Fallout Equestria - The Code of Honor

by FireStorm2247


Chapter 12: The Hunter

Chapter 12: The Hunter

“This is only the beginning.”

“So how about it?” Blake asked eagerly beside me. “You said it yourself that I should learn how to use one. You could train me just as good as any security pony could, and once I learned, I’d be able to defend myself just like everypony else. It would help a lot any time I travel with you.”

I looked back down at the smiling colt, grinning. “Are you sure that you’re ready to try and use one?” I asked. “I know you’re brave and all, but you’re still young.”

“Of course I’m ready.” Blake answered confidently. “Besides, shouldn’t I have a gun with me anyway? You and Gunny and Shore all have your own.”

“I know.” I replied. “But that’s because we’re older, and we were ordered to have our own weapons to protect Hopeville. Even Captain Saber said that everypony aside from the children is going to be carrying a weapon. It’s been a couple of days since that meeting, so my guess is that almost every resident has one by now.”

“But why shouldn’t my friends and I have our own weapons? Shouldn’t we have something to protect ourselves with too?” Blake inquired curiously.

“It’s mostly a matter of age.” I explained. “Some of your friends aren’t old enough yet, and their parents wouldn’t be very comfortable with their foals carrying pistols or rifles all around Hopeville. Plus, all of your friends have everypony in Hopeville to protect them, just like you have me to protect you.”

“You should let him.” a male voice remarked from up ahead.

I blinked. “Huh?” When I looked in front of me again, I saw one of the caravan guards looking back at me. He was a large unicorn stallion, copper-colored with a dark green mane and tail; he was around the same size and build as Gunny, but he was much older, apparent by the moderate graying of his mane. During the journey, my friends and I had gradually gotten several opportunities to make introductions and small talk with the guards and soldiers assigned to the wagon train. While a lot of the talk on my end had included inquiries as to my birthplace, many guards assuming that I had come from the clouds above, I had gradually come to know a few things about some of the ponies on the expedition; this stallion had been the most recent pony who had introduced himself to me.

Raemor was his name, and my first impression of him was that he had seen more than his fair share of both traveling and combat throughout his many years. This was largely evident from his rugged yet strong physical appearance, as there were several scars that remained unconcealed by his polymer Equestrian Army combat armor and the black duster that was clipped onto it just behind the neck. The stallion spoke with a rougher masculine tone, as if his voice had aged right along with his body, and his cutie mark, likewise uncovered by his armor, was that of an axe crossed with a rifle. Interestingly enough, both of the weapons on his cutie mark were weapons that he possessed, and aside from the .45 automatic pistol secured around his right hind leg, he carried a polished and sharpened fire axe along with a sturdy grenade rifle, a weapon that he had identified as a twenty-five millimeter grenade APW; both of these matched his cutie mark to the very smallest of details.

“I said you should let him.” Raemor replied kindly, slowing his pace to join Blake and I alongside the second wagon of the train. “He may be young, but so long as he can talk, he can listen. At least that’s what I’m assuming, anyway.” he added with a thin smile. “So long as he can pay attention, follow directions, and is actually serious about learning his way around a weapon, then he should have no trouble in at least using a pistol. Don’t you agree, Nova?”

“I like what he said.” Blake piped up, winning a chuckle from the unicorn.

“Well, I have talked about it before…” I slowly replied. “And I know my little brother doesn’t have a hard time listening and following directions…”

But still, there were a lot of things for me to consider in regards to Blake receiving weapons training. On one hoof, a large part of me agreed that Blake should have something to protect himself with. While I liked to believe that my friends and I could protect him efficiently enough, if the time ever came, and I dread to think it, where Blake wound up alone with none of us nearby, having a weapon of his own that he knew his way around might very well save his life. And aside from this, it wasn’t like Blake was a foal who had just learned to walk. He could listen and follow directions just fine. In Stable 181, despite his colossal level of energy, Blake could be mature when he wanted to, and when it came to learning about firearms, that was a good trait to have.

On the other hoof however, Blake was still a child, and I wasn’t entirely comfortable with giving him a gun to carry. Sure, I also didn’t want him coming out into the wasteland with me, but that was different. Firearms were extremely dangerous if misused, and I wasn’t entirely certain that Blake was ready to expose himself to handling a weapon of his own, pistol or otherwise. But more importantly than any other reason… Blake still had his innocence. Upon fighting the raiders inside our Stable home, I had created my own kill count. While they were raiders, evil ponies who deserved death, I had still taken the lives of others. Blake had not done so, and at this age, in this wasteland, that innocence was something that was very important to hang on to; it was hard to come by out here.

“The subject gives me a lot to think about. I trust my brother enough to think rationally around firearms, but there are some other things for me to take into account.” I answered more confidently. “I’ll just need a little more time to think things over.”

“So you might train me, right?” Blake asked expectantly.

I couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiasm. “We’ll see.”

“Awesome!” Blake cheered. “I’m going to go tell Gunny and Shore!” And before I could even speak a syllable in reply, he wheeled around and pranced away to the rear of the caravan.

“Energetic fellow isn’t he?” Raemor commented with a chuckle. “It’d be a good decision to train him, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

“Actually, most of me agrees with you.” I replied, lightly laughing before I added, “Still, I’m a very protective big sister, and there’s always a part of me that protests against certain things.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I myself learned how to use a pistol when I was a young colt, right around your little brother’s age. I might’ve been only a little older, but by no more than a year.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Oh yes.” the stallion sagely replied. “From where I came from, the sooner you learned how to use a firearm, the safer you’d be in your early years, and the more proficient you’d be when you became an adult. Of course, that’s the general philosophy that’s followed most everywhere in the wasteland. But in Hoofington, learning the use of a firearm at a young age was a rite of passage, and for any not under constant protection, it was something that would ensure your continued survival.”

“You came from Hoofington?” I asked, eyes widening.

“Yes I did.”

“I’ve heard some stories about that place. It doesn’t sound like a city I’d want to live in.” I stated lowly.

“If you can even call it living.” Raemor replied with a mirthless chuckle. “The stories might explain things, but they’re nothing compared to actually growing up there, seeing things there for yourself. All I’ll say is that Celestia and Luna had saved my life more than once in that cursed place.”

“Proudspire’s straight ahead!”

The two of us looked back ahead and up to where the call had come from, and I caught sight of the lookout at the forward wagon as she telekinetically lowered her binoculars, looking back around from her prone position atop the wagon.

An earth pony stallion clad in dark green Challenger combat armor trotted past Raemor and I and drew up alongside the lead wagon, staring out to the northwest as he asked, “Is it safe?” He was the caravan commander, identified by the red beret he wore.

“There’s no signs of trouble around the place.” the lookout guard answered, peering through her binoculars again. “Looks all clear.”

“Good. We need to get to shelter before the sun sets. The last thing I want is to run into an enemy patrol in the dark.” the commander stated, trotting back again and relaying the message to the wagons at the rear of our supply train.

We had been traveling northwest for around eight hours, traveling a straight path across the wasteland. On the way, we had passed by the pre-war remains of the Brightheart Farmstead, a larger farm composed of one barely standing house and three different barns that Challenger’s soldiers had cleared up before our caravan left the city limits. Before today, the farm had been the sight of a raiding camp, perhaps a little larger than the camps that had been placed around Proudspire. After the battle there, the camp had been leveled and the entire place had been secured as an outpost for Challenger’s soldiers, the tall feed silo there being used as a watchtower to keep an eye over the surrounding fields and guide in any travelers on their way to Challenger. When we had been spotted, food raided from the Black Blood’s stores there had been given to us for the trip, much to the approval of the caravan guard detail. After that, only one other landmark had come into sight, and even from its distance from us to the west, I still recognized smokestacks, smokestacks that belonged to the Southwest Regional Power Plant. Upon seeing it, Shore had marked its location on my pipbuck’s larger map (for lack of anything else to do while walking), making it so that I had acquired two new locations on my pipbuck map.

As for me, the walk was tiring, and I had a gut feeling that this had been one of the lingering side effects of my blood loss. Several times throughout the day, I had needed to board one of the wagons to lay down and rest. Much to my embarrassment, there had even been one time where Gunny had hoisted me up onto his back after passing his weapons to Shore, carrying me for a good half hour before I was able to walk on my own again. Fortunately, when I had to lay down, none of the guards had complained or laughed like I had initially imagined. Instead, the caravan had continued forward at a steady pace. And now, the rise in chatter amongst the guards was an obvious indication that they were glad to be nearing their destination; the first leg of the journey was nearly done.

“I’m glad we’re nearing the settlement.” Raemor said beside me. “Celestia knows I could use some time off of my hooves.”

I looked over at him again, seeing as he stared ahead with focused eyes. “Me too. My friends and I have been to Proudspire before. There are some ponies there that we’re hoping to catch up with before we leave for Hopeville tomorrow.”

Raemor nodded with a thin smile. “In this world of uncertainty, no matter which part of it we may live in, it’s good to have friends.” he stated, looking at me long enough to give a smile of my own at him before he faced the settlement again. “It’ll be my first time seeing this place, and I have different intentions then you and your group do. Ever since I came down from the north a while back, I’ve been hoping to get the chance to see the rest of the Equestrian southeast.”

“Is that why you signed up to protect this caravan?” I asked him curiously.

“Mm… you could say that.” he answered. “I saw this as the best opportunity to get a layout of the landscape and see what was out here. By the time this caravan arrives in Hopeville, I’ll have discovered four new locations, and that’s a good start.”

“Did you come down here from Hoofington?”

“I was born in Hoofington and I grew up there, yes. But once I made enough caps off of killing raiders and gangers and taking their stuff to sell it later, I left that place behind for good.” Raemor answered; I noticed a slight edge on his voice. “I lived in the heartland and worked as a gun for hire for many years after I left Hoofington, traveling between the heartland cities and the Trottingham region. Only recently did I leave the heartland and travel here.”

“It sounds like you have a bit of hate held out for Hoofington.” I remarked carefully.

“It’s not really hate.” Raemor replied. “Maybe a bit, but not fully. Life in Hoofington was hard, to put it lightly. Anypony who comes down here from that city will tell you the same thing. There’s just a lot of things that happened within its borders that I don’t like discussing. I hope you can understand.”

“Of course.” I responded with a smile.

Raemor nodded, apparently satisfied. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

Behind me, I heard hoofsteps on the approach, and I looked back to see Blake as he trotted back up to draw alongside me. “Gunny and Shore both said you should let me use a gun too.” he said with a rather goofy smile. “Just saying.”

“Oh did they now?” I couldn’t help but think of how Gracie would’ve reacted to that. She probably would’ve sighed an exasperated and oh so dramatic… okay not dramatic… sigh, just like I wanted to. Still, coming from Gunny and Shore, it wasn’t much of a surprise that they would’ve encouraged Blake along for weapons training as well. “Just don’t get too smug yet.” I warned jokingly, reaching over and bumping my muzzle against his neck. “I’ll need more than just a couple of minutes to think it through.”

“I know, I know.” Blake replied with a good-humored roll of his eyes. “Kayla told me all about the diner in Proudspire when we were there last time.” he stated a moment later, looking ahead to the approaching settlement to change the subject. “Do you think we can eat there tonight?”

“I’m already way ahead of you, little brother.” I answered with a wink, making him smile.

*** *** ***

With a rattle, the gate to Proudspire slowly opened, revealing the familiar and most welcoming sight of the dusty lane that led to the dirt courtyard at the center of town. Even before we had circled around the wall to enter the gate, the call had been taken up by the day shift of guards on the wall about the arrival of supply wagons under guard from Challenger’s soldiers. Now, Proudspire’s citizens lined the street, looking back at us with relieved and eager gazes.

“Keep the wagons for Hopeville outside the gate and get a fire going.” I heard the commander as he relayed his orders to his soldiers. “We’ll take the other two wagons into Proudspire and help distribute the supplies, and when we’re done, you’re all dismissed for the night. As for the guards, make sure you see me when we’re done here to receive your pay for the first leg of the trip. After that, you’re all likewise dismissed. Good work today everypony.” While his orders were relayed along the train, both of the Hopeville wagons were pulled past the entrance and lined up along the metal wall, giving room for the two Proudspire wagons to enter the settlement. Gunny, Shore, and Blake had regrouped outside of the wall, waiting for the wagons to cross into the town first.

