Pain and Suffering

Chapters

Mistakes of the Father
Sins of the Sister
Addictions of the Daughter

Mistakes of the Father

Rainbow Dash awoke, pain throbbing in her head, darkness consuming her vision. A weight on her back pinned her to the floor, a wooden beam trapping her legs. She tried to remove the piece of the ceiling by pushing her entire body upwards, but couldn't get the right leverage. Rainbow gave up, her arms slumping into uncomfortable positions.

Footsteps came pounding from somewhere nearby, muffled by the wreckage covering the pegasus.

"Rainbow! Rainbow, where are you!?" a familiar voice shouted. Rainbow recognized it as her sister, Fluttershy.

"In here," Rainbow called out weakly, her vision beginning to clear up as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Fluttershy's footsteps thundered as her feet came into Rainbow's view through the wreckage. "Under here," she said, struggling to move again and shifting the debris in the process.

"Hold still," Fluttershy told her sister. Rainbow felt the debris moving and the weight on her back was lifted enough for her to crawl out from under it. Once Rainbow was clear Fluttershy let go of the collapsed ceiling, dust and splinters scattering as it crashed to the floor. Fluttershy turned to her sister and helped her sit up on the floor.

Rainbow grunted as she was helped up. "I got it, I got it," she assured her sister, resting her back against another pile of debris. It wasn't exactly a comfortable seat, but it was better than being under the roof.

Rainbow took a moment to survey the destruction. Most of the walls were either partially collapsed, charred or gone completely. "Think we used a little too much C4?" Rainbow asked, chuckling and wincing as the pain returned. Fluttershy glanced around at the destruction, her eyes widening as though she hadn't noticed it until now.

"Are you all right?" Fluttershy asked, concern in her voice. Rainbow didn't seem to have any serious injuries, but there could be something internal.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit sore. Maybe a cracked rib or two," she confirmed, assuming what the pain in her abdomen was.

Fluttershy twiddled her thumbs for a moment. "Umm... the others wanted to talk to us," she said, starting to choke up.

Rainbow looked at her sister with worry. "Fluttershy, what's wrong?" she asked as a tear fell from her sister's face.

"I couldn't find you," Fluttershy sobbed, moving closer to Rainbow. "I thought I'd lost you," she explained, trying to calm down.

Rainbow wrapped her arms around her sister to comfort her. "I'm not going anywhere," she said with certainty. "We aren't gonna lose anyone else," she continued, stroking Fluttershy's mane, comfortingly. "Just breath with me," Rainbow said, the yellow pegasus visibly calming as they both took a deep breath and let it out. "Just breath."

/////4 Years Earlier/////

"Just breath," Storm Dash said, watching his eldest daughter aim the rifle at a series of empty tin cans sitting on a wooden fence. He'd taken Rainbow out to one of the more remote areas of the White Tail woods near their home.

Rainbow was lying prone on the ground, trying to ignore the dew seeping through her clothes from the mossy ground beneath her. The area her father had picked for target practice was about a mile from their home. The tree canopy above let enough sunlight through to illuminate the forest floor, but still kept the sun out of Rainbow's eyes, making the cans on the fence easy to see. The fence marked the edge of the Dash family's property.

Rainbow took a breath and held it, taking aim at the first can. She squeezed the trigger with her index finger, firing twice before she knocked the can off the fence, immediately moving her aim to the next target. Her accuracy got steadily worse the further down the row of cans she got. By the time she was out of ammo there were still three cans left.

Rainbow smiled at her improved marksmanship. The last time she'd shot a rifle she could only hit five out of ten targets. "Two more than last time. Broke my record," she said looking up at her dad hopefully.

The stallion gave her a hard look for a moment. However, he was unable to stop the smirk from playing on his lips at his daughter's improvement. "You've been at college for six months. How are you getting better?" he asked curiously.

Rainbow rose from the ground, brushing the dirt off of her clothes as she stood up. "Guess I'm just that awesome," she said confidently. Storm gave her an unbelieving look. "I also may have been visiting the shooting range in Cloudsdale," Rainbow explained. She had gotten into Cloudsdale university on a sports scholarship for her skill in flight racing. She'd even been told by her coach that she had a shot to go pro if she stayed in shape.

Storm's smile grew wider. "Good. Gotta keep on your toes," he said looking at the watch on his wrist. "Whoops. We need to get back to the house. Don't wanna miss your birthday breakfast," he said as he took the rifle from his daughter and slung the strap over his shoulder. "Your mother would kill me," he joked, pretending to look frightened.

"Race ya back," Rainbow challenged , flexing her wings.

"You're on," Storm replied, spreading his own wings and taking off.

"Cheater!" Rainbow shouted, chasing after her father.

/////////////////////////////////

Fluttershy finished setting the table just as Rainbow and her father entered the dining room, sweating and breathing heavily.

"Ha! Won by a mile old man!" Rainbow cheered.

Storm rolled his eyes. "Careful with the old jokes. Someday you're gonna be my age and your daughter’s gonna kick your ass in a race," he said smiling as he set his rifle down in the corner. Fluttershy's eyes became glued to the gun, a frown on her face. Storm noticed this and looked away. He had at one point tried to teach Fluttershy to shoot, but she had been so frightened of the sound it made she had made a habit of avoiding guns ever since.

Rainbow eyed the table with a smile. Five plates were set around the edge with a large plate of pancakes stacked in the middle next to a bowl of fruit and a tub of syrup. Two jugs sat on the other side of the table, one containing orange juice and the other milk.

"This looks awesome. Great job Flutters," Rainbow said, rubbing her hands together at the sight of the meal.

Fluttershy smiled at the praise tearing her gaze away from the gun. "Oh, you're welcome. Happy birthday Rainbow," the yellow mare said happily.

"Yeah and it looks like your mom and Fluttershy worked hard on this, so why don't you go get cleaned up," Storm told Rainbow, pushing her towards the hallway and the stairs.

"Dibs on the first shower!" Rainbow shouted as she ran out of the room bumping into an older pink pegasus mare on her way out. "Sorry mom," she apologized without stopping.

Firefly huffed as Rainbow hurried upstairs. "Is it just me or does she forget more manners the older she gets," she said entering the dining room, immediately taking notice of the rifle in the corner. "Storm, I've told you to keep that in the shed," she said sternly.

"Sorry. I'll take it out now," he said picking the weapon up and walking towards the back door.

"Hang on a second, I'll walk with you. We need to talk," Firefly said joining him by the door. She turned to Fluttershy. "Can you get Scootaloo up? I don't want her sleeping in too late," she instructed.

"Okay," Fluttershy replied quietly, exiting the room as her parents went out the back door.

//////////////////////////

Fluttershy softly knocked on the door of the youngest of the Dash children, her sister Scootaloo.

"Scootaloo, are you awake yet?" she called trying not to be too loud, even though she was supposed to be getting the filly out of bed. When she recieved no answer Fluttershy pushed the door open and peeked inside.

The room was decorated with several posters of the Wonderbolts, most of the images seemed to focus on Soarin, the Vice Captain of the team. Under a poster of the blue pegasus smiling at the camera, was a desk that had several pieces of what looked like broken electronics. Scootaloo had always been fascinated by technology, the more complex the better.

Fluttershy entered the room and made her way to the bed where she could make out a lump under the Wonder Bolt covers. She quietly approached the bed and stopped, trying to figure out how to rouse the filly without making her angry.

"Umm... Scootaloo. It's time to wake up," she said, lightly shaking her sister as she spoke.

"Mmmm.... I don't wanna wake up," the lump said tiredly as it shifted further away from Fluttershy.

Fluttershy thought for a moment before an idea came to her. "Mom made pancakes for Rainbow's birthday breakfast," she informed, smiling softly. Scootaloo's head slowly rose from the mess of blankets, her eyes betraying her desire for her mother's pancakes.

"Did she make any chocalate chip ones?" the orange filly mumbled, keeping her face mostly concealed with the covers.

Fluttershy frowned. "I don't think so," she said, making Scootaloo's ears droop in dissapointment. "But I'm sure I could make you some before everypony else is ready to eat," she continued, the filly's mood instantly brightening.

"Really?" she asked excitedly. Fluttershy nodded in affirmation and Scootaloo jumped out of her bed. "Let's go then," she said, grabbing her sister's hand and dragging her out of the room.

//////////////////////////

Rainbow walked down the stairs about ten minutes later, her mane still dripping a little from her shower. She walked through the empty living room on her way to the dining room. She looked around confused when she found that room as empty as the last.

"Hello?" she called out as she started walking towards the back of the house. "Sure let's leave the birthday girl all by herself," she grumbled.

Once she reached the kitchen she spotted her younger sisters peeking out the back door, a stack of chocolate chip pancakes sitting on a plate on the counter nearby. Rainbow quietly approached them and peeked over their shoulders. She saw her parents in the back yard near the shed talking about something. Her father looked angry while her mother only seemed concerned and fearful.

"Eavesdropping isn't very nice," Rainbow said, making both of her sisters jump. Neither had noticed her and Rainbow laughed at their flustered faces.

"We aren't eavesdropping," Scootaloo defended. "We can't even hear them."

"Whatever you say squirt, but let's leave them be. Besides, we have a hungry birthday girl in the house, so let's get some food in her," Rainbow replied, pushing the six year old towards the dining room. "Go with her, make sure she stays," Rainbow told Fluttershy. The quiet teenager nodded and followed her sister out, giving their parents one last nervous glance before leaving.

Rainbow was about to follow, but looked back at her parents still arguing. She quietly cracked the door open and listened.

"Maybe they just want money," Firefly suggested hopefully.

Storm shook his head. "It's never that simple with these people. Listen, I'll take care of this," he replied, clearly frustrated. "Calling my cell is one thing, but the house? No. I need to make the boundaries clear," he told his wife. "In the mean time though, I'd feel better with the gun in the house," he suggested. Firefly simply nodded in agreement, clearly shaken by something.

Rainbow, having heard enough, opened the door the rest of the way. "Hey, if you guys wanna eat, you better get in here before I finish everything!" She called out. Her parent's heads snapped in her direction in surprise.

"We're coming," Storm called to her. "I'll call Mac later and straighten this out," he assured his wife as they started walking towards the house. "For now, let's eat," he said a little more cheerily.

/////////////////////////

Breakfast passed quietly and the family had given their gifts to Rainbow not long after. Rainbow had just finished putting away her gifts, the newest Daring Do book, a Wonder Bolts poster, a new pair of flight goggles and the latest issue of The Power Ponies.

Rainbow exited her room, shutting the door behind her, when she heard her father call out to her. "Hey Rainbow, come down here!" Storm shouted from the living room.

Rainbow slid down the railing on the stairs, much to her mother's displeasure.

"Why can't you just use the stairs like everypony else?" she asked, shaking her head in ammused disappointment.

"Cause I'm awesome," Rainbow replied simply, making Firefly roll her eyes and struggle not to smile as she walked passed her daughter and upstairs.

Rainbow walked into the entryway into the house and saw her dad slipping a jacket over his shoulders. "What's up?" she asked, leaning against the wall next to the door.

"I'm heading into town to get something for dinner. Why don't you come with me? You can tell me everything you've been getting up to at school," he replied as he grabbed his keys off of a hook by the door.

Rainbow rolled her eyes, knowing her father wanted to ask her if she was seeing anyone at school. "Can I drive?" she asked, hope in her eyes. Storm had never let anyone else behind the wheel of his pickup. Rainbow didn't know why, it wasn't like it was new or anything. It had been her father's since before Rainbow was born though, and that made it sort of a treasure in the Dash family.

Storm smiled as he held out the keys for her. Rainbow reached for them excitedly, only for Storm to yank them back and chuckle at his daughter's frustrated face. "The day, you can get these keys from me, you can drive," he said as he ruffled her mane. "Now come on," he said as he opened the door and followed Rainbow out.

//////////////////////////

The drive into Ponyville, the closest town to the Dash family residence, was long and had been quiet for almost half the trip.

Storm gave his daughter a sideways glance that didn't go unnoticed by Rainbow. "Go ahead and ask," she told him rolling her eyes.

