Fallout: Equestria - Wasteland Bouquet

by Cascadejackal

Chapter 6: Deal

---CHAPTER 6: Deal---
"Losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend."
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"Are you serious, dad?!" My eyes were wide.

"Course I am. After that last job, we're set for a while. You girls should take a vacation, and this is the perfect place!"

We were in a large town, one with hotels, bars, even a casino. The open-air market was what grabbed my attention, though; So much cool stuff!

"Awesome! Uh... What about you and mum? Aren't you staying with us?"

My parents smiled at each other. "We'll be back in a month, don't worry."

"C'mon, stay! You're seriously gonna leave us here alone? Look at this place, it's perfect!"

"You won't be alone; Ibis will be with you. Besides, your mother and I could use some time to ourselves..." They smiled at each other again and touched hooves.

"Oh..." I nodded and got ready to dart away into the crowds; They wanted some time without us, and I wanted to go shopping! "Well, have fun!"

"Not so fast, young lady!" Crap. I pulled up short and turned back my dad. "Give me your bag." Dad took my bag and emptied it of caps, leaving me just... "Three hundred caps, more than enough to keep you happy for a month. Stop looking at me like that, Lily. I don't want you spending everything, and I'll be taking most of Rose's caps as well. Now, where is she?"

I pointed to our wagon; Sure enough, my sister was dozing underneath, her coat spread out as a blanket as usual. Ibis was in the wagon itself, tied up with a dufflebag pulled over his head; Rose didn't appreciate being drooled on by a sleeping griffin.

"Rose, I need to talk to you. Come over here!"

She got up and stretched, taking her sweet time coming over to us. "Yes, uncle?"

"Honey, you, Lily and Ibis are going to be staying here for a little while, okay?"

Rose nodded sleepily. "Okay uncle. Will Magpie be going with you? There are some raiders outside of town; they're looking for easy targets."

"Are you sure?" Another sleepy nod. "Well, if you say we'll need her..."

"You will. And I'm sure she'll find somewhere to be when you're... Ahem... Lily?' She blushed. "Can you say it?"

I laughed. "Rose, my parents know what you mean. Right, dad?"

"Right." Dad looked away for a moment and cleared his throat. "Right, three hundred caps each, for you girls and Ibis. Rose, don't take all Ibis' caps, understand?" Rose groaned, but nodded. She didn't look too happy with the restriction. Poker was quickly becoming her favorite way to pass the time, and Ibis was her favorite victim. "This is your vacation, and you earned it; all three of you. We'll be back in a month, so behave yourselves, and have fun!" Ibis was untied, we all exchanged hugs and my parents went to meet Magpie, waving goodbye until they were out of sight.

I turned to my companions, grinning wildly. "We've got almost a thousand caps between us, and a full month to go nuts. What should we do first?"

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We ended up getting a couple of rooms at a nice hotel first. Nothing super expensive or amazing, but the bed was fun to jump on. Ibis got the room next to mine (I was sharing with Rose again. Duh!), and then we went shopping.

"Rose, I wanna wear it!" I'd attached my Pipbuck to the strap on my bag and was tapping my hoof against it; It really didn't do anything but pick up radio stations since it wasn't on my leg. Who designed those things, anyway?! "Look at the size of this market, someone's gotta have the right tools!"

Rose was ignoring me, busy discussing some wierd electronic thingy with the mare in charge of a stall. It looked like a box with a pistol grip and wires coming out of it. "The emitter lens is damaged, and there's a lot of wear on the transduction coil. Nopony in her right mind would buy an M.E.W in this condition, let alone try to fire it."

"Oh really? And I suppose you're some kind of expert on magical weapons?" The old mare looked indignant that someone would question her goods.

"No. But I do know how to repair them. With what you have here-" Rose pointed at some components; It all looked like junk to me. "I could get this model working. As it is, it's only worth about ten caps."

"And if you fix it?"

"One hundred to one-fifty."

The vendor whistled. "How much will that cost me?"

"Fifty caps. And these." Rose indicated a little case of tools; They were funny looking, little sockets and hexagonal things, stuff like that. I had no idea what they were for; I knew my way around a screwdriver and a bobbypin (do bobbypins count as tools?), but just looking at those things confused me.

"I dunno, seems kinda steep..."

"Fifty caps and the toolkit for a working M.E.W. It's more than reasonable." I winced. My sister had no idea how to haggle, and no respect for social niceties. That doesn't mean she was wrong; We all knew the merchant was getting a good deal. Rose was just blunt. Like a hammer. To the head.

"Oh, fine."

Caps changed hooves, Rose put the wierd tools into her bag, and a few minutes later... "Done." The thing looked more or less the same to me, a box with a mouthgrip and some wires. "You can fire it without needing to worry about melting your face now."

"I'm impressed, kid." The merchant checked Rose's work, clearly pleased with the result. "I didn't think you could, but you got this thing working again."

Rose shrugged. "I wouldn't trust it for more than a few days of repeated use; Not without more maintenance, at least."

"I thought you said it'd be perfect."

"No, I said I could get it working. Perfect would take hours, and proper replacement parts."

"Whatever, kid. Say, you looking for work? I could use a pony that's good with her hooves."

"No, thank you. I'm on vacation."

"Oh, well, if you change your mind, let me know."

Rose nodded and the three of us went on our way, browsing the other stalls. "Why do you use your hooves for everything anyway? Thought all you unicorns could do magic, make things float, crap like that." Ibis prodded Rose, barely pulling his claw back before she could bite him. "I mean, Lily's a regular Hoofini-" I grinned, proud our feathered friend thought so highly of me. "but I almost never see you do anything magical. Why is that?"

We skirted around a group of mercenaries arguing about the price of ammo while Rose answered. "I need to feel what I'm doing, and magic simply doesn't give me that connection."

"Or you're just bad at magic." I chipped in as we found an empty spot to catch our breath, away from the crowds. "Ever think of that?"

Rose just blinked at me, and her horn started to glow. I felt something move in my bag and suddenly my revolver was floating in front of my sister. "What're you..." Before I could finish my sentence, she'd unloaded my gun, dismantled it, rebuilt it and reloaded it, all with her magic, in under thirty seconds.

"Oh, so you can use magic!" Ibis said, laughing at the shocked expression on my face; I was speechless.

"Yes, Ibis. I can use magic." Rose nodded and set my gun on the ground. "All unicorns can." Her hooves seemed to dance as she repeated her earlier performance, but without using magic this time. "Using my hooves is just easier, and much more comfortable. Lily, please take better care of your gun; The cylinder was loose and there was dirt on the hammer. Not enough to keep you from firing it, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Now Ibis was speechless as well; Not only had Rose dismantled my gun, cleaned it, repaired it and put it back together, she had done it all without looking, with her hooves alone, and I'm pretty sure it had been quicker than when she did it with her magic. We stood there, gaping, as Rose levitated the gun back into my bag.

"How did you... That's insane!" Ibis shook his grey head in disbelief. "I couldn't do that!"

Any normal pony would have looked smug. Rose just shrugged. "Dad was an Earth Pony. Using my hooves, being able to feel what I'm working on? It's more natural than using my magic. Now, shall we continue shopping before Lily goes into Trading Withdrawal?" She smirked, and I glared at her.

"Very funny, Rose. Don't forget, I'm the oldest, so I'm in charge." She nodded. "Good. Now we can get back to shopping." Trading Withdrawal. Honestly. That's not even a real thing!