“I’m willing to bet that Hopeville will have the same reactions as Proudspire’s citizens are having right now.” I commented when I joined them, smiling as I added, “Proudspire wasn’t this lively or happy the first time we came by.”

“Indeed.” Shore replied, equally pleased. “These supplies will do them a great deal of good.”

“The lack of raiders has a lot to do with it.” Gunny pointed out. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that there weren’t any bodies outside of the walls, no gunfire when we approached. It’s actually peaceful out here.”

“It feels good to come here on such a day. They deserve that peace.” I replied, motioning towards the gate. “Let’s get in there and see if we can find some familiar faces.”

Together, we passed by the open gate and entered the town. The two Proudspire wagons were pulling into the courtyard one behind the other, and as they came to a stop, the soldiers and the guards assigned to the wagons swiftly opened the canvas covers. As they worked, the citizens begun gathering closer around the wagons, all chatting amongst themselves and sharing the same big smile; that was something I couldn’t help but smile at myself. Nopony leapt upon the wagons’ cargo with greedy hunger, nor did they jump the guards and raid the wagons to loot. They stood their distance and let the guards and soldiers work until the caravan commander relayed his instructions to the populace. “Attention everypony!” the stallion called. “We’ll be unloading the food supplies first. Each of you are welcome to two items, whereupon the rest of the supply will be taken to the diner and the saloon so that it can be stored and then used as you like. Please form a line starting at the tailgate of the rear wagon and we’ll hand out two items of your choice to each of you.”

Just as a round of cheering was taken up by the civilians in response, my ears perked as I caught one voice that cut through the brief noise. “Well I’ll be damned. I should’ve know that you lot would’ve been in on this.”

I recognized the stallion’s voice, one that I had heard on my first visit here, and sure enough, when I turned to look to the source, I saw as a familiar orange unicorn buck, eye patch placed over his right eye, trotted towards us from the wall. “Redfield. It’s good to see you again.” I replied with a full smile, dipping my head in greeting.

“Hello Redfield.” I heard Gunny beside me, likewise bowing. “How are things around town nowadays?”

“Oh so much better, my friend.” Redfield replied with a hearty chuckle, stopping before us and reaching behind his head to adjust the strap of his eye patch. “With Gabriel and the Black Blood contingent he worked with out of the picture, we’ve all been able to get back on our hooves. And with this caravan, Proudspire will be back to its normal self in no time.” The unicorn stallion chuckled again as he added, “I can’t help but think that you four played a hoof in getting this caravan sent out to us.”

“Well no, not really.” I explained with a timid smile. “It was Challenger’s doing. They put the thing together and kept it safe until it arrived at your gate.”

“After we told them about Hopeville and Proudspire needing supplies.” Gunny pointed out, jabbing me in the side with a hoof as he smirked at my humbleness. “We let them know that the towns needed their help again despite the Black Blood. Don’t be afraid to take some of the credit.”

“Well, okay fine.”

Redfield laughed at that; he was definitely in much better spirits this time around. “Look, either way, you’ve all done us a hell of a service, even if all you did was talk to Challenger’s leaders about the situation.” Briefly, he looked back towards the courtyard where the food supplies were now being distributed. “I think Kayla and Ironhoof are down there supervising the distribution. You want to say howdy?”

“Yeah! Let’s get down there!” Blake piped up, already taking a few steps forward before the rest of us. At the colt’s energetic reply Redfield trotted on ahead, leading us down the lane and to the courtyard, and as we passed through a break in the crowd, I heard as Redfield called over the chatter. A high-pitched voice answered him with a cheerful hello just up ahead, and I quickly triangulated the voice as Redfield led us single-file to the wagons. Perched atop a supply crate at the back of the closest wagon was a light blue earth pony filly with a deep blue mane and tail, watching as one of the leather-clad Proudspire guards levitated over four food items to the next recipients in line, a young mare just out of foalhood and a foal in her company. “Enjoy!” Kayla called to the two ponies, both of whom thanked her wholeheartedly before trotting out of the crowd. Then, the young leader turned and looked straight into my own eyes. “Hey!”

“Hey Kayla!” I called back, Blake doing the same even more happily as Kayla leapt down from the crate.

Much to my amusement, the young filly sprang straight for my little brother where he stood beside me, nearly bowling him over as she flung her forelegs around his neck. “I knew you’d come back!” she exclaimed. “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too.” Blake replied enthusiastically. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been working nonstop.” Kayla explained, releasing her embrace. “And it’s been hard work too. I’ve been tired most of the time for awhile, and I’ve needed lots of help, but Ironhoof and Redfield both say that I’ve been doing a good job. Even other ponies who live here said so. Now that the raiders are gone, I’ve been able to get things done around town. We’re now able to safely send ponies out to that power plant for scrap stuff, guns, and anything else we can find. It’s become a supply source for us and should last for some time. That’s been our first major step.”

“It certainly looks like you’ve been busy.” I complimented, winning a big smile from the filly as she trotted up to me. “It’s good to see you again Kayla, and your settlement.”

She reared up on her hind hooves to hug me around the neck, giggling. “Thanks Nova, but this settlement belongs to everypony who lives in it.” she replied happily. “It isn’t just mine. I just try and help ponies be happy.”

I pulled the filly into a hug of my own. “Those are very honorable words and goals, Kayla. I knew you’d be a good leader, and just look at how much happier everypony is now. Good job.”

Kayla giggled again as she released me, her cheeks flushing with a light shade of pink. “Hey, are you and your friends going to stay for awhile? Now that we’ve got supplies again, we can give you all a really big dinner tonight!” Kayla declared.

“Well, we’ll be staying for dinner tonight and then sleeping outside with the caravan guards.” I replied after a short laugh. “But tomorrow morning we’re going to be moving on. Our home needs supplies too, very badly, and we need to get them there by tomorrow evening at the latest.”

“Oh okay. But at least we can still give you a good dinner. Oh!” Kayla exclaimed with a little hop. “And we have a present to give you too!”

I cocked an eyebrow. “You do?”

“Yeah! Redfield and Ironhoof and me made something for you. We were going to send it home with the other Hopeville ponies here, but now that you’re here we can give it to you now.” she explained.

“Somepony else is here from Hopeville?” Gunny asked from behind me. “Who?”

“Joker and Daisy.” Redfield answered. “The names ring any bells?”

“Yeah they do.” Gunny instantly replied, looking left and right along the crowd.

“They’re part of our security team.” Shore explained. “Do you know why they came?”

“We’re starting to revive our old trading habits.” Redfield answered. “They came with some extra scrap metal and spare rifle cases for our ammo press. In return, we’re giving them a couple of spare healing potions from the clinic to take home with them. They might be in the crowd somewhere, or in the saloon. I can help you look for them if you’d like.”

Gunny nodded. “Yeah, I’d like to go find them and get some updates on Hopeville.”

“I’ll come with you.” Shore put in.

“Then I can show Nova and Blake the present we have for you.” Kayla concluded, jabbing my foreleg with a hoof. “Come on!”

“Go ahead, Nova. We’ll meet back up at the gate later.” Gunny explained, looking over at Kayla and chuckling. “It looks like she’s pretty excited to give you that present.”

“Alright then.” I replied with a laugh. “Lead the way, Kayla.”

With a quick salute, the young filly trotted around the corner of the wagon, Blake passing me to join her as our group parted ways. We walked along the side of the rear wagon, trotting past the brahmin still harnessed to it before coming up to the next wagon. This wagon was not being unloaded at the moment, its cargo containing the scrap material, weapons, and ammunition of Proudspire’s shipment. Contrary to the crowd around the food wagon, there were only a scattering of citizens and a hoof full of Proudspire’s guards standing beside this one, and in front of the tailgate of the wagon, Ironhoof, clad in all his steel armor aside from his helmet, was looking over a clipboard with the caravan commander. In front of me, Kayla stopped and nodded for Blake and I to do the same, letting the two stallions talk.

“So you have enough here to sustain Proudspire until the next shipment?” the commander asked.

“Yes, this will do nicely.” Ironhoof’s deep voice replied. “When will the next shipment come?”

“We’ll prepare another one for Proudspire in between one to two weeks time.” the commander answered, Ironhoof nodding in approval. “General Silverlight’s hoping to have another caravan return with a new shipment of supplies from the heartland, at which point we’ll be making another round to both Proudspire and Hopeville.”

“How fairs the other settlements of the region?” Ironhoof asked.

“Not good, I’m afraid.” the commander answered lowly. “In Challenger, I’m also a ranking officer, and I was ordered to bring news to both Proudspire and Hopeville as to the present situation concerning the Equestrian southeast. That’s something that I’ll be wanting to discuss with you, Redfield, and Kayla tonight.”

Ironhoof only nodded again, seemingly unaffected by what struck me as uncomfortable words. “Very well. When night comes, we can meet in Kayla’s quarters to go over your full report.” The commander dipped his head in reply, and with an about-face, trotted off to the other wagon.

“Ironhoof, look who’s come back to visit!” Kayla piped up happily.

“Ah, the flier and her young sibling.” Ironhoof observed, looking down at me with a half smile. “Welcome back to Proudspire, my friends.”

I dipped my head in response to his own bow, Blake adorably doing the same beside me. “Hello Ironhoof. Things around Proudspire look much better.”

“Yes. I have not had anypony to fight in some time. This is a good sign.” he replied with a resonant chuckle, raising a foreleg and pulling Kayla against him in a gentle hug when she approached.

“I told them about the present we made for them.” Kayla said, placing her forehooves on her guardian’s chest plate to look up at the big stallion. “Is it still inside our house?”

“Yes. You can retrieve it now if you wish.” Ironhoof answered, to which Kayla nodded vigorously.

“Okay, I’ll go get it. Be right back.”

With a hop, skip, and jump, the filly bolted off back into the crowds, disappearing in half a second. “She’s very happy today.” I commented, smiling as I turned back to Ironhoof.

“Indeed she is.” the guardian replied with a deep chuckle. “She has been hard at work looking after those under her care, and she has been doing a very good job. The settlers here respect her and give her their full support. Her real father would have been very proud.” I arched an eyebrow at that - the way he said ’real father’ and the sudden concerned look that came with it - and at seeing my silent question, Ironhoof looked away to where Kayla had run off to, clearing his throat before adding, “Kayla has changed since the raiders were driven away. Two nights ago, I woke to her laying beside me on my bed. She had a nightmare that night and looked to me for comfort. I managed to calm her down enough to sleep, but it was then that she called me… her father. Since then… she has looked to me as a fatherly figure.” The armored buck sighed. “It has been… strange… being her protector when she thinks of me as such. When I was young, I learned only how to guard a pony, to protect them from physical threats… not to be a parent.”

“I see.” I looked toward the ground, thinking back to the Stable’s lessons… but really, there was only so much from those teachings that could help me reply here. “To an extent, guarding a pony and being their parent is the same thing.” I explained carefully, looking back up at Ironhoof as I swiftly pieced my thoughts together. “You still protect them and you still look after them. But a guard, like you’ve been trained to be, protects a pony out of duty or because they’ve been told to do so. A parent is so much more. A parent not only protects their child, but loves them unconditionally, cares for them, plays with them, helps them grow and learn.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Blake nodding.

“I have sworn to protect her, just like I had sworn to protect her father before her.” he stated, a frown beginning to form on his face. “And that in itself is another reason why I am hesitant. I failed to protect her father. He had been killed on the wall, defending Proudspire from a band of raiders. I had been on the wall with him, but not beside him, and I wonder if I could have somehow prevented his death…” Goddesses, that sounded unpleasantly familiar. “The fact that I failed to keep Kayla’s father alive makes me wonder if I am worthy of being thought of in such a way by a filly such as her. How can I possibly replace her original father?”

“I understand how that must hurt.” I replied sympathetically. “But things like that are beyond your power to control. The death of Kayla’s father wasn’t your fault, and she doesn’t hold it against you. That means that you shouldn’t either.” I saw a short nod from the big stallion, and I smiled back encouragingly. “Even if you protect her out of duty, you also care about her safety as the stallion you are. Kayla looks up to you as a father because you’re there for her. You should be honored.”

