Calamity’s plan was insane.
 - I wouldn't expect any less from him :p
 
Gawddammit.
 - The puns, they sting XD
 
We were all going to die.
 - Why, why am I laughing so hard at this, gawd.
 
“Hope Solar Array,” Calamity told me, sounding a little bored.  “Big bunch o’ dishes pointed up at the clouds.
 - It pans a bit to hear it all went to pony hell too soon.
 
I was mentally glaring daggers at Watcher as I added, “Give her some privacy.”
 - Boo hoo hoo Watcher, blowing to pieces one of the few real hopes in the Wasteland: a shred of privacy.
 
“But they can’t make more,” Calamity shouted.
 - Whew, finally a glimpse of weakness in the Enclave society. You did a really good job in conveying their superior tech strengths during the previous chapters.
 
“The Enclave must be ‘bout pissin’ themselves right now.”
 - They might be licking their wounds for a while too.
 
That meant that the ponies hunting us were all that good.
 - Is this the time for a total "Oh horseapples" yet?
 
“And if Ditzy Doo could do it, theoretically just ‘bout any sufficiently-radiated ghoul pegasi should be capable of pulling off a toxic rainboom.”
 - That's totally not bad news for the Enclave. Eenope.
 
Each griffin held a number of the colorfully marked papers in their talons, and there were six more piles of papers face up on the table as well as two face down that they seemed to be drawing new papers from as they played.
 - Oh, how cute, Pip learning of a game of cards.
 
Bwah?  Arrguh!  She thought I was…?
 - I can almost see the expressions on her fcae XD Priceless!
 
The little mare in my head whimpered, I’m not?  Not helping.
 - No matter the circumstances, getting rejected is not pretty :p
 
Apparently, all the ponies in this town were crazy.  Including me.
 - Or all ponies, by induction XD
 
The pony in my head was biting her hooves, insisting that I should have gotten the two of them to safety sooner.
 - Having read FOE:PH, it's quite interesting how most protagonists in the wasteland develop a structured inner dialogue in order to supposedly hold themselves together in the middle of... all the rest.
 
The lights were out.  Not good.
 - Do I smell a hardcore combat scene here?
 
I nearly shot a balloon.
 - Oh lawdy. Definitely a nice relief.
 
A cake floated into view, surrounded by a caramel-colored field of magic,
 - The caramel field returns! I gotta know whose it is now!
 
Ditzy Doo made those fears evaporate as she flew to Silver Bell, scooping the filly up against her breast and lavishing her with kisses until the girl was crying with happiness.
 - D'AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
 
“Hello, Crane,” I said, turning to the yellow unicorn.  “I thought I saw your telekinesis out there yesterday morning.”  Crane grinned.  “Thanks for the catch.”
 - Oh man, so that was HIM! No wonder I first thought of an alicorn of sorts.
 
“Ya been burning out?” he asked.  I nodded.  “Way ya been pushin’ yerself, Ah’m not surprised.”
 - It's also part of the fast learning curve :p
 
Requires a few plants that only grew in the Everfree Forest.  Reckon they’re all burnt up now."
 - Again and again, the Wasteland is never too kind with the (not so) Lone Wanderer.
 
“Fer a favor.”
 - Quest accepted: The cure for the uncommon hangover
 
"We could sorely use the crops, ‘specially now,” Crane stated.  “But local folks have weird rumors ‘bout the farm.  First pony who tried t’ move out that way came back t’ town a few times sayin’ it’s haunted.
 - Oooo, oooooh *raises hand* I totally know where this comes from! It's Fallout 2 isn't it *wide grin*
 
Bring me any mines you find, please.  I’ll trade for caps and grenades.
 - Loving the Craterside Supply vibe here ^^ Also, Landmine playground + Haunted farm? Boy, do your mash-ups amuse me immensely :D
 
I suspected she’d gotten into the spiked punch.
 - Even phoenixes need their occasional kick XD
 
The little pony in my head started looking around for the source of the other voices.
 - Schizophrenia imminent? XP
 
The party went late into the night.  
 - Totally deserved it, Pip.
 
Leaning over, I offered, “If you want something heroic, how about Crusaders?”
 - Oh come on, no love for the "Cutastically Fantastics"?
 
“You’re worse than Velvet!”  I immediately regretted the reference, seeing the pain it brought.
 - Aw, and now back to the sad thoughts.
 
“Calamity here took two .223 rifles, cut ‘em down and modified ‘em inta the most boss pair o’ pistols in the Equestrian Wasteland.”  
 - The .223 pistol! Man, good times. I just hope Redgie's has better aim :p
 
“Cottoned onta the idea of sendin’ their soldiers on strikes against raiders first.  Set the right first impression, paint the right picture o’ what the wasteland is all about, an’ those bucks an’ mares won’t hesitate when they tell ‘em t’ wipe a town.”
 - Good grief, they sure know their business up there.
 
