Of Love & Friendship

by MV

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11

Prologue

Chapter 1

The tall grass, around the small patch her parents had cleared, swayed gently from the air current of the pegasi. The flying ponies, were hard at work, corralling the scattered clouds which drifted carefully under the summer sun, creating short spurts of shadowy cover below. It was a hot day, but with everything combined it made for a very comfortable time for a picnic.

The little filly watched the pegasi at their craft. For an earth pony, it was an awe inspiring sight to see at how the pegasi could control the weather just by moving a few clouds around.

Always perfect, she mused, even when it rained or snowed.

Like any filly, the inevitable questions surfaced in her mind: where did the clouds go when they weren’t here? Did the pegasi store them in a shed for clouds or something just as similar? Perhaps they acted like cows and grazed elsewhere in the sky? Her parents told her it was more complicated than that. Her father, on the other hoof, elaborated about something called Centralized Weather Control and Technical Weather Formations. All that she understood was that they were fancy ways of saying: “the rain was needed elsewhere.”

The answers were hardly satisfying, if not clearly over her head, but it did explain the constant sunny days they had in their part of Equestria.

Still, she continued to ask where exactly, knowing her father couldn’t resist talking about the world at large and his travels. She loved to listen to the descriptive details of his stories, about the far away places he had been too and the people he met. There was something about the way he told them that made her feel that she had been transported far from her home and stood right alongside him in those moments of his life. She could see herself walking down the streets of the foreign metropolises, talking to different races that lived there, and view the exotic landscapes that surrounded them. It was like living in a wondrous dream, one filled with adventure and mystery.

Most importantly, she was with her father when she went to those places. That was the greatest part of each story that he told.

She turned to the tall grass and let its hypnotic sway carry her far away from the little picnic. Her imagination setup the stage of where the clouds would go next and what people would look up at them. Her mind played with the idea of a dry desert with prairie dog folk waiting patiently for the rain or even a metropolis with buildings that could touch the sky filled with griffins. The idea of being able to see inside the clouds as it rained, would truly be a sight to behold. If only she were a pegasi, perhaps, it could be more than a dream.

So many places to dream of alas.

Coming to from her imagination, she laid back on the red and white checkered blanket and stared into the crisp blue sky and its white fluffy clouds. The sun beat down on her shiny mulberry coat and curly silver mane as she played with the light with her hooves. She watched the light beams shoot outward trying to get around to her eyes, and returned to wondering what types of adventures the clouds would have.

When she sat back up, she gazed intently out into the surrounding world as though commanded by a strangely familiar voice whispering in her mind.

The hill they sat on looked over a vast section of Equestria, though she couldn’t remember where they were specifically. All she knew by heart was the dark tangled mess that was the Everfree Forest. Her father always made sure she understood where the Forest was and what dangers lay within its borders. Yet - there, she found herself gazing.

Unlike the rest of the Equestrian landscape, the Everfree did not reflect the colorful vibrancy of its surroundings. Instead, it appeared to embrace the idea of everything being coated in a dull and dreary gray. The only time she knew somepony to lose his or her color was when he or she was sick or very sad. As to why the forest wanted to be in either state, she couldn’t fathom. She only understood that it couldn’t be because it was lonely, not with all the types of plants and creatures to watch over and keep it company.

She told her parents her concerns, but was quickly answered with: “the forest tended itself and that if it was sad or sick it was because it had its own reasons for being so.”

The answer only confounded her.

The idea of the forest wanting to be sad or sickly seemed absurd, at least to her. After all, what pony would intentionally want to be sick or miserable? Maybe the forest just didn’t know how to tend itself or maybe it did but it needed help and didn’t know how to ask. Then again, it was plausible that the forest couldn’t ask, so no pony would know even if it wanted help.

So many questions all of which ended with her concerned with the forests well-being.

She told her mother that if she could, she’d like to do something for the forest. Her mother patted her head and told her, it was good to be thinking of others. It meant she had a warm heart, which was fitting to the season she was born in, and reminded her even though she wanted to help the forest, she still had to stay away from it.

Sighing, she accepted that she wasn’t going to be doing anything for the Everfree anytime soon. Maybe one day.

As she looked back to the Everfree from the hilltop, there seemed to be a particular spot in the tree line, that caught her attention. It was hard to describe being that the spot was so far away, but from what she could see, it appeared to be a dark smudge oozing out of the forest itself. As she tried to focus in on the smudge, the sound of her mother’s voice drew her attention elsewhere and she quickly forgot about the strange sight.

Again, she went to watching the pegasi corralling the clouds.

It must have been break time. The clouds now had been turned into what appeared to be balls and pins. She chuckled at the sight of the speeding round clouds crashing into the bowling pin equivalents, causing them to poof into nothing.

It must be fun to fly and to make clouds into anything you wanted, she thought.

Lying back on the blanket and dreaming of the clouds, her mother would say something to her from time to time and she’d glance over towards the yellow mare. She’d have to shield her eyes as the sun would glisten off her mother's shinny yellow coat. Only her mother’s mouth remained visible past the intense glare. That smile - always serious, but lovingly and kind. She was a beautiful pony. Her father especially like to remind her mother of that fact.

The sky was a beautiful blue, but as the pegasi got back to the work, the puffy clouds began to seem darker as they rolled across the sky.

That must have been the reason for... wait - what reason again? She stopped and blinked, her mind doing a double take. Hold on, she thought to herself, was it the reason why the clouds were moved elsewhere? No, that didn’t seem right. She already asked that question. In fact, did she even ask a question concerning - what again?

A voice again whispered in the back of her mind.

The pegasi rolled the darkening clouds past the Everfree and again her eyes trailed to the place before. This time however, the smudge had become a spot and was much larger. No. As she squinted her eyes, she corrected herself. It was closer. There wasn’t much to it, just a spot, but something…

Her father’s voice drew her attention back. It was time to eat.

She turned about, excited for the weaved hay her mother had prepared. She loved weaved hay. Well she loved her mother’s version of it. Her father just didn’t have the same touch. His generally came out brown and crunchy, but if it was fried pineapples, that, her father was king of.

With the food out, she managed the weaved hay, from her plate, between her two hooves, and took a big scoop of carrot dip. The contents slopped back onto her plate, but there was plenty still clinging onto the hay. Her father was good with scoping dip of any kind, even carrot dip, with his mouth and… and what?

She looked at the dipped hay. The whisper returned again, but this time it stirred something in her mind and began to crawl around searching. The more and more she looked at the dipped piece of hay, something seemed to be missing from the picture. No, something was added. Carrots! She didn’t like carrots. She never ate carrots. Both her parents hated...

Her father called her name and the spell was broken once more. She turned to him and tried to peer through the glare as she looked up at him. All she could see was his smile. It was a wide smile. A happy smile. He asked her what kind of activities she had been trying to prompt her cutie mark this time around, her mother echoing her father’s words.

Excitement filled her. She looked at the empty space on her rear and beamed at their interest. Oh, she’d been trying… The words bunched in her throat. She wanted to tell them all of what she had been attempting, but not a word would march forward. Instead a sadness filled her. Why was she sad? It was such a wonderful day and… and… and what?

Something was wrong.

The clouds had now begun to bunch together and the pegasi seemed to be losing control. She swore there was the sound of thunder in the distance, but rain wasn’t scheduled was it?

For some reason, her mind slipped away from her parents and she had to look back to the Everfree, where the whisper in her mind compelled her. She turned and noticed the dark spot clearly this time, but now it was even closer. It wasn’t near the Everfree anymore. It was standing there at the base of the hill. Calling it a spot now was far from what it was. It was a dark and shinny figure, a pony perhaps as it looked very much so, but there were many things that looked like ponies in the Everfree. Things that liked to eat ponies. Either way, as she looked at whatever it was, it seemed, at least by her understanding, that the whisper became clearer.

Somepony tried to draw her attention away again, but this time her eyes didn’t move to the voice, instead they travelled to her rear. What she found was not the previous blank space as before. What she found was the points of a compass surrounded by a group of stars.

A cutie mark? When did she…

She looked to her father, upset by the sudden appearance of her oddly discovered talent, but when she looked to him, he wasn’t sitting with them anymore. He was walking away.

Wait, why was he going? Where did he get all that equipment from? No - we were having a picnic! He still had time off! No! Don’t go! Please, come back! It’s safe here!

She tried to scream, but his figure faded into the tall grass and he was no more.

You won’t come back…

Lightning flared, but no sound came. Small drops of rain began to fall.

When she turned to her mother, the dark figure stood at the top of the hill, but still a ways - still whispering in the back of her mind.

It wasn’t a pony. It wasn’t anything she had seen before but, it was evil looking with its pointy ears and empty expression, yet somehow, the menacing creature seemed so familiar.

When she focused on her mother, the mare was no longer yellow, but a dim gray variant of her former self, just like the forest. Her mother sat with her back to the filly a withered and defeated form.

“Mother,” she called to the mare, but instead of a response, the withered form collapsed towards the ground.

She tried to run, she tried to catch her mother, but the mare only fell through her fore hooves and when she stopped clutching herself and opened her eyes the world was a different place. The sunny sky was gone. The pegasi were blown away as dark clouds barred the brilliant blue. Instead of sunbeams, cold rain beat down heavily soaking her to the bone.

The world had changed. This was not her Equestria, this was not her home.

She looked in the direction of the figure and it stood before her now. It was a monster, there was no mistaking the fact. It stood tall, looming over her, a tidal wave ready to crash down. Its skin was like tar and moved with much ease as though an endless ripple travelling the waters of the ocean. Only a dark void filled the place where there should be eyes. Its ears reminded her of a diamond dogs, pointy and straight. What concerned her the most, was its teeth. Jagged, like a saw blade. It had no tail, nor a cutie mark, and it had claws instead of hooves.

Lightning exploded as thunder rolled across the land.

As frightening as the creature was, she wasn’t afraid. Even the sudden assault on her senses by the weather could not sway her. Instead, she turned to the real terror.

The tombstone lay flat, consumed by overgrowth and time. She knelt into the mud and brushed her hoof over the gravemarker. The words written on it were all but readable, as the stone itself had become all but a marker for the dead. Even still, the decayed piece of mared stone meant more to her than anything else in the world.

Tears, began to fall to the stone.

“Summer,” whispered the voice, from far away.

Why did you all have to leave me?

“Summer,” whispered the voice again, becoming closer.

Why couldn’t we all be together?

“Summer,” said the voice, louder now.

Why did it all have to fall apart?

“Summer!” spoke the voice as though next to her.

She slammed her hooves on the ground smashing the dirt as lightning flared, thunder ripping through the world.

The creature now loomed before her again, but it was not what she stared at. Her hooves, they were no longer that of a fillies, but of a battered and aged mare. Her hooves were cracked from the abuse of her rusted shoes. Scar’s ran up and down her forehooves with missing patches of fur and blood.

Whose hooves were these?

She checked herself all over and it was not the body she knew. Shock and panic filled her. Where had the shine in her coat gone? Why the sloppy straight mane? Why all the scars, burns, missing fur, blood? By the Elysium Fields, what happened to her?

She pressed into the mud and screamed out all the frustration that her battered body could and when her lungs could take it no more, she stopped and heaved.

“Why won’t you let me-” she began.

“Summer,” said the voice sympathetically. She looked up from the marker and at the monstrous image of the demonic pony creature that it had come from. It bent down to her and from its back two nightmarish wings sprung forth and wrapped around her gently. There was no heat from the embrace, only the cold chill of the lifeless. But, there was a heartbeat, somewhere distant in the darkness, yet close. It was elusive, confusing her, but it was there nonetheless.

The creature rested its muzzle on her shoulder and spoke, its hideous maw mimicking the words in her ear. “I need you to wake up now. It’s important.”

Wake up? Why? What was there to wake up too? It was gone - all gone. There wasn’t anything worth living for. It was gone!

Light flared and thunder crashed about, and the world became a void. She fell from the embrace, falling ever further downward into the abyss, and she let the depths take her.

“Please,” said the voice, “I’m still here. We are all still here.”

She didn’t care. She didn’t want to. There was no reason to live on.

“We are still here,” the voice echoed.

Were you? Were any of you? Everyone was gone. They had either left or died or… or… there was nothing. The world was nothing. She was nothing!

“Are you?” came a new voice as clear and familiar as though she had always known it. “I don’t think you're nothing. I know for a fact, you are very much something.”