“I do wish to see her grow up, just like her father wanted.” Ironhoof replied, swinging his head around to look back at me. “She has been through much, and she has worked hard for Proudspire and its citizens. She deserves to live a long and prosperous life.”

“And the way I see it, you can help her do that in more ways than just guarding her because of an oath.” I stated confidently.

A faint smile tugged at Ironhoof’s lips. “Perhaps. We shall see.”

A moment later, a call of triumph announced Kayla’s return, and she trotted around from behind Ironhoof, pushing a small but long black box along the dirt. “Here it is.” Kayla said, looking at me as she scooted the case up to my hooves. “Redfield and Ironhoof made it for you. I mostly just watched them make it. Go ahead and open it.”

“What is it?” Blake asked, leaning against my left foreleg as I pulled the case closer with my free hoof.

“Open it and see.” Kayla encouraged with a smile.

“Alright. Blake, can you hold the left side of the box?” When my brother obliged, I pressed my hoof against the right side. “And lift.” Together, Blake and I lifted the box off of the ground, and a second later, the bottom of the container slid out, revealing the item within.

Inside the box was a black scabbard, and from the end of it jutted a hilt and pommel. The hilt itself was wrapped in leather, a clean-cut strip that fit between the pommel and cross piece perfectly. On the scabbard, I could see a small switch, and when Ironhoof reached over to push the lever forward, he used his other hoof to pull on the handle; out came the gleaming steel base of a combat blade.

“It’s a… a… what did you call it?” Kayla asked Ironhoof.

“It is a bowie knife, a larger blade for close-quarters defense.” Ironhoof explained, carefully lifting the blade out of the box and setting it on the ground. “Redfield and I found this in the armory two days back, and we decided to restore it to new condition. Kayla and I polished the blade, whereupon Redfield sharpened it. But he also inscribed a word into each side of the blade, one that we are reminded of in your presence.” Ironhoof proceeded to pull the blade out of its scabbard up to the very tip. The blade itself looked very new, lethally sharpened, and the spine curved slightly inward before curving out again, joining the edge to make a wickedly sharp tip. But what caught my eye the most was what I saw on the blade. Forged into the steel, as if finely carved into the metal itself, was the word ‘Honor’. “For everything you and your friends had given us, all three of us felt that we had not given you something in return. So we forged this new blade for you and your companions.” Ironhoof explained, sheathing the blade with a click. “I hope that none of you will come to have need of it for killing, but should the need arise, it will serve you well. Take it as something to remember us by.”

“I… wow… thank you.”

Ironhoof nudged the sheathed bowie knife to me with a hoof. “No.” he replied to me, shaking his head. “Thank you.”

“That looks really cool.” Blake complimented, watching as I pulled the blade to me.

“I don’t know if I’ll be the one to carry it, but it is a very beautiful knife.” I agreed, nudging the knife to Blake. “Could you put this in my saddlebag please? And do be careful. It isn’t a toy.”

“I know, I know.” he replied dismissively. Carefully, he picked up the knife by the sheath with his teeth and reared up on his hind legs up to open my left-side saddlebag, dispensing our new weapon inside. Doing so made my pipbuck chirp, and when I raised my foreleg to look over the screen, I saw that my inventory had been displayed; my pipbuck called the bowie knife Honor. “Who’s going to use it?” he asked, setting down on all fours again.

“I’m not really sure.” I replied. “I’ll show it to the others and see if one of them wants to take it. If not, I’ll carry it along in my saddlebags. Thank you again for this gift.” I added, turning back to Ironhoof and Kayla. “We’ll keep it with us, always.”

“I am glad to hear it… we are glad to hear it.” Ironhoof replied, looking down at Kayla and smiling as she hugged his armored foreleg.

“Now, who’s hungry?” the filly asked expectantly. “Sheila will be cooking up a lot of good stuff tonight in the diner.”

“Dinner sounds really good right now.”

*** *** ***

Weather.

Today was our thirteenth day on the surface, my friends and I, and yet there was nothing I had seen in all that time that came close to matching the beauty of what I was seeing now. This was something much different, a new side of the wasteland that I had never expected to see at all. It was something that actually gave the Equestrian southeast the right to be called beautiful.

Our caravan was now half as small as before, the empty Proudspire wagons and their escorts having been sent home to Challenger while the Hopeville wagons continued northwest. We had left Proudspire behind early in the morning, even before the sun had risen over the cloudy sky. Doing so had allowed us to make good time, as we had passed by the burned-down ruins of the Black Blood Forward Post in just under two hours of walking. The Boulder Field was beyond it, untouched and uninhabited, and we had arrived and passed it by very quickly. Now, we were nearly to Hopeville, and it had only been just over seven hours; that was when this happened.

Just minutes ago, the clouds had begun to flicker with light and spoke in rumbling voices to the wasteland below, whereupon water begun to fall on us. Lightning, thunder, rain - three things that had, only after a brief moment of confusion and shock, won my full admiration. Though it was lighter, the rainfall was most welcomed, cool and refreshing on my body, especially on my outstretched wings. The sound it made, the light hissing as the rain struck the dusty dirt all around us, coupled with the occasional resonant rumbling of the thunder above, put me in a state of relaxation. Judging by the pleased looks of the guards, they also didn’t mind.

But the light natural shower was only half of the beauty I bore witness to. In front of me, as if illuminating our destination, our home, were two rays of light, two breaks in the grey cloud cover that let the sunshine descend onto the land; they completed the midday shower. “It’s interesting, really.” Raemor commented beside me. “In Hoofington, the sun never came out in any circumstance. And over there, it would downpour, sometimes for a whole day straight. To see the sunlight come out in the middle of a light shower in the Equestrian southeast is… invigorating, to say the least.”

“Breaks in the clouds occur in the southeast occasionally, but not often.” a young mare guard from up ahead piped up. “Always happens randomly. Whenever the cloud cover gets thin enough, the sun can break through it for a bit before the clouds close back up. Sometimes we go weeks without sunlight, then sometimes the sun can be seen twice in a day.”

“Interesting.” Shore commented from behind me. “My guess is that there are no pegasus ponies to keep track of their cloud barrier here.”

The guard cocked her head in a shrug. “You might be right. Their big cloud cities that they hid in after the bombs fell seem to hover near the really important Equestrian city ruins. Caught a glimpse of an Enclave scout party in Manehattan when I was growing up. Because of the southeast’s lack of major cities besides Marefax, my guess is that the clouds here move around on their own.”

“I bet you could still tinker around with those clouds.” one of the Challenger soldier bucks pointed out from just behind the lead wagon, looking to me. “Unless surface-born pegasus ponies just can’t… I don’t know.”

I couldn’t help but squint up at the cloud cover. While I did know of a pegasus’ natural ability to move the clouds, stand upon them, or even create weather with them, the thought of doing any of these things myself had never crossed my mind… though it did suddenly sound rather appealing. “I’m not sure. Though now, I kind of want to go and try sometime.”

“Commander, I see Hopeville just up ahead.” the lookout on the forward wagon called, peering intently through his binoculars. “Everything looks normal, and we should be at the doorstep in about ten to twenty minutes.”

“We made good time today.” the beret-wearing commander replied, likewise at the front of the two wagon caravan. “Very good time. Let’s pick up the pace a little. The sooner we get there, the more time you’ll all have to rest.”

As the orders were relayed around, a half dozen guards beginning to urge the brahmin forward to a faster walk, I stopped and turned as the second wagon passed me by. Gunny and Shore were a couple yards behind it, an improvised rear guard along with a platinum-colored white-maned unicorn buck and bright pink unicorn mare with a golden mane and tail, Joker and Daisy respectively; all were perfectly uniform with their Stable 181 security armor. “We’re almost home.” I explained, watching as smiles of various sizes formed immediately upon the four of them.

“You four are going to love some of the new changes around Hopeville.” Daisy spoke up cheerfully. “Everypony’s been hard at work since Saber gave his orders.”

“What stuff happened?” Blake asked, he and I falling in line with the others.

“All of the buildings now have new purposes.” Joker explained. “Gracie’s moved her clinic into the M.O.P. building just like she wanted to, Captain Saber’s been training everypony on how to use firearms, and we’ve got about sixty capable guards for the town with more ponies currently in training. There’s even a firing range that’s been set up for guards and trainees alike to practice their skills, and all of that’s just the short list.” After a pause, he added, “Of course, the firing range hasn’t seen much use as of yet, but with this shipment, that’ll change in a big hurry.

“Hopeville also has its own general storage, diner, and we’ve even set up a small inn.” Daisy put in. “But developments aside, wasteland ponies from the northwest have actually come to town and settled in.”

I met her smile with a big one of my own. “Oh wow! How many came in?”

“Just over half a dozen, I believe.” Daisy explained. “The first family actually arrived the same day that you four left to go to Challenger. A mare, a stallion, and two young colts. They said they were a family from the heartland that made the journey to the southeast to live a peaceful life.”

“They were decent folks too.” Joker said. “They asked right away if they could help out around town for a place to call home, and Saber took them right in. Then this unicorn mare traveling solo came in a day afterwards. She was a younger unicorn mare who came to me on my night shift, said that she came to town because you all saved her from the invaders.”

“That’d be Ivy.” Gunny recalled, nodding with a thin smile. “I’m glad that she made it.”

Joker chuckled. “Saber took her in too, and she’s been one of the happiest ponies in town. Became instant best friends with little Melody.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at that; I had so called it.

“Did anypony else come in?” Shore inquired.

“Another family came by during the same day, looking for a settlement outside big city ruins to settle in.” Joker answered. “One mare and one stallion, and get this, the mare’s pregnant. They moved down from the heartland when the signs started to show, and they wanted a quiet place to bring their kid into the world.”

“Damn…” Gunny’s single word response summed up my own thoughts perfectly.

“Needless to say, they’ve got special accommodations, or at least the best and comfiest we could offer. Other than that, a couple of other travelers passed through from both the northwest and farther southeast.” Daisy explained. “We got around to some trading and let them stay in our new inn.”

“But after that, we left for Proudspire to try and get some more trading of our own done. We made two trips over the past four days.” Joker added with a light sigh. “Cram that together with a couple of guard shifts… Goddesses I’m tired.”

“But it’s all been worth it to see Hopeville restored.” Daisy replied to him, smiling as she added, “Now, I can’t wait to get back and start handing out these supplies. I bet there’ll be a party to celebrate this achievement.”

“Haven’t had a party in awhile.” Joker commented, smirking as he looked over to his pink companion. “I can’t wait.”

“I bet you’re -- eep!” Daisy jumped when Joker suddenly swatted her flank with his tail, and I quickly turned away to avoid revealing my insta-blush at seeing it. “You need to be a little more subtle, mister.” I heard the pink mare whisper; she still seemed quite accepting of the gesture despite her little warning.

“So um, perhaps I should go on ahead to let Captain Saber know we’re coming. Yeah?” I volunteered, not looking over to anypony in particular.

“He’d be glad for the heads up.” Gunny answered calmly. “And Gracie too.”

I nodded vigorously, grateful for the coming task. “Alright then. I’ll head over and meet you when you get there.”

But before that…

I recomposed myself and looked over at Blake, and leaning down, I asked, “Will you be okay if I go back to Hopeville and meet you there?”

“Yeah, sure.” Blake replied with a smile. “You’re just going home, and it isn’t far away. I can’t wait to get back there myself.”

I smiled back at him. “Alright. I’ll see you there then.” I bumped my muzzle against the side of his head in farewell… but then something else came to mind. “Hey…” I added, whispering. “You um… you didn’t see that, right?”

Blake cocked an eyebrow. “See what?” he asked; okay, good, he didn’t see that.

“Nothing. Sorry.” I instantly answered, stepping back a bit from the others to stretch out my wings and prepare for the brief flight back to Hopeville.

“What was I supposed to see?” Blake asked, turning around to look at me with genuine perplexity.

“It was nothing Blake.” Daisy replied, sticking up for me as she smiled at the colt.

Much to my embarrassment, the topic under question was immediately recognized by the others, briefly causing them all to stop. “Oh I just - ow!” What would’ve been Joker’s full explanation was silenced with a swift kick to his left hind leg by Daisy. “What’d I do?”

“Don’t corrupt the morals of the young.” Daisy chided her fellow guard.

“…I’m really confused.” Blake said, eyes looking between each of us for an explanation of some kind.

