past in Stable Two. And anyway, maybe if you started leaving good impressions rather than stealing for the sake of it, people would like you more. I'm sorry ponies don't like zebras. But they're not even gonna bother trying if all they know is the negative side. "Start over, Zulu. Come to R7 with Ella and me. The ponies there don't care about what happened two hundred years ago. I'm sure they're too busy worrying about themselves right now. We just lost a lot of ponies. Ponies who never knew what hit them. Myself included. My life was fine just two months ago. And now, I'm using technology just to walk. "But we're moving on. We're gonna be building houses, Zulu! We can live together. Starting over. In a civilisation where no one cares about the past; only the future. And you can be a part of that future. One where we help each other. As all equines- no, all creatures should." "What you speak of is a dream, Stable Dweller. A dream which I cannot be a part of." "Says who? To hell with what the Wasteland thinks! I want to live happily. Away from the raiders. Away from the bigots. We can live happily ever after in R7. And you can get the help you need, Zulu. After that, you won't even want to leave." I held my hoof out in front of him. "Please. Come with me. And we can help you." He stared at me hesitantly, a pensive look on his face. Slowly, his hoof gingerly approached mine. But before he even came close to making contact, the door behind the bar opened, with Cuff on the other side. "Apple Junior," Cuff called, a wry smirk on her face. "Time to go. Next stop: home." Zulu was lost in thought, but he quickly shook his head. I followed him as he started for the door, walking around the bar, and through the back door. When Zulu met Cuff, he stopped and reached into his bag, and produced what was considered a rarity in Stable Two. Not meeting her eyes, Zulu held out a pair of aviator sunglasses, complete with reflective lenses. She held them in her magic and raised an eyebrow. "What's the catch, Klepto?" He simply grumbled something inaudible as he made his way to the wagon behind the saloon. Cuff shrugged and equipped the glasses, an earnest smile now on her face. She turned and gave me a questioning look, but understanding that zebra was beyond my abilities. *** Hills. Why did it have to be hills? The trek to R7 from New Appleoosa wasn't terribly long. Only a few hours. But boy was it hard pulling a wagon full of ponies and alcohol uphill. Even with the help of three others. Apparently, lifting the alcohol was too dangerous for me, but after Ella's first round of tiring hauling, suddenly she figured I was fit enough for the hard labour. I was tempted to play the 'paralysed card' to get out of having to take my next turn hauling the wagon, but I knew Suki would never forgive me. During someone else's turn, I sat in the wagon with Ellabelle. I told her about the memory orb I had, and how I needed her help viewing it. "They can only be used by unicorns, and I thought, because you know a thing or two about memory magic, you might be able to use it on me, or something?" "Hmm. Well my magic is meant to allow me to read other ponies' memories so I can fill out incident reports. That's all I know; that's all it's needed for. But I can give it a try at least." So I presented the silver orb to Ella. She held it in her hooves, wondering what to do with it. "So I just press it to my horn?" Zulu chimed in. "If you hold it to your horn and focus on it, you will be dragged into the memory. Your body will go limp, and you will lose all sense of the real world as you experience the memory within." "So just like my interrogation spell. Got you," Ella said. That description reminded me of my experience in my Mom's memory. I figured it was the same kind of magic. "So how can she drag me into it too?" I asked. "I have no idea. I have never been in one before; it might not even be possible," Zulu replied. One of the Security Ponies now asked: "If you've never used one, and can't use one, then why the hell did you steal one?" Mixen called from the front of the wagon. "It's a long story. Basically, my brother is an idiot who steals for its own sake." Zulu grumbled. "Just press it to his forehead or something. Use your initiative." Not bothering to prepare, she did just that, and as she pressed the orb to my head, she lightly pressed her horn to the orb. Ella's purple