"Am I that obvious?" Storm asked smiling. Rainbow nodded her head in affirmation, an almost annoyed look on her face. "Okay then," Storm continued. "Are you seeing anyone?" he asked, trying not to ask anything too personal.

Rainbow shrugged. "It's kinda in the air right now," she answered, struggling not to smile.

Storm, blinked in confusion, trying to understand what that meant. "That barely answers the question," he complained, wanting to know more about what his eldest daughter had been getting up to at school.

"It wasn't much of a question," she countered, crossing her arms. "I know what you wanna ask, so just ask."

Storm grew very uncomfortable as he tried to word his question right. "Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

Rainbow frowned. "Might. We've only been on a few dates so far. Haven't really had that spark yet," she explained. Storm nodded in understanding. "And no I'm not having sex with anypony either," she told him, smiling at the flustered expression her father now had.

"That's... umm... Good, you're being responsible," he told her, trying to hide the blush on his face as a car pulled onto the road behind them. "Just... you know... wait until...," Storm trailed off as he looked at the car in the rear view mirror. "Umm... What the hell?" he muttered under his breath as he pulled off onto a side road that lead to a longer route to Ponyville.

Rainbow looked at her father with concern. "Where are you going? Isn't the main road faster?" she asked as she glanced at the sedan behind them as it continued on the main road.

"Eyes forward Rainbow," Storm ordered, leaving no room for argument. Rainbow gave her dad a worried look as she turned back towards the front of the truck.

"Okay, you're starting to freak me out dad. What's going on?" she asked, afraid of whatever could unsettle her dad.

Storm didn't answer at first, instead he just kept glancing at his mirror. After a few more minutes he looked at his daughter and noticed how scared she looked. "Uh... sorry. Just looked like that guy might have been a drunk driver," he explained, returning his attention to the road ahead.

"Right," Rainbow agreed, not really believing what she was told. As long as she'd been alive she had seen her father express many emotions. Fear had never been one of them. He'd pretended to be afraid on Nightmare night when Rainbow was younger, but that had just been a game. Seeing her father get worked up over a drunk driver didn't make any sense to Rainbow. Whatever was going on, Storm obviously didn't feel like sharing so Rainbow didn’t press the issue.

"Hey, why don't we pick up a cake while we're in town?" Storm suggested with a smile, obviously trying to ease the tension.

Rainbow smiled and nodded. "Sounds good to me," she replied, beginning to relax again.

///////////////////////////////////////

Fluttershy sat in the back yard of her house, listening to the sounds of the forest, letting nature's music sooth her, even if she wasn't feeling stressed. She had loved exploring the forest when she was younger, chasing various creatures through the trees. She'd even brought several animals home in hopes she'd be allowed to keep them as pets, but each time she'd be given a speech from her father about how creatures from the forest might have families of their own they needed to get back to.

"Fluttershy, can you come inside?" the voice of her mother called to her from the kitchen. Fluttershy stood up, brushing some of the dirt off of her jeans as she walked back to the house.

"What's wrong mom?" she asked as she entered the kitchen, noticing a stack of dishes in the sink.

Firefly frowned as she spoke. "Scootaloo was supposed to help me with this, but I can't find her. Can you go make sure she isn't getting into trouble?" she requested, a note of concern in her voice.

Fluttershy nodded her head. "Oh, I'm sure she hasn't gone too far," she told her mother, giving her a reassuring smile as she left the kitchen.

Fluttershy already had a sneaking suspicion where her little sister was hiding. All three sisters had been taught at an early age that there was one room in the house that they were not allowed to play in. Their father's personal office.

Storm's office had been an extra bedroom at one point, but they almost never had any guests stay the night, so Storm turned it into an office where he could finish the paper work from his security job in peace.

Of course, being told they couldn't play in there, Rainbow and Scootaloo both went in when no one was watching them. Rainbow had even dragged Fluttershy along a few times. There wasn't much to do in the room, but for children, breaking the rules always had a certain thrill.

Fluttershy made her way upstairs and stopped at the first door on the right in the hallway. She turned the knob and slowly entered the room. She spotted Scootaloo sitting in the chair behind the red wood desk, spinning in circles and making airplane noises.

Fluttershy giggled at the display, catching the filly's attention. Scootaloo started to panic when she realized she'd been caught.

"I didn't mess with anything, I promise. I just wanted to spin on dad's chair," she admitted, blushing from embarrasment.

Fluttershy smiled in amusement. "That's okay, we'll just tell mom you were messing with some wires in your room," Fluttershy said, making Scootaloo smile. "Now, why don't you go help mom with the dishes like you were supposed to," Fluttershy suggested, the filly's smile fading in an instant.

"Okay," Scootaloo said in a dejected tone of voice as she hopped out of the chair and shuffled to the exit of the room.

Fluttershy was about to follow her when the phone on the desk began to ring. Fluttershy shooed her sister out of the room as she approached the desk and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, hesitance in her voice.

"Hi, Ah'm lookin for Storm Dash, is he around?" a stallion's voice answered with a southern accent.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but he just left a little while ago," Fluttershy apologized.

"Ah see. Any idea when he's gettin back?" the stallion asked, sounding almost annoyed.

"He shouldn't be much longer," Fluttershy responded, becoming nervous talking to the stranger.

"Thank ya kindly ma'am," the stallion replied, a click telling Fluttershy he'd hung up. Fluttershy looked at the reciever in confusion, wondering who had called looking for her father. She didn't recognize the voice, but Storm used to do a lot of traveling for his work so it could have been someone he met on a business trip. In the end Fluttershy decided it was nothing and left the office.

////////////////////////////////////////

The rest of the day went smoothly, the Dash family enjoying a chocolate cake while Rainbow told them about what she'd been getting up to at school and about the friends she'd made. The sky outside grew dark as the day turned to night and soon enough the whole family was tired and ready for bed.

Rainbow was the last of her siblings to head for the stairs. On her way she passed her father, who had spent the last hour staring out of the living room window at the road that led from their house to the main road.

"You gonna head to bed anytime soon?" she asked as she headed for the stairs.

"Yeah," he answered distractedly. "I... uh... I just gotta lock up the house first," he explained as he stood and started for the front door. "Goodnight," he told Rainbow as he started in the direction of the back door.

Rainbow watched him leave. "Goodnight," she replied as she walked up the stairs and to her room, closing the door behind her. The room was fairly barren due to most of Rainbow's personal items being in Cloudsdale, but the poster she'd gotten earlier that day had already been hung up.

Rainbow changed into her pajamas and fell on her bed, her eyelids drooping as she pulled the covers over herself.

///////////////////////////

"Rainbow!" a voice shouted, instantly rousing the cyan mare. "Rainbow get up!" the voice, which she recognized to be her father, shouted again.

"What's going on?" she asked, as she sat up and tried to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Just hurry and get your sisters. Take them to the basement and don't come out until it's safe," Storm ordered as he headed for the door.

The fear in her father's voice was enough to bring Rainbow to full attention. She followed Storm out of the room. Storm was already headed for the stairs. Rainbow was about to ask what was going on when someone started knocking on the door.

"Storm open up. We got business tah discuss," a male voice said with a southern twang.

Storm froze at the sound of the voice and turned to look at Rainbow. "Go," he whispered as he descended the stairs. Rainbow could have sworn she had seen a tear in his eye, but pushed the thought from her mind as she walked down the hallway to Fluttershy's room.

Rainbow opened the door to find Fluttershy sitting up in her bed in a yellow nightgown. "Is something wrong?" the timid pegasus asked, frowning. "I heard dad yelling."

Rainbow wasn't sure what to say. "I don't know, but we need to get Scootaloo and get to the basement," Rainbow explained. Fluttershy nodded and climbed out of her bed and followed Rainbow out of the room.

The pair turned down the hallway just as Scootaloo's door opened. The small filly walked out of her room, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?" she asked, yawning as Rainbow approached her.

"We're playing a game," Rainbow answered, her voice starting to shake as she scooped up her sleepy sibling and carried her to the stairs. Rainbow and Fluttershy quietly walked downstairs as the stallion outside continued to pound on the door.

"Storm, open the damn door!" the muffled voice shouted, starting to sound irritated. Rainbow lead the way to the basement door in the kitchen and passed Storm on the way. The stallion was holding his rifle at the ready as he walked back to the door.

"Dad?" Rainbow called after him.

"Get in the basement," Storm ordered as he left the kitchen.

Firefly appeared in the doorway and beckoned her daughters to follow her. "Let's go girls, do as your father says," she told them as her daughters entered the kitchen.

Rainbow handed Scootaloo, who had fallen asleep at some point, to Fluttershy and lead them to the basement door. Firefly opened it for Fluttershy, but the yellow mare stopped in the doorway, tears in her eyes. "What's happening?" she asked fearful, as her mother dragged her into a hug, the pounding on the door never ceasing.

Firefly kissed Fluttershy on the forehead. "No time to explain right now. You three get down there and don't make a sound," she told them, closing the door once all three were in.

"Come on," Rainbow said as she lead the way to the bottom of the stairs. Once they were at the bottom Rainbow found the darkest corner and gestured for Fluttershy to sit down.

Rainbow heard the front door open and someone angrily stomped inside. A voice, muffled by the floor, following soon after. "Bout damn time. What, were ya settin’ up some ambush?" the country stallion asked, footsteps indicating he was moving towards the living room.

"What are you doing here Braeburn?" Storm asked sternly.

"The hell do ya think? Granny has a job she needs done," Braeburn replied annoyed, his voice now coming from the dining room. "Mrs. Dash, nice tah see ya," he said, earning no reply at first.

"Can I get you anything?" Firefly asked, her voice shaking.

"Jus' water'll be fine," Braeburn replied. Rainbow heard chairs being pulled out from the table as the unwanted guest took a seat.

"I don't work for your family anymore," Storm spoke up, anger in his voice. "My contract ended years ago."

Rainbow heard Braeburn start to laugh at that. "Storm, nobody stops workin’ fer us. We let ya have some time tah yourself so ya could play house, but it's time tah come back tah work," the stallion said still chuckling, as their mother's footsteps entered the dining room, presumably with Braeburn's water. "Thank you."

"No Braeburn. I'm out. I'm not going back," Storm said defiantly.

"Storm," Braeburn began only to be interrupted.

"I called the police while you were waiting outside," Storm informed. Everything went deathly quiet upstairs. "By now they'll have the main road covered," Storm continued.

"Why would ya do that?" Braeburn asked, as if he were disappointed with a child. "Ya realize Ah have to kill everypony in the house right?" he asked like it was the obvious solution, something thunking on the table as he spoke.

"Just leave Braeburn," Storm advised, a note of fear in his voice.

"You know Ah can't," Braeburn replied. Rainbow heard something click. "I wish ya'd been smarter Storm, this could have gone a lot smoother," he said with that same disappointed tone from before.

"Braeburn you don't-" Storm was cut off by a three gunshots, Scootaloo instantly waking up as something upstairs fell with a thud.

"Storm!" Firefly shouted as Rainbow clamped a hand over her sisters’ mouths to keep them quiet, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Footsteps thundered upstairs as Braeburn chased their mother into the kitchen. A struggle was heard, Braeburn shouting in pain. "Gahh! You bitch!" he yelled as two more shots were fired, followed by another thud. "Dammit!" Braeburn hissed in pain as Rainbow heard him start to walk towards the stairs.

Once the footsteps had faded to the top floor of the house, Rainbow removed her hands from her sisters mouths. "We need to go," she said as she lead them towards the stairs. Keep quiet," she instructed, struggling to keep her voice from shaking.

Once they reached the door Rainbow signaled for the others to stop and cracked the door open and nearly threw up. Firefly was lying against the cabinets on the far side of the kitchen in a pool of crimson, a blood stained kitchen knife in her hands.

Rainbow turned back to her sisters and picked up Scootaloo while taking Fluttershy by the hand. "Both of you keep your eyes shut until I say otherwise," she said, barely stopping the tears from leaving her eyes as she heard the sound of the rooms upstairs getting torn apart by the intruder, probably looking for them. Once the two shut their eyes she opened the basement door and quietly lead them through the kitchen and passed the dining room. Rainbow peeked into the dining room and instantly regretted it, seeing her father slumped on the ground just like her mother.

