Manehattan Blues

Chapters

No One Asked Us
Filly Scout's Honour
Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Clean
That Friday Night
Kids With Guns
Deeper
Remorse
Better
Reaction
Redemption
Analysis
Manehattan Blues

No One Asked Us

The light of a street lamp flickered. Coco looked at it unsurely and quickened up her pace. Manehattan, as she knew well, was a town of great possibilities. Unfortunately, living there also meant walking through the dark, empty streets, littered with rubbish.

Coco looked around nervously. When she’d arrived to Manehattan, she thought that she’d soon get used to its citizens and start to enjoy everything the town had to offer. Too bad, that wasn’t the case. She didn’t mind the wide, well-lit streets full of shops and fancy restaurants; but it was far too easy to take a wrong turn and find herself in, as Coco’s friend Grace said, a completely different ecosystem.

Now, she was right in the middle of it; a labyrinth of narrow paths surrounding blocks of cheap, small flats towering over Coco. There was nopony around, but she thanked Celestia for that; seeing the grim, emaciated ponies looking at her with strange sparks in their hungry eyes would be even worse.

Grace had called it an ecosystem, but Coco had a better word for it: organism. An enormous, overwhelming chunk of cancerous tissue right in the middle of the town. She could sense the signs of life with ease. There were sounds coming from the nooks: smashed bottles, screams, muted laughter and spasmodic moans of a mare having sex. A wave of musky, organic smells was assaulting Coco’s nostrils.

Suddenly, she felt something; it was like a touch of a cold hoof on her back. She knew that feeling well.

Someone was watching her.

She turned back, but there was nopony there; just an empty street, walls covered in graffiti and torn posters and an overfilled trash can. Coco sighed with relief and trotted forward. She recognised her surroundings; she was only two blocks from her home.

“Freeze!” She heard a voice in front of her. She stopped immediately; one of the first things a pony was learning after coming to Manehattan was that it was better to obey commands from ponies who were hiding in the shadows.

“Gimme all yer money! Now!” the voice ordered. A short, grey unicorn with a spiky red mane stepped into a circle of light from the street lamp. He was wearing a black leather jacket obscuring his cutie mark. Coco opened her mouth in a silent scream when she saw that he was levitating a knife. She didn’t know how far he could reach with his magic, but something was telling her that the answer was “far enough”.

“Yer money! C’mon!” the unicorn prompted. Two more ponies in leather jackets approached her; judging by the steps, there were also two more behind her back.

“I’d listen to him, if I were ya...” she heard another voice. To her surprise, it was belonging to a filly, who stepped into a circle of light, smirking at Coco.

When Coco was young, her parents warned her about a group of kids that looked exactly like that filly. She had amaranth mane and brown coat; Coco thought that she’d make a good model, if it wasn’t for her slight pudginess. A couple of piercings adorned her ears. Black leather jacket with silver studs was hanging from her back. She was chewing bubble gum; when Coco looked into her green eyes, she blew a large, red balloon which popped, spraying Coco with pieces of gum and saliva.

“We don’t want trouble,” she said. A knife almost touching Coco’s throat was telling her something different. “We only want your money.”

Coco slowly reached to her saddlebags and searched for her wallet. She gave it to the filly, who immediately looked inside. Her smirk faded.

“Only a hundred bits?” she asked. Coco thought that she looked like a foal who didn’t get a gift on Hearth’s Warming Eve.

The impression didn’t last long. “What are ya smiling at, cunt?” the filly exclaimed. “What d’ya have in your saddlebags? C’mon, show us!”

Coco gulped. She didn’t have anything valuable; just a couple of unfinished drawings of her projects, new threads she’d bought earlier that day and the keys to her flat. The assailants were looking at the contents of her saddlebags unsurely.

“We can still take something else…” One of the ponies behind Coco muttered. She froze when she felt his hoof reaching below her tail. Her first thought was to kick him, but then she remembered about the knife still aimed at her.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” the filly exclaimed.

“What?” The pony behind Coco was still feeling her up. “Are you jealous or what? You can help yourself too… I guess you’ll find the way…”

“Just try, and I’ll feed your balls to ya…” the filly replied, producing a knife from her jacket. Coco sighed with relief when she felt that the colt retreated his hoof.

“We ain’t have time for that anyway…” said the unicorn. “Let’s go before she pees herself…”

The group ran away and disappeared in the nooks, leaving Coco alone in the middle of the street. Before they left, a pale yellow pegasus with a green mane, the one who was standing behind her, gave her a final look, grinned at her madly and took off.

For a moment, Coco just stood there, slowly realising that she’d just been mugged. Then she quickly collected the scattered contents of her saddlebags and galloped to her home, swallowing tears.

There were many empty buildings in Manehattan. Lots of the town inhabitants tried, at some points of their lives, to establish some kind of a business. Many of those enterprises would later go bankrupt, leaving empty warehouses, ruined magazines or abandoned factories. The owners would just sigh heavily and put a padlock on the door, hoping to come back there once their situation improved.

It was far too easy to open a padlock. In one of such warehouses, placed not far away from Bridleway, five young ponies were sitting around the bonfire. Their leather jackets, stolen from some griffons some time ago, were lying in a dark corner. A bottle, hidden in a brown paper bag, was being passed from one pony to another. The brown filly spat her bubble gum into the bonfire, took a cigarette from a package lying next to her and lit it.

“One hundred bits ain’t bad,” she said, blowing out the smoke. “But one more stunt like that, Cracker, and I’m gonna slice your balls off…”

“Oh, gimme a break, Babs,” Cracker, a lanky yellow pegasus with a green mane replied. “When I see a nice ass, I can’t resist… Yer ass also applies.”

“Then wank yerself off before we get another client,” Babs said. “Hedgehog doesn’t have such problems…” She pointed at the grey unicorn with red mane, who was trying to tune an acoustic guitar.

“Yeah, because ya two fuck like rabbits…” Cracker muttered. “I bet he fucks White Dove too…”

White Dove, the only, except Babs, filly in the group, shuddered. Before they’d mugged Coco, she had to spend twenty minutes waiting in a dark alley with Cracker. It was her first time robbing someone and for a moment she considered running away. Then Cracker told her what he’d do to her if she did.

“I ain’t fucking Dove,” Hedgehog said. “She’s not even fifteen… I’d rip her cunt apart…”

White Dove’s face became red. Babs looked at her; yet another time she thought how similar she was to her cousin’s friend, Sweetie Belle. If it wasn’t for Dove’s orange, curly mane, she wouldn’t be able to tell which one was which one.

“Yeah, right…” Cracker gave out a high-pitched chuckle. “She looks tight but not that tight…”

“Shut up, Cracker,” the fifth member of the gang, a muscular donkey called Razgovor, said. It was the first thing he said that night, but even Cracker knew well that when Razgovor actually bothered to speak, it was better to listen to him.

“So, who’ll be our next client?” Hedgehog asked. He struck a chord on his guitar and winced, hearing the results.

“Dunno, we’ll have to lay low for a few days,” Babs replied. “She may call the guards.” Suddenly she started to laugh and was soon joined by the rest of the group.

“Call the guards, good one…” Hedgehog wiped tears from his eyes. “But I’m asking seriously.”

“No idea,” Babs replied. “Raz, what d’ya think?”

The donkey shrugged and pointed at White Dove. Even though she didn’t drink much, she was nodding off, resting against him.

“White Dove?” Babs called. “Wake up, sleepyhead!”

“What?” White Dove opened her eyes and looked around groggily. “Where were we?”

Babs rolled her eyes. “I asked who we’ll do next time,” she said. “Any ideas?”

“Oooh…” White Dove’s eyes lit up when she started to think about the possibilities. “There are those girls at school I don’t like… They have lots of money and they always party during the weekends...”

“Rich cunts then,” Babs muttered. “I’m liking this idea… They, like, walk around from one club to another with bits in their purses?”

“No idea,” White Dove replied. “My mom doesn’t let me go to the parties…”

Cracker giggled. “And she lets ya hang out with us?” he asked. “Tell yer mom that she’s doing it wrong…”

“She doesn’t know…” White Dove blushed. “She thinks I’m having a sleepover…”

“Well, ya can have a sleepover with me…” Cracker muttered, waving his hoof. Razgovor cleared his throat and sent him a nasty glare.

“Anyway,” Babs said. “Rich bitches just waiting to get fucked. Sounds like a plan for me…”

“Yeah…” Hedgehog yawned. “Enough of talkin’ business.” He took a sip from the bottle and began playing the guitar. Babs looked into the fire, listening to the noisy, out-of-tune melody and raspy singing of her friend.

No one asked us before we were born,
if we want to live in such a way.
No matter, a pair of wings or a horn,
They will all try to get us someday.

Cutie Mark Crusaders, they used to call themselves. Well, Cracker and Hedgehog already had cutie marks and Raz, as a donkey, had no chance to get one. But they still liked to hang out together. Anything was better than staying at home.

They’ll catch us and cut our manes,
They’ll chain us and lock us in cells.
They’ll wipe all the thoughts from our brains,
They’ll change us into empty shells.

Babs started to wonder what her parents were doing. Perhaps they were asleep; they’d gotten used to the fact that their daughter was spending whole days and nights away from home long ago. As long as she was bringing money, they didn’t ask any questions.

And when they will finally release us,
We’ll be nothing like we used to be,
We’ll be singing while lying in the grass,
‘Oh, Celestia, I’m so glad to be me!’

“Really? Cells and shells?” Cracker asked, rolling his eyes, after Hedgehog finished the song.

“Oh, shut up,” Hedgehog replied. “It’s about the message.”

“Message, right…” Cracker spat into the bonfire. “Muggin’ morons, paintin’ dicks on the walls, and when someone catches ya, ya’ll sing ‘em how much they violate yer freedom? Message...”

“It’s not about that,” Hedgehog replied. “I think everypony should have a right to express their opinion–”

“So, let me express mine,” Cracker interrupted him. “When I say that I want a pussy it’s because I want one, not because there’s some kind of ideo… whatever bullshit ya come up with, that makes me want one. Also, Celestia doesn’t give a fuck about yer opinions.” He turned to the rest of his companions. “Am I right?”

“Fuck it,” Raz replied. White Dove was sleeping with her head resting against his shoulder.

“As usual, Raz hits the jackpot,” Babs said. “I’m too tired and too drunk to give a fuck about ideology. I’m gonna just take a leak and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”

Babs moaned. Panting heavily, Hedgehog rolled off her and lay next to her on the mattress. Babs stretched her body, sat on the floor and frowned watching the cum dripping from between her legs. Her heartbeat went back to its normal pace.

Already? Babs thought. “Ya did that again,” she said, glaring daggers at Hedgehog. “If ya knock me up, I’m gonna kill ya…”

Hedgehog yawned, his eyes closed.

“And don’t even try that talk about the foals of the revolution or I’ll bite your balls off…” She heard his snoring. “Well, fuck ya too…” she muttered and got up.

Walking past the remains of bonfire, she found the bottle of alcohol. There was still a half of inch of liquid in it. She drank it, wincing, and threw the bottle at the wall. She took her jacket and put it on. Pleasant warmth spread along her body, soothing the pain between her legs.

She trotted to the metal staircase and climbed on the roof. Carefully avoiding the scattered pieces of metal, she went to the edge and sat there, looking down.

Even though it was night, Babs could still see the light in many windows. Seen from the roof, they looked like the stars belonging to some distant galaxy. She imagined the ponies who lived there; what caused them to stay awake for so long? Were they crying after the only money they had was stolen? Were they happy because they didn’t have to deal with their teenage daughter?

Some of them are probably having sex… Babs thought. It was strange; due to the general tendency to cut costs by building thinner walls, privacy was almost non-existent in Manehattan, but still there was something vile about thinking about other ponies doing it.

Babs thought about Hedgehog and sighed. Some of them probably can actually do that…

Some of the lights were turned off, but several new appeared in their place. Babs looked at the bay and at the Statue towering over it.

She thought about what she had to do the next day and shuddered. She heard legends about ponies whose lives ended in the dark waters of the bay. But, on the other hoof, the money was worth risk.

She chuckled. Hedgehog could talk about freedom and society without rulers and ruled, but, at the end of the day, it was always about the money. She hated to admit it, but Cracker was actually the only member of their group who was honest about that.

Kinda like cousin Applejack… Babs thought. If cousin Applejack was a pegasus who’d probably fell off of Cloudsdale and crashed into the ground head-first when she was young.

Well, maybe Raz was also honest. But, on the other hoof, who knew what was going on in his head?

Babs shook her head and took a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of her jacket. She opened it and grabbed a cigarette with her teeth. She searched through her pockets and found a golden lighter. She smirked, remembering how they’d robbed its previous owner. Cracker wanted to sell the lighter and share the money, but she insisted on keeping it.

The bitter smoke filled her lungs. She exhaled it and watched it forming a cloud in front of her, obscuring the view of the town. The taste of cheap cigarette was irritating her palate. Babs took it out of her mouth and spat, watching the thick saliva falling all the way down on the pavement.

She remembered a doctor from her school, who kept telling the students about lung cancer. She never cared about that. In a town like Manehattan, the probability that she’d live long enough to suffocate, with bones and brain eaten by metastases, was really low. Such things as drunk taxi drivers, a blade of a knife in the darkness or a clean 9mm hole in the forehead were much more likely.

“One day I’ll die,” Babs said to nopony in particular and inhaled the smoke, letting the aroma of tobacco buzz in her head. She looked at the town below her. “But first, I’ll make Manehattan mine…”

Author's Note

A different town, a different filly and a different crime, but the same feelings...

Filly Scout's Honour

Babs didn’t know the name of the pony in front of her and she didn’t want to know it. In such business it was better not to know. He was just another face she’d see in her life: a brown unicorn with cropped mane wearing a suit.

He didn’t know her name either. He eyed her and White Dove curiously and smirked.

“Hello, my filly scouts…” he muttered. “Ready to make a delivery?”

“As always…” Babs said. She blew a balloon from her bubblegum and looked into the stallion’s eyes. “How about the cash?”

“As usual. A hundred bits for each of you.”

White Dove squeaked. The stallion looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows.

“She’s new?” he asked Babs. “Good… No one will suspect her. No offence, kid, but your face just screams ‘guilty’...” He poked White Dove and laughed.

“Oh, come on…” Babs made the most innocent expression she could muster. “Also, touch her one more time…”

The stallion chuckled. “Yeah… By the way, if we find out that there’s even a gram missing, you’re dead. Filly scout too…” He looked at White Dove and licked his lips. “And it won’t be quick…”

“Don’t worry, ya know we play fair. Filly scout’s honour.” Babs raised her hoof.

The stallion nodded his head and levitated two pairs of saddlebags. Babs and White Dove put them on. They seemed quite heavy considering the fact that they were empty. The stallion gave Babs a piece of paper.

“You’ll leave ‘em there,” he said. “The client will give ya the money.”

“Okay,” Babs said. “See ya later.”

“Goodbye,” White Dove muttered.

The stallion giggled. “Where did you find her?” he asked.

“Not your business,” Babs replied and left the room. They went through the small bar’s back door and stood in the middle of some dirty nook. Babs looked at the graffiti-covered walls and at White Dove who was breathing quickly.

“A hundred bits!” White Dove exclaimed.

“Chill out…” Babs muttered. “A hundred is nothin’ compared to the stuff we have in those bags.”

White Dove’s eyes grew wide. “Maybe if we took–”

“Are ya dumb? Didn’t ya hear him?” Babs rolled her eyes and took a crumpled cigarette from her pocket. “If ya want a dozen of dicks in your ass, ya may try. But don’t cry for help then…”

She lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke. She knew that she’d have to finish it before they left the nook, or she’d look suspicious. She coughed; smoking wasn’t something that was supposed to be done quickly.

“So, are we going there?” Dove asked when they left the nook and walked down the pavement.

“Not yet,” Babs replied. “First we’ll find Raz. I’d rather not go there alone…”

“Why not?” Dove asked. “I know that address. It’s a safe district…”

“That’s why we need Raz,” Babs said, rolling her eyes. “Those rich ponies… Sometimes they’re worse than the mobsters… I’ve heard about a client who took the delivery filly as a dessert… Even though she had a knife...” She patted the pocket of her jacket, checking if her balisong was there.

“And what happened to him?” White Dove asked.

“Oh, the usual… Y’know, mafia doesn’t like when someone hurts their girls… Still, it wouldn’t be a much comfort for us...”

White Dove nodded her head. Even though she started hanging out with Babs only recently, she heard about mafia and what they could do to a pony.

The town was slowly waking up; they had to find a way through the crowd of ponies walking in all the directions. Babs trotted across the street, causing several taxis to brake hard. White Dove followed her, giving apologetic looks to the ponies.

The guard standing at the corner of the pavement smiled at them. Babs smiled back, trying to contain the shaking of her legs.

C’mon, she thought. You were doing that so many times before…

“Good morning,” the guard said. “And hurry up. You’ll be late to school…”

“Yeah…” Babs muttered. “Dove! We need to go!”

They hurried up, bumping into ponies. For Dove, who lived in a different part of the town, the turns Babs was picking seemed random, but she trusted her older friend completely. If someone drew two points on the map of Manehattan, Babs would find at least three routes between them, depending whether she’d want to get there quickly, avoid the cops or watch some sights. It didn’t matter to her if it was day or night – the town had no secrets for her.

Finally, they reached the Neighponese restaurant where Raz worked. At that time of day it was rather empty. An old pony with thick, brown fur was sleeping behind the counter. Babs resisted the urge to check the contents of the cash register and went to the kitchen where Raz was cleaning the floor.

“Hello, Raz,” she said. “There’s a work to do.”

The donkey looked at her and nodded.

“We need ya and your rickshaw,” Babs said. “The old guy is sleeping so I guess he won’t need ya in a while.”

“Okay,” Raz said. He put the broom in the corner and left the kitchen through the back door. Babs went back to Dove and they waited for him outside the restaurant. Soon he appeared, riding a rusty, battered rickshaw with the restaurant’s logo painted on one side. They promptly sit on the seat in front of the vehicle.

“We need to get to this address,” Babs said, giving him the piece of paper.

The rickshaw darted forward. Some ponies galloped out of the way. Babs smiled, feeling the wind in her mane. She loved that feeling in her stomach when the vehicle was accelerating; everything around seemed blurred. For a moment, she could stop thinking about the contents of the saddlebags.

White Dove shuddered and grabbed Babs’ hoof. She closed her eyes, trying to remain motionless.

Luckily for her, the ride wasn’t long. The rickshaw stopped in front of a large skyscraper. Babs got out and looked at the front door.

“Shit…” she muttered.

“What’s wrong?” White Dove asked, getting out of the rickshaw and almost tripping over it.

“Try to guess…” Babs replied. “Ya live in such thing. Who’s usually sitting downstairs drinking coffee and watching everyone who comes in?”

“A security guy…” White Dove muttered.

“Exactly. Dunno if ya noticed, but Raz and I ain’t kinda po– I mean, equines liked by security guys.”

“What if I tell ‘em that you’re my friends?”

Razgovor laughed. Dove looked at him unsurely, so he stopped without saying a word.

“They’d say that ya have friends in low places. Also, ya don’t live here, so they won’t let you in either…” Babs said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll come up with something,” White Dove said and trotted to the door. Babs shrugged and followed her.

At first Babs thought that they could make it even without bothering the security. The elevator wasn’t far away from the door and the pony in a suit wasn’t paying attention to them, too focused on the magazine he was reading. Babs took a quick glance at the cover and snickered, seeing the photo of a pegasus mare sitting on a cloud with her hind legs spread. Only a helmet lying in front of her was covering her private parts. She was also holding a gun, pointing it at the sky and licking a barrel.

“Hey, you!” the guard shouted, lowering the magazine and looking at her. “No whores here!”

Babs approached his desk, blowing a balloon from her gum and glaring at him coldly. “Hold your tongue, dude, there are kids here,” she said, pointing at White Dove. “Also, I ain’t a whore. I’m a hard-workin’ mare.”

“Yeah, right…” the guard replied. “What are you three doing here?”

“Three?” Babs asked. “I ain’t know that kid. We’re just deliverin’ Neighponese food. Ya can check, our rickshaw is outside.”

“Still, two of you?” the guard asked. “One’s not enough?”

“One would be enough, if it wasn’t for such fucks like ya,” Babs replied. She saw the guard’s expression and thought that she shouldn’t have called him that, but then she thought that he’d called her a “whore” first. “And guess who’ll be fired if the client gets cold food…”

“You have five minutes,” the guard replied, glaring at her angrily. Babs shrugged and they trotted to the elevator.

“What a cunt,” Babs muttered when she was sure that the guard was out of the earshot. “I want to tap a kidney on some expensive carpet just to piss him off. Pun not intended.”

She noticed that White Dove’s cheeks wore a slight shade of red. She shrugged; the filly didn’t hear her when she was really angry.

The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor and they left it, looking around. Babs winced seeing the paintings on the walls and monuments standing on each side of the corridor. She’d never seen something so ugly and expensive in her entire life.

“I feel like I’m in Diamond Tiara’s house…” she muttered under her breath, looking at the carpet.

“Who?” White Dove asked.

“An old friend of mine. At least till she tried to kill my cousin and they locked her in the nuthouse,” Babs replied. “Ya’ve probably heard about her. The Sleepless Killer or somethin’ like that.”

“Oh, yes,” Dove replied, her eyes widening. “Kids in school kept saying that she’d get me next. You knew her?”

“Kinda. She didn’t look like she was fucked in the head…” Babs shrugged. “Okay, enough about her. Let’s find our client and get outta here before Mr. I’m-So-Important tries to get rid of us.”

“The Sleepless Killer?” Raz muttered, shaking his head. “Tabloids…”

Finally, they found the right door. Babs lifted her hoof and knocked.

“Who’s there?” they heard a raspy voice. Babs snickered. It seemed that the client was slightly intoxicated. The only question was whether he was still drunk or already drunk.

“Filly scouts!” she replied.

“Get the fuck out of here unless ya want to have, like, the box of cookies in the ass!”

“Nice guy,” White Dove deadpanned.

“As long as he pays, I don’t give a shit,” Babs said. “We’re gathering money for the foals with leukaemia!” she shouted, hoping that the idiot on the other side of the door wasn’t drunk enough to forget the password.

The door opened immediately. They saw a blue stallion with bloodshot eyes and messy mane. When White Dove saw him, she stood in awe. Babs kicked her in the hoof, just in case.

“I always support foals with leukaemia,” said the stallion grinning at them widely. “So, you have it?” he asked, lowering his voice to a whisper and gesturing them inside.

“Money first,” Babs said. They trotted to the flat. White Dove winced when she felt the smell of decay, alcohol and cigarettes. The floor was littered with empty boxes of takeaway food and crushed cans. The walls were covered in posters, there was also some musical equipment scattered around.

The stallion looked into his wallet. There was only a large gem in it, apparently worth much more than two hundred bits. “I guess you don’t have any change?” He scratched his head. “Wait a minute,” he said and went to the living room, leaving the wallet on a speaker.

White Dove couldn’t contain herself any longer. “Is that–“

“Neon Lights, yes,” Babs replied. “Shut up. I hope he didn’t go to get a shotgun or somethin’.”

“Why would he want to kill us?” White Dove asked.

“Vinyl Scratch,” Raz explained.

“Who?”

“Kids these days…” Babs shook her head. “She was better than Neon Lights and Sapphire Shores together, at least till some crazy mommy beat her to death. As you can see, Neon didn’t take it lightly.”

White Dove nodded. For a moment they were listening to Neon Lights searching through the garbage gathered in his flat, cursing loudly. Finally, he went back to them, levitating the money.

“Okay,” Babs muttered when she counted them. She took off the saddlebags and produced a knife from her pocket. She opened it and ripped the bottom of the saddlebags.

Neon Lights’ eyes began to glow when he saw plastic bags full of white powder. He levitated them and started to examine them, shuddering visibly.

“We’ll go,” Babs said. Neon only nodded, barely paying attention to them. Babs shrugged and they left the flat and went to the elevator.

The guard didn’t even look at them when they trotted through the corridor.

“I’ll go home,” White Dove said when they were outside. “See you later.”

“Okay,” Babs replied. “See ya.”

For a moment she watched White Dove walking away, looking for something in the pockets of her jacket. Then she turned to Raz.

“Can you drive me home? Haven’t seen my parents in, like, a week.”

Raz nodded. Babs sat in the rickshaw and for a second time that day she could enjoy the adrenaline rush associated with the fast ride.

Soon, they left the city centre. Babs could feel that the road became more bumpy; also the buildings around her were different: older and smaller, with paint peeling off the walls, revealing crushed red bricks. Some foals were playing on the sidewalks. Babs smirked when she remembered how she used to play like that. She knew that one day some of them would also follow her path.

What happened to her? She knew the answer exactly; she looked back, at the skyscrapers behind her. Then she thought about the bits in her pocket, resting next to her golden lighter. She patted her jacket. Some ponies were repulsed by the very thought of wearing something made of leather, but she didn’t care. She liked its smell and smoothness.