aura emitted and formed around the orb, but nothing happened. Nothing, except for Ella falling to the floor of the wagon. The orb made a satisfying clinking noise as it hit the dank wooden floor, and bounced a couple times, rolling and stopping as it met a barrel full of beer. I was still in the real world. "Well that didn't work." "Maybe not," said Zulu as we all stared at the prone Ellabelle. "Nevertheless, your friend is in. And she can speak of the events of the memory when she awakes." As I sat Ella upright against the wall of the wagon, I asked how long that would be. "Who knows? Some memories can go on for hours. Some, only a few minutes." I looked at my sleeping friend. It reminded me of seeing her sleeping peacefully back in Stable Two's wagon. I was then reminded of her prone body in the Double Eff, blood pooling behind her head. I wish I could remove that memory and put it in one of those orbs, then shatter it. "Can she feel pain in there?" I asked. "If the host feels pain in the memory, yes. All sensations are completely recreated, save for thought." I must have been right in assuming this was the same kind of magic from my Mom's memory. Hell, Zulu was telling me about the orbs, but I probably knew more about them than he did, seeing as I had actually used something similar. I hoped the memory she was in was more pleasant than my Mom's, though. With nothing else to ask, and nothing else to do, we waited for Ella to come out. No sooner than a few minutes later, we were abruptly alerted of her emerging by her cry. "I HAD A PENIS!" After Ella regained her sense of reality (having been in a memory before, I knew the feeling), she explained what she saw. She was an adult male pony. Silver in coat, who was talking to a 'beautiful white mare with gorgeous purple hair'. The way she said it made me think she liked her. I immediately made the connection between Silver Eyes and Ella's host, and that pony I saw in Mom's mirror and the mare. I asked if the mare had blue eye makeup. Check. Did the stallion have a bad skin condition? No, she said, which meant this must have been a really old memory of Silver's. "The pony you were… riding? No, that's a gross word. Well anyway, your 'host' was probably the pony who imprisoned the Security Crew - Silver Eyes." "And what about the mare?" she asked. "Her name is Suki. I don't know much about her, though." "Suki? Her name is Rarity. That's what Silver Eyes called her, anyway." "Rarity?" Mixen, who was now in the wagon with us, asked. "White fur, purple hair, blue eye makeup? That's the Ministry Mare of Image. She was responsible for propaganda during the war." Suki, Tsukumogami, Golau, Rarity. I thought this hat wanted me to be honest! She wouldn't even tell me her real name! I seriously needed to get to R7 so I could talk to Suki… whatever it was she called herself… again. "Heh. Wasn't Suki the name you have to your beloved hat, AB?" Ella grinned at me evilly. Not in front of everyone, Ella! "Hah. It's a long story," I blushed. Quick to change the subject, I asked what Silver and 'Rarity' were doing in the memory. "Well they were talking about some kind of magic I'm not familiar with. Something to do with ponies' souls. They talked a lot, so it was hard to keep track of everything, and I don't remember much, but I think it had something to do with putting souls in objects? Do any of you know of any magic like that?" No one spoke. I was confident Suki could answer when we got to R7. But my bigger concern right now was actually getting home. Finally, we'd meet up with Brandy again! "I am sure an answer will present itself eventually," Zulu said, sounding like he didn't really care. "But for now," he grabbed the orb that was sitting next to the barrel. "I will be taking back what is mine." "That memory belongs to Silver," said Ellabelle. "It was literally his personal experience of an event. How much more 'his' could it possibly be?" "I do not care," he said. "I stole it, and now it is mine. Considering I paid for everyone's food, everyone's housing, and I gave Applebuck a stealth cloak, which he threw away for armour he does not need, I think the least that can be done for me is to let me keep the useless orb?" "If it's so useless, why do you want it so much?" Ella challenged. He didn't respond outside of a pout and a look in the other direction. I decided he could keep it. He did make a fair argument. Soon, we