“But I - I don’t…” she said.

“I know,” said the voice sympathetically. “However, there still a reason, if I remember. A promise that you made. I think that makes a good reason to keep living don’t, you think young lady?”

Yes, there was a reason, a promise. Something she had made that couldn’t be walked out on.

She - she needed to - live! She couldn’t let it end this way. No! She wasn’t going to let it end...

Suddenly something began to push her back up to the light. The world began to spin as the lights about her danced and finally engulfed her.

Then - silence.

* * *

Like every night, she opened her eyes to the same rotted ceiling. This night however, she opened them to a brown hooded stallion, looming over her. Her expression was all but friendly.

“You better have a damn good reason for being in my room,” she said restraining herself.

“I’m sorry, but we have intruders downstairs,” said the hooded stallion backing away. “I wanted you to know before I did anything.”

She gave the brown earth pony a quizzical look as he stared back from underneath the shadow of his hood. She was about to say something, but ignored the statement instead, concerned more about the immediate threat.

“Do they intend any harm?” she asked. It would have been a dumb question with an obvious answer, but considering the brown pony’s behavior she was not so sure. Even so, if there was somepony invading a home in these parts, harm and death were part of the game.

“It was mentioned,” replied the stallion casually.

Her expression now changed to one of deadly intent and anger.

She rose from the messy straw bed, pulling free the bladed weapon attached to her shoe, hidden under the straw.

“How many,” she asked, as she equipped her shoulder rifle.

“Five. Two males, three females, all earth ponies. Under equipped but crudely effective from my take. No backup,” he said as she finished attaching the spikes to her rear shoes. “Would you like me to go first?”

“You lost your turn when you woke me up,” she said as she stopped in front of him, trying to make eye contact into that concealing darkness of his. Whether she made contact or not, the fact that the angry glare she gave him should have made the point. Content, she placed the bit trigger in her mouth and walked onwards, out of the room and towards the stairs.

The stallion followed, making no sound as though a phantom.

* * *

All that remained in the room, that of any importance, was a faded picture of two ponies stuck in an old picture frame, sitting next to the straw bed. It had seen better days, but this night was not one of them. The figures in it were quite happy being together, a tiny house sitting in the distance. A small piece was missing from the lower right corner, ripped or torn. Regardless of how it was done, the portion was clearly taken by force.

Somewhere below the discharge of a weapon could be heard, followed by a hard thud of something collapsing to the floor. The picture remained still and silent as the sounds of rushing hooves echoed about. Yells of confusion and screams of rage began to fill the house. Quickly booms of thunder proceeded, coming and going in rapid succession and random spurts. The whole house became engulfed in battle and quaked from the excitement.

A loud explosion traveled through from the floor and toppled the picture flat on its face.

Silence, crept back into the home.

Nothing moved in the house as the moments ticked by, at least nothing that could be heard from the room. Then, hoof steps vibrated the floor. Somepony climbed the stairs, moving with steady purpose towards the empty room. When the owner of the hoof falls in question did enter, the picture shifted slightly as though trying to escape as the hoof slammed down next to it. The monster gazed down at the fallen picture and with one heavy scoop, lifted it from the floor.

The dark shadow cast from the strange creature fell on to the picture. In all the years it had sat next to the straw bedding, it did not recognize the creature that it for so long lived with. All that it understood, was that this monster attended to it and struck fear into whatever soul it still possessed.

* * *

When she returned to her bedding, she noticed the picture. With a quick scoop of her shoe, she picked it up, her eyes scanning every inch of its contents then returned it to its proper place.

When she noticed the black aura around her foreleg, she said with clenched teeth, “Leave it be.” The aura vanished and the wound continued to bleed.

Tossing the rifle to the floor, she grabbed her first-aid kit and bandaged the wound. Another scar to the collection, she mused.

Returning to the bedding, she shot a look straight at her odd housemate and said, “Now if you don’t mind, keep out of my fucking dreams!” as she pointed towards the door.

The stallion nodded graciously, then backed out of the room and closed the door softly.

She stared at the door for a while, waiting, listening for any signs of life, then as if some inner strength had given out, she allowed herself to collapse. Clinging to herself in a ball she cried.

“Why won’t you let me forgive myself?” she murmured.

* * *

The stallion floated above the wooden floor hoping that she believed he had gone. He remained, listening, as she cried throughout the night, until she had finally succumbed to sleep.

He floated away from the door and shifted back to the small cloud form he preferred to be, travelling down the stairs and over to where she had gathered the remains of what used to be the intruders.

The place was a mess, but he would take care of that before the morning. First, he would take care of the bodies.

There was no worry of anypony discovering them, not that anypony would care. After all, it was what led them here in the first place. All the morality and laws in the world didn’t mean anything when it came to desperate measures in desperate times.

Looking over the dead corpses he began to wonder why he felt compelled to warn her. Deterring intruders was what he did, so why ruin her dream like that? Was it concern or was it hunger that motivated him?

Again, he changed his form. Now, he was the nightmarish creature from her dream. He stripped them down of their supplies, what there was in any case, then dug his claws into the wasted flesh and pulled the death from her home one by one.

Doubt plagued his mind as he left the fresh meat in the Everfree. It wasn’t that he doubted somepony would find the bodies. It was doubt about himself.

He could feel it, the regression. The draw pulling him back to feed uncontrollably. The world had become primed for it. Now it called to him like a seductress. There would come a point where he would willingly want it again. Even now it wanted to come back, and one night the world would be ripe for the reaping. No pony would be safe, not even - her.

He looked up to the moon.

Especially - not even her.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

All morning, Summer had remained on the straw bedding, listening to the chirping of the family of birds that resided outside her window. With the previous night's “hiccup,” her apathy about her own well being had returned and so she laid there, staring at the rotten ceiling, listening to the only family that remained in these parts.

To be free as a bird - as a pegasi…

She lifted a hoof above herself and played with the light. No matter what she attmepted, the images of the five ponies kept appearing before her. Killing those ponies last night had not phased her, at least the kill or be killed part of surviving. No, her issue was surviving in general.

What was she surviving for? Was it for the sake of surviving itself, because there wasn’t anything to live for beyond being the guardian of a decaying house and faded memories. Well - there was that one particular thing, but besides that, she could easily walk out on this bleak humdrum of an existence and let the world fester without her.

She closed her eyes. Took in a relaxing breath, and let the frustration of the world flow out of her as quietly and calmly as she could.

Life was hard, she reminded herself. It was relentlessly hard, but even more reason to stare defiantly back, and flip the hoof proudly.

Changing gears, she mulled over the “hiccup” in her mind. There were other terms she wanted to describe the situation with, but she pushed them away. There was no point at being angry with Sid. Knowing the Agent of Fear, he was probably vicariously taking out her anger on himself by doing something constructive.

Obsidian was a strange creature, that she was certain of. Even after the two years they had lived with each other, she still had her moments of trying to understand his actions. Then again, a mortal like herself shouldn’t try to rationalize the motives of alicorns and demi-gods. Though when living with one, it was easier to say than to practice.

Finding the willpower within, she pulled herself from the straw bedding and went over to the cracked mirror. She winced at the explosion that was her frazzled mane. There was no point working those knots out. Not this day.

Looking herself over, she put her hooves on the mirrors frame. Slumping her head down, she sighed at the sight before her. The reflection was not the pony she was within, but the creature she had allowed herself to survive as.

If only…

She shook her head. Yeah, “if only” this or that. It didn’t change the fact that the world spun on its head now. She would do whatever it took to survive out in this lonely corner of Equestria. Anything. If it was kill or be killed, she was going to make sure she was on the right side of the gun.

Speaking of which…

She hooked the rifle and stared defiantly into the mirror. The creature looked back and smiled vicsiously and victoriously once again.

When Summer came down from her room, Obsidian was up to what she had been expecting. The wood stove was in full force as well as the water heater, but her companion was nowhere in sight in the barren boarded up ruin of a home. Even so, the place, delipidated as it was, had been cleaned and repaired from the previous night's engagement. Most of the bullet holes remained. The pressurized cooker was gone, destroyed by the shotgun blast that rocked the house. Even the back door which the invaders had entered by had been boarded up using some of the remaining floorboards.

She frowned at the sight of the new wall. No, this wasn’t going to remain. If she had to sacrifice anything further on this subject, she was going to burn the house down and be done with it. The loss of some comforts could only go so far. She would have her quick access to her shower - just not today.

When she approached the kitchen counter, breakfast sat waiting. She placed the shoulder rifle next to her, as she took the seat and looked at the bowl of oats with sliced strawberries.

What a waste, she thought. Two very good meals wasted into one.

She took a deep breath and remembered he was just trying to do good and that she should just enjoy the apology.

Latching the spoon to her shoe, she dug in.

With that first spoonful hitting her tongue, the memories of that life she had once lived returned. Those warm memories wrapped around her, comforting her against the woe of the outside world. The combination of tastes dancing around her mouth didn’t just reawaken her palette, but also revitalized her soul.

She quickly slowed herself from gobbelling up the bowls contents and began to enjoy the spoonfulls, one at a time.

How long had she missed this.

When she finished, she cleaned up the mess then went to her rifle and hooked it to her shoe. The weapon seemed lighter all of a sudden.

Yes, it was happily lighter.

Looking for her friend, she found the hooded pony hard at work in the room where she had dragged the bodies the previous night. It was empty now, save for him and the blood he smeared over the floor.

She watched from the hall as he went about cleaning the floor with the blood soaked mop. No matter how many times he dunked the red mop head into the bucket, it never changed in consistency. When he turned around, he paused for a moment as they both acknowledged each other silently, then continued on with his task.

She continued to watch, waiting for him to realize that the water was just as bloody as the smear he spread over the floorboards. Instead, he remained as he was, mopping to some endless repetition.

There it was, that strange behaviour only a demi-god could understand. She didn’t want to say anything, but the floor had become coated in diluted blood.

Before she could, the mop freed itself from his hold, banging hard on the floor. He picked up the slippery pole and finagled it between his shoeless hooves, only to have it slip out again. She watched as he stared at it from behind that shadow of his hood. There was something working behind that shroud of darkness.

“If you want to change those hooves into claws -” she begun.

“I am capable,” was his flat reply. He bent down and took control again of the mop and again he continued with his task.

This was silly, she thought. They were both being foals about something they were both in the wrong for and needed a resolution before it went any further.

With that, she went over to the hooded stallion and took hold of the bucket, hooking it to her shoe. “You need clean water.”

As she began to leave, Obsidian said, “I’m sorry - for waking you. For invading your dream. I should have dealt with them.”

The air between them remained silent for a time as she forced the words up then said, “I should have let you. Nopony would have had to die. I’m sorry as well.”

“I’m backsliding,” he said abruptly. “I can feel it.” Summer put the bucket next to the door then went over to Obsidian, as he continued, “It’s getting harder -” and gave him the biggest hug she could.

“We’re all backsliding. Nopony can escape it.”

“I’m not a pony.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Summer, I - you can’t afford - nopony - no one - can afford...” he stammered.

She squeezed him tighter as much as her muscles could allow.

“You are my friend. No matter what has transpired between us, what happens to you matters to me.” When she let go he was the small black cloud. She pressed her hoof to his side and said, “Loyalty, it’s what friends do.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“We’re in this together, remember Now, I’m gonna finish this mess and then we need to be off.” She hooked the bucket then paused at the door. “Sid?”

“Yes?” said the cloud.

Cracking a half smile, she said, “Thanks for being there for me as well.”

The little cloud bumped her on the shoulder then drifted past heading elsewhere.

Alicorns and demi-gods, she thought, shaking her head. Still, she wouldn’t trade places with any pony, the tangle mess she was with him.

After changing the water, Summer went to cleaning the floor as best she could. The wooden planks in the end were stained and beyond cleaning. A frown crossed her face. She would have to flip them since it was the only room with all its floorboards and she needed a functioning room.

Well, if the wood had been sealed…, she thought.

If only there were bits to pay for said sealing…, she shot back to herself.

“If life were perfect,” she said aloud to the four walls.

In any case, it was a job for when she returned.

Putting the cleaning supplies away, she hooked her rifle and proceeded to the shower. When she returned to the newly boarded up wall of a rear door, she rolled her eyes at her quick lapse of memory and changed directions. Crossing the lone bridge of planks that was her living room, she stopped at the door, hooking the keys then worked her way down the row of locks. Rifle at the ready, she cracked the door open just enough to spy on the world.

