Jet hit the wooden tub with a loud splash as Caroline pushed him in. He flapped his wings like crazy. "I don't want your tub! I'm going to find Silver!" With a shake of his soaked feathers, he shot out of the tub and flew off frantically. On the other side of the room, Silver was sitting with Snow in an extra-large wooden tub. Silver tilted her head a little when Jet swooped in. She didn't show any emotion, just shifted to the side to make space. That tiny move was all Jet needed. "Silver, I'm here!" he cried, thrilled like he'd just won the lottery. Caroline picked up Raven, who had shrunk down to a small, fluffy size. She lowered her head and brushed Raven's fur, refusing to glance at Tyler. She had no idea that Tyler was grinning. He straightened his back on purpose, making his body look taller and his muscles more defined. He didn't say a word, but it was very much the posture of showing off his body. To be fair, Tyler's muscles were worth a second look. Any other girl would probably sneak a peek too. Denton, sitting next to Tyler, watched this whole scene unfold. A spark lit up in his clueless brain. Wait, these two. Are they into each other? I owe Caroline a favor, don't I? Maybe this is my chance to repay my debt. Denton rubbed his chin like a detective who finally found the missing clue, already sinking into deep thought. Caroline pulled Marmy over and placed him into the tub. Marmy was so small that she had to set him on Raven's back to keep him from drifting away. Up on the rooftop of the 66th floor, two huge ceramic basins were filled to the brim with spring water. Handsy and Medusa lounged inside them, soaking and absorbing the water through their roots like they were having the best spa day ever. If the team wanted to level up, then everyone was leveling up. No exceptions. They all soaked in the warm healing spring, sipping spring water and chatting about nothing in particular. It felt like a strange bathtub party in the middle of the apocalypse. The first to be knocked out were Silver, Snow, and the tiny pony Denton had proudly renamed Biscuit. Biscuit, fresh from the storage space and never having experienced any upgrade before, didn't last long. After drinking a few gulps of spring water, he fell asleep right in the wooden tub. His long neck drooped over the rim, and his tongue flopped out in a most ridiculous way. Such a goofy sight! Next went Denton. Tyler stayed awake a little longer, talking with Caroline. But when Caroline finished a sentence and turned back, she found Tyler slumped against the side of the tub, soundly asleep. Pinky, who had already been soaked with Nelson as he experimented on the spring water, was still awake. She sat in Denton's arms, looking around with her curious eyes, cute as a button. A little more time passed; even Pinky had drifted off. Only Caroline, Raven, and Jet were still awake. Those three were veterans who had soaked in spring water more times than they could count. With nothing else to do, Caroline grabbed a tablet and started watching a show. And across several wooden tubs, Jet stretched out his neck as far as it could go, trying to peek at the screen. Jet found himself torn. On one side, Silver was asleep, resting her tiny head against Jet's wing. Jet felt like he might melt from happiness. This was the dream. This was everything. On the other side, Caroline was watching his favorite fantasy show, the one he had been following for weeks. Jet stretched his neck out and tilted his head, listening. After a bit he muttered, "Oracle .. No, human, turn the volume up, please!" Caroline burst out laughing. Even Raven shot Jet a look that hinted, you're an embarrassing bird. Still, Jet only fussed for about an hour before he finally dozed off. Raven lasted another 30 minutes before dozing off. The dog's big head, usually drooping, now rested gently against Caroline. He breathed evenly, completely relaxed, trusting her like she was his safe haven. Another half hour passed; Caroline felt herself fading too. Right before passing out, she tucked the tablet back into her storage space, then drifted into sleep.She had a sweet dream. Caroline was a kid again, before the apocalypse turned the world inside out. Her grandparents were still alive. Her parents were there. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was safe. When she woke up, only four hours had passed. She looked into her tub. More dark impurities floated in the water. Nelson's method really did work better than her old routine of drinking and soaking separately. What surprised her most was that Jet didn't wake up before Silver. Silver opened her eyes, stretched her wings, and froze. Her snowy white feathers were smeared with thick black gunk. Jet also had the same black gunk. Their messes had mixed together. If Jet realized Silver would open her eyes and saw this, he'd never sleep beside her. He'd probably curl up in a corner, terrified that Silver would think he was the grossest bird around.