From Ashes to Ashes (Built Upon Dreams, Paid in Blood)

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

Chapter 1

Rainbow Dash looks out over the market square. Several dozen shops and stalls line the roundabout-square, selling a multitude of different types of wares and food. She scans them over, seeing which one catches her fancy. Eyeing a pastry stall near the end of the market she reads its price-listing hanging from a nail on the right wooden beam of the stall’s awning. Smiling, she ducks behind the tattered crates and trash bins.

Rummaging through her saddlebag, she pulls out a cloth sack and shakes it. Soft metallic clings and clanks ring out from within. Opening the sack, dumping the coins in her hand, she begins counting them. “Five shekels and eleven knicks.” She squeals, clutching them to her chest. Jumping out of the alleyway, she makes her way to the stall.

Walking along the cobblestone street of the ancient city, her magenta eyes scan over the architectural achievements of her home city of Cloudsdale, the capital of the Withington Empire. In the middle of the square, a rather large mushroom-shaped fountain sits about fifteen feet tall and eight feet in diameter. Around the basin of the fountain stand four white marble statues of two nude pegasus mares and two nude pegasus stallions. The stallions chase the mares, their prize. The water of the fountain amuses Rainbow Dash more than its beauty or what moral the statues are conveying. Watching for a good minute, listing to the water splashing about, she breaks her haze and continues on her mission.

A pastry chef stands behind her stall. Head in her hand, her gaze watching the sun dip behind the horizon of the cityscape. She sighs and turns her gaze towards the crowd of pegasi mulling around the square. Her eyes dart around until a small filly catches her attention. A smile comes to her face. ‘Another customer.’ She thinks, but the longer she stares, the quicker her smile fades.

The filly’s appearance is a tattered one, her prism colored mane is short, wild, and oily. The end of her yellow dress is covered in filth. Her black cotton jacket is slightly larger than her, but it’s her wings that causes the mare’s frown.

Finally getting to the stall, Rainbow Dash stands in front of the mare, her eyes gazing wide at the pastries on display. Feeling the mare’s gaze, she quickly pours out her money. “Uh…” She mumbles. “Hello ma’am, how are you this evening?” She gives a smile.

The mare raises her brow. “Hello dear.” Amusement washes over her, she’s impressed by her manners. “I’m good, how are you?” She decides to entertain her.

“I’m good ma’am.” Rainbow Dash looks at the pastries. “Can I have a loaf of wheat bread and two strawberry tarts?” She points to the items.

The mare pulls out a large paper-bag and places the loaf within along with the tarts in a smaller one. “Are you able to pay for this little one?”

“I sure can, see!” Rainbow Dash holds out the correct number of shekels and knicks. “I’ve been saving up enough for your stall. Your pastries always look yummy!”

The mare hums at the filly’s words. Putting on her glasses, she looks at the coins. “Let’s see,” She counts them. “You’re short.” Her eyes look dully at the filly.

Rainbow Dash feels her heart stop “What!”

The mare chuckles. “Yes, you’re short by two shekels and five knicks.” She takes the items out of the bag.

Rainbow Dash’s cheeks begin to redden with anger. “No, I’m not!” She stomps her hoof against the cobblestone.

The mare rolls her eyes. “Yes, you are, for pegasi like you, there’s a tax!” She paces the bread back onto the display.

Her anger falters slightly. “Pegasi like me?”

“Are you that dense sweetie?” The mare huffs. “Look,” She leans over the countertop of her stall. “You are a cripple.” She points to the filly’s wings. Rainbow Dash looks over her shoulders and stares at them. “Cripples like you don’t deserve to shop around in Upper Cloudsdale.”

Anger floods back over Rainbow Dash’s heart. “I’m not a cripple!” She flaps her wings.

The mare watches them flap out of synch. “Yes, yes you are.” She places the tarts back with the others.

Rainbow Dash growls. “I want to buy them at a price listed!” She points her finger at the sign. “You have them listed at two shekels and six knicks!”

The mare stares wide-eyed at the filly and her sign. “How…” She wonders. “Err… Leave my stall, or I’ll call the police!” She shouts at her, placing both hands on her stall’s countertop.

With every passing second, Rainbow Dash gets angrier and angrier.

“STOP, THIEF!” A police officer yells, clad in black slacks and polo-long-sleeved shirt, flying towards Rainbow Dash, billy-club in hand.

“Get her now!” The pastry stall owner screams, trying to keep up with the filly and the officers, but she tires and lands on the ground, catching her breath.

Rainbow Dash looks over her shoulders in fear. In her arms is her saddle bag, full of bread and pastries. Her little legs propel her forward as fast as they can. Her wings flutter giving her a bit more speed, but not much.

“Stop in the name of the divine Emperor!” The other police officer yells, his younger voice piercing her ears.

Slipping into an alleyway, she ducks and jumps over pipes and trash bins. The guards fly over the obstacles soaring above her. Looking up, she sees one of the guards diving down upon her. Her heart pounding, she turns sharply to the left down another smaller alley. One of the officers tries to slow his speed, but he crashes into a pile of boxes instead. “Get up Night Wing! She’s getting away!” His fellow comrade yells. With a grunt, Night Wing rockets into the air, resuming the chase.

Feeling herself getting worn out, Rainbow Dash looks for a rain chute. Seeing an entryway for one a few feet away, she picks up her pace. Arrivingat the chute, she opens its hatch, the heavy metal door squeaking as it swings down, hitting the cobblestone cloud road with a loud poof. Seeing their target slipping away, the guards pump their wings harder. Watching them get closer, Rainbow Dash stands on the rim of the chute, giving them the middle finger, she smiles, jumping in.

