Fallout Equestria: Our Will (rewrite)

by AngryPenguin

Chapter 17: Until We Meet, Again

"Now, that's just crazy talk!"

Honesty. I know, another rant from Sia. Sucks, right? Well, I've got a few things to say about honesty. While honesty is an important trait to have, let's face it: Everyone lies. I wish I could say I was an honest mare, but the truth is, I even lie to myself. If you say you have never lied, you are lying. Don't tell me you've never told a little white lie. We can't all be like Applejack. Heck, even Applejack couldn't be Applejack, a time or two. I'm not saying there is dishonesty at every turn, but the truth does not always make itself known. Especially in a land where deceit was one of the main foundations for the war. Ironically, though, the wasteland can be a hurtful truth if you think about it. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, anymore. The reality is there, now. What could happen, what did happen. I'm almost certain the ponies of old lied when they said Equestria would be alright.

Violet flew in front of me. I didn't even have the energy to keep up. My shoulder and rear end were pretty sore, still. Every time it throbbed, I would think back to what happened. Luckily, I was able to distract myself with all the questions flying around my brain. Violet was dead set on catching the foes, but I already knew she would be disappointed in me. I let Hope get away too easily. The blame forced its way through my chest, making it hard to breathe. I put lives at stake. I put a foal's life at stake. I grit my teeth to hold back the impending tears.

"So, what did she-" Violet set down next to me. "Sia? What's the matter?"

I quickly wiped the moisture from my eyes. "It's nothing, really. I'm just..."

She grabbed me in a hug before I could say anything else. "I know you're not okay, right now. Whatever happened... That bastard is gone, hon. He's dead and he will never, ever hurt you, again. You got your friends with you and we won't leave your side, again. I promise."

I returned the hug. I guess I technically wouldn't be lying if I blamed my stress on that. I could just leave out the whole 'I'm deceiving my friends' thing.

"I-"

"No, no. You don't have to say anything, Sia. You're probably so overwhelmed by it and it's hard to come to terms with it. Anytime you want to talk or vent or cry, you can come to me, okay?" She held my shoulders.

I sighed. "O-okay, Vi. Thank you. I don't deserve you as a friend."

She smiled. "You do and I would beat anyone's ass who says otherwise!"

We walked, quietly, the rest of the way to the lobby. At least I didn't have to tell her the truth. It bothered me to no end, but I don't think I could have told her I let Hope go.

"Sia, Violet. Any luck?" Redd met us near the lobby's entrance.

Violet stomped. "The bitch knocked me out and held a gun to Sia. She got away!"

I winced.

A nurse that was standing beside Zangth stepped up. "I saw a wagon, earlier. The ponies wore cloaks and didn't want to be recognized. It was before the foal was taken, so I didn't think it was anything other than a supply shipment. It wasn't until after the alarm sounded, I realized what had happened."

I perked up. "Did you see which way they went?"

She shook her head, sadly. "I'm sorry, I only saw them while I was walking inside the lobby. I didn't see them leave."

I slumped. "We have to go after them. We can't let her get away with this!"

"That infant will not survive past twenty-four hours." Zangth looked at his hooves in defeat. "I will have to think of what to tell the mother."

I paced around the lobby. I kept quiet about the fact that Hope possibly had the means to care for the foal. They would probably try to kill me if I followed them, but I had to get that poor baby from them. Hope was deranged. There was no telling what she planned to do. We couldn't go one direction at a time, so I came to the conclusion that we had to split up. I hated it, but my years in the military had taught me a thing or two.

"That's it!" I turned towards them. "We'll have to split up and search each direction. It'd be best to go in pairs, just in case." I checked the time on my Pipbuck. Still pretty early. "In a few hours, we will meet back here. Do not approach them. If you spot them or find any clues to where they were headed, get back here, immediately. We will come up with a plan that won't get anypony hurt or killed."

"But, there's only four of us." Redd told me. "How are we supposed to go four directions if we are in pairs?"

Tapping my chin, I came up with a solution, quickly. "Zangth, how many security guards do you have here?"

"F-five, but two are off duty."

"I'll go." Cherish said from behind me. "Doctor Zangth needs to be with his patients. I'll go with one of the guards."