Confident, the weapon preceded her as she made her way out, checking all the corners of the open space. Locking the door behind her, she walked around to the back with her senses at full alert.

Obsidian might be able to sense threats, but that wasn’t an excuse to wander about carelessly, not so far from town and so near the Everfree.

Wisps of breath escaped from her snout, but even the weather wasn’t going to stop her from taking a warm shower. Nothing was going to stop her and should something try, may those of the Elysian Fields have mercy on them.

Scanning the back section of the house, she moved over to the hose that hung from an extended part of the roof and adjusted the knobs. The water rushed out from the nozzle, creating a hot mist that rose from the ground. She continued adjusting the knobs until the water met the desired temperature.

Glancing around once more, she propped the shoulder rifle in its normal spot and let the water quickly soak over her. She did not linger any longer than she had to and made her way back inside as quickly as possible.

After she dried herself off, she latched the hot iron to her shoe and proceed to flatten her mane. When she finished, it wasn’t perfect or pretty, but that wasn’t the point. She was going for maintained, even if it was stiff as a board.

Having a short mane would have been a wonder for her, but every time she had tried, all she had done was make herself look like a stallion. At least that’s how Cherry had put it. Yes, she did agree, she did look some what like a stallion. Of course her friend being the ever tormentive friend that she was, naturally took the teasing to a length that required a friendly intervention. In the end, both of them didn’t mind being called Mister, since neither of them had a mane to tend to.

A half smile cracked her face.

Shining moments in the darkness, she mused.

When she was done, she obtained her gear and met Obsidian by the door. He was once again the mysterious brown earth pony with no cutie mark. Beside him was his saddlebags full of the scavenged loot and the little she thought could help. When she checked the contents of his bags, she knew already the amount she’d be trading for. Still, any bit was better than no bits, and pickers couldn’t be choosers.

Strapping the shoulder rifle to her body, she let it sit at rest. With a quick motion, the weapon snapped-to and her eye was immediately looking down the sight. She worked the mechanism a few times then kept the rifle at the ready.

Obsidian moved behind her as she unbolted the door once more, then departed into the vast wilderness of grassy fields and rolling hills. From here she could see a good portion of this side of Equestria. Even the tip top peak of Canterlot's mountain could be seen to her left, but what she focused on was the small dot that was Haystersburg, at the base of the hills and everything inbetween.

With any luck, they would beat the sun and still have enough time to trade what they had. If she was really lucky, her job would have work waiting for her this night.

The road to Haystersburg was long and winding, with hills rolling like green waves making it harder to spot anypony laying in wait. Add in the vast open space, and she had become a clear target for anypony that didn’t want to get their hooves dirty.

The fact that no pony travelled these parts anymore save her, Obsidian, and the occasional lost tourist, did make travel more consistent, though the possibility of that one chance kept her on her hoof tips.

The only ones she did have to worry about were the gangs, but even they had slowed their activities. There weren’t many to rob outside the hamlet, beyond other gangs, of which were the town folk themselves.

No pony came to Haystersburg anymore. Not even the post arrived in these parts. An acceptable loss to the financial collapse plaguing the country and no pony was going to rescue them but themselves.

When the road banked towards the Everfree, Summer kept her mind focused. The Everfree wasn’t just home to the strange and deadly, it also housed the many gangs that roamed about.

As they travelled, Obsidian bumped into Summer, letting her know that they were about to encounter the first wave of scouts. She spotted several movements in the tree line, but made no reaction to any of them. Keeping the course, she kept an eye on the tree line as the unseen eyes undoubtedly watched back.

The further down the road they went, the more and more the gangs became prevalent at the tree line, not just making themselves brazenly known to her, but also interacting with each other. Most of the expressions she saw implied dark desires for one reason or another, but those were not the one’s she concerned herself with. The only ones that mattered, were the ones that nodded to her as she passed. Those were the ponies that kept the others at bay.

One stallion even tipped his straw hat. She acknowledged him with a slight nodded and kept it moving.

When the road moved away from the Everfree, Obsidian trotted up and indicated they were once again alone.

Taking a moment, she let the tension ease from her. One day, they would try again. They would always try again.

With Haystersburg in sight, it was easy to mistake the hamlet for a ghost town, as it wasn’t the most modern of Equestrian design. That of course, was when it had ponies living in it. Now, for all intensive purposes, it was how it looked.

The sign to Haystersburg had been defaced. Where “Welcome To” had been, was replaced with the words “Abandoned by Canterlot.” The population count was much more colorful. One scribbling in particular, caught her attention: “Swallowed by the endless Nightmare, death be to the Moon!”

Obsidian, snorted his distasted for the graffiti as they passed. She didn’t like the idea either, of the princess being made further into a monster, but unlike him, she could sympathize with the ponies that made the statement. After all, her return was what caused the collapse.

Little whirlwinds of debris swept through the streets as they passed the boarded up homes and businesses. Those that weren’t, were either ransacked or had become self made fortresses.

Summer made sure to keep to the center of the road. Getting too close to an occupied property was reason to be shot at, even then, just being around was reason enough.

As the buildings got tighter with each other, Obsidian stopped abruptly and Summer went right into a defensive stance, scanning for any movement. When she couldn’t find any threats on her own, and so turned to him looking for a direction to aim, but nothing. Instead, he casually began to gaze about as if searching, then stopped.

“That ‘thing’ again?” she asked, keeping her attention on their surroundings.

“It was stronger this time. Couldn’t make out who or where - still...” said Obsidian as he moved up to her. “There are other eyes watching. We shouldn’t linger.”

They maneuvered through the quiet hamlet, passing around the grocer's highly secured compound, until finally, they had reach their destination.

The Haystersburg bank was one of the only buildings still retaining its dignified image, though the marble stone wasn’t as clean as it used to be. With all the guards patrolling around, a dirty building was better than an empty one.

The two of them approached the security checkpoint, Summer’s rifle at rest. A squad of armored earth ponies in urban camo, with a logo of a hoof over a set of lips, stopped them prior to the checkpoint and went through the normal song and dance each time she returned.

Once in the checkpoint, she surrendered her creative homemade gear, getting unnerved looks from the check-in clerk.

“Never know the occasion,” she said to the stallion, who mumbled something like a uncomfortable confirmation in return.

The clerk had not been especially pleased by the strange small device that she had described as, “keeping the stallions in place,” and had made sure to put something between himself and the item as he placed it in the box.

Taking the ticket, the two of them continued onward, getting scanned by machines and unicorns for anything they shouldn’t still have. Well she did at least. Obsidian on the other hoof was frisked, as they knew very well their spells and machines didn’t work on him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to check under my hood,” Obsidian had taunted one of the armored ponies.

“I would take it as a personal kindess if you didn’t. Otherwise, I will shoot you should that hood find itself anywhere other than over your face,” replied the armored pony as politly as he could.

Summer snickered to herself. After all the visits to the bank, there wasn’t much room with this bunch for him to feed off of. It still didn’t keep him from trying, though.

Up by the main door, a rust colored earth pony emerged. His head was mostly bald save for the tiny mohawk racing down the center. An old bullet wound ran the length of the right side of his face, just under his tired eye. The armor he wore was thicker than his subordinates, with a similar logo, but the shoulder rifle attached to him was a terrifying piece of equipment.

Once spotting the two, the pony waved to them.

“He had to be on duty,” Summer grumbled.

“Be nice,” whispered Obsidian.

“You make me,” she whispered back.

As they approached, the rust colored pony said, “Been a while Ms. Stars - and said companion,” giving Obsidian a distrusting glance.

“Always the pleasure Clandestine,” she replied sourly.

Obsidian merely nodded and stood a pace back.

“So what flavour will it be today - I mean, night?” the earth pony glanced at the sky then nodded to himself confirming the latter assessment was correct.

“Trading,” she said.

The security pony that had followed with Obsidians saddlebags dropped them to the ground as Clandestine approached. “Well, in that case I better take a look at what you got.”

She took a step forward blocking him. “Whoa, stud. You don’t determine -”

The stallion put his hooves up not wanting to argue. “Policy change, prairie queen. Them, not me.”

The frustrating disbelief on her face, caused Clandestine to take a step back.

“Policy change!” she said, fighting to control herself. “What policy change?”

“Not everything is considered trade goods anymore. If it’s not on the list there’s no reason to let you in,” Clandestine said carefully.

She wanted to spit nails at him. No, that be too good. Spikes. Bigs ones. Yes, big nasty spikes with thorns. Twisting...

Obsidian, stepped forward. “When did this happen?”

“About a week or so from your last visit, I think. Any who, the point’s moot.” Clandestine pointed to Obsidians saddlebags. “You gonna let me look or am I gonna have to turn you away?”

Obsidian pulled Summer to the side, clearing the way.

Clandestine, spotting the burning rage in her eyes kept his distance as he past.

After he had rummaged through, Summer knew from his look that it wasn’t good.

“Everypony has guns and bullets these days, prairie queen. More so than food. The bank is just not accepting them,” Clandestine told her.

Summer held in the screams of rage that battled to find a victim, squishing them tightly down into her gut. It was a sickly feeling, but she’d let them out on something later where no pony could stop her.

“Can I atleast make a deposit with them or anything for my home?” she asked.

Clandestine shook his head.

Summer stared hard at the armored pony.

“I just do as they tell me, Ms. Stars,” he told her, shifting uneasily.

Obsidian nudged Summer and she eased off. “Then we’re done here.”

“Look, I don’t know how you came about these and I don’t care to know,” said Clandestine, then made a motion to his subordinate. The security pony moved away as Clandestine brought over the saddlebags. “If you really, and I mean really want them bits - try Old Mug. Been doing better than this place. No guarantees mind you.”

Summer rolled her eyes and began to walk away. Every pony knew of the Empty Mug trading post, she raged in her mind. What kind of advice was that!

“We shall take your words into consideration,” Obsidian stated, then nodded politely.

Clandestine distrust still clung to his face about the brown stallion, but nodded back just as politely. “Keep an eye on that prairie queen when you go over there. Old Mug might not have changed, but - his place - has of late.”

With that, Obsidian met up with Summer at the checkpoint.

Once they had gotten far away from the bank, Summer began, “Bunch of cow -.”

“It is what it is,” stated Obsidian. “We’ll have to make due.”

“At this rate folks will be eating bullets,” she said heatedly, spotting her victim. Homing in like a missle, she smashed her rear hooves into the wooden bench, shattering it. Looking around she dared anypony still left in the place to say something. Anything. Just try!

Obsidian, silently stared at her.

She looked back at him, hard. “Don’t be judging me behind that shadow. I know times are tough, but there’s a time and place for anger. We left the time and I made sure as Tartarus, this was the place!”

“Summer,” came the soft tone.

“No, I don’t want to hear it.” She kicked the broken bench again. “It’s my home, Sid! My - families - home! I got nothing else. No family beyond my mother's bones in the dirt! What am I supposed to do, let it burn and start fresh?”

“Yes,” came the reply.

The rage boiled over. “And do what? Come on, say something smart! What should I do? Where should I go? Tell me how I should fucking live!?” She kept her gaze on where his eyes should be behind the shadow and wasn’t letting go. He remained silent. “I can’t just up and leave. Everything is here. My life, my memories, it’s all here!” She hammered into the remains of the bench until it was anything but a pile of rubble.

Exhausted she sat on the ground not caring about the rest of the world. For piety's sake, somepony take the shot, she was done.

Obsidian trotted over to her and she looked up at him defiantly. “Go on, say it. I’m just a stupid mortal clinging to something familiar or whatever you want to say,” she said loudly, then lowered to a mumble.

At first he said nothing, then as it seemed she had pulled a bit of herself together, he pointed to the bench. “I believe you answered for me.”

Glancing at the ruin of what was the bench, she understood the implication.

“We going to the Empty Mug?” he asked.

She took a deep breath, gave him another hard look, then let it go. “Guess so. Who knows, maybe Cherry will be there. Could use a laugh.”

He held out his hoof. She looked at him, then the hoof and conceded.

As they left Haystersburg, they once again passed the welcome sign of woe. As they passed, Obsidian paused, then continued on without Summer being the wiser.

Later that night, a mysterious force tore through the sign leaving nothing save for the portion stating: Abandoned by Canterlot.

