(Note: In this chapter we follow along one of the short little side quests to help Brooke get his wife back. Then, Blitz and Capper get to meet the real mayor of Double Diamond City. Can you guess who it is? ;)

Chapter 6 Party Foul

I have to say, I haven't gotten drunk like that in a long time, and I think I really needed it. But I think I could've used without wood this morning. Blushing, I was embarrassed when Capper woke up and commented on my stiffness. Yes, it was fine to see him, but he just needed to shut up, there was a lady downstairs. I shoved my lips on his and he melted into me. "Agree to keep quiet about this for now?" I said as I dragged away.

"Sure thing, my little peño." He winked and slid into his coat as he walked downstairs. "I'll get coffee."

I narrowed my eyes and checked under the blanket, "Did-Did he just make a small dick joke? I do not have a—!"

Downstairs I could smell coffee brewing. It reminded me of Pre-War times, and my old buddy. I closed my eyes and heaved a sigh. Something in me yearned to think where he might be now, but I couldn't think on it. It was too much to think about this early in the morning, hungover. For now, I guess it was best to try sobering up with some coffee. So I picked myself up and made my way down the stairs.

"Well…looks like we're outta cream," said the cat, "Perkins bought tea again."

"Don't look at me," she said, and spun in her spinny chair.

"Must be nice." I commented. "I'll take a cup."

Nexus Spark

Pre-War: 15 Years Before The Megaspells

Everypony kept telling me even when my hope was gone for my little sister, I should just move along. How could anypony just sit back when they knew everything had gone horribly wrong? I knew I couldn't, but now I just wasn't sure what to do.

Blitz and I were on the fast track for University now, just one last year before making it out of this hellhole of a town. Yeah, I liked school and everything, but high school sucked, especially when everypony considered you the nerd. Looking at my matrix styled cutie mark I guess I couldn't blame them.

I sat typing an essay for a scholarship, telling about all the challenges I had faced over my high school career. The most pressing one was the death of my sister, Fire Flower. But I neglected to include that in my paper because I'd heard somewhere that nopony liked a sob story. It was difficult to keep myself from thinking of her, but that was just the way things were. Little did I know this would be the day Blitzfire would change our lives forever. There would be a lesson here for both of us, but knowing that colt, he wouldn't get it for a long time to come.

There came the click clack of pony hoofsteps over my shoulder where Blitz came to join me at the library computer lab. He stood watching behind me and when he finally spoke he laughed and said, "Nexy guess what I just saw in the bathroom?"

I turned around to face him, lowering my glasses that I only needed to read, "Girls doing makeup?"

"No?" he frowned, "But that's a good idea for next time. I guess I should have iterated I was in the stallion's room."

I nodded, "Mhm, yeah."

"What I saw was a flyer for the most popular hangout outside of town." Blitz lifted a hoof to reaffirm his statement, still thinking everything was fine when it so clearly was not.

"Blitzfire," I snapped, the effects of an overnighter and lack of caffeine. "I'm trying to write my essay for scholarships, and you should be doing the same. Next year is University and neither of us should be passing this up. Or did you forget, Fire Flower just died last year!" I was huffing and puffing in anger.

Blitz took a step back and some nerd in the corner shushed me and said, "No talking in the library."

"Nexus, we still have 4 months here! I think you're missing out on the most important times of the last of your foalhood." he had his eyes narrowed and though he would deny it, I think I saw tears forming there.

"Yes and the most important time to be setting up the rest of my life."

He planted a hoof, "No. Nexus, starting today I'm going to help you get back on your hooves. You're missing out and I'm done sitting by watching my friend eat himself away." then he did the unthinkable. He pressed his hoof down on the enter key and submitted my application. "Submit that stupid thing and forget about it till it's too late like the rest of us. I'm sure you'll get in and I'm sure I will too. Now. You're coming with me."

My eyes widened but there was nothing I could do but let him drag me by my tail to the party spot he'd mentioned previously…

"This isn't even music!" I had my hooves over my ears to block out the sound.

"It's rock music," Blitz told me and I noticed in the background that there was a poster of the Minister of Morale stating Pinkie Pie is Always Watching in big bold capital letters, and everypony knew that Pinkie Pie used to live on a rock farm.