It was comforting to know there were more ponies who cared. Another point for pony-kind.

I nodded. "Zangth, go grab two of your guards and repeat the plan. Tell them to go north a few miles. Cherish, you and the third guard will go south of here." I pointed to each direction on the Pipbuck map.

"I'll go with you." Redd said to me.

I shook my head. "Violet and Nico are good with tracking. We should distribute those skills evenly."

"Aw, can't I travel with you, then?" Violet spoke.

"I... don't think it's a good idea to let Redd and Nico be left alone. I'll go with Nico." I said, flatly.

I saw the protest in Redd's eyes. I didn't want to make anyone unhappy, but this was our best option. He was probably going to be angry with me.

"Fine. I trust you. Lieutenant." He whinnied.

So, it was settled. We parted ways outside the door. I checked the map on my Pipbuck and started walking towards the west. Nico walked close to me, gazing over every so often. The pain in my nethers was just going to have to be there, because I wasn't going to stop. I would not hesitate, again.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Nico saw my face twisted in pain.

"No, I-I'm okay. Honest." Another lie.

He narrowed his eyes. "You're hurting."

I didn't say anything. The breeze was moistened with precipitation. You could tell it either had been raining, or it was going to rain. Gray clouds still covered the sky, like dull frosting on an upside down cake. The smell of mud and wet fur lingered around. I tried to hide my scrunched up face. It wasn't a smell I could get used to living around. Of course, now that I had no choice, I'd have to deal with it. I dropped my head as we walked.

"I have a syringe of Med-X. I'll carry you. Are you sure-"

"Nico! Please, stop. I promise I'm okay!"

He bit his lip. "Sia, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to look after you. If you need anything let me know."

"I know you probably think I'm a little fragile after all that... craziness. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't do anything about it and it's not your fault." I looked up at him.

His jaw was clenched. It looked like he was about to cry. "I-I know... Or at least, I'm trying to accept that. It keeps replaying in my head, Sia." He kicked a rock. "I wish I could have bashed that bastard's skull in." He sighed. "I'm afraid of a couple of things."

"Like what?"

He bowed his head. "For one, the more I'm around you, the more I want to..."

I tilted my head.

He groaned, frustrated. "Remember when we were talking about foals? When I said I want to find the right mare?"

I nodded.

"I'm afraid that you might be the only mare I'd ever want." He looked at me, sadly. "But, you will not want the same with me. I'm afraid of my feelings for you."

I blushed. "Why?"

"I know you're supposed to say 'uncertainty is the beauty of life' or some crap like that, but I hate not being sure about something. What would happen between us is so uncertain." He shrugged. "Maybe that's why I come off as controlling. If I can be in control, I would know what's to come. I don't want to control you."

I kept my focus on the dirt ahead of us. The words died on my tongue. "I... I don't even know what I can say. The future scares me. Like you said, uncertainty is terrifying. To me, anyway."

He exhaled, smirking. "We are supposed to be waiting until all this is over before we start making decisions, but I don't know how much longer I can hold back."

"Hold back?"

He quickly nuzzled my cheek. "I don't know how much longer I can keep myself from being a bleeding heart for you." Just as quickly as he nuzzled me, he moved away. "I'm in love and I don't want to be. Not because of you, but because of all the uncertainty."

Pretty sure that's called mixed signals.

I cleared my throat, still red. "Er..."

He looked at his hooves. "Do you feel exactly the same way you did back at the shack? You were so sure of your feelings for me, but have they changed?"

I didn't know. I honestly didn't know. I knew nothing about love or romance. I felt love for him, but I couldn't be sure what it really meant. I felt the same about Redd, but the feelings I had for him brought comfort to me. He felt like home to me. Maybe, it was because he is a foalhood friend. We've known each other forever. Nico, was more of a... thrill. I loved him, but because, deep down I was tired of the consistency back home. There was a part of me who wanted him to myself, forever. The other part of me knew it was probably just a temporary excitement.

Love is freaking hard.

"I-I don't know, anymore." I sniffed.

He stammered. "I-I'm sorry, I did not mean to put you in this position, right now. Damn it, I am an idiot."