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We left our purchases (I got a new bow for my mane, Rose bought some books and Ibis had a big, curved knife. Rose had checked it out before letting him buy it, of course; I think Ibis was relieved when she approved of his selection) in our rooms and headed to the casino, enjoying the cool evening air. "Don't you just feel so free?" Yes, I was dancing down the middle of the road. We'd shared some beers before leaving our rooms, and I was with my two best friends. A little giddyness was to be expected, okay? "It's like I'm flying!"

Ibis laughed and leapt into the air, flying circles around me. "No, it's like you're stumbling around like a drunken idiot." I tried to catch him and missed.

"Well, I'd be flying if I could! AAAH!" I shrieked when he swooped in and picked me up.

"See? Now you're flying!" He laughed and adjusted his grip so I'd be more comfortable, and we rose above the town.

"Wow..." I was breathless. We'd been higher in the Robronco bulding, but this was amazing! The wind whipped my mane back as we flew, free as... Well, as a griffin! "You're so lucky, Ibis... Flying whenever you want... I wish I had wings..."

He laughed. "If you like this, then hold on tight!" We started diving and twisting like crazy, making me shriek with delight. Ibis' claws tightened around me as we pulled out of our dive a few feet above the ground and blew past Rose, my sister just a white and red blur as we climbed again, rolling lazily. "Having fun?" Ibis twisted his head to smile at me.

"I fucking love you, Ibis! You're the best griffin ever!" His smile turned to an evil grin and we dived again ("AAAAAAAAHH!!!") only to do some wierd twisty-roll and come out facing the way we'd come.

"I told you before, Lily! You're not my type!" We laughed together as we flew; I didn't mean it that way, and he knew it. Far below, I spotted Rose; She was just a smudge against the dark street, sprinting after us.

"Maybe we should land before Rose gets lonely!" I suggested, not really wanting to be on the ground again so soon, but knowing Rose would be freaking out since she couldn't reach me.

We landed and it took me a minute to find my sister; She had her head in a barrel, throwing up. "Oh, sorry, Rose! I didn't think!" I patted her on the back and she slowly raised her head. Eugh... Green really wasn't her color.

"I hate flying."

I hugged her. Ibis was perched on the roof of the building next to us. A pretty smart idea, given how Rose was looking at him; I didn't need to be an empath to know she was blaming the griffin for her current state, and would take it out on him at the first opportunity. "It's not like you were the one flying, though. I mean, don't you feel things like... I dunno, like they're distant or something? Hey, stop looking at me like that, Rose! You don't talk about your abilities that much, so I have no idea what it's like!" She'd been looking at me like I was an idiot. "Would it kill you to explain once in a while?"

"Yeah! We're your friends, you can trust us!" Ibis called down; apparently griffins have really good hearing.

Rose groaned and sat next to me. She still didn't look well. "It's... Hard to explain. Most ponies" One hoof pointed at Ibis, who was now hanging over the edge like a... What's that thing called? Ugly, made of stone? Gargoyle, I think. "and griffins, I can feel everything they feel, but it's... vague. I remember dad telling me about having to take med-x once, and how it made his whole body numb. I guess that's a pretty good analogy." Analo-what? I knew what med-x did, but I didn't know that word.

"So it's like being doped up?" Ibis again.

"I guess so, but not really. Some ponies, I can feel really clearly. Auntie and uncle are the only ones, really. I used to be able to feel my parents like that, but..." Rose went silent for a moment, so I started stroking her mane.

"It's okay, Rose. What about me?" I nuzzled her neck, trying to cheer her up. "Can you feel me like that?"

She blinked at me and looked away, embarrassed. "Um... You're a little more... clear than that..."

"What do you mean?"

A bit of a blush crept across her face. "I can... Um... I can feel everything."

"Everything? How much is 'everything'?"

"Everything. Every emotion, every single thing you touch or taste or smell or feel, every part of your body." She blushed more. "It's like I'm me, and you, at the same time."

"Oh..." Wow... This was awkward... "So, when I was... y'know... 'hoofing it' in the bathroom at our hotel?"

Rose nodded. "Yes."

"Seriously?"

Another nod. "It was... interesting..."

By this point both our faces were bright red; We were blushing so much it was easily visible in the low light. Ibis was staring at us, trying to work out what we were talking about.

"Are you saying that... the reason you took so long getting ready for tonight was... Wow... Seriously? And Rose felt it too?" He flew down and landed near us, approaching slowly, smirking. "That's... kinda hot, actually. FUCK!" We both lunged at him; there was no chance he could escape, and we beat the living shit out of him

"PERVERT!"

"Creep."

"FREAK!"

"Featherbrain."

Eventually we stopped, more because I had to catch my breath and Rose had gotten bored than anything else. Ibis was groaning, and Rose pulled a healing potion out from his belt with her magic. "Open wide. I want to go to the casino." She forced his beak open and poured the potion down his throat.

"Fuck... You girls are crazy..." He coughed and sat up, groaning. His bruises were already beginning to fade.

"And you're a fucking pervert!"

"Hey, you're the one that hoof-fucks herself, Lily. OW!" Rose smacked the back of his head.

"Shut up, stand up, start walking." She slipped her forelegs under his wings and pulled him to his feet easily. "Buy Lily a sparkle cola, promise never to say that again, and I don't kill you. Agreed?"

"Two sparkle colas and a beer, forget everything you heard and I won't kill you." I glared at him.

"Jeez, you two really are crazy- OKAY OKAY!" He flinched when I raised my hoof. "Just don't kill me!"

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Flashing, brightly colored lights and a barrage of noises assaulted me as soon as we entered the casino. "Wow..." I was stunned. All around me I could see ponies gambling; Some winning, most losing, and all of them as caught in the hypnotic scene as I was. Tables for poker, blackjack and some wierd game with dice filled a sunken area, but that was boring.

What I was interested in was the wierd boxes with levers and little spinny wheels on them; They were the brightest things in there, outdoing even the pastel colored mob of ponies with their brilliance, their melodic dinging and ringing. I tried getting to them, drawn like a moth to a flame, but Ibis grabbed me. "No you don't! You've got the worst luck I've ever seen, Lily!"

"B-but they're so shiny!" I tried feebly to escape, pawing at the air like that would help me break free from the griffin's talons, desperate to reach the shiny boxes that promised so much wealth!

"Rose, help me here!" Ibis grunted as I struggled. Rose sighed and pressed her horn to my forehead. A warm glow filled my mind and everything seemed a little clearer; The shiny boxes lost some of their hold on me as I noticed how most of the ponies using them (insert chip, pull lever. I filed that away for later use) seemed desperate, how very few of them were actually winning.

"Huh? What... Rose, what did you just do to me?" I shook my head, confused. One second I'd been wanting to reach the pretty, shiny, noisy boxes, the next...

"I cleared your head for you. You were... overwhelmed." She blinked at me. "Ibis, you can let her go now."

"Not until she gives us her word not to gamble; No cards, no craps, no slot machines." He squeezed me, and I squeaked out my agreement.

"No gambling! Got it! Can't... breathe..." Why would I want to play craps, anyway? That game with the dice looked more interesting! A lot less gross, too.