"Is this all we're allowed to listen to?" I scoffed and shook my head. Then I decided to head off alone. I went into the trees, and went to sit by myself in the brush.

What was my life becoming? I was losing track of my friends and the direction I was heading. Blitzy was right, I was focusing too much on Fire Flower, too much on the past. I didn't know where I was going and I felt lost and alone. I knew I had to get over the fact that she was gone, but I just couldn't. My life had gone from hell to nightmare in two seconds flat.

First came the loud honking sound. Then the bright yellow light. I could've easily moved out of the way but something in me didn't want to. I think I was ready for it to all be over. My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating but even that was ready to flail for air and give up to drown. Sometimes I wish somepony out there would find me, but I walk alone. So instead I just sat and gave up.

"Nexus!" screamed my best friend, and dive bombing me, we went into a roll and down the hill.

"Well I was ready for it but check my vital signs why dontcha?" I growled at him. Then I let out a long breath and said, "Look, I'm sorry. I'm going through a hard time. I just need my friend."

Blitz hugged me, "I think you've found him. And I've found you."

We laughed and walked off to the lake to ignore the party. He didn't know how true that would be, nor did he know that I had my family's revolver with me, ready to end it at any time.

Ravager Blitzfire

Present Time: 207 Years After the Incident of Stable 14

Closing the bar and locking the gate for "safety," the security ponies nodded. "So this is a ski lift huh?" I put my hooves up on the rail, balancing myself and letting them hang down.

"Yep, got us in with Brooke's help. Sly dog," Capper made finger guns with his paws.

"You're a cat," I pointed out.

"And you're a pony, my friend," he grinned at me.

I watched as the ground fell away from us and my stomach fell, giving me butterflies. I wondered if this is what it felt like to fly. The ground got smaller and smaller as we rose up to meet the paths winding through the mountains. It got colder as we ascended, and I shivered. "Maybe I should've brought a scarf." I chewed my tongue trying not to let my teeth chatter.

"Not to worry old pal, I have just what you need." with that Capper helped tie a scarf around my neck. It was cream yellow and red plaid.

"Thanks I suppose," I said as the lift came to a jarring stop. We were on a snowy path leading to what my Pip-Buck labelled as the Broncston Commons. There was something hidden down there that just lay in wait to discover.

I took my first step off the lift and crunched into snow and ice. My horseshoe was half frozen off but this was nice compared to the heat of the rest of the wasteland. It was way different up here. The higher you got the more snow there was. But down there it all seemed to just melt away. I turned to the railing to check out the view. Down below the baseball stadium surrounded a small village of identical cottages. I wasn't sure what it was, I'd never heard of it, but it was eerie and ominous just sitting there all alone with no visitors or occupants.

I followed Capper down the trail to a huge ice bridge leading to a cave in the mountains. I narrowed my eyes, thinking I recognized the shape of a gear blocking the tunnel entrance. But that couldn't be right.

Crossing the bridge, I was still narrowing my eyes trying to pinpoint it, but it was too far away. Until we were right up in front of it, I couldn't decipher it. It was a in fact a big gear shaped door. A Stable! I gasped, seeing my breath in front of me and I put a hoof to my muzzle. "Capper, its a Stable."

You have discovered

Broncston Commons

He knocked on the solid metal door, "There ain't no gettin in there. Not unless you got some fancy do-dad that'll be sufficient for that there lockport." he used a thumb to indicate the contraption and I nodded.

Looking up at the door, I began to attach my Pip-Buck to the control pad. There was no number to indicate the Stable's designation. Instead it had a huge equal sign painted in industrial yellow, customary to the door but it was abnormal to lack a number designation. The Pip-Buck activated and an alarm signalled to us that the door was opening.

"This is the mayor's office?" I breathed in awe.

"I never knew anything so fancy was hiding up here in these here mountains," said Capper. He rubbed his chin.

I took the first steps into the Stable. The Entrance Chamber was in a smoky haze. I coughed and waved a hoof to clear away the fog. There was the platform heading toward the generator rooms and straight ahead to the main stable.

"To think Stable-Tech had this all the way up here. Instead of Broncston Commons we've found Broncston Stables." Capper dropped his arm and reached for a weapon inside his coat. He pulled out brass knuckles.