Arriving at the entrance, the guards look down into the large pipe. “Shit, I’m not going down that!” Night Wing growls. “You got any ideas, Samson?”

Samson focuses his gaze on the filly sliding down the chute. “I know where it leads. Come let’s go.”

An older pegasus stallion sits on a worn rocking chair. His clothes are tattered, and his fur is coarse. Chewing on the bit of his pipe, he wiggles down into his seat with a sigh.

Bang!

Cling!

Clang!

The stallion’s eyes open with a fright, lifting his head he looks around in confusion. Again, the stallion hears the noises, this time he finds where it's coming from. A manhole built into the wall of a large brick warehouse two feet from him. “What is making that noise…!”

Rainbow Dash pops out of the manhole, the cover flying off and crashing into the wall of a dilapidated home. The stallion stares wide-eyed at the filly. Getting her bearings Rainbow Dash looks back at the stallion. “Oh, hey Wind Breeze!” She waves.

The stallion holds onto his pipe. “What the hell did you get yourself into this time Dash?”

“Well I… I gotta go!” She takes off down the street.

The stallion looks back at where she was looking and sees two Imperial Officers flying down towards his location. They fly on past him at twenty miles an hour. Wind Breeze leans forward in his chair and watches them fly down an alley. “That filly is going to get herself killed one day.”

Seeing a pub in the distance Rainbow Dash smiles, picking up her pace. “Gotcha!” A hand grabs the back of her jacket, yanking her backward, sending her saddlebag flying out of her arms. “We’ll lookie here, the brat has been caught!” Night Wing chuckles looking at her with a mischievous grin. Rainbow Dash wiggles, trying to break his hold. “Where do you think you’re…!” Rainbow Dash backward kicks him in the testicles, forcing him to let her go. Landing on her hooves she spins around, punching him in the face for good measure. Seeing the other police officer approaching, she picks up her saddlebag and runs into the pub.

Samson catches up to his downed comrade. “Hell! Are you serious? She’s a filly Night! Get your ass up and walk it off!” He pulls up the hurt stallion, dragging him to the pub.

Steel Bit stands behind the bar of the pub, washing glassware mindlessly. The thirteen patrons of the establishment sit around, drinking and gambling the night away. A mare plays the piano off in the corner by the door. Her tunes setting a calming mood.

The bar doors of the pub swing open, violently smacking against the cloud like stucco of the inner walls. Rainbow Dash tumbles across the wooden-floor, each roll of her body kicking up small amounts of dust.

The music stops as the patrons and Steel Bit stare at her in confusion, pondering her scared expression. Quickly, Rainbow Dash bolts towards Steel Bit and hides behind the bar next to him. “What the?” Steel Bit’s thoughts are interrupted as the doors swivel open once more, revealing pissed off officers. “Oh…” He mumbles. With a crack of his neck he returns to cleaning his glassware. The officers walk up slowly to the bar, their faces red, sweat soaking their fur. “Hello officers, what brings you to Lower Cloudsdale?” He smiles mockingly.

“Watch your tone lowlife!” Night Wings spits, leaning aggressively towards the gray colored pegasus.

“Calm Night Wing, you don’t want to hurt yourself.” Samson places a hand on his comrade’s shoulder.

“Yes, we don’t want that to happen now do we?” Steel Bit tilts his head to the side, a shit eating grin plasters itself across his face.

Samson gives the stallion a calm smile as he leans on the bar’s countertop. “We were chasing a filly, about yay tall, with a prism colored mane and tail, have you seen her?”

Steel Bit shrugs, placing a cleaned glass next to several other cleaned glassware. “No, I can’t say that I have.” He leans on the countertop. One of his hands rustling Rainbow Dash’s mane. She quietly giggles at his touch, playfully pushing his hand away.

Night Wing growls. “We saw her run into this establishment!” He slams his hand on the bar’s countertop, causing it to shake, scaring Rainbow Dash. She wraps her arms around Steel Bit’s legs.

Steel Bit leans back. Looking at the stallions, he huffs and goes back to his cleaning. “Like I said, I haven’t seen the filly you seek, but I did see the Emperor. Saw him high off his ass, fucking a couple of hookers down on Maple Avenue.” He chuckles, pointing a glass cup at them. The patrons and Rainbow Dash laugh at his words.

The officers are close to losing their temper. With a long, drawn-out breath, Samson leans closer to Steel Bit. “Look, we know she’s here and so do you. Maybe we can cut you a deal.” Steel Bit’s ears perk up. “Give her up, and we can make you a pardon of sorts, a free pass to shop at your leisure in Upper Cloudsdale. You can buy, eat, drink… Even fuck the best prostitutes Upper has to offer.” He extends his arms in a friendly manner, a seller’s smile forming across his face.

Steel Bit taps his fingers against the rim of the glass cup in his hands. “Well… Thanks for the offer, but no thanks.” He sets the glass down next to a stack of others.

Samson frowns. “Well then, it looks like we’ll have to arrest you and your customers, so my men can come into your pub and tear it apart until they find the brat!” He spits with venom.

Steel laughs. “Are you sure about that?” An array of metallic clicks rings out in the pub. Frozen with fear, the officers turn around to see all the patrons aiming pistols in their direction. “I have an offer for you, want to listen?” The guards look back at him with a nod. “You leave, go home to your shit homes and never come back to my pub ever again and if you don’t… Well, we’ll shoot you. Sounds good?” He smiles, giving a thumb’s up.