“Hey, you lot!” one of the caravan guards called from up ahead. “We’re almost there, so don’t fall behind now!” I could hear light chuckling from Gunny as he turned and left, Shore following him.

“Don’t worry about it, Blake. It was nothing.” I assured, giving him my best smile.

“Okay…” With a puzzled frown, the colt turned and trotted away to catch up with Gunny and Shore.

When Blake was far enough away, I looked back at the others and sighed with relief. “Okay then, now I’ll go.”

“I’ll make sure the troublemaker here stays in line until we get back.” Daisy assured, casting a firm yet amused look back at Joker, who smirked in return.

“Hey, it’s written into my very name.” he replied wittily.

Daisy sighed. “Stallions…” she muttered with a roll of her eyes, a gesture I couldn’t help but mimic as I spread my wings. But then, the two of them trotted ahead to catch up to the caravan, and with that, I sprung skyward.

Over the course of the journey, I had slowly gotten reacquainted with flying through periodic low-altitude flights around the wagon train. Headaches had been common on multiple attempts throughout the first half of the trip, but over time, they had faded almost entirely, and I was nearly fully recovered. Now, with home in sight as I climbed higher into the sky, any deterioration in my physical strength was instantly healed.

In just a couple minutes, I had closed the distance between myself and Hopeville, and I stopped and hovered to admire the town from my vantage point in the air. Hopeville, home, looked brighter and stronger, younger and livelier, more so than it ever had before. Below, even in the light shower, I could see dozens of ponies outside from the security mares and stallions patrolling the streets on dayshift to citizens in the courtyard and beyond the town perimeter enjoying their first ever experience with natural rain. There were other ponies scattered amongst the town who were renovating and building. The house at the southeast corner of town, the original roof of which had collapsed upon it, was currently under repair, a group of ponies from Stable 181 maintenance working to built a new sheet metal roof to keep the rain out and make the building usable once again. At the opposite end of town, the house that had been destroyed by the Black Blood mobile balefire egg launcher was currently being salvaged for any and all useful items, from scrap to intact equipment. And at the east side of town, scrap metal and stonework had been erected to form four parallel walls, making three wide lanes that stretched straight ahead to the north, making what must’ve been the new firing range and establishing it as the new eastern border of town.

But there were so many ponies that were missing from the picture down there, so many who deserved to be here with us but couldn’t… they were just to the west; I could see the graveyard.

Before my thoughts could turn to the past, I tucked in my wings and dropped towards the courtyard in a dive, leveling out a few yards above the ground to fly a quick lap around the town. I flew just above the height of the rooftops, making tight turns to follow the path of the buildings on all three sides of town as I searched for Captain Saber. With all of the preparations still being executed around town, I had no doubt that I’d see him outside, and as I flew above the buildings on the west side of town, I spotted the older stallion outside of the entrance of City Hall, garbed in full Stable 181 security armor and looking out over the town he was leading.

With another left turn, I lowered down to ground level, Saber catching sight of me before I back-winged, halting my momentum and landing easily on all fours. “Hi Captain!” I called cheerfully, tucking in my wings against my sides. “Did you miss me?”

Saber instantly smiled. “Nova! Damn good to see you back again. Welcome home.”

“It’s so good to be back, sir. You have no idea.” I replied with a giggle. “And I have some excellent news.”

Saber briefly looked out to the courtyard again as he trotted up to me in the street, and I saw that other ponies were beginning to gather, most of them smiling at me and uttering ‘welcome backs’ of their own. “And what might that news be?” Saber asked, smile unfading.

I gave a little wave to the scattered Stable ponies as they looked on. “Captain,” I began, turning back to him. “supplies are on the way. They’re less than ten minutes away from here.”

Saber dipped his head at my words, shoulders coming up before dropping back down as he sighed heavily. “Those are the best words I’ve heard in days.” he replied, looking back up at me and chuckling; I could tell that a very heavy load had just been thrown from his shoulders. “Well done, Nova. Well done indeed.” He turned to the slowly growing assembly in the courtyard, suddenly raising a foreleg in triumph. “Everypony, supplies are coming! Spread the word!”

I couldn’t help but flinch at the volume of the collective cheer that followed, some already trotting away into town to go tell friends and family of the new news - the very good news. But still, I smiled, watching as the crowd dispersed to carry the report away; the captain was watching with me. “Congratulations, sir.” I said, poking him in the side with a hoof. “These supplies were our last step to securing ourselves a life on the surface. With relations established to Challenger, we can have a life again. You did it, Captain Saber. Without your leadership, we may have never made it this far.”

The captain chuckled, swinging his head over to look me in the eyes. “We did it. We all did it.” he replied, looking me over and nodding in apparent approval. “It looks like you’ve been busy. Did you just come back from a war zone?”

I couldn’t help but timidly scuff my hoof on the ground at the joking comment. I suppose being ninety-five percent covered with weapons, ammo, and other equipment was enough to give off that kind of impression. “The past couple of days have been a bit of a journey.” I explained before nodding towards the south. “The caravan that’s coming is being led by one of Challenger’s ranking officers. There are some things that he’ll be wanting to talk to you and your sergeants about today.”

“I see. So what did happen while you were out there? What did you see?” he asked.

Together, we sat face to face in the street and under the light rain as I recollected the past four days, beginning with the discovery of Lucky Hallion and Marian’s safehouse in the region; as I had partially expected, Saber was adequately surprised when I told him that the safehouse itself was Stable 203. After that, I had briefly described our skirmish with the invader patrol, leading to Ivy’s freedom from the raiders she had initially joined. According to the captain, she was a very contributive and respectable mare, already winning over the hearts of Hopeville’s children through her artwork.

“After freeing Ivy, I found this.” I explained, craning my head around to look over Blue Fire’s Torch. “We spent the night in an Old World ruin, a radio station for the Equestrian southeast during the war. It had been the site of a skirmish between a pony and a squad of zebra soldiers, and according to Lucky Hallion, it happened during the war.” Saber’s ears perked up at the mention of Equestria’s wartime enemies. “We found a diary that had been preserved in the megaspell shelter we found under the station. It belonged to the pony who was being pursued by the zebras. And then we found the rifle perfectly preserved in a gun case… and… I still don’t know how or why, but it has my own cutie mark painted onto each side of the stock. You can see them because they’re a little darker than the blue camouflage over the rest of the rifle.”

Saber stood up and peered around me to check out the rifle for himself. “Well, no kidding.” he said, running a hoof over the stock. “That’s definitely strange to see. And it just came like this?”

I nodded. “Yes. The pony we found, just a skeleton now - he or she was the owner of the rifle before my friends and I found it. The diary itself called the weapon Blue Fire’s Torch, a family heirloom or something along those lines.”

“What makes you say that?” Saber asked, stepping back to face me again.

“The diary.” I answered. “There were a few entries in it. It talked about how the pony had carried the rifle with him or her throughout the course of several days while being hunted by the zebras. There weren’t many details, but apparently the zebras had killed all of his or her friends… they were being exterminated by them.”

Saber frowned. “That’s terrible.”

“The last entry was written when the zebras finally caught up to the pony, fatally wounded him or her.” I continued with a nod. “It said that the rifle belonged in the hooves of a brother or sister. It’s been at least a hundred and seventy years or so since that diary was written, and yet nopony found this rifle. So the way I figured it, I would carry it until I found where one of that pony’s brothers or sisters was buried. Then I’d return the rifle to it’s rightful place.” The captain smiled a little at that. “The thing is though… is that when I was reading that diary, I felt like… I felt different.” I explained, sluggish as I tried to piece my thoughts together. “The diary talked about honoring the dead, the friends and family that were lost, carrying on in their names and in honor of their sacrifices. Reading those words made me feel like I could describe the personality of the pony who wrote them. I want to say I almost felt like I knew that pony.”

“It seems to me that whoever this pony was, he or she believed in many of the same things that you do now.” Saber replied. “Your personalities, perhaps.”

“It was more than personalities that we seemed to share.” I explained with a slow nod. “I think something bad happened to that pony because of the zebras. He or she was being chased by them, and the pony lost his or her parents. Maybe that is primarily why I felt the way I did.”

“I see.” The captain put a hoof on my shoulder. “But it sounds like this pony was honor-bound to remain strong, no matter the circumstance. I see that strength in you as well. So perhaps there are things beyond those tragedies, stronger and brighter things, that the two of you share.”

I smiled thinly at the older buck’s words. “Thanks captain.” At his smile and nod, I continued my recollection of previous events with describing our finding of the zebra reconnaissance aircraft wreckage outside of the radio station, whereupon the location of Buckley Air Force Base was marked on my pipbuck’s larger map. And after describing our first visit to the impressive Challenger, I had intentionally skipped over the battle at Plainwell to tell the rest of the good news first. “Well, it was actually something that Proudspire gave to us when we arrived with their own supply wagons.” I explained, recollecting our visit to our allies to the south. “They gave us a bowie knife that they restored, had the word ‘Honor’ forged into the steel. Gunny has it right now.” Saber chuckled at that, his smile fading when I took on a more serious look of my own. “But between getting those weapons, the knife and my rifle, something else happened that Challenger’s officer will be talking to you in more detail about. There was a settlement to the east called Plainwell, built on the same pre-war road as Hopeville. Before we came out of Stable One-eighty-one, it was a town settled by tribals from a place called Route Fifty-two far to the north. I went there on the request of a mare looking for her husband. Both of these ponies were Lucan’s parents.” Saber nodded, remembering the colt. “But when I got there, the settlement had been attacked, its citizens killed nearly to the last. The ones responsible weren’t the Black Blood Raiders either. They were soldiers, part of a group called the Talon Legion from the northwest, and apparently they’re old enemies of Challenger that have just now returned after disappearing for ten years. There are two major factions in the southeast now, and both of them are at war with Challenger.”

“Goddesses…” Saber frowned in thought, eyes narrowing as he looked down at the cracked pavement under his hooves. “So now we have two different hostile groups to look out for?”

“I’m afraid so, captain.” I answered lowly. “The Talons engaged me on sight… and they wiped out an entire settlement and set up a base there.” Or rather, Talon Station Charlie, according to my pipbuck. “They’re picking up where they left off with Challenger, and according to the city’s second-in-command, they make targets out of all smaller settlements.”

“If it isn’t one thing, then it’s another… I guess we’re quite fortunate to be getting our resupply now.” Saber sighed. “Without it, I don’t think we would’ve had even the slightest chance protecting ourselves against two major hostile factions.” I nodded grimly at that, making to reply when a voice, one that I instantly recognized, called out my name.

I had only managed to stand and turn when a mass of bright red bowled into me, nearly knocking me onto my back as I was tightly embraced. “You’re finally back!!” Rosemary Grace exclaimed joyously. “I’ve missed you so much!”

Thoughts of the Talons and Black Blood stomped to dust by my friend’s welcoming voice, I laughed, hugging her as tightly as I could in return. “Good to see you. Things look so much better here now.”

“Oh, in so many ways.” Gracie replied, not letting go. “Everypony’s back into the streets. And this rain!” We both laughed together at that. “Hopeville has really become quite something, and the wasteland seems to be welcoming it in full.”

“Captain!” a guard buck called from down the road; he was facing the south. “Here they come, sir!”

Saber looked between Gracie and I as we released our embrace, nodding for us to follow when he had our attention. “Come on. Let’s go give this caravan the warm welcome they deserve.”

*** *** ***

“So you actually want to go through with this, don’t you?”

I stepped out of Captain Saber’s new quarters (formerly the Hopeville Mayor’s office), the second to last to leave after the meeting had concluded. When the caravan had arrived, we had worked quickly and eagerly to get the supplies safely stored in Hopeville’s new designated storage areas. Afterwards, Saber had called a meeting with the caravan commander to which Gunny and I had attended. The officer, true to his word, explained of the situation with the Talon Legion as well as the Black Blood Raiders’ increased activity farther to the southeast. There was no lie in his voice when he described both factions as armies, and at the moment, there was nothing for Hopeville to do except to stay on guard and always keep a sharp eye on every horizon. According to the officer, we were one of the three surviving settlements in the region, right alongside Proudspire and the newly established town of Searchlight to the south of Challenger; a total of only three settlements outside of the massive city and its sister city of Ashton was, unfortunately, not very encouraging.