mercifully reached a flat area. I was now towing the wagon again. A while back, we found a set of train tracks pointing in the same direction of R7. My Pip-Buck told me our destination was nearby, only about a ten minute trot. Overhead, I spotted a figure high in the sky. A pegasus? A moment later, it then dived towards us. Worried, I readied Twinkle and warned the others. After another moment, its dive turned into a more casual flight towards us, and I was able to identify the creature. It wasn't a pegasus. And it wasn't a winged pebra. It was a gryphon. "Hoi! You lot from New Appleoosa?" "Gawdina, Ma'am!" said one of the Saloon Ponies next to me, and the wagon came to a stop. "We are! And we've brought more Stable Dwellers!" She swooped in, hovering near us as she eyed the pony. "Got the booze?" "Got the caps?" She smirked. It created an uneasy look, as a horrid scar stretched along her beak, reaching her eye. "Caps are back at R7. Just a short walk that way," she pointed a talon towards the location on my Pip-Buck. "Thought the other half were staying at the Stable for now?" "Beats the hell out of me. Ask 'em." Gawdina swooped closer. "Stable Dwellers - who's in charge?" I was ready to point to one of the Security Ponies - any at random - but Ella already pointed to me. "You there, with the hat." Gawdina pointed at me. "The Overmare told me no more Stable Dwellers were on their way. Why then, are there Stable Dwellers on their way?" "Um, Hi? I'm Applebuck. Ella, over there, and I were on the first convoy. We fell off the wagon and are just making our way here." She looked at one of the Security Ponies, then her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Security Ponies. The Overmare said a few of you were missing in action." She looked to me. "Nice job, Applebuck. Your Overmare will be very pleased to see you've found them. She's incredibly stressed right now." "I should imagine," said Ella. "She's single hoofedly leading a whole new settlement, directing its creation from practically nothing." "Hah!" Gawdina laughed. "All by herself? I don't think so. And what'dya mean 'from nothing'? R7 is my turf. And if you wanna share it with me, I expect the proper respect, Stable Dweller." "Wait, wait, wait," said Cuff. "Gawdina. As in Gawd? The gryphon the Overmare told us about? Leader of the Talons?" She did a mid-flight bow. "At your service, Security Mare." She chuckled. With introductions out of the way, Gawd then travelled by us as we strolled ever closer to R7. Home was a stone's throw away, now. Almost there! *** As we strolled through Junction R7, it was clear that only a day and a half was put into building it. Many buildings were in foundation stages, and only a hoofull seemed mostly complete. As though it were a top priority, the town saloon was the only building that looked to be completed already. Go figure. The wagon pulled up to the back side of the saloon. I was the first pony to jump off the wagon; and I had to bend my knees because of my newly added weight. I had two ponies I needed to find; and helping unpack the alcohol like we had promised didn't even cross my mind as I all but ran to the front side of the saloon, checking there first for my family. As I stepped through the unpainted doors, the average pony would notice how the interior of the saloon was incomplete. The walls were unpainted, the wood was unsanded, there were only a few hoofmade stools sitting at the bar. But what I noticed was one particular pony sitting at the bar with a pint of beer, sitting next to the mare I saw Velvet Remedy slap all that time ago. "Dad!" I saw his head lift up as his ear twitched. His head turned, and the moment he saw me he quickly started for me. As he got off his stool he seemed to hesitate as he saw me standing, but very quickly he shook his head and all but ran at me, embracing me in a hug that put Ella's near back-breaking hug to shame. "What the hell are you doing here? You were supposed to be on the first convoy. The second one can't be here already, can it?" We departed from our hug as we conversed. "It's one hell of a long story, Dad." He looked me up with a strange look on his face, spending more time looking at my legs than anything. "Bucko… your legs…" "Are still fucked, pardon my Prench. But I met a gryphon who patched me up." My Dad looked perplexed. So he invited me to sit at the bar, ordering a small