"MOMMY!" Scootaloo shouted, obviously ignoring Rainbow's warning, the filly started to cry at the sight of her mother.

The upstairs instantly went silent as Braeburn stopped searching. Rainbow heard footsteps headed for the stairs and turned to Fluttershy who had opened her eyes in shock and looked like she wanted to cry, horrified at the sight of her dead parents.

"Run!" she shouted as she barreled through the backdoor, splintering the wood around the hinges as the three sisters ran into the cover of the darkness. Just as they reached the edge of the woods Rainbow pulled Fluttershy to the ground behind a tree and looked back to the house, Once again clamping a hand over Scootaloo's mouth, trying to stifle the crying filly.

A silhouette appeared at the back door, hunched over in pain. "Ah know yer out there. Come on out and Ah'll make this quick," Braeburn said, scanning the darkness. Rainbow held her sisters in place, not letting them move.

Braeburn had started to move towards the woods when Police sirens sounded in the distance, drawing closer every second.

"Shit!" Braeburn cursed as he started hobbling into the woods, still clutching his side.

Once the sound of Braeburn stumbling through the woods faded into the distance, Rainbow stood up and scanned the darkness for any sign that the stallion would return. When she didn't see him, she fell to her knees and pulled her sisters to her. The three were crying uncontrollably as the Police came around the side of the house, lights illuminating the forest around the sisters.

//////////////////////////

Almost an hour later Rainbow and her sisters were sitting on the back of an ambulance, blankets over their shoulders. Scootaloo hadn't stopped crying since she'd seen her parents bodies and Fluttershy seemed catatonic. Rainbow didn't know what to tell them. She couldn't lie and say everything would be fine. Nothing was going to be fine.

"Excuse me." Rainbow was broken from her thoughts as a purple police mare with a darker purple mane and a pink stripe in it approached them. "I know this isn't the best time, but if we're going to have any luck finding your parents killer, we're going to need to take your statement."

Rainbow nodded in agreement as she wiped her eyes and looked at the officers badge. "Right well, Officer Armor, we were in the basement for most of the...," Rainbow trailed off unable to say attack. "While he was here," she continued. "I did hear my dad call him Braeburn though," Rainbow said as tears started forming in her eyes.

Officer Armor looked at Rainbow with wide eyes. "Braeburn Apple?" she asked, a note of urgency in her voice.

Rainbow shrugged. "Didn't get his last name. He kept talking about a family though," she offered, hoping that helped.

"And he mentioned a Granny," a soft voice spoke from next to Rainbow. Rainbow and the officer looked at Fluttershy in surprise. They hadn't even been aware she was listening. Scootaloo had cried herself to sleep in the yellow mares arms while Rainbow had been talking to the officer.

"Alright. That should help a lot actually. Thank you for your time and I'm sorry for your loss," the officer said, her voice a little shaky as she turned to leave.

Rainbow stepped in her path, surprised that such a small amount of information had helped so much. They didn't even get the last name. "Wait that's it? Do you know who this guy is?" she asked, suspecting there was more to this.

"Ms. Dash I don't think," Officer Armor began.

"Please," Fluttershy interrupted. "If there's anything you can tell us, we need to know," she said, tears in her eyes.

Officer Armor seemed to consider her options for a moment before speaking. "If I'm correct, he is Braeburn Apple. He's an enforcer for the Apple Family, a gang in Manehattan," she explained, starting to look uncomfortable.

Rainbow smiled. "So it should be easy to pin this on him right?" Rainbow asked, her voice filled with hope.

Officer Armor frowned. "We'll do our best, but the Apple's are very well connected. We haven't been able to keep any of the high ranking members in prison for more than a few days," she told them, unable to look either sister in the eye.

Rainbow frowned. "So that's it? Our parents die and he gets away with it?" she asked angrily balling her hands into fists.

"We'll do what we can but-" the officer began, but was quickly interrupted.

"That's not good enough!" Rainbow shouted, startling the officer and waking up Scootaloo.

Fluttershy placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Thank you for helping," she said, catching the officers attention. "But I think we need some time to ourselves."

Officer Armor nodded and walked away, still shocked by Rainbow's outburst.

Rainbow sat back on the Ambulance an angry look on her face. "Rainbow?" Scootaloo called to her sister, calming Rainbow. "Are they gonna catch him?" she asked, having missed out on the conversation.

Rainbow considered her answer before she spoke. "No," she said. Scootaloo and Fluttershy looked at the ground in disappointment. "But he will pay," she said, angry.

Fluttershy gave her sister a concerned look. "What do you mean? How will he pay if the police don't catch him?" she asked.

"Dad taught me a lot about self defense over the years and I'm not a bad shot with a rifle either," she explained.

Fluttershy quickly caught on. "Then I'm going to help," she said, a determined look on her face.

Rainbow looked at her sister in surprise. "Me too," Scootaloo stated, trying to look confident.

Rainbow shook her head. "No. Hell no. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you guys," she told them, trying to dissuade them from joining her.

"And it's any different for us?" Fluttershy asked, looking almost angry. "At least this way you'll have somepony you can trust to depend on," she explained.

Rainbow was about to reply when Scootaloo jumped in. "They were our parents too," she reasoned, giving Rainbow a determined stare.

Rainbow tried to think of something to convince them they shouldn't go, but both of her sisters looked like they wouldn't take no for an answer. "Alright, but you both do what I say when I say," she told them, Fluttershy and Scootaloo nodding in agreement. Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck. "We'll make a game plan in the morning and stay at hotel in town for the night," she told them, knowing staying at home would be too painful.

Fluttershy wrapped her arms around her older sister, quickly followed by Scootaloo. "We'll be fine as long as we stick together," she told Rainbow.

"I know. But that doesn't make this any easier," Rainbow replied as another officer, a stallion this time, approached them.

"If you girls need a ride into town I'm about to head back to the station," he told them, gesturing at a squad car on the other side of the driveway. Rainbow nodded and the three followed the stallion to the car, climbing into the back. The stallion started the car and drove off into the night.

Author's Note

Okay so first things first. Progress on this story will be very slow. I have a plan in mind for this story and I really want to make sureI do it right, so don,t expect anupdate for maybe a month and a half, possibly longer.

I am also writing this as the inspiration comes to me, unlike my MLPU stories (thats the Marvelous Little Pony Universe for any newcomers), which I sort of come up with on the fly, but with an outlineof what I want.

Second major point. This is an Anthro story with hands, other than that it's whatever level of Anthro you prefer unless I get more specific later. The reason I went Anthro was because there will be a lot of gun wielding and I'd prefer not to create a new trigger mechanism for ponies or apply Pinkie Physics to every character. Trust me Pinkie will provide al the Pinkie physics this story needs.

Third but definitely not least, there are three individuals I would like to thank for their help.

First up is Dark Darsi, my as of yet unnofficial proofreader for the story. Thanks for taking the time to make surethis was ready for posting. You are a kind person and I appreciate your help.

Next up is Spideremblembrony who looked over the first draft and pointed out all the places that could use more detail. He is very good at making sure stories are detailed enough. Thank you sir for your help.

And lastly, Thank you Avenging-Hobbits. I came up with the idea for this story like four years ago, butuntil this last November I couldn't figure out how to make stuff work the way I wanted, and it also wasn't a pony story when I first thought it up. So to kind of test the water to see how people might react to the idea, I sent AH a PM with the details and he told me he thought it was a cool idea. So I started putting more thought into it and kept sending AH updates when I thought of new stuff. He always gave me worth while feed back and wasn't afraid to tellme what wouldn't work. Thank you my friend for enduring those horribly written messages.

Well, that about wraps things up.

Thanks for reading and Stay Tuned.

Sins of the Sister

Rarity's vision swirled in a blur of color as she awoke. She didn't move until the room stopped spinning, blinking a few times to be sure she was okay. Sitting up, she looked around the room. Three other bodies lay on the floor, blood pooling around them. They hadn't been killed by the explosion. Rarity remembered killing them herself right before she'd answered her phone.

"My phone!" she gasped as she searched the floor, locating the cell phone on the ground next to her. She picked it up and cursed at the dark, broken screen on the device. She threw the broken phone across the room. "Shit!" she exclaimed, trying to remember what Scootaloo had told her. The filly had been telling Rarity where Sweetie Belle was being held, but Rarity didn't remember being told an address.

Rarity picked herself up from the floor and started walking to the doorway. The door itself had been knocked off its hinges by the debris that had been the wall on the opposite side of the hallway, but was, to Rarity's surprise, the only sign of any damage from the explosion in the room. Rarity's eyes widened when she saw the hallway outside the room. Rarity could see through nearly half the building because of the destroyed walls and any wall left standing was mostly charred from the heat.

"Those two don't ever get put in charge of explosives again," she told herself as she left the room to find the others. The sense of being alone was getting to be a bit overbearing and Rarity was still plagued with worry for her sister's safety. "I hate being alone," she said to herself as she started searching for her allies.

/////////3 years earlier////////

Rarity burst into a large hotel room with an older stallion kissing at her neck and running his hands all over her body. "Oh Hoity, at least wait until we've gotten to the bed," she giggled, pushing the older stallion away playfully, pinning him against the door and dropping her white handbag at his feet. She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "We should take the time to enjoy ourselves," she told him, seductively.

Rarity left the drunken stallion leaning against the door as she sauntered to the bed, her eyes passing over the room, taking in the expensive decor and paintings lining the white washed walls. She also took note of the sliding glass door that lead to the balcony overlooking the Manehattan skyline.

"Well, you've spared no expense on the room," Rarity said, turning as she neared the bed. "But how's your room service?" she said suggestively, removing the straps of her purple silk dress.

Hoity gave her a lecherous grin as he stumbled away from the door. He made it three steps before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed.

Rarity rolled her eyes as she replaced the dresses straps on her shoulders and stood up. "I told him to give me a slower sedative," she muttered in an angry tone as she hiked up her dress almost to her waist, revealing a black cloth band strapped around her upper thigh, holding a small glass bottle, a syringe and a gun on her inner thigh. She'd spent the better part of the night keeping Hoity from discovering the concealed weapon. Rarity removed the gun from it's place and quickly checked that it was ready, just in case.

Rarity walked to the door and retrieved her handbag, stepping around the unconscious stallion as she moved about the room. She opened the bag and pulled out it's only contents, a phone and an earpiece. Rarity pushed the earpiece into her ear as she tapped on the screen of her phone. She then began searching the room as the dial tone played in her ear.

"Hello Rarity, what can I do for you?" the familiar voice of Trender Hooves asked with a loud yawn, sounding like he'd just woken up.

"The sedative you gave me worked too fast. It shouldn't have kicked in for another hour," Rarity complained as she removed a painting from the wall opposite the balcony, revealing a safe in the wall.

”I gave you my slowest sedative. Any problems with the job?" Trender asked concern quickly replacing his exhaustion.

Rarity rolled her eyes in annoyance as she inspected the safe's keypad. "Of course not, but if we'd hit traffic on the way to the hotel, I'd have a problem," Rarity replied, annoyed as she put in Hoity's birth date as the code, smiling as the lock clicked open.

"If there isn't a problem then why are you calling me this late?" Trender shot back, annoyed. Rarity could almost picture the stallion's annoyed glare.

"To bug you for almost ruining my assignment," Rarity replied smiling as she opened the safe. "Well, back to work for me. I'll see you tomorrow," Rarity said, hanging up on Trender before he could argue.

Rarity looked at the contents of the safe in disappointment. A large sum of bits sat next to several color coded folders. "Could really use the money," Rarity mumbled, annoyed as she grabbed the files. She quickly laid them out on the bed and started spreading their contents over the silk sheets. "There's a lot more here than we thought there'd be," Rarity said happily. She used her phone to take pictures of every document. Once she was done she sent them to a contact marked as The Boss.

"That should about do it," Rarity told herself as she recollected the files and put them back where she found them. Once she had the painting back on the wall, she double checked that nothing was out of place, once more taking notice of the door to the balcony. Rarity sighed in frustration as she stepped over Hoity and left the hotel room.