"Cat Claws?" I rose a brow.

"What?" Capper frowned, "When I was a kit, they had me declawed. Storm King didn't like no one opposin' him."

"Sounds fun," I rolled my eyes.

"Well, now I'll tell you a secret, I did somewhat enjoy getting a muzzle on." he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

I nodded and pressed the release pad on the main door, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Now we're talking," he made finger guns at me.

"Welcome to Stable E," said a female computerized voice.

There was a winding corridor in here, something that was not normal for a Stable layout. I only recognized this from one place, but I couldn't think back on this, it gave me bad flashbacks. We rounded the corner and Capper pressed the keypad to open the door into the Inner Atrium.

"By the sisters," he breathed when we saw what was within.

A stasis room, and my heart gave a jolt. It was an almost exact replica of what lay in store for the denizens of Stable 14. "Capper, this is cryostasis. I recognize this." the only difference was that there were two pods instead of hundreds.

"Think again my friend," he waggled a finger at me. "This isn't cryo, it's arcana." he spread his paws in front of a machine with a off white orb stuck in the socket.

"It's Time Magic." I couldn't believe my eyes. I spun around to the first chronos pod. It had a cutie mark symbol on it and it matched the identifier on my Pip-Buck map for Double Diamond City. "We have to do something." I said firmly to Capper.

I slammed a hoof on the off switch for the first pod. There was a hiss and release of steam and the pod's seal cracked open. It was lit inside, bathing the occupant in a sea of blue light. It opened to reveal a white pony with the same cutie mark. He had a wavy mane, a bit shaggy.

His eyes blinked open and he sat up. Then his eyes widened. "No! What have you done?" his voice was deep and reminded me of the beach.

"What do you mean what've we done?" I asked him.

He scrambled around to the other side where Capper was about to press open the next pod. He jumped and shoved at him, keeping him from opening the pod. "No!" he gasped for breath, "You can't open his. He's not well and it's the only thing keeping him alive!"

"Hooves off the merchandise!" Capper snapped as he adjusted his lapels in a poof of dust.

"Sorry, it's just that you don't understand," the blue eyed pony shot his gaze around in a frenzy.

"What don't we understand?" I asked him.

"I've been here for two centuries with my coltfriend, running this town so that we could protect it from the dangers of the Fallout." he said, and his chest heaved with nerves.

"Wait, you're…Double Diamond?" I nearly choked on my own tongue.

"Yes! And in that chronos pod lying in sleep is my coltfriend, Party Favor." he pointed at the pod and we all turned to stare.

"You mean to tell me that a sleeping guy who should be dead has been running this place top to bottom for centuries?" Capper crossed his arms. "Not buyin it."

"It's true. But Party is sick, and I've been trying for years to figure out the cure."

"Don't you think that's a little difficult without a way to get out of the house?" I asked him with a hoof raised.

"Pretty much. It takes a great deal of magic to do that, and from here I just have enough to keep us alive." Double Diamond explained. "I couldn't reach out to any other magical activity without a way to."

"Maybe I can help with that." I nodded to him. In my EFS a new objective appeared.

Quest added

DOUBLE DIAMOND DOWN

"I can feel it now," he said and stood, "there was a huge burst of magic, south of here." I glanced around, getting a pretty bad feeling about where that might be. "In Bittsberg."

OOO

"Goooood evening fellow wastelanders. We know we're gonna have a goodnight tonight! I got with me here today a special guest, reporting live. Yes, you're hearing me right folks. At your request, heeeeeere's Crimson Crown! She won the Rodio Award for Best Singer in Faith. For those of y'all that don't know, Faith is the biggest small town in the Palomino Desert. Now, Crimson tell us, how'd you find yourself singing in the rodio and did you ever think you'd be the one to win that award?"

"You're telling me you came all the way up to Broncston Commons to wake me up from a 206 year sleep just to tell me Piper wanted to show me her dumb flyer?"

"And let her in," Capper pointed out with that sly look of his.

"Right," DD's eyelids drooped. "Well she's my friend, I suppose I can't just leave her out there." he took a sip from a straw in the glass of Sparkle Cola he'd gotten from Tanashaki's Noodle Cup. Picking up a radio talkie he spoke into it, "This is Double Diamond speaking, let Piper in, she lives here for Celestia sake."