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

The Empty Mug sat right off the intersection between, Haystersburg, the Everfree Mining Co., and the local branch of the Equestrian Trading Association - which had been the point. Old Mug, like any shrewd business pony, had seen an opportunity and took it. Now, the once unavoidable bar and trade goods store, had become the central point of all activities in the area, especially, with times as they were.

Summer had never cared for the Empty Mug or its proprietor. Even so, she did acknowledge that the establishment did provide a reasonable service to all ponies in the area, including herself. The only reason she would even stop at the Mug was due to it being her friends favorite watering hole, that, and between their two schedules, it was the only time and place where they could see each other. With work being so scarce, it felt like an eternity since they last meet up.

When the Empty Mug came into view, Summer clearly understood what Clandestine had been mumbling about. The once small building on the hill, had been transformed into a military compound that put even the grocers fortress to shame.

Summer gave a low whistle. “Even with the full force of the three races - that - was - quick.”

“If, they wanted to get paid, I have no doubt of it,” Obsidian said, pointing out the obvious.

Summer rolled her eyes. “Well yeah. Still, it's been just shy of three weeks since we last past here. That,” she said pointing to the new buildings, “is just impressive.”

“Still an overkill.” Obsidian pawed at the ground then turned to her. “I’d like to know how he’s paying for it.”

“Guess even collecting scraps can amount to something in the end,” Summer said, fixed on the bright beacon before them.

“There has to be more to it,” Obsidian stated. Getting no response, he inched his way into her view until she finally acknowledged him.

His cocked head indicated what was on his mind. “Not our concern,” she told him. “All that I care about is getting those bits and getting out without something else going wrong.”

“You do realize,” Obsidian said, moving in front of her as he pointed to their destination, “that is not an ordinary sight for around here.”

“Everypony these days has a fort or whatnot,” she said brushing him off. “Don’t get paranoid on me. So - Old Mug, cheap bastard that he is, scrimped his bits and took his time. What of it!”

She tried to move forward but he blocked her path, “Summer…”

“Look, I want those bits,” she said flatly.

Obsidian stood there as she defiantly stared him down. Seeing that she wasn’t going to budge, he nodded and returned to his place behind her.

She eyed him from the corner of her vision, as he waited patiently.

Something within her tried to push its way up from the depths, but she squashed it before it could take root. There was only one path and that path was her homes continued existence. She would not be deterred from that.

The roads around the Empty Mug, being highly travelled with potential customers, always had a random patrol about. As they approached, it was clear that the random patrol had become patrols and increased in both size and consistency. In fact there was nothing random about them now as it seemed there was a steady timing between each as they passed by.

Summer couldn’t help but think of how overdone the ponies looked in their intimidating, yet rust armor and cheap weapons. Worse was the fact that these ponies were nothing but simple townsfolk looking to make ends meet. There was no comparing these clumsy ragamuffins to Clandestines small force of disciplined soldiers.

What did get her attention, was the two patrols that attempted to shake her and Obsidian down. Granted, none of those ponies knew of her, or, as she could tell, were from around Haystersburg, else they would never have tried such folly.

What her gaze couldn’t push away, the snap-to sound of her shoulder rifle did. No matter how equipped or desperate any of those ponies were, there wasn’t enough hunger in their eyes to commit against something that could bite back.

That didn’t hold true for the guards stationed at the gate. She could see the hunger, not just in their eyes, but in every motion of their body. There was unwavering commitment at the ready and it boggled her how the Empty Mug had found some pony to be that dedicated for what she bet was for a little amount of bits.

What also caught her eye about these ponies, besides them also not being from Haystersburg, was their plain, logo-less, navy blue and grey uniforms. Unlike the patrols, these uniforms were freshly made and of good quality, that and so were their armor and weapons.

The guard in the booth had a lot of questions, much more than she thought necessary to allow entry. Still, she kept her answers brief, and to her best ability polite. After all, being concerned about suspicious activity on the roads or if the patrols were behaving themselves wasn’t itself out of the ordinary. The latter, however, she answered carefully.

Even though the guard was content with Summers answers concerning the road, the fact that Summer was armed and Obsidian carrying weapons for trade only added more questions. In the end the two of them had a small escort leading the way.

As they were taken to a welcoming center, for some reason Summer couldn’t fathom, she couldn’t help but notice the absurdity before her. Patrols were one thing, so were the spotlights. She could even believe the gun towers, but as her eyes followed the fence rise into the air, making a ninety degree bend to create a cage to keep fliers out of the whole area, somepony had gone too far. There must have been some angle to all this otherwise, what was Old Mug thinking?

It didn’t stop from the gate. Several rows of barracks sat tucked away and to her shock, several riot suppression carriages that Obsidian pointed out, stood waiting. She could tell those hidden eyes of his were expressing his distaste for what was clearly being stated by their surroundings.

“Hey, it’s still not our problem,” she told him, though she was beginning to wonder if this had been a good choice. She was never a fan of the Empty Mug, but this felt more and more like she was trotting through the middle of some eminent coup d’etat. Not that the droves of parading soldiers were helping to dispel that feeling. Either way, it was too late now.

The new “welcome center” was anything but welcoming. If anything it was more of a processing center with rows of desks, counters, booths, and endless amounts of ponies that she didn’t recognize.

Where had all these ponies come from! Haystersburg and some of the surrounding villages didn’t house this many. Even if by chance, all the gangs had joined up with Old Mug in the short span she had been at the bank, it still didn’t amount to what she was seeing.

The check-in booth was, as Obsidian had state before about the place, overkill.

A wall of policies and rules printed in big bold letters, which for those that resulted with a shot on sight penalty were in red, stood before the check-in booth with an array of scanners and unicorns that seemed to reflect the paranoid mind than security.

Summer kept her mind on the bits. Just had to endure, she told herself. She would get the house through this one way or another.

The guards escorting them placed Obsidians saddlebags on the counter and with a few words to the clerk, left.

With this amount of security it was no surprise why the check-in booth for weapons was so far in. No pony stupid enough to try something was going to get out alive.

The clerk before them was a pretty young mare, with sapphire blue eyes and a well kept coat of green. Her mane was also like her eyes as well as her shoes. Her ears had shiny ornaments clinging to them, why, well - who knows. They did look nice, Summer admitted. She must have had some spare coin lying around. As far as Summer was concerned, this begged that the earth pony be introduced to her assortment of homemade gadgetry.

Surrendering her equipment wasn’t fun at first. It seldomly was with normal instruments of death, but once the more interesting pieces slid across the counter, the revolted look from the well-to-do earth pony was more than satisfying.

She placed her favorite conversational piece on the counter and toyed with it. “Ah, now this is something every mare should have for those particular moments. It can be very helpful,” she said making certain gestures with the device, “when you just need to keep those stallions in place when you don’t want them to…”

The mare began to dry heave as she braced herself on the counter.

“You alright? You look like you could use a stiff…” Summer said trailing off, then slid the device across the counter.

Once the gadget slid into the green mares view, she quickly found the nearest wastebasket and began heaving.

An earth pony stallion quickly took over. His expression was far from friendly as he began to open his mouth to give Summer a piece of his mind, but once he spotted the device, then noticed Summer grinning ear to ear, he said nothing.

“I like to keep my intentions up front when looking for a good time,” she said with a wicked smile.

The stallion, went from unfriendly to unsettled, but grabbed the device with a bag and placed it in the box.

“What, about - your friend there?” asked the stallion as he reigned in his stomach.

“Just the hood,” stated Obsidian as he stared intently at the stallion who quickly looked back to Summer with a questioning look.

“Some questions are best left unanswered,” she said. “Don’t take my word on it.”

“I think I will,” stated the stallion. “We’ll send your trade goods ahead to the trading center, since weapons of any kind aren’t allowed passed this point.”

Summer restrained herself from running after the goods and took the ticket.

“Remember to check the map on the otherside. You don’t want to get lost somewhere you shouldn’t be in,” stated the stallion.

Summer caught the stallions apathetic tone and returned it with a smirk that was disconcerting.

Going through the scanners and magical fields was in a way, amusing. Yes, it did make her feel very exposed, but the extra mile they were taking to ensure that no pony snuck in some weapon was a sight to behold. More so, when Obsidian passed through. Each scanner he went through had some result the technicians couldn’t account for. The magical fields, merely failed to do anything but crash around him. One of the unicorns even asked him to remove his hood believing he was using some talismen.

“You sure?” Obsidian said, his tone very amused.

“Sir, remove the hood,” said the unicorn firmly, making it clear that the order wouldn’t be asked again.

When Obsidian removed his hood the unicorn was already screaming at him to put it back on. The commotion had drawn every ounce of attention it could as Obsidian pretended not to understand.

“By the Elysian Fields, what horror did that to him?” said the unicorn next to her.

“Cutie Dismarkisa,” she responded, holding back a chuckle. The unicorn stared blanky back. “Misplaced, deformed cutie mark. Certain things won’t work on him correctly or at all. Has something to do with whatever his cutie mark was supposed to be. Quiet incurable, ya know.”

“You should have - said something,” said the unicorn taking a step away from her.

“Didn’t know it would affect your equipment like that.” When she noticed the growing distance between her and the unicorn, she smirked. “Aren’t you supposed to be guarding me? It’s not contagious!”

Once the commotion had died down, Obsidian returned to her with a very pleased look about his smile.

“Tasty?” she asked.

“Quite,” he replied, then said, “You didn’t have to go that far with the clerk. She didn’t deserve that.”

She gave him a flat look and moved towards where the map was supposed to be.

The “map,” when she realized she had found it, was an interactive screen with a long directory of locations that didn’t seem possible for the size of the place. Then again, whoever programmed the software had no idea where “you are here” was in relation to everywhere else. Fortunately, she didn’t need the map for finding the trading center, she just needed it to make sure her sense of direction didn’t take any shortcuts to places that she wasn’t supposed to be. Sadly, the map did a poor job of even that.

Closing her eyes, she let her instincts guide her. She could feel the location she sought and the quickest route immediately came to mind. Naturally, when they trotted along, she had to redirect herself from the areas with warnings in red letters. Sometimes special talents were more trouble than talent.

The trading center wasn’t how she’d pictured it. When it came to trading goods, or at least how the Empty Mug used to do trading, it was always at a booth with an appraiser and a guard. The booth and guard, plus some extra, were still there, but that was not where she was directed to. Instead, she went to a desk with an earth pony who had way too many off the wall questions, unlike the guards at the gate.

She understood the idea of asking if she owed bits to the Empty Mug, but to other ponies. Even the questions about her employment status, the geopolitical situation, and the economy were all off putting. When asked if she would seek employment with the Empty Mug if the situation presented itself, she drew out her gaze and hammered it hard on the pony.

The pony quickly wrapped up the strange questionnaire and pointed swiftly to some benches. “It’ll be twenty minutes for the appraisers, so please have a seat. The clerk at the booth will call you then.”

Some nerve asking her to join the Empty Mug, she thought as she made her way over to the bench.

As the two of them waited she let her eyes wander. From the moment she had seen the new version of the Empty Mug, she had been astounded. It was all new, quality ranging depending on what it was, such as the steel bench she sat on to the floating crystal orbs placed strategically around the place. What she couldn’t fathom this whole time was the amount of ponies working for the Empty Mug. There was no way Old Mug could afford all this, even if he did scrimp and save his life away, and especially not with how Equestria was suffering.

Then it slid by her defenses. The idea snuck in and took root and began to spread. She played with the thought until finally she had to admit to what she was seeing. The Empty Mug was now a military strong point for hire. It had to have been. The idea fit. Old Mugs always did have a knack for finding a niche and exploiting it to the most.

“Hey, Sid,” she whispered to the slumped over form beside her. “I think I know what’s going on. Sid, hey! You listening?” As no response seemed evident, she proceed to poke his shoulder.

His reply was one of annoyance, “I’m busy at the moment.”

“Hey, I think I might have…” a group of security ponies passed through. Once they had left, Summer tried to speak again, but was cut off.

“Congratulations,” said the hooded pony. “We now sit on one of the many benches of the sovereign nation of Mug.”

She looked at him stunned. That wasn’t what she had been thinking. Yes, the private military was right up Mugs road, but sovereign nation? Even that was a long stretch.

Obsidian gave her a sly smile.

She slowly rolled her eyes and hoof punched herself in the face. “Why!”