The griffin let me go and I took a deep breath before turning to him, my eyes full of hope. "Are you sure? Just one try can't hurt!" I felt something jab the back of my head (Rose's horn) and the warm glow washed over me again, stripping away more of my urge to play with the pretty boxes... Slot machines, that's what Ibis called them! "Fine, no gambling." I sighed and turned to Rose, swatting at her. "Just stop fucking with my head, okay?" She ducked my hoof and nodded.

"The bar's over there, Lily. Let's get our drinks; courtesy of Ibis." She eyed the grumbling griffin. "Unless he wants to spend the night tied up with his beak taped shut."

"Drinks on me? No problem." He laughed nervously; We both knew Rose wasn't kidding. He owed me two sparkle colas and a beer, and she'd make him pay up, one way or another. We got our drinks (making Ibis carry them) and found ourselves some seats.

"How do you do stuff like that?"

"Like what?"

"You know, get inside peoples heads, like what you did to Lily."

"Huh?" I turned back to my friends, distracted for a moment by the bank of slot machines mere meters away. "What were we talking about?"

Rose's horn started to glow. "Lily... Don't make me do it again."

I raised my hooves defensively. "I'm good, don't worry! Honest!" And I was good! Just, intrigued by the machines. I'd seen somepony win a minute ago: Their slot machine had started vomiting chips like Rose after a full bottle of whiskey, and if each chip was worth one cap, then they'd made a bundle... Something told me the chips were worth more than that, though...

"See, that's what I'm talking about! How much can you do to our brains? Can you make us think we're, like, radhogs or something?"

Rose shrugged. "I can take away the pain of your worst wound, or your deepest fear. I can make death as gentle as going to sleep. Calming Lily was easy; I simply took some of her desire to use the slot machines. Of course, the emotions and sensations I take don't simply vanish." She paused to drink her cola. "From a foalish fear of the dark, to the pain of a cut leg, to the experience of death itself, everything remains within me."

Ibis stared at her. "So, when you kill someone..."

She nodded. "I feel their death. When I can, I ease their passing from this life into the next. However, I can only do so when I am very near; No further than touching distance."

The griffin gave his grey head a shake, disturbed. "How do you deal with it? I mean, it must be like dying yourself, over and over again. Doesn't that wear you down?"

Rose finished her cola. "I'm used to it now. The first time was rather... Disconcerting, to say the least. To feel the raider's life leave his body when I cut his throat, to feel his fear, his futile anger... The next was so similar, and yet, so different. So, too, were the others. With each life I took that night, I caught a glimpse of what lies beyond... And when I was done, when all that remained was blood and silence, there was no regret. They would never harm another as they had harmed my parents." She stood up. "Ibis, please control Lily. I feel like indulging myself, and they have poker tables." My sister vanished into the crowd and I turned to the griffin, who was in shock. I'd already heard all that before, more or less, so it didn't bother me. Not much, anyway. Still creepy and depressing, though.

"How come she gets to gamble?" I waved my hoof at the crowd; Rose was visible every now and then as she weaved her way to the pit with the card tables.

Ibis shook his head. "Because she's good at it." Well, no shit. "And you couldn't win a coin toss if you had a two-headed bit." That wasn't fair at all! "That sister of yours is a strange one, Lily. I'm starting to worry about her."

"I think she's come along nicely, considering. Hey, is that a female griffin over there?" I pointed at nothing and slipped out of my seat, hoping Ibis would be distracted long enough for me to reach a slot machine.

"Where do you think you're going?" Fuck. He'd grabbed my front leg, stopping me.

"Um... Little mare's room?" I gave him my most innocent smile. He didn't fall for it.

"Yeah, right. Come on, I'll get you another beer."

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"BLEAGH!" Rose used her magic to keep my mane out of my face while I threw up; we'd been in the casino for hours, and I'd drunk more than I should have. I blamed Ibis; he was the one paying for my drinks. He should have warned me not to mix beer, sparkle cola and... what was that stuff I ordered towards the end? Started with a V... Doesn't matter.

What matters is that I was throwing my guts up in the alley outside our hotel, and Ibis was the one responsible. "Feel better now?" He called out from the entrance to the alley, well out of my reach... and my range. Guess he didn't want a repeat of the Robronco elevator.

"I'd feel better if you carried me to my room."

"Fuck off. You can walk perfectly fine."

"Rose, make him carry me."

Rose pointed at me. "Ibis, carry her."

"Why the hell should I? Do you know how much she made me spend on her drinks?! It's only fair she has to suffer!"

"If you carry her, I might let you kiss me goodnight." WHAT?! I was throwing up again, so there's no way I heard that right!

"Are you serious?" Rose nodded at him. "Well, okay then! Up we go!" He came over and swept me up in his arms. I didn't like being carried like a foal, so I tried to throw up on him, but my stomach was empty.

Still, it was nice not having to walk. And he was gentle when he set me on the bed, so I could forgive the indignity of being lugged around like a baby. When Rose dropped her winnings next to me, I forgot all about it and opened the bag; She'd almost doubled her 300 caps in a single night! Just to make sure, I started counting, half-listening to my friends arguing.

"You said I could kiss you! C'mon, be a sport."

"I said I might let you kiss me. I never said where."

"But your hoof? What are you, a princess or something? At least let me kiss your cheek!"

Rose tapped her hoof on the ground, thinking about it. "Fine. One kiss, on the cheek." I looked up from my... Um, Rose's pile of caps, interested in what was going to happen.

Ibis leaned in, grinning, and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. My jaw dropped! She'd actually let him do it! "OW! FUCK!" Nope, it was too good to be true; When he pulled back, Rose had a couple of feathers in her mouth, and she was smiling as she spat them on the floor. "What did you do that for?!"

"You're a bad kisser."

Ibis was rubbing the side of his neck, I could see where the feathers had been pulled out. "I'll have you know I'm a great kisser! And how would you know? That one was on the cheek! Let me give you a proper kiss, we'll see how you feel!"

Rose snorted. "I didn't get all tingly, or warm, or even blush. That's how it happens in the books, so you must be a bad kisser."

The griffin groaned. "Rose, not everything is how it is in books. And a proper kiss is a lot better than some stupid story makes it sound, believe me."

"I'll take your word on it. Right now, I have to go wash my face. Shoo. Go back to your room." She pushed him out (he was protesting the whole way) and turned to me with a grin. "That was fun."

"So, you into griffins now?" I went back to counting as she jumped onto the bed next to me.

"No. And I never will be."

"Don't you think you're being mean, leading him on like that?" 299, 300, 301... She hadn't lost any money, then.

"No. He keeps hoping I'll fall for him, but he's happy enough with the way things are. I won't deny that I enjoy fighting him, and that it is comforting to feel his body against mine, but I doubt that comfort comes from... sexual... reasons or desires."

"You are really, really wierd, Rose."

She shrugged. "To be honest, I think of him as an... older brother, of sorts." Wait, what?

"What? Seriously?" I stared at her.

"Of course. I know he would protect us from anything if he could; that's how Ibis is. He cares for us and watches over us, just like older brothers do in my books." She smiled at me. "That is what big brothers do, right?"

"I... guess?" I shrugged. "So, you've got a big sister and a big brother now? Does that mean I'm less important, then?" Putting on a sad face, I stared at Rose; She threw her arms around my neck, hugging me like she'd never let go, her face buried in my mane.

"That means you're even more important, Lily. Nopony could replace you."