"Double Diamond?" asked the guard who responded, "But sir, you said not to let her in. She's stirring up a whole heap of trouble."

"Do I need to come all the way there in pony? Kuz I will my dude."

"No sir, we're letting her in."

"Thank you." he winked at us.

"Sheesh!" came Piper from the main stairs. She was waving her arms angrily, "Took ya long enough. What in the DDC were you thinkin'?" she shantied up to our table but her mouth dropped when she saw we had the mayor right here with us.

"He really did wanna talk about that flyer." Piper cleared her throat and fixed her newsboy cap on her head.

"Yeah, and one thing I want to make clear Piper is that these posters are scaring people." he said, brushing his bangs out of his face, where they just ended up falling back down. It just made me think of another certain colt I'd yet again left behind me…

"Are you kidding? This is going to the press!" she lifted her hooves and made a movie box, "This just in! Mayor DD refuses to spread the truth!"

"You can print what you want Piper," he waved his hoof around, "but you can't put these images up. They'll scare people."

She raised her hooves in surrender. "Alright alright, you got me. But now you gotta tell me, how'd you score the home run? I haven't seen ya around here in well, ever."

"Long story dude," he bit his lip. "Listen everypony, I want you to know how grateful I am, but I have to go now."

"Where ya off to in such a rush?" Piper narrowed her eyes and put a hoof down on the table.

"I have to save Party Favor. He's sick and a huge burst of magic hit my radars not too long ago. There's enough of it to save him." he nodded.

"Do you think I can catch up with you later," I asked him. "I know what you're going to need to find it, but I have something else I need to take care of first."

"That's fine, I'm just happy you saved me from that terrain park." he smiled.

"What's that?"

"A difficult obstacle course on the side of a mountain." he informed us.

"Well you're gonna need help out there," said Piper. "I'll go with ya!"

"Ok! Then it's settled. We'll all meet here first thing tomorrow to say our goodbyes right?" Double Diamond glanced at me, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Of course we will." I nodded to him. "Piper, can I talk to you first?" I asked her.

"Sure." she followed us to Capper's office.

Sitting around the table I put down a few documents leading to an isolated hospital west of an old castle in South Broncston. Just south of the hospital was a strange symbol of a pony sketched many times over into what looked like a pony waving their arms. "That same symbol was on your flyer and I want to know what it means." I pointed at it.

"Oh my Faust!" Piper snatched the map, "Where in Equestria did you get this? Nopony knows the location of the Institute."

"What's the Institute?" I asked her.

"Only the most diabolic and notorious company in Post-War Equestria." Piper was waving her hooves, making shadow puppets to tell her story. "You see, not too long ago, there was this old abandoned hospital and a sealed up Stable. When that Stable opened up, somepony came out, but he was all alone. He made his way north, where he found the hospital, nopony knows where, and he developed the Institute. Now, most of Broncston fears that at any time, any one of their loved ones could be snatched up and replaced with a synth, a fabricated robo-pony designed to replace members of society so they can do whatever they want to the real one."

I shook my head, "But why would they wanna do that?"

"Nopony knows," said Piper.

"So what you're saying is for all that, this has only led me down another dead end trail?" I snapped.

"Take a swig of your drink honey, because that's where you're dead wrong." Piper smiled, giving me back my Stable-Tech issued maps.

"Blitzy," Capper said, topping off my drink, "What the sweet thang is trying to say is, this is only the next step. We got our lead, now we just need to follow it."

"I'm not sure I wanna do that anymore."

Capper held out his paw, "Look amigo, I know you've been through a bad time. We've all been there. But you can't give up, I know when I did, I let a lot of ponies down."

"Fine, but I need to sleep this one off. It's been one hell of a day, and that Stable up there didn't help. Bad memories."

"Alright, keep it cool. I'll be up to join ya in a minute." he winked at me. Oh don't make me horny when I'm in this mood.