//////////////////////////

By the time Rarity arrived home, it was nearly midnight. Living in a condo, near the top of Fancy Towers, didn't help to alleviate her earlier stress. She rubbed her head as she unlocked and opened the door. She hadn't had much to drink, but she was still feeling the effects of what she had consumed.

Footsteps charging towards her from further in the condo alerted Rarity to the home's other occupant. "Rarity! You're back!" Sweetie Belle, wearing pink and white pajamas, shouted as Rarity shut the door behind herself.

"Yes an- oof!" Rarity grunted as Sweetie collided with her sister. "It's good to see you too Sweetie, but I'm fairly certain it's well past your bedtime," Rarity pointed out as she hugged her younger sibling affectionately.

Sweetie gave a guilty smile as she rubbed the back of her head. "I couldn't sleep until I knew you were okay. That and I had to make sure all the money got transferred to the right account this time," the young filly said as she let go of her sister and lead Rarity into the house. "I'm guessing you did better than expected though," Sweetie said as they entered the living room, where Sweetie's silver laptop sat open on the black couch and sat down.

"What makes you say that?" Rarity asked curiously as she joined her sister in the modern art styled living room.

"Mr. Pants sent us twice as much as you said he would. Look," Sweetie informed as she showed her sister the laptop. Rarity looked at the webpage displaying her bank balance and sure enough, there was a quarter of a million more than she expected.

"Well, it's not an unwelcome surprise, but it's still not as much as I used to make," Rarity said annoyed, recalling the door to the balcony in the hotel. "There were several buildings with a clear line of sight to the room. I could have made a clean get away before any pony knew what happened," she explained wistfully, imagining how much better her night could have gone had the assignment been a kill order.

Sweetie gave her sister a sympathetic look. "Maybe, but the Apples have been hounding any hitponies to work for them. If you kept in that line of work you'd have ended up like..." Sweetie trailed off as she saw the grim look on Rarity's face.

Until a year ago, Rarity had been an assassin. One of the most renowned in Equestria. Sweetie had a hard time coming to terms with this many years ago, but had since reconciled with her misgivings. Then the news of the death of Rarity's mentor, Storm Dash, came. Sweetie had never met the stallion, but Rarity always spoke of him like a father. His death had hit her hard and it got worse when her boss, Fancy Pants, stopped accepting hit contracts in order to protect his employees from recruitment by the Apple family. Rarity, like most in her line of work, weren't known by their given names, but instead they were called by code names the police came up with. This was the only reason the Apples hadn't gotten to her yet.

Rarity shook her mind free from that dark cloud of memories and looked at Sweetie. "I know it's for the best, but I still miss the work," Rarity argued, recalling the thrill she hadn't felt in almost four years. "Enough talking though," Rarity said, yawning as she stood up. "It's late, I have a headache and you, little filly, have school in seven hours. Now off to bed," Rarity stated, pushing the groaning and pouting filly to her room.

/////////////////////////

The next morning, Rarity arrived at Fancy Corp headquarters for her debriefing of her assignment the previous night. Rarity checked her watch before she entered the building, smiling as she noticed she had almost fifteen minutes to spare before she was late.

Rarity quickly found a spot a few dozen yards from the front doors of the tower and the crowd in the busy streets and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her handbag. Rarity put one in her mouth and started digging through her bag for her lighter. All she found however was a note from Sweetie Belle, reminding her she was supposed to be quitting.

"Oh, of all the times to," Rarity ended her rant early and seethed at her sister's thievery, not noticing as an orange stallion in a trenchcoat and a stetson approached her.

"'Scuse me, ma'am?" the stallion called in a southern accent, catching Rarity's attention. Rarity looked the stallion over, slightly confused. "Sorry tah bother yah, but Ah couldn help but notice yer havin a little trouble there," the stallion explained, pulling a metal lighter from his coat pocket. "Might Ah suggest a trade?" the stallion proposed.

Rarity smiled and nodded holding her cigarette out as she shook another from the pack she held in her right hand. "And who might I be trading with?" Rarity asked as the stallion lit her cigarette and took one for himself.

"Mah names Braeburn," he answered, lighting his cigarette and taking a long drag. "And yerself?" he inquired, giving Rarity a once over.

"Rarity," she answered, noticing Braeburn's lack of interest in the answer. "Well, Braeburn, I don't mean to be rude, but you don't sound like you're from around here," Rarity said, leaving the question in the air with the smoke she exhaled.

Braeburn chuckled. "Fair assumption. Ah was raised in Appleloosa. Ain't been back in awhile though. Work keeps me pretty busy," Braeburn replied with a heavy sigh, a sad look in his eyes.

"And what work is that?" Rarity pressed, trying to keep the conversation going.

Braeburn seemed to be in thought for a moment. "Ah'm a talent scout," he replied. "Heard there was somepony round here we'd be interested in," he explained, exhaling smoke. "How bout you?" he asked turning the conversation on Rarity. "What game are you in?"

Rarity smiled as she took another drag. "Acquisitions," she replied. "My employer is an art collector and I'm the pony he sends to make sure a new piece isn't a knock off before he buys it," Rarity explained, checking the time and noticing she needed to meet with Fancy in five minutes. "Oh, dammit. I apologize, but I really must be going," Rarity said as she put her cigarette out. "It was nice to meet you Braeburn," she said holding out her hand.

"Likewise," Braeburn replied, shaking Rarity's hand.

Rarity then made her way to the front doors as quickly as possible, spouting apologies as she pushed through the small crowd. She quickly flashed a plastic badge at the security guard as she walked through the front lobby and straight to the elevators. Rarity walked into the first lift that opened and tapped her foot impatiently as the doors closed.

///////////////////////

Fancy Pants sat in a chair at the head of a conference table. His face was blank as he stared out of the floor to ceiling windows that lined the exterior walls. Fleur Delis, the only other occupant of the room looked at her husband in fear.

"Fancy, we need to make a plan now," she told him, catching his attention.

"It won't matter," he argued tonelessly. "Either we give up Rarity and become unneeded or we help her escape and they kill us. There is no plan for us," Fancy explained, turning to his wife. His eyes now betraying the fear he felt.

Fleur reached out and took his hand in hers. "Then we help her and hope that's enough," she told him, smiling as he nodded in agreement.

Before the couple could continue further the door to the conference room opened and a flustered Rarity entered. "Fancy, I'm so sorry I'm late I..." Rarity trailed off as she noticed Fleur and how scared she looked. "What's going on?" Rarity asked, not leaving the doorway, her hand tensing on the doorknob.

Fancy took a moment to collect himself before he spoke. "Please sit down and close the door," he said with more apprehension in his voice than he intended.

Rarity looked the pair over again in worry as she slowly closed the door and sat in the chair on the far side of the table. "What's happened?" she asked, fearful as her eyes shifted between the fear etched on Fleur's face to the almost sad look Fancy wore.

Fancy sighed before he spoke. "We just met with a representative of the Apple family," he informed her, shaking as his mind remembered the stallion's terrifying calm. Rarity's eyes widened as she saw where the conversation was going. Fancy shuddered as he spoke again. "He was here for you."

Rarity's mind broke for a second. She had spent the last year staying off their radar and what did it matter? The Apples had found her anyway. "What do we do?" Rarity asked, shaking her head in surprise, hoping Fancy had a plan.

For as long as she'd known him, Fancy Pants had always had a plan. He had a tendency to always see the best solution to a problem. It had been Fancy who had introduced Rarity to Storm Dash after she'd been caught stealing from Fancy's home. Most ponies would have just seen a criminal, but he had seen a young filly who needed a purpose and he provided that purpose. Rarity had felt indebted to him ever since.

Fancy shook his head as Fleur looked at the floor. "Not we, you," Fancy said, confusing Rarity. "You need to get Sweetie Belle and run," he told her a note of urgency in his voice.

Rarity's mind raced as she processed what he said. "Run where?" she asked, unsure where she and Sweetie could hide from the Apples. Their influence permeated nearly every level of the Equestrian legal system, so anywhere they went could have several officers on the Apple's payroll. This couldn't be Fancy's plan. There had to be more to it.

"Anywhere. And never stop running," Fancy answered, finding it more difficult to keep the fear out of his voice. The longer they spoke, the more Rarity felt like the world had decided to stop making sense. The confident and calculating Fancy Pants was gone. Replaced by a stallion who feared his end, but knew it was coming soon.

Rarity looked bewildered. "What are the rest of you going to do?" she asked, still wrapping her head around what she'd been told.

Fancy was shaky as he answered. "We'll... shut down our operations as soon as you leave. Nopony else in our employ knows what's happening. They should be... they'll be safe," Fancy corrected himself, still sounding unsure of himself. Fancy had always put his employees before himself and seemed determined not to let the Apples change that about him.

Rarity stared at her boss and his wife in shock. "And you?" she asked fearing the answer. Fleur choked back a sob and Fancy averted his gaze. "No!" Rarity shouted, jumping out of her seat. "You can't just roll over for them!" She yelled, hoping to spur the pair into action. They had taken her in when she was a runaway, lost in the Manehattan streets. They had given her a home, a sense of security and a job once her training had been completed. Rarity refused to let them die for her sake.

"We aren't," Fancy replied, catching Rarity off guard. "They promised to let us live if we gave you up," he admitted. Rarity's jaw dropped as she sat back down. "Warning you is our defiant act. Don't waste it," Fancy continued solemnly.

Rarity finally understood. This was Fancy's plan. To show the Apples that not everyone belonged to them. These two, who had been as close to her as Storm Dash, weren't prepared to die for her and yet they chose to anyway.

Rarity stood up again, tears in her eyes. "I won't. Thank you so much," she said wiping a tear from her eye as she walked around the table and pulled the couple into a tight hug.

Fleur leaned into Rarity's shoulder. "Never forget what's important," Fleur whispered through her tears. "Protect your sister."

Rarity nodded as she let go of them and wiped the tears from her face. She silently made her way to the door and retrieved her phone from her bag. She paused as she gripped the door knob. "Did that representative have a name?" she asked, fearful of some of the more notorious ponies employed by the Apples.

Fancy looked up as he answered. "Braeburn," he replied sullenly. Rarity gave him a shocked look before she tore the door open and started typing a text to Sweetie Belle.

//////////////////////

Sweetie Belle was in the middle of a particularly dull history lecture when she felt her pocket vibrate. She let the pencil she'd been chewing on fall out of her mouth as she took out her cell phone and looked at the screen beneath her desk to look at the text from Rarity.

Park now! Apples found me!

"No," Sweetie whispered in shock, unaware that her teacher was standing in front of her.

"Ms. Belle, if you have something to share with- oof!" the old stallion grunted as Sweetie jumped out of her seat, grabbed her bag and darted out of the room, shoving passed her teacher as she went.

Sweetie ran through the halls of her school, her teacher shouting for her to return as she fled. "What are we gonna do?" Sweetie asked herself in fear as she dodged around the few teachers left in the hallway. Sweetie stopped for a moment to think and clutched at her chest. She hadn't even realized she was having a panic attack until now. She tried to slow her breathing and think through her fear.

"First, I need to get to the park and find Rarity. She'll know where to go from there," Sweetie started running again, urged on by the concerned teachers calling after her. She quickly reached the front doors of her school and bowled through them and collided with somepony on the other side.

"Sorry," Sweetie apologized out of habit. She was about to turn away when the stallion grabbed her wrist.

"An where might you be goin lil lady?" the stallion asked mockingly in a thick southern accent. Sweetie's scream was muffled by the stallion's hand as he dragged her to a van and threw her in. Sweetie jumped at the door when she was released, but another stallion inside grabbed her and held her down as he stuffed a gag in her mouth. Sweetie's vision faded out as the stress became too much.

//////////////////////

Rarity arrived at Sweetie's school a few hours after the other students had gone home, panic filled eyes scanning the police cars and the officers talking to one of the teachers. She'd waited in the park they'd agreed on in case of an emergency for almost an hour before she'd gotten a call from the police, telling her that her sister had been abducted.

Rarity found an officer that had been roping off the area and tapped him on the shoulder. "I need to speak to whoever is in charge!" she demanded, louder than she meant to. Rarity took a moment to collect herself as the stallion gave her a bewildered look. "I'm sorry. My sister..." Rarity trailed off, choking back a sob.