I hugged her back, feeling a little guilty. "You know I was just playing, right? Just teasing you?"

"I know. But please don't say things like that, it makes me sad." She squeezed me tighter, so I did the same to her; We kept hugging tighter and tighter until one of us squeaked. Yeah, it was me. So what?

"Can't... Breathe..."

Rose let me go, an embarrassed grin on her muzzle. "Sorry."

"Damn, how come you're so strong?" I poked her chest. "You're the scrawniest unicorn I've ever seen!"

She shrugged. "It's the Earth Pony in me, I guess."

"Must be. Now, let's have a good look at you!" I made her sit up straight on the bed while I walked around her. "Yep, you're scrawny alright. Like a little filly" She blew a rasberry at me and I laughed. "You act like one, too. Quit squirming!" I'd started playing with her mane, trying to put it in different styles. "Seriously? Gun oil again? Do you sleep with your rifle or something?" Said gun was leaning in the corner, with her duster tossed over it.

"Sometimes." Rose blushed. "When we're travelling, I always keep my rifle close, and it makes a nice pillow."

"You are the wierdest, and best, little sister I could ever ask for." I gave her a huge hug and kissed her cheek. "Never change, Rose."

She nuzzled against me. "I won't."

"Good. Now, back to your hair!" With a groan, she reluctantly let me keep messing with her mane; I was having fun, and a little smile crept across her face, showing she enjoyed it too.

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"And they won't even let me play the slot machines! Can you believe it?!" I thumped my hoof on the table, making my new friend laugh.

"I can't imagine why, it's not like you'd lose every time."

"Exactly! But try telling Rose and Ibis that!" I grinned at him; Lucky Break, a brown coated, brown maned unicorn buck about my age. His cutie mark was a four-leaf clover, and he'd offered to buy me a drink. That was a couple of hours ago, when we'd entered the casino. Rose had went to her poker table of choice (after our first few visits, they kept a seat open for her. Something about being a High Roller, whatever that meant) while Ibis was watching me like a hawk... Or a fuzzy-butted eagle. Same thing.

"Why don't you have a spin? On me, if your boyfriend there doesn't mind." Lucky grinned, pointing at Ibis. The griffin scowled.

"Don't you dare, Lily. You're the most unlucky mare I've met in my life. Ten minutes, you'll send that buck broke."

"Hey, if Lucky wants to treat me, it's up to him." I turned back to Lucky. "He's not my boyfried. I'm single." I winked.

"Well, aren't I the lucky one. Let's go, I've got a pocket full of chips and a lovely mare who needs to learn the finer points of gambling." That made me giggle, and we went to the table pit.

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"I knew you should have let me play the slots instead." I grumbled, glaring at the cards in front of me. Lucky was staring, wide-eyed, at them as well.

"How... You... Jokers? That's not even..." He shook his head. "Your friend wasn't kidding, was he?"

I shrugged and asked eagerly: "Guess not. Can we try the slot machines now? Cards are boring!"

"You can't be any worse at them, I guess. Jokers... That's just..." He shook his head again.

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DING DING DING DING! "YEAH! I FUCKING RULE!" The machine spat out some chips (less than I'd put in during the last few minutes, but who cares?! Flashy lights and loud noises made it great!) and I threw my hooves in the air. Lucky laughed at me.

"You're still down about 20 chips, you know."

"Oh, shut up. I finally won, don't bring me down!"

"Okay, okay. Not being a downer." He smiled at me. "Well, big winner, how's about treating your lucky charm to a drink?"

I chuckled. "I think you deserve at least that. What'll it be?"

"A bottle of Golden Harp would be perfect." He offered me his hoof. "Walk you to the bar?"

"Why, thank you!" I took his hoof, we went to the bar and ordered. Ibis wasn't far behind; He'd been following me the whole time.

"Gonna get me one, Lily?" He plonked his big grey behind on the chair next to me.

"Nope. I like Lucky more." I stuck my tongue out at the griffin, hugging my new lucky charm. Ibis narrowed his eyes at the buck.

"Rose will kill him, you know. She's never let a buck close to you, and I don't think she'll start now."

"Rose?"

"My sister. She's really protective. And shut up, Ibis. Lucky's a good guy. He hasn't tried anything at all!"

"Wait, you thought I was..." Lucky laughed. "Don't worry, Mister Griffin., I never try anything on the first date. Especially with a delightful mare like Lily." I beamed at him.

"If you do try anything, you will die." When Rose spoke from behind me, I jumped out of my seat and into Lucky Break's arms.

"Rose! What have I told you about sneaking up on me! Er, sorry, Lucky." I blushed and clambered off of him and back onto my seat, hoping he wouldn't be offended by her threat. He was nice, cute, and had let me play with the slot machines! "Like I said, she's protective."

He smiled at me, "Quite alright, Lily. And you must be Rose, her sister. I'm Lucky Break." Lucky smiled at Rose and extended his hoof to her. "Pleased to meet you." She stared at it, her ear twitching slightly.

SHIT! I grabbed his hoof and pulled it away from my sister. "She doesn't like being touched, and I like you better in one piece."

"Oh, my... Is she really so dangerous? Such a sweet looking girl, too." He looked a little nervous, and his smile faltered for a moment. "Well, I don't want to offend anypony. May I buy you a drink, Rose?"

She blinked her blue-gray eyes at him, then turned to Ibis. "How much did Lily lose?"

"Rose, don't ignore Lucky!" I protested, but she ignored me, too, so I turned to Lucky, looking a little ashamed. "Sorry, she doesn't like strangers much. Especially bucks."

"Quite alright. To each their own. If your sister dislikes me so much, then perhaps I should go. It is getting late, after all." He smiled at me and got off his seat, but I grabbed his shoulder.

"Just ignore them." I waved my hoof at Ibis and Rose, who were sharing a bottle of whiskey (for the first time ever) and talking about my terrible luck. "I want you to stay, at least until you can walk me home." I blushed a little, smiling at him.

He smiled back. "Very well."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Talk about a gentlebuck. He didn't even try for a goodnight kiss! I gave him one anyway; I really liked him, no matter what Rose or Ibis said.

Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Rose in a while. When we reached our rooms, she dumped her latest bag of caps (they kept getting bigger!) on our bed and went into Ibis' room, saying she had to talk to him about something. I'd occupied myself by counting caps and wondering if I'd see Lucky again, but she really had been gone for a long time...

Gradually, I realized there was a constant thudding coming from the next room, Ibis' room. Every few seconds, another thump, like something banging against wood. If it had been anypony else, I'd almost have said... Nah, couldn't be... Could it?

I left behind my- Rose's horde of caps and got up, walking to the dividing wall and pressing my ear to it. Yep, that was definitely thudding. And... Ibis groaning? Oh, Luna tie me down and shove her hoof up me, I think they were! Rose and Ibis were having sex!

"Slow down, Rose. You're starting to hurt me!"

"Don't be a baby. I'm almost there, so hold out a little longer."

"Dammit, slow down! It's starting to cramp!"

"Maybe if it was bigger, you wouldn't be having so much trouble."

"That's not fair, and you know it!"

I sat back, reeling. They were seriously having honest-to-Celestia actual sex! And Ibis was bad at it, from the sound of things. My little sister was with a guy! I never thought she'd do that... Especially with Ibis, of all people! And I'd never dreamed she'd have sex before me!

