B.D: Memoirs of a Rogue

Chapter VII

CLOVEN HOOF

The foal's name was peculiar... Lollard. We nursed him back to health, with Parable at the helm. We asked where he lived so we could bring him back.

Lollard told us he'd been scavenging off the streets for "days and nights," later telling us it was just over a week or so, at a guess, since he last went home. It started at school, when his parents didn't come back for him. He wasn't a stupid colt, and he knew the way back on his own. It didn't do him any help. His house was locked. He was stuck without anypony for the whole night.

A few days later, nothing changed. They never came back, his parents gone. His mother already left before, his father telling him she was on 'business', but he was gone too? Nopony would take him in. He'd been moving street by street, and said he was living in the same box for a couple of days 'til we found him.

We didn't get much more out of the colt. Even that took us a few days. The colt was terrified silent of us for the first few days, though Parable persisted to let him stay. We weren't in a desperate situation, so why not? We had half a years worth of food to buy before we'd run out, and the colt would likely perish without us.

The days after his arrival were almost eventless. I even bought a newspaper, thinking I'd actually learn to read the whole thing. Cinders told me she'd move me up to 'Novels', and 'Autobiographies' later. I didn't like the sound of either of them, at the time. Ponies change.

The newspaper described the events of the prison-break, even showing an artist's depiction. There were a hundred and sixty-four prisoners that escaped, and of those, one hundred-and-twelve were found, caught or killed. The others were still on the run. Three of those on the run were technically my boss's employees. One being a complete psychopath. I shuddered, thinking what the other runaways were like.

The news was depressing, at the heart of it. Never shone a light at the happier stuff. I couldn't stay cooped inside any longer, so I took a trip out., I decided to take on Bastion's offer to visit Hoofsplit on my off time.

I visited twice. He welcomed me gratefully, and we'd talk for hours. He asked me more about my life at the orphanage, and my life in general. He was fascinated, spinning a couple of his own tales, too.

He told me stories of the prisoners he used to see, how innocent some came off as, and how deadly the others were. He even told me a bit about politics. Apparently, the earth pony and unicorn queendoms were friends, while the seemingly 'evil' pegasi at the borders were plotting to take over, something like that. I didn't pay enough interest to understand fully.

Whenever Shady passed by, she'd huff at us, glaring an angry eye at Bastion as she trotted past the room. This seemed to be usual behaviour at the manor. Shady was acting sulky every time I saw her.

I didn't take much from his lessons and tales, much less than he'd like me to, though some of it stuck. A few days later, I heard about an execution, the victim none other than a pegasus republic spy. The same sort that Bastion spoke of. I had to investigate for myself.

* * *

"Here, today, we find another who besmirches the name of their tribe. We know pegasi who work, help us using the talents unique to their tribe. This, is not one such pegasi."

The voice boomed over the crowd gathered around the square, her voice magically altered to be heard through the area, louder than the jeering of the populace watching. I could barely see the mare in question, the taller adults blocking my view.

Shifting aside, I found a small, tiny hole throughout the crowd, enough to see the pony next to the spy. He was a stallion, covered in dark fur that barely reflected the light of day. He wore a wrinkled three-cornered hat, aged similar to the stallion.

I couldn't see the speaker, though I could hear her voice clearly.

"Such cowards who would take to plotting. Make no mistake, it is the pegasus republic that sends us these scoundrels. Their council does not explain themselves for these acts of treachery. We must make sure that these scoundrels are dealt with, come when they may."

She paused a moment, then spoke in a much quieter voice. "Though the queendom of earth is merciful, is it not? You have a choice, and this shall be the last time I ask. You may keep your silence, stay true to your false promises and die in front of us now.  Or, you may agree to tell your master's scheme, keeping your life to return home. What do you say?"

There was no voice. The crowd quietened down to listen, but the results were fruitless. The pegasus, still unseen from my view, was ready to keep her silence to the grave.

"Very well," the mare's voice stated after an awkwardly long pause. "Soldier, on my mark." I saw the stallion raise his right foreleg up, aiming forwards with a small contraption built on a hoofbrace around his knee. The mare counted down, "Three, two, one..." the stallion picked something up with his mouth, too small to be seen.

"...Mark."

Cheers echoed throughout the square, seconds after the shot rung and echoed off the buildings close by. Soon after, the crowd clapped their hooves, applauding the deed. I winced at the uproar, turned away from the crowd and began to walk out. As I exited the scene, I ran into a familiar face, yelping her name in surprise. "Vallé!"

"You are one of the strangest, youngest ponies I know," she smirked. I noticed her attire, a flamboyant dress in white and green with a large bag on her side. "What brings you 'ere, of all places?"

"I could ask you the same," I replied. "What's the get-up for?"

"I was sent for you," she said letting wandering ponies pass by her, them staring at her for a moment before passing by, "for your next assignment. I 'ope you are ready for it."

I'd been bearing with a lack of any new contracts for a while, and was initially surprised at the mention of it. "Nopony told me anything about this before. When, and where?"

"We're meeting up at The Point. You can finish what you're doing now, but I wouldn't keep anypony waiting much longer."

" 'The Point'?"

"You don't know?" She asked, pulling a puzzled look. "It's a big part of the underworld here. Close to Fetlock Avenue. You've never been there?"

I searched my mind, lacking results. "...You wouldn't mind giving directions, would you?"

She smiled. "It's no problem, Violet. I was planning on leaving for it right after I was done finding where you were. I've always found travelling a lot more fun with two."

I bowed my head grinning, letting her lead on. She took us out of the crowds and on a road splintering away from the execution square. It was, admittedly, quite relieving to get away from the grim scene. Being next to a member of Silt's group was actually comforting, knowing I could talk to her. "So... what's up with Shady?" I asked. "Is she always so moody?"

"Moody? It's part of her nature, and Shady's always been the same on the outside. I admit, she's had more reason to act moody in the past week," Vallé muttered. "The execution is the icing on the cake, really."

The execution, I thought. "Did Shady know the spy, or something?"

"Perhaps," she replied, slowing her pace to talk at my side. "Shady used to be a pegasus spy a long, long time ago, before anypony joined Silt's entourage, save his butler. Shady was sent at first like the others, to find out about the earth pony queendom, and its weaknesses."

She paused a moment, turning suddenly to the right across another road. Almost going the wrong way, I corrected myself, before hastily trotting back alongside her. "Sorry."

Vallé grinned. "It's not a problem. I should pay more attention to where we're going than to our history lesson."

I didn't want her to stop. Knowing a bit about my colleagues' past piqued my curiosity, and as we went past the old temple, I spoke up. "What happened, with Shady? Why'd she join Silt?"

"You are an inquisitive foal, aren't you?" she laughed.

"Hardly a foal," I glared. "A foal wouldn't break into a prison, or watch an execution at her own will."