The officer gave her an understanding nod and pointed at a purple mare in a grey suit, talking on a phone. "That's detective Armor. She's leading the investigation," the officer told her, a sympathetic look on his face. Rarity nodded in appreciation as she approached the detective.

"I'm not sure yet," Rarity heard the mare say as she neared. "I'll call you back when we've got something. See ya when I get back," she finished, hanging up the phone and letting out a disappointed sigh.

"Detective?" Rarity called out, catching the mare's attention. The detective looked Rarity over and gave her a knowing look.

"You must be Rarity," she said in a soft voice. Rarity nodded silently, hoping this mare could tell her something useful. "I know now may not be the best time Ms. Belle, but anything you can tell me gives us more than we have," Detective Armor informed her. "Can you think of any pony that would have a reason to take your sister?" she asked.

Rarity took a moment to think before she answered. If she mentioned Braeburn or the Apple family, they'd kill Sweetie. If Rarity did anything to seek help, she'd never see her sister again. "No," Rarity answered in defeat, seeing no alternative, but to submit. Tears began to freely fall from Rarity's eyes as the full scope of the situation hit her. Sweetie had been depending on her and Rarity had failed.

Detective Armor gave Rarity a sad look as she held out a business card. "If anything does come up, give me a call," she said, placing a hand on the distraught mare's shoulder. "We'll keep a squad car outside your building and let you know if we find anything," the detective said as she turned away.

/////////////////////////

Fleur sat in the conference room quietly in the dying light of the sun, her make up ruined by the tears she'd shed earlier that day. She had since come to terms with her and Fancy's fate, not that it made it easier to deal with. Fancy had left only a moment ago to retrieve something from his office.

The door on the far side of the room opened and Fleur turned to see Fancy enter with a leather bound book under his arm and a sad smile on his face.

"I thought you'd gone to get the scotch you keep in your office," she said giving her husband a confused look.

Fancy chuckled. "I'd considered it, but then I decided it would be better to spend our last moments together sober," he told her as he walked across the room towards her. "And reflecting on happier times," he finished setting the book in front of Fleur.

Fleur smiled as she looked at the cover, happier tears threatening to spill forth. "Our photo album," she whispered as she opened the cover. The album started with photos from when Fleur and Fancy were dating. Fleur turned the pages, stopping to reminisce on her favorite pictures, like when Fancy had proposed to her in the park near where they lived at the time.

Fancy placed his hands on Fleur's shoulders as he leaned over her to look with her. "To this day, that is still the scariest thing I'd ever done," he told her. Fleur laughed, trying not to cry at the same time. "It was also the greatest," he finished, leaning closer to kiss his wife on the cheek. Fleur leaned towards Fancy as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

They were almost halfway through the book, flipping through pictures they'd taken with Rarity several years ago when they heard the door creak open.

Fancy's smile fell when he heard the noise. "I love you," he told Fleur just before two gunshots broke the silence. Fancy fell to the ground, his vision fading in time to see Fleur slumped over in her seat, her mane stained red.

/////////////////////////

Rarity arrived home later that night. She'd spent almost the entire day trying to find some way to track down Braeburn, which ended in failure, before she gave up. Rarity pushed the door open and wandered into her living room in a daze and fell on the couch in a sobbing heap. She didn't hear the approaching footsteps.

"Must say, Ah'm rightly disappointed," a southern accent told Rarity, frightening her out of her sorrow. She stared at the stallion that approached her from the kitchen, fearful of what he intended for her. "Ah expected a lot more from the legendary protege of mah old buddy Storm," Braeburn said as he sat on the couch across from Rarity and took a sip of the water in his hand.

"Where's Sweetie?" Rarity asked, hoping her sister could still be saved. She didn't care that Braeburn had broken into her house or that she was in danger. She just wanted Sweetie to be safe.

Braeburn smiled. "She's fine," he said simply. "We can't kill her if that's what yer scared of. We need her so we can make a deal with you," Braeburn explained, gesturing with his free hand as he spoke with an unsettling calmness.

Rarity glared at the stallion. "What kind of deal?" she asked apprehensively. She already knew what he wanted, but the more she stalled, the more time she'd be able to think of a way out of this.

Braeburn gulped down the rest of his water before continuing. "Well, the family's been runnin a little dry on contract killers," he started, as if he was explaining the details of a rough day at work.

"I suppose that's got nothing to do with you treating us like possessions. We have free will," Rarity stated, staring daggers at the stallion. Storm Dash had always told her never to accept a contract from somepony she feared. It was a common practice in her line of work. Not that she had too many options now.

Braeburn rolled his eyes. "Ah told ys earlier. Ah'm just a talent scout. Ah find the talent, thats all. It's up to Granny what tah do with that talent," Braeburn defended, sounding victimized to Rarity's surprise. "Look, we're gonna have a lot tah go over. Can we just make the deal already? Ah'm on a bit of a schedule," he complained.

Rarity continued glaring at Braeburn as he waited for an answer. "Fine," she conceded, through clenched teeth, hating Braeburn more and more by the minute.

"Thank you. Now, we don't need nothin special from ya. Gonna keep ya busy though. Deal is this," Braeburn began looking Rarity in the eye. "Ya do what we tell ya or we kill yer sister," he said matter-of-factly.

Rarity restrained herself from punching the stallion in the face. She had no options and Braeburn didn't seem open to negotiations. "I want to see Sweetie, face to face once a week," Rarity demanded.

Braeburn looked like he was thinking. "Fair nuff. Hell Ah'll even let ya see her tonight, but don't say Ah never did ya a favor," he offered, smiling at Rarity. "Gonna hafta blindfold ya though," he added.

Rarity nodded her head. "That's fine," she conceded as the pair stood up. "There are police watching the front door though," she informed him, wondering how he intended to leave and how he'd gotten in for that matter

Braeburn chuckled. "Ah know. Them basterds owe me a grand each from a card game last week," he chuckled as he walked to the front door.

/////////////////////

Rarity walked blindly behind Braeburn, keeping a hand on his shoulder so she didn't get lost. "Got some stairs coming up. Watch yer step," Braeburn told her, his voice echoing around what Rarity guessed was a warehouse. She took awkward and cautioned steps, following the incline of the stairs, her shoes clanging on metal each time they fell.

The pair finally reached the top and Rarity heard the sound of a door creaking open and walked towards it. Rarity heard somepony in the room snicker as her shoulder bumped into the doorway. The door shut behind her and the black cloth bag was removed from her head.

The room was already dimly lit, so Rarity didn't have to wait for her eyes to adjust. The first thing Rarity saw was Sweetie, bound to a chair and gagged. The filly had tears in her eyes, but they seemed to brighten when she saw Rarity.

"Sweetie!" Rarity shouted, leaping forward only for Braeburn to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her back. "Let go of me! We had a deal!" Rarity shouted, kicking at the stallion

"Calm down now," he told her, doing his best not to get hit by her swinging legs. "Don't want ya gittin shot now," he warned, tossing her on the ground. Rarity sat up and looked around the room and saw two earth stallions standing in the darker corners of the room.

"I want to speak with her," Rarity said looking at Braeburn pleadingly.

Braeburn laughed, earning smiles from his comrades. "Nuh-uh. Ya asked ta see her and ya have. Ah'll let ya tell her goodbye an that's all," Braeburn told her leaving no room for argument

Rarity looked back at Sweetie, trying to look strong for the scared filly. "It'll be okay," she said, starting to cry herself. "I'll see you soon," Rarity assured her sister as Braeburn put the bag back over her head, making the world go dark. Sweetie's muffled screams were the last thing Rarity heard as Braeburn pushed her out of the room.

Author's Note

Oh My Fucking God! I did it! I actually continued this story. Super proud moment for me.

Okay now on to relevant things. First off this chapter wasn't nearly as long as I had originally planned it. The plan before had been to go back almost ten years from the explosion aftermath the characters are peaking up in at the beginning if each chapter. I was going to write about Rarity running away from home and eventually becoming a hired killer. But that would have been way too long for one chapter and I didn't want to distract from the point of the story, so I've decided I'll turn that into a spin off story for another time.

Now a few noteworthy things here. There will be a few more intro chapters before we get to the big explosion and Braeburn will give each of the mane six a reason to want him dead. I'm also trying not to use OC's as much as possible. So hopefully that explains why some characters ate getting bit parts compared to others. I do also have intentions for Trenderhoives to reappear later.

Thanks again to Spideremblembrony for helping me work out the kinks in this story and flesh out details. You have been a great teacher to me and I hope to continue learning from you.

Next up for this story is Pinkie Pie and she's gonna bring something totally different to the table.

Stay Tuned.

Addictions of the Daughter

"Crap, crap, crap!" Pinkie Pie shouted, pacing back and forth through the charred debris of the building, trying to calm herself down. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and she could feel her body twitching as it tried to work off the rest of the drug.

"Ooooh! Really gotta stop taking that stuff. There has to be some bad side effects to using it too often," Pinkie reasoned with herself, combing a shivering hand through her poofed up mane. "Never had a rush quite like that one though," she told herself before shaking her head in frustration.

"Focus Pinkie! Gotta find the others! Figure out what the plan is from there, cause I've got no fucking clue what we do at this point," Pinkie thought out loud, as she started picking her way through large chunks of charred and collapsed wall.

Occasionally, Pinkie would start getting worked up again and she'd have to stop for a minute to calm herself to a more manageable rush. After several minutes, Pinkie felt her heart slow down and the charred lumber she was trying to lift became to heavy.

Pinkie let the support beam fall across the ceiling it no longer supported and flopped down onto the barest patch of burnt floor she could find. Pinkie started to notice how cold the night air was and stuck her hands in the pockets of her coat, her left hand finding a small cylindrical object.

Pinkie pulled a syringe out of her pocket and saw that it was still half full of the blue liquid it contained. Just looking at the substance brought angry tears to Pinkie's eyes. Sure it had been helpful tonight, but it wasn't worth the hell it had put her through. Pinkie raised her arm preparing to throw the needle over a pile of debris, but she couldn't do it. Instead she just lowered her hand and looked at the liquid inside.

"I am such a fucking mess," she told herself, sniffing back a few of her tears as she stood up and continued on her way.

///////2 Years Earlier///////

"Pinkie wake up! It's almost noon!" an annoyed voice shouted, waking the young mare from her heavy slumber.

Pinkie rubbed the sleep from her eyes as her foster father, Carrot Cake started banging on the door. "Yeah, yeah, I'm up!" Pinkie shouted, grumbling as she lifted her body from the bed, noticing she was still wearing the faded jeans and a T-shirt from an obscure punk band she had been wearing the previous night.

"Crazy night," Pinkie mumbled to herself, hearing footsteps receding down the hallway. Pinkie climbed out of her sheets as she recalled what had actually happened last night. The last thing she remembered was meeting her best friend, Vinyl Scratch, to go to a party, but the rest was a blur of neon colored lights and loud music, which gave her headache just thinking about it.

Pinkie sat on the edge of her bed and looked around at her room as she rubbed her temple. The pink walls covered with posters of oddly named bands and crooked pictures of her and her friends at parties, held up to the walls with scotch tape. Pinkie quickly spotted a few pictures she didn't recognize above her bed. She and Vinyl were in most of them and anyone who saw the pictures would be able to tell they’d been drinking, among other things. Pinkie chuckled when she saw herself kissing a stallion she didn't know in a darker corner of the building they were in.

“Ain't a party until I’m making out with a stranger,” Pinkie laughed as she turned to her dresser and started changing her clothes. Her foster parents didn't like her wearing her band shirts in front of their children, mostly because a majority of the shirts just showed the band in question sitting in a smoke filled room with a glazed look in their eyes. The Cakes thought it was a bad influence.

Pinkie had been taken in by Carrot and Cup Cake almost ten years ago when her own family had died in a house fire. The Cakes had always treated her like one of their own, but Pinkie never felt like she belonged in the house. The Cakes had made it clear she was welcome in their home, but they had a tendency to treat her more like a tenant than a teenager. She had started therapy a few years ago in order to help her cope with the tragedy from her childhood and had been given medications to help her through depression, but Pinkie had become addicted to her anti-depressants and, in an effort to get more, met her best friend Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl was a local drug dealer and gave Pinkie discounts. Pinkie had been able to keep most of this a secret from her foster parents, but they wound up finding out about the alcohol after Pinkie got arrested and put on probation a few months ago. Since then it had been harder for Pinkie to go to parties with her friends, but she still managed to sneak out every so often.