With a quick chuckle and upbeat tone, he said, “I told you something wasn’t right.”

Summer snorted. “Like I couldn’t figure that out! Just not ‘that.’ Where you’ve been?”

Now his smile was playful. “Not our concern remember.”

Summer wanted to say more, but the clerk called her over.

Obsidian, with a smug smile, gestured to her to keep her mouth sealed. In return she gave a particular gesture back.

The estimate had everything on it, down to the most anal of details. The value of the trade, however, did not reflect the amount of effort put into pricing the items. It also wasn’t anywhere near what she expected or even remotely fair. She made sure she told the clerk just as much with a bit of color added for flavor.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but the policy is: no negotiations, no adjustments, or haggles,” said the clerk.

“Exactly how fair is this,” she waved the ticket around then slammed it into the countertop. “I’d be better trading air for farts!”

“Ma’am, if you are unhappy with the estimate, Mr. Mug would be more than happy to address your complaint himself,” said the clerk.

She nodded vigorously. “Yeah, I want to address my complaint!” she said loudly.

“He is already waiting to see you,” said the clerk. “He’ll even waive the entry fee to the lounge. You can find him by the bar.”

What? Wait, lounge... he was already…

She looked up to the floating crystal orb above the window. Right… and strike two for the night was complete.

By the fires of Tartarus! “So where do I find Old Mug?” she asked.

The clerk gave them directions, better one’s than the map.

As they left, one of the security ponies said, while snickering, “I hope you have better luck than that blank flank friend of yours.”

Summer attempted to turn around, saying, “I just want to clarify my hoof to his face is all. It’s not that I want to do anything drastic,” as the brown stallion kept his forehoof over her and in the correct direction.

When they arrived at the lounge, Summer again found a contrast between the old and new. The once quiet bar now had loud music pumping through every crevice making conversation an intimate affair. Trying to spy through the dim lighting, only indicated the obvious of what she did actually see and what the purpose of the lounge really was for. She didn’t like the idea of trotting through the den of thieves and degenerates, but this farce had to be played out.

When she spotted the bar, she noted the aged earth pony polishing the glassware behind the counter.

His coat was worn and his eyes tired looking, yet he took in everything around him with a clear mind. He was exactly the ideal image of a quiet schemer: ordinary.

As she stared at him, he too, was looking back with his mask off and a cunning smile.

She bumped Obsidian, then nodded to follow.

Once they reached the bar, Old Mug pointed to a free darker space to the side.

“Well, well. Thought you’d never come back,” said the old pony as he picked up a new glass and began polishing it. “What can I do for ya prairie queen?”

There was many things she wanted to say, most of them not suitable for a foals ears. Instead, she threw the ticket up on the counter and got right into it. “I thought this was the place to do trading. I am I mistaken or are your ponys missing something?”

The old pony never even looked at the paper. Instead, he put the glass on top of it. “Last I remember, but times change.” Old Mug turned away and focused one of his eyes on her. “Everypony has what you’re selling. If anything I’m doing you a favour, especially, after that little show at the check-in.”

She pushed in closer and smashed her hoof on the bar. “Don’t try to change the subject on me! The price is not fair, Mug!”

“No, the price is not what you need.” His sneer told her what he was up to. “I could increase the amount, that is, if you are feeling lucky enough for some work. Considering your father, I’d say you’d be up for the task.”

Summer began to work that gaze of her’s on him, but quickly he laughed it away.

“That act might work on them greenhorns,” he said, fully mocking her with his laugh, “but not me.”

Rage boiled inside her. “I didn’t come here for your cow…” she begun.

“Consider your next words filly,” he said calmly. “I like that you put the staff on the tip of their hooves, but that’s where it ends. You want more, yer gonna earn it.”

The temptation to smash her hoof into his face was too tempting, but she remembered her over zealous determination to see this through, and the warning Sid had made. She let the rage take its course and gave in. “What’s the job?”

“Relax, prairie queen. It’s easy, quick, and will let you get to your normal employer before they realize they still don’t have any work for them.” He pointed towards a table by the back, with none other than the blood red pony she was hoping to see.

From what Summer could tell, her friend was once again playing a drinking game and was winning, from their being a lack of bodies on the floor and a raging brawl.

Summer laughed hard, getting a frown from the old pony. “I get it. You low ball the trade, have me come down to you to complain, only to tend to some business you need done for that “higher” pay.” The sinister glare and smile on her face expressed what she thought of him. “Who’s trying to fool who now!”

Old Mug nodded to himself, then tipped the glass weighing the paper down. “Tic for tac,” he mumbled, then said flatly, “But, the price for your help remains the same.”

Summer chuckled darkly. “Even with all this,” she said gesturing to the place, “you think because I’m her friend she’ll roll with whatever you want me to do. You should know her better.”

“I think you misunderstand your role in this, Ms. Stars,” Old Mug said with a serious tone. His eyes locked on to hers and he put up a stare that took her aback. The sneer returned to his face. “Your job is to be my participating hostage.”

Summer stopped smiling.

“Cherry owes me some coin and with the way the world is turning, its time to collect, you understand,” Old Mug said.

Looking back to her red friend, Summer stated, “She seems like she’ll be paying you tonight herself.”

“Oh, not those bits,” Old Mug said quickly. “The bits I want are the one’s she still owes me. She’ll be lucky if that sum covers the night.”

“She might be a drunk, but Cherry always pays her debts,” replied Summer pointing her hoof at the grey earth pony.

Old Mug waved his hoof around dismissively. “And she won’t have them tonight, but it’s time to collect.”

“You’re asking for a bloodbath, I hope you realize,” Summer pointed out. “Cherry won’t take this sitting down. Can’t this wait…”

“Pairer queen, that’s why you’re going to help. Else...” Old Mug tapped his snout.

This couldn’t be happening, Summer thought to herself. She just wanted to trade for bits. She didn’t want to stumble on some coup d’etat led by a conniving bartender or barter for lives.

Damn it!

“How much does she owe?” Summer asked, defeated.

There was a strange twinkle in the old pony’s eyes. He motioned her closer, then whispered it in her ear. As the total hit her mind, she could feel the color drain from her coat.

“And you kept giving her credit?” she said more from shock than rage.

The old pony shrugged his shoulders. “Not my place to be any ponies keeper.”

Without hesitation, Summer said, “I’ll do it, but I don’t want the bit’s, I want her debit expunged.”

Old Mug laughed. “That be an interesting offer…”

“Give me the full price for helping you and I’ll take whatever she has now from her and add my own into the mix.” She threw a pouch on the counter.

Old Mug eyed it for a moment then with a steady swoop, weighed it without looking inside. Something played in his mind but whatever it was he let it be.

“I also don’t want her ever coming back in here,” Summer added.

The old pony continued on with his thought then snorted and pocketed the pouch. “Don’t worry - she won’t.”

Summer moved back to Obsidian and leaned in. “You hear all that shit?”

The hooded pony nodded. “I’ll keep close by.”

“What a night,” murmured Summer to herself. This was not going to be pleasant, not by a long shot.

“Remember,” Old Mug pointed to the floating crystals, then indicated his eye.

Yeah, she got it.

Summer watched as Obsidian blended into the surroundings then vanished altogether. She wish she could do that sometimes. Well, she’d like to do it now but… With a heavy groan, she trotted over to the table where her friend sat and took in the future murder scene where her body would be outlined in white chalk.

The stallions sitting with her were all lightweights by the way they fumbled about the table. There was nothing serious about them other than that they were looking for a good time and found Cherry instead. Honestly, it was a sad sight by her reckoning.

Cherry on the other hoof was stacking the double shot glasses five deep in a four by four square. Her laughing was deep and she was playing with the eye patch over her right eye, which meant she was having a good time playing these greenhorns.

The bowl was overflowing with bits and was a tempting sight, even to Summer. The sad part of this was, that if let alone, Cherry would drink all those bits away before the new day.

Everything seemed to be going for Summer, even so, this had to be done carefully, like disarming a bomb. There was a bit of irony in there somewhere, but Summer didn’t have the humor to find it.

She approached Cherry from the ponies right side and waited. Like a bandage, Summer told herself. Once the round was over she would make her move.

As the glasses slammed upside down onto the table, Summer quickly placed her hoof over Cherry’s, holding the fresh shot glass down to the table.

Cherry immediately turned to the owner of the forehoof and let the flames dancing in her eye fade. “Summer?”

“Cherry,” Summer said, then followed up with a hoof punch to her friends face.

The red earth pony fell backwards hitting the floor hard, but didn’t seemed phased. Instead, she got up as though the action was quite normal, cursing colorfully and stood hoof to hoof with Summer, her lone red eye back to a full flame, burning a hole through the mulberry ponies head.

“Nothin’ like starting with my full attention, prairie queen,” said Cherry with an unfriendly and somewhat toothy smile. “So where’s the demon, unless ya lookin’ ta die?”

Well, step one was a success, Summer thought. Hope step two was just as successful.

“I need you to stop - now,” stated Summer, sidestepping the question and her friend as the red pony moved in closer.

“Nice ta see ya as well,” replied Cherry, the lone eye still burning bright. “I thought them niceties was what ya started with in conversations.”

“Hey lady…” one of the young stallions said, trying to stand up.

Summer and Cherry both gave him their best glare, and he somehow found his seat again.

“Summer, I’m busy,” Cherry said grinding her teeth.

“Not anymore.” Summer nodded to the bar. “Your debt is being called in.”

Cherry looked over to Old Mug as he gave a wave. “So, ya bill collecting or some shit for that bastard?” Cherry said as she pushed Summer with her hoof.

Summer pushed back. “Typical firecracker! You think I’d do something like that!”

“If the shoe fits!” snapped Cherry.

Summer rolled her eyes. “He’s using me as a pony shield!”

“Always beating round the bush.” Cherry snorted. “I’ll burn him down...”

“You do something stupid, he’s gonna do something stupid back, get it!” Summer said pressing her hoof into her friend’s chest, but Cherry was focusing her attention back at the bar. “You listening to me?” Summer smashed her hoof into her friends face again then grabbed her by the scruff. “I’m trying to save your drunk ass! Let it go.”

Cherry eyed her friend dangerously. Breaking free of Summers hold, she stood face to face. “Piss off. Yar not my mother.”

“No,” Summer said, then pointed to herself, “but my mom acted more of a mother to you, than yours!”

Summer could see the fire burning in that left eye and the foul smell of the turnip twisters from Cherries breath. It was all on her friend now.

The fire danced wildly in that eye, then, after a few moments, gathered itself to a single flame. “I’ll let the first one go, but I’ll settle up with ya later on the second,” Cherry stated as she pressed her shoed hoof hard into Summer’s chest. “Now, what do I gotta ta do?”

That could have went better, Summer though. Step two, done. One more to go. “Give me the bits. Walk out debt free, and don’t come back.”

Cherry gave Summer a flat look. “Like he gonna just ignore the rest.”

“I paid the rest myself,” Summer said, catching the ever so slight change in her friend’s demeanor. Step three and life will go on.

Cherry snorted. “I didn’t ask ta be saved.”

“I didn’t ask to save you,” Summer shot back.

Cherry stared hard at her friend then flashed a wicked smile. “Then I’ll see ya - eventually.” She looked to the lightweights and said with the same smile, “Momma here says I have ta stop playing, but if yar ever looking ta lose yar bits…” then drifted out.

Summer didn’t even acknowledge the other ponies, nor did she care so long as they didn’t try to stop her. She just grabbed the bowl and headed back, letting the bowl drop on the counter spilling some of the contents.

“Either it’s your lucky day or mine. That second hit...” stated Old Mug with a grin, then snickered shaking his head, “She must really like you not to kill you on the spot. Either way, this deal is done.”

Summer ignored the statement. “I don’t want to hear of her, this place, or you, in the same sentence or - I will be back.”

“Oh you won’t,” said the old pony as he began to toss the scattered bits back into the bowl. “Besides - terrorizing folk isn’t my forte, Ms. Stars. That would be yours. Wouldn’t it.”

It was time to leave, else she’d set the place on fire for both herself.

Heading towards the exit, Obsidian emerged from the crowd, a phantom in the mist, and followed silently at his post.

Far from the Empty Mug, she rage at the moon and the night with all that remained within her. Empty of rage, It still didn’t change the fact that she had trotted out with less than she had trotted in with.

