It was two days before Lyra and her friends were fit to leave. Most of it was spent waiting for the Captain to regain her strength, but nopony minded the chance to rest up. When she was finally well enough, Lyra escorted her crew back onto Sereneighty with only a walking stick to help her. Tick Tock insisted that she needed more rest, but she couldn't see any difference in the rest she'd get in her bunk versus in Colgate's bedroom.
Before she could step onto her ship, Lyra was stopped by the Heart of Gold's owner. "Thank you," Colgate said, wrapping her in a warm hug. "You've done more for us than you know."
"All part of the job," Lyra said. "I mean the gunfight, not... not what we did.”
Colgate gave her a dubious look. “I’d certainly hope not, Captain. You aren't nearly good enough to charge for it.” She held a straight face long enough to send Lyra into a fit of stammering apologies, then burst into laughter. “I’m only joking, dear.”
“Yeah, I-I knew that,” Lyra said. She was desperate to change the subject. “How’s Berry? Are you two together again?”
“She’s better than I expected, but she’s been through a lot. It’ll be a long time before she’s back to her old self.”
Thunderlane came trotting out of the ranch house, a lopsided bag of weaponry slung over his back. His favorite rifle had barely left his side for more than a moment ever since they had been separated. Some of his friends were starting to wander if such devotion to an inanimate object was healthy.
"Come back soon, Thunderlane!" a mare called from one of the house's windows. Half a dozen others joined her in bidding him goodbye, most of them sounding very sad to see him go. The pegasus grinned and waved back before lugging his gear back onto the ship.
“She’ll be alright,” Lyra said. “She’s got you to help her. Thanks for everything, Colgate. I’m sorry we couldn't help everypony.”
Colgate’s smile wavered as she thought of Bluebell. The poor mare had been hit in the throat as soon as the shooting started. “She was a good friend,” she said. “She'll be missed, but the rest of us get to go on living because of you. She'd want us to make a good life for ourselves here, and you helped us do that. You've got nothing to apologize for.”
The crew finished loading up Sereneighty, and soon her engines were primed and ready for takeoff. Lyra settled into her chair on the bridge, ready to put this planet behind her. “Take us up,” she told Vinyl. “Keep it away from anything exciting for a while, alright? I could use the rest.”
Far below, another mare watched the ship ascend. Mjolna squinted in the bright sunlight, a hoof shielding her eyes as Sereneighty rose higher into the sky. “There they go,” Doctor Stable said wistfully.
Mjolna spat into the dirt. “Good riddance,” she grumbled, and shifted her harness awkwardly. One of her shoulders was still very sore, and he was having trouble walking on it. “One less thing to worry about.”
“Oh, they weren't so bad. Only two of them wore purple, right? The others were just making their way in the ‘Verse, same as us.”
“That’s two more than I'd like,” Mjolna argued, unyielding as ever. She paused to look behind her at the long line of prisoners marching through the hot sand. “Hey, back there! Get a move on!”
One of the older prisoners answered her with the beginnings of a song. “Well, I heard the law comin’, but I tried to run!”
Thirty-nine changelings answered at the same time. “We got sixty long months under the desert sun!” The procession eased into the song once again, moving on to a new verse. Mjolna dropped back a little, letting several of the group pass her by.
No love for us in this awful place.
It’s been so long that I forgot the taste.
The end came quick for the easy life.
I played the husband, but I killed the wife.
I got hunger buildin’ down deep in my bones.
May the Queen have mercy on this sorry soul.
When you hear the law comin’, don’cha try to run.
You’ll get sixty long months under the desert sun.
Sixty long months under the desert sun.
Well, the hunger grew until I couldn't break free.
God-killer's waitin' in hell for me.
This hard life's gettin' me nowhere fast.
I got three more years, but I'll never last.
The addiction's stronger than the kindest heart!
Goddess take my soul after I depart.
When you hear the law comin’, don’cha try to run.
You’ll get sixty long months under the desert sun.
Sixty long months under the desert sun.
One prisoner refused to sing along, and Mjolna fell into step beside him. “I’ll get you for this,” Boxxy swore. “One day, you’ll be sorry.”
“For what?” Mjolna asked. “You tried to kill an officer of the law. You might have succeeded if it were anypony other than Caramel. That is a hanging offense in these parts. Better a few years of hard work than a short drop with a sudden stop.”
The pegasus rustled his wings angrily and set his gaze straight ahead. Mjolna caught up with her friend, who was watching her with disapproval. “I still don’t think you should be out here,” he said. “You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”
“I am only walking,” Mjolna said. “I will ride part of the way in one of the wagons if I get tired. Besides, it is a nice day. I want to enjoy the weather.”
Mjolna stumbled, and Doctor Stable reached out to catch her. She shied away, regaining her footing without his help. "S-sorry," he said quickly, and snatched his hooves away. He cursed himself and fell silent, refusing to look at her now that he had made a fool of himself yet again.
After a few minutes Mjolna reached over with her hoof and lightly touched his shoulder. The contact lasted for less than a second, but it left a warm spot on his shoulder. The unicorn stopped walking, his eyes widening in surprise. Luckily a shout startled him back to reality before he was trampled. “We got a runner!” one of the guards called. “Three o’clock!”
Mjolna yanked the hammer out of her harness and smiled at her friend. “Excuse me,” she said. “Duty calls.”
Yeah, when the Iron Bringer’s callin' out your name,
Don't hide your face or disguise your shame.
It ain't worth the pain to try to run!
Just take sixty long months under the desert sun.
Sixty long months under the desert sun!