beer for me (I wasn't a kid anymore, Dad! I could have a pint!), and taking a swig of his drink. Smiling, he gestured to the mare sitting next to him. "Bucko, this is Inebria. Bria, this is my boy, Applebuck." "Wooh, that's him? He's quite the looker, just like his father," she smirked at him and nudged his shoulder. Inebria was blatantly drunk; 'a few too many' would be a bit of an understatement. "So this is the Mechanic Pony? Just like my Littlepip used to be?" "Technician, technically," I chuckled, trying not to sound rude. "You're Littlepip's mom?" "Thaaat's me!" she cheered, holding her beer mug to her chest in pride, splashing a bit of beer onto her dull lavender coat. "Mother of the mare who saved the Stable, so they tell me." She hiccuped. The mother of Littlepip. I had a galore of questions to ask about her daughter. Questions I felt a little too awkward asking Buck, as we thought she was dead at the time. Unfortunately, no sooner than my drink arriving did Cuff catch up with us. "Applegreen, sir!" she smiled, making her way to us and nodding at Bria and I. As Dad and Cuff hoof bumped, she asked: "Where's Brandy, sir? And Raze and Edge?" "Raze and Edge are helping build the hospital." "What about Brandy?" Cuff and I asked in stereo. He furrowed his brow. "He's not with you?" We shared a look. "We thought he was with you?" she said. He wasn't here? So… where the hell was he?! "Dad, Brandy was with you, wasn't he?" "Brandyyy," Inebria mused. "That was the Doctor Pony? Hey, Barmare, we got any apple Brandy out back?" "Quiet, Bria," my Dad said as politely as he could. "Cuff - what the hell's going on? Recall everything that happened after those ponies attacked us." Cuff studered a bit, recalling the events. "We got separated, sir. And the others and I were taken by those Surface Ponies. Applebuck and a friend of his rescued us." He looked at me almost in wonder. "You saved them? How?" "Ella and I fell out of the wagon on our way here. Ella hit her head badly, but a gryphon found us and asked me to do a job while Ella recovered. They gave me new legs and sent me to take back something someone stole from them. It was just a coincidence that Cuff and the others were taken to the same place." "I call it fate," said Cuff. "Well anyway," I said. "We escaped, got Ella back, then made our way here. If Brandy isn't with either of you, then…" "He's still in the forest!" Cuff finished. I was starting to panic. Petal would have told me if she met another Stable Dweller. Maamsir too. And Silver would have locked him up with the others. That meant he was either starving in the Double Eff, or was the dinner of a pack of brewster wolves! "Cuff, we need to go back! He's dying, or already dead! We can't wait another second!" "Bucko, Bucko." Dad placed his hooves on my shoulders. "Cool it. Take a deep breath, and think. We'll find him." Calming down was at the bottom of my list of things to do. Number one was finding Brandy. But I saw the concern in Dad's eyes. Slowly, I closed my eyes and normalised my breathing. Calm. I sighed. "Okay. What do we do?" "Applegreen!" We all looked to the front entrance of the saloon, where Ellabelle called my Dad's name. Standing by her was Zulu and Mixen, shortly followed by the Security Crew. "AB," Ella said as she approached us, a wide smile on her face. "Where's Brandy? Did he get the job of Sheriff like he wanted?" Dad called everyone over. As the highest ranking Security Pony in the room, he knew it was his responsibility to inform of the bad news. Being the closest pony to Brandy, I refused to believe what Dad was implying. Over the next ten minutes, everyone was caught up with the events of the past few days. Two days before Ella and I left Stable Two, the Security Crew were surprise-attacked by what seemed to be a small group of raiders. The Crew seemed to be winning, so said Cuff, but a new group of ponies heard the ruckus. They shot the raiders and abducted six of the Crew. Cuff claimed she saw Brandy escape with Dad and two others, but Dad claimed Brandy was never with him. Brandy's last known location was the Double Eff. Satisfied with this information, I promptly left my seat. "Where are you going?" Dad asked. "Isn't it obvious?" I replied. Mixen put her hoof on my shoulder. "Bucky, that was three days ago. Even if he's alive, he'll be miles away by now. You have no leads." "I don't care, Mix. I'm going. And