Pinkie rubbed her forehead as she walked to the bathroom on the other side of her room and took off her shirt so she could start getting ready for the day.

//////////////////////////////////////

Braeburn Apple stepped out of a black SUV outside of an apartment building in Ponyville, grumbling about bad luck as he rubbed his forehead with a gloved hand. As he stepped away from the vehicle he was followed by Rarity Belle looking just as annoyed, but for different reasons.

“Why do you need me here?” Rarity asked scathingly as she started scanning the rest of the street and some other nearby buildings. Most of the buildings looked worn down, but it wasn't hard to tell they were being lived in.

“Cuz ya put ponies at ease. Everypony who works fer us knows me and they know to be afraid a me,” Braeburn explained as he walked up the steps to the building with Rarity close behind. “That and yer the best killer we got, aside from mahself,” he continued.

Rarity glared at the stallion, but knew better than to retaliate. “Fine. So who are we here for?” she asked as they entered the building and started up the stairs.

“Not sure yet,” Braeburn replied. “We got some experimental drug that got intah the wrong hands and we need to git it back before the cops here git their hands on it. That detective, Armor I think, transferred here a couple weeks ago,” Braeburn explained in an annoyed tone.

Rarity quirked an eyebrow at the stallion’s attitude. “What does the drug do that has you so worked up?” she asked curiously.

Braeburn stopped in front of a door on the third floor. “Ah have no idea. That’s why Ah’m so worked up,” he answered as he knocked on the door.

Rarity smiled as she realized what the problem was. “How odd. I thought the Apples didn’t keep secrets from family,” she said smugly.

Braeburn glared at her as the door opened, catching his attention. “Who the hell is it?” an angry middle aged stallion asked wearing a messy white shirt and sweat pants. His eyes widened in fear as he spotted Braeburn. “Oh shit, uh… I mean, how can I help you Mr. Apple?” he asked, his fearful stammering earning a chuckle from Braeburn.

“Ya got a syringe ya weren't s’posed tah git. Blue liquid. Where is it?” Braeburn asked, menacing the stallion as he shoved into the apartment and started looking around the messy living area, scanning the dining room table for the object he was looking for. The stallion started stammering a reply, until Rarity put a hand on his shoulder.

“Calm down. Just tell us when you last saw it,” Rarity told him, trying to calm the stallion’s panicked mind.

The stallion looked back and forth from Rarity to Braeburn, unsure if he should be calm or afraid. “I gave it to one of our middle guys, Neon. Good kid. He spends most of his time at Berry’s Bar near Town Square. Told him you was tryin somethin new. That’s what the chick who gave it tah me said,” the stallion answered in a hurry.

Braeburn froze at the answer. “Chick?” he asked, earning a nod from the stallion. “What’d she look like?” he asked angrily.

The stallion looked at Rarity who nodded for him to continue. “Uh… she was young, a kinda lightish blue color, rainbow mane,” the stallion answered.

Braeburn's face contorted into a look of murderous rage as he turned away from the stallion. He was silent for a moment and then grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it, throwing pieces of paper and a few dishes crashing to the floor.

The action surprised Rarity as much as the stallion who had gone pale at the display. Braeburn turned towards the pair and approached them. He stopped in front of the stallion and held out his hand. “Sorry bout the mess,” he said, his tone betraying his anger.

The stallion took Braeburn’s hand and shook it briefly. Braeburn then walked past him and out of the room with Rarity close behind, leaving the stallion in shocked silence.

“What the hell was that all about?” Rarity asked, incredulous as they made their way down stairs and out of the building.

“Some stupid ass mare been messin with us fer the last few months. I don’t know who she is, but that is the third time I've heard that description,” Braeburn explained as he pulled out the keys to their SUV.

Rarity shook her head in bewilderment. “Why would she steal your product and then give it to your dealers?” she asked, questioning the mares sanity.

Braeburn sighed in frustration. “Cause if that drug starts killin ponies it makes us look bad and we start losin business. On top of that, the cops’ll have somethin new on us and while we’re busy throwin them off, that bitch’ll be workin us over somewhere else,” he growled, jumping into the driver’s seat while Rarity got in on the other side. “No more questions. Let’s just find the damn syringe.”

///////////////////////////////////////

After a quick shower, Pinkie changed into a bright pink shirt and a pair of jean shorts that were a little too tight. She gave herself a once over in the mirror and smiled. “That’ll do nicely,” she told herself as she put her pink sneakers and socks on, exited her room and made her way into the bakery downstairs.

“I’ll be back later,” she called out as she walked through the dining area in the bakery.

Cup Cake was standing behind the counter and waved to her foster daughter. “Don’t forget, you have an appointment,” she informed as she set few pastries in the display container.

Pinkie stopped at the door. “Probation or doctor?” she asked, hoping it was the latter. She always tried to get out of her probation meetings anyway so it only mattered if she had to go to the hospital.

“Both actually, the hospital visit isn't until this afternoon though,” Cup Cake answered. “Officer Armor is disappointed you missed your last meeting,” she continued, looking at Pinkie Pie with concern.

“Yeah, alright. I’ll head over there and then I’m gonna meet Vinyl.” Pinkie lied, having no intention to go anyway. She was planning on meeting Vinyl for lunch and probably another party later that evening. “You need me to pick anything up while I’m out?” Pinkie asked as she stood in the doorway.

“Would you remember what it was if I told you?” she asked, giving Pinkie a knowing smile.

Pinkie chuckled as she left the bakery. “You know me too well,” she called back as she walked out into the sidewalk outside the bakery and noticed a well dressed purple mare leaning against a very plain looking black sedan. Pinkie’s smile faded as she approached the mare. “Something I can help you with Detective Armor?” Pinkie asked, faking a smile.

The purple mare gave her an unimpressed look. “Get in. I’m here to make sure you don’t miss your meeting with Cadence,” the Detective said with an air of authority.

“Oh you don’t gotta do that. I was just on my way there right now,” Pinkie lied, hoping she could get away from the officer. Detective Armor looked nonplussed and simply opened the backdoor to the sedan. Pinkie sighed in defeat. “Can I at least ride in the front?” she asked.

“No,” the Detective answered in a flat tone. Pinkie rolled her eyes as she climbed into the car and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She sent Vinyl a text telling her she was going to be late to lunch and prepared herself for another lecture from the Detective.

//////////////////////////////////////////////

Vinyl Scratch was waiting on her usual street corner waiting for her supplier to give her the days products when she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She grabbed the small object from her pocket and looked at the text from Pinkie.

Det. Armor grabbed me at home. Going to probation thing. Pick me up from the hospital in like an hour.

Vinyl groaned at her friends misfortune. Great. That buzzkill is always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, Vinyl thought as an old beat up looking compact car came around the corner. Vinyl stashed her phone in her pocket as she stepped up to the curb and waved at the stallion driving.

“Hey Neon. What do we got today?” Vinyl asked as the passenger window rolled down, revealing a blue stallion inside wearing a worn jacket, jeans and a pair of sunglasses.

“Mostly the usual Vi,” Neon said as he tossed a brown paper bag onto the seat next to him.

“Mostly?” Vinyl asked as she grabbed the bag, scanning the street through the car’s windshield to make sure no one was watching them before reaching into her jacket and pulling out an almost identical, but heavier bag. There didn’t seem to be anyone else on the street except them and a homeless stallion sitting on a bench further down the street

Neon rubbed his forehead like he was tired. “Yeah, the guy I get this stuff from says he wanted me to test something new,” Neon explained as he took the second bag from Vinyl and dropped it in the passenger’s seat. “They wanna know what it can do before they start mass producing.”

Vinyl looked in the bag she was given and noticed a syringe with a blue liquid inside. “So you want me to give this to some random customer and tell ya what happens to them?” she asked, irritated. “If it kills one of my customers I could get arrested for a lot more than selling,” she said, angry, keeping her voice down out of habit.

Neon rolled his eyes. “Well I’m not testing it on myself. Just find somepony stupid enough to try anything and let them have it,” he suggested, not seeming to care what was in the syringe.

Vinyl huffed as she closed the top of the bag again. “Fine I’ll figure something out. Probably give it to somepony at Surprise’s party tonight. Just try not to spring shit like this on me at the last minute okay?” she requested as she stepped away from the car.

“Fine, sorry,” Neon apologized, shaking his head in aggravation as he rolled up the window and started driving away.

“Asshole,” Vinyl grumbled as she walked away from the street corner, sticking the bag in her jacket.

/////////////////////////////////////////

Pinkie sat in the dimly lit waiting area of the Ponyville Court House. The metal chair was uncomfortable and the linoleum floor looked like it needed to be cleaned, the wax having long ago turned a yellowish color. Detective Armor was sitting at a desk, talking with a yellow mare with a yellow and red mane, but Pinkie knew she was still being watched, by the observant officer.

“Pinkie, how nice of you to join us today,” a cheerful voice spoke up, catching Pinkie’s attention. A pink mare with a multi hued mane approached her, wearing a white blouse and black dress pants.

“Hey Cadence,” Pinkie said halfheartedly.

Cadence smiled at the younger mare. “Well, follow me and we’ll have you out of here in no time,” Cadence replied as she started walking back to her office, Pinkie standing up and following after her. The pair entered an office across the hall and Cadence sat down behind her desk while Pinkie took the seat in front of it.

Cadence grabbed a notepad out of a drawer and a pen from a cup on the desk. “So how have you been doing? Any luck finding a job yet?” she asked smiling at Pinkie.

Pinkie pretended to think for a minute. “Are you asking how I’m doing or how the cancer is going?” she replied with a grin.

Cadence frowned at the joke as she wrote on the notepad. “Still job hunting then. How are your friends? I assume you’re still hanging out with Vinyl?” she asked, pursing her lips and betraying her misgivings in Pinkie’s choice of friends.

“Oh Vinyl’s doing awesome,” Pinkie replied. “Just last week she taught me the right way to roll up a body in a carpet,” Pinkie explained pretending to be excited about the pretend lesson.

Cadence sighed and let the pen fall out of her hand. “Pinkie, I know this isn't fun for you, but we need to get through these meetings,” she informed, sounding a little hurt. “I can’t help if you won’t let me.”

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “I don’t need help silly. I’m doing fine, really. I haven’t done anything illegal. Doctor said I was doing better last time I was at the hospital. I’m fine. Why do I have to keep going to these meetings?” Pinkie asked, sounding less okay then she meant to.

Cadence gave her a sad look. “We just need to make sure you’re not doing anything that would violate your probation. I don’t want to see you hauled off to jail,” she answered sincerely, deflating Pinkie’s happy attitude with the thought of being separated from the Cake’s. After a short pause Cadence looked at the paper she was supposed to be writing on. “If you don’t have anything to tell me that’s fine. I guess we’re done here. Fair warning though, you’re getting a drug test next week,” Cadence warned as she stood up and approached the door. “See you then?” she asked hopefully opening the door.

Pinkie looked at the ground in thought for a moment, the image of herself behind bars stuck in her head. “Fine I’ll be there,” she promised as she stood up. “See you next week,” Pinkie said as she left the office.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////

Braeburn and Rarity sat in their SUV outside of Berry’s bar waiting for Neon to show up. They’d already talked to a few patron’s and had been given a picture from the bartender who asked them to get Neon to pay his tab.

Just as Braeburn’s patience started to wear thin a car pulled into the lot and parked a few spaces away from them. Braeburn saw the stallion inside before he got out and looked at the picture he had. “That’s him,” he said as he jumped out of his car and approached the stallion.

“Dammit,” Rarity cursed as she followed after Braeburn, hoping he didn’t just attack the stallion.

“Hey, Neon!” Braeburn shouted as he pulled a gun out of his jacket. Neon turned and saw the gun, flying into a panic.

“Whoa, shit. I’m sorry! Whatever I did I am so sorry!” the scared stallion babbled holding his hands up over his head.

