Fallout Equestria: Wounded Worlds

by PonyThumbs

Chapter 5: Homecoming

Chapter 5: Homecoming

"I won't let you go in there without backup! Especially after the incident last night!" Spectrum stomped on 'especially' to emphasize.
"With all due respect sir, the griffin was sloppy. If it were an assassin, Shadow and I would be dead. This was the act of a radical individual with no consequences in mind." I hated the idea of imposing a military rule over another society. I wanted the griffins to see our views and be our friends. I might be ignorant enough to believe that would work, but I'm not stupid enough to go in makings threats on a diplomacy mission.
"That still doesn't allow you to go in there with no reinforcements. There are very likely more of the radicals in their base!" Spectrum hardened his voice. "You are taking my personal guard as your own, is that clear?"
"Yes, sir." Fuck that. I would just pay the guards extra to escort us and say they were there protecting us. I trotted out of the generals office. I figured I should check in on Shadow. He had been really beating himself up over being caught off guard, last I saw him.

When I entered Shadow's room, I caught a stifled laugh. The sound came from him, except, it wasn't a real laugh. It was hysteria settling in, taking it's serene pleasantness and casting it's humorous veil over his thoughts. "We, more so I than you, almost died. I don't know what to say. If I hadn't been so, so unaware, so stupid, I may have stopped that from happening." Shadow chuckled to himself. "The only reason I even live right now is because of your quick wit and how perceptive you are. It's almost like you can see a few seconds into the future." I whinnied.
"If I could see things as clearly as you say I do, or if I could be smarter, this wouldn't have happened. The attack would have been avoided completely. Do you remember the sniping mission we took two days ago?" It was time to reveal what I had learned from the attack. "Yea, what about it?" Shadow looked intrigued. He knew that if I had something to say, it was always relevant. "There were two bomb carts and a war-blimp, right? Wrong. There were two MERCHANT DELIVERY carts and a war-blimp. The aggravated griffin from last night is simply a radical civilian who didn't know when to stop." An unsettling pause followed my words.
"Oh-my...Holy shit...I killed...civilians?" Shadow was practically standing now. There was concern in his voice.
"It gets worse, but it makes me glad that we are doing this the diplomatic way." He needed to know. Shadow may be the only pony on the base that would believe what I was about to say.
"What are you getting at, Halcyon?" Shadow actually stood up this time. I noticed ghat his hysteria had faded, but I took mental note that it would probably kick back in once he had more time to think of the families to which the merchants belonged. Of the lives that had been destroyed. Of the children that wouldn't see a parent or older sibling again because we were blind. It cut me deep just thinking of how Shadow would be reacting and thinking. That could wait. Back to reality.
"I'm saying that the griffin military base is actually a merchant outpost and civilian city. There was no way Spectrum would believe that the way we are attacking their population will not be done in an honorable fashion. He won't believe that the griffins are not a military or a militia. You are the only pony that will see any sense in that." Shadow thought for a moment. I suspected that he would agree with me. He nodded to confirm my beliefs.
"If we are going on a mission in there, we are going to need to disguise ourselves in some way. If one griffin knows what we look like, they all could." I grinned happily. Finally, Shadow had returned to himself and was hatching ingenious plans. "Good. I believe that we need to show as little aggression as possible and be unguarded." Then an idea passed my head and struck me hard in the chest. "Shadow...do you have any idea as to HOW the griffin knew what we looked like? Doesn't it strike you as odd that he knew where our rooms were and how to navigate the base and all?"
My thoughts returned to the new recruit that had been at the foot of my bed just last night. That traitorous bastard was leaking information to the griffins! To be honest, after all of the assumptions I had made of the griffins, if I was right, I would be leaking information to them too. Shadow pieced together my stream of thought in words. "The radical griffin had a contact, didn't he? Somepony on the inside."
"Yes, and I'm pretty sure I know who it was. I was attacked at almost the same time you were. I can only assume that the recruit that was in my room that night had, or has, something against me. Enough to want to kill me and have you go down in the process."
Shadow grimaced. "Well, let's have a 'talk' with this recruit."
Shadow had no intentions of talking. "Shadow, we need to get information out of him. He can't help us if he is beat to a pulp." Shadow looked rather disappointed at my remark, but nodded slowly in understanding. "I'm going to commandeer the radio broadcaster in Spectrum's quarters and have all recruits and privates, in case he was recently promoted, report to the mess hall. I want you to be there to have them all stand in a line so I can identify the one who was leaking to the griffin."
"I hope you know what you are doing, Halcyon." Shadow departed to gather the recruits when they came.