However, the officer had let us in on a bit of General Silverlight’s plan, a new campaign that was already underway. The taking of the Brightheart Farmstead from the Black Blood marked the official beginning of a massive operation against the raiders, and it was now the first outpost of what was hoped to be many that would soon begin to spot the region. Farther to the southeast, Ashton was becoming a fortress. More personnel, freshly trained in Challenger, were moving in every three days, providing a steady growth in the number of soldiers stationed there. This was to meet the threat of the Black Blood’s primary base of operation, believed to be on the southwest end of a broad stretch of land called The Warpath. According to the officer, The Warpath was nothing more than a massive field of rock and dust beyond which, to the far southeast, was the undying spectacle of a massive sandstorm, one that stretched across the horizon, and one that had been churning for an unknown number of years; this had made it the declared natural border of the Equestrian southeast region.

Afterwards, the officer had closed his own discussion with the promise of another supply shipment in roughly two weeks, including the possibility of additional military personnel to become Hopeville residents while helping in protecting the town. That was when I had announced my next plan of action. “Yes, Gunny.” I answered my friend with a nod, the two of us stopping in the hallway as the others descended to the City Hall’s first floor. “I want to head to Buckley Air Force Base next and scout the place out.” In truth, ever since the location had appeared on my pipbuck after listening to the CVR box on the wrecked zebra aircraft, I had wanted to see the base for myself. “And believe it or not, I have more reasons as to why I want to go than just wanton curiosity.”

“We just got home, Nova.” Gunny replied, arching an eyebrow in apparent confusion. “You’re not even going to take a break before you go flying out over unknown territory?”

“I… well… look, that base has my attention for multiple reasons.” I repeated. It was a little harder to argue against obvious logic, and really, I should be resting a little longer… shouldn’t I? Perhaps a day with the children again, or meeting the new settlers? Many times before, I had always been eager to return home, so why did I feel like I was becoming eager to leave? “…It’s Old World military, Gunny. There could be a lot of valuable things in that base - food, water, ammo, weapons - items that could be of great use to Hopeville. And now that we have two veritable armies in this region, both of which are hostile to everypony allied with Challenger, I have more reason than ever to at least scout the place out. Hell, maybe Challenger already sent a group out to take control of the base. I don’t know what or who might be there, but it’s worth a look all the same.”

“My point still stands though.” came Gunny’s even reply. “We’ve not only just come home, but you’re still technically recovering from what happened to you at Plainwell. You need to rest for at least another day, and enjoying some time off wouldn’t hurt you either.”

“I’m fine, Gunny.” I assured, flapping my wings. “Our last day in Challenger and that trip with the caravan was more than enough rest for my strength to return to me. I bet I could just make a quick flight over the base by myself and come home in the same-”

“No!”

Gunny’s sharp reply caught me entirely off-guard, halting my words immediately and making me flinch in surprise. “Huh?”

“I said no.” Gunny replied, his voice low as he fixed me with firm eyes. “After what happened to you in Plainwell, there’s no way you can be thinking about going out there alone again. What if you got hurt and one of us wasn’t there with you?”

“I won’t let what happened at Plainwell happen again.” I replied with as much confidence as I could muster. “Those Talon griffins caught me by surprise in Plainwell. That’s all there is to it. If I encounter them again, I’ll be ready for them the next time I fly out on my own.”

My friend shook his head; he was beginning to look a little irritated… concerned too. “You can’t go out there by yourself, Nova… you just can’t. It’s too dangerous and you know it.”

“I’m perfectly safe when I’m above the surface.” I explained with what I thought was a reassuring smile. “When I flew to Plainwell, I stayed at a high altitude and had no encounters with any hostiles. What happened at Plainwell when I got there was just… unexpected.”

“I know that.” Gunny replied. “But that doesn’t mean that you should start making a habit out of going outside on your own. I know you’re faster by yourself, flying instead of walking, but staying in the company of at least one other pony is much safer than flying alone.”

“What I did for Bella and Lucan required me to fly.” I stated. “It was the fastest way to locate Shotshell and get him home.”

“But that-”

I raised my hoof to interrupt, adding quickly, “And, when I got there, Shotshell and those who fought with him helped me out of Plainwell when I was wounded. I still made it out, and I’m still alive.”

Gunny huffed. “I know, Nova.”

“If the need arises, then I can go out by myself again.” I pushed on. “Being a pegasus means that I can get things done faster, and sometimes, that’s what’s needed to survive.” A moment of silence lingered as we stared at one another. Gunny was clearly in disagreement, but not only with me. It looked as though he were trying to choose his next words out of a mental list or responses, uncertain of the best choice; I could see it in his eyes.

Then finally, “I won’t let you.”

I cocked an eyebrow, frowning. “What?”

“I won’t let you go out there alone, not again, not after what happened in Plainwell. I don’t want that to happen to you again, and neither do the others.” Gunny calmly asserted.

“And what would you do to stop me?” I challenged, taking a step forward.

“I could put you under arrest and keep you detained if I had to.” Gunny replied warningly. “At least long enough for you to get some common sense back.”

“What business is it of yours to decide what I do with myself??” I demanded, eyes narrowing.

Gunny locked his eyes to my defiant stare. “Friends look out for each other.” he answered slowly, emphasizing each word. “If you’re going to go out there and try and do something stupid, then it is my business.”

“I can make my own choices, just like you and Grace and Shore can! It’s not your place to interfere!”

“Shore and Gracie would agree with me on this!” Gunny retorted.

I stomped a forehoof to the floor. “The choice isn’t yours to make, Gunny! You’re not my father!!”

“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!!!” Gunny fired back fiercely, glaring angrily; the force of his voice immediately stamped out my own words, instantly making my eyes widen and my ears pin back against my head as I took a step back.

Perhaps it was my startled reaction, or just the fact that he knew that he had my attention, but the big stallion’s glare softened before he looked to the floor, sighing as he shook his head. “I’ve kept my thoughts to myself while you recovered from your wounds…” he said, much more quietly. “But not anymore…” he looked up to lock eyes with mine again. “It doesn’t matter that you can fly above all of the dangers on the ground, and I know that you can protect yourself. I’ve seen you fight, and I know that you’re capable. But what happened at Plainwell, how Shotshell and the town’s survivors had saved you… that was luck, Nova. That was just downright luck. If those civilians hadn’t been escaped prisoners, or if they hadn’t even been spared at all… those Talon griffins you fought might’ve very well killed you that day.” His stern stare fell to a very worried gaze as he spoke those last words, and he added, “If you had died… what do you think would’ve happened to Blake? I mean… did you really already forget about what you two talked about in the clinic?”

“… I…” I couldn’t find an answer, even when I attempted to speak. I could only clear my throat as thoughts and memories of Blake came rushing up to the eyes of my mind. Leaving Blake alone in this wasteland, without any blood family remaining, was perhaps… no… it was my biggest fear, put side by side with losing my baby brother altogether. And I remembered - remembered how scared and hurt he had been when I saw him after I woke… how he had feared that I had died.

“I know that you remember that day when you finally woke up and saw Blake again, and you know damn well that he would’ve been devastated beyond any possible description of the word.” Gunny answered for me, adding after a lingering silence, “I know that this all happened days ago, but when you talk about going out there again, all by yourself… it makes me nervous… afraid.”

He never used that word.

I looked him in the eyes again, the somewhat familiar feeling of the world around me being tuned out as all of my attention diverted to the stallion before me. “Why would you be afraid?” I asked, gentle but curious.

“Because what happened to you at Plainwell, everything that happened to you in the wasteland… in the Stable…” Gunny sighed lightly, then taking a step towards me, confidently spoke, "What happens to you matters to me.”

I stared into his eyes as his words set in, echoing in my mind like a voice in a cave. Gunny was one of my dearest friends, and I knew that he’d never lie to me. But the tone of his words, his confident, deep, yet gentle voice speaking those last seven words… I immediately thought back to Proudspire, the clinic… Cross. The riflepony’s voice back then, and Gunny’s voice now, carried equal sincerity, strength, and care. And it wasn’t just a hunch or an assumption that drove me to think this. No. I could hear these things in Gunny’s words. “I… I’m sorry.” I began, lowering my gaze. “It’s wrong of me to make all of you worry about me like that… especially Blake. It’s just… over the past several days, more and more threats have been showing themselves. The Black Blood have been growing in numbers… the Talons arrived… Though we’ve been building ourselves back up, we still need to keep working just as hard as before, if not harder, to try and make sure that we’re always ready to stand up to the danger that these two factions pose.” I paused, scuffing a hoof on the dirty carpet of the hallway before I added, “I never said it aloud… but I’ve gotten scared. We’re a town of one hundred and sixty ponies, and we’ve lost so much to make a place for ourselves. And now we have to stand up against two armies. I still have faith in Hopeville, in all of us… but that doesn’t take away the fear.”

“I know.” Gunny replied gently. “And I also know that fear can lead to desperation. If I had to take a shot in the dark, I’d say that this is kind of where you stand at the moment. Am I right?” At my nod, he continued, saying, “I know you, Nova. You’re always ready and willing to help.” I looked back up to see Gunny smiling a thin smile. “But you don’t have to do this alone.” he replied, closing the distance between us. “Don’t make it a habit of flying solo, even if you’re the only one who can fly.” A short giggle escaped me at that rather terrible joke, and I returned his smile as he added, “We all care about you, Nova. Let us help.”

I stepped forward and hugged him around the neck, my friend draping a foreleg over my back… well, sniper rifle… in return. “Thank you.” I said, hugging him tight. “And… I’m sorry about earlier.” I added. “It was wrong of me to be so stubborn.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” he replied, resting his head over my neck. “I know that I can’t force you to do anything, but I hope… I pray, that you won’t go out there by yourself again. Seeing you in that clinic… I don’t want to see that again.”

When he released me, I fell back to all fours, looking him in the eyes. For a brief moment, it was almost amusing to see him look so genuinely concerned. Gunny was never one to show anxiety to others, and it was one of many traits he was known for. It was also one of many that I admired him for - that, and his able mind, his kind heart, his strength and loyalty, and his honor-bound commitment to his fellow Stable dwellers (and yes, he was… also quite handsome…).

But here and now, I was touched by his compassion, honored by his words. It was a great feeling to know that I had the friends that I had. “Raemor was right when he said, ‘In this world of uncertainty, no matter which part of it we may live in, it’s good to have friends.’” I stated, sharing a smile with my friend before I leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his right cheek before I stepped back. “I’m glad you’re with me, Gunny.”

Suddenly, static erupted on my pipbuck’s speaker, snapping both our gazes to the computer on my foreleg as a stallion urgently called, “Attention all security personnel! Report for security assignments immediately! We have hostiles inbound!”

“What?! Who are they?!” a mare spoke over the security channel.

“Black Blood squad, at least a dozen coming in from the north side!” the stallion answered quickly.

“Get a fire team into the second floor of the inn!” Captain Saber ordered. “I want four guards to every building to lock them down! Make sure everypony that can’t fight stays inside-”

Through the continuing radio chatter, Gunny and I bolted for the exit, my friend falling in behind me as we quickly descended the staircase leading to the first floor. Already, ponies were being herded into the City Hall through the main lobby entrance, the leaders of the group passing us by on the staircase as they hurried up to the second floor rooms. At the entrance, three guards were urgently waving the civilians inside, and I could see out one of the open windows on the first floor as several others were running for the City Hall from all over town, the guards and a number of armed civilians all scrambling in the opposite direction.

“Nova! Out the window!” I looked back around at the far end of the room, catching sight of Gunny just before he leapt through one of the open windows and out into the streets.

Quickly following his example, I jumped out of City Hall and onto the street before the two of us ran across the courtyard together. The guards were rallying by the new Hopeville Inn at the northwest corner of town, others lining up behind the Hopeville Press and the Ministry of Peace building. I could see the captain relaying his orders to a squad assembled by the inn’s entrance.

“Now go and set up!” Saber dismissed the team as Gunny and I joined up with the other guards.

“What’s going on, sir?” Gunny quickly asked.

“Good, you’re here.” Saber acknowledged, trotting up to us as he said, “We’ve got a squad of Black Blood raiders moving in from the north and they’ll be in range in just a few moments. Gunny, I want you on the second floor of the inn with that LMG. There’s ammo stashed inside, and Joker’s already waiting for you.” With a quick salute, Gunny left and followed the fire team upstairs, Saber quickly turning to me and adding, “I want you on the roof of the Hopeville Press with that sniper rifle of yours, and I want you watching them. If they try anything, pick them off.”