No Unity for griffins.
 - Yeah, she was pretty clear about a "single dominant species".
 
I looked at Calamity again.  Maybe, just maybe, we’d be able to survive his plan after all.
 - Yee-haw! I love it when a plan comes together :p
 
But that notion fled as I noticed the shimmer of caramel-colored magic surrounding the suits of Enclave armor and realized there were no ponies inside.
 - I know it can't be in this fic, but I'd want somepony in the team wearing dat power armor SO BAD, it's not even funny. :p
 
She tried to backpedal, but I had her in a hug before she could escape.
 - You cannot escape my girth/friendship!
 
Of course she was.
 - Glad to have you back in spirit too ^^
 
“Crane was my teacher,” I explained.  “Taught me how to… unlock my… telekinetic potential?”  
 - "Use the (telekinetic) force, LittlePip!" said the little pony in my head.
 
“It is expected,” she whispered earnestly. I shook my mane.  “By who?”  The zebra didn’t seem to have an answer.
 - By the public, of course! Gawd, does Xenith have to tell you everything?
 
It beats them down.  It tears them apart.  Eventually, every hero falls.  Inevitably, every hero fails.
 - Is that a quote from chapter 10.5? Oh, I'm so proud of you.
 
Being without you is like walking with an open wound.”
 - And oftentimes, literally so.
 
“Velvet!” Calamity cheered, nuzzling the exceptionally muddy mare.  
 - Totally the scene from Over a Barrel! Plus, so many hugs! I wholeheartedly approve! :D
 
Xenith asked, having ninjaed up beside me.
 - Whoa, took so long for the n-word to show up. Surprising, given Xenith's prolonged presence. :p
 
Was there ever any doubt?
 - I, for one, did not have any. :)
 
“Her name is Fluttershy, and she was the best pony.”
 - Silly Velvet, that's not how you spell Twi... ah forget it, I'm not arguing with a fictional character. XP
 
Even Pyrelight let out a low whistle.
 - It doesn't get much better than a Thunderhead in the Wasteland to admire, folks.
 
“They’ve lost too much, too quickly.  They need big victories fast or their whole invasion falls apart, an’ a whole lot o’ Enclave leaders will be loosin’ their positions in the next election.  They can’t play around with the little targets anymore.”
 - So, the harder you hit, the heavier they retaliate? Aaaaugh!!!!
 
“Well, I’ve got a plan.  I know how to do it…” I began.
 - Yay, a Littlepip Plan(TM)! BRACE FOR AWESOME
 
“You.  Have a plan.”  Velvet Remedy leaned out the front window of the Sky Bandit, talking to Calamity.  “You.”
 - I know! You'd better drag the team back into shape before ti gets any crazier, Velvet!
 
“No, no, no,” Calamity puffed up, flapping his wings.  “We ain’t gonna defeat the Wonderbolts, Velvet.  We’re going to save them!”
 - Oh man, I see where this is going.
 ... But they're pegasi afterall, not unicorns! How are they gonna do with that, it's not like there's several memory machines lying around! .... Oooo, now I REALLY see where this is heading.
 
Resistance Radio.  I liked it.  Go Homage!
 - HELLLLLLLOOO CHILDREN!!
 
I was probably being paranoid, but when things started working out in our favor, it tended to make me nervous.  
 - Heh, you're just not used to have it your way :p
 
When Velvet was here, she wanted to be pampered.
 - Rarity levels of pampering, apparently.
 
“You have never been sexier…”
 - If I were Pip, I'd be boiling like a kettle about now. Looks like the two are quite eager to see each other again! X3
 
Multi-colored light sprayed across the void, striking parts of the broken ceiling as well as a desk that had been hanging precariously over the drop.  The desk melted into goo as it dripped down into the rubble below.
 - Orbital friendship cannon? :p
 
... BLAM!  BLAM!  BLAM!  BLAM!  
 - You write the best combat scenes, Kkat.
 
Two shots to the head of each opponent.  Two, in case one missed or just failed to kill.  Two shots and move on to the next.  Leave anypony still standing for Kage and Xenith.
 - Ah, the redundant routines SATS forces us to.
 
I let out a scream as I was bathed in alcoholic steam.
 - Wow, it's those unexpected details that make a fight scene stand out.
 
The griffin fell back, smoke rising from a gaping wound in his breast.  I stared in horror as the light went out of his eyes.
 - Awwwww, and here I was just getting attached to her.
 