Samson steps away from the bar. “We’ll take you up on your offer… Come, Night Wing, let’s go.” Night Wing follows him out of the pub, both stallions leaving in a hurry.

With them gone the Patrons put their pistols back in their holsters and look over at the bar. Steel Bit sighs as he looks down at Rainbow Dash, who’s hugging her saddle bag, her magenta eyes staring up at him innocently. He chuckles. “The coast is clear squirt.”

Rainbow Dash breathes a sigh of relief and crawls out from under the bar, setting her saddlebag on the countertop. “You saved me again.”

“You need to stop doing that?” Lilly Drops sighs from the piano.

“Naw I find it hilarious!” One of the pegasi, an older stallion, his beard long and his face showing his age. “That made my day little one, seeing those officers pissing their pants!”

“Yes,” Steel Bit gives the filly a smile. “Very hilarious.”

“Give the little one a drink!” Another pegasi calls out.

Rainbow Dash stands on a stool, giving Steel Bit a smirk. “A drink for me… Please?” She puts her hands on her hips.

-Four Hours Later-

“So, you stole some bread and pastries… You’re moving up the ladder Dash, soon you’ll be robbing a candy shop.” Steel Bit states in mocking sadness, playfully sinking into his seat, behind the bar.

“Don’t tempt me.” Rainbow Dash takes a gulp of beer from her cup. The foam around her lips giving her a mustache. She giggles and licks it clean. “So, how was your day?” She looks at the stallion.

“Good…” Steel Bit gets up and walks up to the backside of the bar. “The drug run went well, got half of our drop-offs done.” He pours himself a shot of bourbon. “Could’ve used your help.” He swigs it down, slightly choking as the alcohol burns his throat on the way down.

“Well, I was busy playing with my friends by the rainbow falls.” Rainbow Dash defends herself, holding her mug of beer close to her chest.

“Yeah… yeah.” He pours another shot. She snickers at his words.

Drinking the last of her beer, she stares at the empty cup with a frown. Looking towards her friend, she holds out her cup. “Can I have another refill, please!” Steel Bit takes the cup and refills it. With a smile, Rainbow Dash takes a large gulp. Her eyes go wide, swallowing, she looks at Steel Bit with a frown. “Water! I wanted beer!”

“You already had two mugs. I think it’s time to call it a night.” He puts away some cups and bottles.

“I can handle it!” She huffs, crossing her arms laying down on the bar’s countertop.

“A nine-year-old like yourself can’t, besides you need to be sober enough to make it home.” Steel Bit walks towards the door with lock and key in hand.

“I can stay here, like last time.” She gives him her biggest puppy eyes.

“You have a home squirt, besides I’m sure your mother will be worried if you don’t show up.” Locking the door, he walks back behind the bar.

Rainbow Dash sighs as she swings her legs. Sighing again, she gets up and walks over to Steel Bit, giving him a hug. “Goodnight.”

Steel Bit smiles. “Goodnight squirt. I’ll see you in the morning.” He pats her on the back sending her on her way.

After ascending the hill to her home, she walks up the steps to her home’s porch. Before entering the house, she looks out over the cityscape of Lower Cloudsdale. Dilapidated buildings can be seen for miles around creating one of the most complex favelas, Withington or the worlds has ever seen. The clouds overhead that hold up Upper Cloudsdale cast a depressing mood upon the ambiance of her home district.

Stepping into her home, she sees that hot coals are burning calmly in the cast-iron furnace and the lights in the kitchen are on, dully lighting the living room in a white glow. Her home is a small cramped space. The living room and kitchen occupy an area that is twenty feet in length and twenty feet in width, with two bedrooms and one bathroom connecting to the back hall.

Setting her saddlebag on the countertop in the kitchen. She carefully walks around the trash littering the floor to the couch in front of the iron-cast furnace. Looking over the back of the sofa, she sees her mother sleeping the night away, a used needle sticking her right shoulder.

Rainbow Dash frowns as she gently pulls out the needle, tossing it in the trash bin next to the couch, she heads into her mother’s room. Carrying a blanket from the room, she places it over her mother. Looking over her mother, she stares at her sunken eyes, the dark rings under them making her look old and brittle. Her mother’s breaths are slow and shallow. “Goodnight mommy…” Her mother moans as she rolls over.

With a sigh, Rainbow Dash walks away from the couch and up to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she pulls out a bottle of dark beer. Walking to the counter, she takes half a loaf of bread and a single pastry, and heads to her room.

Entering her room, she tip-toes around her dirty clothes up to her bed. Crawling into her bed she opens the bottle and takes a long swig of the bitter liquid. She coughs as she fights back the burning sensation. Smacking her lips, she takes a bite of bread enjoying its natural, earthy flavors. Humming a tune, she opens her drawer, pulling out a newspaper-like magazine about Withington's military special forces ‘The Wonder Bolts.' Moving her lamp closer to her, she stares longingly at the sepia photographs and drawn illustrations of the Wonder Bolts. Her wings flap instinctively as her mind wanders into imagination.

Chapter 2

Rainbow Dash greets the new day with a jolt. A pulsing migraine pounds her skull. “Oh…” She moans, slipping out of bed. Stumbling about, she catches herself on her desk chair. Leaning against it, she takes several seconds to recover from the hangover that clings to her thoughts.