I left my room and stood at Ibis' door, hesitating to open it. What was I thinking, there had to be some kind of innocent explanation. They couldn't possibly be doing it... I could hear their voices through the door.

"Happy now? Argh... It hurts..."

"It's just a little swelling. Want me to kiss it better?"

"You'll just bite it, I know what you're like."

"Fine. I'm going to lay down this time, so it's easier for you."

"What, you want to go again?"

"Of course. Here, I'll lay on my back, and give you a head start."

"You're going down, Rose."

"No, you are. And after, you can help dry me off. I'm working up a sweat... So are you, from the look of it."

"I wouldn't be, if you'd take it easy on my bloody-"

"What in the name of Luna's shiny pink moon-pebble is going on in here?!" I burst into the room, glaring at them. Rose was on her back on a table, an empty whiskey bottle beside her, laying with her lower half hanging off of it, her body soaked with sweat... Ibis was standing near her head, leaning towards her, just as sweaty... He had his elbow braced on the table, with Rose's hoof clutched in his claw, and they were both groaning, straining... Oh, sweet mother of Celestia... My face started burning as I stared at them, realizing what they were doing.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Rose blinked at me, before slamming Ibis' talon against the table, making the thump I'd heard before. "Did something happen?"

"I.. er... It's nothing... Are you... Hoofwrestling?"

Ibis nodded, frowning as Rose slammed his talon down again. "Rose wanted to see who could reach 100 wins first. My damn arm is killing me, she's relentless!"

"Oh, erm... I... I see..." I think my face had turned the color of Rose's mane.

"Why, did you need something? And why the hell are you blushing?" he risked a glance at me; Rose pinned his (rather swollen) arm again. "OW! Slow down!"

"I... heard you from my room and it sounded like you were..."

"Sounded like we were what?" He groaned, putting everything he had into pinning Rose's hoof. It didn't help. THUMP!

"Nothing, really!" I laughed just a little too shrilly. Ibis stared at me for a moment.

"Lily, what is going on in that tiny little brain of yours?" THUD! "Dammit! Not so hard! I just wanna know what Lily thought we were doing!"

Rose sat up (giving Ibis a chance to rub his wrist) and blinked at me. "What did you think we were doing?"

"Oh... Nothing, really..."

"Spill it, Lily. It couldn't have been something, not with the way you burst in here." Ibis crossed the room to grab a towel from his bag, drying himself off. Rose glared at him; I recognised the look, it meant she wanted to be dried first.

"Well, you see... I heard thumping... and then groaning... and some of the stuff you said... so..."

They stared at me. "So what?" "What would we be doing besides hoofwrestling?"

I blushed and spat it out. "I thought you were having sex, okay?!"

First they snickered. Then they chuckled. Then they were on the floor, clutching their guts, laughing like crazy.

"Why... Why the fuck would you think we were... gahahah! having sex?!"

"My big sister... ahahaha! is a perv!"

My face was burning. "That's what it sounded like, alright!"

Ibis managed to sit up, gasping; Rose had started hiccuping. "Lily, you are so... adorably dense... sometimes."

"Oh, fuck off Ibis. And why the hell are you all sweaty, anyway? Hoofwrestling isn't that intense!"

He was trying to breathe normally, still chuckling. "It is when... Rose wants to go all out... She's as strong... as a griffin...!"

"Stronger! HIC! You lost HIC every HIC time! HIC! And Lily HIC! thought we were HIC!" She burst out laughing again.

"Fuck you two! Rose, you can stay in here tonight if you keep laughing at me. I'm serious!" Fuming, I stormed out, slamming the door closed behind me with my magic and leaving the pair laughing at me, went into my room and slammed that door too. Just for good measure.

---------------------------------------------------------------

I sighed, looking at the nightstand by my bed. My pipbuck was sitting there, since it made a good clock. Just past midnight... I rolled over, stretching in the empty bed and thinking. Rose had stayed with Ibis after all... Maybe I shouldn't have said she couldn't sleep with me tonight... Rose did everything I told her, just like a real little sister; never questioned anything I said, always being a good little pony... All she did was laugh at me, and in hindsight, it was pretty funny... They'd downed at least two bottles of whiskey together that night, so I guess they'd been a little drunk, too...

It had been years since I'd slept alone, and now... I couldn't. I missed Rose's familiar warmth, her smell, the sound of her breathing. The bed seemed huge and empty, and I felt so lonely...

Quietly, I slipped into the hall. It couldn't hurt to see if she was still awake... After all, she wouldn't sleep at all unless I was with her... I poked my head into Ibis' room; The light was still on, so it was easy to spot them. They were lying on the bed, Ibis on his back, a little drool dripping from his beak onto the pillows, and Rose... She was curled up into a ball on his chest, sound asleep. If it hadn't been for the slight movement of her chest, you'd have thought she was a stuffed toy.

Sighing, I closed the door and went back to my bed. Guess she was fine where she was... Somehow, that made me feel even worse...

-------------------------------------------------------

Blue-grey eyes were opened, just the tiniest sliver, but it was enough to watch a cream mare look into the room. She was lonely, upset... When she closed the door, the white pony with the blood red mane curled into a smaller, tighter ball, even lonelier than the mare she'd been watching. A normal filly would have cried, but Whiskey Rose didn't. Lily had told her to stay here tonight, and good ponies did what they were told. No matter how much it hurt her, Whiskey Rose would always try to be a good pony, especially for her big sister.

-------------------------------------------------------

Morning... I'd been tossing and turning all night, trying to get comfortable, but the bed was just too... empty. I made up my mind, then and there, to apologise to Rose. First, I'd take her breakfast, then-

Someone knocked on my door. "Lily? Can I come in?" It was Rose.

"Sure."

She pushed the door open and came in, her head low, horn glowing white as she floated... was that a cheese sandwich? "Lily, I'm sorry for laughing at you last night." She went to jump onto the bed next to me, but hesitated, not looking me in the eye. "It wasn't funny, I know that now." The sandwich floated over to me. "Here, I made this for you. I know how much you like daisies, but they didn't have any." She turned to leave. "I'll be with Ibis if you need me..."

"Rose, stop!" I thumped my hoof on the bed and she stopped. "Come here, right now. No, come here come here." Obediently, she climbed onto the bed, sitting next to me, but keeping her head low, not looking at my face. I was feeling really guilty now. "Rose, look at me." She didn't, so I grabbed her head in my hooves and lifted it so I could look into her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong, okay? I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was... I was just upset, because I'd... I'd made myself look like an idiot, and I took it out on you." I hugged her. "Forgive me?"

"You didn't do anything bad, Lily. You're a good pony." Rose wrapped her hooves around me, nuzzling my neck. "There's nothing to forgive you for."

"Alright, but from now on, you're sleeping with me every night, okay?"

"Okay."

I kissed her horn and smiled. "Now, help me eat this sandwich! After that, we'll go shopping! How does that sound?"

She smiled a little and nodded.

We shared the sandwich and went next door to get Ibis. I was expecting him to be tied up or unconcious or something, but he was sitting at the (slightly scuffed) table, sharpening his new knife; I stared at him, then poked Rose's shoulder. "Why didn't you beat him up or something?"

She shrugged. "He was comfortable to lay on, and he didn't try anything." I stared at Ibis again.

"You behaved? You? Rose, I'm not sure that's really Ibis. It can't be! Not if he didn't try anything with you!"