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

I stepped into Spectrum's quarters. It was a large rectangular room with a closet on the left of the entrance and a bed in the back right corner. In the front of the room there was a water hole and a counter with an intercom broadcaster on it. To my surprise, the room looked really bare. there was a lot of open space between all of the objects. I was completely alone. Upon other circumstances, I may have been disappointed, but I needed to borrow his intercom. I pressed the orange button on the radio box and began speaking. "This is Major Halcyon Sparkle ordering all recruits and privates to the mess hall. Repeat. All recruits to the mess hall." I removed my hoof from the button that allowed me to project my voice and turned to leave. I was met by the unhappy face of General Spectrum. "What the hell do you think you are doing? You shouldn't have access to this room." I jumped in surprise. I hadn't heard him enter while I was making my announcement. I relaxed, the general was typically real soft on me.
"Well, if the locksmith job wasn't so poor, I would have bothered to try the terminal." I smirked. It felt almost too easy. Any child that knew a room could be broken into could have done it.
"What? How did you pick the lock?! Are you an alicorn after all?" The general widened his eyes and went to move my mat of mane away from my forehead. I took a few steps backwards and laughed. As I spoke, I rubbed the back of my neck with my wing, grinning the whole time.
"The lock was so easy to pick, I did it with my tongue! Even then, it isn't had to see that the password for your terminal would be the name of your daughter. Sureshine, isn't it?"
"Damn you, Halcyon. What is the gathering you have called for about anyways? If I find out that is is some horseapple reason, then I will make sure that you will never see this base again." I had almost forgotten why I was here. Shadow was probably waiting for me with the newbies all standing in their lines.
"Sir, I called the Privates and Recruits to the mess hall on regards of last night. One of them was involved with it, and I feel like something is wrong with this. There is a piece missing to the puzzle and they are the key to finding it. Now, I must be going." The general piped up again, wanting something out of me for the intrusion.
"You can leave on one condition. That you make my room shine by 2300 tonight." Fuck. How did I know that that was coming?
"Yes, sir." I grumbled, then quickly trotted down the corridor to the mess hall.