"You know it doesn't bother me, right? It's a good distraction from... this." I waved my hoof around.

He sighed. "My brain has been all over the place for the past few days."

I chuckled. "I can see that."

The topic of our conversation was quickly changed. It was for the best. I almost wanted to believe this was a weird dream, but since Rarity never showed up, I had to accept that it wasn't. He probably had more he wanted to say to me, but I wasn't sure if I'd be ready to hear it. I tried to think about it more, but I just kept coming up as a blank page. It even felt like my love was fake.

You don't love anyone, do you? Come on, that is pathetic. They certainly don't love you. You know what happened between you and Redd was strictly for his benefit.

I tried to ignore the stupid voice in my head. It seemed to get louder each day. Stupid conscious. Stupid mental issues.

Stop trying to let your emotions control you. You wouldn't even have any mental problems if you would take control.

I shook my head. "That's enough." I whispered.

"Hmm?" Nico said.

"N-nothing. I was just wondering if we have enough supplies. Seems we do." I laughed, nervously.

"Um... okay." His head slowly turned back towards our direction.

I slowed to let him walk a little bit ahead. Great. Now he thinks I'm crazy, too. I picked my head up, looking around the landscape. Emptiness. Same as always. Canyons and hills lay ahead of us in the distance. I hated to know what sort of danger hid behind them. I'd leave that territory for future ponies to worry about. I did see the distant mountain, a little closer than it was when Redd and I were traveling towards the market. The tip stretched its way into the cloud curtain. It was hard to see because of the fog, but I saw the faint pink tint lazily floating around one area of the mountain. Canterlot Ruins. I wished I was brave enough to explore the place. Too bad the toxic air probably would have killed me the moment I stepped on the grounds.

I looked back at my wings, tired of walking. "Hey, why don't I fly up and see if I can see anythi-"

"Shh." He stopped walking, putting a hoof out for me to stop, too.

I paused, watching his ears swivel around. I didn't hear anything, until the rustling of bushes made us turn.

"Nico!" A shriek made me jump. Out of the dead shrubbery next to us, a pink blur pounced and tackled Nico. They rolled a couple of times, before they stopped. The magenta mare started squeezing him. She was sickly in appearance. Her long, brown and white mane was matted and dirty. Her tail was tied into a bun. I couldn't tell what her cute mark was. Three gray dots? Three dead leaves? She kept squeezing him. The pure astonishment on his face was enough to scare any ghoul.

"I'm not dead and you're not dead!" She let go, circled a few times, and giggled. She seemed to have the mindset of a school-aged filly.

I was about to ask her name until Nico answered for me. "Pepper."

My flank hit the dirt as I stared in utter shock. I could barely blink back the tears from the surge of pain in my behind.

"H-how? Where did... Why are you here?!" He stumbled over the questions as he got to his hooves.

Her eye twitched (creepy). "I'm just here! What's the big deal?"

"Y-you went with that pegasus. You left, Pepper." He said.

Her back hoof reached up to scratch her ear. "They tried to kill me. Well, he tried.. They can't kill me, though! Heh. I was too much for the bastard!"

I hated to speak badly of anyone, but this was Pepper? She was nuts!

He examined her. "Experiments? Where have you been? Why are you in Shattered Hoof, now?"

"Yes, I was looking for you, of course!" She smiled. It wasn't a normal, friendly smile, either. It was terrifying! When her gaze finally fixed on me, I wanted to fly away as fast as I possibly could. Her smile faded into a scary frown. "Who is she?"

He looked at me and swallowed. "This is Sienna. I'm helping her take care of a few things." He looked back to her. "Sia, this is Pepper."

"It's nice to meet you, Pepper. I've heard a lot about you." I dipped my head with the weirdest smile I've ever worn.

She trotted over to me, circling me. She stopped at my flank and put her ear to it. I yelped, not appreciating her touching that very sensitive area. Pepper stretched out one of my wings and stroked the feathers.

"New here. Feather brain. Enclave. No, ex-Enclave. Hmph." She walked back in front of me. "Military bastards. If I find out you've been messing with the good ponies of the wasteland, I'll murder you with one hoof." Her eyeballs almost touched mine. I gulped and shook my head, furiously.