Kage died for nothing!
 - F***, and here I was refusing to cry for a new addition... *sniff*
 
“One, cuz y’folk are Calamity’s friends.  Ah love muh li’l brother, an’ Ah ain’t happy t’ see his name onna kill list.
 - Awww, lookitthat, another one of Calamity's brothers.
 
We’d lost our mom, we’d lost the best part o’ our dad… we were hurtin’.  An’ Calamity was there.”
 - I bet Pip would punch him so hard in the face if he wasn't at an Enclave terminal. Well, I would at least.
 
Only it was very late, the spa would be closed, and I had to face Regina Grimfeathers.
 - And here I am, wanting just to be happy and quiet for once, but oh, right, the Wasteland sucks.
 
I couldn’t let that happen.
 - Boy, am I intrigued to wanna see you try!
 
My blood ran cold as I saw the Enclave’s second target.  Homage.
 - Seems like they took that little surprise in Shattered Hoof radio tower quite personally.
 
Thirty-two hours.
 - Are they actually confident they'd make it in that time? Boy, must they be GOOD.
 
“Grimfeathers don’t turn tail an’ run when it gets nasty,” she spat.
 - Very grateful to have them on your side, ain't you Pip?
 
“Fortunately, I have a better way,” Life Bloom claimed.  “There’s a memory spell, one created by Twilight Sparkle herself, which will allow me to cram all those memories into their heads in minutes.  It won’t be pleasant…”  The white unicorn shook his head.  “But it will work.”
 - YES!!!!! I totally called that!!! Props to you Kkat, for working in major S2-related plot so soon.
 
She did her best not to glance my way.  I hadn’t moved from where Xenith had dropped me.
 - Don't horses sleep while standing anyway? :p
 
Velvet Remedy cringed, looking at me in surprise.
 - What? You should know she can be like that XD
 
“…Everfree Forest.”
 - Well, at least the monsters will attack both parties.... Oh wait. Pegasi. Yeah, you're pretty much fucked.
 
The consensus was that we were indeed all going to die.  But at least it would be an exciting death.
 - It's the thing that sells best, too ^^
 
I glared at Xenith.  This had better be going somewhere.  I wasn’t happy with this sudden and unflattering analysis of the Goddess Celestia.
 - Velvet may have had Fluttershy, but Pip's got Celestia, and you better not make her idol suffer the same fate!
 
“And then they were removed.”
 - Oh SNAP! You have my attention.
 
This was a bad plan.
 - Well of course, but y'all knew that for the beginning, didn't you.
 
Velvet Remedy snickered.  I didn’t know whether to be relieved or offended.
 - Relief is probably the best thing ATM XD
 
“Attention, passengers,” ...
 - Nice to see it's always time for some sneak humour.
 
The Wonderbolts.
 - Right on cue! BATTLE START
 
In the yard, partially hidden under a tarp, was an Enclave antenna array.  It looked just like the one on the rooftop in Old Olneigh.  “Oh fuck!”
 - IT'S A TARP!!... Okay, okay, sorry with that. *smacks himself*
 
BLAM! One of the Wonderbolts fired a shot.  A single shot from what sounded like an anti-machine rifle.
 - Oh sweet mother of mercy, an Anti-materiel? This doesn't look good.
 
“Abandon wagon!”
 - OSHI- I think I won't like very much what happens next.
 
Velvet Remedy hadn’t even hit the ground when the Sky Bandit exploded in a pyrotechnic eruption of wild magic.
 - NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Sky Bandit, you were one of the best. *sniff* you will be greatly missed.
 
Just my luck that we had two healers with us now, and neither of them was with me.  I just couldn’t win.
 - Is it bad that I snickered? Poor Pip just can't get a break.
 
A fiercely determined bunny rabbit stared back at me. The bunny was made of stone.
 - Angel! Of all the ways to die....
 
Beyond the stone bunny, the grassy knoll rose up to where a massive weeping willow, twisted and ancient, rose above us.  The rough bark of the tree was a strange, buttery yellow.  Blue vines wrapped about its gnarled roots.  Its drooping pink leaves swayed in a wind I couldn’t feel.
 - Is this.... what I think it is....
 *stares in amazement for a minute or so*
 I had lost hope. but now here it is, in front of my eyes. Every bit as glorious as it should.
 Thank you Kkat. I had seen it done before, but this is the best Fluttertree. Ever.
 
The tree was framed by the angry brown sky, choked with smoke.  Beyond the tree, the hillside dropped back downward into the fires of Everfree Forest, those flames pushed forward by the dark silhouettes of Red Eye’s griffins, their weapons pouring liquid fire across the ground.
 - The bastards! Wonder how it will all end up next chapter.
 ... oh wait, this is one of the biggest cliffhangers ever! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-
 
 P.S. Thanks Kkat. For everything.