Also, it was a trophy. She remembered exactly the face of a young griffon when his claws caught air, just before he got kicked in the stomach. How awesome was the feeling of power, when she stood above him, tearing the jacket off of him and spitting in his face.

Money, power… the willingness to break free from that poor, ruined neighbourhood… That was the answer.

The rickshaw stopped. Babs stood on the pavement and stretched her hooves. She removed piercings from her ears and put them in the pocket. Then she pushed the scratched door open and trotted through the staircase, trying not to breathe; the stench of urine was ubiquitous. She noticed some new layers of graffiti that weren’t there when she’d last visited the place.

She knocked at the door of her place.

“Come in!” she heard a raspy voice. She opened the door and trotted inside.

Unlike the staircase, the flat was clean. The furniture was cheap and scratched, but there wasn’t even a speck of dust on it. Her mother emerged from the kitchen, holding a spoon in her mouth.

“Where were you?” she asked, her eyes half-closed. She sniffed the air. “You were smoking again!”

“School, work…” Babs explained. “I slept at Sunflower’s place. Her coltfriend smokes like a freight train.“

In fact, she hadn’t seen her older sister for months, but neither did her parents. Not to mention that even if they did, Sunflower would always cover her.

“I really need to talk with her about him.” Babs’ mother shook her head. “And you should come home after school. Where do you even work?”

Babs reached to her pocket and put a hundred bits on the kitchen table. There were no more questions. Babs trotted to the living room and saw her father sleeping on the couch. She shuddered, seeing his detached prosthetic hoof. It was yet another reason why she had to “work” – since the accident he’d had in the Manehattan Airship Factory, her father couldn’t find a permanent job.

“Hello, dad,” Babs said, sitting at the table. He woke up and looked around groggily.

“Hi, Babsy… How’s Sunflower?” he asked. Babs thought that he was learning quickly.

“Good,” Babs replied. “She sends greetings.”

“How nice of her…” Babs’ father sat on the couch and attached the prosthetic to the stump of his hind leg. “Honey! What’s for dinner?”

Babs sighed. Though the atmosphere of her home was usually upsetting her, it was nice to eat something that wasn’t takeaway food and take a shower in her own bathroom.

Her mother entered the living room and put a large plate of daffodil casserole with tomatoes in front of her. She started to talk about dad’s new job, but Babs didn’t pay attention to it, too focused on eating. In fact, she barely ever paid attention to her parents; they didn’t know much about her life, so why’d she want to know about theirs?

“So, how’s school?”

Babs nearly choked on a tomato. “Good,” she replied quickly. “Those girls ain’t tease me anymore.”

Maybe because they had a brief meeting with Cracker…

“Great!” Babs’ father exclaimed. “By the way, it’s ‘don’t tease me anymore’. You speak like some thug.”

“But at least she behaves like a good Apple.” Babs’ mother patted her mane. “She’d never do anything wrong…”

Babs suddenly felt that she wasn’t hungry anymore. She pushed the plate away and stood up.

“I’ll be in my room,” she said.

“Already?” Babs’ mother asked. “You barely came here. Really, you treat the house like a hotel…”

“What can I do?” Babs shrugged. “I must work, right?”

“It’s good that you work, but you should really, as you call it, chill out,” Babs’ father said and pointed at his prosthetic leg. “I worked much and look what happened…”

Babs nodded. “Okay, I’ll try. I promise.”

“Filly Scout’s honour?”

“Filly Scout’s honour,” Babs replied with a sigh and went to her room.

Author's Note

Seems that, seven years after she got caught, Diamond Tiara became legendary...

Get Rich or Die Tryin'

Babs turned in her bed and opened one eye. She blew her mane from her eyes and looked around, at the old posters of DJ Pon3, partially covered with photos of some local underground bands, usually having weird names such as “Mutated Foals”, “The Followers of Tirek” or “Earth Pony Revolution”. The gramophone on her desk was silent, but there was still a record of Bethooven’s string quartets played by Octavia Melody on it. Babs looked at the clock – it was barely 7 AM. She yawned and decided to go back to sleep – it was Saturday and she didn’t have to pretend that she was going to school. Or, from time to time, actually go to school.

She heard knocking at the door and her mother rushing to answer. Who could it be at that hour? she thought.

“She’s sleeping,” she heard her mother’s voice. “Who are you?”

“It’s important… I’m her… classmate,” another voice replied. She recognised it as belonging to Hedgehog.

Oh fuck… Babs got out from bed and looked around, trying to find her comb. Apparently, her parents had started to treat her room as a storage for all the things they didn’t need and she had problems with moving through it without tripping over something.

“Babs!” her mother called. “Your… friend wants to talk with you.”

Babs could easily sense barely hidden disgust in her mother’s voice. Hedgehog, together with his bandmates (she didn’t remember the name of the band, but it sounded like “Clockwork Alicorn” or something equally random) lived in his friends’ record studio – an old, rotten ruin without hot water. Spending even a few minutes there resulted in becoming soaked with the smell of mould, sweat and weed.

She found the comb and was trying to do something about her mane, when the door to her room bursted open.

“Can’t you knock?” Babs growled, but then lowered her voice to a whisper. “I could be givin’ myself an orgasm of my life or somethin’…”

“As if I didn’t see ya when you–“ Hedgehog paused when he saw Babs’ glare.

“My mom can listen to us,” Babs whispered. “What’s that important matter?”

“It’s about those dru–“ Again, Hedgehog was silenced.

“Maybe we’ll talk outside?” Babs asked. “Wait for me there, I need to clean myself…”

When he left, she fell on her bed, shivering. If something was wrong about the delivery, she was already dead. She could jump out of the window; the effect would be the same.

She slowly got up and trotted to the bathroom to take a shower. Cold water helped her wake up and get her bearings. Maybe it wasn’t about the delivery? After all, everything was allright. They didn’t steal anything… The client seemed happy. What happened?

She dried herself with a towel. Then she trotted out of the bathroom and put on her jacket.

“Going somewhere?” Her mother appeared in the kitchen door.

“I’ll be right back,” Babs replied. “Just an hour or so, and I’m back.”

“Do you want something to eat?”

“No, thanks. Maybe later.” Babs shuddered. How long would it take before they’d notice that she was gone? A week? A month? Never?

She left the flat and joined Hedgehog downstairs. She put a cigarette in her mouth and tried to get her lighter, but her hooves were too shaky. Hedgehog shook his head and lit the cigarette with his magic.

“Thanks,” Babs muttered. They trotted down the street. “What’s goin’ on?”

“It’s about that client yesterday. He’s not happy about the service…” Hedgehog replied.

“Not my problem.” Babs shrugged. “He should complain to the guy who sells him coke.”

“He did. He said the big guy that when he was looking for money to pay ya, one of ya nicked his wallet,” Hedgehog said.

“His wa– Oh fuck!” Babs suddenly remembered White Dove playing with the pockets of her jacket when she’d been leaving them. “I’ll stick that cunt’s horn into her ass! While still attached to the forehead!”

Several ponies looked at her. She didn’t even bother to look back – she knew that after a couple of seconds everypony would just shrug it off and go back to what they were doing. It was Manehattan after all.

“Is it technically possible?” Hedgehog asked. “Ya’d break her spine…”

“Ya don’t say!” Babs exclaimed. “Now we have to find her and hope she didn’t waste everythin’ on some shit…”

She took another cigarette from the pack and used the butt of the previous one to light it. Then she quickened her pace, heading to the nearest underground station. Even though it was the weekend, it was full of ponies. Babs was running through the crowd, bumping into scared tourists, beggars, prostitutes, insane prophets and street musicians. It was like a second, underground city, darker and more dangerous than the surface of Manehattan, but, just like it, having its own set of rules.

With a terrible screech, the train arrived at the station. The door opened and Babs trotted inside, holding her breath. She kicked a kid who seemed like he was going to pickpocket her and stood next to a group of tourists, who backed away upon seeing her. She realised that she was still holding a cigarette in her mouth. She looked at it and sighed – it was still more than a half left. She gave the tourists a nasty glare and continued smoking. After all, they had to get used to the life in the big town.

“What will we do with Dove?” Hedgehog asked.

“Nothin’,” Babs replied. “Though I’m considerin’ beatin’ the crap outta her. Not because she deserves it, but because we’ll have to take her to the big guy. Maybe if she’s beaten red and blue, he’ll feel compassion and won’t kill her.”

Hedgehog chuckled. “He and compassion? Please.”

Babs threw the cigarette butt on the floor of the carriage and stomped on it. She saw that the tourists weren’t paying attention to her anymore, focused on someone who just stood up and began telling prophecies in a slurred voice, spraying saliva at the ponies next to him.

“There will be the day when the sister will turn against the sister! A ponykind will drown in the blood of their siblings, parents and neighbours! A pony will kill another pony…”

“Sounds like every weekend in my neighbourhood,” Babs deadpanned. “C’mon, Hedge, it’s our station.”

The train skid to a halt. Babs trotted through the hall, breathing deeply to get rid of the air from the carriage. They reached the stairs and climbed. The morning sun blinded Babs for a moment. She covered her eyes with her hoof and looked around, trying to recall where White Dove lived.

“I think it was there,” Hedgehog said, pointing at the nearest side street. “Dunno, I don’t go here often…”

“Me neither,” Babs replied. She thought about another cigarette, but she could already feel a slight headache and an unpleasant bitterness in her stomach. They trotted in the direction chosen by Hedgehog, wondering what they’d do if they’d encounter a guard.

“Guard ain’t a problem,” Hedgehog muttered. “I’m afraid of her parents’ reaction when they see us…”

“Ya didn’t have such problems with my parents…” Babs replied.

“Yeah, but… well, yer parents are different, right? Dove’s parents are important or somethin’…”

“Are ya suggestin’ that my folks ain’t important?”

“No, but…” Hedgehog scratched his head. “Ya know, money, position…”

“If ya say ‘system’, I’m gonna kick ya to the next Friday…” Babs groaned.

“That too…” Hedgehog nodded.

“Sometimes I hate ya…”

“Oh, c’mon. I know that ya love me…” Hedgehog tried to kiss Babs’ cheek, but she swiftly evaded him. “Just wait till the evening…”

“If we won’t end up in the bay…” Babs muttered. “By the evening I may be kinda cold…”

“Meh. Even when ya were cold, ya’d still be cute…” Hedgehog replied.

“Your Cracker is showin’.” Babs chuckled. “Dead fillies ain’t say no and so on…”

Hedgehog said nothing. They saw White Dove’s house in the distance.

Luckily, they didn’t have to get past the guards. When they were only a block away from the skyscraper, they saw White Dove trotting somewhere, jumping from time to time. Babs couldn’t contain herself any longer; she galloped to her and pushed her against the wall of a nearby building.

“What the–“ Dove was interrupted by a rather painful prod to the ribs.

“Oh, no, girl…” Babs muttered through gritted teeth. “It’s my turn to ask what the fuck…”

“What?” Dove looked at her, tears welling in her eyes.

“The wallet!” Babs exclaimed. “What the fuck have ya done with that imbecile’s wallet?”

“I… I took it… and…” Dove’s forehead was soaked with sweat.

“And what? Do you still have it?”

“N-no… I bought myself a d-dress…”

Babs released her and rolled her eyes. “Just great… Just fuckin’ great! That guy’s gonna skin us because ya wanted a dress!” She took a cigarette from her pocket and lit it, blowing smoke into Dove’s face. “Now ya’ll go to him and explain…”

She trotted down the street. White Dove, however, stood still on the pavement.

“What are ya lookin’ at?” Hedgehog yelled at her. “C’mon!”

Dove walked automatically behind them, shaking as if she’d just got out from the cold water. Babs waited for her and patted her mane.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “We won’t let him hurt ya…”

Dove looked at her unsurely, trying to hold back tears.

“Sorry for snapping at ya like that…” Babs muttered. “Just… don’t do that anymore, okay?”

Dove only nodded.

One quick trip with the underground later, they were in front of a quite peculiar house. Unlike other buildings in Manehattan, it was neither large and shiny, nor dirty and ruined. It was perfectly average – and that was why it was so unusual. With a heavy sigh, Babs trotted to the door and knocked.

The door opened and Babs faced the barrel of a submachine gun. A large earth pony with sunglasses who was holding it looked at her curiously.

“Our filly scout,” he said in a deep voice. “Come inside…”

Babs gulped and trotted down the corridor slowly. Hedgehog followed her, but White Dove hesitated. The pony with a gun approached her.

“C’mon, kid…” he muttered. “We’re not gonna hurt you… yet.”

White Dove trotted dutifully behind Babs and Hedgehog. Finally, they entered the living room where, lying on the couch next to an aquamarine pegasus mare, was the brown unicorn with a cropped mane. His suit was gone; the mare’s hoof was gently caressing his penis, not even bothering to stop upon seeing them.

“Well, well, well…” the unicorn muttered, looking into Babs’ eyes. “You’ve got some explaining to do, girl…”

Babs gulped. She briefly thought about telling him that she’d stolen Neon Lights’ wallet, but suddenly she saw White Dove taking a step forward.

“I stole that wallet,” she muttered through gritted teeth, looking at the floor beneath her hooves. “And I don’t have the money…”

The unicorn clicked his tongue. “Those kids start so early…” He shook his head. “Well, girl… You can consider yourself lucky… I need all my filly scouts…”

White Dove sighed with relief, but Babs remained tense. She knew that thug for too long to expect good intentions from him.

“However…” the brown unicorn said. “Mr. Lights is an idiot, but he’s an idiot who has money. Such behaviour can’t go unpunished.” He turned to White Dove. “Luckily, you’ll have a chance to redeem yourself. Special delivery. On Tuesday.”

“No!” Babs exclaimed. Everypony, including the mare, looked at her. “I can do that instead of her…” she said.

“Oh, no...” the unicorn shook his head. “She needs to learn. Also, as I told you yesterday, you don’t look exactly innocent… No discussion!” he exclaimed, seeing that Babs opened her mouth to say something. “Now, get the fuck out. All of you.”

When they left the house, Babs began to search her pockets nervously. She wanted to smoke another cigarette, but her whole body was protesting against it.

“Fuck!” she exclaimed loudly, when she found an empty pack. She threw it on the ground and stomped on it.

“What’s wrong?” White Dove asked. “We’re alive…”

“Can ya stop bein’ dumb for a moment?” Babs snapped at her. “Ya’re alive till Tuesday. Then ya’re fucked.”

White Dove shuddered. “What’s that special delivery?” she asked.

“It’s simple,” Babs replied. “There’s some rich guy in prison, who needs drugs. They’re gonna fill a condom with cocaine, stick it up your ass and send ya to prison as his daughter or granddaughter. If the guards don’t buy that, then goodbye. A JDC if ya’re lucky, boot camp if ya’re not. How long can ya survive in such a place?”

“I give her five minutes,” Hedgehog muttered. “Three, if the guards don’t mind the inmates havin’ home-made strap-ons.”

“That wasn’t funny.” Babs glared at him angrily. “And the worse thing is, there’s no escape. Those guys will get ya anywhere…”

“Maybe they won’t catch me…” White Dove said in an emotionless tone. “Maybe I’ll make it…”

“Yeah, surely…” Babs muttered. “Now, get out. I don’t wanna see ya today anymore…”

“But we were supposed to mug those bitches from my class today…”

“Ya still don’t have enough?” Hedgehog asked. “Ya can’t go there anyway. They know ya. Babs is right – go home and don’t show up till Tuesday. We’ll try to talk to him…”

White Dove nodded and trotted down the street, to the nearby underground station. Hedgehog watched her for some time before turning back to Babs.

“What’re we gonna do?” he asked.

“First, I’m gonna go home and… think,” Babs replied. “Then, at night, we’ll find Raz and Cracker and get those rich cunts. I need to kick somepony’s flank today…”

Babs looked behind the corner. Even here, she could hear the loud music coming from the club. Bright neon lights were bathing the street in green and red glow. There were lots of ponies trotting around the building. Some of them were smoking, some of them cuddling their partners. Just a typical Saturday evening in Manehattan.

“Can ya see ‘em?” Cracker asked.

“Nope,” Babs replied. She took a balisong knife from her pocket and opened it, recalling how she’d won it in a poker game. Then, she’d gotten into a fight with the previous knife owner, but she’d managed to get out of there in one piece.

“D’ya at least know how they look like?” Hedgehog asked.

“Rich cunts, unicorns. Look for the most expensive clothes ya can find,” Babs replied.

“Sounds like almost everyone there,” Raz muttered.

“Guys…” Babs shook her head. “No subtlety at all. I can recognise a rich cunt when I see one…”

She looked behind the corner again, and saw two unicorns leaving the club.

“See ‘em? Dresses for seven hundred bits each, purses for two and three hundred, that one on the left has sunglasses for four hundred… Who the fuck needs sunglasses at night? Nevermind. That’s our clients for tonight. Cracker!”

“Yes?”

“Follow ‘em.”

Cracker saluted mockingly and took off. The rest of the group began to walk through the side streets, carefully observing where he was flying.

“Once they’re alone, we’re gettin’ ‘em,” Babs muttered. “We need to be quick – they may have friends here…”

She looked into the sky and noticed that Cracker turned sharply and lowered his flight.

“Where are they goin’?” Hedgehog asked.

“Dunno. Maybe there’s some club there…” Babs replied. She trotted through the empty street and saw the two unicorns entering a nook.

“Now it’s our chance… Raz, you and Cracker will approach ‘em from the back. We’ll circle that building and get them…”

Raz nodded and they split. Babs and Hedgehog galloped down the pavement and turned behind the corner. Now they could not only see their victims, but also hear them.

“What do you think about that guy?” the taller of the fillies asked.

“Boring… but hey, he’s rich. I can forgive him that…” the other filly, the one with sunglasses replied.

“You’d stick a horn up his ass if he shown you some bits…” Her companion laughed. “Sometimes you really are a who–“

“Freeze!” Babs shouted, standing in front of them. She saw Cracker landing behind them and Raz joining him. She took her knife and saw that Hedgehog levitated his. “Don’t even try to scream… Give me your money and jewellery…”

The fillies looked at her as if she was an alien.

“What are ya waitin’ for, cunts? An invitation?” Babs asked. “Money, or I’ll rip your cutie marks off your pretty flanks…”

“Did you hear that, Raspberry?” the taller filly said. “Those dirty rats want to rob us…”

Babs approached her, grabbed her mane and put the knife to her cheek.

“Listen, whore,” she hissed. “Normally I just take the money and go away. But today, I had a really bad day… No, I won’t kill ya… But open your mouth once more, and I’ll make your grin really, really wide… Ya know, it heals, but it’ll leave a really pretty scar on your face…” She pulled her hair, causing her to moan. “Understood?”

“Understood…” the filly panted. “Raspberry, do what they say…”

Raspberry took her purse and began searching through it. Babs tore the necklace off her neck and hid it in her pocket. Hedgehog approached Raspberry, waiting for the money.

“Fuck off!” Raspberry yelled, taking some spray from her purse and pushing it. Even though Babs was far from her, she felt the smell of the pepper gas. Hedgehog backed away, holding one hoof on his eyes.

Babs blinked. She reacted instinctively; when the filly tried to hit she lifted the hoof with a knife and hit her with it. She heard a gurgling scream and her victim collapsed. Raspberry, also blind after her attack, darted forward. Cracker took off and started to chase her.

The filly had no chance. After only a few steps, the pegasus dived at her and pinned her to the ground. He punched her and ripped her dress.

“Cracker, no!” Babs shouted, seeing that he was trying to spread Raspberry’s hind legs.

“She attacked us first…” Cracker replied, holding the thrashing filly’s throat. “She knew what she was gettin’ into…”

“They’ll catch us…” Babs shouted. She ran to Cracker and caught his wing, causing him to groan. She pulled him away from Raspberry, who was still lying on the street, hyperventilating.

“Yeah, as if they don’t catch us after what you did…” Cracker replied.

“What I…” Babs looked at the quickly growing puddle of blood and her own knife lying next to the motionless body. Raz, who was standing above it, shook his head.

“Exactly…” Cracker nodded grimly. “So, as we have this matter settled, can you let me…”

“No.” Babs tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn’t contain shaking. “Hedgehog, get her,” she said, pointing at Raspberry.

Before Raspberry could run away, a flash of Hedgehog’s magic pulled her to him. Raz quickly put a piece of cloth in her mouth and they pulled her into a nearby alley.

“And what will ya do with her?” Cracker asked. “Keep her till the end of the world? She saw us.”

“I’ll think about it later…” Babs replied. “What will we do with the body…”

“Yeah, it’s a mess…” Cracker yawned. “Just take yer knife and let’s get the fuck outta here. Did ya really have to stab her through the artery? Ya should’ve hit her to the head, then we’d dump her to the bay or on the rail tracks and sayonara. No one would want to look through that jelly…”

“Can’t we do that now?” Hedgehog asked, holding crying Raspberry.

“Yeah, if ya have a way to explain how a puddle of her blood suddenly appeared in the middle of the street,” Cracker replied. “Though I might try, just to mess with the cops…”

Babs gulped. Her face was pale and she was shaking, but somehow she felt that she had to make that decision. “Do that,” she said. “We’ll take care of that second bitch…”

Author's Note

The plot thickens, s :yay: t hits the fan... Just a usual day in Manehattan...

Clean

“Why did ya have to do that?” Babs muttered. She was lying on a dirty mattress, breathing heavily. “Why…”

Raspberry didn’t answer. She was still bound and gagged, with an anti-magic ring on her horn. She also felt that the question wasn’t addressed to her.

It’d been two days since Cracker dumped the body of the filly into the bay. Since then, Babs didn’t come home – she was staying constantly in an abandoned warehouse, guarding Raspberry.

Babs got up and looked around, at all the empty bottles surrounding the mattress. She felt a dull pain in her head – she’d spent most of the money they’d stolen on alcohol, but she still couldn’t forget what happened.

Staggering, she trotted to Raspberry. The filly shivered, seeing her. Babs wasn’t surprised – after all, she’d witnessed her killing her friend and getting wasted afterwards. Babs didn’t exactly remember, but she felt that she’d also seen her having rather rough, drunk sex with Hedgehog.

She shook her head and removed the gag from Raspberry’s mouth. The filly took a deep breath, wincing when the smell of the warehouse assaulted her nostrils.

“If ya’re gonna beg me to release ya, I’m gonna put it back,” Babs said. “And I won’t believe ya sayin’ that ya won’t tell anyone…”

“W-what happened to Golden Sunset?” Raspberry asked.

Babs froze. So her name was Golden Sunset… she thought. “Still dead,” she replied.

Raspberry’s eyes widened. “W-will you kill me too?”

“No,” Babs replied. “If that’s any consolation, I didn’t want to kill Golden Sunset either…”

“Then what will you do with me?” Raspberry thrashed against her restraints. “M-my dad has money… I’ll never tell anyone…”

“Someone really wants to be gagged again…” Babs muttered. “I don’t need your money and I’m sure that first thing ya’ll do after we release ya will be goin’ to the nearest station to tell the guards exactly how we look like…”

“Then kill me…” Raspberry said in an emotionless tone, avoiding her gaze. “That pegasus was right… Are you going to keep me here forever?”

“Maybe,” Babs replied. “I’m not a killer, Raspberry. Golden Sunset…”

“Screw Golden Sunset…” Raspberry muttered. “I never liked her.”

“With such friends…” Babs rolled her eyes. “Listen, idiot, I’m not sittin’ here with ya because I like it or because I’m afraid that you’ll escape. I’m guarding ya because Hedgehog wants to kill ya, and Cracker wants to rape and kill ya. Not necessarily in that order.”

“Then maybe you’d set me free?” Raspberry asked. “I can keep my mouth shut.”

For a moment, Babs wanted to take her knife and cut the ropes tying Raspberry’s hooves. Then she heard a voice behind her.

“Babs! I was looking for you– Raspberry?”

“White Dove?” Raspberry’s eyes widened when she saw the white unicorn approaching her.

“Fuck…” Babs muttered. Suddenly, she remembered that tomorrow was supposed to be the day of Dove’s special delivery. “Listen, Dove, I told ya to–“

“Wait…” Raspberry interrupted her. “Do you two know each other?”

“Y-yes…” Dove muttered, backing away. “Why is she here? And where is…”

“Golden Sunset is dead,” said Raspberry coldly. “Your friend killed her. And I have a feeling that I know who told those fuckers to rob us…”

Dove shuddered. “B-but…”

“Golden Sunset is dead because of you!” Raspberry cried. “You little shi–“

Babs had enough. She took the gag and forced it into Raspberry’s mouth, almost making her choke.

“You killed Golden Sunset?” White Dove asked. “Why?”

“It was an accident,” Babs replied. “Listen, we have a bigger problem now and–“

“I’ve heard that the guards found a puddle of blood… Was it Gol–“

“Shut up!” Babs interrupted her. “Listen to me: get the fuck outta here. I don’t want ya to be involved in this…”

“I can guard her,” White Dove said. “She saw me. I’m already involved…”

Babs sighed. “Remember that ya have that special delivery tomorrow. Ya have enough of your own problems…”

“You can’t sit here forever…” Dove looked at Babs, wincing. Babs could see why – her mane was sticky from sweat; there were still some bloody stains in her coat, which already started to stink.