“But I haven’t used Blue Fire’s Torch before.” I replied anxiously.

“Nova, I need you up there.” Saber retorted sternly, jerking his head towards the newspaper building to our right. “If this comes to a firefight, then you can take to the skies, but right now that’s where I want you. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

“O-okay. Yes, sir.” I said with a nod. “What about all the other residents? And the children? Are they safe?”

“Yes, they’re all hiding out in the buildings now. Ivy took the foals and is keeping them safe in the Repair Shop. Blake’s fine.”

I breathed a quick sigh of relief, nodding. “Thank you.”

“Captain, they’re almost here!” a mare called, one of Saber’s sergeants as identified by her pipbuck.

“We’re out of time! Everypony get ready, you know what to do!” Saber ordered, and without further words, he galloped down the road to join those behind the Hopeville Press.

Letting out a sharp exhale, I craned my head around and caught Blue Fire’s Torch by the stock, removing it from my battle saddle and beating my wings to get off of the ground before hugging the rifle to my chest. Even as I hovered up over the roof of the building, I saw as four teams of four guards begun to move out beyond the town’s north perimeter, moving single-file and sticking to sandbag and metal barricades placed in the ruined house foundations beyond Hopeville’s north side. Now that I was in the air, I could see more of the ground to the north, and sure enough, there was a mass of black and red armor trotting towards Hopeville, a dozen or so ponies galloping together in a tight cluster.

Hovering down, I set the rifle aside on the stone roof before landing, quickly lowering myself down onto my belly before examining the Torch. “Oh, I should’ve looked over this thing when I found it.” I muttered, eyes darting from one attachment to the next. “Okay…” I pulled the rifle in front of me, looking over to where the bipod attachment was folded up under the back of the barrel. The weapon was difficult to manage without a saddle, and I had to pull the weapon under my right foreleg to pull the folded bipod out from its locked position. It swung down and snapped closed perpendicular to the barrel, and I saw that there were two rods, the legs, that could be separated to fully assemble the attachment.

As I did so, finally setting up the bipod and placing it down atop the stone via the small metal plates at the bottom of each leg, my pipbuck came alive with shouting, first coming as a pleading and desperate voice, dimmed from its distance to the closest pipbuck speaker. “Please don’t shoot! We’re not here to fight!”

“STOP RIGHT THERE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!” came the furious reply of one of the security sergeants.

With the bipod assembled, I quickly situated myself into a proper prone position, bringing the rifle butt up to my shoulder and hugging it tight before taking the firing bit in my mouth and pressing my eye against the rubber eyepiece of the scope.

“You guys gotta help us!!” a second stallion’s softer voice begged through my speakers.

“I SAID DROP YOUR WEAPONS! DROP EM!”

Blue Fire’s Torch moved freely from its place on the bipod, the swivel mount allowing me to turn the rifle wherever I could aim without jostling the rifle about. Scooting slightly to my right, I brought the rifle down and to the left, finally centering the crosshairs over the confrontation. The four teams of guards that had moved up now formed a half circle around the group of black and red armored raiders, still keeping behind cover. Captain Saber, accompanied by one of his security sergeants as well as three of the Challenger soldiers from the caravan escort, was heading out as well, the rest of the Hopeville guard standing by behind the perimeter.

“NOW GET DOWN ON THE GROUND! GET DOWN ON YOUR STOMACHS! DO IT!”

Through the scope, I could see as the raiders complied almost all at once, their weapons instantly retrieved by the unicorns of the guard teams as they were forfeited by their raider owners. When all of the raiders were on the ground and disarmed, hunkered under the rifles trained upon them, Captain Saber approached the group, stopping just in front of the line of guards. “Why are you here?” I heard Saber demand over my radio.

“Cause we don’t wanna die!” a mare answered desperately, and I saw the raider who spoke as she attempted to crawl towards the captain.

“DON’T MOVE!” One of the guards sprang over cover, ramming the butt of his rifle into the raider mare’s side with his telekinesis, stopping her movement as she let out a cry before he pressed the rifle barrel against the side of her skull.

“You’ve come to the wrong damn place to ask for mercy.” Saber said to the raider group, his voice dark with hate. “You should feel blessed that I’m even contemplating the choice of letting you walk out of here with your lives.”

“Please, you’ve gotta help us!” one of the raider stallions at the back of the group piped up. “Our camp was destroyed by the Talon Legion, and they were still coming after us when we ran for it!”

That got my attention, and judging by the captain’s silence, it caught his as well. These raiders had been attacked by Talon soldiers, the second faction of the southeast? So they weren’t allied with them? Just like Challenger was fighting the both of them, they were fighting each other? For a moment, I saw through my crosshairs as Saber stared down the raider group, the guards all likewise silent. Then, “Are you part of the original task force that attacked our town?” Several of the raider team nodded affirmatively.

“So this is what’s left of the invaders we drove back.” one of the security sergeants muttered, just loud enough for me to hear his words over the radio; I could hear the sheer detestation in his voice.

“What do you know about the Talons?” Saber asked calmly.

“They kicked our asses and were still chasin us!” one of the raiders answered fearfully.

“Serves you bastards right!” a mare guard shouted, her voice dampened by my radio speaker.

“Easy.” Saber remarked, quelling his subordinate before facing the raiders again. “Where was your camp?”

“Just north of here.” a raider mare timidly answered, barely audible to me.

I turned my rifle up and away from the raiders to look ahead, slowly scanning across the northern fields beyond Hopeville… no movement… no other approaching hostiles…

“Just a small force?” Saber asked, my ears perking as I registered the continued interrogation over my radio.

“Only fifty to sixty.” one of the raiders explained nervously. I guided the crosshairs down from the horizon and back to the cluster of ponies, checking over each of the raiders… nothing suspicious…

Captain Saber then turned around, turning his back to the raiders to talk to the sergeant behind him. “Get them on their hooves and escort them to the Hopeville Press. The building’s empty and if it’s under guard, it’ll serve as a good enough holding cell until I can figure out what the hell to do with them.”

I saw as the sergeant nodded, a slight movement that occurred in time with a second small movement coming from the cowering raiders, two movements in stillness… a faint glow from a unicorn raider at the front of the group, staring at Saber’s back as he… A GUN!

In just that second, I went from calm and focused to near panic, and as my crosshairs jumped to the center of the raider group, I chomped down on the bit.

BLAM!!!

Blue Fire’s Torch roared violently, a sharp and nearly painful crack of sound that echoed across Hopeville and beyond. The kick of the rifle struck my shoulder with unexpected force, but the scope fell back on target, and I saw as the powerful shot struck the dirt in between my target and a mare raider beside him, kicking up a spray of the dead earth between them while the raiders covered their heads, the guards ducking behind cover or throwing themselves to the ground simultaneously; I had missed my target, but the weapon the unicorn had been slowly bringing out, a silenced 10mm pistol, fell to the ground.

“One of them has a gun!!” I cried into my radio.

“GUN! GUN!”

I heard as the guards took up the call with their sergeant, recovering quickly from my thunderous intervention and bringing their weapons to bear on the raiders before them. At the same time, the same raider buck was bringing the pistol back up, desperately trying to get a round off as he scrambled to all fours. But just as I was about to take another shot to try and get the kill, gunfire sounded in two controlled bursts from two assault rifles, bringing the buck down and the assassination weapon with him.

But just as he fell, more of the raiders sprung to their hooves, and what had been tense silence in a controlled situation now dissolved into utter chaos. Two raiders at the back of the cluster immediately wheeled and darted away, galloping away in a panic as six of their cohorts leapt to engage the nearest guards in desperate unarmed combat. One other raider stood but didn’t move, the buck looking about in a frenzy and torn between multiple courses of actions. Only two of the bunch remained on the ground, now covering their eyes with their forelegs as the fight erupted around them.

Through my scope, I saw as three of the unarmed raiders were gunned down, having lost their grapple with the opponents they had chosen to face. The fourth was struggling against two unicorn guards, shoving and hitting back as one of them levitated a combat knife out. And then, as the knife came down on the raider’s throat, the guards finally bowling the stallion down to the ground, the fight ended.

Scope darting left and right, I could see that the other two raiders who had sprung into battle had been taken down as well, one from a combat blade in the skull, and another from a shotgun shell to the gut. Even the one raider who had stood, but not moved, was dead, shot by the Challenger soldiers who had been given a clear line of sight by standing directly in front of the group. Only the two raiders who had stayed still, one mare and one younger buck, were left alive, rifle barrels now pressed to their faces.

“Shit!” Saber swore through the radio, breathing heavily as he came back to his senses. “I felt the wind from that shot…”

I released the firing bit, looking away from the scope to let out a sigh of my own. “Is everypony okay? Nopony’s hurt?”

“We’re all fine here.” Saber answered me, his normal breathing returning to him. “I guess age is starting to catch up to me, Nova… thanks for saving my hide there.”

“Captain, there’s two of them on the run!” one of the sergeants spoke through his pipbuck. “Should we pursue?”

“No, leave them. They won’t come back.” Saber answered. “As for these two, put them in the Hopeville Press and keep them under guard-”

A distant yet sharp boom of sound made my ears perk, and a cloud of hazy brown rose upward from the dirt in the distance, making me snap my gaze back through the scope. The cloud of dust didn’t billow outwards, instead rising away into the air and revealing a small blast crater, around which were the broken and dismembered forms of the two raiders who had fled.

“Nova, did you hear that?” Saber asked through the radio. “Can you see what’s going on out there?”

I already saw.

Through my crosshairs, I found a line of black armored ponies coming straight for Hopeville, at least two dozen strong and all garbed in matching combat helmets and armor, some of them carrying strange black slabs on their backs. Behind them, a twenty millimeter flak gun aglow in magic was being pushed on its large wheels by a crew of five unicorns, the mobile gun also under escort by an extra squad of six more heavily armed soldiers, one of which was armed with what I recognized as a missile launcher and the rest carrying LMGs and combat shotguns. But then, from behind the gun and its crew, a figure took to the skies, launching straight up into the air and climbing high above my crosshairs; it was a griffin.

“The Talons are coming!” I shouted to my radio. “At least three dozen of them are inbound from the north! They’ve got a missile launcher and a mobile heavy gun with them… a griffin too!”

“Everypony get to your positions!” Saber ordered sharply, the voices of the four sergeants quickly passing around the order with him. “We’ve got more hostiles on the way! Move it, move it!”

Together, the guards fell back, some retreating back to the town perimeter (taking the two Black Blood captives with them) as the rest, armed with assault and precision rifles, returned to cover and took aim to the north. Joining the forward defenses were the collection of soldiers and guards of Challenger’s caravan, and among the lead ponies of the cluster, I spotted Raemor, setting his fire axe against the sandbag barricade he hid behind as he readied his grenade launcher.

“Free to engage when ready.” The radio chatter came to a gradual halt as everypony took up their respective positions, ready to meet the advancing enemy that was steadily closing in as dead silence overtook the town once again. It was with a shiver that I realized that this was exactly how Hopeville’s last battle had begun. When the Black Blood company had marched towards us, we had awaited their arrival in hiding, silently waiting for the time to strike. But now, we were facing a different opponent, one who was, as far as I knew, better trained, better armed, more confident, and much more coordinated. General Silverlight herself had recounted the basic traits of Talon soldiers, and they were nothing alike to the recklessness of the Black Blood raiders; now they were at our doorstep.

But while my thoughts lingered on this darker border, my eyes were skyward. The griffin was still hovering, occasionally drifting right or left as if to look upon Hopeville from different angles. He or she was of the Talon soldiers - of that, there was no denying. But the way the griffin lingered some distance away from the town… the griffin had to be the commander of this group… he or she just had to be. I had fought two griffins before as my first fight against another flying creature, and my body easily remembered the wounds I had taken from it. But this griffin was alone… one versus one…

The first shots rang from up ahead, and my attention snapped to the present as I caught sight of several guards ducking behind their sandbag cover, enemy shots striking the barricades. Then they were returning fire against the Talons with their bolt and lever action rifles. Up ahead, the attack force was in clear sight, two teams of six soldiers branching off in both directions from a forming line, galloping full force towards the town’s north side while putting fire on Hopeville’s forward defenses.