She shrugged and Ibis stuck his knife in it's sheath on his belt. "Why would I try anything? We were just sleeping together, after all." He smiled at Rose, who snorted in response and walked out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her with her magic. The griffin came over to me and whispered: "It didn't feel right, trying anything when she was like that. Poor thing, she was heartbroken when you said she had to stay in here... Does she always whimper in her sleep like that?"

"She was whimpering?"

"Like a little filly."

"No, she's never done that before..."

"You really crushed her last night, Lily." He looked at the door sadly. "I hugged her when we went to bed, and she only bit me a little."

"Don't worry, I'm never going to make her sleep apart from me again. I couldn't sleep last night; Being alone is... horrible..." I was trying not to cry...

Ibis wiped a tear from my face and messed up my mane. "As long as you understand, Lily. Without you, she... she's just not the Whiskey Rose I fell in love with."

"You really love her?" I stared at him, stunned, and he grinned.

"Almost as much as you do, I bet. Species be damned, Rose is my kind of girl. Strong, smart, loyal, and that body! Mmm! I could eat her right up!"

"You really are a fucking pervert, aren't you?"

"Maybe, but that doesn't change how I feel. Let's go, before my little marefriend gets impatient." We both laughed and went into the hall; Rose was sitting on the floor and playing with a spider, letting it run around on her hoof. Ick.

About half an hour later, the three of us were walking through the market, hunting the stalls for anything interesting or useful. Rose was on one side of Ibis, I was on the other; She'd kept that damn spider and it was sitting on her muzzle like a pet! UGH! No way was I getting close to that thing!

"It's kinda cute, sitting on her face like that." Ibis nudged me with his elbow, smirking. "Don't you think so?"

"No, I don't fucking think so!" I shuddered and Rose blinked at me. The spider was sitting on the end of her nose now. "Bugs are creepy! Rose, don't you dare come near me with that-" I screamed and jumped onto Ibis' back when she took a step towards me, grinning. "Get rid of it!"

"Ow, watch your hooves Lily! You heard her, Rose. Get rid of it before she tears my wing off!" I was clutching his wing, hiding behind the feathery appendage. I really, really didn't like bugs. Still don't. Rose sighed and lowered her head, letting the horrible thing run off to torment somepony else. UGH!

"There. Now can you get off me? You weigh a ton! OW!" I smacked him on the head and jumped down.

"I hate bugs." I shuddered and trotted to the nearest stall that looked interesting; some pre-war jewelry. Mostly beaded necklaces and things, nothing really valuable, but it helped distract me from thinking about horrible, multi-legged things... "EEK!" I squeaked when I felt something go up my back, turning slowly, my face full of fear... Rose and Ibis were laughing again. "What did you just put on me?" I was still shaking, dreading the answer.

Rose leaned close, opened her mouth... and blew on my neck, making it feel like something was on me. I shuddered and glared at her. "Not funny, Rose." She stopped and backed off, her smile dying instantly.

"Sorry, Lily..."

I sighed and put my hoof around her shoulders. "It's okay, just don't do it again." I nuzzled her cheek, she was really sensitive today. "Tonight, you can make it up to me, okay?"

"I'll do anything you want!" She brightened up a little.

"Anything, hmmm?" I let her go and tapped my chin, thinking... "Ibis, what's with that look?" I could tell the griffin was thinking something dirty.

"Do you really want to know?" Oh, that grin was just evil! "Cause it could be fun for all of us!"

"Rose, kick him." She did, and the griffin fell over, clutching his stomach. I sighed. "Rose, you aimed too high."

She shrugged. "You never said where I should kick him."

"He was probably gonna suggest something really dirty, you should have aimed lower!"

"I... was gonna... say that... we could... have a.... kissing... competition..." Ibis struggled to his feet, winded. Rose stared at him, probably deciding if she should kick him again or not.

"You're a bad kisser. We already know that." Nope, she just went for his pride instead.

He caught his breath before responding. "Oh, fuck you, Rose. I bet you wouldn't turn down Lily!" He pointed at me.

"And I bet Lily would be a better kisser than you." Huh? How did I get dragged into this?!

"Rose, I-" I started to speak, but Ibis cut me off.

"And what about you? Have you ever kissed anyone?" The griffin glared at Rose. "How do you even know what a real kiss feels like, anyway? Always having your head stuck in those books or down your rifle scope, you wouldn't know a good kiss if it bit you!" Rose growled and jumped on him, pinning him to the ground with a heavy thud; I expected her to beat him black and blue, but what happened next made my jaw drop.

Rose, my male-hating sister, kissed Ibis. On the mouth. And what a kiss! I think there was some tongue! After a minute she pulled her head back and opened her eyes, smirking triumphantly at her victim. "Competition over. I win." She got off him and stood next to me. "Lily, your mouth is open." I shut my mouth as Ibis opened his eyes and sat up, dazed.

"Where the hell did you learn that?"

"Romance novels. Your heart is pounding, every part of you is tingling, and your head is all messy-uppy. That's what a real kiss is meant to do to you." Was messy-uppy even a word? I was having trouble thinking straight, still in shock from what just happened.

"Okay, that was a real kiss... Did you enjoy it too?" He smiled at her; he still looked kinda dizzy, though.

"Nope." Rose shrugged, a bored expression plain on her face. "And I want to wash my mouth out. You have bad breath." She turned to examine a stall, and I saw a small smile creep across her lips. She was also blushing a little.

Ibis got to his feet and scowled at her; she was facing away from him, so he couldn't see what I did. "You're a brat, Rose. A complete and total brat."

"That's why you love me." She swished her tail at him, not bothering to turn around... Not wanting to turn around, more like! I waved my hoof at Ibis to get his attention; Point at Rose, kissing motion, point at Ibis, back at Rose, and poke my tongue out at the griffin with a huge smile... A look of understanding crossed his features and he smiled, getting what I was trying to say. Rose had enjoyed the kiss too, and now she was teasing him.

"Well, next time, how about I kiss you?" He stood beside her, casually putting one arm over her shoulders. "I'll give you such a great kiss that your tail will curl." He ran his talon up her back, teasing her. She couldn't hold back the shiver his claw gave her, and there was no way to hide her blush.

"Let me go, or I tear you in half." Rose twisted her neck to glare at him, her cheeks bright red. "You have five seconds. Four. Three. Two-"

Ibis let go and stepped back, claws in the air and laughing. "Okay, no need to get violent. I'll buy you something nice if you don't hurt me, how does that sound?"

My sister glared at him silently for moment... "Gum. I want bubble gum." When he agreed, she turned to me, still glaring, and I winced. "You told him, didn't you?"

"Maybe." I gave a nervous chuckle.

"I didn't want him to know."

"Um, sorry?"

She stopped glaring at me and nuzzled my neck. "I wanted to tease him, that's all." I hugged her, smiling; My little sister was starting to grow up. "Now I have to find another way to play with him." Uh oh...

---------------------------------------------------------------

Lucky Break stared at Ibis, who was sitting at the bar with most of his head covered in sticky pink goop and all of his feathers messed up, trying to get over the most traumatic experience of his life with a bottle of Wild Pegasus. Rose was sitting next to him, well away from Lucky, and kept trying to steal the bottle. Ibis had his claws wrapped tightly around it, though, and even Rose couldn't pry them off. "What-"

"You don't want to know. Believe me." I cut him off. "Rose was bored, that's all you need to know."