"Wait, Pepper, she's one of the good guys." He gently tugged her hoof away from me.

I held my breath until she finally took her glare off of me. Her disturbing smile returned as she started nuzzling Nico, again. "I missed you so much, darling."

"I-I missed you, too." He hugged her.

Hello, right here! See? I told you he would forget you.

I held back a growl. Not at them, but at the voice in my head. Honest! Despite the concern that I probably clearly showed, I was happy they were united. I wanted to believe he was happy to see her, again. I noticed the smile on his face forming after several seconds of confusion. It was contagious enough to make me smile, too. Until she looked at me over his shoulder and gave me the biggest death glare I have ever received. My smile went away, fast.

"You've changed, though. You're more... energetic." He let go of her.

Her attention went back to him. "Yes, yes. A side effect of the experimental drugs, I'm sure. Those pegasi were dead set on making me miserable. The last one they gave me made me comatose for a while." She giggled, sending ice up my spine. "I guess they thought it killed me because they 'disposed' of me, pretty quickly. Some elderly mare found me and kept me in her home for months while I was in a coma! She told me it ruined my mentality. Psh. I actually feel pretty good!" She cracked her neck in an unholy way. "Oh! I found these, too!" She took a pouch from somewhere in her mane and poured what appeared to be small, indigo pills into her hoof. She popped one into her mouth and swallowed.

"What are those?" He questioned.

"Luna stone. It makes me feel invincible! And, it works fast!" She shivered one time. "It is goooood..."

He shot me a worried glance. I shrunk, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Something along the lines of, "you damned pegasi". He shook his head and took her hoof. "You'll be alright. You're perfectly fine."

Now, that is some blatant denial.

"I know." She scoffed. "You look like hell, though. Did she do this to you? Is she making you do all her errands?" She pointed a hoof menacingly at me. I swear, her fur stood like an angry cat's would. "If she did, I'll rip her ugly mane off her head!"

That did it. I flapped my wings, hovering high enough in the air, before she reached me. She bared her teeth, growling as she tried to jump for me.

"No! Pepper, wait! She isn't doing anything wrong! What's going on around here is just stressing us all out. Her, mostly." He pulled her down.

She gave me one more creepy glance before settling down, again. "Whatever. You wanna be used and threw away by some pegasus, don't say I didn't warn ya." She smirked.

"I promise, she's a friend. Her, Violet and Redd are all good pegasi." He reassured her.

She quickly jumped up and looked left to right, several times. "There are more of them?! You must be fucking mad! They are all out to get us and do experiments on us! Don't you see? you're the only unicorn with them! They'll wait a-and seduce you and then when no one is around, they'll jump you!" She took his hoof and tried to pull him away.

"N-no. They wouldn't do that." His heart was breaking right before me. "What have they done..." He whispered.

She stopped and glared at him. "I told you, I am perfectly fine! You even said it, yourself!" She huffed and hugged him, again. "So, where are we going? You can't travel with these... fuckers, alone."

I rubbed my neck. Geez. This is going to be a longer trip than I thought. Somewhere in the back of my head, I heard laughter.

Whoever had done this to Pepper needed to be thrown in a dungeon. The way Nico spoke of her, she was kind and quiet. This Pepper was a jack-in-the-box rigged with explosives! She did say she was put into a coma. That was probably what messed up her brain, not the drug, itself. I wasn't, in any way, justifying the pegasi's actions, but there had to be a good reason they'd do something so horrible. I wondered what medications they were giving her. I, myself, had never heard of the Enclave experimenting on other ponies, even if they were from the wasteland. I couldn't see a fellow officer torturing a wastelander for no reason. Especially one as kind as Pepper was.

I took a deep breath, trying to process it all. The smell of something burning filled my nostrils. I exhaled to sniff the air. Burning wood. Must have been a camp, somewhere. My head turned, lazily, seeing a tower of black smoke. It was too big to be a camp fire. I flew upwards, more, to get a better view of where the smoke was coming from.

Right where the tavern was.