“If you hadn’t had taken Clandestines advice, then Cherry may never have left,” Obsidian said, trying to make her feel better about the loss.

He was right, of course. She didn’t like to give Clandestine credit, but however she wished to look at it, in the end, she hadn’t lost that which mattered most.

Speaking of Cherry, she’d see the firecracker again in the near future. Not tonight, perhaps, but soon. Summer knew m.o. of the fiery pony. She’d cool off first, then come looking for Summer with a bone to pick, timing the moment to strike just when it would hurt.

The sooner the better, Summer wished. She never liked waiting for one of Cherry’s surprise beat downs.

Obsidian put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

“Third time’s the charm?” she asked aloud. Three strikes and you’re out, she said on the inside.

“It’s getting late. Would you like a cloud ride?” he asked her with a sympathetic smile.

A half smile cracked her face. “That would be wonderous.”

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

“I wish I didn’t believe it!” said a white earth pony with a curly yellow mane. Her yellow eyes focused on the table away from the pony who had told her the depressing news. Her voice went soft as she continued, “He was such a good colt. To be - gun downed…”

“Well, that’s what happens when ya take what ain’t yers,” said the pony, who had told the yellow mare, while unhooking the drink from her own shoe.

The white mare was appalled. “But…” she started to retort, but the shaggy grey pony wasn’t having any of it.

The grey mare stopped refilling the mug. She squinted her eyes and leaned towards the white earth pony, who shrunk back into the chair. Her red and white mane fell over her one eye, but it didn’t take away from the effect it was having on the other pony. “Butter, listen good now! Life ain’t fer the tenderhearted any mer. Ya need ta think of ‘em foals of yers. Ferget the rest of ta werld. Focus on ya en yer’s, else ya be like that youngin at the grocers.”

“Ain’t nothing, from what I saw passing by the Mug,” said a dark red unicorn with a light blonde mane and tons of scars. He let the drinking glass float next to his mouth as he continued. “Damn patrol - gunned down a whole group of travellers heading up to the place. Same ponies that are paid to keep’em safe. Biggest bunch of pony plop that I had to witness.” He took a sip of the contents and shuddered. “Then again, I might have been part of that massacre had I not reconsidered going with’em.”

“Luck,” stated a green and white pegasi, manipulating a fork with his cloud gloves.

“Nah, just didn’t feel right,” replied the unicorn, as the glass danced about.

“Luck,” the pegasi repeated, his mouth full of hay.

“Call it what you will,” said the unicorn then pointed the glass to everypony in general. “Don’t change the fact that everything ‘round these parts going to Tartarus in a flaming basket.”

“Tell me about it,” said a yellow and black unicorn as she displayed her bandage. “If anypony is lucky, it’s me. Damn gangs took a shot at me for some fun about a day ago. Was almost done, but I’m not ready to leave this life just yet.” She gave a sly smile and quick wink of her one eye.

The red unicorn rolled his eyes.

“Maybe - I should take the children - and leave Haystersburg,” said Butter nervously. “There’s so much going wrong - I don’t think I can handle if - one of my children…”

Silence filled the lounge.

A dry smile cracked the grey mare's face. “Sugar cube, t’is the first sensible thing I’ve heard ya say in a long time. But, let’s take that train tergether, ya’ll. Say, ya get out of this place. Where ya gonna go? Whatcha gonna do? Ya takin’ any supplies? How be ‘em foals of yer’s?”

“Candy,” warned the dark red unicorn, his voice low, his eyes hard and stern.

The grey mare shot back the look in turn. “Nah Stone, she need ta figure it out! She ain’t gonna survive if she ain’t figuring - en I don’t want my ears hearin’ any ill ‘bout them foals of her’s.”

“She could go to the Empty Mug or Mug or whatever they’re calling it now,” said the pegasi as he toyed with the rest of his hay.

“That’s if she could get past’em patrols,” said Stone as he used his telekinesis to point his drink at the pegasi.

“And the moment she does, her and her foals would be good, so I hear,” said the pegasi putting his hooves up. “Once they get past the patrols, of course.”

Stone nodded, happy to have the point conceded to, and lowered his drink.

“Why would anypony want to go to the Mug?” said the yellow and black mare. “It’s just a glorified trading post with a greedy owner. Place always gave me the creeps.”

“Not from what I hear,” said the pegasi. Everypony’s attention focused on him. When he realized they were all waiting, he put the fork down and cleared his throat. “Well, the trading post part. I’ve heard and seen things passing by. That non-flyer cage of theirs for example and the riot carriages. That say’s something other than ‘trading post,’ that and the built up military power protecting everything on the inside.”

“Old Mug’s probably going into the private security business,” replied the yellow and black unicorn dismissing the concern with a wave of her hoof. “Makes sense since everything has been going that way, especially considering the gang problem round these parts. That, doesn’t mean of course that it’s the best place to go to.”

“Amen!” said Stone, slamming the glass into the table.

“‘Side, gott’a be some niche ta profit from as well, else Old Mug ain’t gonna roll,” said Candy, shaking her head in disgust at the mess caused by Stone slamming the drink.

The yellow and black unicorn looked at Candy with a flat look. “How is having a security firm not profitable?”

“Not what I said,” replied Cherry as she rescued her drink from the rolling river claiming dividing the table. “He lookin’ fer that somethin’ - en it don’t need ta be coin.”

“Either way, my advice - stay away and try one of the big cities. Plenty of stable work,” said Stone then took a swig from the broken glass.

“So you say,” stated the yellow and black unicorn. “All of Equestria is suffering which means the cities are hurting just as much or worse and with more ponies!”

“Cloudsdale might not be such a bad idea…” the pegasi mumbled.

“Just like ah pegasi ta run en hide where none can get ta ya!” Candy said and immediately continued to dig into the pegasi.

Bickering filled the room.

Butter looked around to anypony, trying to get a word in where she could, but the fast paced aggression of words kept her from finding the moment. Then a space of sudden silence appeared and she took it. “So - should I go to Old Mug for….” When she spotted the very gruff and angry looking pony in the doorway, she understood the moment was not for her, but for him.

Summer sat in her normal corner of the guides lounge and had been observing the last of her ponies. That was until Burning Bells entrance had ended everything. She watched the brownish-grey earth pony walk over to her and take a seat.

Everypony’s attention was on him, until he looked directly at the small group with a harsh glare that even Summer, with all the training from Obsidian, couldn’t pull off. They immediately refocused on their conversation.

“How we looking?’” she asked, as he bent over supporting his head on his hooves, which conveniently covered his mouth.

“The mines ain’t going to be delivering tonight,” he said, his voice low and deep.

Summer made a gesture with her hoof and shook her head. “Nothing new there,” she said.

Burning nodded slightly. “That’s not the bad part.”

Summer cocked a questioning eye.

“Or any night,” he continued.

When she realized her body was tilting over the chair, she caught herself and played it off by grabbing whatever was in her trajectory and toyed with the item.

“Now, I didn’t hear this as I’m saying it, but the implication from the boss did imply what was being said between the lines and we both know how good that mule is with his hunches.” Burning glanced back to the group of ponies then looked straight into her eyes. “Everfree Mining is gonna fold. The method isn’t important. The fact that no more ore is going to be coming our way is.”

So that was it, Summer thought to herself. The closing curtain on this night. If it could get any worse, she was up to the hopelessness, since the only other woes for her were straight up and simple at this point.

“Can we continue with the merchants that we have?” she asked, but the strained look answered her question before the pony’s words did.

“What merchants! We had three - just three peddlers,” stated Burning, as he grinded his teeth. He shook his head. “Old Thunder Thighs sent them packing.”

“So…” Summer tried to grasp at something.

“So slips will be heading down any time now. That and some reorganization from my understanding. He seems determined to keep this branch going, but I don’t think there’s any saving it.” The gruff pony leaned back, his face stern. “Might be time to look elsewhere.”

Summer returned the look with a flat stare of her own. “You know I can’t do that, Burning.”

Burning leaned forward ready for the fight. “Summer, you gotta let it go! Even if he is alive, he ain’t coming back. You can’t live out there forever as the prairie queen!”

“I am quite capable Burning,” she said putting the item back. “I can handle myself.”

He jabbed his hoof towards her. “Stubborn mule! One day those gangs are going to come for you again and…”

“I said - I can handle myself,” she said with a heavier tone and a glare that could cut glass.

“Damn it girl!” Burning threw up his hooves. “Your father wouldn’t have wanted you rotting away in that tomb! Nor your mother! You need to leave Haystersburg and not look back!”

Summer rolled her eyes. “And do what - forget -”

“Yes!” The gruff pony said quickly. “You need to forget this place. Move on with your life. Start fresh, before this place takes you as well.”

Why wouldn’t this topic just go away, Summer thought to herself. “I can’t leave my mother. Who’ll clean her marker? Who’ll tend the garden? Who -”

“Who will tend to all that - when you’re dead?” Burning said heatedly pointing his hoof at her again. “Heck, who tend to you?”

“I - can’t - leave!” Summer shot back.

“You can leave, you just don’t want to!” Burning roared. “It’s scary out there, but it’s better than riding the days out here waiting to die! I have no doubt, your mother is turning in her grave every time you clean that marker!”

When she realized it, the room was completely silent and all the attention was on her, well, on her reaching for Burning with ill intent.

She pulled back both her hoof and her blind rage.

This conversation was over. “Is there any other news you have?” she asked, her tone stiff, as she turned away.

The older pony took a deep breath and snorted it out. “No,” he said, then stood and left, slamming the door on his way out.

The group continued on in conversation, but Summer sat in silence. The rage that burned within kept itself contained for the moment as she let her mind drift in emptiness.

When the pink slips arrived, everypony was quiet, watching her as she took the envelope from the unicorn.

Opening it, there was four pink slips, no names. The names had stopped a while back. It didn’t make it any easier. If anything, it made the situation worse. Of course, nothing could beat the first time she had to tell her ponies that they had lost their jobs. Some experiences just lingered.

She closed her eyes and sighed. There was no point in holding off the inevitable.

Summer walked over to the five ponies and placed the slips on the table. “It’s the same song and dance folks. I’ll give you all some time,” she said. “Any pony that I don’t see when I come back - thank you for hanging in there with the rest of us.”

Closing the door behind her, she stood on the walkway, and looked over the railing. The facility that she now gazed upon wasn’t doing any better. The few ponies that spotted from the other sections, were packing and leaving in small spurts. It might as well have been a mass exodus considering, yet here she was.

Here - she - was.

Two caravans down. One left. She shook her head. How was Thunder Thighs going to make this place work with only one caravan, especially if he was turning the peddlers away. Her mind tried to rationalize the impossible, but the truth kept staring her in the face and she refused to see.

Perhaps taking walk would do her good, she mused.

As she walked about the facility, her mind played with any illusion of salvation that would save her home. Each elaborate design only further strengthened the delusion she held on to. At the same time, it was as though her lie had been built upon a house of glass, surrounded by truth.

When her mind finally came back to reality, she was in an unfamiliar area of the facility.

It was so quiet. Nothing in this stillness seemed to breath life. Where was she?

Looking around the dust filled space, she spotted a sign and brushed the obstruction from its surface with her tail. “Loading Bay Twelve Holding Area,” it read. That was a good bit from where she had started. Had she really been daydreaming that long?

Random noises in the distance shattered the silent stillness of her renewed surrounding and became the death cries of the once thriving company.

She couldn’t help but compare the recent events to the shadows of the old sections. The truth stood before her. This branch of the ETA had been dying for a long time and now the light was about to be extinguished. Sadness and despair hit her hard, overwhelming her defenses, as she again tried to look away. The truth pushed through and slammed into her view refusing to yield, no matter how she tried to look away. No amount of struggling this time could return her to the delusion of her own design. Her eyes were open now, and there, they would stay.

When her emotions cooled, she had only anger and pity for herself.

“He’s right - isn’t he?” she said to the silence.

“My position is known,” replied Obsidian, though nowhere to be found.

“Not what I asked?” She looked around for him as the silence continued. “Sid!”

“Only if you believe it to be so,” he answered.

Summer sighed, then laughed. It wasn’t the happy type that could be heard at a birthday party. This was the laugh of the broken. “No matter how much I’m confronted with it - even now that I can’t look away, I can’t leave. I just can’t.” She pressed her hooves to her face. “I’m gonna die - ‘cause I can’t let go. What kind of fool am I!”