I was only down the hall when I heard the commotion coming from the mess hall. There were shouts of questioning and uncertainty in the air, and most of them included my name. Majority of them were simply wondering where I was. I quickened my canter to a trot so as to lighten the bombardment of questions from Shadow, seeing that he was overwhelmed as I entered. The instant I walked in, everything ceased and all ponies returned to their lines. I quickly saw the respect that they all held for me. It only took one glance, and they were also afraid of me. Good, that's what I wanted. I walked up and down the first row of ponies, studying each ones movements and image to see if they were the attacker. I stopped longer on some ponies to build suspense in the others. It was too much fun to toy with them like this. I decided that my fun with the first of the three rows was done. "Row one!" All of the ponies stood at attention and raised their left wings to their brow. When they spoke, it was in unison and in a monotone.
"Yes, sir?" I looked at the ponies of the first row, pausing for dramatic effect.
"Dismissed." Sighs of relief flowed from the first row as they filed out of the mess hall. The last pony from row one rounded the corner, and I turned my attention to the second row. The entire process was the same, walk up and down the row, stare into the eyes of the recruits and privates, the stench of urine staining uniforms as I went to dismiss the row.I dismissed the second in the same way I did the first. As the ponies from row two dispersed, the third became visible. My eyes were drawn to a pony near the center of the row. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the one I was looking for. I made another pass by all the ponies, then stopped in front of the recruit on the next one. The pony who had failed at killing me in my mots vulnerable state. unfortunately for him, and, sadly, others to come, I was a light sleeper. I stared into the ponies eyes, being ever so cautious as to reveal no emotion what-so-ever in my eyes or on my face. I stepped back enough to give the recruit room to step forward, being mindful to keep the same appearance of boredom. I sighed. "State your name, Soldier." My tone was perfect. I sounded like I was conducting a drill for a higher up authority. The recruit relaxed, taking the bait wonderfully.
"I am Recruit Sterling, sir." Now that it was day, I could see him for who he was. He was a black pony with golden eyes and a blonde mane that came down in two bangs in front of his face and was braided in the back. He couldn't have been any older than 17; although he was shorter than I remembered. I kept my tone the same so I wouldn't give away anything. I was playing stupid, and him innocent. There was no way that he could keep it up much longer either. Even if he didn't bring out the truth, I had Shadow to back me up.
"Follow me down the hall, Recruit." I hardened my tone to a moderate growl. "As for the rest of you, dismissed." The ponies from the third row rushed out of the mess hall as fast as they could without being disrespectful. I turned to leave the opposite way the recruits and privates went. As I did so, I motioned for Shadow to take the rear escort position.
"Now, Sterling, you will stay as close to me as possible without tripping on my hooves. If you look to Second Lieutenant Shot, you will understand that he is not going to hurt you, unless you refuse to keep up." Sterling looked back to Shadow and was instantly met with his icy glare. Sterling quickly turned away from the petrifying gaze, and walked right behind me the rest of the way to the cells.

We walked into the cell I had cut from the mainframe of security before my morning announcement. It was no longer being monitored or bugged. nothing could see or hear from outside the room. I sidestepped and Shadow pushed Sterling inside, shutting the door behind us and watching for passing ponies.
"What is going on? What do you want from me?" Sterling took a basic defensive stance: his legs were slightly bent and just out out from his shoulders and hips. I slowly shook my head.
"That is what I came to ask YOU, only without the same brutality you have just displayed. You are the recruit that was in my room last night, are you not?" His eyes opened wide with surprise.
"How could you have known that? I was in a full suit of armor and had a stealthbuck active!"
"Oh, please. Nopony gives me enough credit. It is; after all, my talent to see what others cannot. In our brief skirmish you were scuffing your hooves implying that the armor you were wearing was giving you a height boost at the hooves. The way you sound when you are breathing nervously was the same today when I passed you in the line as it was when you were standing over me as I woke. And, as friendly advice, don't trust stealthbucks. I can see the distortion it creates as light passes through. It shows a wave line of your body." He sat down, looking stunned.
"You got all that in a five second battle?" Sterling frowned. He knew more that he was letting on to. "Yet, you could notice that the carts you shot down were delivery trucks?!" Damn. I knew that would come back in my face soon.
"I didn't think much of it until I was asking myself why the lone griffin would dare come attack Shadow and me in a military base. The intelligence pony got the details wrong and I was blinded by the mission at the time." My voice wavered and looked away, shutting my eyes hard in attempt to block out the tears. "It was only when I realized that the difference in time between what we were told and the actual appearance implied that the carts weren't pre-loaded. Then I remembered back to the mission, and saw what I had missed so obviously. The symbol on the side of the wagon that marked it as merchant cargo." Tears were flowing freely now. Upon opening my damp eyes, I noticed Sterling looking at me strangely. I glanced to him and back to get him in the center of my vision. He was surprised by my surge of emotion, and me having shown it so openly.
"Hey, kid. Don't look so. Surprised. It's. Raining." Every pause brought fewer tears to my eyes until I was fine again.
"I'm sorry, sir. Its just that..." He looked away then back to me. "Am I the only pony to have seen you cry other than Lieutenant Shot?" No. I couldn't bare to think of the past. It was to painful then, and worse now.
"No, but you, him, and only two others have seen me cry. That's all you get to know." I quickly changed the topic to stop my past from haunting me, yet again. "Let's cut to the chase. You were planning on killing me last night, and, at least previously, leaking info to the griffins. Yes, or no. I am not going to press charges or turn you in. I just want a simple or explained answer."
"But, aren't these-" The recruit started.
"No. I made sure that there was no way that what happened here was exposed. I turned off all monitoring and surveillance of this cell." Sterling nodded, and got to the point.
"Well, the truth is yes. I was leaking your appearance and names to the radical organization against the Enclave. I just couldn't believe we are attacking civilians, I-" I smiled.
"Great!"
"What do you mean? I almost got you and Lieutenant Shadow killed by-"
"You are going to be a consultant for our diplomacy mission to Hatsevoir tomorrow. We know that we are going to have to change our appearances, but we need somepony who is already on good terms with them and is on the inside. we are going to figure out how to resolve this without further fighting. You in, shorty?" Sterling's eye twitched. Shadow knew what was coming next, from what I'm assuming was experience. He rushed over and restrained Short-stuff before he was out of his chair.
"NOPONY CALLS ME SHORT! I'M NOT SO SMALL THAT YOU NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE ME!"
"Ha. I can respect that. Say, tell you what. If you come with me, I will make sure nopony or griffin ever calls you small. Got that?" Sterling calmed and nodded. "Good. Now we get some rest for tomorrow. Meet me at the west gate by 0600. We leave for Hatsevoir then. Now, I have other business to attend to. See you then." I nodded to Shadow, then left the room to go clean the general's.