My eyes widened. "Nico, the tavern! It's on fire!" I yelled down at him.

"Shit, we have to go! Fly ahead!" He yelled back up to me before he took off towards the fire.

I zoomed in the same direction, easily outpacing the two unicorns. My chest started to grow heavy with each breath. I grit my teeth and forced my body to move faster. The cold wind stung my face as I picked up speed. Hopefully, no one would be hurt.

BOOM!

The smoke turned into a wall of fire, climbing an invisible ladder. As I got closer, I saw the smoke was getting thicker. "Dad!" I screamed, shooting forward. The entire time, I prayed to the goddesses he would be okay. The screams and cries of the patrons made my chest hurt.

I finally cut through the tree tops to get there. The building was up in flames, battling the rain showers that had started. I stopped to watch ponies running or limping away. I searched the crowd for my dad, but I couldn't see him. Frantically zigzagging through ponies, I finally saw Specs leaning against a stump, coughing and hacking. His mane was singed and he had soot spots all over him.

"Specs!" I called, running to him.

He looked up. "Sienna! What're ya doin' here?"

"Where's my dad?"

"In there." He pointed to the building. "He went back to help the rest of tha patrons."

"No!" I panicked. "I've got to help him! He's gonna be killed!" I began flapping my wings.

"Wait!" He stopped me. "That fire is gonna reach them boxes o' liquor! It could explode any minute!"

I frantically searched over the front of the building. "I have to help him, Specs! I can't lose my father, again! Nico is on his way, tell him to help anypony who is wounded!"

Specs opened his mouth a few times, finally snorting. "Damn it, just be careful!"

I shot through the crowd and through the swinging door. Smoke escaped through every opening in the building, after rolling through most of the room. My eyes began to burn as ashes flew into my face. Flames licked at me as I landed and ran the rest of the way. The heat was smothering. It became harder and harder to breathe. Damn, I forgot about the permanent damage to my lungs. The panic attack overwhelmed me along with the coughing fit. I dropped to my belly and crawled, like we did in training. There was less smoke near the floor, but it was still suffocating.

Fuck.

The only thing that wasn't on fire was the bar, itself. Unfortunately, the liquor was behind the counter and the fire was quickly getting closer to it. I dodged falling planks, searching through the haze. Numbness began to spread form my chest to my forelimbs. I felt dizzy. I couldn't stop coughing, either.

"Not... now! Damn it! Dad! Where... are you?!" I called between coughs.

I couldn't hear over the loud crackling, but it sounded like muffled yelling. My ears turned towards the voices. They were in the back room. I crawled faster, until I got to a place where the smoke was thinnest. Still coughing, I galloped towards them. It was the only room behind the wall and it had a metal door. I assumed it was the cold room.

I wheezed and coughed some more. My eyes watered so much, I couldn't see anything. Using my hooves, I felt in front of me as I tried to make my way closer. Finally, I felt the metal on the wall. It was extremely hot, so I had to snatch my hoof away. It was probably going to leave a mark.

"Daddy?" I called, putting my ear as close to the door as I could. I could still feel my fur scorching.

"I'm here! I'm okay! You need to get out of here!" He yelled from the room.

"No! How many are in there with you?"

I didn't hear a reply.

"Dad?!"

"Th-there's five others, alive. Two... are gone." He finally replied.

I wasted no time. "Do you have a way out?"

"This door is the only way out! No fire can come through, but the smoke is getting thick! A mare in here is beginning to have a heat stroke!"

My thoughts raced, along with my heart. "Are you able to open the door from the inside? There is a clear path to escape if you can get it open!"

"There is no way to open it from the inside and we have nothing to ram it!"

I hissed. My tail had been burning! I cried out as I stomped the flame. When it was finally out, I frowned at the blackened ends. It was now the same length as my mane. It hurt, too!

"Hold on! I'm gonna get you all out!" I yelled, frantically looking around for something to open the door. I could already hear bottles breaking next to me.

There was nothing I could use to ram the door. Everything was either too small, or already burning. I gulped as I stared at the steaming door. The only thing I could do was force it open with my body. Taking a deep breath, I squeezed my eyes shut and stepped back. I charged the door, pushing with all my might. Even wearing my armor, the door was heating it up, fast.