“Okay… Stay here for a few minutes, I’ll go and wash myself…” Babs said with a sigh. She stood up and stretched her hooves.

She wanted to go home and never go back to that old, half-ruined warehouse. She didn’t want to see any of her friends anymore. Even Hedgehog – recently their relationship was nothing but getting drunk together till she could touch him without getting sick and quick, disappointing sex.

Babs left the warehouse and trotted through the dirty street. She barely paid attention to her surroundings. She walked a few blocks, then she took a shortcut to the nearest underground station and got on the first train she saw. It was almost empty – it was early morning, but most of the ponies were already at work. She sat on one of the few seats that weren’t dirty and looked through the window, at the walls of the tunnel, adorned with graffiti and colourful wires.

She’d killed a pony. Just like the Sleepless Killer, the Canterlot Vampire and many more, she’d taken a life. She expected to feel something because of that, but she felt nothing. Bad dreams, thoughts about guards, bloody flashbacks – she didn’t experience them.

She thought about her parents. What would they say? Probably nothing. They’d never asked her what she was doing when she was spending whole days away from home. If the guards took her, they’d probably just shrug it off and go back to their chores.

Babs remembered what happened to her sister – she also started to disappear from time to time. Those periods were getting longer till Sunflower finally moved out. It took a month, before her parents realised that.

“That’s sick…” Babs muttered to nopony in particular. “Why did they even make a second kid…”

“No money for condoms,” some homeless pony standing next to her replied. “Then there’s too many ponies and no work. Riots, unemployment, and war – it could be avoided if the condoms were cheaper…”

“Oh, fuck off…” Babs muttered. The pony gave her a nasty glare and trotted to the other side of the carriage.

He’s right… Babs thought, looking at him. We’re all unneeded… Me, Hedgehog, Cracker, Raz, even White Dove… We’re like cancer… No perspectives, just vegetation in the lungs… Till the whole organism chokes on us…

She straightened in her seat. Equestria may choke on me, she thought. I can’t even bring myself to giving a fuck about that.

The door opened. Babs stood up and trotted out of the carriage. Then she went through the almost desolated neighbourhood, not looking around.

There was nopony at home. Babs thought that her parents were at work. She threw her jacket on the chair and trotted to bathroom to wash the smell of vodka, cigarettes, blood and the underground off of herself. Then she walked to her room and lay on the bed. Everything was spinning and Babs thought that it could be some long-term effect of pepper spray. Then she faintly remembered that it was about forty-eight hours since she’d last slept.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep, hugging her pillow.

“I’m worried… You’ve heard about those fillies…”

“They said that they were unicorns. It wasn’t Babs…”

“Still, she shouldn’t disappear like that. She goes somewhere on Saturday evening and–“

“She’s here,” Babs heard her mother’s voice. “I see her jacket.”

The sound of door to her room being opened.

“She’s sleeping,” Babs’ father said. “Once she wakes up, I’ll talk to her.”

Babs opened one eye and looked through the window. The sun was setting. Babs turned in her bed. She didn’t want to talk with her parents. Not about that.

She felt grumbling in her stomach. She turned in her bed and rubbed it, noticing how thin she became over the last couple of days. Usually, she was slightly chubby, but the lack of sleep and diet consisting mostly of alcohol caused the skin on her sides to hang loosely. Babs groaned and got out from bed. She trotted to the kitchen and saw her father sitting at the table.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hi,” Babs replied and opened the fridge.

“We need to talk.”

“I’ve heard,” Babs muttered, taking some cheese and lettuce from the shelves. “I’m not gonna walk out at night anymore. I’ll be coming home right after school. Okay?”

“Okay,” her father replied. “I’m glad you understand that. By the way, where did you go on Saturday? We were worried…”

“Oh… I just had to go and help a friend,” Babs said, smiling sheepishly.

“That one who came here recently? He didn’t look, umm…”

“No, of course not,” Babs replied. She finished making a sandwich and sat at the table. “He’s an idiot.”

Babs’ father looked at her as if he wanted to say something, but he shrugged, seeing that she was now focused on her food.

On Tuesday, Babs went to school.

It was weird to enter that old building smelling of dust and chalk. Her old seat at the back of the class was empty so she sat on it, not even bothering to take off her jacket. Some of her classmates looked at her unsurely, but seeing her expression, they quickly went back to what they were doing.

Babs had to think for a while before she recalled what lesson was supposed to be first. Then she shuddered.

It wasn’t math that was scary. Babs always liked math and was rather good at it, especially when it came to counting money. The math teacher, however…

“Good morning, Miss Seed,” she heard the sarcasm-dripping voice behind her. “How wonderful that you’ve decided to visit us today…”

The students stood up, watching the blue unicorn standing in front of them. He looked back at them, focusing on Babs for a moment. Then he looked at the flag of Equestria hanging on the wall and began reciting the pledge.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of Equestria,” Babs muttered together with the rest of the students. “Blah, blah, fuck it, three tribes under the Princesses, friendship, something, and justice for all.” She sat back on her seat, ignoring the looks of a few students near her.

“So, as Miss Seed probably doesn’t know, we already started the systems of equations with two variables,” the teacher, Mr. Venn Diagram, said. “Maybe Miss Seed will show us how to solve one?”

Babs stood up and trotted to the board. She looked at the numbers and gulped.

5x+3y=3
8x-6y=48

Babs scratched her head. She knew the x; such equations were easy. But the y? Also, there were two equations. For a while, she stared at the numbers and an idea appeared in her mind. She took a chalk and wrote:

5x=3-3y

She looked at Mr. Diagram unsurely. He was smirking, but it wasn’t that kind of smirk he was making when he caught a student not knowing what they were doing. Babs decided to go with it. She divided the first equation by 5.

x=(3-3y)/5

“Now, it’s time for the y...” she muttered to herself. She looked at the second equation, rewrote it and began to solve it:

8((3-3y)/5)-6y=48

8(0.6-0.6y)-6y=48

4.8-4.8y-6y=48

-10.8y=43.2

y=-4

Babs smiled. Now, when she had the y, everything was easy. She looked back at the first equation and put -4 in the y’s place.

x=(3-3(-4))/5

x=(3+12)/5

x=15/5

x=3

“Done,” Babs said.

“Good.” Mr. Diagram nodded his head. “But you lost lots of time. It’d be much easier this way…” He levitated the foam and wiped the equations, leaving only the first ones:

5x+3y=3
8x-6y=48

Then he multiplied the first one by two. Babs looked at the numbers on the board and noticed some regularity:

10x+6y=6
8x-6y=48

“And that’s what we learned on the last lesson you, of course, didn’t attend,” Mr. Diagram said, levitating the chalk to write a single equation:

18x=54

x=3

“Now, we can put 3 in the x’s place and solve the rest of the equation much faster than you did. Sit down, Seed,” the teacher said.

Babs trotted back to her seat. She noticed the disappointed look on Mr. Diagram’s face and thought that it wasn’t over.

Surprisingly, the rest of the lesson was calm. Babs had to solve a few more equations, but once she got the basics, it became much easier.

The next few lessons – biology, history of Equestria and physical education – were similar; the teacher’s surprised expressions upon seeing her and a continuous blur of hard work.

Babs was just helping her team win a hoofball game, when she saw a large cloud of smoke hanging on the sky. Some other students saw it too – they gathered together, pointing at it.

“What’s that?” one of the colts asked.

“It’s a bomb!” the other replied. “The zebras attacked!”

“Ya read too much comics,” Babs said. “There’s probably a fire nearby… Let’s play and let the fire department do their job.”

Ten minutes later, the lesson ended. Babs stayed outside during the recess. She wasn’t hungry – during the lessons, she was too busy to think about what White Dove was doing, but now it all came back to her. Was she still in prison? Or maybe she got caught? Babs sat on a bench and looked at the ground, thinking about what’d happen to her.

“Hey, Babs!”

She raised her head and saw Raz standing on the other side of the fence. He was throwing nervous glances around.

Babs trotted to him. “Hello,” she said. “Any news?”

It took a while before he spoke. “Cracker got caught. Someone saw him throwing the body into the water…”

Babs’ hooves started to shake. “D-did he s-say something about–”

“No,” Raz replied. “He knows the rules.”

Babs nodded. They were friends and in case one of them would ever be caught, they were supposed to protect the others. Cracker would rather go to prison than say that she’d killed Golden Sunset.

“They also think he burned down the warehouse,” Raz said.

Babs furrowed her eyebrows. “What warehouse?” she asked. “Our wa– Oh, fuck!”

Several students looked at her, but when she glared at them angrily, they turned away.

“It was our warehouse?” Babs asked frantically. “S-so R-raspberry… holy shit… And I left White Dove t-to guard her…”

“White Dove went to the big guy,” Raz said. “I don’t know where she is now.”

Babs sat on the ground. Raz went away, leaving her alone. For a moment she was just sitting there, thinking what could cause the fire. Was it Raspberry herself? Or maybe it was just an accident? The warehouse was old and dangerous anyway…

Babs got up and slowly trotted back to school. She was just passing by the gate when she saw a familiar white unicorn filly.

“White Dove!” she exclaimed. “You’re okay!”

“Okay, yeah…” Dove muttered when she approached Babs, who noticed that she was walking a bit awkwardly. “My rump hurts… But the guards didn’t notice anything… And then I solved everything...”

Babs froze. “You solved what?”

“Everything… That, umm… problem.” Suddenly, White Dove started to avoid Babs’ gaze. “N-now you’re clean…”

“I’m… what?” Babs suddenly remembered the cloud of black smoke from the warehouse. “Dove, did ya…”

“I switched something in the electric box…” Dove said. “Those wires started to spark…”

Babs lowered her voice to a whisper. “White Dove, did ya fuckin’ killed Raspberry?”

After a long while, White Dove slowly nodded. “I did it for you…” she muttered. “I don’t want you to get caught…”

Babs felt the tidal wave of fury rising in her. Her muscles tensed; she started to shiver. The rest of the world didn’t matter; she saw White Dove standing in front of her and all she wanted to do was to make her wallow in pain.

In a swift sequence of moves, perfected during the numerous fights, Babs stood on her front legs, made a quick turn and bucked White Dove in the face with her hind legs. The filly screamed when the momentum threw her backwards. Before she could get up, Babs ran to her and punched her blindly.

“Seed!” someone behind her shouted. She blinked and looked at White Dove who was lying in front of her, crying, with a black eye and bleeding nose.

“What the hay are you doing, Seed?” Mr. Diagram exclaimed, trotting to her. “You will go to the principal… Now!”

“I don’t give a fuck…” Babs muttered. She could still hear “for you” and “clean” between White Dove’s cries.

“You will, Seed…” Mr. Diagram said. “You will…”

Babs stood up and trotted dutifully behind him. She didn’t care about what the principal could tell her. She used to be a frequent guest in his office and it seemed that it’d start again. Also, whatever punishment was awaiting her, it couldn’t be worse than prison. Babs thought, that in some sense, White Dove was right.

She was clean.

Author's Note

This is where I realised two things:
a) My story doesn't count without something big burning down (throughout my stories I burned several airships, Carousel Boutique, Sweet Apple Acres, filly scouts camp, a whole changelings' nest, Trixie's wagon... Someone take those safety matches from me).
b) After over six years of not learning math, I finally used my equation-solving ability for something not connected with school.

That Friday Night

“Babs, ya okay?”

“Totally… Why d’ya think I’m not?”

“Hmm, let’s see? Maybe because ya’re lying on the ground?”

“I’m an earth pony; I feel better when I’m close to the ground…”

“Ya’re drunk!”

Babs stood up and gave Nightcap a nasty glare. “I’m not,” she whispered. “Okay, maybe a little, but that’s the trick…”

“Another trick?” Nightcap shook her head. “Ya pull too many tricks. It ain’t gonna end well.”

“Remember the deal?” Babs asked. “Ya give me socks and this…” She looked at her outfit. “...dress, I’m teachin’ ya tricks, right?”

“Right,” Nightcap replied.

Babs sighed. Few weeks ago, she’d never even think about bothering herself looking at Nightcap when meeting her on the street. Now, they were spending the Friday night together, exchanging informations.

After beating White Dove and the subsequent nasty talk with the principal, Babs promised herself to change. She started to regularly attend school. She avoided getting into fights and began spending more time at home. She didn’t even hang out with her friends anymore.

From what she’d heard, Cracker’s trial was soon going to an end; the lawyers hired by Golden Sunset’s parents basically ate his public defender for breakfast. It was still unclear if he’d killed Raspberry, but Babs suspected that they were going to charge him with that too.

Hedgehog was no longer with her. They didn’t break up; they just stopped seeing each other and one day she’d heard from Raz that Hedgehog was now with the new vocalist of his band – a bright pink pegasus who, from what Babs heard, couldn’t sing to save her life. She didn’t even care about that.

Just like before the Cutie Mark Crusaders, she was alone. Only occasionally she’d meet Raz, but he was too busy with his work to talk with her. If he ever wanted to talk.

It was probably in the restaurant where Raz was working where she’d first met Nightcap – a thin, navy blue unicorn with black and white mane whose cutie mark was, well, a nightcap. Babs first met her on a Friday night, coming back from some party – while she usually slept at home, she still liked to party on Fridays, even though she had no money. Nightcap had no money too and that was why they’d started to talk in the first place.

Nightcap’s story was similar to many stories Babs had heard. She wasn’t much older than Babs. She used to live in some small village – Babs didn’t remember the name – trying to make money by making nightcaps, only to find out that no one wanted to wear them. She then moved to Manehattan, hoping to find work in the fashion industry, but quickly found out that the only job the town could offer to her was the oldest job known to the ponykind.

“And it seems that I’m not good at it,” Nightcap told Babs on that Friday night. “I barely can afford that dirty shithole I call my place…”

“Oh, come on,” Babs replied. “It’s not that hard… It’s like with stealin’ – ya need to find a right client…”

“How d’ya know how to find one?” Nightcap asked. “Have ya ever–?”

“Once,” Babs replied. “20 bits for a blowjob and 50 I took from the guy’s wallet afterwards. Then I discovered that muggin’ is much funnier… Till recently...”

“What happened?” Nightcap asked.

“I’d rather not talk about that,” Babs replied. “Since then I don’t rob other ponies… But if ya want, I can teach ya a few tricks…”

Two weeks later, they were both walking down the streets of Manehattan wearing short dresses and socks. Babs felt the alcohol buzzing in her veins, but her mind was clear – she looked at the ponies around carefully. It was yet another thing that was helping her survive in the big city – just by looking at anypony, she could assess how rich and how dangerous they were.

“First lesson,” she muttered to Nightcap. “Never rob the locals or regular customers. My... friend screwed up that way. That leaves the rich guys who came here on business… They won’t look for ya and they’ll never admit…” She swished her tail. “...that they got robbed by a blank flank who they wanted to fuck…”

Nightcap nodded. In the distance, they saw the railway station. Several bored prostitutes were standing next to the taxi stand. “We’re late…” she said.

“Don’t worry…” Babs said and lit a cigarette. “I look like a sixteen-year-old who looks like young-looking eighteen-year-old; ya look young too… It turns many stallions on…Just like blank flanks…”

“Eww…” Nightcap shuddered. “Seems that every guy is a perv…”

“Hey, it wasn’t me who wanted to be a whore…” Babs replied. “A propos: do ya have something to defend yourself?”

Nightcap lowered her voice to a whisper. “I have a small gun in my purse…”

“Crap,” Babs muttered. “Lots of noise, cases, bullets, not to mention that the guards are usually interested in the guys found with a large hole in their heads… I prefer knives.” She patted the sock in which she had her balisong. She knew that it wasn’t wise to still carry it – she’d stabbed Golden Sunset with it – but she liked it too much.

“But it’d be a self-defence…” Nightcap said.

“Against a rich guy? If the family likes him, they’ll get an attorney who’ll convince the jury that ya raped him with your gun…”

“Same with a knife…”

“But at least ya have more time to run away…” Babs said. She didn’t want to delve into the details – she still remembered Golden Sunset. “Okay, time for lesson two – see those two guys?” she asked, pointing at two stallions who’d just left the station – a grey unicorn with glasses, wearing a green shirt, and his companion, a young purple stallion levitating a briefcase. They were eyeing Babs and Nightcap curiously.

“Smile,” Babs muttered. “The older one seems to like us…”

Indeed, the grey stallion was slowly approaching them. The younger one was blushing a bit, but was following his colleague. Babs went forward, bumping into several other prostitutes and stood in front of them.

“Hello,” she said, swishing her tail in such a way that it lifted her dress, revealing her flank for a moment. The older stallion licked his lips, but his expression remained unchanged. “Do ya need somethin’?”

“Well,” he said. “We just came here from Canterlot and we were looking for some… company.”

“Well,” Babs replied, trying to mimic his accent. “My friend and I are kinda bored…”

The stallion chuckled. “Seems that we have something in common, young lady…” He looked at Nightcap. “Also, my friend needs someone experienced… you’ll definitely fit his liking…”

Nightcap smirked, looking at the younger stallion who was now very interested in the pavement beneath his hooves. The older stallion nodded, smiling and trotted to the nearest cab. They sat inside.

When they were on the way to the hotel, Babs took a look at the grey stallion. His green and white attire looked expensive; same with his glasses. His Canterlot accent was practically screaming “I’m an awfully rich jerk; bow before me”. His companion also looked rich, but at the same time he was throwing nervous glances around. Babs was jealous – she felt that he wouldn’t last long.

When the receptionist in the hotel saw the stallion, he didn’t even say a word about Babs and Nightcap.

“Mr. Jet Set,” he said. “Nice to see you again, sir. Do you need, umm… something?”

“A champagne,” Jet Set replied. “And don’t disturb us.”

“Yes, sir,” the receptionist replied. Before they trotted to the elevator, Babs sticked the bubble gum to his desk. He didn’t even flinch.

Babs barely contained a curse when she saw the apartment. She thought that her parents would have to live three times to afford living in such place. Two bottles of champagne and four champagne flutes were already waiting on the table. On each side of the room there were doors to the bedrooms. Jet Set levitated one of the bottles and trotted to one of them. Babs followed him and sat on the large bed. She took a look at her socks – they were of two shades of pink, which was supposed to match her mane, but the effect was rather mediocre. There was a small bulge on the right one, in the place where she’d hid a knife.

“Just to clarify,” she said. “I take one-hundred fifty bits for a night. Always with a condom, no anal.”

“Sure, my lady,” Jet Set replied. “The money doesn’t matter…”

Babs nodded and looked at Jet Set opening the champagne and giving her the glass. She felt her stomach twitch – she didn’t like champagne, preferring vodka instead. She gulped half of the glass in one go.

“Sorry, I was thirsty,” she said, smiling sheepishly.

“Feel free to help yourself,” Jet Set said. “I’ll go to take a shower.”

When he left the room, Babs quickly finished her champagne. Then she poured herself another one, sprayed some of it on her dress and used the rest to pour the plant standing in the corner of the bedroom. She took a knife from her sock and put it under the bed, just in case. She saw the wallet the stallion had left on the nightstand. For a moment she thought about running away with it, but she didn’t want to leave Nightcap with them. Instead, she looked inside.

Her eyes widened when she saw the money. She’d heard about the 500-bits coins, but she’d never seen one in her life. Here, there were six of them; she could almost see her reflection in the gold. There was also a photo of some yellow unicorn mare with a pink earring. On the other side of it someone wrote “Upper Crust”.

Well, Mrs. Upper Crust, ya should really talk to your husband… Or give him a head... Babs thought, putting the wallet back on the nightstand. She undid some fasteners of her dress and lay down on the bed, spreading her hind legs a bit.

The door opened and she saw Jet Set. He’d gotten rid of his green and white clothes and was now standing in front of her naked. He looked at the champagne and smirked. Babs noticed that instantly.

“Hello, sexy,” she said in a tone suggesting that she was more drunk than she really was. “Wanna play?”

Jet Set sat on the bed next to her and wrapped his hoof around her. She exhaled, hoping that her breath, smelling of vodka, champagne, cigarettes, and bubble gum would discourage him from kissing her. He winced, but quickly relaxed, when Babs prodded his penis. It was already hard, but, as Babs noticed, not very impressive.

“Nice…” she muttered seducingly. “C’mon, big guy…”

She felt his magic unfastening her dress and slowly freeing her from it. She barely contained a shiver; while some fillies she knew liked the warm touch of magic on their skin, she hated it. Still stroking his penis with her hooves, she lowered her head and licked its tip, expecting her stomach to twist.

Luckily for her, it didn’t happen. Unlike Hedgehog, Jet Set at least washed himself before having sex with her, so all she tasted was the smell of shower gel. She started to suck his stallionhood, moaning from time to time. She felt Jet Set’s hooves grabbing her mane and guiding her. She glared at him angrily and bit him gently, causing him to hiss.

“Naughty girl…” he muttered. “You don’t like to take orders, huh?”

Try to “break me” and I’ll bite it off, right before sticking a knife into your eye, Babs thought. Then an image of bleeding Golden Sunset appeared in her mind and she shuddered; she didn’t want to kill anypony again.

“I like to be… independent,” she replied, smiling widely. She got up and took the pack of condoms from the nightstand. She could hear Nightcap’s moans from the other bedroom – judging by how loud they were, Jet Set’s companion was a really bad lover.

Suddenly, Babs froze, feeling the touch of Jet Set’s magic between her hind legs. She looked at the unicorn, who smiled playfully at her.

“Not so fast,” he said. “I don’t want to leave my favourite blank flank unsatisfied…” He smacked one of her flanks.

So, it’s one of those… Babs thought. Just use my body to wank yourself to sleep, old prick, and let me take your money…

She relaxed a bit, still remaining in the same position – standing on the bed with hind legs slightly spread and her tail swished to the side. Jet Set’s magic was gently massaging her labia. Babs bit her lip and gave out a little moan. She could still hear Nightcap and that gave her the idea.

“Faster…” she muttered. She bucked her hips and moaned as loud as she could.

If her relationship with Hedgehog taught her something, it was an ability to fake orgasms. She grabbed the pillow with her teeth and rolled on the bed, panting heavily and spreading her legs.

“Fuck me…” she hissed between pants, spreading her legs and staring at Jet Set’s penis with what she hoped to be a lustful glared. His magic disappeared. Babs closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, feeling his stallionhood entering her. She clenched her muscles around it and embraced Jet Set with her hind legs.

Her mind slowly drifted away. She barely paid attention to what Jet Set was doing, instead thinking about her friends. Hedgehog was probably playing with his band. Raz was probably sleeping after a whole day of work. White Dove… who knew? She was probably doing whatever rich fillies were doing at that time. Or maybe she realised that she’d killed Raspberry and was now getting crazy over it. Maybe Manehattan would hear about the new Sleepless Killer soon… Or maybe they’d find her shattered body lying on the pavement below the skyscraper she lived in.

She heard Jet Set’s moan. She also screamed in reply, trying to synchronise her pants with his thrusts. An image of White Dove in her mind was replaced with Raspberry – gagged and panicked, just after they’d kidnapped her. She remembered how she’d followed her gaze and saw the motionless body of Golden Sunset lying in the puddle of blood.

“Are you okay?” Jet Set asked. Babs saw his worried expression and realised that she was crying.

“Y-yes,” she replied. “Continue…”

“If it hurts…” Jet Set backed away and lay down next to her.

“N-no…” she replied, wiping her tears. “I just thought…”

“You’d better go home,” Jet Set said. He took his wallet and gave Babs two hundred bits.

An idea appeared in Babs’ mind. “B-but I have nowhere to go,” she said, sobbing and hiccuping. “C-can I sleep here tonight?”

Jet Set’s expression softened. He patted Babs’ mane and wrapped her hooves around her. “Of course,” he said. Babs escaped from his grasp and lay down on her side of the bed, closing her eyes.

She started to listen carefully to what Jet Set was doing. He stood up, trotted to the table and poured himself a glass of champagne. She listened to him drinking it, wondering how long it’d take before he’d fall asleep. The noises from the other bedroom silenced; it seemed that Nightcap’s client finally gave up.

After a while, she felt that Jet Set lay next to her. He kissed her forehead before turning in bed. Few minutes later, he was snoring loudly.

Babs opened her eyes and carefully got out from bed. She could hear Nightcap’s muffled hoofsteps and realised that her friend was waiting for her. She looked at Jet Set and quickly took her dress, knife, and his wallet. Then, trotting as quietly as she could, she left the bedroom and closed the door.

“What took ya so long?” Nightcap whispered. “I managed to get three rounds with Mr. Earl Grey III… Two minutes each.”

“Mr. Jet Set wanted to become a saviour of the little fillies who have to whore themselves for food…” Babs replied. “Let’s get outta here…”

Quietly, they left the room. There was nopony in the corridor, so they trotted to the elevator.