A hoof pressed over her heart. It was Obsidians. “Loyalty,” he said. “The fact that your mother is dead and that your father is in question, doesn’t change that you are still loyal, not just to them, but to their memory and all that is attached. If you are a fool, you are the fool ponies would have in their corner.”

It was hard. The words pushed up from her stomach, navigating out of her mouth. “I should leave shouldn’t I? she asked as he lowered his hoof.

Obsidian remained silent as he backed away and vanished.

Right, she thought. Dumb question. She wiped whatever tears remained and headed back to whoever was left before he or she though their boss had left as well.

When she got back to the lounge, only Candy was sitting at the table. The pony’s expression was gloomy.

“Didn’t think ya, be coming back, Ms. Stars,” said the shaggy looking pony.

Well - maybe with the two of them, just maybe, everything would work out, she told herself. Maybe it could all turn around... “I guess it’s just the two of us,” Summer said pulling back the chair.

“Nah, Ms. Stars. T’is just ya.” Summer stopped as Candy stood. “Everypony decided ta leave. Nah point to stay on ah sinkin’ ship.” Summer watched in dismay as the pony came around and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Since I didn’t take the pinkie, I figured I’d stay ta tell ya when ya got back.”

The statement hit Summer hard. There was no going back. This was the reality and she still was trying to avoiding it. She was more than a fool. The only thing she could say was, “Thank you.”

“Ya could leave as well. Not that hard,” Candy said sympathetically.

Summer opened her mouth then closed it and looked at the floor.

Candy patted Summers should. “Just don’t let the place take ya with it,” she said then headed for the door. Before Candy closed the door, she said, “Evening, Ms. Stars. Been a ride,” then left for good.

Summer slumped into the seat. It was over. She was the last.

But, it could still turn around…

No, it’s done. There’s no going back.

But, it could still turn around…

No! Don’t you get it! There’s no going back!

But…

“Tartarus! Damn, fu…”

Her emotions swirled and in swift moment she was poised to flip the table, but she didn’t. Instead, she let it drop and let herself fall back into the chair.

She was so tired.

All the effort, the strife, making the illusion work, for what?

What a fool. A tired - desperate fool.

Summer groaned. She could hear Obsidian in her mind saying something like, “nothing can stand against the tides of time, not forever,” or along those lines. She couldn’t figure which was worse, admitting to the truth or having to tell Sid he was right. She sighed. Both.

There was nothing more here for her. This place, like everything about Haystersburg, was a dead rotting corpse and she had been festering like all the others fighting against what naturally would come next. It was time to move onward. She would still cherish the memory that she had been fighting so hard to maintain, but it would have to be only a memory.

It was time to go.

When she rose to leave, Obsidian stood by the door. How long he had been there didn’t matter. The fact that he was there was what was important. She went over to him and leaned into his shoulder.

Gently, he wrapped his forehooves around her. He held on to her until the tears had finally dried up and his comfort was n o longer needed.

“I got to do one more thing and we can go home,” she said, her voice worn and tired. “Meet me by the gate this time. I doubt anypony is still around to care but....”

He didn’t say anything, only nodded and again vanished.

She looked around the lounge for the last time. The memories this place had, these too she would carry. As she left, closing the door on this chapter of her life, she felt naked, exposed to the waiting new world, like a young foal.

As she made her way, the facility seemed quite like the dead. No pony was around.

Standing before Thunder Thighs office, the new world awaited. As she cracked the door open to the next chapter of her life, she told herself what had had been needing for the longest time, “I forgive you.”

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Sticking the hoe into the dirt, Summer wiped the sweat from her brow. As she did, her eyes scanned the backyard, once more, for intruders. Readjusting the strap to her rifle, she worked the mechanism, until content, then went back to digging.

It had been several weeks since she had left the ETA and though it had been rough, she had found a small sense of peace within herself. The memories she carried still weighed on her, but now she was lighter on her hooves and much more motivated to tackle the woes facing her. What was even more amazing was the return of her full and happy smiled. She may never allow her mane to become curly again, but the battle to resurrect something of her old self against the monster, had been raging well.

The hoe struck a rock and she easily negotiated it elsewhere.

Life these days was still tough, if not even rougher, and more unforgiving, but the stresses of keeping the facade up were gone. If the bank wanted the house so badly they could come and take it. Until then, she was staying put. She needed to figure out what her next move would be. In the mean time, expanding her garden had helped ease her mind and body by giving her something to do. That and without any bits, all she could do now was garden for her food. She wasn’t going to tempt scavenging, not with everypony doing it already. Nor was she even gonna try the grocer. Best not tempt trouble.

The big issue was her next move. She couldn’t stay here forever, but the problem hung over her like a defiant rain cloud refusing to move elsewhere. The cities might have more opportunities, but they had more ponies to compete with. She also, didn’t want to drift until something turned up either. As much as she liked the idea of following her father around like a tumbleweed in the wind, being one on her own was not an appealing idea. Well perhaps not alone, technically.

All in all, Equestria as a whole seemed like a bad choice. Obsidian also had agreed to this. However, when she had told him her idea about travelling to the Crystal Empire, Obsidian had been quite adamant about not returning to the place where he had contributed to one of the crystal ponies great misfortunes. She couldn’t argue with that.

What she did argue was Obsidian’s plan of traveling to the Wild Lands west of the Barren Wastes. The idea of being turned into a meal was not as appealing as freezing in the north and she, herself, was quite adamant about that point.

Leaning against the hoe, she gazed over her work and smiled. All she had to do now was finish up the last row for this part and she could start working on the next group. At this pace she’d have enough to get through winter, if push came to shove.

Taking a break from her work, she hooked her water jug and poured some of the cool contents over herself. The water mixed with the hot sweat as her skin began to feel refreshed. Lifting the jug to her muzzle, her eye caught something strange in the distance. Taking a quick swig, she focused her attention on the cluster of spots. Whatever they were, they were big, and moving fast through the sky towards her. Swiftly, she made her way around to the front of the house where Obsidian sat staring out onto the vast prairie.

“Hey, you paying attention! Got something moving fast on this side!” Summer yelled as she had her rifle at the ready.

When Obsidian’s eyes reached to where she was pointing above the house, the spots passed over.

As the creatures soared over the house, Summer felt the true icy fear that every pony new all too well.

“Oro’s,” she cried, terrified of the majestic orange and purple birds, and dashed back to the house, smashing her way through the door. She watched helplessly as the massive birds slowed. They might not have been as big as a dragon, but there was no mistaking them or the implication that came with their arrival.

Summer’s rifle pointed upward through the crack in the door, but in the end, it was useless against the creatures should they attack.

Obsidian on the other hoof remained watching as the Oro’s continued unhindered, picking up their speed, and flew over the Everfree and beyond.

Summer’s heart eased as she left the psuedo safety of the house. Whatever had their attention, she was glad it wasn’t on her.

“Interesting,” was all that Obsidian said, then went back to watching the land.

Interesting indeed, Summer thought. The damn birds slowed down enough to take notice. They might even come back! “Could have taken a moment to warn me! Jack ass!”

“There wasn’t any danger and they’re not coming back,” he yelled back to her.

“You’re still a jack ass!” she said, heading back around to the back of the house.

The sight had unnerved her enough, that she was content with the work she had done for the day and went back to gather up her tools.

Again, she let her sight glide from one corner to the next making sure all was well with her surroundings. Oro’s were strange birds of prey, since their actions tended to haved their own sense of logic. From a distance they easily looked like giant phoenix's, but their purple tops betrayed them quite wel,l but that did not stop them from attacking. Summer kept glancing to the sky. Even though Obsidian had said otherwise, she was not going to let her caution waver, considering the Agent of Fears attention was focused elsewhere these days. There was always the chance they would circle back

When she hooked the hoe, she noticed a shadow moving rapidly towards her. Fearing the Oro’s had returned, she spun, her rifle futilely snapped-to, pointing skyward. A silhouette of a large winged creature glided down towards her, but it wasn’t an Oro’s silhouette. She couldn’t see what creature it was from the sun blinding her, but either way, her rifle was gonna talk for her as she began to bite down on the trigger.

Before she could, the rifle was pushed down and away from the target.

“Hey!” Summer yelled as Obsidian held on. “Let go!”

Obsidian released his hold and the claws returned to a hoof. “Almost lost that one,” he murmured. She looked at him curiously then focused on the creature that was landing.

When the creature made contact with the ground, its shilluette explained everything and immediately she felt bad about what she had attempted to do.

The creature looked like a pony, at least his silhouette did. Covered under the layers of cloth he could have easily been mistaken for a mummified pony. He had gone so far as to hide his tail. Of course, he was no pony, she knew that very well.

The creature quickly hid his wings and trotted over to them. “Hail Lady Stars. Lord Obsidian.”

“He’s all yours,” Obsidian stated, as he began to leave.

“No, you owe me an…” she started, trying to stop him with her hoof, but he was just ever so slightly faster, and continued anyway.

“Aloof as always I see,” The cloaked creature said as it stopped next to her.

He was about the same size as her, with all the layers. She could smell the ‘pony’ scent on him from the cloth. Her instincts however, were not so convinced. There was something dangerous hiding under the disguise, something that feed on pony. Still, she pressed the instincts aside. She knew the creature well enough from his visits over the years and the princess he served, that no harm would come to her. Like Obsidian, Torn adhered to his oaths.

“More so these past few weeks,” she said watching as Obsidian bent around the house. “If you remember, I told you about it, during your last visit.”

“I vaguely remember.” Torn squinted his very non-pony purple eyes in concentration as if visualizing the memory. “Wait! Yes, I recall the conversation. The presence that had been bound to Haystersburg.”

“Well, it isn’t now. For whatever reason it’s moved out this way and has been - toying with him if you can believe it.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Seems only to be interested in Sid.”

“That is good,” he said, getting a sideways glance from Summer. “I mean that it hasn’t taken an interest in harassing others. Still, for the Agent of Fear to have such trouble with something so simple, is a concern.”

“Same thing has been running through my mind. I don’t know what it means on the grand scale, but I doubt it’s a good thing. He’s been putting all his time and effort into tracking it down.”

Torn looked about, scanning the world as he said, “When I return to Canterlot, I will add this into my report. We don’t need a surprise the scale of Terik or Discord as we are. The armies of Equestria shall be ready this time.”

“We still have the Harmony Ponies and Sid…” His look did not comfort her. “What’s wrong?”

He leaned in closer to her. “I’d rather be inside discussing these things - please.”

“And with it being such a fine day,” she said playfully, grabbing her jug. “I can’t vouch that Sid will do the same.”

He stood straight and proud. “I believe the message I carry this time will compel him.”

Summer rolled her eyes. “I doubt Luna’s love letters will ever convince him.”

Hurt filled Torns strange eyes.

“Sorry,” Summer said flinching from his reaction. “Sorry. I didn’t… Let’s grab Sid.”

She took Torn around to the front, where Obsidian sat staring out into the vast rolling hills and fields, his back to them.

“For almost three weeks now, he’s sat there, staring at who knows what,” she said pointing to Obsidian. “Never moves, just stares. What surprised me was that he moved at all today when those Oro’s flew by. By the way, how did you manage that?”

“A clever trick,” he said in a flat tone.

“I said I was sorry,” she said punching him in the shoulder, which did nothing to the creature. Instead she shook her hoof from the pain. “You’re all overly sensitive and I don’t mean because it’s your job.”

Torn’s looked at her with a flat stare. “Do you blame us with our history.”

“I’d be a fool, if I did,” she said returning the stare.

Torn grunted. His eyes became warm again. “Should ever you get Lord Obsidian to Canterlot, I shall tell you.”

Summer dismissed the offer with a wave of her hoof. “You can keep it. The price is too high considering I can’t get him to do anything beyond sitting like a statue.”

“A lone guardian standing watch,” stated Torn.

“Yeah, well, it’s pissing me off ‘cause I’m the only one doing all the chores around here!” she said loudly.

“For that sacrifice our dear friend is still alive,” Obsidian stated. “Whatever your reason for being here, dahrmare, must be compelling to ride with Oro’s - let alone falling to your death. Amuse me.”

“Yes, my lord -” Torn started.

Obsidian turned quickly a glowing eye directed at the creature. “Torn - stop it,” Obsidian warned.