"Sienna? Are you okay?" I heard Dad call to me.

I didn't answer. I just stepped back and tried again, grunting as my hooves lost their traction. The door wasn't budging! I galloped backwards, reared up, and charged, shoulder first. The whole side of my body crashed into the thick steel. It finally moved, just a little. I slammed my shoulder into it repeatedly. The searing door burned through my barding and was now eating at my skin. The pain was intense, but I had to ignore it.

I. Will. Not. Hesitate!

"The door is moving, but the ceiling is about to fall in!" Dad yelled.

"Please, hurry!" A mare yelled.

Running back, again, I screamed as I lunged forward. The hot air stung the whole left side of my body. Upon impact, I felt the entrance move a bit more. I figured one last push would do the job. One final time, I backed up and charged. This time, I continued to push, inching the door open. I felt the blisters forming on my hide. My legs and wing weren't fairing too well, for sure. Through tears and sobs, I slammed my weight into it.

BANG!

The hinges went flying. The door tumbled down, barely missing my father's head. I rain in, hugging him. The others gathered at the door, staying behind him. He let go of me, his hoof smeared with blood. "Oh my Goddesses, Sienna! You're hurt!" He scanned my side.

Pieces of wood were falling next to us.

"No time! Come on!" I turned, holding my uncooked wing to my nose.

I belly crawled towards the main room, hearing the others following my lead. Looking over, the flame was inches away from the boxes. I looked back to see if everypony was okay. As each of the five passed, I counted. Dad wasn't one of them.

"Dad!" I called. The others stopped. "No, keep going! Through there! The front is open!" I pointed towards the large opening.

They nodded, galloping out to safety. I, painfully, slid along the floor, looking for the large stallion. I backtracked into the room. Spotting him, I saw what was keeping him: His hoof was caught between the fallen door and the floor. Breaking into a gallop, I slid to a stop beside him. "Hold on, Daddy!"

"No, you go! I can get out, just run! Now!" He nudged me forward.

"But-"

"Go!" He screamed.

I stomped, my hoof throbbing. "Hell no! We've lost too many, already!" I jumped over his leg and the, now glowing, metal. It had started sizzling where his hoof was touching it. I screamed, turning and rearing my back legs. With all my might, I bucked. The chunk of almost molten steel slid off of him, tearing his hide a little. It was bad, but better than letting him die. I breathed, heavily, about to pass out from the smoke. More bottles were breaking as the liquid started hissing.

"Let's go!" He yelled over the noise.

He leaned on my good side, as we hobbled back where the bar was. Just as we cleared the room, the ceiling fell with a crash. I turned to see the crate fall into the flame. It all happened so fast. First, the explosion that shook the building. Then, my dad staring at me in horror. Last, the long piece of a bar stool that had impaled my abdomen near my back bone. I fell to my knees, mostly out of shock. I didn't even feel when it happened. The agony I felt when I noticed was enough to knock out anypony. I refused to pass out, though. I had to fight! I had to make sure everypony was safe!

"Come on, Sienna! You have to get up! Come on! You're gonna be okay!" He yelled, desperately trying to get me to my hooves.

I noticed another shelf starting to fall. This time, the explosion would surely bring the place down. I tried to warn him, but nothing came from my muzzle but a soft groan. I did manage to point to the boxes. He gasped, picking me up and flapping his wings. I lay across his back, crying from my wounds. The injury in my nethers were dull compared to those burns. He hovered in the air, waiting for an opening between the flames.

"Hold on, baby. Please, hold on!" He said, hurriedly.

I made a weird noise with my throat. It was a mix of pain, fear, and haste.

Like a bullet, he shot forward. Right when the crates impacted the lake of fire, too. My eyes widened as the ball of fire chased us through the entrance. The rest of my tail had burned completely off. Before we knew it, I realized we were outside. The rain was coming down, harder, each drop dissolving into the fires. I didn't know how long it would take for the weather to fight the fire.

"Sia!" I heard a familiar stallion.