Rubbing the back of her head, she picks up her black cotton jacket and walks over to her closet, pulling out a towel, a red dress and a black under shirt and underwear.

Stepping into the square shaped hall, she decides to check on her mother. Peaking around the corner, she sees her mother’s short scarlet orange mane laying over the armrest of the couch. Her ears twitch as she snores the early morning away. With a sigh Rainbow Das steps into the restroom to freshen up.

Rainbow Dash sits on a stool by the stove, watching the coffee boil within the percolator. The black liquid dancing about calms her as she stares into its endless abyss. “Oh… hell?” She turns around on her perch, watching her mother slowly awaking to a new day. “What time is it?” Windy Whistles looks into the kitchen to read the clock. Her eyes however are drawn to her daughter. “What are you doing?” She rubs her head, sitting up.

“Making coffee for us.” Rainbow Dash frowns, not pleased with her mother’s tone. “Good morning mommy.”

Her mother gurgles out a sigh. “Morning sweetie…” She rubs her eyes as she looks at the smoldering coals in the iron-cast furnace.

With a sigh of her own, Rainbow Dash turns off the stove. The flames puttering into oblivion. Washing two cups from the sink, she pours herself and her mother a cup. Taking out a large raspberry pastry from the paper bag on the counter, she walks over to the couch and sits next to her mother. “Hungry?”

Windy Whistles smiles and takes half of the pastry. “When did you get this?”

“Last night.” She takes a bite of the treat. Her mother shrugs her shoulders and takes a bite of her own. They sit in silence listening to the echoes of pegasi of Lower Cloudsdale, awakening to the day, the light crackling of the coals and their mouths’ chewing their morning meal. Finishing their meal, mother and daughter sit sipping their coffee for several minutes, silence consuming the air. Uncomfortable with the silence, however, Rainbow Dash shifts in her seat. “How long do you have to work today?”

Windy Whistles looks down at her daughter with a dull stare. “The usual…” She twitches. “Why?” She scratches her arm.

Rainbow Dash taps the rim of her cup. “I was wondering if you would like to go to the lake with me today, after work?”

Windy Whistles chuckles. “That does sound like fun…” She squeezes her arm, sweat rolls down her brow as her eyes dart around. The filly’s happy expression fades away. Sighing sadly, she gets up from her seat and stumbles over the trash littering the floor to the table by the door. “Where is it!” Her mother spits, plucking the feathers from the tip of her left wing.

Getting to the table, Rainbow Dash opens the drawer and takes out a syringe filled with a transparent liquid. “Looking for this?” She holds it up.

Her mother growls. “You were hiding them!”

Rainbow Dash growls back. “No! You put them here, you just forgot, like always!” She places it on the coffee table as she walks to her room.

Her mother stares at her, her purple crimson eyes glaring daggers at her daughter. “Where the hell are you going?” She yells, scratching her neck vigorously.

“TO WORK!” Rainbow Dash spats from her room.

Windy Whistles leans on the head of the couch. “I thought I told you to stay away from that fucking stallion!” She looks into her daughter’s room.

“And I thought I told you to stop whoring yourself!” Rainbow Dash storms out of her room heading to the front door, saddlebag in hand.

Her mother tries to chase her, but she stumbles over a pile of trash that sends her to the floor with a thud. Rainbow Dash looks back, worry coating her eyes. Her mother shakes her head, getting rid of the haze. “… I have to work two jobs to keep a roof over our heads… you’re a filly, you don’t need to be working!” She glares at her.

Rainbow Dash frowns. “I work, so you don’t have to work two JOBS!” She slams the door on the way out. Windy Whistles sighs, laying her head on the hard wood floor.

Steel Bit looks over the bottles of beer and hard liquor, counting them in his head. Sitting on the other side of the bar, is his filly-friend Lilly Drops. She watches him with dull amusement, her head laying in her hand, tapping her cheek with her index finger. “When is the squirt coming?”

Steel Bit picks up a bottle and blows dust off it. “Soon, knowing her, she slept in late… again.” He places the bottle back in its spot. Hearing the doors swing open they look over their shoulders to see the filly in question, walking up to the bar. “Speak of the devil. How are you doing this morning squirt?” Steel Bit smiles with a friendly wave.

Rainbow Dash smiles halfheartedly as she sets down her saddlebag. “Good, sorry I’m late.”

Steel Bit sees that she is upset, but decides to let it go. “No worries, you’re here now and that’s all that matters…”

“Let’s go!” Lilly Drops sighs, getting up from her seat, making her way up the stairs to the condo above the bar. “We better start bagging if we want to have some day light left to sell!” Rainbow Dash and Steel Bit both roll their eyes as they follow after her.

In a cramped room, Lilly Drops sits around several large poison joke plants, plucking their blue flowers, placing them on a bronze tray to dry. The hum of the large halogen bulbs above her, washing out any ambient noise. Steel Bit is in a smaller room adjacent to the room she’s in, he stands over a five-gallon pot containing ten pounds of plucked flowers soaking in a solution of honey, water, pure alcohol, lemon and the flower’s natural hallucinogenic properties. Sitting next to him is Rainbow Dash who’s cutting up fully marinated flowers from a pervious batch, placing fifteen grams worth into burlap pouches.

“Damn…I can’t wait to relax and smoke some…” Steel Bit stiffs the aroma from the brew with a hum.

“You’re already getting high!” Lilly Drops mocks him, plucking away. Rainbow Dash giggles at Steel Bit’s hurt reaction.