"Fair play," she smirked. "Shady was different from the other spies they send. She was given another task; to kill the richest pony in the kingdom, levelling the playing field, so to speak. The pegasi republic's council is known for it's competitive nature towards the other queendoms. She was sent to Pastur, and not a day later, she found where Silt lived. 'Er quick nature was left unrewarded. Rich ponies don't keep their mansions unprotected. The plan was foiled deep the night following, when she was 'it unaware by a trap. Shady was found by Pastur guards, who sent 'er to the square. Before she was shot, the execution was stopped by Silt. 'E spared Shady, in exchange for 'er everlasting service to 'im."

"Wow," I exclaimed, Vallé simply nodding at my shock. "So... what's her problem with me, then?"

"Don't worry about that, Violet. She's a pegasi, born and raised in Cloudsdale. Made to 'ate, or at the least thoroughly dislike the other tribes. She'll lighten up on you, as much as she did with everypony else. Just the matter of mixing in, is all."

"I see," I said, looking at the end of the road. "Say, if you know so much about ponies like Shady, why don't you ever talk about yourself? What's your story?"

"Oh, it's not nearly as interesting," she laughed. "Besides, I'm a lot more comfortable talking behind the backs of friends that don't know than I am about myself."

"Go on. I've already heard a bit about Mister Silt and Bastion, and I bet he's said a ton about me."

"How about the mare you saved, Twitch? 'Ers' is a fascinating story."

"I'd rather shoot myself in the back of the neck than hear anymore about that bitch," I uttered. She smirked without a word at my sentiment, and hastened to the front again.

A few minutes passed where there was no exchange, aside from the clip-clopping of hooves on the road. The houses to the sides of me changed as we trotted on. It was steady, but noticeable, how the houses packed ever more closer. How the stone and brick changed to coloured, chipped wood. How the rooftops above seemed to be steadily blocking more and more of the sky, making the surroundings grim, and dark.

Even the ponies were altered. They were darker clothed, as well as darker eyed, from what seemed like sleep deprivation. They wandered by, taking less interest in where they were going than they did in the well-dressed mare in front, and disturbingly, me. I tried not to look back as they stared, some half stumbling over themselves as they changed their route to get the best look of us.

Vallé slowed down, letting my catch up next to her side again. "We're close," she said calmly. "Don't let your guard down, and stay near me. You don't want to get lost here."

Our trot turned to a walk, as we passed through the dim street. There were eyes watching us from every angle. Feeling uncomfortable, I averted my gaze upwards. In a second floor room, there was a filly, much younger than myself. She was staring at us like the rest, but soon closed shut the curtains after I looked at her.

The atmosphere was... creepy. I turned to face the ground, looking down at mine and Vallés back hooves. I felt a lot more comfortable doing so, even if a bit of dust flew into my face. It wasn't normal dust. It had an unfamiliar smell to it, mixed in with what smelled like smoked tobacco. I sniffed at it a couple of times, trying to make it out. Vallé pushed into me as I did so, giving a disapproving frown. We moved on.

"Here," she said, pointing a hoof to a dark alley between two buildings. "We're meeting here. Quickly now."

I sped up, as did she, avoiding a few zombie-like ponies shambling along the pavement stone with large grins on their faces. We entered the dark, becoming clearer as I got further through. The walls were visible, and at the end, two ponies. Bastion was sitting on all fours with a slight but noticeable shake, while Shady was as far away from him as possible in a corner, perched on a box.

Bastion stood up once he saw the both of us. "Friends," he said, "you should aim to get to the meeting place a bit earlier. We've been standing here for what, fifteen minutes! And in this dreadful abomination of a district, no less."

"Like I said," the darkly dressed Shady muttered, "welcome to The Point. What else is new."

"I've gone here before Shady, but it isn't a nice place, is it?"

"Stop whining." She turned to us. "Vallé, what's the plan here?"

The purple mare unclipped the bag from her side, letting it fall onto the ground freely.

"Our task is to learn the plans of a gang, the Cloven Hoof. The information we could gather here is near vital to Mister Silt. We've chosen to go for a more 'direct' approach. The top members of the gang are at a party 'ere in Fetlock. Two of us shall disguise as party guests to find out any of their plans. The other two will stand guard outside."

"That explains the dress," Bastion said. "Who're you going to the party with?"

"You," Vallé replied. "I thought that'd be easy enough to work out."

"I see. I suppose Shady would be a bad candidate for a, uh, 'higher class' member, no offence."

"Damn right," Shady said bluntly.

Vallérose dug into her bag, soon taking out what looked to be fine, navy blue clothing. She brought it over to Bastion, and he levitated it from her grasp. A few minutes of dressing, and the stallion was ready for the part. I'd never seen upper class party clothes, but in the company of a few friends, they looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Very funny," he grumbled, as I chuckled behind him. "When are we moving out?"

The purple mare beside me sniggered. "You don't think you're done yet, do you? You're forgetting the pièce de résistance." She returned to her bag, Bastion staring with sheer horror. Vallé pulled out a tall, white wig. I burst out laughing, simply unable to control myself. Bastion let out a long, drawn-out groan.

* * *

The two left me and Shady in the alley. For a short while we stood there, almost motionless. I was waiting on her to move. She did eventually, taking her weight off the box and onto her hooves. She crouched close to the floor.

"On my back. Now."

I shifted an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Do you want me to fly you to the roof, or do you want to climb up yourself?"

I didn't like her tone, but the job was clearly more important. I trod across the paving to her side. I'd never flown a pegasus before. Putting my hind leg over her waist, I sat on her. It didn't feel right in the slightest.

With a sudden jolt, the pegasus started flapping her wings, and took off from the floor. As it turned out I was hardly prepared, and barely prevented myself from falling. Only a quick gut reaction to grapple her neck with both front hooves saved me. Shady faltered as I did so, drooping down at an angle, though quickly recovered to continue her ascent. I closed my eyes, holding on for dear life. Levitating was a much better way of flying.

I heard hooves clip onto clay tiles. Opening my eyes, I saw something I'd missed from the aqueduct. The open sky, as intimidating as it was, made me feel a bit less gloomier. I looked around, to see a sea of roofs and chimneys in every direction.

"Violet?" Shady called from below. I was still sitting on her, my hooves digging into the back of her neck accidentally.

"Sorry," I called back. I dismounted onto the tiles with caution, making sure I didn't slip. It wasn't the first time I'd been out on a roof, and it wasn't going to be my last if I could help it.

Shady walked to the edge, and looked down to scan the streets. "They're several houses ahead of us. We'll catch them up easy. Keep a look-out to see the house they go to."

"Right," I noted, trotting behind her. She kept her pace well on the tiles, and I had to use all my effort to not get left behind.

We travelled on for a while, every now and then checking down at the street. It was reassuring to not have to deal with ponies below. I could hear them talking, occasionally laughing with slurred, incomprehensible sentences. They stayed clear of Bastion and Vallé, trailing around the walls of the houses.

Soon we became neck and neck with the two. Shady slowed her pace, her grey behind bobbing ever so slower. She took a short breath. "I heard what you did at the prison. Didn't think you'd make it out, honestly."