“Lesson three,” Babs said, and pushed one of the buttons. “The staff doesn’t see ya when ya’re with some rich wanker, but when ya’re in the hotel alone, ya have to be careful…”

The door of the elevator opened. Babs looked around and smirked – they were in the basement of the hotel, next to the laundry. After seeing that nopony was around, she put on her slightly mussy dress and trotted down the corridor, to the underground parking lot.

“Wanna steal one of those?” Nightcap asked, pointing at the luxurious carts visible in the dim light.

“I’d rather call it ‘redistribution of the goods’,” Babs said. “And no, we’re gonna get outta here by hoof…” She looked at the small door – an emergency exit. She approached it and pushed it open. After climbing up the narrow stairs, they found themselves in some dirty nook.

“We made it!” Nightcap exclaimed. “I got five hundred bits… How much did ya get?”

“At least three thousand…” Babs replied and saw Nightcap’s eyes widening. “And I need to throw up…”

“Did ya swallow or what? I told ya that–”

“No, he didn’t even finish…” Babs said. “It was just… Ya know, that’s why I prefer muggin’ ponies – ya just honestly hold someone at a knifepoint instead of all that... cheatin’... Nevermind, I got three thousand bits!”

“Geez, ya really was lucky…” Nightcap shook her head.

Babs took Jet Set’s wallet, produced three 500 bits coins from it and gave them to Nightcap. “Ya need ‘em more than I…” she said.

“I can’t take ‘em…” Nightcap backed away. “Ya made ‘em…”

“Listen, Nightcap...” Babs approached her, holding bits in her hoof. “I don’t like when someone doesn’t want to accept my offers… Ya’ll take those money or…” She made a move suggesting where the bits would end up if Nightcap kept refusing.

“Okay, chill out, Babs… I’ll take ‘em,” Nightcap said. “Though I had worse things there…”

They trotted out of the nook and headed to Nightcap’s place – Babs wanted to get rid of her ridiculous outfit before going back home. The tall, elegant buildings disappeared, replaced by old blocks made of bricks.

“Few more clients like that and I can end this,” Nightcap said. “Who knows, maybe I’ll try makin’ dresses again?”

“Yeah, maybe…” Babs muttered. She could still see Golden Sunset’s body and the scorched ruins of the old warehouse.

They turned into some trash-littered alley. The only light was coming from the moon and a single flickering street lamp.

“Give me yer money!”

Babs raised her head and looked around. She saw that someone hidden in the shadow was levitating a knife next to her throat.

“C’mon! Yer money!”

Nightcap reached to her purse unsurely. They could hear trotting of another pony standing behind them.

“I got this,” Babs whispered. “Hey, Hedgehog! Since when are ya muggin’ whores?”

“Since ya’re whorin’ yerself…” Hedgehog replied. The knife shook in his magic, but it was still close to Babs’ neck.

“Yeah, I know… Oh, how the mighty have fallen…” she exclaimed, rolling her eyes. “Now, would ya kindly fuck off and let me go?”

Hedgehog stepped into the circle of light. “It’s my street,” he said. “And ya shouldn’t whore yerself…”

“Why d’ya care?” Babs asked. “We’re not together; I can do whatever I want… And who did ya take with ya? Yer new marefriend?”

“Umm… It’s me…” White Dove muttered behind Babs.

“Oh, please…” Babs chuckled. “Dove, I’ve already let your dentist make some money… Don’t make me do that again…”

“Give me the money or…” Hedgehog said, waving the knife with his magic.

“Ya won’t dare…” Babs said calmly. “Dove stands too close to me. I’m gonna kick her and run away before ya…”

A wave of blue magic flew past her and hit Hedgehog who released his knife from his magic grasp. Babs turned around quickly and tackled White Dove. She didn’t hit her; instead she ran away, followed by Nightcap, leaving her two ex-friends rolling on the pavement.

“Nice shot,” Babs said when they stopped a couple of blocks away.

“I got tired of that asshole...” Nightcap smiled sheepishly. “Who the hell he was?”

“My ex,” Babs replied. “And he’s not an asshole… He’s just pissed that I left ‘em…”

“Nevermind,” Nightcap said. “I don’t think ya two would get together now…”

“Yeah…” Babs laughed. She looked around and saw that they were close to the Neighponese restaurant Raz worked in. During the Friday nights it was usually open, waiting for the hungry partygoers. “Wanna eat some noodles before we get home?” she asked.

“Sure, why not…” Nightcap smiled and they trotted to the restaurant.

Kids With Guns

“How d’ya think? How much that one have?” Nightcap asked, pointing at a brown stallion with blonde mane and white, thick-rimmed glasses.

“Five hundred, maybe less,” Babs replied. “‘Sides, he’s not lookin’ for a mare. Can ya see his sweater? He’s gay.”

Nightcap shook her head. “Ya’re too quick to assume. Such outfit is just fashionable…”

“A stallion and fashion? Please…” Babs chuckled. “He’s gayer than Scootaloo…”

“Who?” Nightcap asked, still watching the stallion. “What he’s lookin’ for?”

“Dunno, maybe his wallet. Or his virginity.” Babs blew a large balloon from her bubble gum. “Scootaloo is my cousin’s friend. Actually, she’s not gay. Her coltfriend is.” She giggled at her own joke. “Did I tell ya about my cousin? She’s–”

“Wait a minute,” Nightcap said, seeing that the stallion was approaching them. “Seems that ya were wrong, Babs…”

“Good evening,” the stallion said, smiling at them. “My name is Trenderhoof and I’m writing an article about, umm…”

“Whores?” Babs prompted. She immediately lost interest in him and began observing the street. She saw a bunch of young griffons walking down the sidewalk. All of them were wearing wide, leather jackets. Babs thought that they were perfect to hide something in them.

“I’d rather call it ‘Manehattan’s nightlife’,” Trenderhoof replied. “May I ask you some questions? I’ll pay…”

“Yes,” Nightcap replied quickly.

“No,” Babs muttered.

Trenderhoof ignored her and levitated a quill and a notebook. “Why are you, umm… working here?” he asked.

“I can’t get any other job,” Nightcap replied.

“It was either that or workin’ for a newspaper,” Babs deadpanned. “‘Sides, I’m a nympho and I love suckin’–”

“Nevermind,” Trenderhoof said. “What problems do you face in your life?”

“Lack of perspectives,” Nightcap replied. “Umm… shame. I… I can’t tell my family that…”

“Yeah, right…” Babs muttered. “I have no problems, except of ponies who ask too many questions and those griffons on the other side of the street.”

Trenderhoof ignored her. “Do you think that it’s far too easy to buy drugs in Manehattan?” he asked. Babs saw that the griffons stopped in front of some shop and began pointing at its window.

“Yes,” Nightcap replied.

“I’ve never had problems with gettin’ ‘em,” Babs said. She noticed a group of six ponies – three earth ponies, two unicorns and a pegasus – approaching the griffons. “If I were ya, Trendy, I’d get down. Like, now.”

The first shot pierced through the window of the shop, causing the alarm to go off. Trenderhoof ducked and quickly crawled behind the corner of the nearby building, followed by Babs and Nightcap. A rapid burst from a submachine gun tore the air, punctuated by the sound of a shotgun.

Babs curled into a fetal position and covered her ears. Another burst fired. She knew that sound well – a large stash of submachine guns – the small model, easy to conceal and able to empty a magazine of thirty 9mm bullets in two and half second – disappeared recently from the magazines of Manehattan Firearm Factory. Next to her, Trenderhoof was shuddering, his eyes clenched shut. Someone screamed; someone started calling some name.

The last shots fired and everything went quiet. Babs looked behind the corner and saw the bodies of two griffons and an earth pony lying on the pavement.

“Let’s get outta here,” Nightcap said. “The guards will be here soon.”

“Wait!” Trenderhoof exclaimed. “What the hay was that?”

Babs, who was already running away, stopped for a moment. “Manehattan’s nightlife,” she deadpanned.

It was already past midday when Babs woke up and trotted to the kitchen to get a breakfast. Her father was sitting at the table eating dinner and reading a newspaper.

“Hello, Sleeping Beauty,” he said. “When did you come back at night?”

Babs scratched her head. “About… 3 AM, I think. I was at a party…”

Her father looked at her and shook his head. “You shouldn’t walk around the town at night,” he said and pointed at his newspaper. “There was another shootout. They say that the griffons are trying to get rid of the local mafia.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t go into bad neighbourhoods,” Babs said.

She thought about the brown unicorn in a suit who paid them for a drug delivery. Were it his ponies who shot the griffons?

Mafia wars weren’t new thing in Manehattan. When Babs was six, the della Morte family from Las Pegasus tried to take over the town. She remembered exactly the December day, just before Hearth’s Warming Eve, when she went shopping with her mother to the Neighponese district and they witnessed kirins, hired by the local don, shooting Tocco della Morte. She remembered her fascination with the body, lying in the red snow and her mother pulling her away. From what she heard, the griffons who’d recently appeared in Manehattan were friends with Tocco’s son, Bacio della Morte.

“I hope so,” Babs’ father said. Babs knew he wouldn’t forbid her to go out at night. The money she was bringing home was much more both of her parents could make. They finished eating in silence and Babs left home, telling him that she was going to visit a friend.

She trotted through the staircase trying not to listen to her neighbour arguing with his wife in the flat next to hers and the foals’ cries coming from upstairs. In such place, the less one knew about their neighbours the better.

She checked carefully if there were no griffons around and went down the pavement, lost in her thoughts. She saw a couple of guards standing in the corner of the street and watching the ponies passing by.

“Hey, you!” one of them called. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here,” Babs replied. “And before ya ask, I ain’t have no gun or drugs with me.”

“Strange,” another guard said, looking at Babs curiously. “Looks like a pony but wears a griffon jacket.”

“I murdered the previous owner and dumped him in the river,” Babs muttered, glaring at him angrily. “Could ya please leave me alone?”

The guard blocked her way. “Listen, lady, I don’t know if you get the memo, but mafia often uses kids like you to–”

“Leave her,” another guard said. “I have a kid that age too… They’re all worse than foals.”

“Thank you,” Babs deadpanned and walked away, looking at the guards from time to time. She trotted to the underground station and took the train to the district where Nightcap lived. She knew that Nightcap was probably still sleeping and that she didn’t like when Babs woke her up, but she was bored.

Even though most of the ponies were at work, the carriage was full of them; usually they were fillies and colts around Babs’ age, standing in groups of five or six. Babs thought about a time where she led such a group herself and started to look carefully at them. Griffons rarely used public transport, so the probability of a brawl or shootout wasn’t big, unless the ponies were hoofball or pegasi racing fans. However, Babs wanted to keep a low profile – she wasn’t sure what “the big guy” thought about her change of hobby.

“Hey, filly,” one of the colts said, leaning closer to her. “Can we talk for a moment?”

“Get lost,” Babs muttered. “Or ya’ll carry your balls to a hospital in a cardboard box…”

“See?” the colt said to his companions. “It’s her…”

Babs quickly put her hoof in her pocket, ready to pull out her knife. “It’s her” could, of course, mean “It’s my friend who does awesome things”, but in Manehattan it usually meant “It’s that bitch who robbed me/owes me money/beat the crap out of my friend” and so on. Babs tried to recall all the ponies she’d pissed off recently. It was a rather long list.

“Hedgehog wants to talk with you,” said the colt. “He says that it’s important.”

“Tell him to come to me himself,” Babs replied, “and that I’m not interested in workin’ with kids like Dove anymore.”

The colts looked at each other unsurely. All of them seemed to be around Dove’s age. Before they could reply, the train stopped and Babs left it without even looking at them.

The neighbourhood where Nightcap lived was even worse than Babs’. It consisted of a couple of blocks of flats which were quite modern at the time when they were built. They were supposed to be a completely self-sufficient estate for the ponies working in the potions factory nearby, with flats, shops, schools, and offices crowded together close to each other. Instead, the dark, narrow streets and bridges connecting the higher floors of the buildings with each other became an ideal environment for pathology – a growth medium where the bacteria causing all the Manehattan’s illnesses could grow freely.

Babs was just about to walk between two of the blocks, when she heard someone calling her name. She turned back and saw a familiar silhouette of an orange pegasus.

“Scootaloo!” she exclaimed. “What are ya doin’ here? Is Apple Bloom with ya?”

Scootaloo trotted to her with a smile on her face. She was wearing a colourful scarf and a pair of saddlebags. “No, she couldn’t come,” she said. “Rumble is starting in a pegasi race. I want to see him.”

Babs didn’t remember when she’d last been to such a race. She more or less remembered the rules – seven pegasi in each team; fifteen heats, four laps each; two pegasi from each team in every race. She also remembered the die-hard fans of Manehattan team.

“Take that off!” Babs exclaimed, pointing at Scootaloo’s scarf. She looked around, but luckily no one was there.

“What’s goin’ on?” Scootaloo asked.

“Have ya ever been here?” Babs asked. “On the stadium, surrounded by guards, ya can wear a scarf of your team. But if somepony saw ya wearin’ it here… They’d send ya back to Ponyville in a plastic bag. Possibly a couple of ‘em.”

Scootaloo took a scarf off and hid it in her saddlebags. “Yeah…” she muttered. “I’m kinda dumb… Anyway, what are you doing here? Are you gonna see the match too?”

“Maybe…” Babs replied. Nightcap could wait. She hadn’t seen Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle for ages. Besides, Scootaloo clearly needed someone to guide her through Manehattan – the stadium was in another district. They trotted back to the station and took a train.

“So, how’s Ponyville?” Babs asked. “I’ve heard that ya learned to fly…”

“Yeah…” Scootaloo replied. “But I’m still not fast enough to be in a team…”

Babs heard that according to the newest rules, each pegasi racing team had to have two juniors in the starting line-up. “So, Rumble is in a team, right?” she asked. “Who else?”

“Tornado Bolt,” Scootaloo said and gritted her teeth. “She’s maybe a second faster than me… There’s also Thunderlane, Cerulean Sky, Cloudchaser, Flitter, and Parasol.”

Babs nodded her head. She didn’t really know who was in the Manehattan team. “How’s Apple Bloom?” she asked.

“Better,” Scootaloo replied. “She doesn’t have so many headaches anymore…”

“Good,” Babs muttered. She remembered well the headaches Apple Bloom had after she’d nearly been killed by Diamond Tiara.

“Yeah… Though I think she’s a bit down…” Scootaloo said. “You know, it seems that some ponies are pissed at her…”

“Why?” Babs asked.

“Because she survived and their kids didn’t…” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “I know, it’s fucked up… This town didn’t really get back to normal after that…”

Welcome to my world, Babs thought. In Manehattan, we have a dozen of Diamond Tiaras a week…

“I’m getting sick of it,” Scootaloo said. “Once I’m eighteen, I’ll go to Canterlot to become a guard.”

“What?” Babs exclaimed. “You and the guards?”

“Well, at first I thought about the army, but chasing changelings in the middle of the desert or fighting dragons in Stalliongrad isn’t for me,” Scootaloo replied.

Babs shook her head. The only kind of ponies she hated more than the mafia were the guards. She knew that she wouldn’t survive a day in prison – she was too used to freedom and the very thought of being locked in a cage was unbearable for her. “Sorry, Scoots, but ya just don’t look like a guard to me…”

“Why?” Scootaloo chuckled. “I’d be good in pursuits…” She pointed at her cutie mark – a burning scooter wheel. Even though she outgrew her scooter long ago, it seemed that her special talent was somehow connected with anything that had wheels.

Babs sighed. She knew that she and Sweetie Belle were the only remaining blank flanks, but it always hurt her when she was reminded of that. Then she imagined herself, chased by someone like Scootaloo and shuddered.

“By the way,” Scootaloo said. “Sweetie got her cutie mark recently…”

Babs’ head drooped. Scootaloo was talking about Sweetie winning a singing contest, but she didn’t listen. She wanted to scream or break something.

There were many things she was good at. Fighting, throwing knives, stealing money, cheating, running away… Apparently none of these things was worthy of being her special talent.

The train stopped. They got out of it and saw that the whole station was crowded with pegasi racing fans. Babs wanted to guide Scootaloo through them, but saw that she just took off and flew above their heads.

“Oh, sorry!” Scootaloo exclaimed, seeing that Babs was stuck in a crowd. “I’ll wait for you…”

“No problem, really…” Babs muttered. She “accidentally” smacked a foal who was trying to pickpocket her and pushed herself through the ponies, trying to catch up with Scootaloo. She managed to get to the stairs and climbed to the street. The stadium was not far away – the rows of seats, bleached by the sun, were surrounding an oval track with bands made of clouds – in case a racer rammed into them.

Babs noticed that although the crowd seemed large, it wasn’t enough to fill the whole stadium. That kind of racing wasn’t as popular in Manehattan as, for example, hoofball. Most of the fans recruited from working class – Babs’ father really liked it, though since he’d lost his leg, he didn’t go to the matches anymore. Unlike other kinds of pegasi racing, it was more about good start and an ability to take sharp turns, rather than speed and stamina. In each race, four pegasi, two from each team, were racing against each other. The first one to complete four laps would get three points for their team, the second would get two points and the third – one point.

After some time spent in the queue, they managed to buy the tickets and sat in the front row. Babs bought a cider for them and they watched the presentation of the teams.

“So, this is Tornado Bolt?” Babs asked, pointing at the grey filly with violet mane and tornado cutie mark.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo replied. “She might be a second faster, but Rumble asked me out…”

“Good for you…” Babs chuckled, eyeing the grey colt trotting next to his brother. She knew Rumble from her rare visits in Ponyville and he always seemed a bit off to her. For a colt, he cared a bit too much about his appearance. Then Babs remembered Hedgehog and thought that maybe it wasn’t such a big flaw.

The presentation was over and the first two pairs of pegasi stood on the start line.

“Juniors from both teams take part in the first race,” Scootaloo said, watching Rumble and Tornado Bolt preparing to the race. “Though they want to change that…”

“Yeah…” Babs muttered. She saw that she was sitting among ponies from Ponyville and decided that it was better to forget that she was technically supposed to support two racers from Manehattan, Tiger Moth and Skiddle. “Kids may shit themselves when they start the match… In which races he starts?”

“One, seven and twelve,” Scootaloo replied. “And, if he’s good enough, maybe he’ll be in the race fourteen or fifteen.”

Babs nodded. She didn’t remember the rules exactly, but she’d heard that the line-up of the last two races depended of the decision of the coaches rather than the schedule.

They heard the signal to start and the four pegasi took off. Babs smirked when she saw that Tiger Moth, a blue pegasus with a short blonde mane, managed to start faster than Rumble and was the leader after the first corner. Rumble was flying right behind him, followed by Tornado Bolt. It could be, however, seen that she had problems – the second racer from Manehattan, Skiddle, was flapping her wings really fast and tried to use any opportunity to take over. Finally, at the second turn of the third lap, Tornado Bolt made a mistake – she flew a bit too wide and nearly smeared the cloud. Skiddle let out a scream heard even in the nosebleed seats and flew past the corner at a neck-breaking pace. Nothing changed during the final lap – the results after the first race were 4:2 for Manehattan.

“Not bad…” Scootaloo muttered, watching Rumble who landed next to the rest of the team. Thunderlane patted his head. Tornado Bolt sat on the grass and shook her head. Cloudchaser immediately trotted to console her.

“Bet ya could do better, huh?” Babs asked. She could barely hear anything through the cheering crowd.

“Of course…” Scootaloo chuckled, watching the preparations to the next heat in which Thunderlane and Cloudchaser were going to race against two idols of the local fans, Jet and Flash Forward. “I don’t crash against anything when I fly…”

It quickly turned out that it was a good idea to make the track boundaries out of clouds. In the second race, Flash Forward crashed into one after trying to overtake Cloudchaser. Jet finished that heat second and after two races each of the teams had six points. In the third race, however, Manehattan team took the lead after Storm Runner and Wind Breaker gave no chance to Flitter and Cerulean Sky.

In the fourth race, Tornado Bolt partially redeemed herself – she was second, defeated only by Airwave from Manehattan. In the same race, Parasol managed to win overtake Skiddle on the first turn, and it ended in a 3:3 draw.

“I’d win that…” Scootaloo said, taking a large sip of her cider. “Airwave keeps making the same mistake while turning.”

“Can ya explain that to me?” Babs asked. Her mind was conflicted: she wanted to buy herself a second cider, but she knew that she’d have to go to the toilet after drinking it. The toilets in the stadium weren’t very welcoming.

“Well, he makes such a move and loses speed on the apex of the turn…” Scootaloo flapped her wings, demonstrating Airwave’s mistake.

“Yeah, right…” Babs muttered and looked at her programme. “This race will be interesting… Thunderlane and Cloudchaser against Storm Runner and Wind Breaker…”

“Wind Breaker also makes that mistake,” Scootaloo said. “Maybe it’s the coach’s fault…”

“Hey, she was far better than Flitter…” Babs said.

“Meh, Flitter was just unluckly. If Storm Runner didn’t block her…”

After the race, Babs stopped doubting in Scootaloo’s ability to assess the form of the racers – Wind Breaker came last. Storm Runner, however, saved the Manehattan team from the complete defeat and after five races the hosts led by two points.

The crowds cheering was growing louder. Some ponies from Ponyville began chanting, trying to silence the fans from Manehattan. They answered with even louder chanting. Babs noticed the guards walking around the bleachers and started to think what would happen if Ponyville team won. Definitely, they’d better be somewhere else then.

The fifth race was won by Flitter. Unfortunately, Cerulean Sky came last, so the race ended in a draw.

“I told you she’s in good form,” Scootaloo said, watching Flitter making a somersault in the air before going back to the team.

“Yeah, because Airwave and Skiddle are so great opponents…” Babs muttered, but Scootaloo didn’t listen to her. She stood up and rested her hooves against the fence, watching the preparations to the next race, in which Rumble and Parasol were facing Jet and Flash Forward.

The race started. The crowd went silent when Rumble slid under Jet’s wing, taking advantage of his smaller frame. The Manehattan pegasus, surprised by the junior’s audacity, made a mistake and accidentally blocked Flash Forward, who nearly crashed into him. It lasted maybe a split second, but it was enough for Parasol to overtake them both and fly behind Rumble.

Her bigger wings were an advantage and after two laps, she also managed to overtake Rumble – in fact, he let her do it, as he was getting tired and he’d only slow her down. Jet and Flash Forward were too far to get to him, so it didn’t matter who’d be first – such result meant five points for Ponyville.

The Manehattan crowd started to scream and whistle when Flash Forward landed and kicked the dirt on the stadium. It was halfway through the match, the Ponyville team was winning by two points and Flash Forward was the only pegasus who didn’t score even a single point yet.

It wasn’t, however, the end of the home team problems. In the next race, Thunderlane and Cloudchaser easily won with Airwave (who, according to Scootaloo, still had a problem, though Babs couldn’t see it) and junior Tiger Moth. In heat number 9, Flash Forward finally redeemed himself and defeated Flitter.

“I’m afraid about Tornado Bolt…” Scootaloo muttered, watching the filly as she stood in line with Parasol, Storm Runner and Wind Breaker. “She doesn’t seem to feel good on those turns…”

“Still, she has more points than Cerulean Sky…” Babs replied. “Look, her start seems okay… Fuck!”

Tornado Bolt was leading the race only to the first corner. When she tried to turn, her wing suddenly twisted and she crashed into the barrier. The race was stopped. Tornado Bolt crawled out of the cloud and trotted back to the line, but it was obvious that something was wrong with her wing. She managed, however, to complete her final race. Struggling with pain, she came last, after Parasol, Storm Runner and Wind Breaker.

“She wasn’t lucky today,” Scootaloo concluded. “I need to go to Sugarcube Corner with her when we’re back…”

“I thought ya two don’t like each other…” Babs chuckled.

“Don’t forget about the team spirit,” Scootaloo replied. “It’s like with Cutie Mark Crusaders…”

Babs froze. She thought about the Crusaders – both the ones from Ponyville and those from Manehattan. When had she seen them for the last time? Not counting the encounter from the last night, it was a few weeks ago. She thought about Cracker – he’d gone to jail to protect her and she’d just left him. Sure, he was a psychopath, but still…

She barely remembered the next run and only Scootaloo’s excited screams told her that Flitter and Cloudchaser managed to defeat Airwave and Flash Forward. She wanted to have a drink and go home, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what the colt on a train had told her. Hedgehog wanted to see her. She didn’t know why, but apparently it was important.

Race number 12 was Rumble’s last – and the only one where he was flying alongside his brother. Babs stood next to Scootaloo, but she didn’t have high hopes – Manehattan was losing 36:30 and even though Storm Runner was so far the best of the home team pegasi, it was hard to imagine that Tiger Moth would suddenly defeat Thunderlane, allowing them to catch up. Scootaloo began to cheer wildly – Rumble managed to take revenge on Tiger Moth for the first race and eventually was third, after Storm Runner and Thunderlane. Still, it meant that the results now were 39 to 33 and there were only three races to the end.