Torn, took a step forward. “The seriousness of my orders requires I give the respect that is due - Lord Commander of the -”

Obsidian went from a complete prone position to a full out stride as Torn bowed only to get snatched by Obsidians clawed grip, pulling the creature into the house swiftly and without effort.

Summer had to race to keep up with the two. When she entered and closed the door, Torn was already below the bridge, finding his footing.

“Fool - we are being watched!” said Obsidian with a controlled tone.

“Wait, what?” Summer said, then got a gesture by Obsidian to hold any further conversation.

Obsidian looked about their surroundings then focused on one of the walls. “We are alone now.” He turned to Summer. “Whatever is challenging me used the air currents to push Torn just enough to get you to fire on him. That wasn’t its plan however. It wanted me to notice.” Obsidian looked down on Torn. “As for you young dahrmare, I am very busy, so speak!”

Torn dusted himself off with his strange reactable fingers that protrude from his hooves. “Commander Deringer seeks your counsel.”

“I have told your commander, my time has passed,” Obsidian said angrily. “He must make his own council!”

“With all due respect, sir,” said the dahrmare as he climbed on to the bridge. “I am just the messenger.”

“Then go back and tell him I didn’t want to hear about whatever he wants.” Obsidian went for the door.

“I have been ordered to remain until you view the message and respond,” said Torn, pulling a scroll from his disguise. “However long it may be - sir.”

Obsidian made a sound which Summer could only describe as a demonic growl. Whatever it was, it was a horrible sound and one she did not want repeated.

When Obsidian finally stopped, his eyes faded back into the shadows. “As you wish!” Obsidian said lowly, then pointed to the kitchen.

The three of them traversed the bridge. Torn held out the scroll with his retractable fingers. Obsidian took it with his claw and ripped free the sealed insignia of the Lunar Guard and began to read.

As he did, Summer tapped Torn on the shoulder and motioned him to follow.

The dahrmare stood firm. “I must remain and confirm that he is reading it.”

“Well you can stand over there and do the same,” she said pulling him. He resisted only once, then fell into line.

“I told you he’d find it compelling,” said the dahrmare proudly.

“I think you mean ‘I got him to read it,’” she corrected.

His eyes seemed playful. “Beggars cannot be choosers,” Torn said.

Summer snorted and left it there. “So, that shady get-up of yours - is that standard uniform or you like being suspicious.”

The dahrmare looked over himself, then laughed. “Yes, the disguise is quite silly. I look like some travelling merchant of the Saddle Arabian dessert than a soldier.”

“Ya, think?” she said with a smile.

“You appear to be in a humor I have never seen. How has life faired you?” Torn asked her.

Summer went into detail about about the past few weeks leaving out some details and tweaking others. “I am concerned about my friend, Cherry. She should have already sought me out.” That she should have. Whatever was holding the firecracker up had to be more serious than following up on a threat.

“If she is as you describe, then whatever predicament she has found herself in, she will triumph over it in due time. I am concerned more so by this Mug fellow. You think he might be attempting something more than a mere security firm?” Summer nodded carefully. “If such is the case, he is not the first to try. That’s all that seems to transpire in Canterlot these days. Such is the world we live in.”

Summer gestured toward the water pitcher on the table.

“I would cherish such,” said Torn. “Especially, with the smell of pony blood lingering about. Instincts need to be feed.”

Well, she knew what planks she was gonna use for firewood next go around.

“How’s the capital been?” Summer asked, as she hooked a dusty mug and began to clean it.

“Better than the other cities, but it has been showing more so of late. Manehattan is under martial law and so is Las Pegasus,” he said taking the filled mug with his fingers. “Thank you kindly.”

Summer took a swig from her jug, then said, “Sorry about the dust and everything. About the only thing I can repair worth doing are the guns.”

The dahrmare pulled up a bit of the cloth hidding his face and let the contents find his throat. “I know of many ponies that would kill for even a dirty glass of water. A life saver in any case,” he said, pulling the cloth back down and handed her the empty mug. ”We’ve almost lost Baltimare a few times with all the riots and Fillydelphia hasn’t fared any better. Yet once again...”

An evil smirk crossed Summers face. “Let me guess…”

“Cloudsdale prevails,” they said in unison.

“The council has been battling to lay a tariff on imports to the floating city, but the pegasi opposition has been strong. Some of the burden could be eased if the pegasi let the bits flow out of Cloudsdale,” stated the dahrmare.

Summer nodded her head. “I hear a ‘but’ in there.”

“The military being mostly pegasi has also complicated the issue.” Torn extended his long batwings and stretched. His fingers extend a good reach past his hooves then returned to their home as he flapped his wings gently. “A long and stiff flight that I am glad to be done with. In any case, with the army and airforce spread thin already, the Wonder Bolts have been deployed to the more troubled regions. If the tariff passes most of the military, including the Wonder Bolts will return to Cloudsdale. It might go as far as the floating city drawing battle lines.”

Summer frowned. “That’s a bit extreme.”

Torn’s eyes indicated he was amused. “Would you say keeping all the currency of the land in their own home isn’t?”

Summer shrugged. “Politics isn’t my thing.”

The dahrmare waved his hoof around dismissively. “Well, both sides still prefer maintaining order to a civil war. Though, it is a very fragile understanding, with a clever sabatour at the ready.”

The idea of a civil war made her probelms appear very small and insunificate in comparision. Changing subjects, Summer asked, “How has our favorite princess been handling?”

Torn looked away. “I cannot say,” he said with a sadden tone. “She’s been distant of late.”

Summer knew by the dahrmares voice, that there was trouble on the home front. Not for just Torn, but all the dahrmares under Luna's care. Out of the fire and into the frying pan, she mused. “How so?”

The dahrmare remained silent as if picking his words carefully, then said, “Her tribunal seems to finally be at an end.”

Summer pushed the topic carefully. “Well - that’s good - right?”

Torn’s voice lowered as he checked on Obsidian who seemed to ignoring them. “I fear - that it will not.” As he turned to Summer, she could see the worry in his eyes. “The Lunar Guard has been having it's own issues and I fear she will not have the support she needs waiting for her. We, the dahrmares, of course will remain, but it has been hard on most. She rarely get’s to see most of us and their have been whispers.”

Summer understood what the dahrmare was talking about, from what she understood of their culture. “Never a dull moment,” she said, sympathetically.

“Agreed,” Torn said. “I believe once the princess is sentenced the Lunar Guard will be no more.”

“If that happens, you gonna go back to Dahrmare?” There was a hint of concern in her voice but not enough to invoke a reaction.

“That will depend on the princess, Torn said. “Your country is nice, but I do not believe we could all live in a dungon.” He shook his head. “Without the princess’s leadership and protection - I doubt even the best of us will be able to resist the inevitable temptation that is so readily available.”

So much for the change in topics, Summer thought. “So - any happy news?”

“That depends.” Torn thought for a moment then shook his head. “Your question from before. The Crystal Empire is sending funds to help stabilize Equestria.”

Summer frowned, confused by the contradiction. “That’s very generous of them - but how does that not constitute...”

“The Powers of Harmony were sold to the Crystal Empire,” Torn said quickly and sourly.

Summer tried to vocalize her words but only noise escaped her throat. Finally, “You gotta be shitting me!”

The outburst caught a glance from Obsidian, whom immediately returned to writing on the parchment.

“What is Celestia thinking! Tartarus! What is princess Twilight thinking?” Summer raged, trying to throw the jug which got stuck to her shoe.

“The funds were desperately needed,” Torn said as she freed the jug from the shoe. “The only reason the powers were sold was due to princess Cadence’s allegiance to Equestria.” With a snarky tone, Torn added, “”The Harmony powers are always at our disposal’ but - they might as well be on the moon.”

Summer was absolutely frazzled by the idea that the Powers of Harmony were sold! If the country was on the verge of a civil war, as Torn believed, why sell off the one thing that could help prevent it! And those poor ponies. By the Elysium Fields, what did they do to those poor ponies!

“How did they even take the powers from the ponies or - are they trapped up north?” Summer asked.

“No, I hear princess Twilight stripped them from the ponies - and herself.” Summer looked at the dahrmare trying to fathom how that was possible. Being an earth pony, magic was an obvious foreign concept, but from all the stories and rumors she had heard through the ETA, it didn’t seem possible. Torn nodded his head. “From my understanding it wasn’t a pleasant experience, but she was able to remove them.”

Summer didn’t doubt it.

“I have read and given my council.” Obsidian approached and handed Torn the scroll, which now had a new seal of a strange symbol. “What your commander wishes to do with it, is upon him.”

“Thank you, sir,” Torn said happily, taking the scroll and securing it in his disguise.

Obsidian eyed Summer and with a sly smile said, “Should you seek us out again, know that the next time you visit here, will be to an empty house.”

Torn looked to Summer with curious eyes. “Are you leaving?”

Summer glanced at Obsidian and noticed the smirk on his face. “Yes.”

“May I ask to where, should Luna require me to deliver a message?” asked Torn.

“I was suggesting the Wild Lands, perhaps Dahrmare -” Obsidian began with a playful tone.

“Sid!” Summer yelled as Torn coughed and looked away.

“But she doesn’t want to end up on a spit,” Obsidian finished.

Torn looked about the home as he said, “I would not advise it, not unless you were thinking of the Crulrop tribe in Dahrmare. They would welcome you in friendship. Most of Luna’s Dahrmares are from there, so it is one of the few places that forbids the consumption of pony.”

“Thank you, but I think I’ll pass,” Summer grumbled as she glared at Obsidian, whom appeared very pleased with himself.

“I have never understood the Crulrop tribe’s strange ways,” Torn said turning back to them. “Then again, here I stand in service as one of Princess Luna’s dahrmares. Who am I to speak of strange.”

“Tell me, with such an elaborate entrance, what exit strategy do you have planned?” asked Obsidian, clearly amused.

“I have given Summer my price for the secret,” said the dahrmare, winking at her.

Obsidian looked to Summer whom causally stated, “The price was too high.”

“It was good to see the both of you again,” said Torn. The dahrmare bowed. “Lady Stars, Lord Obsidian, when next we met.” With a quick trot to the door, he cracked it open, scanned the world, and was gone.

Summer locked the door. When she turned around Obsidian was smiling a toothy grin ear to ear.

“You are a bastard,” she said passing by him and took a seat in the kitchen. “So, you gonna tell me what’s so important.”

Obsidian followed her over. “The Lunar Guard is having problems as Torn stated. What he doesn’t know is how deep it runs.”

“It’s the dahrmares isn’t it,” she said sadly.

“Not so much, but they are having problems with Luna being under house arrest and with limited visitation. More so, Commander Deringer asked my council concerning the increased apathy of his troops towards Luna and the inevitable disbandment in wake of the tribunal's decision.” A black aura rose from within the water pitcher and within it a ball of water. “Amongst everything else.”

“You’re holding something back,” she said knowing the creature before her.

Obsidian remained silent as she stared at him, hard. For a moment it seemed as though her eye would explode from its socket.

A portion of the aura collapsed and the water drained back into the pitcher. “War,” he finally said.

Some how, the word seemed more a reality coming from him, then from Torns. Summer could feel her body tense at the idea of the whole country being engulfed in flame.

“Cloudsdale might not succeed,” Obsidian continued, “but ponies such as Old Mug are not waiting for the large players to make the first moves. It will take more than economic stability and the punishment of Luna to restore this country.”

“So - it’s inevitable,” she said mumbling more to herself. She played with jug then let it roll away as she pressed her head into the table.

“You still need to leave,” Obsidian said as he headed for the door.

Anger flashed in her eyes as she perked up. “I wasn’t saying such!”

“All the same. The dividing line between peace and war is a shattered wall of glass. Even Haystersburg will become a battleground in time, if not sooner. Nowhere is perpetually safe.”

“Then maybe being a tumbleweed - is a good thing,” she mused. Maybe, being like her father wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Any which way, she could have done without all the drama today. It was such a nice day. Was. “At least we can keep a step ahead of it.”

“Perhaps, but leaving the country is best. Let’s talk about this later,” he said as he stopped before the door. “I must get back to my search. The presence has been making itself mockingly known and I do intend to return its interest.”

“Just make sure you do a better job of keeping watch. All this news, has made me tired,” she said, waving him onward.

When the door closed she continued to stare at the wood only inches from her eyes, until slowly, her eyes closed and the world faded into the blissful welcoming dark.

Chapter 5