I gulped down the fresh air, coughing and sputtering. Dad set me down, but I could barely stand. My hooves were blackened and burnt. I looked back to see my left side was hairless, save for a few spots. My cutie mark was missing, too. The blisters were bubbling and stinging. My wing was featherless. Oh, and I was pretty much skewered. I tried to move, but my limbs felt paralyzed. I couldn't lay on my good side, since the debris was sticking out of both sides. I felt dizzy, again, as I watched blood seep from the wound. If it were removed, I would surely bleed to death. The hurt was unimaginable.

"Fuck!" That familiar voice, again.

I slowly moved my gaze towards the source. Nico stood gaping at the wood sticking out of me.

"That... might kill me..." I slurred.

"What do we do?" He looked to my dad, who was tearing up.

Nico checked in his bags, then mine. "Our medical supplies are in Redd's bag!" He looked around. "Is there a doctor here? Or a healing potion? Something?!" He yelled at the bystanders. They put their heads down, unable to help.

The echoing in my ears worried me.

"I-I'll be okay." I whispered, trying to put my forehoof in front of me.

"No! Don't you dare move, Sia!" Nico screamed.

I stared up at him, trying my best to stay sitting up.

Specs limped forward, a bag in his teeth. He dropped it in front of Nico. "Two healing potions, and some bandages. It's all I could find."

Dad poured the contents of the bag on the ground next to me. He quickly grabbed a bottle and opened it.

"Stop! Don't give it to her, yet!" A pony in a white coat galloped from the crowd. She panted as she stopped in front of me. Cherish. She snatched the potion from him. "If you give it to her, the tissue will heal around the foreign object. We have to remove it, now."

"She'll bleed out!" Nico screamed at her.

I bet it would make a badass scar if it stayed in there. Hehe.

"Not if we work quickly. I have to check and make sure her spine isn't severed." She told him. She was pretty calm despite Nico's yelling. Her horn glowed as she went over my back with the pretty, yellow light. She stopped and narrowed her eyes at my abdomen.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Dad asked.

"N-nothing is wrong. There are no broken bones and her spinal cord is still intact. It barely missed any major body parts. I'm going to need you to hold her still, Mixer." She said.

Huh, she must have been to the tavern, before.

Dad grabbed my side, gently.

"Be firm, but gentle." She instructed. "Nico, I'm sorry, but you'll have to do the dirty work. You have to pull it out."

"What?! Why?"

"I have to keep my focus on the wound, itself, and keep my X-ray spell going. I'll also be distributing the potion. Just pull straight out with your magic. If you use hooves, we'll risk infection." She said. "When you're ready." The supplies hovered next to her as she kept her horn glowing, brightly.

Nico looked at me, sadly. "I-I don't want to hurt you."

I shook my head, trying to smile. "I-I promise I... won't be mad."

"I don't know if I can do this. You'll be in so much pain, Sia. What if I mess this up?"

"Come on! On the count of five!" Cherish rushed.

I brushed his hoof. "You won't. I'll be alright. Cherish is h-here. I trust her and I trust y-you."

"Five."

He stared at me.

"Four."

"Don't hesitate, like I did..." I closed my eyes and let out a breath.

"Three."

"I'm so sorry if I hurt you." He whispered.

"Two."

"Me, too..."

"One."

A split second passed before I heard the haunting sound of wood scrape against my bone. I fell over, pain shooting through my back and sides. I twitched, watching the blood spurt from the hole. Quickly, Cherish poured the bottle into the wound. I gasped for air as my eyes went wide.

"What's happening?" Dad held my shoulders.

"An anxiety attack. She will be fine." She opened the other healing potion. "Drink this." I snapped my gaze to the bottle and nodded. She levitated it to me and put it to my lips. I let it pour down my sore throat. Stopping to breathe would have been nice, but I was ready to get past this pain.

"Alright, the potions will heal most of her injuries, but these burns look pretty bad. I'm going to wrap her side and wing." Cherish unwrapped the bandages and did exactly as she said she would.

"I think... I think I'm gonna be s-sick." I whimpered, laying my head in the mud.

"Don't do that. You need to keep the potion down." She said as she finished up.

I finally managed to sit up, receiving sighs of relief from Specs, Nico, and my dad. The bystanders stomped their hooves and cheered.