“We’d better go,” Babs muttered to Scootaloo. “It may end in a brawl…”

“No way!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “I need to see Rumble…”

“You’ll see him later…” Babs said, looking around. The crowd was shouting angrily, but she didn’t know at who exactly – match officials, their team, opposing team, or maybe at each other. The guards were surrounding them. For the first time in ages, Babs felt good seeing them.

Surprisingly, Cerulean Sky won the last of the scheduled races. Jet was second and Parasol was third, leaving poor Airwave in the dust. Now, the coaches were going to choose the pegasi flying in the last two races. Thunderlane and Cloudchaser stood on the start line – each of them scored 9 points so far. Storm Runner stood between them – he had ten points, but Jet, who was his partner for this race, had only six.

“They’re gonna skin us…” Babs muttered, watching the angry fans. It seemed that even Storm Runner was a target of their abuse. Babs thought that it could be a distraction that caused him to start a bit too late, letting Thunderlane win. After the race was finished, she sat on her seat and shook her head.

“It’s over…” she said. “We won’t get ten points in the last race…”

“Oh, come on…” Scootaloo sat next to her. “At least Ponyville won…”

“Well, I don’t care…” Babs said and pointed at the crowd which was now trying to get past the guards. The fans from Ponyville were shouting at them. “...but those guys certainly do…”

The last race finished with Flash Forward’s victory, making the final result 49:41 for Ponyville, but barely anyone saw that. Babs led Scootaloo through the sectors, avoiding empty bottles and cups thrown at them. She felt her mane tingling when the guards started to fire spells in order to stop the charging fans. They quickly trotted downstairs, heading to the changing room.

Rumble was already waiting for them. “Hi, Scoots” he said and kissed Scootaloo’s cheek before turning to Babs. “Who are you?”

“You don’t remember?” Scootaloo asked. “It’s Apple Bloom’s cousin, Babs.”

“Oh, yeah…” Rumble chuckled. “You called me a faggot once…”

“Twice,” Babs replied. “We’d better get outta here…”

“Yeah…” Rumble said and pointed at the ceiling. “What’s going on there?”

“Ya pissed off some ponies…” Babs said. “Don’t worry, I know how to get to the underground before they reach it…”

They trotted out of the stadium, followed by the rest of the team. Tornado Bolt was walking slowly behind them, before Scootaloo told her to join them.

Babs quickly started to regret that she took them with her. They managed to ride to the railway station before the fans started to demolish the whole town, but she just couldn’t listen to Scootaloo reminding everyone endlessly that Rumble, despite being sixteen, scored two points more than much more experienced Wind Breaker. She could easily understand Tornado Bolt who was still silent, with her head hanging low.

“I’ll bring ya some cider,” Babs said. “The train to Ponyville should be here soon…”

“I can’t drink, I’m underaged,” Rumble said. “Also, I’m a sportspony…”

“Faggot,” Babs muttered through gritted teeth and lit up a cigarette. Then she went to the nearby shop to buy cider for herself, Scootaloo and Tornado Bolt. Especially the grey filly looked like she needed some.

When she was trotting down the pavement, she suddenly spotted a familiar, red spiked mane in the crowd of ponies.

“Hedgehog!” she exclaimed. “What are ya doin’ here? Some little shit told me that ya were lookin’ for me…”

Hedgehog definitely wasn’t sober – he was staggering slightly and his mane was in an even bigger mess than usual. He blinked, probably trying to recall who Babs was.

“It’s me,” Babs muttered. “What the hell ya want?”

She could almost hear something clicking in his head. “It’s Dove,” he muttered, avoiding her gaze. “The griffons kidnapped her…”

Author's Note

The readers from Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Poland, or Australia may know what sport the pegasi racing in this chapter is based on. Also, for the people who like stats, I made a table (actually I made it to not get lost in it).

Deeper

Babs got out of the wagon, looked at the building and realised that it was a funeral parlour. She shuddered, but then thought that it was making sense. No one would look for a body there.

They circled the building and Raz led them to the back door, hidden in the ivy growing on the wall. He raised his hoof and knocked on the door.

“Who’s there?” they heard a sleepy voice with an unmistakable Trottingham accent.

“It’s me, Raz,” Raz said.

The door opened and they saw an orange unicorn filly, slightly older than Babs. She had a green mane and Babs had an absurd thought that she looked like a carrot. She tried to chuckle, but then she remembered why she was here and wiped tears from her eyes.

“Ya brought friends or what?” the filly asked. “I’m not in the mood for parties, y’know.” She yawned. When she covered her mouth with her hoof, Babs saw a row of scars on it. She began to wonder how the filly acquired them.

“We have a problem,” Raz said. “Our wagon is in the front.”

“Wagon?” The filly looked at Babs, Hedgehog and Lightning Dust unsurely. “How many ‘problems’ do ya have?”

“Six,” Hedgehog replied. “Would be less, but Babs…”

“Fuck off,” Babs muttered, glaring at him angrily.

“Oh… okay…” the filly said. “Come inside. By the way, my name’s Sunshine Rainbows. I work here and, as Raz probably told ya, I sometimes… umm… clean.”

Lightning Dust nodded. “We just kinda need cleaning,” she said. “Some kids simply…”

“Enough!” Raz exclaimed, seeing that Babs was about to tackle Lightning Dust.

“How exactly do ya… clean?” Hedgehog asked, trying to sound casual. The fact that Sunshine Rainbows was currently making a tea for them as if nothing happened wasn’t helping him in that.

“Oh, it’s easy,” Sunshine replied. “Too bad I can’t use the crematory – the owners would notice. Also it’d make a lot of mess if one of your ‘problems’ had a pacemaker. But I just bury them in the cemetery…”

“No one says anything about that?” Babs asked.

Sunshine Rainbows levitated five cups of tea and put them on the table. Then she levitated a couple of shovels. “I often dig at night,” she replied. “With the amount of ponies who die in Manehattan every day…”

“No one would discover that?” Hedgehog asked. “Someone could later dig another grave in that place…”

“Don’t worry,” Sunshine said. “We usually dig graves about six hooves deep. For problems like yours, we’ll dig a deeper grave, bury them, and tomorrow put some good citizen above them. Ya’ll help me digging, of course.” She looked at the faces of her guests. “Ya don’t think I’ll dig that myself…”

“I was just thinking…” Babs said in a monotone voice. She still could see the six bodies anytime she closed her eyes. She looked at her tea, but she couldn’t make herself drink it. “Why it feels so… natural to ya?”

“It’s my job,” Sunshine replied. “Also, I’m used to weird shit, ya know. I was in a nuthouse with the Sleepless Killer.” She grinned like a madmare, but no one laughed. “If ya don’t want yer tea, let’s go and help me digging. In the meantime, ya can tell me what happened…Y’know, I love such stories...”

Babs was barely able to keep a straight face while hanging out with Scootaloo on the railway station. When the train to Ponyville finally arrived, she sighed with relief, said goodbye to the pegasus and quickly left the station, going back to Hedgehog. He was barely able to sit calmly on a bench and when he saw her, he immediately ran to her.

“What exactly happened?” Babs asked frantically when they found some nook where no one could hear them.

“Sh-she was makin’ a delivery,” Hedgehog replied. “They caught her… took the drugs… and they’re keepin’ her in some warehouse…”

“Where exactly?” Babs exclaimed. She began pacing around nervously. “We need to go to Raz…”

“The kids are lookin’ for her,” Hedgehog said. “The big guy is only concerned about the drugs, but I talked to that mare he fucks… She’ll help us…”

Babs nodded her head. She remembered the aquamarine pegasus she’d seen when she last was in the big guy’s house. Suddenly, she thought about something else. “The kids?” she asked. “Ya mean that bunch of retards that talked to me on a train? D’ya want ‘em to be killed or what?”

“It’s all I got,” he replied.

“It’s all ya got? Me, ya, Raz, some kids and the boss’ whore?!” Babs yelled. “We’re gonna die!”

“Whore? Funny ya say that,” Hedgehog said. “She’s a Wonderbolts drop-out or somethin’. And she gave me this.” He unzipped his jacket, revealing a submachine gun.

Babs sighed. “Just great…” she muttered. “We’re not only gonna get killed or arrested… And all that for some little–”

“Don’t say that…” Hedgehog glared at her angrily. “If it wasn’t for her, we’d still have to mother that cunt… Or ya’d be in prison…”

“I’d rather be in prison…” Babs said. “She… she killed her… Just like that…”

“And now the griffons will kill her.” Hedgehog sighed. “Just like that.”

Babs looked at her hooves. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll help ya…”

“So, you are that filly, right?” the aquamarine pegasus asked. “Name’s Lightning Dust.”

Babs said nothing. They were in the record studio where Hedgehog lived and she’d just seen the ponies who were supposed to help them free White Dove.

Raz was sitting in the corner, silent as usual. Next to him stood three colts, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old. She noticed that they weren’t given guns and sighed with relief.

“Do you know how to shoot this?” Lightning Dust asked, giving her a submachine similar to the one Hedgehog had shown her. Babs shook her head, so Lightning pulled the bolt backwards, aiming the gun at the floor. “Now it’s almost ready to shoot,” she said. “It’s a cheap piece of shit, so don’t drop it or it might fire. It has a safety catch that also switches it between semi-auto and full-auto, but I wouldn’t trust it. Same with the sights.”

“Just great,” Babs muttered and lit up a cigarette. “How often it explodes in somepony’s hooves?”

“Don’t worry.” Lightning Dust closed the bolt of the gun and gave it to Babs. “It didn’t happen… yet. You’ll die of lung cancer faster.”

“Fuck ya,” Babs replied.

“Is she always like that?” Lightning Dust asked Hedgehog. “No wonder you two broke up.”

Babs pulled the bolt of the gun backwards, undid the safety catch and aimed it at Lightning Dust. “Fuck off me,” she said. “I don’t wanna hear anythin’ about me and Hedgehog, got it? I’m tired of this crap.”

“Geez…” Lightning Dust tried to roll her eyes, but it didn’t look very convincing – seeing Babs aiming at her, she started to sweat profusely. “Okay, I’ll fuck off! Just stop waiving this around!”

“Good,” Babs said, turned the safety on and hid the gun in her jacket. It was making a barely visible bulge.

“Still, I think you’re a crazy little bitch…” Lightning Dust muttered and turned to the colts. “Do you know where those griffons are?” she asked.

“It’s a small warehouse not far away from the airship factory,” said one of the colts. He had a slight lisp. “There are six griffons there…”

“So, six of ‘em and four of us…” Babs said.

“Seven of us,” the colt interrupted her.

“Shut up,” Babs muttered. “We ain’t gonna take ya there. Ya’ll wait outside.”

“Why?” the other colt asked. Babs remembered that it was the one whom Hedgehog sent to talk with her.

“Because if the griffons don’t shoot ya, I’ll do that…” Babs replied.

The colt wanted to say something, but Raz silenced him. “Don’t argue with her,” he said. “It ain’t safe for ya to go there.”

“Also, Babs only understands arguments like ‘I have a gun and you don’t’,” Hedgehog added.

“You’ve never had problems with that before,” Babs muttered.

Lightning Dust sighed. “That’s why I hate teenagers…” she said. “You’ll finish that conversation in the wagon.”

They left the studio and trotted to a battered wagon with “Delivery” written on its wall in large letters. They harnessed Raz and Lightning Dust to it and sat inside. The sun was slowly setting when they rode down the street.

“There are clothes inside,” Lightning Dust said. Babs found a couple of black bags in the wagon and opened them. Inside were navy blue bardings with lots of straps for additional equipment like knives or clips of ammo. There was also some duct tape there. Babs remembered a war novel she’d once read and taped two magazines together in case she needed to reload quickly. Hedgehog, seeing this, did the same.

The barding was a bit too big for her. She stood in it, trying different moves. She noticed that it was reinforced with metal plates, though they weren’t thick enough to be called a proper bulletproof vest. However, she decided to keep it – it was better to have cracked ribs than be dead.

She looked through the window and saw that they were now going through the part of the town littered with magazines, warehouses, hangars, and factory halls. On the horizon, she could see the silhouettes of skeletons of several airships. With the red sky in the background, they looked ominous. Babs sat on the floor of the wagon and checked if she could easily reach her knife.

The vehicle stopped.

“We need to go further by hoof,” Lightning Dust said. “We don’t want to alarm them…”

Raz and Lightning Dust quickly put their bardings on. Babs noticed that the pegasus’ outfit was different – it seemed that it was made of an old Wonderbolts trainee uniform with a sewn tear on the chest.

“Let’s go,” Lightning Dust said. Babs blew her mane from her eyes and trotted forward. Someone trotted on the other side of the street seeing them.

“We’re close…” Hedgehog muttered, seeing an abandoned warehouse. Several large, rusty pipes were lying before it. “It’s the magazine Cortland described to me…”

So, that kid’s name is Cortland? Babs thought. His parents probably hate him… Then she remembered that cortland was a kind of apple and started to wonder if the colt wasn’t, by some twist of fate, her fourth cousin, twice removed. They circled the building and stopped in front of a hole in the fence.

“I’ll check what’s going on,” Lightning Dust said. She spread her wings and took off. She flew some circles above the building, trying to look through the broken windows, landed on the roof and gestured them towards herself.

“Let’s go,” Hedgehog said. They trotted slowly through the backyard, hiding behind the pipes. Babs walked on three hooves, holding her gun in the fourth; she knew that after a few shots it’d probably hit her in the face, but still it was better than stopping and trying to reach for it. She sighed, seeing Hedgehog simply levitating his gun, and blew her mane from her eyes. She craved a cigarette and she couldn’t get the thought about White Dove from her mind – was she still alive?

“It’s too silent,” Raz whispered when they approached the back door of the warehouse.

Lightning Dust landed next to them. “Two are sitting there and seem very bored,” she muttered, pointing at the door.

Hedgehog aimed at the door, but Raz stopped him. “It’s better not to warn ‘em…”

“Exactly,” Lightning Dust stood in front of the door, ready to kick them open. “Try not to shoot… 3… 2… 1...”

They ran into the dark magazine. The first griffon only managed to raise his head when Lightning Dust kicked him in the head, sending him backwards and the stack of empty crates. The second stood up, spreading his wings when Babs pierced one of them with a knife. He screamed and hit her with his claws, which bounced off the metal plate in her barding. Hedgehog jumped to him, swinging a gun with his magic. It hit the griffon’s skull. Blood stained white feathers, but the griffon didn’t want to give up. He reached behind the mattress he’d been lying on and tried to lift a large revolver.

Before he could put his claws on the weapon, Raz appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Babs heard a blood-curdling snap and another scream when the donkey kicked the griffon. Another hit with the butt of the gun finally caused him to collapse. They could already hear the flapping of wings and quick steps.

“We woke everyone up!” Lightning Dust exclaimed. “Get down!”

They hid behind the stack of wooden crates. An explosion tore the air. Babs screamed when she felt a powerful punch to the side. She collapsed, trying to catch her breath. Above her, Lightning Dust was firing at the incoming griffons. The shotgun fired once more – after piercing through several rows of crates, the buckshot had no power to kill, but, as Babs learned, it was still painful to get hit. She sat down and lifted her gun, firing at everything that was moving in the dimness. The recoil was causing the gun to go upwards. Babs cursed, shaking her mane off her eyes.

They heard a series of bursts from a machine gun. A torrent of splinters fell on them. They began to crawl to the right, trying to outflank the griffons.

“Watch out!” Lightning Dust screamed, taking off – just in time to ram into a griffon, sending him at the warehouse wall. He tried to get up, but then Lightning Dust dived to the left, leaving Raz and Hedgehog a clean shot. Several scarlet holes appeared on his chest, throwing him back at the wall.

Babs didn’t see that – she spotted another griffon, trying to approach them, flying at low altitude. She aimed, holding the gun firmly in both hooves, and fired – a single bullet pierced through his wing and hit the crates behind him, leaving a trail of blood and feathers. The griffon fell to the ground, losing his gun. Babs aimed one more time, only to hear a click. She cursed under her breath. Her hoof shook, when she hesitated, unsure if she should take another clip or a knife. Luckily, the griffon was now running away.

“Three down…” Lightning Dust muttered, wiping sweat from her forehead. “That leaves three…”

“One of them is wounded,” Babs said. Her hooves were shaking when she changed the magazine. “Let’s find Dove and get outta here…”

Raz and Hedgehog pulled the two unconscious griffons behind their cover, put them next to their dead companion and bound them with duct tape.

They trotted forward, hiding behind the crates, rotten remains of carts and other equipment they could find. The griffons were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Lightning Dust stopped and pointed at a puddle on the floor. “Seems that our bleeding friend was here,” she muttered.

“Watch out!” Babs shouted. She looked up at the ceiling just in time to see two griffons sitting on a timber and aiming at them. A wave of buckshot hit the floor next to her; she lifted her gun and fired back. The bullets missed; she rolled on the floor, trying to avoid the shots.

Lightning Dust darted upwards, holding a metal spanner in her hooves. When the griffon with a submachine stopped firing to reload she threw it at him – before he could see what hit him, he was already halfway to the stack of crates. His companion looked to see what happened. Lightning Dust only waited for that – she rammed into him, pushing him off the timber. He spread his wings, trying to save himself, but then a wave of bullets from three guns hit him, tearing him apart. He was dead before he hit the floor with a sickening crunch.

Lightning Dust landed next to the griffon she’d hit with a spanner and checked his pulse. “Alive,” she muttered. “We need to find that last fucker…”

Babs changed the magazine and looked around. The griffon she’d shot was nowhere to be seen. She knew that he couldn’t fly but it wasn’t making him any less dangerous. Lightning Dust started to circle around the hall, trying to spot him, while Babs, Raz, and Hedgehog began searching through the crates.

“I’m here…” they heard a voice not far away from the warehouse’s social room. They turned there and saw the griffon lying on the floor and panting heavily. She was holding White Dove’s saddlebags in his claws. “I give it back…” he said. “That’s why you’re here, right?”

Before anypony could reply, Babs rushed to him, punched him in the beak and stood on his injured wing. “We don’t give a fuck about your drugs!” she shouted. “Where’s the filly?”

“What filly?” he asked, trying to not scream. “I ain’t know nothin’ about the filly!”

“Yeah, right…” Lightning Dust muttered. She flew to the griffon and took saddlebags from him. “Raz, Hedge, get the rest. Maybe they’ll be more talkative.” She looked inside the torn saddlebags and smirked.

Raz and Hedgehog dragged the bound griffons and the bodies to the centre of the hall. Their prisoners were slowly regaining consciousness. Some of them looked at their two dead companions and shuddered.

“Okay, guys,” Lightning Dust said. “It won’t take long… Remember the filly who was carrying those saddlebags? White, orange mane, about fourteen years old? The first to say where she is will be free like a bird…”

“Fuck you,” the griffon whom they’d knocked down first replied. “We know you, ponies… You’ll kill us anyway…” He was brutally cut off, when Lightning Dust punched him.

Babs shook her head. She looked at the torn body of a griffon and realised that she’d killed him. She wasn’t sure if her bullets didn’t miss when she’d fired at him together with Raz and Hedgehog, but still she shot at him, wanting him dead.

She felt an unpleasant feeling in her stomach and decided to go to the social room and smoke a cigarette. Lightning Dust was currently busy beating and kicking the griffons, so she simply trotted away.

She put a cigarette in her mouth and pushed the scratched door open, looking for her lighter in the pocket of her barding. She could barely see anything in the room – the remains of torn posters with sexy mares were hanging from the walls, there was also an old cupboard and a rotting table covered with a thick layer of dust. She lit up a cigarette and in a light from her lighter she saw something that caused it to fall on the floor.

White Dove was lying on the floor behind the table. Her glassy eyes were looking at the ceiling. Her hind legs were spread. Babs felt a wave of nausea when she looked at her more exactly and saw a puddle of stale blood between them. Her white fur was covered in black marks, as if someone used it to quench cigarettes. Her mouth was opened in a silent scream; the shards of broken teeth were protruding from her pale gums.

Babs staggered and threw up on the floor. Then she felt her muscles tense and shiver. She started to hyperventilate and barely made herself turn her gaze away from White Dove’s body. She looked for some cloth to cover it, but there was nothing like that in sight. She took off her barding, tearing it in some places and put it on White Dove. Then she noticed a familiar black thing that fell out from her pocket when she’d been stripping herself.

The gun. Babs looked at it and something in her mind clicked.

Letting out a powerful scream, she darted out of the social room. “Get out!” she yelled to Lightning Dust and her friends. Lightning looked at her, surprised and took off, just before the brain of the first griffon, the one with an injured wing, splashed on her barding. The second griffon tried to tear the duct tape, but another bullet pierced through his throat, causing him to collapse, trying to catch his breath.

Babs went past him, unfazed by the fact that her hooves were stained with his blood and shot at the third griffon at a point-blank range. The contents of his skull sprayed on her face and mane, but she didn’t even flinch. The last griffon stopped struggling – he only looked at her when she fired a few bullets at his crotch and stomach. He rolled on the ground, screaming and weeping.

“Kill… me…” he panted.

“As ya wish,” Babs said coldly, took her knife and pierced it through his eye. She pulled it off, it’s blade covered in vitreous fluid and plunged it into the second eye. The griffon screamed even louder than before. Babs put a hoof on his neck and pushed, hearing his scream changing into rattle when his throat gave up under her weight. She backpedalled, listening to him as he was slowly drowning in his own blood and switched the gun to full-auto. Then she pulled the trigger, ripping the dead bodies apart and spraying the gore around. Finally, the ammo ended and Babs dropped the gun on the ground. The sound echoed through the silent warehouse.

“Are you fuckin’ insane?!” Lightning Dust exclaimed. “What have you done, you crazy cunt?!” She trotted to Babs and pushed her on the floor. “How do you want to find Dove now? Fuckin’ psycho!” She spat on her and backpedalled, shuddering.

“I found her…” Babs muttered, wiping saliva from her face.

Lightning Dust opened her mouth, but said nothing. She trotted to Babs and helped her up, trying not to look into her eyes.

“W-we need to clean that…” Hedgehog muttered, looking around.

“But how?” Lightning Dust asked. “Babs basically made a Hearts and Hooves Day Massacre here…”

“What will we do with Dove?” Babs asked, her voice devoid of any emotions. “She can’t stay here…”

“We’ll call the cops,” Lightning Dust said. “The Boss knows some guards… They’ll tell her father that the griffons did it and then killed each other. But those bodies can’t stay here – some guards are, umm…”

“Incorruptible?” Babs asked.

Lightning Dust glared at her angrily. “I’d prefer to call ‘em ‘pesky’.” she said. “Anyway, any ideas how to deal with this clusterfuck?”

“Well,” Raz muttered. “I have a friend who can help us…”

Author's Note

I wonder how many readers noticed Lightning Dust's cameo in chapter 3...

Also, the title is not an Inception reference, but it refers to Miguel Prado's method of disposing of the bodies in Dexter.

Remorse

“Babs!” Nightcap called. “Babs!”

“Get out,” Babs muttered and rolled on the bed, sinking her face into a pillow.

“Babs!” Nightcap approached the bed and lifted the blanket with her magic. “Ya came here three days ago, covered in mud, ya sleep in my bed, drink my vodka, there’s a fuckin’ gun lying on the table… What the hell is goin’ on?”

“Check out the news,” Babs replied, staring blankly at the cracks on the wall.

“I don’t need to,” Nightcap replied. “Why do ya think I’m here instead of workin’? It’s some fuckin’ mess… Since they found that girl in the warehouse, everypony went crazy. The mayor said that they’re gonna start work against crime and such bullshit. So far, the guards almost arrested me for standin’ next to the railway station. Ya should read what the father of that poor girl said...” She paused hearing Babs weeping. “What’s goin’ on? Ya killed her or what?”

“No,” Babs replied.

“I’ve heard it was griffons,” Nightcap said. “No wonder both the mafia and the guards wanna get rid of ‘em…”

Babs groaned and put a pillow over her head. Nightcap sighed and circled the bed to face her.

“Listen to me,” she said. “I have nothin’ against ya bein’ here, but I’ve slept for three days on my old, mouldy sofa and my back is killin’ me. Can ya, please, tell me what happened?”

“No.” Babs turned in the bed and covered herself with a blanket.

Nightcap stood in front of her and aimed her horn at her. “Get outta my bed or tell me what happened or I’ll blast ya to the next Friday.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Babs muttered.

“That wall behind ya is so thin ya’ll fly through it. And remember that it’s the eighth floor…” Nightcap lit her horn and smiled menacingly.

“Okay…” Babs said. She rolled on her back and sighed.

Nightcap shuddered, seeing her red, puffy eyes and tear-stained face. She sat on her bed next to Babs. “What bothers ya?” she asked.

Babs hesitated. She started to cry again, sinking her face in Nightcap’s coat. “I… I killed ‘em…” she whispered.

Nightcap furrowed her eyebrows. “Killed who?” she asked. “What the hell have ya done, Babs?”

“The griffons,” Babs replied. “I… I saw what they did to Dove… and…” She sobbed and hugged Nightcap frantically.

“Well…” Nightcap muttered. “At least they’re still lookin’ for their bodies… The guards found the blood and think that the mafia hired someone to kill ‘em...”