I heard them down there discussing. He was asking Piper for help, something about what we needed to do next for our next lead. I heard her tell him something about the Railroad, an organization working to fight for synth rights. She didn't believe in their cause, but she told him they thought that not all synths from the Institute were bad and that most just wanted their freedom, and to live life amongst everyday ponies and not be treated differently. To Piper that was just preposterous. But she also knew they knew about another mission, one that would lead them to another synth, hiding away off the mainland.

Before I knew it, Capper was crawling into bed with me. He slunk his way under the covers and there he was, finger twirling in my chest fuzz and everything. I murmured something about being tired and he shushed me. "Not to worry, Capper's gonna take care of it all from here."

Ah, breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Well guess what we were having. I scowled glumly into the slop Takanashi had served us, again. I guess when you ask for bread you might wanna order the soup on the side. My toast was found soaked in the noodle muck. "I can't eat this," I complained.

"Chin up!" said Piper, "This is gonna be a great day. I'm helping the mayor bring back his long lost coltfriend and you two are going off to take down the Institute. What more could a mare ask for?"

"I don't know," Capper said behind a paw so only the four of us could hear. "Try asking Veronica. She'll say she wants a new dress but as soon as you give her one, she never wears it!"

"Who's Veronica?" Piper bit down on her toast and rolled her eyes.

"So today's it huh?" Double Diamond set down his Ponish muffin. "I'm heading south, but I hear Piper is going to take us on a detour first?"

"Is that so?" I glanced over to Capper who grinned nervously. Not the best poker face.

"Yeah, she agreed to take us to the Railroad location in the North End."

"No no, I agreed to take you to the Friendship Trail. I have no clue where they are! But that should lead you right to it."

I put a hoof on my chin, "Uh-huh. So should we head out? I think I'm starting to get a bit cold here."

"Sure thing dude!" DD smiled and pumped his arm.

We travelled all the way through Broncston to get to the North end. It was difficult to avoid the scum that resided here, but we made it. On our bellies, we crawled into sight of the pond, where a statue stood in wait. "Be careful," whispered Piper, "Don't get too close to the water. This is Swan's Pond and inside is a big behemoth capable of killing both of you in one hit."

"Oh great, and the beginning of the trail is right there?" I pointed to the statue.

"Yep." she nodded.

"Good luck guys," said DD. "I can't wait to see you guys again."

"Me neither old friend," said Capper, giving him a hug.

"See ya guys," said Piper with a wave, and off they went, gone in the alleys.

I stepped up to the statue, reading the plaque. "Alright, the beginning of the trail. It says here we need to follow it to where the Lamp of Friendship guides the way."

Capper swept off the walkway with his tail, revealing the trail. "Looks like these bricks lead us where we need to go."

We moved along the trail, and followed it from one historic building to the next, and on each plaque were some strange letters and numbers. I took note of them in my Pip-Buck until we reached the Old North Church. It wanted us to go inside and a huge symbol of a lantern was painted on the doors. "I wonder what's inside." I breathed. Any treasure hunter would be stupid to pass up an opportunity like this.

"Only one way to find out. Hey, wonder if they're still doing services?" he laughed and pushed the door open.

The hinges creaked like the screeching of a dying crow and inside it was dim. "Don't worry, I have a light." I told him and activated the Pip-Buck light. There was a strange mist about, the dust catching off of beams of light from a high window. We were in the sanctuary. Nearby a staircase had caved in, revealing a huge chunk taken out of the wall. Capper was first to investigate. He even had his monocle out and equipped.

"There are hoofprints in this dust," he pointed out.

"Let's follow them." down we went into the catacombs of the church, into the morgue. Creepy.

There were more painted up lanterns here and we followed them past crypts and caskets. There was a huge panel on the wall, a circular contraption with three parts. We spun the device the way we'd been instructed along the trail and when we were done it spelled, FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC. Inside it was pitch black. That's when the lights snapped on and three ponies stood, pointing guns in our faces.

"My name is Othello," said the lead stallion, "I want to know what you are doing here."

(Can you guess why I named this Party Foul? Because of Party Favor x3 Anyway. Piper is great and hopefully after the Broken Heart, I'll write the story with her and DD going to Bittsberg. So, after all this, Capper and Blitz start the first leg of their journey together. This is gonna be a great one, especially with the Railroad. Lets look forward to a Far Harbor themed adventure in the works. Until next time!

Brohoof /)