Pulling Blue Fire’s Torch tight against my shoulder again, I clamped onto the firing bit and aimed through the scope, bringing the crosshairs to bear on the team advancing down the east flank. They were already under fire from both the precision rifles and from the guards behind the M.O.P. building. But they were coming in fast, their thick, black combat armor providing sufficient protection from bullets that scored a hit; the advancing half dozen soldiers hardly even staggered when their armor took a hit.

BLAM!!!

One shot after leading the first target… miss… The earth pony buck stumbled as the .308 round punched into the ground under his hooves, and he temporarily fell behind from his five companions, providing me with another window of opportunity…

BLAM!!!

Hit.

Even though I had talked about it before, receiving words of advice from Shotshell, I flinched at the sight of the soldier… and at the shot I had just executed. My third shot struck him square in the side of the head, pink mist exploding from the other side of his skull as the bullet punched straight through him, and he toppled forward, tumbling on the ground before coming to a rough halt on his side, facing me…… his eyes were wide open… as if shocked that I had managed such a shot… I felt my stomach begin to churn…… why didn’t his eyes close?!

“Heads up! They’ve got deployable cover!”

The warning was the only thing that saved me from drifting from the fight, and I tore myself away from the grisly sight of my first sniper kill as the security sergeant spoke. I brought my rifle to face the north again, ignoring the sting in my shoulder and returning the scope to my eye as I made ready to fire. Up ahead, the Talon team moving in on our left flank was fully engaged, keeping steady fire on the sandbags and strafing the positions with assault rifles, and even two light machineguns that sprayed a steady stream of lead. But farther north, the line of Talon soldiers I had seen before was now stopped a few meters away from Hopeville’s defenses, black steel panels unfolding into place under the glow of unicorn magic; behind the assembly of cover, unicorns with precision carbines starting taking their own paced shots.

BLAM!!!

Just as one of the Talon unicorns ducked behind cover, I took a shot at the barricade he hid behind. The steel cover sparked brightly as the shot from Blue Fire’s Torch struck it, more sparks similarly flying from the other barriers as they came under heavy fire; they were utterly bulletproof.

“We need a bigger weapon at the north side now!” a sergeant spoke through the increasing noise.

“Just keep focus on those two fire teams!” Saber then ordered. “I have an idea!”

Obliging the command as Saber continued speaking through the radio, I swung my scope to the team that was coming up the west flank. One of them had already died, another going down as I focused in on my next target - a big earth pony soldier with a dual light machinegun battle saddle.

BLAM!!!

The shot went wide, passing by the buck’s left flank and striking into the dirt behind him as the scope wavered. But before I could line up my sixth shot, a quick series of four explosions sounded from the north, and I swung my scope to the direction of the noise. The blasts had come from Raemor’s APW, and he fired four more shots from the grenade launcher before ducking behind his sandbag barricade to reload. The buck had been targeting the left side of one of the barricades, and four of the soldiers were thrown from behind cover, hit from the close-range blasts of the 25mm grenades.

BLAM!!!

Hit.

One straight shot to the gut, and one of the soldiers who had been blasted out from cover went down before he could return to his position.

“Now!!” Saber shouted. “If you’ve got grenades, send them over the barricades!!”

Bringing my crosshairs down slightly, I saw as five unicorn guards levitated multiple metal apples from their armor, removing the stems and crooking the grenades before launching them at the barricades. One after the other, explosions ripped across the line of barriers, a good three quarters of the dozen or so explosives detonating in front of the Talons’ cover while three managed to get behind the barricades. But just as the dust cleared away, exchanged rifle shots returning after a brief moment of silence, I caught sight of one Talon unicorn, bringing a larger weapon up over the center barricade - the missile launcher… and he was pointing it right at me!!

*click…

The missile launcher fired, the engine at the back of the projectile igniting as it streaked out of the launcher and straight for me, and I only managed to scramble to my hooves and toss my rifle aside before the missile struck just below the roofline of the Hopeville Press, fire erupting before me as the force of the explosion blasted me off of my hooves, sending me sailing over the roof.

I landed hard on my back, slamming against the concrete of Hopeville’s northern road and bouncing once from the impact before tumbling over myself to the edge of the courtyard, coming to a rest on my right side as a grating and high-pitched noise rang in my ears. I felt tremendous pain against my chest, a sting that was shared with my forelegs. The sound of the gunfire was muffled to the point of indistinctness as I managed to get my head off of the ground to look over my forelegs. Thankfully, both limbs were still intact… but the fire from the blast had licked over them, and a majority of my grey coat was blackened over the affected areas, my left leg bleeding from where shrapnel from the blast had struck me; my pipbuck, surprisingly, remained undamaged from the close blast.

Though still ringing, my ears managed to pick up a sharper and louder weapon report from behind the Hopeville Press - the slower yet steady fire rate of the twenty millimeter flak gun. It was only shortly after when a number of the guards from the front came bolting around the corners of the Hopeville Press to take cover behind the buildings. There were at least forty guards lined along both the press and M.O.P. building… until over a dozen of them suddenly galloped off to the east, Raemor running to the head of the group and taking the lead.

That was when I picked up the familiar voice of Shore through the dimming whine in my ears, and I swung my gaze back to the north to see the black stallion as he came running for me, another fully armored security buck following right behind him. “Nova, are you okay?! We need to get you inside! Get up!” my friend called urgently as he skidded to a halt by my left side. With a grunt, I forced my limbs to cooperate, planting my right hoof down and hoisting myself up, clenching my eyes shut at the terrible burn that suddenly shot through both forelegs as both Shore and the guard helped me up to all fours.

“Come on!” the younger guard shouted as the two steered me down the road towards the Hopeville Supply building. “The Talons are raining hell on us with that big gun they brought in! Saber wants-”

The buck was suddenly cut off as bullets kicked up dirt around us, and my wounded legs couldn’t keep me up as the guard suddenly lurched back and fell against me, the two of us toppling to the ground together. Even as I hit the pavement, I felt as the guard’s body laying atop me was struck with several more bullets, and just as I tried to get out from under the now motionless buck, a disgusting crunch sounded through the now moderate humming in my ears. The lower half of the buck’s left foreleg had been severed by a larger caliber round, and I instantly froze in wide-eyed terror, seeing the bits of flesh… and the spray of blood…

Red and green flashed at the top of my vision, consecutive bolts of energy striking out against the Talons that had me in their sights as Shore tried to protect me. I screamed in both fear and pain, a terrible noise that added hurt to my pained ears, as I kicked and shoved at the dead guard I was laying under. And finally, I knocked the armored corpse away before scrabbling to my hooves, catching full view of the dead pony; the guard had been shot square in the side of the head at first, falling before his armor intercepted multiple shots… most of which would’ve likely hit me had he not been a meat shield… oh Goddesses!

Shore came around in front of me, making me pause just as I would have ran, and opened up with his energy weapons, firing to the east where a pair of Talon soldiers had come around the east side of City Hall. Behind the two, others were coming in from the south, running for cover behind the armory and the City Hall as more guards emerged from the buildings to engage them. “They’re trying to flank us! Nova, you’re too exposed out here! You need to get into the Hopeville Supply building!” Shore shouted over the noise, his autoloaders reloading his rifles after successfully disintegrating one of the soldiers, adding to the two already existing green goo piles. “There’s some healing potions stored in there! Go, I’ll cover you!” He quickly added before returning his attention to his saddle, firing the first shots from his fresh reloads as three other guards skidded to a halt beside him, putting additional covering fire downrange. At the same time, more shots struck the ground around us from another two enemy soldiers opening up at us from behind the storage house, and just a second later, Shore also staggered, his armor intercepting a shot that tore some of the protective padding from the chest plate.

Tunnel vision… that suddenly familiar feeling… I bolted without question, charged by adrenaline as I focused in on the target building, and propelled myself forward as fast as my crippled legs would take me. I passed behind the line of guards as they kept up their fire, and near the open entrance to the Hopeville Supply, another guard was taking cover behind the back corner of the building. Upon seeing me, he leapt from cover and took aim by the stairs, adding his own covering with his carbine before I finally staggered inside.

The building was clear, empty of both guards and enemies alike, and the knowing that I was out of harms way at the immediate moment returned my attention to my stringing legs. “Healing potions…” I repeated the words over and over again, getting my breathing under control as I looked over the many tables arranged along the walls of the building. Amidst the supplies that hadn’t been stashed in the designated storage unit, a number of excess healing potions were set upon one of the tables, and I wasted no time in stumbling over to the bottles of purple liquid and pulling one off the table. The drink quickly went down my gullet, and I tossed the empty bottle away as I felt the potion begin to work before hunkering down and facing the entrance, letting the medicinal drink seal up my injuries as I recollected myself.

“Captain Saber!” a male voice called through my pipbuck’s radio. “The Talons are trying to raid the armory! You’ve got to get more guards over to the south side of town! Do you hear me?!”

“Damn it!” Saber’s reply came, fighting to break through the sudden report of the Talons’ flak gun. “We need to secure the armory so we can get the forty millimeters up here! The Talons are using our own cover against us, and that mobile gun’s rolled in! It’s covering the enemy soldiers, and the weapon’s crew is protected by a magic shield that we can’t break through! I think multiple unicorns are powering it up, because they’ve got some serious magic!”

“They’ve got at least twenty soldiers by the armory and the City Hall, if not thirty!” a mare’s voice then spoke. “I think this is a platoon!”

“Keep up the pressure and hold your positions!” Saber answered back. “Commander! I need you and your soldiers at the south side of town! The armory is at the far end of the east road!” I heard a buck call out a garbled response in confirmation. “Circle around City Hall that way, and then flank the Talons from the west! We need that armory back right now!”

There was no more time to wait.

The healing potion had done its job, healing the burns, stopping the moderate bleeding, and removing most of the charring left behind. Now my legs only felt a little unsteady to be walking with as I took in a deep breath and stepped back up to the entrance, poking out of cover to check the south. In response to the new threat, more guards were already pushing along the east side of town, sticking to the buildings and using them as cover as they slowly advanced. Behind the M.O.P. building and the Hopeville Press, the now smaller line of defenders was still holding the enemy at bay, despite the frequent shots sounding from the enemy heavy gun, and I could see that Shore had made it safely back by the others in one piece.

Ducking back inside, I crouched and snapped out my wings, shaking them before I ran forward, leaping out of the entrance and lifting skyward over the courtyard. My wings, thankfully, had been untouched by the missile that had scorched my forelegs, which were now grateful for the fact that I wasn’t walking as the potion continued to mend up the last traces of the wounds.

I climbed higher over town and leveled out, veering left. Below, I could see the full scope of the fight at the south side of town, which spanned across the east road. The guards who responded to the attempted flanking maneuver had limited options for cover, and many who were not hiding behind the corners of the buildings were using the firing range itself for protection against enemy fire. Others still were out in the open and engaging the Talon soldiers up close, one pony in particular, whom I recognized as Raemor, sidestepping a rifle butt aimed to bash him in the skull before using his telekinesis to swing his fire axe in a deadly overhead slash, bringing the blade down on the unfortunate Talon soldier’s head. But beyond the fighting, the armory at the far end of town was indeed a target, and I saw as one Talon soldier emerged from the armory itself, carrying three weapons from the building in his telekinetic grasp.

Angling left and diving down, falling in range of the enemy group, I slipped into S.A.T.S. to target the soldier who had come out of the armory building, toggling for both shots to target the torso. I executed the spell, my rifles roaring out their hot words, and both pairs of shots found their marks, the two 40mm grenade launchers and the pristine assault rifle the soldier had been levitating clattering to the ground as he toppled over the armory stairs. Return fire met me immediately after, bullets whizzing past me as I shot past the enemy position and arced upward and away. But just as I pulled out of my first maneuver, corkscrewing back around and leveling out to face north, two bright red lasers suddenly slashed right past me.