“I don’t care…” Babs said. “They can catch me if they want… I’m thinkin’ about turnin’ myself in...”

“What?!” Nightcap exclaimed. “Ya’ll be tried like an adult… They’ll kill ya… I know that ya regret it, but–”

“Regret?” Babs interrupted her. “I don’t regret that…” She sat on the bed and wiped tears from her face. “I’d do that one more time… Ya haven’t seen Dove… The only thing I regret is that I didn’t make ‘em suffer longer… Beg me for mercy… For death… I regret that I didn’t left ‘em mutilated…”

Nightcap froze. She moved on her bed to be further from Babs. “Honestly? If I were in the jury, I’d be the first to vote for shooting ya…” she said. She saw that Babs shuddered, so she added, “But it’s not the court and I’m not in the jury. If ya didn’t regret that ya killed ‘em, then why were ya cryin’ in my bed for three days?”

“It’s just… everything,” Babs replied. “Dove… And I do feel remorse… I don’t want to feel it – they were raping her till she died, probably even after that… I want to hate ‘em, but… When I think of their bodies…” She hugged Nightcap again. Nightcap shuddered, feeling her hooves on her body – since she’d learned about what Babs had done, she was repulsed by the very sight of her lying in her bed. However, she just couldn’t push her away. She patted Babs’ mane and pulled her into a hug, lying in a bed next to her.

“Stay with me…” Babs muttered. Nightcap felt that she started to shiver.

“Well, my bed is kinda crowded, but…” Nightcap shook her head. “As long as ya want, Babsie… As long as ya want…”

Babs nodded and closed her eyes, sinking her face in Nightcap’s coat. Nightcap started to rub her back with her forelegs. Babs purred like a cat. Nightcap massaged her body slowly, making her roll on the bed and lay on her stomach, moaning.

“No way!” Nightcap exclaimed. “Ya sound like ya’re getting off to that…”

“What if I do?” Babs asked, turning her face to Nightcap. Her fur was still stained with tears, but the unicorn could already see a faint trace of her usual smirk.

“You’re the sickest and most depraved teen I’ve ever met,” Nightcap replied. “Mugging, murders and now molesting me…”

“I’m sorry, but it seems that I’m being molested here.” Babs stretched her hooves. “I’m technically a minor, so…”

“It’s just a massage,” Nightcap said quickly. “Ya’re sad, so I’m doing that to cheer ya up. Nothing more.”

“I don’t need cheering up,” Babs muttered. “I need to forget. Since I doubt that ya can remove a part of my brain…” She shook Nightcap’s hooves off of herself and sat on the bed, facing the wall. “Why I’m like that? It’s not even about those griffons. Remember that girl I killed earlier. She just took a pepper spray and the first thing I did was stabbin’ her. Is that normal?”

“It’s not,” Nightcap said, sitting next to her. “But the world ain’t normal either…”

“The world!” Babs exclaimed. “Who causes the world to be like that? We do!” She sighed and looked at the dusty floor. “That’s completely fucked up…”

“Ya should become a politician…” Nightcap muttered, wrapping her hoof around Babs. “In case ya can’t convince the others, ya can always shoot ‘em…”

“Shut up.” Babs prodded Nightcap. “I’m not shooting anyone…”

“Okay, ya can’t be a politician,” Nightcap said. “Ya have conscience. Dirty, rotten conscience that whores itself like… Well, like me… But still...” She ruffled Babs’ mane.

“Admit it…” Babs blew her mane from her eyes. “Bad girls turn ya on, huh?” She spread her hooves. “Ya want it, don’t ya?”

“Maybe,” Nightcap said, blushing heavily. “I’d like to remind ya that ya came to my bed yourself… Slut.”

“Slut?” Babs tackled Nightcap and looked directly into her eyes, smirking. “Ya let old pricks use your cunt for fifty bits and ya call me a slut?”

Nightcap smacked her face and rolled on the bed, pinning Babs to the mattress. “Yes, slut,” she replied. “You’re a slut…” She kissed Babs, forcing her tongue deep into her mouth. “...a thief…” Another kiss. “...and a dirty, little murderer…” She smacked Babs’ flank. “...and a fat one.”

“Fat?” Babs exclaimed. She freed one of her hooves and slapped Nightcap across the face.

“Ya beat like a little foal…” Nightcap said. “C’mon, I’ll give ya a chance to show me that ya can do better… Ouch!” She started to rub her cheek after Babs hit her once more. This time it wasn’t a gentle slap – Nightcap’s cheek started to swell. Before she could get her bearings, Babs tackled her and sink her teeth in her shoulder. The smell of blood made her body shudder and for a moment she lowered her guard.

For Nightcap, it was enough. She tackled Babs, throwing her out of bed and pinning her to the floor. Babs tried to catch her breath, but then Nightcap lowered her head and started to suck one of her teats.

“S-stop it!” Babs exclaimed. “It… It…”

“Yeah, I know…” Nightcap gave a long lick to one of Babs’ nipples. “I do that for a livin’ – I know how to make ya beg for that…” She resumed licking and put one of her hooves on Babs’ crotch, stroking it gently. Babs moaned, trying to kick Nightcap off of herself – or rather pretending to do so.

“For what ya did to my face I should either stop right before ya come or shove my hoof up your fat ass…” Nightcap muttered, licking Babs’ teats and slowly lowering herself towards her labia. “Really, the clients will think that I have a crazy pimp…”

“Ya shouldn’t have said that I beat like a foal…” Babs panted. She resigned from trying to kick Nightcap and wrapped her hind legs around her shoulders.

“I still think that…” Nightcap paused for a moment before shoving her tongue into Babs’ vagina, causing her to moan, clenching her muscles around it.

“If… I… mmph… Punched ya… Aargh! Like I usually do… I’d break your jaw...” Babs muttered. “Oh fuck… Don’t stop…”

“Why not?” Nightcap retreated her tongue. “I should leave ya here like that… And watch ya finishing yourself off with your hooves…”

“Don’t ya dare…” Babs muttered. “Or I’ll really break your jaw…”

“Why so violent?” Nightcap gave a long lick to Babs’ clit. “And ya wonder why ya killed ‘em…”

Babs kicked Nightcap in the same place on her shoulder where she’d left the bite marks. Nightcap hissed and bit Babs’ inner thigh, causing her to scream in pain and surprise. Before Babs could react, Nightcap was lying on her, and kissing her. The smell and taste of her own juices overwhelmed her. She moaned, hugging Nightcap and licking every single drop off of her lips.

“You like it rough, huh?” Nightcap muttered when their lips parted. “I’ll make it rough… But don’t cry later that your poor pussy hurts…” She started to rub her marehood against’ Babs’, forcing herself between her legs. Even though Babs’ fur was already damp, she felt that it wasn’t enough – Nightcap was scratching her. Babs gritted her teeth. Her mind started to drift off, confused by pain and pleasure mixing into one, overwhelming feeling. She was getting close; she could feel it. She gave out a loud moan, but before she came, Nightcap paused again and sat on her stomach, smirking playfully.

“You’re tough,” she said. “But it’s not funny when I can feel your blood down there…” She turned around and swished her tail to the side. “Okay, Babs… Show me if your mouth can do more than braggin’...” She lay down on Babs, and started to suck on her clit, rubbing her teats with her forelegs. Babs lifted her head and tried sticking her tongue into Nightcap’s vagina. Her tongue seemed clumsy and slow, but Nightcap started to moan quietly.

“Good,” Nightcap muttered. “Keep goin’...” She groaned and bucked her hips. She gave a lick to Babs’ labia and came back to playing with her clit, grabbing it gently with her teeth.

Babs finally found a fitting rhythm and synchronised her licks with Nightcap’s moves. Her mind went into overdrive – the events of the last couple of days started to fade. The waves of pleasure were spreading over all her body, rendering her limbs numb. She could barely focus on returning the favour.

“Babs! I’m…” Nightcap moaned louder than before and some of her fluids escaped her pussy, bathing Babs in them. Babs gave her a final lick before she also drowned in pleasure, her whole body twitching and relaxing. Nightcap rolled off of her and lay on the floor next to her, panting heavily.

“That was…” she said, but paused when she turned to Babs and saw tears in her eyes. “What’s goin’ on? I made quite a mess here…”

“No, it’s not that…” Babs muttered. The post-orgasm haze was slowly wearing off and all her fears and worries came back.

“Okay, I get it,” Nightcap said, getting up from the floor. “It’s just ya bein’ ya… Murder for breakfast, sex for lunch, remorse for supper.”

“I’m gonna go,” Babs muttered, standing up and wiping her face. “May I use your shower?”

“Sure, why not…” Nightcap said, sighing. “Ya already used my bed and me…”

“Ya started it…” Babs glared at her angrily.

“I’m jokin’, okay? Watch out for the water, it’s cold…”

Babs’ mother glared at her angrily when she saw her opening the door. “Where have you been?” she asked, putting the broom into the corner of the hall and blowing her mane off her eyes. “You left home on Saturday. It’s Wednesday…”

“I needed to… help a friend…” Babs muttered and tried to get past her mother to go to her room.

“For five days?!” Babs’ mother exclaimed and looked at her daughter. “Sweet Celestia, Babs, have you gotten into a fight again?”

“No,” Babs replied. She sighed with relief when she realised that her jacket was covering the biggest scratches and bite marks. Their location would probably make her mother faint. “I tripped and fell.”

“Of course…” Babs’ mother shook her head. “Do you know what happens in the town? Dad wanted to tell the guards that you’re missing…”

“And he didn’t for five days?” Babs asked. “I see that ya really care about me, mom!” She trotted to her room and slammed the door shut. She threw her jacket on the floor and sat on her bed.

“The guards were here,” her mother said, opening the door. “They were lookin’ for you.”

Babs froze. “What did they want?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

“The principal told ‘em that you got into a fight with that girl who was killed by the griffons. They thought you helped them…”

Babs slammed her hoof against her forehead. “They should’ve asked her dad why she was smugglin’ drugs in the first place…”

“Was she?” Babs’ mother asked. “They didn’t mention that.”

Babs cursed her own stupidity. If she told the guards that she knew about the drugs, she’d surely end up in jail. “She wanted me to help her,” she said quickly. “That’s why we started to fight.”

“Oh…” Babs’ mother raised her eyebrows. “Well, you shouldn’t have beaten her… But it’s good that you at least stay out of trouble…”

“Yeah,” Babs muttered, lying on her bed. When her mother left the room, she sighed and trotted to the shelf with her records. She found an album with old Octavia Melody’s songs and lay back on her bed, listening to the sad sounds of a cello.

“I stay out of trouble, mom…” she whispered. “Except of trouble I make myself…”

Author's Note

Mom probably wouldn't be happy...

Better

Author's Note

Warning/Reminder: Story tags are Mature Sex/Gore. The following chapter is one of the reasons why.

Better

“Just like I said, I beat her because she wanted to sell me drugs,” Babs said, carefully watching the guard in front of her. “Can I go home?”

“Not yet,” the guard replied. He searched through the papers on his desk. “White Dove’s father says that he saw you with his daughter a couple of times. Were you friends?”

“What that has to do with her death?” Babs asked and blew a large balloon of her bubble gum. “We’ve seen each other in school from time to time… From what I’ve heard, she was killed by some griffons, right?”

“We’re still looking for them,” the guard replied. “You seem to know a lot about her… Do you know that her father also recognised one of her friends as the guy who killed Golden Sunset? His name is Cracker or something like that...”

Babs froze. “I don’t know him,” she replied quickly.

“Strange, because judging by his talks with other inmates he knows you…”

“He’s a pervert, he talk bullsh–”

“So you know him?” The guard smirked.

Babs stood up. “Listen, am I a fuckin’ witness or a suspect here? Are ya gonna arrest me or what?”

“Maybe,” the guard replied, unfazed by her outburst. “For an innocent little filly, you seem to know a lot about, umm, shady aspects of life in Manehattan, Ms. Seed.”

“Bullshit,” Babs muttered. “Ya just can’t imagine a rich filly sellin’ drugs. All of ya are thick-headed–”

“I’ll pretend that I didn’t hear that, Ms. Seed,” the guard said dryly. “You’re free to go… For now.”

Babs left the guard’s office muttering curses under her breath. She trotted down the corridor and left the station without looking at anyone.

Nightcap was waiting for her outside. “So, how was the interrogation?” she asked. “Are ya prepared for meeting all those fillyfoolers in prison?”

“There’s only one fillyfooler I want to meet,” Babs replied and kissed Nightcap’s cheek. They trotted down the pavement, leaving the station behind. They didn’t even get two blocks away from the station when they heard shooting. They turned back and saw a couple of griffons circling above the station and shooting at the windows. The guards’ answer was quick – one of the assailants was already lying on the pavement.

“What the hay is goin’ on?” Babs asked. “Are they crazy or what?”

“I guess they think that stunt ya pulled is the guards’ work…” Nightcap replied. “Let’s get outta here!”

They ran into the nearby nook, watching the sky for any sight of a griffon. Babs thought about her submachine gun – she hadn’t given it back to Lightning Dust after they’d buried the griffons and it was still lying somewhere in Nightcap’s flat. Then she thought that even if she had it with her, she still had no ammo.

“Seems that it calmed down,” Nightcap said. “I guess it was just a demonstration…”

“Way to go…” Babs muttered. “If they keep on demonstrating like that, the Big Guy won’t have to shoot ‘em. The guards will do that instead of him…”

“Yeah…” Nightcap shook her head. “It seems that they’re losing it…” She looked at Babs and smiled. “So, what's it going to be then, eh? Are we gonna go to my place and have some horizontal refreshment before ya get arrested?”

“Not today,” Babs replied. “My parents will freak out when they hear about that…” She pointed at the direction of the Guard Station. I’m gonna show ‘em that their daughter is still safe and sound and I can come to ya in the evening…”

“I’m workin’ in the evening…” Nightcap said. “My cunt is gettin’ sore… Work, then ya…”

“Are ya suggestin’ that I’m, like, a buspony’s holiday for ya?” Babs furrowed her eyebrows. “Also, ‘cunt’ doesn’t fit your… Hmm…”

“If you’re tryin’ to come up with some sickeningly sweet name for it, don’t.” Nightcap chuckled. “And I wouldn’t call it ‘buspony’s holiday’... With ya it’s… different…”

“It’s the lack of dick, I guess…” Babs replied. “And nothin’ comes to my mind… We’re really bad lovers, ya know? I don’t even have a pet name for your–”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘love’,” Nightcap interrupted her. “We hang out together, we fuck – that’s all.”

“You’re shallow…”

“I’d rather say ‘experienced’.” Nightcap sighed. “Anyway, weren’t ya, like, goin’ home? Your folks are probably gettin’ crazy...”

“Oh, yeah…” Babs spat the bubblegum and took a few steps toward the main street. “See ya, Nightcap.”

“Take care, Babs.”

Babs trotted through her neighbourhood. Almost nopony was there – the adults were either at work or wandering around the town, looking for some job. Most of the foals were at school. Empty, the street looked almost like a scenery of some horror movie. Babs couldn’t help but shudder – it was quite cloudy outside and cold wind was chilling her to the bone, even though she was wearing a jacket.

She looked at the walls of the nearby houses. The graffiti artists were now at war with the mayor, who declared that vandalism was the cause of Manehattan’s high rate of crime. It could be seen on the wall – the mural Babs used to like had been painted over with a dull, white paint. On it, someone drew a couple of rather dirty pictures, complete with “This wall used to have art on it. Now it has cocks.” inscription written in the middle of them. Babs shook her head and trotted forward, reading numerous inscriptions, such as “The Sleepless Killer will be back”, “Owls are not what they seem to be” or “Daffodil loves Flash”. All of them were relatively new; as Babs knew, they were changing quite often.

She noticed that the street was much cleaner than it used to be. She wasn’t sure when it happened. Was it her neighbours themselves who cleaned it? Or maybe the mayor sent someone to do that?

Babs was only a block away from her home, when suddenly she heard some noise behind her. She quickly turned back, but then she smelled something weirdly sweet. Her legs suddenly became wobbly and she fell on her knees. She tried to get up, but then she felt a sharp pain in her head and she collapsed on the pavement.

“Hello, Seed…” she heard a voice above her. She blinked and looked around, recognising the place immediately.

She was lying on a sofa in the house of the boss of Manehattan mafia – commonly referred to as the Big Guy. He was standing in front of her, smiling menacingly. Two of his bodyguards were standing behind him.

“What the fuck…” Babs muttered.

“Oh, no,” the Big Guy said. “I want to know what the fuck…”

“What?” Babs exclaimed. “ I don’t even work for ya anymore… Ya drugged me and brought me here for no reason! What’s goin’ on?”

“Shut up!” He smacked her. She felt a taste of blood in her mouth. “There’s a couple of things you need to explain… For starters, what were you doing on the station today?”

“They called me…” Babs replied. “I’d beaten the crap outta White Dove some time ago and they thought I had something to do with her death… I didn’t snitch!”

“Yeah, right…” The mafia boss shook his head. “Speaking of which… I’m trying to make peace with those griffons and I was almost there, when some crazy kid just had to shoot four of ‘em…”

“They raped and killed Dove!” Babs exclaimed, standing up. “Your ‘filly scout!’”

“Shut up!” He punched her, sending her back on the couch. “Filly scouts are disposable. We got the drugs back… Who gives a fuck about her?”

“Well, I do!” Babs shouted. She felt she had a black eye, but she didn’t care. “She… She didn’t deserve to die…”

“For the last time, I’m telling you to shut up!” This time, the punch was aimed at her stomach; she gasped and held it with her hooves, trying to catch her breath. “I can forgive you that… We always need ruthless ponies, and from what Dust told me, you’re quite… promising…” He chuckled. “But there’s one thing you have to learn. It’s not about the guards or that stupid little bitch…”

“Then what is it about?” Babs asked, swallowing her tears. She didn’t know what to think about it. On one hoof, she was sure that they were going to kill her. On the other, if the boss wanted to do that, he’d just shoot her in the street.

“The two traits most valued by mafia, traits you’re sadly lacking, Seed…” The Big Guy shook his head. “Obedience and loyalty.” He leaned closer to her and looked into her eyes. “Obedience and loyalty… And you… You left us and started to whore yourself. You want to work on your own? Okay, I can understand that. But you should pay me some money for, well, protection… Especially since your moves were, I’d say, risky. Have you heard, by any chance, the name Jet Set?”

Babs froze. If Jet Set was friends with Manehattan mafia… “Y-yes…” she muttered.

“Oh, he wasn’t happy when he woke up to see his money missing…” The brown unicorn clicked his tongue. “Of course, he went to me and guess who he described…”

“I can give the money back…” Babs said quickly.

“Oh, it’s not necessary…” the Big Guy replied. “You still think only about the money… As I told you, there are more important things… Obedience and loyalty. And you need to be taught ‘em…”

The bodyguards approached Babs, turned her over and held her firmly in place. She thrashed, trying to free herself. The unicorn trotted to her, using his magic to lift her tail. Babs managed to free her leg and kick his thigh, leaving a large bruise on it. One of the bodyguards smacked her in the back of the head. Her vision darkened a bit when she hit the back of the sofa with her head.

“Do that one more time and you’re dead…” the Big Guy muttered, rubbing his thigh. “I’m not some griffon… She needs to be alive…”

“No!” Babs screamed, trying to bite or hit the bodyguards. She shuddered, feeling the stallion’s hoof between her legs. She remembered Cracker and how he used to touch the mare they had been mugging. She remembered the fear in her eyes. Then an image of White Dove's body appeared in her mind.

“No?” she heard his voice above her. “You should’ve thought about it earlier…” He poked her flank. “Too bad your cunt is so loose you probably won’t get the lesson… But we can fix that…” His hoof moved upwards, to her anus. Babs screamed and tried to kick him, but the bodyguards held her. The smell of their sweaty bodies was overwhelming. Babs felt her stomach twist; she wanted to pass out, but she couldn’t; she could only lie there, her body shaken by dry heave.

A wave of sharp pain caused her to bite her tongue. She spat the blood and gritted her teeth, trying desperately not to scream. The thrusts were expanding her anus, almost tearing it apart. She sank her face in the back of the couch, letting her tears soak into it. Another jolt of pain caused her knees to bend. For a moment she felt relief when the unicorn’s penis slid off from her.

Then a heavy blow to the head almost rendered her unconscious. Almost. The boss knew exactly how much force he could use without knocking her out.

“Don’t do that again…” he muttered, slapping her flanks several times. She could feel something warm and sticky dripping down her legs. “You ruined the sofa with your blood and shit, you dirty whore!”

Another blow to the head. Babs didn’t even feel it – her whole nether regions were burning. When he mounted her again, she didn’t even shudder – she just hung limply in the bodyguards’ hooves, hoping for it to end quickly. The blood was flowing freely from her mouth, mixing with sweat and tears. “Somepony help…” she whispered weakly.

“No one will help you…” the stallion said between pants. “You’re worthless… I could snap your neck right now and no one would care… I guess your parents wouldn’t even notice…”

Babs said nothing, gritting her teeth. She was sure some of them would break soon, but she didn’t want to show any sign of weakness anymore.

“Maybe your friends then?” The stallion laughed. “Oh, I forgot… You don’t have friends! Not even that whore… Also, she’ll be next…”

“No!” Babs screamed. “She’s–” Another blow cut her off.

“So, you talk again…” The stallion muttered. “You can squeal, you know… No one will hear you… And who knows, maybe I’ll finish the lesson sooner?” He moaned and thrusted harder, causing her to give out a muted wail. His hooves were leaving bruises on her back, almost snapping her bones.

Finally, Babs heard his jerky groan and felt a stream of his cum hitting her bowels. She was released from the bodyguards’ grasp and fell limply on the couch, panting. Blood and semen were slowly leaking on her tail. She tried to get up, but her hooves couldn’t support her weight and she collapsed on the couch again. Still, she was glad that it was over.

“She’s yours,” the boss said to his bodyguards, smiling menacingly.

“Babs? Babs!” Someone shook her brutally. “For Celestia’s sake, Babs, don’t die here! Fuck…”

It was dark outside. Babs couldn’t see exactly who was talking to her. She tried to get on her hooves, but the pony stopped her. She looked upwards and noticed an amaranth wing.

“You need to get to the hospital… Where are you going? Stay here…” The voice ordered. “No, no shower! I… I know what happened, but… You need to go like that…” A short sigh. Babs felt a pair of strong hooves lifting her from the ground and an air current caused by flapping of the wings. “They’ll get him…”

“I’ll… get… him…” Babs muttered weakly.

“No! Don’t you get it? They were lookin’ for a proof of any of his crime… And now they’ll get him for what he did to you…”

“I don’t… give… a fuck…” Babs hissed, trying to free herself. “I want to…”

“I’m on it…” The voice interrupted her. She recognised it. Lightning Dust. Lightning Dust found her and was now carrying her somewhere. “Don’t try anything… Stay outta trouble…”

“I tried… And…” Babs couldn’t hold her tears any longer. She sunk her face in Lightning Dust’s coat, embracing her with her hooves.

“I know… Don’t worry, we’ll be in the hospital soon… And then the guards will get him…”

“Not… enough… I… want… myself…” Babs whispered.

“You can’t. Not in your state… Try not to talk.”

“My…” Babs shuddered. The pain overwhelmed her; her loins, her tongue, her head… Everything hurt. She touched her head and felt that part of her mane was missing; judging by the scratches, it had been torn.

“Shh…” Lightning Dust whispered. “Let me and the guards do the job… It’ll be better soon…”

Babs shook her head. She didn’t trust the guards and none of the things Lightning Dust was saying was going to change that. Not to mention that even though she didn’t know what would happen to her, she knew one thing for sure.

It wasn’t going to be better.

Reaction

Silence.

The only sound Babs could hear was the beating of her heart. Her throat was burning – she felt like she’d thrown up her whole stomach. She was barely aware of Nightcap’s presence. The unicorn was sitting next to her bed, holding her hoof.

She remembered the doctors. They had examined her, cleaned her and put her in the bed, but she felt like it happened to someone else – she was just standing next to them, watching them work and letting them do anything to her. She didn’t even say anything when they asked her about her parents. From what she knew, they were still looking for them – Lightning Dust only told Nightcap what happened.

Babs slowly opened one eye and looked at the complicated pattern formed by the cracks on the ceiling. Her whole body was numb – she wasn’t sure if it was an effect of some medication she’d been given or her brain just gave up, unable to cope with pain, but she didn’t care about that. There were many places where she wanted to be and the hospital bed wasn’t one of them.

She started to think about Manehattan. She could almost see the streets on the ceiling. A hospital. The nearest subway station. The number of the train. The station where she had to change the train. Nightcap’s place. She slowly turned her head and saw Nightcap next to her; her saddlebags were lying, forgotten, in the corner of the room.

The old closet next to Nightcap’s bed. Babs could imagine every stain and scratch on it. She remembered the dresses that were inside. They weren’t important at the moment. Babs’ mind started to work faster; she didn’t feel pain anymore, too absorbed by her thoughts.