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

I wasn't surprised with how messy Spectrum left his room. There was trash littering the floor accompanied by dirty laundry, most of which I wasn't entirely sure were his... I picked up all of the laundry between my hooves to prevent from getting substances on the clothes on my mouth. There were laundry bins in the back corners of the room to put the, occasionally, wet clothes and the dry clothes. When i had finished cleaning the floor I decided to take care of the horrendous smell. The entire room reeked of ecstacy and alcohol, but I needed to find the source, or sources, of the stench. I looked under the bed first for more bottles, but found it shining. I did a damn good gob with the resources given to me, a bucket with about 5 ounces of water and a coat-brush. I was about to give up on finding the smell when I passed the closet. The horrid smell intensified around it and seeped through the cracks.
"Wow. You have GOT to be joking..." I stared at the closet for a couple of seconds, then cringed. "I'm not cleaning that up." I finished the rest of the room, and decided that Spectrum was cleaning up the prostitute. As i walked out, I noticed the broadcaster again, the glow from it's orange button just enticing me to go and press it. Just a few words. Just push and speak. I had to look away. It was just so much fun to hear my voice through the entire compound as I spoke. I glanced back to the broadcaster sadly, then walked out the door. One of Spectrum's guards was at their post outside the room, looking drowsy as ever. It was about 2200 hours, putting me an hour ahead of schedule. Guess I could have a little fun before I leave. I looked back to the guard, who had just fallen asleep standing. "Hey, wake up!" I din't want him to be demoted, he was going to not protect me tomorrow, after all. The guard jumped to attention.
"Wha-huh? Oh, Major, its you, I was worried that it was Spectrum. Done cleaning?"
"Yes, but there is one thing... could you tell the general that I didn't clean the hooker out of his closet? It would have been really awkward." The guard paled and I didn't wait for a response. "Great, thanks! I knew I could count on you." I trotted quickly off so he couldn't regain his senses and tell me no, and went to my room. It had been a long day and I was still curious about the Sterling kid... When I entered, I locked the doors and windows before plopping down in my bed. I didn't want any visitors tonight. I liked my room, for it was the same as Spectrum's, but not nearly as empty and no intercom. There was something interesting about the recruit, but I couldn't quite put my hoof on it. My mind refused to dwell any longer on the subject, and I fell asleep.