I looked at the crowd. "What are they cheering for?"

"I reckon ye saved lives, today. Ya got friends in low places, now." Specs said as he winked.

I watched the crowd light up with cheers and stomps as I grinned, sheepishly.

"How did you manage to get to us?" Nico asked Cherish.

"Well, I saw the smoke from the distance. I knew Nico and Sienna were headed this way, so I rushed over, thinking something had happened." She said as she wrapped Dad's hoof. It looked like it was partially melted.

While they discussed the wound, I spotted Pepper in the crowd. She narrowed her eyes at me, almost like she was upset that I was still alive. I swallowed, moving my gaze down to my hooves. I felt hooves around me as my father nuzzled my forehead. He was trying not to touch my burns. "You saved your old man. And the others, too. I could not be more proud."

I rested my head on his shoulder. It felt nice to be held by a parent after all that. "I told you I wouldn't leave you." I smiled.

He pulled away and looked back towards the tavern. It was almost burnt to the ground. "I guess I'll have to find a new place. Specs, too."

"What about Floater?" I said. "You could build a new tavern, maybe."

He grinned. "That's true. Is that where you'll be once your... mission is done?"

I nodded. "Of course." I lied, again. I didn't actually know where I'd be.

"You both should get back to Zangth and let him check you over." Cherish said to us. "I need to get back to the security guard. I told him to wait for me"

"Thank you, so much, Cherish." I said, wholeheartedly.

She smiled. "Just doing my job."

I waved at her as she cantered away. As I put my hoof down, my head started swimming. I put a hoof to my head, groaning.

"I'll travel with you guys, if it's alright. You're headed back to the hospital?" Dad asked, resting a hoof on my back.

I nodded. "I'd like that. We can catch up."

He smiled. "I guess I need to go tell Specs my plans. I'll be right back."

He walked over to where Specs stood, gazing sadly at what was left of the tavern.

I sighed.

"Are you feeling better?" Nico asked.

"This has been the wildest time of my life." I chuckled, raspily.

He didn't laugh.

"It's dark humor... I-I guess... nevermind." I rubbed my aching chest.

He grabbed my hoof. "I'm sorry about our conversation earlier. When we left the hospital. I don't want to put you in any situation that's gonna put more stress on your mind." He looked away.

"No, it's okay. I'm just... not good with romance and love and all of that." I looked over at Pepper, who had been talking with a couple of mares. "You are good that kind of stuff. I think it's time we... stopped trying."

Nico dropped my hoof, following my gaze to Pepper. "She's not the same Pepper I knew. I'm not sure if we can ever be the same." He looked back to me. "I want her to still be a part of my life, but..."

"She needs you." I looked down. "Don't worry about me."

Picking my chin up, he gave me a small smile. "When this is over, I hope you know I'd still do anything for you."

I removed my head from him, trying to hide the burnt side of my face. "Please, don't look at me." My eyes were getting misty, again.

He wrapped me in a hug. "Sia, I don't care what happens to your body. You are still beautiful to me."

My whole body turned blood red, for sure. "S-so... I still get my sewing machine?"

He finally managed to laugh. "Of course."

I grinned. At least I had something to look forward to, even if it was just a small machine.

I managed to get on all fours. My hide was still red and scarred where the bandages weren't covering. The potion had healed the blisters, thankfully. Rest in peace, tail. My barding was finished. The cloth part was completely gone, leaving the hardened layer exposed. It would have to do until I could find something else. Maybe, I could make something. I had never made anything other than blankets and pillows. A stuffed toy or two. Hopefully, my needle and thread cutie mark being gone on one side wouldn't mean my talent would be, too.

---

Level Up!
S- 3
P- 3
E- 5 (+1)
C- 4
I- 5
A- 4
L- 3

New Perk!
Fight Fire with Fire - You are now 15% more resistant to flame and energy weapons.

Mixer is now your companion!

Author's Note:

Thanks to Kkat for this amazing world!

Thank you all for reading! As always, constructive criticism/ error spotting is always welcome!
Stay safe!

-AP

Comments

[platogkrone]

Ouch.