"Well... I did," I replied. I couldn't work out whether she was insulting me or not.

"You looked like a waste of time when I first saw you. Wasn't sure Silt was thinking straight. You earned your pay at the prison."

"Uh... thanks."

"You better stay the same today. You're still a filly, with a bit more talent than usual. Fillies can screw up."

"Much as anypony," I muttered.

"Really?" She asked, perking up. "A word of advice, filly. Stay away from Bastion."

"What's your problem?" I said frustratedly, trying not to raise my voice too high. "Why?"

Shady huffed to herself, saying nothing more. She had something against him. Because he was a unicorn, maybe? I wouldn't put it past her.

We pursued our friends from high, the tiles tapping as we touched them. It was thankfully quite a small noise, barely audible by anypony on the streets.

Click, clack, click, clack.

I checked over, as per routine. Seeing the couple stop beside a door with ponies either side of it, I turned to Shady. "Hey. They've stopped."

She halted, and pressed back to me. She checked over herself, before turning back. "That's Cloven Hoof, alright. Three-cornered hats and black jackets. We'll need to get over to the other side."

"Why?" I asked.

"To make sure we know what's going on in there. They'll see us peering out from over here, look," she said, pointing a hoof at a long string of windows across the second floor. "The meeting room. If we're on the roof around it, we'll be able to hide, and hear it."

She walked back to the side, looking down. She stood there for a moment, and eventually turned back. "They're going inside. Now, while nopony's looking."

She crouched down. I sighed, and sat myself over her once again. She burst up, and began to hover to the other side. I was a lot more secure, placing my hooves around her neck quickly. As we passed through the wind, I felt my tail bristle across hers.

Shady landed perfectly on the new rooftops beside the building. I got off straight away, feeling slightly more awkward from the flight. "So, uh, now what?"

"You find a window. Preferably one we can see those two with," she muttered. "I'm going up top. Tell me if you find anything. Wings willing, you'll stay quiet," she said, and flew up to the roof of the house.

I was left on a maze of diagonal roofs, which were much higher angled than the ones across the street. I walked slowly, making sure to keep my grip before going on. I was able to travel full circle round the house.

Minding my step, I checked around, and found what I was looking for. A window, second floor, right beside the large room Shady pointed out earlier. It was a fair distance down, and without any reasonable means of getting down, I called Shady, and stamped on the tiles to alert her. "I, I think I've found something."

She flew down. I guided her to the window, and she brought herself down to examine it closely. A brief moment later she flew back up to me.

"The room's got a staircase with a fair few doors. It's the upstairs hall alright. I'll take you down."

I took a lift down to the window, and looked in. The room was aptly described, bearing not much more than a couple drawers and a mirror at the far end. A few seconds later, I saw the heads of two familiar ponies up the staircase. I called to Shady, "It's them! They're on the other side."

The two were in the house, unscathed, Bastion floating a notebook by his side. The two saw us, and smiled as I grinned back. The meeting was already happening in the other room, and the two were ready for it. I could only hear murmurs from outside, but I could see Bastion scribbling down notes.

Shady lost interest soon enough, and flew back up top. It was a much better use of her time. She could see anypony coming in from up there. Additionally, I didn't need to stand near a pony making a wave of disgusted faces aimed at the unicorn. He winked back when she did, using his magic to conjure up a moustache.

The two worked hard at the door to the meeting room, Vallé whispering to Bastion while he wrote it up. I couldn't hear a word of it. The unicorn still held the moustache in place, occasionally twirling it. I chuckled, his new clothes only adding to the absurdity.

I found it quite funny. The stallion glass-bearer that climbed up the stairs, out of the corner of my eye, didn't think as much. He looked at the two by the door, then at me. His eyes widened, as did mine, as I thrust a hoof at the glass, pointing towards him. Bastion gave an odd look back as the shouting cry of the stallion behind him created a severity to the situation that was not so funny.

* * *

"Spies! Spies at the door!"

The two swung their heads to the stallion. Bastion quickly pushed the notebook into his own jacket. Looking at the stallion, he used his horn once more, on the serving tray the glass-bearer held. The tray whacked him in the face and crashed to the floor, along with the silver glasses and their cider. Shady swooped down, asking "What's going on?"

Bastion and Vallérose looked at me through the window. I placed myself a fair distance away, and bolted at it.

The impact hit me hard, while the window stayed strong as ever. Bastion tried throwing things at it magically; broken stools, parts of the staircase banister, even the silverware the stallion dropped. It was no use. The window stayed strong as ever, and just as Bastion began a second wave, the door to the meeting room flung open.

The two abandoned the window, and galloped for the staircase. Pony after pony raced out of the meeting room, shouting. One pointed at me with a hoof, a pistol above it.

"Duck!"

Shady pushed me down, my own legs stuck from fear. There was a sharp crack, sounding from inside the house. Looking up, I noticed a plume of smoke gassing the room. The bullet encased itself in the glass, causing splinters around it, but nothing more. I was lucky that the owner was wealthy enough to buy shot-proof windows.

Shady shouted to me. "Watch out back. I'll take the front entrance. If they come out there, tell me."

I nodded, and Shady flew off. I got up, and turned my attention to the back entrance of the house. It wasn't a garden as I'd thought. The back was a pathway to more houses, stretched around the area. There were boxes upon boxes piled up outside, next to large glass containers, holding what looked like cider.

I wasn't able to look around for long. Without warning, another loud slam erupted from below. A door thrust open, with the shouts and screams ever more louder. I saw a purple mare and an orange stallion gallop out of the building.

"Shady! They're here, they've ran out here."

Shady hovered over within seconds. "What're you doing? Keep up with 'em!"

I turned to the buildings stretching into the back area, and ran, the pegasus soaring overhead as I did so. She landed in front of me, and we both charged across the roof tiles, some dislodging and falling from our pace.

I looked down. The two split apart at a corner, Vallé smashing through garden fences as a shortcut. They both ended up separated, a line of buildings between them. They had more problems to worry about straight ahead. Groups of gang members assembled on both sides, throwing boxes out to obstruct the path. The two were stuck between the strong forces to the front of them and the massing hordes catching up on their rear. I wanted to help, but how? I had no weapons, an—

"Violet," shouted Shady from the other side of the roof. "Catch."

She threw what I only saw as a swirling beige ring at me. I caught it in my mouth, only to find out what it actually was. A hoofbrace, with a pistol poking out of it.

"You go after Vallé. I'm going for the mule," Shady roared. She unsheathed a short sword from the top of her black leather jacket, and held it in her mouth. I saw her dive off the building to the street below. I couldn't stay around either. I shoddily fit on the hoofbrace, finding it an easy enough fit, but there was a serious problem. I'd never held a firearm before, and I didn't have a clue how. It was a small gun, made so it didn't interfere with limb movement, with a single string running down its' side.

How in Tartarus am I meant to do this?