“I want to get stoned, not lightly high.” He grumbles stirring the pot. He sees that Rainbow Dash has already filled sixty bags. “Hey squirt.”

Rainbow Dash looks up, lollypop in her mouth. “Yeah?” She moves her sweet to the side of her mouth.

“I think you have enough to start your run.” Rainbow Dash nods, scooping up the pouches into her saddlebag. Steel Bit chuckles at her eagerness as he spoons up some of the brew, giving it a lick. “Holy hell!...” He coughs.

“Did he just lick it!” Lilly Drops yells from the other room.

“No…” Steel Bit chokes.

“Yeeeees.” Rainbow Dash smirks at the stallion while she walks out of the room, saddlebag full to the brim. Lilly Drops pokes her head into the room giving him a frown. He chuckles uncomfortably, going back to stirring the pot.

Stepping out of the pub, Rainbow Dash puts on her grey flat-cap and makes her way to her first destination. She walks through the narrow streets and stairs, surrounded by towering favelas, to the river docks. Nearing one of the dock-offices near the base of the mountain, she gives three paced out knocks. Shuffling comes behind the door; the locks unlatch themselves. The door swings open reviling a heavyset stallion in his late fifties, a sailor’s cap rests on his head, his eyes old and dilatated. He scratches his brown beard. “RD, How’s a-been?”

Rainbow Dash giggles at his speech “Good, just making the rounds.” She tosses a pouch to the pegasus.

The stallion chuckles handing her the cost of the drug. “Be safe filly.” She tilts her flat-cap and runs off to her next destination.

Entering downtown Lower Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash makes her way to one of eight orphanages in the area. Coming up to a white cloud-brick constructed building, she looks up at the sigh. ‘Soft Cloud Little Homes’. Smiling she makes her to the back of the orphanage, climbing the chain-metal fence. Peaking around the corner, she eyes three colts and two fillies playing at the back corner of the playground, by the brick wall of an adjacent building that’s connected to the orphanage.

“Yo, dumbasses!” She calls out skipping up to them.

The group turns their attention to the prism maned filly making her way towards them. Her red dress swaying with each skip she takes. “What do you want fag!” The older colt of the group, about thirteen years old, shouts back giving her a playful glare.

“I’m not a fag!” Rainbow Dash walks up to the colt, getting in his face. She giggles and licks his snout. “I like colts.” The colt blushes, rubbing his snout, confusion flooding his mind, he cheeks flushing red from her actions.

“On your rounds Dash?” The youngest filly asks as she hangs from the monkey bars.

“Yep.” Breaking her sly gaze from the colt, she looks at the filly. “Still trying to break your record Sunny?”

“Yeah!” She grunts, concentrating on her grip, however she losses it and falls on the fluffy cloud underneath the bars. “Darn!” She cries, falling dramatically backwards on the cloud.

“Do you need our help again Dash?” The flustered colt asks, still rubbing his snout.

She smiles at the colt, flicking her tail in his face, causing him to blush even more. “Yes, Hoops I need your help.” She takes out fifty pouches and hands each of them ten. With their own saddlebags full, they follow her to the street.

“So, Dash, are we taking the same cut as last time?” The second oldest colt asks.

“Yes, Dumb-Bells.” She tosses her saddlebag over her shoulder.

“Alright, see you in several hours Dash.” Hoops calls out, flapping his wings, flying into the air. The other colts and fillies fly or run to their perspective routes. With a sigh, she runs off to her next stop.

The clouds in the sky shine bright as the sun sits high-noon in the sky. Sitting on a bench near the industrial center. Rainbow Dash munches on her hay-sandwich, gazing at the clouds. Swallowing her bite, she looks into her saddlebag and sees four more drug pouches and an extra sandwich. With a burp, she closes her bag, turning her attention to the street, she watches pegasi of all types mulling about the area.

Some children play along the street, stallions and mares conduct business, or talk about the day, their relationships. On one of the corners of the intersection, an illusionist shows off her talent to passersby. Another corner, a stallion cooks some candy-radishes.

Finishing her sandwich, she hops off the bench, skipping towards her mother’s place of work.

Entering the heart of the industrial district, Rainbow Dash walks up several flights of cloud stairs to the upper levels. Nearing the cotton factory, she walks down the alley to the backside and knocks on the door. The red metal door swings inward revealing a thin pegasus, with small rim glasses. His dark blue frizzy mane clinging to the sides of his face. “Hello Rainbow Dash, here to see your mother?”

Rainbow Dash nods her head. “I brought her lunch.” She holds out the extra sandwich.

The stallion sighs, leaning on the door. “Sorry sweetie, but your mother isn’t here.”

“What?” Confusion washes over her.

He sighs again. “Yeah, she only showed up and worked for an hour…” He rubs the back of his neck. “Then left in a hurry. Don’t know why.” He looks out over the tops of the industrial buildings, watching steam and coal smoke spewing from their tall brick smoke stacks. “Do you have any ideas where she would go in such a hurry?”

Rainbow Dash frowns. A thought of one place in particular crosses her mind. “Yeah…” She shoves the sandwich in her saddlebag. “See yah later Steam…” Steam waves with a sigh before closing the door.

Walking past the cramped favelas and brick walls of her home city, Rainbow Dash makes her way down to a large grassy courtyard. This courtyard is one of three major connections for the intersecting streets and alleys of the favelas. Stepping onto the sidewalk, she walks to the right, heading to a large four-story building near the south corner of the yard.