With a yelp I came to a startled halt, suddenly feeling a rush of wind as something flew right over me, and I followed the direction of the gust to see a griffin as it shot out past Hopeville’s north side, climbing higher up arcing around in a wide circle. It didn’t take much to know that the griffin was coming around for another pass at me, but as I instinctively adjusted my course due west and out of the town perimeter to put distance between us, I begun to slow my speed as I noticed that this was the same griffin I had seen before the fighting began. This was the leader of the enemy platoon below, and now this commander had come into the fight… if I could bring the griffin down, this fight would be over.

I halted myself in my initial retreat, turning in mid-flight and hovering as I focused in on the Talon griffin. The enemy flier had completed his turn and was now coming in straight for me at a slow but steady pace, a maneuver that put me into a state of calm focus. “This is the leader… get rid of the leader… the others will go running.” I said in between breaths, a whisper to myself as I looked back down at Hopeville. “We can’t fail… not now.” I looked back up at the enemy flier, and with a growl I snapped my wings and launched forward, biting down on my saddle’s firing bit as I prepared to engage. Then my opponent fell into range, and I slipped into S.A.T.S..

The griffin was very male, evident by his stronger and much larger build. Aside from his head, which was marked with a long and ragged scar that ran across his right eye, he was protected with a full suit of Talon combat armor, complete with the trio of white claw slashes painted into the ebony chest plate. He was also very heavily armed, a light machinegun and a black assault carbine secured at his sides via a custom battle saddle that was reshaped to fit his body; each weapon looked to have its own trigger on the reshaped firing bit I saw in front of the griffin’s beak. But aside from the saddle, the griffin also had a rifle secured to his back, a shining silver rifle that must’ve been the laser rifle he had fired his first shots with. Secured to his chest plate, placed within its holster, was a large, pearl-white, five-cylinder revolver, a weapon that he was reaching for with his right set of claws.

I locked in one shot for the griffin’s head and executed the spell, but the pair of bullets went past him, too far to the right, as we closed in on each other. And just as the two of us veered in opposite directions, the shockingly loud report of his sidearm sounded as he returned fire with two shots. The sound by itself was enough to make me believe that I had been hit, but his attack likewise went wide as we soared past one another, and I craned my neck around as I righted myself, seeing as he begun to climb even higher above the town below.

With a twist of my body, I followed him up, finding the griffin right above me as he continued to ascend. With S.A.T.S. recharging, I took manual aim as I fell in behind him, aligning my path to his before taking another shot. The pair of bullets went behind my target as he suddenly leveled out and flashed by me, cutting a tight corner that I couldn’t follow. Instead, I continued upward, leveling out with a broader turn just in time to see the griffin swiftly coming in for his next attack. With a sharp dip, I dove down as the assault carbine on his battle saddle came to life, the rapid spray of bullets ripping by above me as we once again crossed by each other in our aerial duel.

By Celestia’s mane, this bastard was agile!

I snapped my wings out again to come to a halt in the air, turning quickly and facing the griffin just as he hovered into a stationary position and bit down on one of his battle saddle’s triggers. The griffin’s light machinegun then roared, a line of bullets swiftly arcing up to meet me before I bolted left and poured on speed. Behind me, the griffin was following me while he hovered, turning his body and not easing off the trigger of his LMG as he tried to bring his sights onto me. But it was then that I got an idea.

Banking right, I reached down and clamped my mouth around Fire Rose’s firing bit, yanking my mother’s pistol from its holster before righting my course and rising to bring the pistol to bear against the griffin. Up came S.A.T.S. as I locked in three shots and executed the spell.

Two direct hits!

The griffin staggered in the air, finally releasing his battle saddle as he banked to recover, his machinegun going silent. Though the shots didn’t seem to punch through his thick combat armor, they bought me enough time to make another move, and quickly holstering my sidearm, I tucked in my wings and dove after my target. But before I could close in, he spotted me, looking to spontaneously regain his previous strength as he shot ahead.

He was on a straight course as I angled in towards him, closing up the distance before I fell in right behind him to line up another shot and fire. I scored another hit, but only on a part of his gear, as one of the two bullets sparked off of the casing of the griffin’s laser rifle. Then the griffin suddenly snapped out his wings to completely halt his momentum, and I went wide-eyed as I barrel-rolled to the left, barely avoiding both a collision and the swipe of the griffin’s claws, claws that I knew were more than capable of cutting me to pieces.

The quick maneuver made it a brief struggle to stabilize myself in the air, and as I did, I copied the griffin’s move, whirling in mid-flight and coming about to face him. But just as I made to fire again, I saw with surprise as the griffin was not coming after me… nor drawing a weapon… not attacking at all; he was looking at me with a focused glare. “I thought it’d take a lot longer for me to track you down.” the griffin suddenly called, the two of us now hovering face to face with a good distance of airspace between us. “After you left Plainwell, I figured that you’d just disappeared. You might understand just how surprised I was when I heard that you were here, Nova.”

His voice was easier to pick up at our high altitude, the gunfire below in Hopeville dampened just enough for me to hear his words clearly… and I didn’t like them. “What are you talking about?” I asked harshly, glaring back at the griffin. “How do you know so much about me?!”

“I know that you were in Plainwell when the town was attacked. I know what happened there when you got into the fight. I heard all about it.” the griffin answered, his voice quickly darkening with hatred. “And now, I know that Hopeville is your home.”

“What do you want?!” I demanded.

“I’m under orders to map out the northwest corner of this region, to discover anything that might threaten Talon operations in the southeast.” the griffin answered. “I was the one who found that Black Blood camp, the one that I’m sure you know about, and my platoon wiped those fuckers off the face of the wasteland. But when I found this town nearby, found you living in it, I made it my new target.”

“You’re here because of me?? What do I have to do with the Talons?!”

“You think you can walk around the wasteland doing the things that you do, and there isn’t going to be someone who takes notice?” he asked in return, adding after a pause, “You fought against us at Plainwell, killed some of our soldiers.”

“You’re soldiers slaughtered an entire town of innocent ponies!!” I screamed.

“And I’m glad that I was there to give the order! “the griffin fired back, making my eyes widen with shock. “Yeah, I wiped out Plainwell, I wiped out the Black Blood camp, and now I’m here for you.” By the Goddesses… this griffin was just… evil!! “Everyone I’ve faced down and killed has been enemies of Hayward and its mission, and that is the consequence of their decision to either ally with Challenger, or fight against us. There is always a consequence to a decision, and in your case, I’m the consequence of your decision at Plainwell.” His battle saddle clicked, a magazine from his assault carbine ejecting as it was reloaded. “Enough talk. DIE!” Suddenly, the griffin bit down on one of his battle saddle triggers, and I dodged to the left just as his assault carbine opened up, strafing the air where I had just been hovering.

Quickly, I launched forward again, slipping into S.A.T.S. just as he begun to rise in the air, and I took another shot, one that went too far left. His evasion successful, he hovered just above my altitude and opened up with his LMG as I flew past and raced upward to climb higher into the air. As I reached the peak of my climb, the LMG went silent, and I came around to face him just as he was winging upward to meet me, drawing his laser rifle at the same time.

I clamped down on my saddle’s firing bit as we once again charged straight for each other, and I took my next shot, scoring a hit on the griffin’s shoulder. But his combat armor took in the full force of the shot that struck him, and he hardly staggered as he suddenly veered up and away, angling so that his belly faced me before he brought his laser rifle to bear. Before I could pull away in the opposite direction, bright red lashed up at me, and I cried as one of the red-hot beams struck my side, burning into my very flesh. My wings locked shut out of reflex to the pain, and I briefly lost my place in the air, tumbling downward before I could force my wings open again and catch the air to right myself; I felt as my battle rifle’s autoloader reloaded the weapon fresh.

Trying my best to ignore the agonizing burn, I snapped my gaze back upwards as I fell into hover, seeing as the griffin dived straight for me with his laser rifle tucked tight against his chest. I knew right away that I didn’t want to try and meet him head on again, at least not when dealing with that precision energy weapon…

I reached down, once again retrieving Fire Rose from its holster and leaning back to aim up, readying the trigger in my mouth as the griffin approached. And then I raised up S.A.T.S. again, time pausing just as the griffin brought the laser rifle to bear… one shot, right for the weapon… execute.

Sparks licked out from the laser rifle’s casing as I scored a direct hit on my target, and even the hardy griffin couldn’t prevent himself from dropping the rifle as the bullet punched into the frame, embedding itself in the weapon’s innards before the rifle plummeted towards the town below. But just as I would’ve privately celebrated, the griffin immediately went for his own sidearm, drawing the bright white revolver as I made to evade. The pistol roared, and I felt the wind of the bullet’s passage on my right shoulder before the griffin flashed by me, continuing his rapid descent.

Wasting no time, I holstered my now empty sidearm and let myself freefall, rolling into a nosedive as I gave chase, and catching sight of the battle on the ground… or what was left of it. Saber’s guards, along with the small squad of Challenger’s soldiers, had managed to secure the armory, wiping out most of the Talons that had tried to flank us from the south. At the opposite end of town, the enemy had been driven back to their deployable cover entirely, and the mobile gun was now unmanned, the crew having been killed off by what I could only assume to be Hopeville’s new 40mm grenade launchers.

Up ahead, my griffin adversary pulled out of his dive, and I copied his maneuver. We were both still at a fair height above Hopeville, but the sounds of the diminishing fight below were more perceptible as the two of us leveled out. The griffin was straight in front of me, presenting another window to take another shot and bring him down, but just as I took hold of my saddle’s firing bit, the griffin once again snapped his wings wide to come to a halt, a move that I managed to anticipate.

I pulled away hard left just as he wheeled on me in an attempt to execute a close-range attack, but as I likewise turned in midair, I saw as the griffin holstered his sidearm, once again focusing on me with a glare; he hardly looked tired or injured. “I’ll be honest,” he called to me. “I was expecting more from the pegasus that came out of Plainwell alive.” I only glared back at him in return, only waiting for his next attack while trying to keep my heavy breathing under control; my wings were weakening. “Hopeville seems to be able to protect itself rather well, but mark my words, it will not survive forever.” The griffin then rose higher up into the air, still keeping his eyes locked with mine as he went. “You’ve got my attention, Nova, and make no mistake, I will be back for you.”

“We’ve got them on the run! They’re on the retreat!” I heard a mare’s voice through my pipbuck’s radio.

“Let the rest of them run… they know that they’ve been beaten.” the familiar voice of Captain Saber replied, grunting in pain afterwards. “Secure that mobile gun… and get it into the courtyard…… then start getting me names… I need to know who made it and who didn’t…” I flicked my eyes back to the griffin, who had now taken off for the northeast, before looking back to the surface. Those Talon soldiers remaining were falling back in the same direction, keeping each other covered as they retreated under light fire. The battle was won… but there was no cheering this time, and aside from the occasional rifle shot, there was silence.

I looked back to the northeast, the griffin now just a black dot with small wings against the cloudy sky. Despite my injury and the fatigue coupled with it, my mind still found a way to begin formulating questions. The griffin knew me… somehow… and there was no doubt in my mind that he wanted me dead. But what for?… For Plainwell?… He said that he had expected more from the pegasus who had gotten out of Plainwell alive… so was it because I had made it out alive in the first place?

And why did he leave me alive now? I had been able to stay focused in the fight, ignoring my still-irritated forelegs and my other injury during the hectic aerial dogfight. But it was only a matter of time before the fatigue of constant flight and tight maneuvering caught up to me. He had seen me and had seen how tired I was starting to get. So why hadn’t he tried to go for the kill then?… Had he perhaps seen that Hopeville was driving back his soldiers?

But the most important question out of all of them was the question of why he went for Hopeville’s throat. This was something that I couldn’t answer, as even though General Silverlight had warned us back in Challenger that the Talon Legion made targets out of smaller settlements… I felt that that griffin held a more personal stake in this. The way he spoke to me, his voice filled with hate and disdain… there was definitely another factor involved in this that I couldn’t see.

With a heavy sigh, I flew slowly back down to the surface and landed in the courtyard as Hopeville’s hiding citizens begun to emerge from the buildings. And as I looked over the outcome of the battle, I begun to feel a knot form in my stomach. The Talons now had their eyes upon us, and I knew with the most profound sense of dread that Hopeville, now more than ever, was in danger.



Footnote: Level Up!!

New Perk: Rifle Rumbler - There’s a special kind of beauty behind a good rifle. When using semi-automatic rifles or similar precision weapons, you ignore an additional 5 points of a target’s damage threshold.