I stepped over to the side, and saw Vallé galloping across open streets. She'd gotten past the blockade, but they weren't done. One of the ponies, a stallion, made a grab for a sharp, potent knife. He, out of all the others, began to stumble out from the blockade, advancing on the fleeing mare. I looked down further, straight below me, and saw a group of boxes. It was worth a shot, if anything. I jumped for them.

"Violet!"

Vallé shouted out for me, while I crashed into the pile. They were fragile, and the boxes broke as I slammed into them. My injury was shock more than anything, while the stallion on path to Vallé turned around to see me. I struggled out of the boxes, and the stallion, seeing me, turned back to his original target.

I looked back at Shady's hoofbrace. The thing was barely damaged by the fall. I raised my hoof at the galloping stallion's face, bit hold of the string, and pulled it back.

Smoke flew into my face, making me cough, but just before I was enveloped, I saw the stallion falter. He tripped, and once I cantered away from the smoke, I saw his foreleg facing me wounded.

"Violet, gallop to me, quickly!"

I sped flat out on my hooves to the voice. She was there, smiling, and tossed her head forward. She led on, jumping over a small wall, and I followed. I almost didn't see her when I leapt over as she was hiding right behind it, out of view from the other side.

"You're quite alright?" she asked.

I caught my breath. "Never felt better."

"That was a fine shot. We're getting out of 'ere, right now. You see that?" she said, pointing her hoof ahead. "That's our way out."

She pointed at large wooden dual gate ahead of us, past another row of buildings to the left. On the right were a couple of barns, and more empty boxes. The gate was wide open. With nopony guarding it, we were totally clear. All we needed was to pass the distance to it.

"Wait for me," said a voice from my side, breathing heavily.

It was Bastion, his wig having fallen clean off, and his jacket torn.

"Bastion! Where's Shady?" Vallé asked.

"Last I saw she was fighting off three ponies behind me. I, I don't know where she is now."

The purple mare shook her head. "She'll be fine. She always is."

I turned to her. "We're going to leave Shady?"

She nodded. "Ready?"

"Ready," both me and Bastion replied.

She stood up. We all did soon after. A moment apart, we all readied up a gallop to the gate.

Our chances seemed high. The ponies behind us were too far away, with nopony in front.

Until there was.

They were hiding behind the gate's bridge, above the doors. At three-quarters to the gate, we saw them show up, the gate closing. Each pony on the gate wore a tricorne and jacket, and each had a rifle positioned on a shoulder-height wall. I was close enough to see their sinister grins.

We were speeding down the middle of the road to a closed gate,with guns aimed to kill us.

"Fire!"

The first volley whizzed past. bouncing off the stone around me. I looked at my colleagues, and they appeared to be unhurt, too. Guns, apparently, weren't always to be accounted for to hit their target.

"The barn," Bastion shouted amidst the haze and fierce shouting. "Go for the barn."

We turned direction, following Bastion as he tore off the path. Adrenaline pumping, I heard the sound of open windows behind us. There were more shots flying close by, and amidst it all, I heard a scream.

A scream that sounded awfully like Vallé.

I turned.

She was on the floor, with newly emerged blood on a hind leg . She looked me straight in the eye, her foreleg reaching feebly to the ground to get up again. Another volley, with at least one hitting her, put a stop to it.  Her mane fluttered down to earth in a ragged teak mess over her head.

"No!"

I had to leave her. She was gone, and I couldn't stop it. I ran to catch up with Bastion at the barn. He glowed his horn and the door shifted,  sliding horizontally across the dirt. We bolted in and he used his magic once more, slamming the door behind us with ground-moving force, leaving the gun-toting horde behind.

* * *

Sounds of guns and shouting were muffled by the door. Light came from outside through tiny holes in the woodwork, while a glow came off Bastion's horn. I looked around. There was no other entrance or exit, no barn window to jump out of. There were boxes, though. Plenty of boxes, and on top of that, barrels, ordered neatly on both floors, the way up being a ladder. Aside from that, there were a couple of brewing vats behind us. Something helpful, like a way out? Oh no. Brewing vats, barrels and boxes are way better.

Bastion struggled to my side. "I... I can't hold for long. They're trying to slide it open. Violet, is there anything, anything that can help us out of here?

A shout hailed from outside, followed by a volley of gunfire that made me jump. A few shots made it through the door and fell to the ground, making tiny dust clouds around us.

"There's nothing. Do you see anything? Nothing," I cried, my words piercing through the sound outside.

"No. There's a way, Violet. There always is. Think! We can't die here, I can't die here."

His voice fell silent. I trotted side to side, looking for the answer. It wasn't there. The barn really was just a warehouse, and with nothing sticking out as useful, I gave up.

"Unless you have a plan involving a lake of cider."

A short pause followed, with Bastion breaking it. "Maybe... no. No, we can make it out of here. A crawlspace on the second floor, maybe?"

"I... I'm not sure that would help us. They'd shoot us like... Vallé."

I felt tears emerging. They crept onto my face, wetting my fur.

"I can't believe she's gone. She was with us the whole time, and... she's gone. I barely knew her..."

He did.

I turned to the stallion. "You knew her. Don't you care? Aren't you sad at all?"

I gave him a chance to speak. He didn't utter a thing.

"No... you don't. You don't care, do you? Why would a unicorn care? A selfish, prick-of-the-lot Canterlot bastard!"

"Violet, please, calm down." Bastion strained. "You don't know what you're saying. I cared for her more than the sun in the sky, but I also care to keep us alive."

His voice cut me short. My anger blinded me enough to forget my common sense. He was right, but his cause was pointless. Why care to keep us alive? We were surrounded, somehow still surviving in a building surrounded by a ridiculous number of well armed killers. They were still at the door, and I could see Bastion's magic well enough. It was fading. We didn't have long before the entire horde came to gun us down, and what could we do? Surrender? I grimly huffed at the thought.

Maybe there was some reason for Bastion to keep the door, though, Final thoughts and all. I turned to Bastion.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't reply, struggling as he fell down to focus his magic. The shouts behind the door morphed to a single "Push," every few seconds, followed by grunts. It was a miracle Bastion's ward kept up at all.

I walked to the barrels on the other side of the barn. There was about a dozen of the barrels, evenly spaced to let a pony walk by without knocking them over. Each had a handle on the top,  nothing more. I thought it strange—the cider barrels I'd seen before had a tap near the bottom. Left it out for storage, I assumed.

"The first cider I had was at that bar, you know. I hated it, barely touched it. But, well, what's life without trying things out once in a while?"

I put a hoof under the handle. I pulled up, struggling a bit, finally taking off the top after some effort. I looked inside. There was, to my surprise, no cider.

There was gunpowder.

"Bastion?" I darted to the other barrels. Sure enough, each and every one was just about full of the black powder.

"The barrels. They're holding gunpowder."

"What?"

"And... I think I know how we're getting out."

I walked back to the first barrel, and grabbed hold of either side. I pulled it directly in line with Bastion, and pushed it over. The contents spilled to the floor.