Two mares, one in her late forties and the other in her early twenties stand by the entrance of the building. Both wear skimpy dresses that show more leg and cleavage than the average dress. The youngest mare looked more fitting for the dress while the older mare seems to have outgrown it. The youngest mare seeing Rainbow Dash walking towards them, smiles, clapping her hands together. “Darla, the filly, she’s here with the goods!”

Darla looks at the bouncing mare. “Wind Fire calm yourself, you’re going to scare away potential clients.” She sighs watching the filly come up to them, holding out two pouches.

“Hello…” Rainbow Dash mumbles.

Wind Fire smiles, gently taking the pouches. “Hello sweetie. How’s your day been?” She hands over the right number of shekels.

“Alright… how’s yours?” She decides to make small talk with the mares.

Darla sighs, laying against the wall of the building. “The usual.” Wind Fire nods with an innocent grin.

Rainbow Dash looks at the mares while putting the shekels in her saddlebag. “Has my mommy been by?”

The mares look at the filly with different emotions. Darla is calm, giving her a look as if thinking. Wind Fire however, gives her a worried gaze. “I think she has… Wind Fire why don’t you get the mistress, she would know if your mother showed up for work filly.”

Wind Fire looks back. “You know the mistress and Dashie don’t get along.” Rainbow Dash sighs at the nick name Wind Fire gives her. “Besides, the mistress has an odd fascination with her.” She places her hand next to her lips, pointing at the filly.

“I’m right here… you don’t have to whisper!” Rainbow Dash huffs, her arms spread wide before falling to her sides.

Darla rubs her brow with a tired sigh. “The mistress is the only one who knows where we ‘ladies’ go, so, Wind Fire, please go ask her now!” She points at the entrance of the brothel. Wind Fire nods with a grunt, heading inside.

Walking past seven green painted doors, she gets to the end of the hall. Knocking on the red door, Wind Fire places her clasped her hands over her groin. “Come in darling.” She opens the door. Within the room, a mare in her late fifties sits at a desk over by the back wall, counting shekels. Two large windows are behind her casting her in a silhouette.

“Mistress?” Wind Fire calls out.

“What is it dear?” She looks up from her work and eyes one of her best ‘ladies.’

Wind Fire plays with the bottom of her dress, slightly revealing her under garments. “Well ma’am, you know that filly you’ve always liked?”

The mistress’s ears perk up. “Yes?” She gives a smirk. “Why do you ask?”

Wind Fire wraps her tail around her waist. “Well she’s asking for her mother.” She sways back n’ forth.

The mistress hums, taking a sip of her gin. ‘Well bring her in.” Wind Fire nods and runs off to fetch the filly. Leaning back in her chair, she patently waits. Not too long after, the filly steps into her office. Timidly, Rainbow Dash stands in the doorway, her gaze fascinated by the interior of the office. “Hello darling, what brings you here to my establishment?” She gives a small smile, waving to her to take a seat.

Rainbow Dash tears her gaze from the crimson wallpaper and Victorian furniture and looks at the older mare. “Um… my mommy…” She walks up to the chair. “Have you seen her?!” She melts into the chair, the cotton stuffing absorbing her.

The mistress keeps her sly gaze on her. “Ah, yes… Your mother.” She leans in her chair taking a sip of gin as she opens her datebook. “She did come into work early today. Worked a couple of clients.” Rainbow Dash frowns at her words. She notices her expression, and frowns herself. “Then… She left around 11:35am. Went off site to see a client in Upper Cloudsdale… I have o say she’s moving up the ladder…”

“I didn’t know there were promotions for fucking!” Rainbow Dash spits.

The mistress frowns, closing her datebook. “Darling please.” She gets up from her seat and walks up to her, her cane supporting her. “You must understand, at least your mother is using her given…” She places the end of her cane under Rainbow Dash’s chin. “Talents.” She runs the end of her cane down Rainbow Dash’s chest to her groin.

Rainbow Dash shivers squirming away from the cane. “When will she be back?”

“Dear, dear, dear, didn’t you listen to my words?” The mistress leans on her cane, hovering over Rainbow Dash. She runs her fingers along the filly’s cheeks, caressing the back of her left ear. Rainbow Dash twitches, moving away, but the mistress grabs her by the back of her neck, halting her protest. “I know when I see good talent filly!” She smells her prism mane. “I know that you’re wasting yours, think of how popular you’d be if you used it, how rich you’ll become.” She lets go of her neck and runs her hand through her prism mane.

Rainbow Dash jumps out of her seat and twirls around quickly, staring at the older mare with mixed emotions. “Just tell me where my mommy is!” She yells, her voice cracking.

The mistress sighs. “Dear I just told you, she’s somewhere in Upper Cloudsdale…” She places her hand under Rainbow Dash chin. “Why, if you miss your mommy so much, why don’t you turn it into a family business?” She strokes her chin. Rainbow Dash frowns, pulling away from the embrace. Walking to the door, she looks back and gives the mare the middle finger before stepping into the hall. The mistress frowns, sitting back in her chair. “One day, you’ll know your place…” She sips the last of her gin.

Walking into the pub, Rainbow Dash storms over to the bar and sits on one of the stools. Sliding the caller-bell to her, she rings it with a pout. Steel Bit stumbles down the stairs, landing hard on the hardwood floor. She stares at his disheveled appearance. He’s shirtless and his pants ride low, showing his butt crack. His eyes are dilated. The smoky smell of poison joke wafting off of him. “Hey squirt, how was your run?” He leans on the counter, his eyes staring goofily at hers.