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

I opened my eyes to a room that was not mine, but looked as if it belonged in a hospital. It was a square room and I was standing near the back, I thought. The room was completely dark with the exception of a single light, hanging just a foot to the right of the center, so it was impossible to tell my location relative to the room itself. The position of the light bothered me, so I looked at the ceiling as little as possible. The bulb swayed lightly back and forth as if something had brushed past it. There were overturned gurneys everywhere and the air had a metallic tang to it. It was the taste you only got if you had recently been bleeding from your mouth or nose or if sweat had been beaten by the wind on your coat. I felt around the inside of my mouth with my tongue, but felt no bleeding. The same went for my nose. The air was warm and stuck to my coat, but strangely stagnate. That left only one other choice. I tried to think of other possible solutions, but none came. The air had an intense amount of blood in it, which was aiding in it sticking to my coat. I looked at the bottom of my mane over my shoulder and saw that it was already turning a slight pink. The floor was slick from a small amount of liquid all over the ground. I heard a thud from behind me, and whipped around only to see the empty darkness of nothing. I now realized that the light in the room was dim enough that I couldn't see the walls. I opened up my wings to hover over the floor, but some unknown force kept me grounded. I stretched and flexed my wings to make sure that I still had them, which I did. It was time to leave this place. I shuffled to the right wall while keeping the light in my line of sight so I didn't get too far away if the wall wasn't where I thought it was. I touched the rounded wall with my hoof. The room was actually a circle. I reached out my left wing to touch the wall, and followed it while still keeping the bulb in sight. I ran into a few rusted gurneys, but pushed them out of the way. I followed the wall until I hit a flat surface, making the room a semi-circle. I guessed that the door would be in the middle, and started walking. My wing quickly touched a handle for the door, but it was almost right next to the wall. I looked at the off center light, then back to the door. I shouldn't have been surprised. I tried the handle to open the door only to find it locked. I cursed under my breath. Why were the doors always locked? I looked towards the door to find that my eyes had adjusted and I could see the walls and door. The door looked flimsy and had rusted to the point where it was practically falling down on its own. Kicking it down would be a cinch. I bucked hard, only to get knocked on my flank from the repercussion. The door still stood strong, not even hindered by my kick. I figured it was the same force that had held me down on the ground earlier that strengthened the door. I guessed that I would need to find a key. When I turned back to the center of the room, the light was even darker than it was originally and there was a dark, shapeless figure standing directly below the light. Its form constantly morphing between a horrifying two legged creature with a long body and a small neck, to ponies, to unspeakably wicked renditions of creatures from the books I had read on the past of Equestria. It seemed to like the first form the most, because it spent the most time on that one before switching again. The monster stopped shifting and turned into the creature with only two legs permanently. It's arms and legs were about the same length with a thick torso and a small neck. The head of the creature was small in proportion to the rest on it's body. It had only a little hair on the top of it's head and under its arms, but nowhere else on the torso. the lower half was covered with blood-stained leggings and it's feet had weird nubs coming off of them in the front, like talons, except fleshy and small. The creature was a peachy pink color, and would tower over me. I was frozen in place in fear as it approached me. slowly stepping and dragging its legs as if they were too long. The creature was smiling wildly with a sheen covering its eyes, making it look dead. It opened its arms, as if to hug me, but there was murder in its smile. The creature's arm morphed into a large knife, and Yelled as it swung the knife at me. I could do nothing but watch in horror, and the creature cut off my left wing, which was still touching the wall. I screamed in pain, not knowing what else to do but sit there, staring at the malicious being. It swung again, dismembering my right foreleg cleanly. The blood was gushing from my stumps. If this, this thing didn't kill me, I would die of blood loss. It cut my back right leg off, putting me off balance. I fell for what felt like hours, then hit the ground. I landed on the stump of my foreleg and pains shot through my body. I scrawled in agony, laying helplessly on my right side. It cut at me again, this time only wishing to see me suffer longer by slowly slicing tendons and muscles until the bone was visible. It continued until the only thing left to chop off was my head. The thing towered over me, now looking into my soul. It crouched and whispered into my ear; "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to, but-" It sounded sad, like It really meant it, but the voice cut off and the maniacal smile creature returned. "DIE!" shrieked the thing as it swung down to decapitate me. Time slowed as the blade arm sliced towards my neck. When it drew close, I felt my muscles tense in my neck, then relax. I had never felt so blissful or at peace with myself. My eyes slowly shut in finality.