We're blowing it up.

I crouched, lowering my head to the powder. I opened my mouth, and lowering further, closed on a small section of the mound. It tasted sharp, and thoroughly disgusting. I raised my hoofbrace, and let go of the powder over the gun's barrel. Only about a fifth actually fell in, the rest either sticking to my mouth, or falling around it. I never reloaded a gun before, but I'd learnt the gist of it.

Vallé goes out with a bang.

I stood upright, and felt a rush of the remaining powder down my throat. Spluttering, I looked back at the barrel on the floor.

I need a way to light it.

The turned-over barrel leaked black powder from the top. I kicked a bit out with my hoof, spreading it across the floor.

A few kicks later, and there was a mound of the stuff out of the barrel.

I coughed once more from the powder, trotting to Bastion as I continued to kick some of the  the powder with me, making a safe distance fuse.

His magic sparked out as I reached him. "Violet... what are you doing?" he whispered faintly.

“Get behind the vat.”

I crouched down once more. Picking up a lead ball with my teeth, I placed the gun upright, and dropped it in.

"You're crazy."

“Get behind it… now.”

The stallion, with an urge of what seemed to be the last of his strength, clambered over to the other side of the large vat.

I led the trail and followed suit, jumping behind some crates for some kind of protection, if any.

I aimed my hoof at the gunpowder I’d left behind me, ending just in front of the crates. I looked up, and saw the faces and hooves of the ponies outside heaving themselves in.  I clicked the trigger back. I bit on to the string, and without hesitation, swung it back.

There was a split second where I could see the shot hit. At close range, the ball hit straight on target. Some of the burning gunpowder from the gun travelled with it, lighting the trail on the floor. I hid behind the crates, wishing on the stars that it wouldn’t die out.

A short while after the trail was lit, the barn door slid open. A split second after, I heard a truly terrifying eruption of noise.

I can't possibly mimic the sound through word. I could only explain it as the sound of the pistol, amplified a thousand-fold, while at the same time a maul the size of a dragon smashing through a wood mansion while I was still in it.

I ducked instinctively behind the crates, throwing my body out range. Splinters dived into and around me at terrifying velocity.

The explosion engulfed half the barn, spreading around the smell of gunpowder and burning wood. The ponies at the door were abstracted from sight, though I saw Bastion. He didn't get the full force of the explosion, the large steel vat now in front protecting him from debris. Neither did I—I was still conscious, breathing, alive.

My hearing literally blanked out, and I had the worst head pain in Equestria, but I wasn't dead. Far from it. I watched for half a minute or so as debris fell around, some flaming. The largest bits crashed overhead, through the barn roof and out the other side.

I looked back at Bastion, my vision blurred and painful. His formalwear was practically destroyed, ripped in every way possible. He got up stumbling on his hooves, and falling down a couple of times before finally staying there. He looked to me, and opened his mouth. "__________."

He appeared to be saying something, shouting, maybe. I couldn't hear it. His face was contorted with horror, and noticing I couldn't hear a single word, he pointed a hoof at my foreleg.

I hadn't noticed, through the shock of the situation, that my leg was on fire. I gasped, attempting to pat it out on the floor. The flame stayed strong, sending hot pain through me. I stood, breaking into a flimsy jump into the vat. Fermenting liquid splashed over the sides as I plunged. I noticed, the two extremes facing another in the vat, how hot the air was. The flaming debris littered the place, with pieces of wood and straw still dropping off the smouldering roof.

I peered over the other side of the vat. I could see from the door to the closed wooden gate outside, and there wasn't a single body around. The gate was dangerously close to the detonation, and I wouldn't put it past the explosion simply throwing the ponies off. I stepped over, falling down to the ground like Bastion had. It was hard, dirty ground, with dust sticking to me as I got up.

I walked through the remnants of the destroyed barn. My target was straight ahead of me; the rubble where the gunpowder barrels once stood. Limping, I dodged poorly out of the way of shreds of planks falling from above, though I didn't have to for long. There wasn't a roof for half of it. The side I was walking on was nothing more than a dumping ground for building materials, the parts scattered about to the rest of the compound and out of it, as far as the eye could see.

I turned at where the sliding door once was. There were bodies, littered across the dirt and path. Some were still alive, moving around on their backs or fronts, but not much else. There was no sign of Her, though, the body disappeared under burning ash, smoke, and fire. I still had Bastion. He was behind me, having taken the path around the vat. He wasn't in good shape, leaning on one leg and stumbling about the place, his face clenched from the heat. He shouted out to me, "______________."

He pointed with his head to his hind leg facing me. Splinters covered it, like mine. I limped back to him and, going around to his hurt side, gave him some support.

We made it out of the burning barn, through the rubble and out the other side onto the streets, being careful not to touch the burning embers. My strength was depleting rapidly from taking Bastion's weight, and we had to take a short rest outside. We sat down, watching as the barn slowly collapsed in on itself, the last walls succumbing to the raging fire.

I started to hear it. The crackling, and the panting of myself and the stallion beside me. It came through the right, my left still blank as ever. I could hear myself thinking. I could hear myself speak.

"Bastion?"

He looked at me, opened his mouth, and halted. He coughed a loud, chesty cough, taking him a short moment to recover.

"Violet. It's... Shady."

The grey pegasus was hovering far, far above the Cloven Hoof compound, away from the smoke rising from the barn. She'd spotted us and began a descent, getting closer until she finally landed between the both of us. She looked much less worse, almost normal, her jacket unscathed and her fur un-singed, though bloody.

"I heard an explosion the volume of a whole damn battery. I come up for a better look, and half of Fetlock is burning. What happened?"

Bastion spoke, his voice hoarse. "We were surrounded, and... she blew it up. The barn was full of explosives,"

"Who? Who blew it up?"

"Me," I panted between heavy breaths.

She raised an eyebrow, turning to Bastion.

"It's...true," he started. "We're hurt, though. Badly hurt. We need assistance, if you can sp—"

"Where, is, Vallé," she growled, advancing on him.

"She didn't make it. She was killed by a couple of shots before we made it to the barn," Bastion said in a slightly worried voice, overshadowed by the mare in black.

"You're lying," she said her face flaring with colour. "You always lie. Tell me. Tell me!" she shouted, and began to throttle Bastion by placing her hooves either side of his throat.

"I'm...noh...lyi—cack," he coughed, his neck in a firm grip.

I couldn't sit idle, waiting for yet another pony to die. I shouted at her, "He's telling the truth! Don't do it!"

She let loose her grip, the stallion breathing quickly after. She turned, and stared wickedly into my eyes. There was a short moment where I thought she was going to start choking me.

Shady pulled her eyes off me and threw her head to the ground. She snarled, and I could see from the reflection of light a small tear across the bridge of her muzzle. I heard a deep sigh from the pegasus.

She sprung up, her head held high, and began to walk away.

"Shady, are you okay?"

She walked faster, turning to a trot across the road.