“Alright…” She moans, placing his cut of shekels on the counter.

He lazily takes the coins, placing them in the register. “You okay?” He walks up to the back of the bar and pours her a drink of her favorite beer. Not hearing a reply, he sets down the drink in front of her and leans beside her, playing with her fingers on her left hand. “Your mother prostituting herself again?”

Rainbow Dash takes a large gulp of her drink, its smooth foamy taste soothing her. “Yeah…” She places her saddlebag on the counter. Pulling out the last of the drug pouches, she unwraps it, taking out the blue hash like substance and puts it to her lips.

“You shouldn’t be taking that!” He places a hand on her hers.

“I shouldn’t be drinking, but you let me!” She rips her hand from his, plopping the drug in her mouth. Seeing his expression, she looks down and gives a defeated sigh. “Sorry… I’m just a little upset.”

Steel Bit rubs his face. “It’s okay Dash, I understand…” He looks at the clock. “Why don’t you lay on my bed until your high wears off.” Steel Bit walks up to the door and looks up and down the alleyway. “I’ll be getting the pub ready if you need me.”

Rainbow Dash nods, hopping off the bar stool, walking up the stairs. Getting to the top of the stairs, she turns right, passing the poison joke growing rooms and walks into the room at the end of the hall.

Entering the room, she walks up to the queen-sixed bed. Standing on the right side of the bed, she sees Lilly Drops laying facedown and topless on the left side. The sheets of the bed covering her lower half as she sleeps the late-afternoon away.

With a grunt, she flops onto the bed, causing her and Lilly Drops to bounce twice, before settling down into the soft worn fibers. Feeling the drug entering her system, she lays her head on the pillow, enjoying the feeling of her nervous system numbing and her breathing slowing to a sails pace. With a tired sigh, her eyes close as she falls into a drug induced dream.

It one o’clock by the time Rainbow Dash steps onto her porch. The lights of downtown shine bright in the distance, casting her home in dull light, enough to make out certain details. Groaning, from a headache, she opens the door and steps inside.

All is quiet in her home. The lights in the kitchen are on, giving the living room enough light to see. The coal in the iron-cast furnace is spent, the ash within rotting its interior. Seeing that the couch is empty, Rainbow Dash knows her mother is in her room, she hopes. Kicking a pile of papers and wrappers off to the side, she makes her way to the kitchen counter and grabs the last pastry.

Heading into her room, she quickly puts an ear to her mother’s bedroom door. Soft feminine moans and masculine grunts stimulate her ear drums. Her face reddens with anger as she steps back from the door with a jerk. Holding back the urge to scream, she pulls on her mane as she paces in front of the door. With a snorted breath, she beats on the door. “Knock, knock fucker, filly’s home, here to be a buzz kill!”

Rustling and mummering comes from behind the door. Handle shaking, the door swings inward, reviling her mother. Her mane is a mess, her eyes are dilated and her mannerisms drunk. The right-shoulder strap of her nightgown hangs loosely. Before she can scold her mother and the stallion who used her. The appearance of the stallion halts any actions she has planned.

The stallion’s build is large, a whole head taller than Steel Bit and two heads talker than her mother. His pale grey-bluish fur shines brightly in the dim light of her mother’s room. His bright yellow eyes can pierce the souls of even the bravest of ponies. But it wasn’t his stature or his eyes that causes her to cower. It’s the color of his mane.

Prism, his mane is a bright prism like hers. She feels her knees go weak as she pulls the ends of her mane out in front of her vision, glaring at her own head of hair, then back to the stallion’s, her eyes growing wide in shock and disbelief.

What were the odds.

The stallion smiles at the filly, noticing her antics as he throws on his white polo-shirt. “She’s a smart one.” He looks at his lover with a smirk.

Windy Whistles looks back at the stallion, uncomfortable with the situation her daughter got them into. “Hey sweetie, why don’t you head to bed, mommy will tuck you in…!”

“NO!” Rainbow Dash yells, her voice cracking. “Tell me now! Tell me!” Tears fall from her eyes. “Is he my? My?

“Father?” The stallion replies in a gentile voice, walking up to her. He notices Windy Whistles’s lack of words, her eyes staring madly at her daughter. Placing a hand to her lips, he gives her a stern glare. She complies and looks down at her hooves, silently. He turns his attention back to Rainbow Dash. “Yes, I’m your father.”

“Why?” He puts two fingers to her lips, shutting her down. She quivers from his touch.

He smiles as he runs a hand through her mane. “Damn, there’s no mistaking it, you got my mane… one of a kind little filly.” He strokes the back of her ear, causing her to deal with strong conflicting emotions. “Got a lot of your mother’s traits.” He looks at her sky-blue fur and her small frame. His gaze turns to her wings. He watches them twitch about in a retarded fashion. With a sigh, he walks away from the two and puts on his coat.

Scared, Rainbow Dash stumbles towards her father. “Where are you going? Why did you leave?” He doesn’t answer as he opens the door. “ANSWER ME!” She yells at the top of her lungs.

The stallion stops, with the door halfway open. “The answer to your question is right behind you, on your back.” Rainbow Dash feels a chill run up her spin. Her wings twitch as she processes his words. “Goodnight you two, I’ll see you later in life.” He shuts the door, leaving the two alone.