I awoke with a start to my regular room. It had all been a dream. I tried to shake the looming, black, depressing feeling of death from my aura. My head cleared after splashing my face in the small water hole in my room a few times. I was not going to forget that anytime soon. I needed to get to the gate to meet Shadow and Sterling for the mission, but how were we going to disguise ourselves before we went? I trotted out the door and left for the main gate. It wasn't too far from my room, it was just down the hall to the left and out the door. When I stepped out to the base's main exit, I was greeted by two bodyguards now walking to my left and right, both fully suited in the signature power armor of the Enclave. It was stark black armor that was magically powered by gems and came equipped with a plasma rifle. The spell matrix from the armor whirred with life as the two guards walked beside me. It was kind of awkward walking the length of the field between the door and the gate with them. I would have liked to converse, but they would have remained silent. When I got to the gate, Sterling and Shadow were already there, waiting for me. They too had been greeted with two guards to escort them to the gate, and from there to Hatsevoir. The guards were going to make the disguising and bribing thing very difficult, I had intended on this being just Shadow and I, but when I added Sterling, I forgot about the personnel that were accompanying us the whole time. I trotted up to Shadow for some idea sharing, and got only a slight nod and a wink. I hoped that meant that he had it under control. A courier rushed to catch us before we left to make sure that we were all properly accounted for and in healthy condition. His eyes bounced from pony to pony, then stopped on Sterling. "Major... who is this, and have his saddlebags been checked? There was only supposed to be the six of you going." His tone quivered, as if I were doing something dangerous, or he was regretting doubting my actions.
"It's okay, I asked the General. This pony is very knowledgeable in griffin affairs and will be of great use on this mission." I lied. "As long as the General is okay with it, sir. You are clear to leave." The pony hurried away to attend to other matters that he had a checklist for. The enormous gates opened inward as if on cue. I quickly trotted to the head of the group to lead, but a guard swooped in front of me and held his ground. The armor made his voice sound hollow and metallic when he spoke. "Sir, we are escorting you to Hatsevoir. That means I will be taking lead."
"Lead away then."