"Shady? You can't go, we need your help!"

She spread out her wings, and pounced into the air.

"Shady!"

My words left as she flew to the sky, ignoring me. I'd stood up to yell, trying to catch up with her, and my hooves hurt from it. I walked back to Bastion, and he looked up at me.

"She's gone, hasn't she," he said.

I paused, looking over the sorrowful unicorn. "She...may have gone, but I won't." I limped up and grabbed one of his hooves, helping him stand up. "That's what friends are for. Helping each other out."

He beamed at me, shaking on his legs. "Thank you."

Together, I and Bastion made our way to Hoofsplit. I didn't have a damn in Equestria for anything, or anypony else.

* * *

Guards are rare in Fetlock, so I've been told, but the whole city heard the explosion. They sped past us to the scene, without even a glimpse of a question on who we were, and why we looked like we'd just been to Tartarus and back.

More of a bad thing for us than good.  I would've preferred telling them I'd done it. Prison was a guilty pleasure compared to walking back without help. After all, I escaped prison before.

I led the two of us down a street I didn't know the name of, or anything, practically. I looked towards my accomplice. He wasn't that pale before.

"Bastion, are you... okay?"

The unicorn didn't reply, a spark fizzing off his horn. He didn't seem to even notice me, in fact. His eyes were half-closed, and he was barely standing. My keeping him balanced seemed to be the only thing stopping him from outright collapsing.

I tried again. "Bastion, I think we should rest."

No reply. I put a hoof in front of him, stopping him dead in his tracks. He swayed a bit as I pushed down on his lower back, getting him to sit.

As soon as his hind hit the stone, he fell to his side, sprawling limbs out over the road. He turned to me. "Violet, I can't do this anymore," he said weakly. "Find a doctor, find a potion, anything."

I sat down with him, my legs ridden with pain, and my shoulder Bastion was resting on aching. "I don't know the nearest doctor. Flaming horseshoes, I don't even know where we are." I watched him, his chest and stomach rising and falling in short bursts. "You... you're a map-maker, aren't you? D'you know if there's a doctor here?"

"I...may. Where are we?"

"Right," I said,  standing up awkwardly. I limped to the nearest sign, a great wooden thing with visible marks of age pinned up on a house. I read aloud, "Peppergale."

"P-Peppergale?" Bastion muttered faintly. "Ther'sa doctor on fifty two. Find it, please. You... don't know how lucky we are."

* * *

"I'm surprised you're both alive!"

I hobbled to the door in question, and she answered it, a unicorn mare with pink fur and a light brown mane. I asked her if she could help us, and she agreed. Within minutes I was on an operating table with my jacket off, her taking out splinters and magicking up hot water. "On the contrary," she said while levitating a rag over to clean up the mess, "I'm surprised Bastion is alive. You earth ponies seem to take at least double the punishment a unicorn would. If you two switched around places, he'd be long gone."

"Really," I exclaimed. "You know Bastion?"

"Of course. I know you, too," she smiled. "Newest member to the group, huh, Sore-Eye's entourage? I'm his medical assistant, his doctor for him and his employees. You don't think the old crook would skimp out such an important job?"

"No, he probably wouldn't," I chuckled. The mares' treatment was already making me feel better. Perhaps it was the pound of wood that was already taken out.

"Hmm. You should be fine. Unlike Bastion, the splinters didn't go in deep. Aside from that, some burns and a broken eardrum. Lucky it didn't go in too far there, either. I can repair it within the hour. The burns will subside in a couple of weeks, as long as you let it heal. Speaking of injuries," she said, looking into my damaged ear, "what came of that blow to your side a while back?"

"It disappeared the second I was given the healing potion," I replied. "Say... if I had a potion then, why aren't I getting one now?"

"I'm no herbalist, I'm a doctor," she responded plain and blunt. "Besides, you shouldn't trust them. Only difference between a poison and a healing potion is a sticker and a colour. I'd prefer somepony I could trust to something I can't."

"Who made the potion if you didn't?" I asked.

She spoke almost sarcastically, shrugging. "Can't say."

I'd hit a wall, and decided not to dig further. As she flickered her horn, I changed the conversation. "How's Bastion holding up?"

"Not as well as you. He'll live, but he needs to stay for at least another month, or so. Unicorns need time to regain their strength, especially when they've been physically and mentally exhausted, like he has."

I heard a shout from the other room. "Miss Fate!"

The pink mare turned to the voice. "Don't exert yourself shouting! Give me a sec, I'll be over." She turned back to me, and powered her horn with a glow. A short moment later, and I heard a painful click coming from my damaged ear. It felt weird hearing her voice from both sides. "You fine being left alone a while?"

"I’m fine," I said, hearing myself through both ears as I said it. It was nice, feeling whole again. I had some major earache, but it was working. In truth, I was quite ready to get a move on. There were minor injuries here and there, but nothing a good night's sleep wouldn't fix.

Miss Fate returned a short while later, levitating a small letter beside her. "He said he was on a mission, or something. He had some valuable information. I can't let him out, so you'll have to bring it to Sore-Eyes yourself. Alright?"

"Sure," I said, watching her stuff the letter into a pocket on some new piece of clothing that emerged from her other side.

"Your jacket was wrecked. I just so happen have one," she said. "It's a hoof-me-down from my aunt years ago. Not much use to me anymore. You're welcome to keep it."

"Thanks!" I exclaimed. When she took off my jacket, it was in rags, with large areas burnt around the legs. I couldn't be happier getting a new set of clothes—the others were  uncomfortable to begin with. I stood up on the table, and she fit me into the new jacket, sliding it onto my hooves and my head, and buttoning it up.

"I apologise about the buttons. Hope they aren't too much trouble," she said. "Aside from that, is there anything else? Ah,"—she opened a cupboard, hovering a vial of something to my pocket—"you'll need this, for your burns. Apply it about every day until they stop becoming a problem. Other than that, I think I'm finished here."

"I thought you said you didn't like potions?" I stated.

"That's no potion, Violet. It's plain old vinegar. Helps in the restoration process."

"Oh," I squeaked.

"Now if you wouldn't mind, please step off my table."

I stepped off, my limp seemingly gone. "Sorry."

She levitated a familiar hoofbrace over to me. "Your gun."

"Uh.. thanks," I said, as she adjusted the brace back onto my foreleg.

"If you have any more problems, please, don't hesitate to come back. 'Til then, Farewell."

I nodded back, and trotted through the house to the front door, closing behind me once I'd left. There was a chill breeze outside, making me realise how important a good jacket could be. I peered down Peppergale road, and began a trot back to Hoofsplit.

* * *

The cold subsided as I stepped through the manor. Perhaps a deviant spell was cast to keep the temperature stable? It was never too cold or too warm inside. A perfect temperature for ponies. I conversed with the butler, and he let me inside, expecting me as usual. Felltree didn't check the whitelist when he heard me call. He simply let me in, standing by the door as he always did. It was kind of sad really, that I'd never really talked to him aside from greetings and goodbyes.