The street. Five blocks, left turn. A labyrinth of narrow streets. The restaurant where Raz worked. Raz’s locker. Rusty piece of junk, with a lock that, last time she checked, she could open in two minutes with nothing but a hairpin. She thought about the hairpins – if she recalled correctly, Nightcap had lots of them, scattered on the shelf below the mirror.

Bridleway. A few more streets and she was there. She shuddered at the very thought of that house. But this time it would be different. She would be prepared.

Her mind wandered to the other side of the town. The abandoned warehouse where they’d fought the griffons. Then she remembered the way from there to the funeral parlour. She could recreate every detail of Sunshine Rainbows’ cosy room in her mind. Even those she hadn’t noticed when she was there, like an autographed photo of Vinyl Scratch pinned to the wall.

This time everything would be different. She’d walk straight to his house. The bodyguards, then him. Then she’d throw away the gun and walk away, smirking and humming a song.

You walk down the street,
smile on your face.
You’ve built a bomb –
A concentrated death.
You know the time and date
When world will start to fear;
Ponies of all the countries
will cry when you’re near!

“Babs?” Nightcap’s face appeared above her.

Babs blinked and muttered something incomprehensible. Everything was spinning slowly; she wasn’t even sure if it was really Nightcap.

“The guards are lookin’ for your parents. It’d be easier if you woke up and tell me where they are…”

Babs felt something warm falling down on her face. She saw Nightcap wiping her eyes.

“Babs… Please, wake up…” Nightcap wrapped her forearms around her. “Not even for me… Just… wake up…”

“Nightcap?”

Babs immediately recognised that voice. It was the same voice that had kept her alive on the way to the hospital.

“How’s she?” Lightning Dust asked, looking at Babs unsurely.

“She sometimes moves…” Nightcap replied. “But when I talk to her, she doesn’t react.”

Lightning Dust sighed. Through half-opened eyelids, Babs could see her approaching Nightcap and wrapping her wing around her. “I was looking for that friend of hers, Hedgehog. He knows where she lives… Though I guess the guards will find them quicker.”

“H-how about the guy who…” Nightcap shivered. “Did they arrest him?”

“Not yet,” Lightning Dust replied. She looked at the door and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Only a few guards are not corrupted by the mafia… I talked to one of them. He said that they will take care of that, but they don’t want to scare him away…”

Babs gritted her teeth, causing Nightcap and Lightning Dust to look at her. She had never believed the guards would help her. She knew well that if she wanted justice, she had to take the matter in her own hooves.

She imagined herself as the judge, the jury, and the executioner at once. She knew the house. She knew exactly where the bodyguards usually stood. They’d be first – then there’d be time for the boss. And then, a final bullet for herself.

Babs knew that she had no chances. The mafia families of Manehattan were at a delicate balance; removing one element would cause everything to fall apart. Even if some boss was glad that his opponent was shot, they’d kill her anyway – just to show to the others that no one could get away with attacking the mafia.

Not that she cared about it much. All she wanted was to kill him. What’d happen later wasn’t important.

“Excuse me, but the patient needs calm.” Nurse’s voice seemed tired. Babs heard the sound of air moved by Lightning Dust’s wings and a quick, silent conversation followed by hoofsteps.

Suddenly, Babs noticed that she was in the room alone. At first it overwhelmed her – without Nightcap or Lightning Dust the room seemed big – way too big for her liking. She felt like she was in the middle of some wide plain, where everyone could see her, lying on the ground, weak and helpless.

Babs didn’t want to be seen as weak and helpless. She threw the blanket aside and stood up from her bed. A wave of pain caused her vision to blur. Her hind legs could barely support her weight. She remembered the bodyguards almost snapping them while trying to spread them and gritted her teeth. She had to be strong. Just this one time. Just to go there and kill them all.

She took a few steps towards Nightcap’s saddlebags. She sat next to them, almost collapsing and began searching through them.

“How?!” Lightning Dust shouted, grabbing the nurse and nearly lifting her from the ground. “She was fuckin’ high on meds, how did she run away?”

“Lightning!” Nightcap exclaimed. “Leave her!”

Lightning Dust let the nurse go and began pacing nervously around the room. “Her whole ass was stitched together like one of Prim Hemline’s dresses… She couldn’t go far…”

“She said that she was going to the toilet,” the nurse said, rubbing her neck. “I checked, but she wasn’t there…”

“She stole my keys…” Nightcap muttered, looking through her saddlebags. “And left this…” She levitated a small piece of paper with five words written in Babs’ messy hoofwriting.

He said you’ll be next.

“Do you know what she wants?” Lightning Dust asked.

Nightcap nodded her head and looked at the nurse.

Lightning Dust understood her immediately. “Shit…” she whispered. “We need to talk in private,” she said to the nurse, placing stress on the last two words and placing a hoof on her back. The nurse shuddered and left the room quickly.

“I have her gun…” Nightcap muttered. “It has no ammo, but I guess she has it somewhere…”

Lightning Dust cursed loudly and hung her head low. “It’s my fault… I should’ve taken it from her… I’ll fly to your place and catch her before she does something stupid...”

“She knows the town well…” Nightcap muttered. “We don’t know when she’d left. She might’ve already taken it…”

“I need to try,” Lightning Dust said. “Do you know that I almost became a Wonderbolt? I’m fast.”

“I’ll call the guards, just in case,” Nightcap said. “She can’t go there…”

“What if they catch her with a gun?” Lightning Dust asked. “If she ends up in prison, she’ll have less chances than a teenage groupie in the Wonderbolts’ locker room…” She noticed Nightcap’s expression. “I know, that wasn’t funny… But the guards are a good idea, actually. She’s wise enough to keep her mouth shut, huh?”

“I don’t know anymore…” Nightcap muttered. “In such a state…”

“Fuck!” Lightning Dust banged her hoof against the floor. “I think I have a plan. It’s crazy and it’ll send us all up a shit creek without a paddle, but it’s the best thing I could come up with… Listen to me carefully… When she gets arrested, they’ll take her back to the hospital. You must write her a message… To shut up. Tell her to tell ‘em that I killed the griffons. And probably some explanations…”

Nightcap shuddered. She knew exactly what Babs thought about the guards and what she’d think when she learned that it was her who got her arrested. But still, it was better than losing her forever. “And what will ya do?” she asked.

“Something reckless,” Lightning Dust deadpanned. “That’s why I didn’t become a Wonderbolt.” She opened the window and stood on the sill. “And don’t leave that place. Remember that they want to get you too.”

She flew away, leaving Nightcap alone.

Nightcap sat on the bed. She levitated a message from Babs to herself and shuddered. He said you’ll be next. She thought of Babs lying in the hospital bed – how small, weak, and vulnerable she seemed to be.

Then she thought about Babs just after she’d killed the griffons who raped White Dove. How she came to her house, drunk, and how she did almost nothing for three days to console her, except of lending her a bed and delivering vodka.

Three days… And then that happened. Nightcap wasn’t sure what to think of it. On one hoof, she still had a black eye. Not to mention that Babs was a minor. But on the other hoof, Nightcap had to admit that it felt… great? She wasn’t sure. Maybe after some time…

She knew well that it wouldn’t be “some time”. The mafia boss destroyed Babs’ life almost completely… And now, she was going to finish the job for him.

She slowly trotted out of the room and saw a pay phone hanging from the wall. For a moment, she wanted to levitate a coin, but then she remembered that she didn’t need to.

She lifted the receiver. “Royal Guard?” she asked. “I’m afraid that my friend is gonna do somethin’ stupid…”

The quill slipped off Nightcap’s magic field and fell on the floor. She looked at the letter and winced. No matter what she’d write, it still sounded bad in her opinion. The letters were blurred in some places, where her tears landed on the paper.

Dear Babs,

I hope that you’re okay. I’m not sure if they’ll let me give that letter to you, but I’ll write it anyway. At least I try. Try, like I didn’t try when… you know what happened.

Sorry, I got carried away. Anyway, the thing is, no matter what you did and no matter what will happen to you, I’ll always love you. I know you probably hate me now, but remember that. Maybe one day you’ll understand.

Lightning Dust told me that you have to stay quiet. In case someone asked, she killed the griffons. She has a plan – if everything goes right, maybe she’ll be able to get you out of jail.

Destroy this letter. They can’t find it with you.

Forever yours,

Nightcap

She’d just finished the letter, when she heard some noise coming from the corridor. She perked up her ears and recognised the voice of the nurse Lightning Dust had tried to strangle. She was apparently arguing with two other ponies.

“Where’s my daughter?” An angry stallion’s voice with noticeable trace of rural accent. Nightcap shuddered. She slowly got up from her chair and trotted to the door.

The stallion had a short, green mane and dark red coat. One of his legs had been replaced with a prosthetics – he was limping slowly towards the nurse, who was explaining to him that Babs had escaped.

When Nightcap looked at Babs’ mother, her jaw dropped. She was only a bit taller than Babs and had longer mane, but her colours were exactly the same. She was slightly chubby, just like Babs, and had identical freckles. She approached Nightcap and glared at her angrily, exactly in the same way as Babs would do.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked, looking at Nightcap’s black eye.

Nightcap quietly thanked Celestia that she hadn’t had time to put on any make-up which would clearly indicate her job. “My name’s Nightcap,” she said. “I’m Babs’ friend…”

“I know her ‘friends’...” Babs’ mother muttered, shaking her head. “What happened to her? Where’s she now?”

“From what I know, they… they caught her on the street…” Nightcap said. “It was… someone she knows. I’m afraid she may try to… to kill ‘em herself…”

“Kill?” Babs’ mother raised her eyebrows, staggering slightly. Her husband trotted to her and she leaned against him, her face pale. “Babs would never…”

Nightcap’s head drooped. She’d heard way too many stories like that, both from the news and from her colleagues. Whether it was a prostitute who murdered a client, or a handsome colt from the neighbourhood who one day went to the school with a gun in his saddlebags, the reaction was always the same.

“Mrs. Seed…” Nightcap muttered, not looking into the mare’s eyes, so similar to the eyes of her daughter. “How well do ya know Babs?”

Author's Note

Trivia: Only recently I invented the names for Babs' parents. I'm not sure if they'll appear in those few chapter I have yet to write for Manehattan Blues, but they'll surely appear in the next story.

Redemption

Babs hissed and gritted her teeth. Climbing up the stairs was a nightmare. She leaned against the dirty wall next to the door to Nightcap’s place and produced the key from the pocket of her jacket. She opened the door and trotted inside, breathing heavily.

Slowly, Babs got to the closet and opened it. She threw the dresses on the floor and found the gun hidden behind them. She smirked and put it in the inner pocket of her jacket. Then she trotted to the kitchen.

The whole world was spinning around her. She found the kitchen sink, opened the tap and drank some water. Her vision became less blurry. She realised that her fur was drenched in sweat and splashed some water all over it.

She left the flat and trotted down the stairs, almost falling from them. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and went down the street as quickly as she could.

Her mind was now focused on only one thing – a locker in the restaurant where they’d hidden the ammo after they had buried the griffons. She sped up, ignoring the pain and fever. Some ponies looked at her unsurely when she limped between them, but she didn’t care; they didn’t know what she felt and she hoped for it to stay that way.

Bodyguards, then the boss. It sounded easy, but there were many things about that plan that could go wrong. There could be someone else in the house. Or maybe the boss was away? Babs knew about those possibilities, but she ignored them as well. She wanted revenge and she’d get it, even if she had to wait for him to come back home.

She saw the entrance to the subway station in front of her and trotted to it through the crowd. Just a quick ride and she’d have bullets…

Then, nothing would stop her.

Lightning Dust checked the contents of her saddlebags for the umpteenth time. She shifted on the couch nervously. The Big Guy’s thugs replaced the couch Babs had been raped on with a new one, but still Lightning Dust couldn’t help but shudder when she sat on it.

Lightning started to breathe deeply to calm herself down. The items in her saddlebags clinked against each other, almost making her jump in fear. She heard someone opening the door and quickly moved to the bedroom.

She looked around the room and noticed the camera. They’d sometimes used it to record themselves having sex, but today she was going to find a new purpose for it. She sat on the large bed and threw her saddlebags aside. Hearing someone trotting around the house, she spread her hind legs slightly and rubbed her clit gently with her hoof. Slowly, she started toying with her labia, making a few moans – they seemed silent, but they were loud enough for the other pony to hear her. She sat on the bed and started massaging her clit with her wings, throwing her head backwards and biting her lips.

The door to the bedroom opened. Lightning Dust took her wings away from her nether regions and focused her eyes on the brown unicorn who entered the room.

“Are you bored, or what?” he asked, looking at her with barely hidden disgust. “Really, Dust? Wanking? Are you that unfucked, slut?”

“I was waiting for you…” Lightning Dust replied, prodding her vagina with her hoof absentmindedly. “I need you…” She winked seducingly.

“I don’t have time,” he replied. “Go and fuck your loose cunt with a jackhammer. Maybe this’ll manage to get you off…”

“Pleaseee…” Lightning Dust flew to him and wrapped her hooves around him. “I brought some new toys. You’ll like ‘em…”

A slap to the face threw her on the floor. She rolled on it, whimpering. The unicorn stood above her, shaking his head. “Get up, cunt!” he shouted, pulling her mane.

Lightning Dust looked at him and smiled internally – she could see that beating her excited him. Now he was in her hooves. Instead of standing up, she crawled between his legs and began sucking on his penis. He backpedalled, caught off-guard, but soon he relaxed and even smacked her wings a few times, causing her to groan in pain.

“Shut up,” he muttered. “Wonderbolt, huh? Your wings are useless. The only thing you’re good at is givin’ head…”

Lightning Dust paused and stood up. “I assure you that it’s not the only one…” She pointed at the bed. “Come and see…”

He lay on the bed, while Lightning Dust produced an anti-magic ring from her saddlebags. She stood above him and lowered herself on his penis, feeling it entering her and giving a long moan. She put the ring on his horn and took two pairs of hoofcuffs from her saddlebags, cuffing him to the bed’s frame.

“Not so fast…” he muttered, looking at the hoofcuffs unsurely. “What’s the safeword?”

“We won’t need it,” Lightning Dust replied, moving her hips up and down slowly. “I know your limits…” She placed a kiss on his lips and pulled her saddlebags closer to herself, rummaging through them.

“What else do you have there?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. Something about Lightning Dust seemed off. Usually, she rarely wanted to dominate. He shrugged it off; it was actually a nice change and he didn’t even say anything when Lightning Dust put a ball gag in his mouth.

Lightning Dust smiled triumphantly. Her movements grew faster. She started to rub her clit with her wings quickly, giving out spasmodic groans. It didn’t take long when a wave of her juices seeped into his fur. Her body twitched in orgasm; her hips bucked for the last time and she rolled off him, lying on the bed next to him.

He murmured something through the ball gag, looking at his erect penis. Lightning Dust stood up, took a tissue from the box standing on the nightstand and wiped herself. The Big Guy furrowed his brows and muttered something impatiently.

Lightning Dust shook her head. She stood up and trotted to the door, locking it. “We need to talk,” she said, coming back to him. The smile she had when she was basking in the afterglow of her climax disappeared. “Remember when you told me that you’d rather die than get caught?”

“Mmph?” The boss started to sweat.

“I called the cops,” Lightning Dust said, smirking. “For what you did to young Seed…”

His eyes widened. He struggled against his restraints, but without a result. Lightning Dust watched his efforts with a playful smirk.

“Don’t worry,” Lightning Dust said. “They won’t catch you. I give you an opportunity to get away with this…”

Another muffled groan. His thrashing intensified. Lightning Dust took her saddlebags and produced a pair of shears. “So, I borrowed those from the gardener,” she said. “He said that they’re kinda dull, but it doesn’t matter.” She placed the shears in a strategic position, making him sweat.

“Oh yes,” Lightning Dust said through gritted teeth. The very view of him lying bound and gagged on the bed was making blood flowing faster in her loins. She supressed the urge to use her wings to get herself off again. “The guards won’t get you… alive.” She gave out a short chuckle, but her eyes remained cold, focused on him. “You’ll die… but only when I let you…”

He gave out another incomprehensible sound. Lightning Dust sat on the bed, her hooves still on the shears. “You know, though I didn’t became a Wonderbolt, I have my honour. I don’t like being called a slut and I just can’t stand when someone hurts fillies…” She leaned to him and looked directly into his eyes. “I also like reading about wars…”

He raised his eyebrows unsurely and thrashed, trying to kick her.

Lightning Dust smirked. “The Utulivu Uprising in Zebrica, thirty five years ago. Lots of POWs. The battalions of specially trained mares who… Well, soon you’ll see…”

Still smirking, she slowly closed the shears.

Babs barely got to the station, when she felt that someone was following her. At first she thought that she was wrong – many ponies were giving her weird looks since her limping had gotten worse and she felt that some of her stitches had snapped.

How lame… she thought. To die while shitting blood…

However, there were not only the ponies; she had a nagging feeling that someone was watching her. Babs had once read that a pony carrying a hidden gun tended to imagine that other ponies around them also were armed. She, however, knew that it wasn’t the case. Something in her brain – a sixth sense every kid in Manehattan possessed – was giving her clear warnings.

She decided to ignore them. She only had to get to the train, find the ammo in the restaurant and then nopony would stop her.

“Babs? Babs Seed?” she heard a mare’s voice just above her. She lifted her head.

First thing she saw was a pair of striking, blue eyes looking at her. She stopped, startled. Then she looked at the pegasus above her more carefully and froze. The blue-eyed mare with white coat and light blue mane with darker streaks was wearing an armour and a helmet. Babs rushed forward, but then she bumped into another guard and sat on the ground, rubbing her forehead.

“We don’t want to hurt you,” the mare said, landing next to her. Her companion approached Babs, blocking the way of escape. Babs could only walk away to the social room for the subway employees station with them. They sat at the table, facing each other. Babs thought about a knife in her pocket. The guards had armours, but if she aimed at the eyes…

“My name’s Hope,” said the pegasus mare and pointed at the stallion. “And this is my partner, Tricky Case. We’d like you to empty your pockets…”

Babs shuddered when she felt Tricky Case’s magic levitating the knife and the lighter out of her pockets. “I… I’ll do that myself…” she muttered. She unzipped her jacket and put the gun on the table, raising her head and looking into Hope’s eyes.

“Where did you get it?” Hope asked. Her voice was calm and soft, but for Babs it was like a stab in the heart.

“I think it’s obvious,” Tricky Case said. “I wonder what we’ll find if we do ballistics tests… Or maybe you’ll spare our forensics team work and tell us where have you been and what have you done, Seed?”

Babs looked at him, but said nothing. She only gritted her teeth and lowered her gaze.

“We can talk with the prosecutor,” said Hope. “If you start to talk…”

“Oh, fuck off…” Babs muttered.

“Listen, Babs, we don’t want to put you in prison,” said Hope. “You’re a wise filly. We’ll help you.”

Babs said nothing. Her vision was blurry, there was also something wrong with her ears. She looked down and suddenly noticed that her chair was covered in blood. Its drops were falling on the floor, forming a small, red puddle.

“Babs! Are you okay?” Hope asked, just before Babs passed out and collapsed, caught by gentle wave of Tricky Case’s magic.

Nightcap was just about to leave the hospital when she saw the paramedics running somewhere with a stretcher. She looked at them and noticed a part of familiar mane, visible between them.

“Babs!” she exclaimed, following them. She got past them and hugged Babs, who was lying limply on the stretcher.

Suddenly, Babs opened her eyes. “Fuck off, traitor!” she shouted and hit Nightcap with her hoof.

The blow was weak; Babs, barely conscious because of the blood loss, couldn’t hit her stronger even if she wanted. Nightcap, however stopped and sat on the ground, lowering her head. She remained there, watching the paramedics rushing upstairs.

She didn’t notice the female guard approaching her at first. “I guess it was you who called us?” Hope asked.

Nightcap nodded, still looking at the stretcher, disappearing in the distance.

“You two are friends then?”

“No,” Nightcap replied. “Not anymore. Babs will never forgive me that…”

Hope shook her head. “Maybe one day she’ll understand that it was better for her to–”

Nightcap rolled her eyes. “Excuse me, ma’am, but have ya ever seen how the real world looks like? There’s no such thing as redemption! If she ends up in prison, she’ll only learn how to be a criminal!”

“Resocialization program…”

“It’s bullshit and ya know about it well! She’ll end up in jail, just because she was unlucky to be born as a–”

One look into Hope’s striking blue eyes was enough for Nightcap to shut up. “I grew up in the worst shithole in Cloudsdale,” the guard said coldly. She was calm, but underneath that facade Nightcap could see a raging teenager she used to be. “On my sixteenth birthday I got so high that I fell off the clouds and almost broke my spine. Yet, I managed to change my life and now I’m here, wearing this…” She pointed at her armour. “So don’t fucking tell me that redemption is impossible!”

Nightcap’s head drooped. “Anyway, she’s gonna go to prison…” she muttered. “They’ll kill her there…”

“Well, the system isn’t perfect, but I don’t think she’ll be imprisoned, even though Tricky Case works on it…” Hope said. “It all depends on the gun – where it was, if it was used and if she was the one using it. She looks like a good pony… She’ll be okay…”

Nightcap froze. She knew well what Babs had used the gun for. “W-what if…”

“I’ll fight for her…” Hope said. “She’s been through a lot and even more still awaits for her. I won’t leave her…”

Suddenly, they heard the static coming from Hope’s radio. She lifted it. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“We have a problem… Remember the guy who supposedly raped that girl you caught?” the voice in the radio said. “They found him dead with the biggest–”

“I’ll talk to you in a minute…” Hope muttered, looking at Nightcap unsurely and took off, leaving her alone.

Nightcap stood in the middle of the hall, still unsure what had just happened. Lightning Dust was involved; there was no doubt about that. The letter she’d written was now hidden safely in Babs’ mane; Nightcap had put it there when she’d hugged her. Everything was in its place.

Now all she could do was to wait.

Hope landed in the bedroom and winced at the body lying on the bed. It had been covered, but the blood and feces-soaked bedclothes were giving even too clear clues about what had happened.

“Where’s that filly now?” an older guard called Baton Charge asked. “Is someone with her?”

“Tricky Case,” Hope replied. “She’ll live. What… What happened here?”

“Our little Babs apparently has friends,” the guard replied. “Eye for an eye. Or in that case, arse for–”

“Don’t.” Hope shuddered. “Just… Just don’t.”

“She used garden shears and, umm… toys. And a pipe…” The guard sighed. “She even recorded a message before she left.”

“She?” Hope asked. “It… It was a mare?”

“Sure… A mare scorned…”

Babs woke up and sat on her bed slowly. Just like before, she was immediately overwhelmed by dizziness. Her stomach twisted and turned and she leaned to the side to throw up.

To her surprise, she saw that a bucket was levitated to her. Her vomit splashed into it. She stayed above it, breathing heavily and rubbing her stomach, before finally dropping on the bed limply.

“Thanks…” she whispered.

“You’re welcome.”

She recognised that voice. It was one of the guards that had caught her, the one that told her about the ballistics tests. Her mind still was hazy, but she remembered that his name was Tricky Case.

“I need a lawyer…” she whispered, trying to focus her gaze on him. “And some water…”

“You need to fix your priorities,” Tricky Case muttered. A glass of water appeared on her nightstand. She grabbed it and drank it in one go.

“Can I at least see my parents?” Babs asked, wiping sweat from her forehead.

“Not yet,” Tricky Case replied. “If you didn’t get the last part of our meeting, you’re kinda arrested…”

“For what?” Babs asked. The water didn’t want to settle in her stomach and she felt like vomiting again.

“We hope that you’ll tell us…” Tricky Case smirked. “I’m sure there are a couple of things you’d like to share with us…”

“Fuck off…” Babs groaned. “I’m not tellin’ ya anythin’ without a lawyer… I know my rights...”

“You know many things about your rights for a young filly…” Tricky Case shook his head.

“I wanna know why I’m arrested… And I wanna see my parents…” Babs whispered. Even though she’d drunk a glass of water, her throat was dry again.

Tricky Case said nothing. Babs ran her hoof down her sticky, greasy mane and felt something. A piece of paper. She looked at the guard unsurely – he was sitting on a chair, watching her curiously.

“Hey, ya…” she whispered weakly. “Could ya throw that bucket out? It smells...”

“Not my problem,” Tricky Case replied. “You’re equine and nothing equine should be alien to you… Also, it may come in–”

Babs felt her stomach twist again; she leaned above the bucket and threw up the water along with some remains of food.

“Just what I said…” Tricky Case deadpanned.

Babs touched her mane again. Something definitely was there. It could be some rubbish; but it could also be some message. Babs gave Tricky Case a nasty look. “Can I go to the toilet?” she asked. “I need to take a leak…”

“I can get you a bedpan,” Tricky Case muttered.

“I can walk by myself,” Babs said. “I’m not gonna do that in here with ya watchin’...”

“I won’t be looking. Also, something tells me that you’d try something funny again…”

“Fuck off…” Babs muttered.