I know Brandy would have done the same for me." "No, he wouldn't." Daid said harshly. "Brandy would have followed his orders. That's why he's such a good Security Buck. He puts safety before emotions. But your emotions have always clouded your judgement, Bucko." "What's so wrong with that? I'm only equine. If my emotions can save Brandy, then I don't care about putting safety first." "Well you're my son. You're my responsibility if you're unsafe. And if you're unsafe, I want you here." "Well then I don't care what you want! I can look after myself! I saved the Security Crew, pretty much all by myself! And I saved Zulu! And I didn't even have to kill anyone to do it! See this gun?" - I presented my frontleg - "I haven't even fired it once. And the other gun Maamsir gave me was fired twice, and missed twice. 'Unsafe'? I couldn't shoot a pony who was running straight at me!" "It's not about other ponies' safety, Bucko. You got lucky. And you didn't do it alone. If you want me to help you find Brandy, I'll do it. But right now, we have a job to do." "And what's that? Build a town because some selfish bitch decided to take a walk?" A few gasps and plenty of murmurs sprung from my comment. "The Overmare told us not to blame Velvet for leaving. That was her choice," Dad warned. "Yeah, and look where that got us! Confusion, chaos, and drawing those Monsters to our home! I was dragged out of the job I loved, then paralysed because of her! I don't care what the Overmare thinks! If Velvet had just shut up and lived like the rest of us, none of this would have happened! We'd be happy in our Stable!" "Happy? Bucko, you haven't been happy in months. Distracted, that's all Loveberry ever describes you as. You're distracted. You hated working in that Orchard because it lost meaning to you after Brandy left. It was never about the Orchard. It was about him. And you were offered a job in Security, but you threw it away. Why? Because you can't accept change? Well now change is here, Bucko. And Brandy isn't. Maybe he would be if you had joined Security like your Mother and I wanted for years." "No! She didn't want that. You did!" Tears were now forming in my eyes at the mention of Mom. "I just wanted to live happily after she died. But everything started changing!" Dad cleared his expression and looked at me calmly, solemnly. "Bucko. If change never comes, how are we supposed to advance as people?" I stared at him, tears now flowing down my cheeks. Everyone was looking at me. I couldn't take it, so I simply ran out of the saloon to anywhere I could be alone. *** I sat alone on a hilltop near R7. I stared at the soon-to-be town. Town, home. Call it whatever you like. It was nothing to me if I couldn't live in it with Brandy. I turned away, now staring into the horizon. I still got an uneasy feeling in my gut from looking at the sky. I wished I could see the sun though. "You're supposed to be honest, right Suki? Well, you made a promise. No matter how hollow this victory feels, I still got home. Now please, talk to me." "I only said I'd consider it when we got here. You're still not ready, AB." "I don't care about being ready anymore. I wouldn't mind if I lived the rest of my life here, not knowing the truth about you, if I could live here with Brandy." "Nevertheless, Silver will come looking for you. Eventually, you will have to confront him." "No. He wants two things. That orb, and you. He doesn't care about me. He said I was useless once he was done with you. As cruel as it sounds, I think I would trade you right now if Silver told me where to find Brandy. That's the honest truth." "Then he will kill me." "Why would he kill you? He needs you. So what does he want with you?" "Silver wants his freedom. Tywyll is the one who wants me." "And Tywyll is?" "My brother. Well, was my brother. It's hard to tell; I don't really know who I am anymore." "Is there anything I can do to help?" She chuckled. "No, probably not. Tywyll wants my power so he can restore himself." "What's wrong with him?" "The same thing that's wrong with me. He's a soul trapped in an object. No body, but alive nonetheless. If Silver gets his hooves on me, he'll rip me from this hat and absorb my magic to fix his master." "Why didn't he do that earlier? You were right there. Sitting on his head." "He can't do it just anywhere. He needs to do it… well… it's a long story, dear, but it suffices to say he needs to prepare for a long journey. " "So, if I get my hooves on Tywyll, can I restore you instead?" "Of course. But that's not my goal. I'm done being Golau. But he's not done being Tywyll. I'm content with being your guide, and your friend. I don't need legs and a body for that, dear." "Thank you, Suki. I'm sorry if I ever lose my temper with you. You don't make it easy though. She chuckled again. "No, I suppose I don't. But patience, Applebuck, darling. You'll know in due time. But right now, someone's coming." "Bucko," I heard my Dad call. I turned back to R7, where my Dad was just reaching the top of the hill. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said, Bucko. I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your friends, but it just got…" "I know. I'm sorry too. I'm just… angry, and…" "Scared?" I nodded. My Dad took a seat next to me, placing a hoof over my shoulder. "You think any of us aren't scared right now? The Overmare is in tears over her stress right now. Have you noticed there aren't as many ponies here as there should be?" I looked at the soon-to-be town. The ponies there were working their asses off, building houses, a hospital, and every other building needed for a healthy settlement. Countless ponies, but not nearly as many as were in the Atrium when the Overmare told us we'd be leaving. "Well where is everyone?" I asked. "There's been a change of plan. Originally, the five wagons that should have brought you and Ella here were gonna go right back to get the second half of the Stable, as well as the water talisman. But the Overmare overestimated the size and resources of R7. So they're staying put for a while while the first half builds a town to live in. "The Overmare, bless her. She's up to her neck in it trying to organise everything. It's only been a day and a half, but I doubt she's taken a second to rest." "Is there anything I can do to help?" He smiled. "That's just it, Bucko. Do you stay here and help, or do you look for Brandy?" "What happens to everyone here if I leave?" "Probably nothing. I can probably come with you, but Ella will have to stay. A Doctor is too important to lose right now. But you seem to have made friends already, eh? A zebra and a pebra? And a gryphon cyborg? We should have left the Stable years ago. It's done wonders for your social life." "But Brandy's not in it. And I'm gonna fix that as soon as possible." Dad smiled again, looking into my eyes. I couldn't tell what he was doing; it was unlike me to be unable to read him like this. "You've got the same stubbornness your mother had. Must run in the family." I smiled with him now. "I sure hope so. Or else we'll never get anything done." Dad ruffled my mane. "What's that supposed to mean, you little rascal?" We shared a short moment of laughter, and I felt my spirits lifted higher than they had in a long time. No sooner though, did we catch sight of Zulu walking up the hill to us. "What's his name again?" Dad whispered to me. "Zulu. His sister's name is Mixen." Zulu spoke as he made it to the top. "I have been tol-" he stopped when he saw my Dad. "Oh, my apologies. Should I return later?" "No, it's fine Zulu. I'm okay now. I just needed to get out of there. How did you find me?" "My Sister spotted you up here." Zulu held out a hoof to my Dad. He shook it, and gave him a quick bromance hug, but I knew Zulu wasn't as polite as that. Once he sat down near us, I placed my hoof under his cloak and removed the baton he had just skillfully swiped from my Dad. "Woah…" my Dad gasped as he checked his baton holster. He looked rather impressed with Zulu. As I hoofed the baton back to Dad, Zulu gingerly spoke to me. "Um, the reason I came here. My sister suggested that I help you find your friend." I smiled. "That's very sweet of you, Zulu. But I doubt you can help much." "But I can. I know someone who might be able to help. But she does not like strangers. It took me a long time before she was able to trust me. I would not wager her to be happy with me bringing strays to her den, so if you want my help, I am afraid it will be only you with me, Stable Dweller." "He has a name, you know?" My Dad said, slightly irritated. Though I was beyond questioning zebra behaviour at this point, so I simply asked him who this friend of his was. Once he told me, I knew at least Ella wouldn't be joining us, even if she had a choice. She hated bugs.