I didn't have my mind on him, though. It was Shady I was thinking about. She'd finally broke, running away like that, and I thought I saw a tear. She may have given me grief in the past, but I didn't want to pressure her on it. If we were going to work together, then we should at least help one another. A bit more than she helped me.

I walked to the hallway, seeing nopony as I walked past. Silt wasn't around, Bastion's room was clearly absent, and Vallé, well, I never even got a chance to see hers. I hoped Shady hadn't been taking it too hard. She did have, after all, a grim past from what Vallé told me. She'd probably seen dozens fall the same way, maybe even fell a few of them herself. She'd always acted like the kind of mare who wouldn't hesitate to buck a pony in the face if they pissed her off.

I knocked the door to her room, and heard something solid hit against the other side.

"Get lost."

"Shady? It's me, Violet. Can I come in?"

"I'm not apologising for running away."

"It's not that," I told her. "I wanted to see if you were okay."

There was a short silence, before I heard hoofsteps from inside. She opened the door, and stared at me. I glanced back. There were small bags under her eyes, and tears which damped the lower half of her face. She snuck her hoof off the door and walked to her bed. She jumped on it, a few empty bottles bouncing off and onto the floor. I entered the room, avoiding the bottles, and took up resting on a chair by her desk.

"So," I started, "Do you... want to talk about it?"

"Whudduh you think." She rolled over in her sheets, grabbing a half-full cider from her bedside table. "Tell me, what did she mean to you?"

"Well... she was a good colleague, and she was very nice, and kind, but... I never really knew her enough. I guess that's my fault."

"I don't mind you not knowing her. What matters is she was my friend. My only friend."

"Your... only friend? I see..." I barely saw them talk on missions. I never noticed it anywhere else, either.

"I never had anypony back at Cloudsdale. Silt only keeps me for my work. But she understood me, and I understood her. And now she's gone." Shady paused, taking a swig at the cider. "She never lied to me, and she was always there when I needed her. When I was angry at Silt for whatever, or when I felt like nopony cared, or something. You don't get that from everypony around here. She was family." A whiff of alcohol breezed past me every time she opened her mouth.

Another pony entered the room as she finished her sentence. Twitch. Her face was covered in a sly grin.

"Terrrribly sorry dears. I just couldn't help but hear... crying, Shady Skies?" Her grin widened, "Now that is a sight."

Shady leaned upright, eyeing Twitch. "Get lost. Go kiss a dragon."

She chuckled to herself, and turned to me. "Violet too? How quaint." She poked me on the muzzle. I tried biting back, her hoof retracting quickly.

I glared at her. "What do you want?"

"Honestly?" she asked, raising her hoof. "I want to have been there. That final minute with our dearly departed." She looked to the ceiling, giving a dramatic pose. Hinting a smile, she turned back. "It would've been fun to be the one to trip her up."

A bottle flew into her general direction. It missed, and she fluttered her eyes dreamily. "Temper temper, Shady Skies. You missed. Like when you missed saving Val, huh?"

"I swear Twitch, if your slimy head wasn't protected under Sore-Eyes I'd have it stuck on a pole long ago."

Twitch chuckled once more, turning to the door. "We wouldn't want that, now... would we? I'll leave you lovebirds alone, but don't get too comfortable. You'll be seeing a lot more of me later," she sneered, flashing her turquoise tail in my face and trotting out the door.

Shady glared at me and snarled, once Twitch had left. "Out. Now."

I didn't have to hear it twice to get moving. I fell back on all fours, and shifted out of the room, closing the door behind me as I left. Behind the door, I thought I heard sobbing. I left quickly.

Next on the list was Silt. I couldn't forget about him, after all. I trotted to the foyer, and found Felltree idling by the door. "Felltree," I called, "could you get Mister Silt, please?"

The butler turned to me with bored eyes. "One moment." He primly walked past me, up the staircase.

I waited for a moment. He arrived, finally, with Felltree in front of him. They both stepped down the staircase, Silt looking at me as he did so.

"Violet!" he roared, "I haven't seen hide nor hair of Bastion, Vallé or Shady. Do you have the information?"

"I... do," I said, and took out the letter. I held it in my mouth, and he took hold of it with his own. He gave it to the butler, who levitated it beside him.

"She's... dead. Vallérose."

"How?" he asked. "What happened?"

"They saw us, and we tried to escape. She was killed while we were galloping away. Me and Bastion only escaped by blowing a barn up to make an escape route."

"You... blew up a barn, did you say?" he spoke, looking away from the now open letter. "I don't think I heard you right."

"You heard right."

He threw his full attention on me. "How in Equestria?..."

"I saw some barrels of gunpowder in the edge of the barn. So I, uh... blew them up."

He looked it me in bedazzled wonder. Even the butler raised an eyebrow. Silt's open mouth turned to a smile. "The... barn next to the gate? In the Cloven Hoof compound?"

"Yeah, I think so."

He laughed loudly, echoing across the walls. "Violet, you rapscallion, you bundle of joy! There's more than one reason I keep you, and I know it all too clearly now. They won't make a comeback of this, I assure you." He wiped a tear from his eye, and took a glance at the open letter beside him. "And with this... oh yes, we are going to press it. We won't let them stand, neigh, crawl on their hooves when this is over."

Silt turned back to me. "My dear, you've earned more than your pay. Tartarus, you've more. Felltree, bring both Vallé and Violet's pay to the young mare. She deserves it."

I watched as Felltree trotted by me, down the hallway to the treasury. It didn't feel right getting a dead mare's pay. On top of it, Shady'd hate me for it. I spoke up to Silt, "I... don't want it, really. You can keep it."

Silt knelt down to my level. "My dear, do you know what you're saying? You need to understand that when a pony offers bits, you take them. Vallé is gone, magi bless her soul, but you aren't. She doesn't need that money as much as you do. In fact, she doesn't need it at all. You'll find that many of your friends will pass you by in your lifetime. You can't stop it, and you certainly can't help it by clawing onto them. It's only right that you move on."

He stood up, and I heard trotting from behind me. It was Felltree, carrying two bags full of coins on his back He hovered them over, storing them in my side pockets. Silt turned to the stairs. "I'll have your next contract soon, and I'll send somepony over, same as last time." He bowed his head. "It's been a pleasure."

* * *

I had a lot to think about on the way home. Vallé was... dead. I'd taken her entire share on Silt's demand. It didn't feel right, but there wasn't much point in arguing against it. Free money, as he said, is free money, and it'd be best that I take what I can get. I was sure that nopony would actively go out and find where it went, and the chances of finding it in a boarding house in the middle of the lower district were extremely low. I'd certainly get away with it, even if I didn't fully agree with the idea.

What was clearly more important was my mortality than anything else. The money I'd been given so far amounted to about a year and a half's worth of food, rent if we were asked to pay it, any kind of basic living standard. We could probably buy a house if the sellers weren't picky selling a house to non-adults. Point is, we could survive for ages... was it worth me doing it anymore?