"Rose did that?"

I nodded.

"How?"

"Like I said, you don't want to know."

"Right... But-"

"I said, you don't want to know. How about teaching me how to play cards instead?" I gave Lucky my biggest smile, trying to distract him from my messy friend. If I hadn't told Ibis that Rose enjoyed their kiss, she wouldn't have done... What she did. Ibis and I would have nightmares about it for the rest of our vacation. Bursting a huge bubble on his face had been the least of it. To this day, I still don't know where she found a baby radscorpion or how she spring-loaded it into a jewelry box, let alone how she convinced a brahmin that Ibis was an ideal mate.

I don't blame you for not believing me. It's almost as unbelievable as how Rose got her name. All that was missing was a flamethrower, a crate full of whiskey and a hellhound!

...

Let's never speak of this again.

Lucky sighed. "Very well, Lily, if you insist." He offered me his hoof and I took it; Never turn down a gentlebuck when he's being polite! Especially when he's cute, and willing to let you spend his money!

Long story short? We wound up at the slot machines. Lucky refused to let me near a card table ever again.

"I've seen bad luck before, Lily, but there's no way you should be this unlucky. It's almost like some great, cosmic thing has it out for you." Lucky was shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well, I can't be smart, beautiful and lucky, now can I?" I stuck my tongue out at him, and he chuckled.

"I suppose your horrendous luck almost makes up for your many good qualities."

"Oh, tell me more!" I laughed, blushing. "What about me do you like the most?"

"As you said, you are smart, and beautiful. Your spirit knows no bounds, and your laughter is quite infectious."

"Aww, you're just saying that." I looked away, smiling.

"Now, would I tell a lie to the finest mare I've met?"

"I don't know, would you?"

Lucky laughed and put his hoof under my chin, turning my head so we were looking into each other's eyes. I felt my face burning. "I would never lie to you, Lily." He leaned close and I got ready to kiss him, but he stopped just shy of my lips, his voice low as he whispered. "You have wonderful eyes... Like the most precious of emeralds..."

When he pulled back, I groaned. What would it take for him to get a clue?! I wanted to make out, he must have wanted to make out, so what was the problem?!

---------------------------------------------------------------

"What do you think of Lucky, Rose?" The two of us were walking home together (Ibis was flying around above us, following from the air); Lucky had stayed at the casino, trying to win back the money I'd lost at cards. Not that I felt bad about it, I knew he'd make it back quickly. Besides, he was the one encouraging me to gamble!

"I don't like him." Rose shook her head, tossing her mane out of her eyes.

"I knew that! What I meant was, is he genuine or not?" I frowned at her, and she just blinked at me. That was her response to everything! Blinkity-fucking-blink-blink! "Well? Out with it, little miss empath!"

"He genuinely likes you, Lily. Unlike the last buck you were involved with."

Oh, right... The one that got me drunk, and was almost killed by Rose when he tried to take advantage of me...

"Don't worry, Rose. I've got you to protect me!" I grinned and gave her a big hug as we reached our hotel. "C'mon, let's go to our room. I'll wash your mane, and then we can curl up in bed and read together!"

Quit looking at me like that. I can read just fine, I'll have you know! Stop laughing or I'll have Rose throw you out! That's better.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Waddya mean we're not allowed to gamble here any more?!" I stomped my hoof, frustrated at the casino manager. "Just cause Rose keeps winning is no reason to throw us out!"

"You're not being thrown out, you just can't gamble. Your friend is just a little too lucky and our other High Rollers are starting to complain. I'm sorry, but you can still enjoy refreshments from the bar."

It was our last week in town before my parents returned and we'd just been told Rose was too good at poker, so she wasn't allowed to play any more. Sure, we had two big bags full of caps that she'd won back in our room, but that's still not a good reason to ban us! Stupid casino...

Grumbling, I led our group to a bar Rose had mentioned seeing while we were shopping. If we couldn't gamble, then the casino wouldn't get any of our caps at all! Jerks. Still, Lucky Break was tagging along with us, so that was something. We'd gotten pretty close over the last month, and he was by my side most days. We only split up late at night, since Rose had started getting grumpy when she was tired. You don't wanna see Rose grumpy. Think of a small, white, sarcastic hellhound.

I focused on my beer, holding it steady with the green glow of my magic. Golden Harp, huh? Not bad. Another sip just to make sure... Yeah, not bad at all. Lucky was trying to make friends with Rose and failing. As usual. She was sitting at the next table over with Ibis, and the pair of them were sharing a bottle of whiskey; It had become something of a ritual between them. If Lucky was nearby, they'd stay close enough to keep an eye on us, but just drink and talk quietly, ignoring any attempt me or Lucky made to get their attention.

It was a little insulting, but I had an attractive stallion to talk to, one who not only liked me, but wasn't just trying to get under my tail! At least, that's what Rose said, and she never lies to me!

Although... I wouldn't have minded if he tried to go further than just kissing. He was a great kisser and all, but I wanted more! No, it wasn't just because I was drunk! We'd been spending more and more time together all month, and he still hadn't tried to put the moves on me! And I hadn't really... 'taken care of business'... since I found out Rose could feel it when I was... Like I said, taking care of business, so I kinda needed to have my itch scratched.

"You ever have that happen?"

"Have what happen?" Lucky turned to me, giving up on talking to Rose. She could be so stubborn!

"Get kicked out of a casino! Can you believe the nerve of them?!" I banged my beer on the table. Golden Harp... Why did it make me think of sweets?

"Well, no..." He admitted. "But then, I've never won such a large amount of money. Rose is quite talented, for being so young."

"No shit. She's only been playing for about a couple of months, too!"

His eyes widened. "You'd think she was born to play; In fact, I'm surprised her cutie mark isn't a pair of cards! I've never seen a unicorn so skilled at reading her opponents in my life!"

"Yeah, well... Rose's special like that." I never did tell him about the empath thing... Meh. Didn't matter. Rose didn't want anything to do with him, and I wanted him all to myself.

"I see... Speaking of cutie marks, how did she get hers? It's quite... Unusual."

"You don't wanna know."

"Another of your long and complicated stories, my dear?"

I blushed. He'd just called me 'My Dear'!. "Nope. I just don't think I should tell it, when it's Rose's story. Try asking her."

Lucky looked over at Rose; she'd gotten the empty whiskey bottle stuck on her horn and Ibis was trying to get it off for her. She didn't seem too bothered by it, though. "I'd rather not. Your sister seems... Less than fond of me."

I snorted and motioned for him to lean close. "Wanna know a secret?" As soon as his face was close enough, I grabbed him and gave him a big, drunken kiss. Slowly, we pulled apart. "I like you enough for both of us." I grinned at him; maybe I shouldn't have been drinking so much, but who cares? He smiled back.

"I have a secret too, my dear Lily." We leaned close to each other again. "I like you a lot, as well." This time, the kiss was mutual.

When we seperated this time, I volunteered to get us some more beers, leaving Lucky at our table, giving him a good show and swaying my hips as I approached the bar. I glanced at Rose and Ibis on the way; my sister was chugging back an entire bottle of Wild Pegasus in one go, with Ibis staring at her in awe... or was it horror? She still had the bottle on her horn, too.