Braeburn rolled his eyes as he stopped in front of the stallion. “Syringe. Blue shit in it. Where is it?” he asked aggressively as he grabbed Neon by the front of his shirt and shoved him into his car, shoving the gun in his face.

Neon started stuttering, baffled at what was happening. “Braeburn, put the gun down!” Rarity shouted as she pulled Braeburn off of the smaller stallion. Braeburn looked at Rarity for a minute before lowering the weapon. Once everyone had calmed down Rarity turned to Neon, who was shaking. “Sorry about him. He isn’t the most diplomatic and he’s under a bit of stress, I’m sure you understand,” Rarity explained in a relaxed tone.

Neon nodded his head, still watching Braeburn. “Th-the s-syringe,” Neon started, catching Braeburn’s attention. “I w-was told it needed to b-be tested, so I gave it to our best dealer,” Neon explained, growing more confident the more he spoke.

“Who has it?” Rarity asked calmly, making sure she was between Braeburn and Neon.

“Her name’s Vinyl. She said she’s gonna try to sell it at a party tonight. Surprise’s party. It’s supposed to be in a warehouse on the edge of town,” Neon informed them, more relaxed than before.

“When’s it gonna start?” Braeburn asked, fighting to remain calm.

Neon shrugged. “I dunno. Probably won’t start until like midnight or something like that,” he answered. Braeburn groaned as he stormed back to their vehicle.

Rarity smiled at Neon. “Thank you for your cooperation,” she said gratefully before leaving to join Braeburn.

Rarity got back in the car and looked at Braeburn as the stallion tried to quell his rage, his face contorted and his hands balling into fists on the steering wheel. “What has gotten into you?” Rarity questioned, confused at the enraged Braeburn before her. He was the exact opposite of the calm and collected stallion that had threatened her in her own home a year ago.

Braeburn shot Rarity a murderous look as he opened his mouth. “Ah have seen her somewhere,” he said running a hand through his mane.

Rarity shook her head in bewilderment. “You've seen who before?” she asked, questioning Braeburn’s sanity.

“That! Rainbow! Bitch!” Braeburn shouted, punctuating each word by punching the dashboard. “Every time she’s described tah me Ah see her face and Ah have no idea where Ah've seen her before,” he seethed, leaning back in his seat, trying to calm himself.

Rarity had no idea how to reply to that, but decided they should get back on task. “Forget about her for now. Let’s just get that syringe back and leave. No mess, No hassle,” Rarity suggested, calmly.

Braeburn shook his head. “Hell no,” he replied, reaching into his pocket and retrieving his phone. “That bitch has put me through too much trouble and I need to let off some steam,” he said as he hit a few buttons and waited for an answer.

”Yeah boss?” a stallion replied after a few seconds.

“Git a crew together. Seven guys and bring guns. Big ones. We’ll be waiting in the old warehouse district in Ponyville tonight. eleven o'clock. Do not be late,” Braeburn ordered, hanging up before a reply was given.

Rarity stared at Braeburn horrified. “What the hell do you intend to do?” she asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

Braeburn started the car. “First we grab a bite tah eat. Then we’re gittin that damn syringe.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////

Pinkie sat in the waiting room of Ponyville General’s Cancer ward, staring at the clock and willing it’s hands to move faster. “Ms. Pie?” a nurse asked from the door on the other side of the room. Pinkie jumped out of her seat and bounced over to the nurse.

“So, what’s the word?” she asked happily as the nurse lead her to an office down the hall.

“Dr. Horse wanted to talk to you about the results of your MRI scan from last week,” the nurse told her as she stopped at a door and opened it for her. “Doctor, your next appointment is here,” the nurse said as Pinkie stepped through the door, greeted by the sight of a Brown stallion sitting at an organized desk. Dr. Horse looked up at Pinkie and smiled at her, but not in the usual warm way Pinkie was used to.

“Hey doc, what’s going on?” Pinkie asked as she plopped down into one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk.

Dr. Horse sighed as he retrieved a file from a drawer in his desk. “We got the results back from your test last week,” he replied as he opened the file and showed Pinkie the charts inside.

Pinkie glanced down at what looked like a black and white picture of her brain with several orange splotches dotted throughout. “Umm… doc, I think something went wrong with your printer,” Pinkie said pointing at the orange spots.

Dr. Horse breathed a heavy sigh before he spoke. “Pinkie… I’m afraid that’s the cancer,” he said.

Pinkie's mouth fell open and the joyful mare lost her smile. “But you told me I was getting better,” she told him, still in shock.

Dr. Horse looked at the ground. “There was a filing error after your last scan,” he admitted, shamefully. Pinkie slumped over in her seat, trying to understand what she was being told.

“So, what’s the next step? What can we do from here?” Pinkie asked, praying that Dr. Horse wasn't going to say what she thought he was going to say.

The doctor gave Pinkie a tearful look. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid there’s nothing more we can do,” he told her in a defeated tone.

Pinkie’s mind froze. I’m going to die, she thought as she felt tears starting to well up in her eyes. “D-do you… know how long I have?” she asked, sniffing back tears.

“With the right treatment, we can give you another year,” Dr. Horse told her sympathetically. Pinkie wasn't mad at him. He hadn't made the mistake.

“And without any treatment?” she asked. Dr. Horse gave her a quizzical look. “My guardians have put a lot of money into this as is. If I’m not gonna make it,” Pinkie started, choking up as she realized what she was saying. “I just don’t want them to go bankrupt because of me.”

Dr. Horse nodded in understanding. “Without treatment, I’d say maybe six months,” he replied.

Pinkie thought for a moment before shaking her head. “Okay. If you don’t mind though, I’d prefer if you you didn’t tell my family. I’ll handle it,” she said as she stood up.

“Pinkie, again, I am so sorry. You’re a good kid. You deserve better,” Dr. Horse said as Pinkie walked to the door.

Pinkie gave him one last look over her shoulder. “Thanks for everything doc,” she said, unable to hold back the tears as she left the stallion’s office. She stopped outside his door and took a moment to collect herself. What am I gonna do? she asked herself.

Pinkie jumped when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a text from Carrot Cake.

Just checking in. How are things at the doctor’s? Do you need a ride home?

Pinkie stared at the text, unable to think of a proper reply. How do I even tell them I’m dying? Pinkie thought. Before she could put much thought into her answer, Pinkie felt her phone vibrate again. A new message had appeared, this one from Vinyl.

You gonna need a ride to the party?

Pinkie gaped at the text. She had completely forgotten about the party. She was about to tell Vinyl she wasn't going, but stopped before she’d even typed her reply. Maybe this is what I need, she thought. Pinkie knew she wouldn't be able to tell her foster parents she was going to die in six months if she herself was in hysterics. Maybe she just needed some time to relax and get her head on straight. Making her decision Pinkie sent a quick reply.

Yes please! I’m at the hospital.

Pinkie dried her eyes as she started for the exit. I’ll just relax tonight and tell the Cake’s everything tomorrow, she decided as she walked back through the waiting area.

//////////////////////////////////

It was just a little before midnight when Pinkie and Vinyl pulled up to the warehouse Surprise was holding the party at. Even though the party wasn't supposed to officially start for another few minutes, Pinkie could tell the party was in full swing inside. The thought of being in the familiar environment of a party set Pinkie’s mind at ease. She hadn't completely forgotten her visit to the doctor, but the memory was pushed to the back of her mind.

“You okay?” Vinyl asked her smiling friend as they got out of her car and walked to the open doors. “You've been quiet all the way here. Kinda weird for you,” she said, looking at Pinkie as though she were an alien.

Pinkie smiled like nothing was wrong. “I’m feeling Pinkie keen. Cadence just gave me a little more to think about than usual,” Pinkie answered. “Come on, I don’t wanna miss the show,” she said as she started skipping to the door. Vinyl smiled as she followed her friend inside.

Upon entering the abandoned warehouse, the music inside hit the pair like an explosion. A cacophony of electronic sounds blending together as a crowd of ponies bounced to the beat. “Surprise is really setting the bar pretty high!” Pinkie shouted over the noise as she and Vinyl weaved their way through the mass of bodies and watched the lights flash several different colors from the D.J.’s booth.

Vinyl nodded in agreement as she pulled a paper bag out of her jacket. “Hey you mind if I disappear for a bit?! I gotta sell as much of this as I can before tomorrow!” Vinyl explained, pointing at the bag.

“Yeah sure, I’ll meet you up in the box when you’re done!” Pinkie shouted, pointing up at the office on the second floor of the warehouse. It was where ponies went when they needed a moment away from the abrasive noise and lights or if they just wanted a safer place to use whatever they bought from Vinyl.

Vinyl gave her a quick thumbs up and pushed her way back through the crowd. Pinkie turned back towards the D.J.’s booth and started moving to the beat like the rest of the crowd was. After a few minutes Pinkie spotted an attractive stallion a few yards to her left looking at her, clearly interested. Pinkie smiled at the stallion and winked. She then turned away from him and started walking towards the stairs that led up to the box, knowing he’d follow her. Pinkie took a quick look behind her as she reached the stairs, just to be sure and was happy to see the stallion not far behind her.

Another notch on the bed post, Pinkie thought to herself as she made her way up the stairs. Pinkie stopped near the top of the stairs, thinking about what she was planning. What if he gets attached? He’s just gonna get hurt when I… Pinkie froze, not even noticing when the stallion she had led this far was behind her.

“We gonna go in?” the stallion asked, startling Pinkie.

Pinkie racked her brain to come up with an escape plan. “Oh… uh… sorry, I was just coming up here to meet a friend,” she said, hoping the stallion didn’t try to get aggressive with her.

The stallion blushed as his face went blank. “Oh… crap. Really thought we were…” the stallion trailed off. “Never mind. No big deal,” he said as he started back down the stairs, still blushing and Pinkie even thought she saw him sweating. Pinkie felt kind of bad for the stallion, but she wasn't feeling like herself.

“I just need some quiet,” she said to herself as she opened the door to the box. The room inside was darkened and the windows overlooking the rest of the club were blacked out. The office it had previously been was soundproofed so the warehouse manager could get their work done with little distraction from the workers below. After the warehouse had been converted into an unofficial night club, the room had been redecorated with a few tables and a couch that wrapped around the room. A mare and a stallion were passed out on the couch near the door and Pinkie saw a crudely wrapped cigarette sitting in an ashtray on the coffee table next to a lighter.

“Well, I guess you two are done with this for now,” Pinkie said to the unconscious pair as she picked up the cigarette and the lighter and sat down a few feet away from the couple. Just as Pinkie lit the lighter, the door to the room opened and Vinyl stepped through with a very empty looking paper bag and looked at Pinkie and the cigarette in her hand.

“Where did you get that?” Vinyl asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed the couch’s other occupants.

“From them,” Pinkie answered, giving Vinyl a sheepish smiling, knowing Vinyl disapproved of Pinkie getting drugs from an unknown source.

“Well, leave it alone. You have no idea what’s in that,” Vinyl told her plopping down on the couch next to Pinkie and taking the cigarette from her and putting it back in the ash tray. “I swear if I didn’t keep an eye on you, you’d have gotten killed by some nasty shit by now.”

“Oh, one cigarette isn't going to kill me,” Pinkie said, her smile faltering as her thoughts returned to her hospital visit earlier that day.

Vinyl looked at her friend, who was being unusually quiet, compared to the rambunctious party pony she knew. “You okay, Pinkie?” she asked, catching Pinkie’s attention. “You seem a little off.”

Pinkie shook her head and smiled. “I’m fine, just,” Pinkie racked her brain for an excuse. “Thinking about some stuff Cadence and me talked about at my probation meeting,” Pinkie said. “She’s still harping at me to get a job and I’m thinkin it might not be such a bad idea,” she explained. Vinyl nodded her head in agreement. “So,” Pinkie began in an effort to change the subject,” what do ya think of the D.J.?” she asked, knowing Vinyl loved to talk about music. Vinyl used to be a D.J. for a while before her debts to her own dealer piled up and she had to sell her set to pay him back.

“He’s okay, I guess. Relies way too much on the bass though. Needs more wubs,” Vinyl said as she thought about the music outside the room.

Pinkie smiled as she had an idea. “Why don’t you go show him a thing or two?” Pinkie suggested.