The trip over to Hatsevoir mountain was about 20 minutes by flight, but to avoid being attacked, we were walking there. There are reasons that pegasi have wings, and that is to fly. I hated being denied the right that I had had since birth, even though I may not have been able to, nopony ever stopped you. The walk was boring and quiet, the guards didn't let me get near Shadow or Sterling. I looked over to Shadow, and he looked from me, to the clouds, then back to me and nodded. I guessed it was time to stir some panic, or start our escape, or whatever Shadow's plan was. I stumbled to grab the attention of my escorts, then sank into the clouds. From above, I heard cries of surprise, followed by those of pain. I resurfaced to help Shadow, and found all of the guards tied to one another with rope. And, of course, none of this would have been possible if they were not all unconscious. I scolded Shadow for his lack of thinking things through. "Nice. How are they going to get back to base? Or was your intention to starve them? You know that is too much weight for them to try to fly off when they wake up. Untie them please, we will be halfway there and we can make a hiding blind before they wake up."
"Sorry. I'll untie them."
Shadow walked away looking dazed. My guess is that nopony had berated him for his actions before, but that implied no parent or guardian to raise him. No. I needed to stop putting invisible pieces together, yet the more I dwelled on it, the more it made sense. After the guards were untied we flew off as fast as Sterling could, him being the slowest because his wingspan was smaller, and quickly made a blind of clouds large enough to conceal all of us so we could get disguised. Sterling opened up his saddlebags to reveal a paintbrush, four small cans of paint, and two of some object that looked like two circles connected by a small semicircle there was a button in the space between the circles that I couldn't figure the purpose for.. "What are these?" Shadow asked, prodding one of the two things. "Ah, those are colored contact lenses. They go over your eyes to make them look a different color." Sterling scooted one towards me. "These ones would make your normally green eyes look like they are blue, Major." He stooped down and pressed the button with his nose, making the circles open to look like half spheres in the shape of a pony's eye. "You just place your eye over the top of it, and it will cling. The tech in the holder will self position itself perfectly onto your irises." I eyed the container of the contacts. "I will, but this is no longer considered a work environment. Call me Halcyon for now. We will need to think of aliases for Shadow and I while we are in the city." I was still skeptical about the lenses, but I leaned down slowly to the holder and put my eye to it. I felt a need to blink heavily. The contact worked, but it felt... interesting. I looked to Sterling for thoughts. "Did it work?" I asked. "Ya. They worked perfect, but you only have one in, so you need to get your other eye. Then I can judge how they will look." Sterling said with mild approval. I dipped my head to the second holder and felt the same sensation as before. It was again successful. The other color was a hue of purple. I looked at the paint colors that Sterling had brought with him. He brought a can of faded grey, white, light blue, and red. I had figured that Sterling had planned on painting in solid colors, but his mind was much more artistic and imaginative. After Shadow put in his contacts, Sterling went to work. He was meticulous about every last detail and hair placement. By the time that he was done, I barely recognized myself. I was now a solid white coat with a light blue mane with red tints on the ends of some strands that formed spikes naturally along my neck. I thought of how much like me Cloudway looked now. I decided the resemblance was accidental, but uncanny. We had the same colors other than my eyes and the tips of the spikes. Shadow looked... well, old. His coat was the faded grey with a dull, red mane that had white strands. I guessed that Sterling had mixed the grey and red for his mane. This was turning out to be great. The disguises were perfect, now we just had to let the paint dry overnight. The blind was large enough that it would comfortably house all three of us. My thoughts slowly wandered to the guards who were probably conscious now, but Shadow ended my train of thought. "We are going to have to set up a watch. I will take first shift." Shadow turned to walk outside, but was stopped by Sterling. "You two are going to have to take out your contacts while you sleep unless you want them to meld to your eyes. Forgot that part almost." Sterling gave a weak smile. Shadow thought for a moment, then asked, "How does one make conscious actions while sleeping?" I pondered on that a moment. The contacts were new tech to me, so maybe you did have to be sleeping to take them out. I nodded in agreement. Sterling laughed. "Oh, no no no no no. I meant that you have to take them out before you go to bed."
"Ah." I mumbled. Shadow and I went over to our respective containers and took out our contacts. Shadow then returned to his initial task of being first watch. I turned to Sterling. "Sterling, you will be second on watch. If I were to wake up in the night, I wouldn't get back to sleep."
"Ok. I'll wake you when it is your turn for watch. Night, Halcyon." Sterling cantered over to the back and fluffed up a cloud to sleep on. I wasted no such time and dropped to the ground, rolled over, then fell asleep.

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

I had gotten roughly four hours of sleep, but that was more than enough for me. I normally got two and a half to three hours. There was something about sleeping in the clouds instead of on my bed that was soothing. I guess it reminded me of when I used to camp with Cloud, Mom, and Dad. Those were the good days. The days lost to everypony but me. I stood to stretched my legs and wings, then went outside to take my turn at watch. When I stepped outside, Shadow was still there. I looked inside the blind, and saw that Sterling was still fast asleep. I reached out and lightly tapped Shadow in the back with my hoof, declaring my turn. He silently nodded, then went inside for some rest. The late night air was cool and crisp. There was little wind to prohibit my viewing of the stars be obscuring them with my mane. The little lights danced and sparkled in my field of vision, putting on a little show. The charade was enticing and took my thoughts away from me, and turned the spotlight up into the night sky. It was one of the single most beautiful things in what was left of Equestria. I enjoyed the scene a moment longer, and went back to the task at hand. Watching nothing.

Author's Note:

I apologize for dragging out the amount of time it is taking for me to write this chapter. My main source of writing was my Ipod, Ben. Sadly, In a terrible accident involving a cracked screen and a water bottle spilling in a soccer(football) bag, he drowned. I have been busy with school as well, but I will get back on top of it ASAP! Don't forget to drop a comment if you wish to give me suggestions, thanks!

~PonyThumbs