“Next time I’ll bring some soap…” Tricky Case said, levitating a bedpan. “Answer the nature call; I’m not watching.”

Babs sighed. She looked at him to ensure that he wasn’t looking and took a piece of paper out of her mane.

She could barely focus her gaze on the text. At first she winced, recognising Nightcap’s elegant hoofwriting. She skimmed the first two paragraphs, focusing on the last one.

Lightning Dust told me that you have to stay quiet. In case someone asked, she killed the griffons. She has a plan – if everything goes right, maybe she’ll be able to get you out of jail.

Destroy this letter. They can’t find it with you.

Babs sighed. As if I didn’t know that I should keep quiet… she thought. Then she started to think how to destroy the letter. If she only had her lighter…

Tricky Case cleared his throat impatiently. Babs quickly tore the letter in half and stuffed the part with the paragraph about Lightning Dust under the mattress and hid the rest in her mane. “I’m done,” she muttered.

“What took you so long?” Tricky Case asked.

“D’ya really wanna know?” Babs asked. “Maybe ya need a sample of my sh–”

“Oh, shut up…” Tricky Case waved his hoof. Babs noticed that he levitated a notebook and started to write something in it.

Probably some notes about how spoiled, uncooperative brat I am… she thought. Fuck him… Lightning will save me…

Hope looked at the mare on the screen. She seemed familiar to her; she wasn’t sure but she thought that she’d seen her in Cloudsdale. She sat in front of the camera, trying not to look at the bloodied corpse lying on the bed; she shifted her legs nervously and cleared her throat.

“My name is Lightning Dust,” she finally spoke. “This gentlecolt here is Caballo Estrangulador, also known as The Boss or The Big Guy. I… I killed him.” She shuddered visibly and Hope thought that she wasn’t, as she’d expected after seeing the corpse, a cold-blooded killer. “I used to be his lover… B-but at the same time I was gathering evidence… I’m not a guard, I just wanted to ensure my own safety… Until…” She wiped her eyes and continued in emotionless tone, “Yesterday he and his two bodyguards brutally raped a sixteen-year-old filly called Babs Seed.”

“Babs Seed?” Hope asked. Baton Charge raised his hoof, silencing her.

Lightning Dust spoke again. “I… I just couldn’t leave it like that… Seed was… Well, she’s a good filly… Just a bit lost… She’s done bad things… But it’s all my fault. I asked her to get rid of my gun… I used it to shoot the griffons… The same who foalnapped that kid, White Dove… I… You know, when I see fillies…” She looked at the window, then at the body. “Anyway, I have to go,” she said. “I have no hopes… If the guards don’t catch me, the members of Estrangulador family will…” She stood on the windowsill. “I’ll try to be faster than them… But I have no hope. Goodbye.” She reached to the camera and the movie ended.

“So, what do you think about that?” Baton Charge asked.

“Well, she was so eager to confess, yet she didn’t tell where are those griffons,” Hope said. “She’s glossing somepony over. Seed was probably doing some small jobs for mafia… And what do you think?”

“I call bullshit and I think Tricky Case will call bullshit too,” Baton Charge replied. “But the judge will believe that. Seed’s gonna get a rap over the hooves, but nothing more…”

Hope shook her head. “At least she won’t be put in jail…”

Baton Charge looked at her and sighed. “You don’t believe in that bullshit about redeeming oneself, do you?”

Author's Note

I must say that Bootsy's vision of what exactly Lightning Dust did was quite... creative. Though I leave it to your interpretation.

Also, "Utulivu" isn't a shout-out to anything. I just thought that "stability" would be a good name for an uprising leader.

Analysis

Babs straightened in her bed and opened a newspaper. Technically, she wasn’t allowed to read it. The guards didn’t want to give her any informations about what had happened, hoping that she’d confess to some crime. There was always a guard behind the door of her room, carefully questioning anypony who wanted to talk to her.

It was, however, impossible to hold her like that for long. The nurses liked to talk, and the shots could easily be heard from the distance. As a result, the guards gave up and let Babs have an access to newspapers.

She checked out the article on the first page. The news about Lightning Dust’s stunt had already been old. Now, the paper was filled with descriptions of shootings, brutal murders, and the actions of brave guards, who were questioning every passerby whom they found suspicious.

Manehattan abhorred vacuum. After the boss’ death, the fights between the various factions of his empire started almost immediately. Babs knew that ambulances were bringing the victims of that war to the hospital every day. Each night she was staying awake, hoping that her family was safe and sound.

Not that they had taken it lightly. After the initial shock after she’d been raped passed, it was quickly replaced by disappointment, especially after Sunflower visited the hospital and learned about all those nights Babs had been “spending” at her place.

Babs put the newspaper on the nightstand and wiped her eyes. The memory of her parents’ looks was still haunting her. It was even worse than Sunflower’s reaction.

“Are you fuckin’ out of your mind?” her sister exclaimed, pacing around Babs’ bed. “What were you doin’ with that gun?”

“Sunflower!” their mother exclaimed. “Watch your language! We’re in a hospital…”

“I don’t give a fuck, mom!” Sunflower shouted and turned back to Babs. “I just wanna know how my little sister became a thug! A murderer’s helper! Hell, there’s even a whore in the corridor who claims that she’s your friend!”

“Nightcap is okay,” Babs muttered. “And that guy raped me if ya don’t remember! Lightning asked me to do somethin’ for her…”

“If she asked ya to shoot yourself in the head, would ya do that too?” Sunflower asked, rolling her eyes and blowing her mane off them. “Mom, I don’t get how ya can listen to her…”

“Maybe I would!” Babs exclaimed. “I wouldn’t have to listen to ya!”

“Sunflower, please…” Babs’ mother said. “Babs needs rest…”

“Fine!” Sunflower shouted. “Just don’t ask me for help when she lands in jail!” With these words, she left the room, slamming the door shut. Babs’ parents left soon after, not telling a single word.

It all happened two weeks before. Babs’ parents visits became rare. However, as soon as she’d recovered slightly from her wounds, other ponies started to visit her.

First were the reporters. Babs would never say it, but she was actually glad when the guard didn’t let them in. Then a psychologist came – a green earth pony mare with thick-rimmed glasses and mane tied in a bun. She sat next to Babs’ bed and took a notebook from her saddlebags.

“So… Babs,” she said. “How are you feeling today?”

“Better,” Babs replied and yawned. “I feel much better since I’ve heard that the guy who did it bites the dust. You’re wasting your time.”

“Babs…” the psychologist said. “Even if you feel well now…”

“Yeah, right…” Babs rolled her eyes. “Trauma and so on. I’ll tell ya when I have nightmares and ya’ll analyse ‘em as long as ya want. Okay?”

“Well, you don’t look like you were okay,” The psychologist looked into Babs’ eyes. “It’ll get better if you talk to me.”

“Fine!” Babs exclaimed, rising from her bed. “I was raped, I can get arrested, my own sister hates me, and I have to sit here and listen to ya!” She sighed. “Could ya give me some peace?”

The psychologist shook her head. “I’ll come back later,” she said. “You can tell one of the doctors if you need me.”

After she left, Babs lay back on her bed. She wanted to fall asleep, but soon the door opened and another earth mare entered her room. She was younger than the psychologist; she had purple fur and her dark mane was styled in two braids. “Hello, Babs,” she said in a soft voice. “My name’s Twinkie Defense and I’ll be your lawyer.”

Babs opened her eyes and looked at her. “I have a lawyer now? B-but I have no money...”

“Don’t worry about that,” Twinkie Defense said. “I volunteered. You see, there are hundreds of foals like you, who are forced to work for mafia… They made you do it, didn’t they?”

Babs smirked, but quickly changed her expression, seeing that Twinkie Defense raised her eyebrows. “O-of course,” she said. “L-lightning Dust came to me and told me that if I don’t help her get rid of the gun, she’ll kill my sister. I dunno who he killed with it...” She sobbed. “Then I’ve heard that she killed the mafia boss… Y-ya know, he raped me...”

“I’ve heard about that.” Twinkie Defense wiped her eyes. “Did you work for mafia before?”

Babs hesitated. At first she wanted to talk about drug delivery, but she wasn’t sure how Twinkie would react to that. Also, it’d mean Raz and Hedgehog would have problems too. “No,” she said. “I… I’ve heard other kids were deliverin’ drugs, but I’ve never done that…”

“Yes, it’s quite common,” Twinkie said. “That girl who was killed recently… She also was smuggling drugs.”

“White Dove?”

Twinkie Defense’s eyes opened wider. She looked at Babs curiously. “Have you heard about her?”

“I knew her from school,” Babs replied quickly. “She, umm… wanted me to join her. B-but we got into a fight.”

Twinkie nodded. She then wrote something in her notebook. “So, you’ve never did anything other than that?”

“No,” Babs said. “I try to stay outta trouble. It’s hard when ya live in such a place, but I’m not a bad pony…”

Twinkie wrote something in her notebook again. Then she raised her head. “I believe you,” she said. “Actually, I lived in such a neighbourhood too. That’s why I want to help you.”

“Thanks,” Babs muttered.

“You’ll thank me later,” Twinkie Defense said. “It’ll be a few weeks before you get better. We’ll prepare to talk to the prosecutor by then…”

It looked different than what Babs had imagined. There was just a judge, a prosecutor and Twinkie Defense. No jury and no audience. Babs thought that it was better – she wasn’t supposed to be tried as an adult, and since, according to Twinkie, the crimes she’d committed weren’t her fault, she hoped that she’d get away free.

Despite that, she shuddered when she entered the building of the court. During her stay at the hospital, she’d dreamed about that day. In some versions of that dream the judge would start to ask her about the dead griffons. In the other, she herself would admit that she’d killed them. Once she’d even dreamed that they’d appear in the courtroom themselves – rotting bodies, surrounding her, with their claws aimed at her.

So far, nothing like that happened. Her parents didn’t appear in the court; Babs thought that it was probably Sunflower’s fault. Her sister still didn’t want to talk to her and, what was worse, she’d managed to tell their mother about her suspicions. Babs walked down the corridor, Twinkie Defense trotting by her side.

For a moment, Babs hoped that Nightcap would appear in the court to support her. However, when she thought about her, she unconsciously clenched her hooves and gritted her teeth.

When the guard stopped watching her, she’d finally gotten rid of the last piece of Nightcap’s letter by tearing it apart to the smallest pieces she could and throwing them into the toilet. She’d, however, kept the beginning of it. She didn’t exactly know why – part of her wanted to go and strangle Nightcap for betraying her. The longer Babs thought about it, the less she cared. After all, Lightning Dust had done the dirty work for her and it seemed that Babs would only get a smack on her hooves. From what Twinkie Defense knew about the judge, he’d spent most of his career fighting rapists. She planned to show Babs as a rape victim to help him sympathize with her.

Twinkie Defense greeted an older unicorn with glasses trotting to them. “This is Mr. Jailhouse Rock, the prosecutor,” she said to Babs.

Mr. Jailhouse Rock barely paid attention to them. He looked at Babs, sighing and levitated some documents, as if he was comparing his notes about her to what he’d just seen. Babs looked at Twinkie Defense unsurely, but before she could say something, someone trotted to Babs.

“Hey! It’s you!” the mare said. For a moment Babs thought that she was Jailhouse Rock’s daughter. She had glasses too and her expression when she saw Babs was similar – a pure contempt, which, however, soon changed into a menacing smile.

“This is my new secretary, Grace Manewitz,” said Jailhouse Rock calmly. “Grace, dear, what do you mean? Do you know her?”

“Of course I know her!” Grace exclaimed. “I mean, I recognise her… She looks exactly like that cu– I mean, that filly who robbed my friend, Coco Pommel. Good to see that you’ve finally found her…”

Twinkie Defense looked at Babs. For the first time since they’d met, Babs shuddered and tried to shrink herself under her lawyer’s gaze. “Is that true?” she asked. “Did you rob Grace’s friend?”

“I don’t even know Coco Pommel!” Babs shouted. “Who’s she?”

“Answer the question…” Twinkie hissed.

“I can bring Coco in a few minutes, boss,” Grace said. “She lost all her money and one of those fucks tried to rape her…”

“Hey! I told him to stop!” Babs exclaimed. An image of a pale yellow mare appeared in her mind; their last “client”, before everything started to fall to pieces. It had to be Coco Pommel.

Jailhouse Rock looked like the Hearth’s Warming Eve came a month early. “So, you were there…”

Babs sighed, her head drooping. “Yes, I was. Happy now?”

Twinkie Defense gasped and gave Babs a nasty glare.

Jailhouse Rock didn’t smile. “I’ll talk with the judge,” he said. “Grace, dear, go and bring that friend of yours.”

An hour later, Babs was sitting in the courtroom, listening to Coco Pommel’s testimony. She’d recognised her immediately – it turned out that she’d gone to the guards after all. Babs’ facial composite had been lying, forgotten, somewhere in the station since then.

There were also others. The guards who’d caught Babs, Hope and Tricky Case. The psychologist from the hospital. Another guard called Baton Charge. Mr. Venn Diagram and the principal of Babs’ school.

Babs didn’t even protest. She knew she was guilty and she admitted that. Now she sat in her seat, hoping that the judge wouldn’t be too harsh for her.

“I’d say it’s an interesting case,” Jailhouse Rock said after listening to the last witness and Babs’ confession. “I’m not even sure if we should’ve put her on trial today.” He clicked his tongue and looked at Babs. “This filly is like a box of chocolates… You never know what you’re gonna get.”

Twinkie Defense sighed. “Can you spare us tired metaphors and get to the point?”

“Sure.” Jailhouse Rock smiled professionally. “At first it was just possession of an illegal firearm, and since said firearm had been used in a shootout, tampering with evidence. That could be, however, blamed on that filly’s stupidity, what my friend Ms. Defense tried to do. However, as we heard from the witnesses, Ms. Seed isn’t dumb. She’s, when she appears at school, quite a good student. She’s no dumber than an average teenager. Yet, she was also involved in assault and robbery. I guess it wasn’t the first time…”

“Objection,” Twinkie Defense said. “You have no proof…”

“Sustained,” the judge muttered.

Jailhouse Rock didn’t seem to care. “That’s why I don’t want to judge her today… I guess if we dug deeper, we’d find much more than that… I could send Grace to the railway station to ask, umm… the ladies working there if they know her.”

“They’re poor and they have to stand there for the whole day,” Twinkie Defense said. “If she showed them a bit, they’d testify that I keep dead foals in my basement. Even though I don’t have a basement.”

Jailhouse Rock sent her a nasty glare. “Who’s playing with metaphors now?” he hissed. “Anyway, I guess there’s a reason why a sixteen-year-old filly, who’s not dumb, is a friend with a gangster’s marefriend? And it’s a close friendship, because I don’t think Lightning Dust killed Mr. Estrangulador out of sheer sympathy for Ms. Seed…”

Twinkie Defense stood up. Hope, who was sitting in the first row of seats, sent her a meaningful look. “Have you ever seen the streets of Manehattan?” Twinkie asked.

“Excuse me?” Jailhouse Rock raised his eyebrow.

“The streets of Manehattan,” Twinkie repeated, sighing heavily. “You said that Babs is a wise filly. Do you know what happens when a wise filly from a poor family goes into the streets? She’s doomed from the very beginning. She has to fight everyday to survive; mafia, drugs, crime, prostitution… It’s a jungle. Only some of them make it. Most of them get tangled in the vines…”

“...and some of them plant vines themselves,” Jailhouse Rock deadpanned. He pointed at the psychologist. “We all heard what Ms. Racing Thoughts and the teachers told us. Ms. Seed is borderline sociopath. She despises any form of authority over herself. She doesn’t trust anypony. Ms. Defense, you say that many young ponies get tangled in the vines of the jungle Manehattan is. The ecosystem, as my assistant says. I must admit that it’s true. Yet, there are lots of ponies who made it. You, for example. Ms. Hope, who is present here, is another one. If I did my research correctly, even Ms. Seed’s sister – and remember that they both grew in the same bad neighbourhood. Ms. Seed made it even worse.”

Babs saw that Grace Manewitz rolled her eyes. She smirked; she thought that she knew who did the research for the prosecutor. Jailhouse Rock gave her a nasty glare and she immediately stopped smirking.

“Even though I want to believe otherwise, Ms. Seed isn’t yet another filly lost in the jungle,” the prosecutor continued. “She’s a predator. Not a jaguar… yet. She’s just a cub, but if we don’t do something, she’ll soon grow…” He gave out a silent chuckle.

Babs hid her face in her hooves. Jailhouse Rock didn’t even suspect how much she’d grown… Each of his words was right; yet, he underestimated her.

“So, you want to put her in jail,” Twinkie Defense muttered. “Rock, do you really think it’d help? Continuing your metaphor, she’ll either die or become an even bigger predator there…”

Jailhouse Rock clicked his tongue. “I’ve never said that I want to put her in jail,” he said. “If I learned something in my life is that nopony is beyond redemption. I’d rather teach her than punish…”

Babs looked at him unsurely. Then she looked at the witnesses and noticed that Hope nodded her head. She furrowed her eyebrows – the guard used to support her. Why did she suddenly started to listen to that old faggot? Babs thought. She reached to the place where her knife used to be. Too bad, both her knife and her jacket had been taken away from her. They’d even confiscated a remaining piece of Nightcap’s letter.

“Teach rather than punish…” Twinkie Defense smirked. “I’d never think you’d show that you have a soft heart, Rock. What’s the catch?”

“Have you ever heard of that new facility near Appleloosa?” Jailhouse Rock asked. “I think spending some time on hard work and, umm… some training would teach Ms. Seed the life in modern society…”

“So, you want to send her to a boot camp?!” Twinkie exclaimed. “Are you crazy?”

“Ms. Defense!” the judge shouted. “I think it’d be the best solution. I don’t want to put such a young filly in prison, but, as we’ve seen, her crimes were quite serious. First assault and robbery, then hiding the evidence… I think it’s better for her to spend some time in such a facility… Say, two and half years... instead of staying among the convicted criminals for much longer...”

Twinkie wanted to say something, but then Babs stood up. She was shuddering slightly, but she looked straight into the judge’s eyes. “I… I think it’d be better too,” she said with a sigh. “I… I don’t wanna go to jail…”

“Should’ve thought about that earlier…” Babs heard Tricky Case’s voice. She looked at him and saw that Hope was also giving him a nasty glare.

“Right then,” the judge said. He started to officially announce the sentence, but Babs didn’t listen to him. She lowered her head, hiding her eyes behind her mane.

She knew she didn’t deserve that. She deserved much more severe punishment. But, on the other hoof, she wanted to live. She wanted to walk freely, enjoying herself. Boot camp was much better than a small, crowded cell.

Babs knew she deserved to be punished. The very sight of Coco Pommel was enough to convince her about that. She was determined to spend her time in the boot camp well and walk out of it as a better pony. She understood what she did wrong…

...then why it was so hard to hold back tears?

Author's Note

Only an epilogue to go...

Manehattan Blues

Author's Note

A music during the credits rolling...

Manehattan Blues

Babs opened one eye. The pain in her stomach was almost unbearable. She hadn’t had a cigarette in what it seemed like ages and withdrawal was almost killing her. She shivered and pulled a blanket over her head. During the day, it was hard to believe that it was already winter. At night, however, the cold wind was chilling everyone to the bone. The barracks’ thin walls weren’t any protection against it.

Babs clenched her eyes shut. The fact that her mane had been cut didn’t help her in keeping warmth. She turned in her bed, knowing well that she’d be woken up soon. Then she’d have to run around the barracks before she’d be allowed to eat breakfast. Then she’d work, listening to the sergeant’s yelling. She didn’t know his name. He was a sergeant and he liked to shout at them; that was all she had to know about him.

She could hear the snoring of her roommates. A former junkie, an underaged prostitute, a mule with a long scar on her face who didn’t want to say anything about herself, and a rich, spoiled filly who’d been put there because her parents couldn’t control her anymore. Noisy and annoying at first, she’d shut up after they’d beaten her for the first time. Babs had spent two days in a solitary confinement for that, but it was worth it – it was the only place where she could have some privacy.

At least now it was relatively silent. There were nights when the former junkie was screaming in pain caused by withdrawal. The rich one was crying almost constantly. Just when Babs thought that she hadn’t heard her, she started to cry again.

“Shut the fuck up!” the mule shouted. “I’m gettin’ tired of ya!”

Babs heard the loud slap. Crying grew louder. Another slap and it was reduced to silent whimpering.

The mule probably heard something more in it. “Ya think ya’re the Sleepless Killer or what?” she asked, going back to her bed. “She was crazy; ya’re just pathetic…”

Babs sighed with relief when everything silenced. She could beat the mule black and blue easily, but she preferred to stay out of trouble. The mule didn’t pick up on her yet. Maybe she was afraid that Babs, being the only earth pony in the room, would be able to fight back. Or maybe she just wanted to stay out of trouble too.

Somepony shook her. She got out of her bed quickly and stretched her hooves. She didn’t remember much from what happened later. It was just like any other day in the camp. Repetitive, monotonous tasks aimed at depriving her of energy and breaking her. She only gritted her teeth.

She was just running next to the guards’ hut. An old radio was playing there. Babs slowed down, letting her rich roommate catch up with her. She was listening to the blues song, sung in a raspy voice. The piano sounds were reminding her of Manehattan; she sighed, thinking of home. What was her family doing? How was Raz, Hedgehog, Nightcap, and other ponies she knew? Did Lightning Dust get caught? It was hard to say – the camp was far away from any civilised place in Equestria, so the news were rarely coming there.

“Seed!” The voice knocked her out of trance. She started to run faster. The song got quieter and it finally died down when Babs ran behind the corner of the building. She finished the lap quickly – the key of surviving there was to do everything as fast as she could when the guards watched and ceasing to do that as soon as they stopped – and again found herself next to the guards’ hut and the old radio. She closed her eyes, listening to the bass and saxophone. Her fur was drenched in sweat; her hooves started to ache, but she didn’t care. She was still running, listening to the song reminding her of home.

Manehattan Blues… Babs barely heard the sergeant’s voice commanding to stop. She stood in a row with other ponies, mules, donkeys, even a couple of griffons and zebras. She wiped sweat from her forehead. The sun was shining in her eyes, blinding her.

“Have any of you heard how cancer develops?” the voice of the sergeant pierced her ears. She automatically stood in attention. “Do you know something about cancer, Seed?”

“No, sir!” she replied. “Except that I’m afraid I’ll die of it one day…”

Some ponies in the crowd chuckled, but quickly silenced.

“Of course you don’t know…” the sergeant shook his head. “Let me educate you… Maybe it’ll be the only thing that ever gets into your thick heads… So, cancer develops when a single cell in the organism gets crazy and starts to think that it can tell the other cells to fuck off and get all the food for itself. It loses all its functions; it can only divide endlessly.” He paused and looked at the crowd in front of him. “Such things happen a few times a day. But usually such cell is quickly spotted by the organism and evaporated as soon as it starts to think about rebelling… Do you know why am I telling you that?”

Babs straightened out. She had a feeling that she knew. She, however, preferred not to stick her neck out.

“You’re such cells,” the sergeant said, looking at them with disdain. “You’re the cancer that, if not treated early, will spread all around Equestria and strangle it. You should be happy that we’re not like the organism. We don’t dissolve you with enzymes and eat the remains. Equestria needs every cell… Even those whose brains changed into cheese. Instead, we take you here and teach you to cooperate with the others. And we’ll teach that to you till we think you understood...”

Babs sighed. The song was still playing in her head. Soon, however, it was replaced by another song. Another scene played in her mind. It was just a few months before, but it seemed that centuries passed since then.

And when they will finally release us,
We’ll be nothing like we used to be,
We’ll be singing while lying in the grass,
‘Oh, Celestia, I’m so glad to be me!’

“Really? Cells and shells?” Cracker asked, rolling his eyes, after Hedgehog finished the song.

“Oh, shut up,” Hedgehog replied. “It’s about the message.”

Babs shuddered, remembering the faces of her companions sitting around the bonfire inside of an abandoned warehouse. Hedgehog, with a guitar on his lap. Cracker, a pegasus with a nasty smirk permanently plastered on his face. White Dove, sleeping, rested against Raz’s side. Raz, a large, silent donkey, staring into the fire.

Now the warehouse was nothing but a pile of scorched ruins. Cracker was in prison, White Dove was dead, and Babs was in the middle of the desert. She had no news from Hedgehog and Raz.

The briefing was over. The memory faded in Babs’ head. She trotted slowly to get the tools. The blues song started to play again. Babs looked at the guards’ hut and lowered her head, taking small steps. The sun was already high on the sky and the sand started to burn her hooves.

Manehattan Blues. Babs took another step. The memories of the town she had to leave were assaulting her. A tear fell on the sand, evaporating immediately.

Manehattan Blues. The song was playing over and over in her head.

Just a few more steps. A few more years and she’d be home.

Few more steps. Few more years.

Babs stopped and looked to the North – towards Manehattan. One day I’ll be back, she thought. Cancer… Ya’ll see…

She took another step.