Vinyl laughed at the thought. “No way. I haven’t touched a set since like a year ago. Besides, it’d be rude to try and upstage the guy. He’s not bad, he’s just not amazing,” Vinyl argued. “Besides I don’t even have a mix to play.”

Pinkie blew a raspberry at Vinyl. “You don’t have to shove him off the stage, just ask him if you can take a crack at it,” Pinkie said smiling as Vinyl gave her a thoughtful look.

“I suppose it couldn’t hurt to ask,” Vinyl said, standing up. “Alright I’ll give it a shot. Mind looking after this for me?” she asked tossing Pinkie the nearly empty paper bag.

Pinkie caught the bag and grinned at her friend. “Sure thing, now go put on a show for those party ponies!” Pinkie cheered.

“I’ll do the best a I can,” Vinyl said as she opened the door and left.

Once the door was closed Pinkie leaned back in her seat and looked at the bag she was holding. It was light, but she could feel a small weight in it. “What do you have here Vinyl?” Pinkie asked herself as she opened the bag and saw a syringe full of a bright blue substance. “Oh, pretty color,” Pinkie said as she pulled the syringe out of the bag.

“Wonder what it does,” she mused as she set the syringe down on the table and started taking one of her shoes off. Pinkie then removed her sock and picked up the syringe. Pinkie placed the needle between her big toe and the one next to it and pushed the needle in. She hissed in discomfort as the needle dug into her flesh. Once she was sure it was in, she pushed down a little on the plunger and watched the liquid inside drain into her. Pinkie stopped about halfway through and removed the needle from her foot. She then set the syringe back on the table and relaxed back into her seat and waited for the substance to take effect.

At first, it seemed like nothing was happening, but after a few minutes Pinkie could hear a dull thumping. What is that noise? she thought as she sat forward and looked around the room. Pinkie concentrated on the sound and listened as it became more and more distinct until she recognized it as the music outside the room. “Thought this place was sound proofed,” Pinkie said to herself, perplexed.

“Oh come on, just one mix!” Vinyl’s voice complained as though she were standing in the room with Pinkie.

“No way! This is my show and I ain't sharing the spotlight, now beat it!” a stallion’s voice shouted over the music.

“Whatever,” Vinyl mumbled.

Pinkie’s scanned the room, trying to figure out where she was hearing Vinyl from. “This is a weird high,” she said to herself as she heard a soft thunking noise getting closer. Pinkie looked at the door a moment before Vinyl reentered the room, looking annoyed and let down.

“So that was a bust,” Vinyl said, her voice sounding as though she were shouting.

“Whoa!” Pinkie yelled clamping her hands over her ears. “Keep it down, those two are trying to sleep,” Pinkie told Vinyl tipping her head at the couple still sitting asleep on the couch.

Vinyl looked bewildered at Pinkie. “I wasn't yelling,” she said, her volume dying down as she spoke. “You sure you’re feeling okay?” Vinyl asked as she stepped towards Pinkie and stopped, her jaw hanging open as she stared at the table in front of Pinkie.

Pinkie looked at what Vinyl saw and gulped. She had forgotten to put the syringe back in the bag. “Oh. probably should have put that back,” she said, a guilty smile on her lips.

“You shouldn't have messed with it in the first place! Do you even know what that was?!” Vinyl shouted. Pinkie looked at the ground, knowing she could have cost her friend a small fortune depending on what the drug was.

“Sorry if it was expensive. I was just bored and it was there,” Pinkie apologized. She then started to notice a faint clicking sound, like someone was messing with a gun. The sound faded as Pinkie drew her attention back to Vinyl. “So what was it anyway?” Pinkie asked, wondering what the drug was supposed to do.

Vinyl sat next to Pinkie and put her face in her hands. “I don’t even know,” she admitted. “It’s some new shit the Apples are trying to market and I was supposed to give it to somepony to test,” she explained.

Pinkie smiled at her friend. “Well, guess I’m the guinea pig. So any idea what it’s supposed to do?” she asked.

Vinyl shrugged. “Not really. Do you feel any different?” Vinyl asked, more concerned than curious.

Pinkie thought for a moment, recalling how loud everything had been a moment ago. “Well I could hear everything going on in the warehouse a minute ago, but the noise has died down since then,” Pinkie said as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the faint sound of the music outside the room.

Vinyl arched an eyebrow. “So it just improved your hearing? Weird. I kinda thought it’d be something more like what I usually sell, but more hardcore,” Vinyl said as she leaned back on the couch.

Pinkie was about to make a joke when she heard the same clicking noise as before. “What is that?” she asked out loud, trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from.

“What’s what?” Vinyl asked as Pinkie stood up and walked to the door. Curious, Vinyl followed her.

The noise seemed to be coming from the direction of the entrance to the warehouse. Pinkie opened the door and looked towards the entrance. Just as she peeked out the large bay doors opened wide enough for three or four ponies to fit through and eight stallions dressed in black walked in a few at a time, carrying the biggest guns Pinkie had ever seen.

“Who the hell are they?” Vinyl asked in shock, looking over Pinkie’s shoulder. Pinkie stared in shock as the lead stallion aimed his weapon at the oblivious crowd in front of him.

“No survivors,” Pinkie heard him say as he opened fire. His gun sprayed bullets into the crowd and his companions soon joined in. The sound of gunfire drowned out the music and the ponies in the crowd started panicking as they tried to get away from the stallions. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any place to hide on the dance floor.

Pinkie and Vinyl watched in horror as the lead stallion smiled as he killed the party goers. “Pinkie we gotta get outta here,” Vinyl hissed into Pinkie’s ear.

Pinkie still couldn't move though. The shock of what she was seeing kept her rooted in place. She stared at the gleeful stallion as he scanned the rest of the warehouse, stopping when he was looking right at Pinkie and Vinyl in the doorway. The stallion chuckled as he pointed his gun at them and pulled the trigger.

Pinkie watched the flash of the gun and the world around her seemed to slow down. Pinkie pushed on the door frame, launching herself and Vinyl backwards as the bullets got closer. Pinkie shoved the door closed and everything seemed to be moving normally again. “That was close. Okay, yeah let’s get outta here,” Pinkie said turning to Vinyl, who was holding her hand over her stomach.

“Pinkie… I don’t… I don’t feel so good,” Vinyl said as she slumped to the floor. Pinkie caught her mid fall and held her by her waist. As soon as Pinkie’s hand touched the spot Vinyl had been holding she felt something wet and held her hand up to see what she had touched.

Pinkie stared at her blood covered hand and then at Vinyl’s stomach where she could see a red spot growing larger on her shirt. “Oh shit,” Pinkie gasped as Vinyl stumbled. Pinkie sat her down on the couch and started looking for something to put pressure on the wound when she heard a metallic thunking noise. Pinkie looked at the door recognizing the sound as someone coming up the stairs.

“Not too many places tah hide up there,” a voice mumbled as the footsteps continued towards the door.

Pinkie started to panic as she tried to figure out what she should do. After what seemed like a minute Pinkie picked up Vinyl and put the woozy mare on her back and finding her friend surprisingly light. Pinkie then walked over to the door and waited. The footsteps outside stopped at the door and Pinkie watched the knob turn.

As soon as the door swung open Pinkie launched herself at the stallion standing on the other side, surprising him and knocking him against the wall with a grunt. Without stopping Pinkie started running down the stairs. However the other armed stallions quickly saw her and aimed their weapons at her.

As they squeezed their triggers the world slowed down around Pinkie and she could see the bullets as they traveled through the air. Pinkie didn’t understand what was happening, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as she weaved through the bullets and ran to the open bay doors. She heard the stallions shouting at each other as she left the warehouse and ran outside into the cover of darkness.

As she ran Pinkie noticed a white mare leaning against a black SUV, looking at her like she had two heads. Pinkie ignored the confused by stander and continued running. Pinkie had no idea where she should go until she saw a ditch just off the side of the road near the warehouse. Pinkie ran to the edge and slid on her knees to the bottom, hoping they wouldn't be found.

Taking a moment to breath Pinkie lowered Vinyl onto the ground, careful not to hurt her friend, and gasped when she saw how pale her friend was. Pinkie could feel that her own shirt was blood soaked with blood where Vinyl’s wound had been and she pressed down on the wound hoping to stop the bleeding.

“Pinkie, you gettin tired. I am,” Vinyl said her words slurring like she’d had too much to drink.

Pinkie felt tears in her eyes as she tried to help Vinyl. “You gotta stay awake Vinyl. We can’t sleep right now. Keep your eyes open,” Pinkie said, choking back a sob as Vinyl’s breathing became shallow and her eyes slowly closed.

“You can stay up,” Vinyl said, her breaths becoming more labored as she spoke. “But I got stuff to do tomorrah,” Vinyl said as her eyes finally shut.

Pinkie’s brain stopped as she tried to understand what had happened. “Vinyl?” Pinkie asked, patting her friends face, trying to wake her up. “Vinyl, wake up,” Pinkie said tears streaming down her face. “Vinyl!” Pinkie shouted shaking the mare on the ground.

When nothing happened Pinkie held her shaking hands to her face and cried, completely ignoring the sound of footsteps behind her.

“I’m so sorry,” a mare’s voice said as Pinkie felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and the world faded to black.

////////////////////////////////

Rarity stared at the young mare lying unconscious in the ditch as Braeburn and his men arrived. “They dead?” Braeburn asked, joining Rarity at the bottom of the ditch while the others waited above.

“The unicorn is,” Rarity said, her eyes not leaving the mare she had just knocked out. I can’t let them kill her. She’s been through so much. She doesn't deserve this, Rarity thought as Braeburn squatted next to the pink mare.

“Well tha's jus fine with me,” he said as he pulled a pistol out of his jacket.

“Wait!” Rarity shouted. Braeburn looked at her shocked. Rarity looked at the mare, hoping an idea would come to her. “How did she get passed you?” she asked, stalling for time.

Braeburn looked at the mare on the ground, looking at her curiously. “She just ran right by us. We couldn't hit her,” he said, holstering his gun.

Rarity was shocked at the answer, but decided to use it to her advantage. “That’s a bit strange don’t you think?” she inquired.

Braeburn was silent for a moment, before he reached into his jacket pocket. “Yes it is. Specially since Ah found this where they were hidin,” he said, showing Rarity the half full syringe.

Rarity stared at the object for a moment. “Well that must be what it does then. It makes the user faster,” Rarity said, hardly believing herself.

Braeburn looked less sure. “Could be. Either way, Granny’ll wanna know about this,” he said, putting the syringe back in his pocket. Braeburn started walking back up to the top of the ditch. “Load the one that’s alive into mah truck,” he said to one of his men.

“What about the warehouse sir?” one of the stallion’s asked.

Braeburn looked at the building for a moment. “Burn it down. Make sure ya git the unicorn in there before ya do,” he said nonchalantly.

Rarity tried her hardest not to think about what was in the building the stallions were about to destroy and instead concentrated on the young mare she had just saved. As two of the stallions came down into the ditch and picked the mare up, Rarity simply looked at the unicorn still lying there. Another stallion picked the unicorn up around the waist and carried her back to the warehouse.

“I’m so sorry,” Rarity said to herself as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Author's Note

So it's only been, what, Half a year since I last updated this story? Hurrah for Progress! Am I right?

Yeah so sorry for the long wait, but I think it'll be worth it for those few of you reading this one.

Just gonna say now the bit with Pinkie actually taking the drug was difficult to write. I don't like needles. That's just a fear of mine. Don't mistake this as me being Anti Vaccine though. I'm all for Vaccines, but I'd just prefer to get mine from a spray or whatever rather than letting a stranger stab me.

Also the drug itself is a Captain America and Breaking Bad reference rolled into one. You ask me, that's how references like this should be done. Subtlety is the key.

Really don't have much else to say, so I'll go ahead and wrap this up.

Round of applause please for Spideremblembrony for proofreading and helping me adjust the story where it was necessary. Also shame on him fr adding to the needle scene in a way that made me cringe. If you guys haven't already, go check out his stories and also his story reviews. The guy really knows his stuff, ya might learn something.

Thanks for reading and as always, Stay Tuned.