My hooves clopped against the wet stone of the back alley of manehattan. I was running as fast as I could, the West Side ponies were right behind me, I turned a corner onto an abandoned main street. I ran past the gray burned out, looted, and razed buildings into another alley hopping into a dumpster just before the gangsters came into view. “Where’d he go?” One member said through the green bandana on his face. “You lost him? You stupid apple buckers!” One member kicked the dumpster I was in sending a ringing noise through my ears. They were chasing me because after setting my makeshift home in an old bakery on fire I decided to return the favor with a pipe bomb exploding in the alley next to their ‘headquarters’. I had a knack for explosives. Though my cutie mark was for sharpshooting, I am really good at that, my gray flank and wings made hiding in rubble a synch. I just dive into a burned out building and ‘bam!’ I’m just a bunch of old bricks with wings.
“Hey punks!” A new voice yelled down the alley. I peeked out of the dumpster and saw the purple bandanas of the East side pegasi, with their owners standing down the alley with pistols and baseball bats ready to fight off invaders to their territory. Their leader walked slowly in front of them many battle scars covered his face and body and he walked with a slight limp. “This is our turf, you got a problem I’ll be happy to end you, here and now!” His voice demanded respect and anypony who dared defied him obviously had a death wish. The West Siders knew their place here and quickly bowed before this battle hardened veteran, and left the alleyway to go back to their turf and smolder over they’re defeat.
I sighed a deep breath I’d been holding in since I dove into the dumpster. Just as I caught my breath the top of the dumpster flew open and two of the pegasi dragged me out into the alley throwing me on the cold stone. I sat up and came face to face with the large gang leader pony, his merciless stare looked straight into my soul, ”What’s your name kid?” He asked plainly. “O-Oscar.” I barely managed to squeak. The gang members around me erupted in laughter. I laughed along nervously. “Got a family kid?” The pony asked me. He was obviously asking if someone cared about me. “No, sir.” I said with more respect than I’d ever mustard up to give to anyone else, because fact was I had no one else he had just saved my flank. As far as I was concerned he was my father.
“Well kid looks like you’re stuck with us then.” He said wrapping his wing around my shoulders. I was glad for the companionship, but I hardly knew these gangsters they could be taking me to get shot in the back of the head like they did in the newspapers. I walked with their leader though not wanting the West Siders to find me and take care of me slower than the pegasi would. We walked about three blocks passing burned out businesses, looted and abandoned. Clap houses filled with the addicts and the dealers outside drinking hard cider and smoking clover until we finally reached a block that had four high rise tenements surrounded by a makeshift wall with a cart as its gate. When we walked to the gate a unicorn with a gas mask and hoodie pushed the crank with their magic making the bus slide slowly into the air with a loud metal against metal scraping sound. The outside of the tenements looked forbidden and abandoned but inside I saw three fillies playing jump rope next to a crashed flying machine I’d seen flying overhead a few times. An earth pony and a Pegasus sat on a bench outside an old playground, I also saw two pegasi standing on a second story balcony wearing purple bandanas similar to the ones the Pegasus next to me had.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” He asked as I looked on in amazement. “My name is Klack. This is my neighborhood. This is where my soldiers and their families stay. I’m king and God here.” I looked over to one group of mares and see one staring at me I waved awkwardly to her, she blushed and turned away. “That’s my daughter. She’s tough shit, she’s also seen her fair share of urban warfare.” We continue towards the tallest building of the tenements. We got into an elevator and took the elevator to the top floor where a makeshift penthouse was not being occupied. “This is your new home. I’ll send someone up with some purple clothes for you, welcome to our family Oscar.” With that he left me to my thoughts. I looked over the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. I walked onto the balcony and looked out over the city that’d been my home for my whole life. I felt like I belonged in the tenement block and nowhere else. The elevator door binged open and a pegasi with a bandana covering his face and mane dropped a purple shirt and bandana on the couch of the living room. I put on the shirt and bandana, the shirt was baggy but I like my clothes that way. “The courtyard, ten minutes.” Said the Pegasus leaping off the balcony into the courtyard twenty stories below. I followed suit jumping off the balcony. I let my wings spread their full length for the first time in a while. I flew out of the perimeter of the block and circled around the north building. I came down slowly into the courtyard where several ponies were standing around some with cider some with other foods all waiting for me.
“Brothers!” Klack boomed over the chatter of the other members. “We have a new member amongst us!” He said pointing his hoof towards me. “And he needs to be initiated!” He said with a serious tone backing away from me as the ponies surrounding me closed in. The first blow caught my jaw sending me to the dirt where several ponies stomped on me. I got back up as quickly as possible. Another pony brought his front hooves down on my ribcage. I fell again and was stomped. I regained composure as several ponies jumped on me. I spread my wings out quickly sending all of them flying into each other and some catching air under their wings. I stumbled a little and fell. I was pounded on from above when I heard Klack “Time’s up!” He helped me to my hooves as he hugged me closely. “Welcome, brother!” He said quietly in my ear. He let me go and all the ponies that had been beating me senseless were now around me. Patting my back, and shaking my hoof. I felt like I’d finally belonged…