I'd seen my colleague shot, and barely survived myself... this wasn't a safe business. On top of that, I wasn't too sure I even liked half the colleagues I worked with. Silt and Bastion were okay, but Twitch? I despised her... and Shady? I didn't honestly know where she was in all this. One time she'd be insulting me, saying I was barely worth anything, the next she'd be... respecting me? I didn't know what she was thinking before the escape that day, and right before you realise, she was back to blatantly ignoring me, even throwing me out when I was making the effort to see what was wrong.

The mention of 'The Cloven Hoof', too. The 'Point'. The Cloven Hoof seemed to be some sort of gang, from what I heard and saw. A well equipped gang, maybe as rich as Silt himself, and we were tasked to 'find out their plans'. That was our contract? Call me naive, but I wouldn't expect somepony to go looking out for plans of city gangs if they were trying to protect their wealth, like he supposedly was. Unless if he was trying to make a move against them, but... isn't that what city gangs do? Be the dominant gang? In that case, I was just another gang member, another one of those lackeys closing the gates on us.

The only thing stopping me from completely abandoning the whole thing was the quantity of payment. The amount of bits I earned was insane, more than I'd ever made before, and Silt didn't look like he was stopping the payments. If I helped him enough, I'd have all the money I'd ever want. I could get my friends, Cinders, Jem, Parable, even Ying, and we'd move out. We'd buy a house far from Pastur.

Parable could take care of the foals, (we wouldn't leave them, after all) Ying could learn to bake, or smith, or something. Jem could be a bard, while Cinders could take care of the house and our money, and me? Well... I'd come to that later. Gardening, maybe? I didn't have a clue how to do it, but I knew I'd learn.

It was fun to speculate, but I still had a while before I'd escape the city with my friends. If the end result was anything like I imagined, the wait would be totally worthwhile.

I whipped out of my daydream, seeing the boarding house nearby. I noticed that Cinders was sitting in front of the door. I wasn't really sure why she was doing it, her back pressed against the wood. She wasn't sporting any visible emotion, and neither was she wearing anything from the norm, a simple coat covering her body up to about her cutie mark. I trotted up, and she noticed, moving her eyes to face mine. Her mouth soured noticeably as I came closer.

I gave a weak chuckle. "What're you doing sitting here like a doorstop?

She stood up, her eyes still firmly planted on me. "Where were you today?"

"I had my contract," I said plainly. It was, after all, about a month since my last contract.

She raised her mouth, looking remarkably unsatisfied with my answer. "What was your contract?"

"Well, you know. The usual stuff."

"Stuff that gives you burn marks?"

I looked at my forelegs guiltily. They weren't hidden at all, with little patches of un-furred skin. Thankfully it was the only thing remotely noticeable, my splinters taken out long before. I thought quickly, trying to make up an excuse. An article I read in the newspaper before about animal-handlers came up.

"Chimeras aren't easy to handle, you know."

Her face turned to a more orangey shade of yellow. "'Chimeras'?" she stated. "Huh. Suppose that makes sense. I hear they react badly to loud explosions."

"It's... their animal instinct. No problem for us, though. We sorted 'em out, and look," I said, nodding to my pockets, "I got paid well for it, too."

She took off her stare, nodding with her mouth still raised. "Nice jacket, too. Where'd you get that?"

She was implying something, but I didn't know what. I didn't want to play her game any longer. "Cinders, is there something wrong?"

"Isn't it odd, Violet, that whenever you come back from your 'work', that something happens? Like when there was a jail-break the evening you came back, or when today, there was a shootout in the north-west district, which I only found out an hour before. Isn't that odd?"

"Cinders, it isn't what it looks—"

"Bullshit," she spat, "You're part of this, and I know it. Why, Violet? What's this all about?" She looked at me furiously, her eyes glowing and her teeth bared.

Why is she so angry at me?

"It's part of my contract!" I shouted, retreating back a few steps. "I've been told to do this by Silt himself, it's what's getting us paid!"

"You've gone too far with this, Violet. I know I told you to do this, and I helped you, but I can't support you anymore. You need to stop."

"What?"

She hid her teeth, and walked closer. We were almost on the street. "You're endangering everypony with your work. I won't allow it."

"Cinders, you're acting crazy. You haven't mentioned this at all to me before and, well, really? I'm making us more bits than we could ever dream of! You want to stop that now?"

She huffed. "I've thought about it for a long time. I knew Silt before you did, and he knew me well enough 'til I broke my leg. He wanted me to do what you're doing, you know. But if I knew I was going to be doing what you're doing now..." she shook her head.

I didn't buy it. She knew him before, wanted to do the same thing as me, and now that she wasn't she was telling me to stop? I could smell something foul in the air, and it took me a long pause before I was sure to confront her.

"Did you hear what you just said? You're jealous," I told her, turning her face an ever stronger orange. "Look. I'm trying to help all of us out with this work. Think about it. If I work with Silt long enough, we'll have a great deal of money. Enough money to buy us out of this city. There'll be difficulties on the trip there, but I know I can."

Difficulties, like blowing up the rest of the city?" Cinders retorted. "How about our safety? How in Equestria are you, the scourge mare of Pastur, going to keep yourself hidden from the ponies that come after you? What then? "

"Cinders. If we don't try this, our one way out, then what are we going to do? We'll run out of money, get put in jail stealing bread... you know they have an execution square here? Three offences to capital punishment?" I carried on as she stared at me, not saying a word. "Besides, I can't back out. He's an all powerful pony, and me? He makes it out like I'm special to him, like he needs me. He'll do whatever he can to get me back."

She spoke up. "If he 'thinks' you're so special, what makes you think he'll let us all buy our way out of the city, then?"

Her question pierced through my argument like a knife through jelly. That's a good point.

"Well... he's got to stop some day, hasn't he?" I replied uneasily.

There was a long pause where the two of us looked at each other, the both of us not sure what to say next. I edged closer to the door slowly, making a move to get in, when she held up a hoof a little ways below my neck. I shifted an eyebrow.

"Can you move your—"

"No," she replied, "you're a danger to us. You're not coming in."

"Excuse me?"

"We house thieves, not murderers," she stated. "You aren't welcome 'til you quit."

I placed a hoof on her shoulder. "My job isn't based on murdering."

She gave a surprised look, and tilted her head left to right in a provoking way. "You sure as diamonds do it though, don't you?"

Get out.

I planted my hoof to the ground. "That was a... If that's how you're going to be, fine!" I shouted. "If that's how you're going to act after the years we had in the orphanage, and the time I've spent helping you with undying servitude here, so be it! I've had enough today to screw around 'living it up' in your shithole."

I stormed off into the streets, not taking a glimpse behind me. She was going to be like that? She could buy her way to freedom herself. I, on the other hoof, would make actual progress. Because in the end, Pastur doesn't favour thieves over so-called murderers.

It favours bits.

And those willing to make them.