It was getting late when I stumbled out of the bar, hanging onto Lucky. We were both beyond drunk, stumbling and singing as we headed for my hotel, trading kisses and laughing when we missed. As we'd left the bar, I'd called out to Rose and Ibis, telling them not to stay out too late.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Ugh... Talk about hangovers... Even with my eyes closed, I could tell it was daylight, so I reached out, finding something warm and fuzzy to bury my face in... I breathed deeply, hoping Rose's familiar smell would help me feel better...

It didn't smell like Rose.

I forced myself to sit up and open my eyes... Ow... My head hurt was pounding... And why was I sore between my hind legs? Oh, no.... I focused on the sleeping form next to me; It was Lucky Break.

What the hell had happened last night?

The last thing I remember was pushing Lucky onto the bed, giggling, and then... Fuck. I lifted the blanket a little and looked down. There was a spot of blood... That explained why I was so sore... And why Lucky was unsheathed... It was pretty impressive, now that I got a good look at it... Hesitantly, I shook Lucky to try and wake him up. No, not like that. I put my hoof on his shoulder and shook him, you pervert.

He yawned and slowly sat up, smiling at me. "Good morning, Lily." He kissed me and I melted, pressing against him for a second before my brain kicked in and I pulled back.

"Lucky, last night... Did we?" I was a little afraid of his answer.

"Have sex? Of course. You said that since you wouldn't be in town for much longer, you wanted to make our last week memorable. I didn't want to take advantage of you, but you were quite insistant. Why? Is something wrong?" He gazed at me, concerned, and I smiled a little.

"No, nothing." I kissed him, happy he was worried about me; I knew he cared about me, and I was glad he'd been the one to make me a real mare. "I'm just a little sore, that's all."

"I was as gentle as I could be, Lily." He wrapped his forelegs around me. "When you said you loved me last night, I was overjoyed. You are a wonderful mare, and do you remember what I said when you asked me to be your special somepony?"

Blushing, I shook my head. "It's... kinda a blur." A drunken, sex-filled blur, but still a blur.

"Oh." Lucky seemed disappointed. "Well, I said it would be a dream come true, and I meant it." We kissed again.

"Hehe... You really said that?" He nodded, smiling. "It would be nice... Having a proper relationship... you would wait for me, right? Cause you know I travel a lot..."

"I'd wait for you forever, Lily. And maybe I could come with you; I've always wanted to travel."

"We'll see about that." More happy kissing. "I'll talk to Rose about-" Fuck... "Lucky, where's Rose?"

---------------------------------------------------------------

I ran as fast as I could, Lucky just behind me. Ibis' room was empty; neither of my friends had slept there last night, so I was heading for the bar we'd been at last night. They had to be there, they just had to be! I burst in and ran up to the bartender. "Have you seen my sister? Unicorn, white coat, red mane, she was with a griffin?!" I managed to get the words out, panting like I'd just run clean across a town... Which I had!

"They left just after you! Your sister took off and the griffin followed her; looked like they were heading to the edge of town."

"THANKS!" I yelled over my shoulder and took off again; Lucky had collapsed, panting, but I couldn't stop to see if he was okay; Rose was missing and maybe hurt!

The whole time I ran, visions of her laying in some ditch, scared and alone, kept flashing through my head. I tried to banish them from my mind, but they were replaced by even worse thoughts. Rose being captured by raiders, or running into a hellhound, or even worse fates... Oh, please let her be alright! Celestia, Luna, I'm sorry for everything I've ever done or said, but please let my little sister be alright!

Eventually, I saw a grey shape lying near some rocks, about a minute out of town, and sprinted over to it. It was Ibis, and he had Rose under his wing...

"No... nononononono..." I moaned, they were both bloody and battered, a bloodstained and broken bottle laying in the dirt nearby... I forced myself to get closer... Thank Celestia, they were still breathing... With one hoof I lifted Ibis' wing to get a better look at Rose... Her eyes snapped open and focused on me.

They were almost fully grey, barely any blue left at all, staring at me without blinking, full of pain, loathing and disgust.

"Rose... Are you-"

She snarled and leapt away from me, staggering a little. It was like looking at a wild animal, her coat covered in streaks of dirt and dried blood.

"Rose, what's wrong? Talk to me!" I pleaded, stepping towards her, my heart breaking. The closer I got, the further away she leapt. Ibis stirred, letting out a pained groan.

"Lily, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Ibis, what happened? What's wrong with Rose?!"

"You had sex with Lucky, didn't you?!" The griffin glared at me.

"I-"

Ibis slapped me across the face. Hard.

"Rose fucking felt everything!" He screamed at me. "You know how she is, what you mean to her, and you still fucked that bastard!"

Rose snarled at me again, the look in her eyes so intense it scared me; She was looking at me like I'd betrayed her, and I suddenly realised that I had! I started sobbing and tried to run to her, desperate to hold her and beg for her forgiveness.

I never had a hope of reaching her. The moment I moved, so did she, moving faster than her battered body should have been able to, fleeing from the town... and me. I sat down heavily, staring after her. "Rose... I..."

Ibis slapped me again and I fell over, limp, just watching that white shape fade into the distance. "You fucking idiot, Lily. Stay here, I'll take care of Rose." He gave me one last disgusted, disappointed look and took to the air, flying after my little sister... I hoped he could catch up to her before something happened...

I was still laying there when Lucky caught up; he was breathing heavily, but I didn't care, didn't even look at him, just stared into the distance.

"Lily... Are you okay? Did you find Rose?" He gently lifted me up; I flopped like a ragdoll in his grasp, all the life drained out of me. "Lily?" Why did he sound so upset? It's not like he'd just betrayed the most important pony in his life, ripped out her heart and stomped on it...

"Lily, talk to me. What happened?" Gently, he stroked my mane, holding me close.

"I... I... Rose, she..." I broke down, sobbing, and buried my face in his chest, telling him everything. About Rose, about her cutie mark, her parents, how she needed me... and how I needed Her.

FOOTNOTE: LEVEL UP

Companion Lost: Whiskey Rose
Companion Lost: Ibis

Ugh... This chapter was fun to write at first, but that last part... Thanks to KKat for creating Fallout Equestria, and to Winter Storm for all the tips and help!

Comments

[Cascadejackal]

969208 I'm glad you liked it! Personally, I thought it was too much of an emtional roller coaster.

[Ocean Mist]

Great story so far!

[Peaceful Treasure]

Heart...breaking. Emotions...rampant. Amazing chapter... Think it might have given me a slight headache, it's so good!

[lemmings]

Maybe it's just me, but the last part of this one felt a bit rushed. Still great, though.

[lemmings]

5208720 Sorry, take it back - hadn't started the next chapter. It's meant to be rushed. My bad.

[Luminous Lead]

Telling him everything. About Rose, about her cutie mark, her parents, how she needed me... and how I needed Her.

Ohhhhh boy, that can't be good. Felt a lot like he was hanging with Lily to scout out Rose's special talent for the High Rollers. This could get ugly.

[ChaosDX1]

I knew Rose would get kicked out of the casino!

She still had the bottle on her horn, too.

Princess Rose, heir to Whiskey Queen Blackjack's crown of empty bottles!

I tried to banish them from my mind, but they were replaced by even worse thoughts. Rose being captured by raiders, or running into a hellhound, or even worse fates...

I hope not! That poor hellhound!
Seriously, give your sis some credit.

Gotta say what actually happened was probably worse.