Something snaps in her mind; her headache increases in intensity. Running her hands through her mane, Rainbow Dash stares at her mother with hate filled eyes. Her mother stares at the ground, her eyes lost in a drugged induced haze. Feeling the harsh glare of her daughter, she breaks her gaze and looks at the enraged filly. “What?” She spits with venom.

“What? Is that it?” Rainbow Dash lets out a moan. “You said daddy died before I was born!” She stomps her hooves in protest and sobs.

Windy Whistles grunts in frustration. “It was a lot easer to say he died than, I don’t know… He left us because of you!” She storms off into the kitchen.

Rainbow Dash cokes on her sobs. “That’s not true! Maybe it’s because you’re a junkie! A… A slut!”

Her mother’s growls grabbing a glass cup. “Coming from the fucking cripple!” She throws the cup at her daughter. Seeing the glass bullet flying towards her, Rainbow Dash ducks to the floor. Frightened, she crawls and hides behind the couch, her eyes full of fear. Upset that she’d missed, Windy Whistles walks over to a kitchen cupboard full of medicine and pulls out a needle filled with an orange colored liquid. “Its time to take your medicine Dash, its way past your bedtime!”

Rainbow Dash recognizes the liquid in the syringe. She remembers her mother giving it to her when she was younger. She remembers the nightmares it caused. The painful spasms it inflected upon her. Shaking in fear, she runs for her room.

Seeing her daughter fleeing to safety, she reaches out a hand, grabbing the back of her daughter’s jacket. “Stay still, while mommy gives you, your medicine! She holds her in a chokehold.

Rainbow Dash can’t breathe, fear washes over her as she wiggles about, trying to break free from her mother’s embrace. Feeling the needle break skin, she panics as the liquid enters her bloodstream. Scared for her life, she bites down hard on her mother’s arm causing her to lose her hold. Throwing her head back, she hits her mother’s snout, causing her to drop the syringe. It falls to the floor, its glass casing breaking, allowing what remaining liquid to leak onto the wooden floor.

Her mother hisses, holding her broken bleeding snout. “You little bitch!”

Rainbow Dash hunches over on the floor, clutching her stomach. The drug with her body heats her core temperature to unsafe levels. Her pupils dilate, turning her magenta eyes into black orbs. Her wings twitch uncontrollably, her limbs feel like overcooked noodles as she flops about, trying to get her footing For how small of an amount that flows through her, it already begins its horrid assault on her mind and body.

Blinking, Rainbow Dash’s world turns pitch black. Every item, ever piece of furniture surrounding her is outlined with bright, squiggly white lines. Strange haunting noises echo in her ears, telling her awful things. Scared of the noises, she tries to run but she can’t move. Soon, she finds herself floating in the air, Zero-g’s feel strange to her, but relaxing at the same time.

The feeling of nirvana fades however, when the air in her lungs leave violently. A tight sensation radiates from her neck. Twisting herself around, she sees a large black beast with six red eyes holding her down with its tentacles. Its mouth opens revealing and endless abyss of razor-sharp teeth.

In a panic she claws at the best’s tentacles. It roars in pain, its bassy voice shaking the home. Looking for anything to protect herself, she sees a kitchen knife lying off in space. Jumping for it, she takes hold of it and brings it close to her chest. The beast however, grabs her legs and pulls her towards its maw.

Scared that she will be eaten, Rainbow Dash swings around and lunges, stabbing the best in one of its eyes. It screams in pain as it pins her to the floor. Again, Rainbow Dash keeps stabbing the beast until its screams stop. Feeling its warm white blood coating her body, she drops the knife and scoots away from the corpse. Finding a safe spot in space, she curls into a fetal position and lays down, lost in a drugged filled nightmare.

Rainbow Dash stares at the picture of her and her mother. Their smiles look so warm and inviting to her. She shivers from the fever racking her body. Moving her hand across the cool hardwood floor, she feels a strange sensation caked to her hands, like dry mud coats them. Confused, she puts her hands in front of her and sees red crimson staining her bright shy-blue fur. She feels queasy at the sight of blood and becomes even more confused. Rubbing the palms of her hands against her forehead, ridding herself of the heavy haze lingering in her mind.

“Mommy?” She sits up and looks to her left. “Mommy!” Her voice cracks as she stares at her mother, who lays on the floor facedown, laying in a pool of blood, her mouth agape. Shaking in fear, Rainbow Dash crawls on all fours to her mother’s side. Staring at her mother’s lifeless eyes, she fells her body go numb. “Mommy?” She pokes her mother’s shoulder. “Mommy?” She pokes her again. “Mommy?” She grabs both of her shoulders and shakes her. Her mother doesn’t respond. Tears begin to flood her eyes as she shakes her again. “Mommy! Mommy! MOMMY!” Her mother’s legs, which were bent up, fall to the side while her head flops helplessly form the shaking.

Sobbing, Rainbow Dash backs up and looks at her hands, then her chest. The blood coating her, is her mother’s. She feels sick, her gag reflex over reacts causing her to vomit violently. Coughing from the bile coating her mouth, she crawls away from the corpse, heading into her mother’s room. “She’s… Not dead… No… No… No…” She pulls a blanket off her mother’s messy bed and drags it out into the living room.

Draping the blanket over her mother, Rainbow Dash looks down with crazed eyes. She’s in a fog, a horrid fog. With a sob, she picks up the last of the pastry and places it by her mother’s head. Backing away, she heads to the front door, her limbs trembling as she walks. Stepping out of her home, she vomits once again. Unable to control her emotions, she bolts down the steps to the only place she felt safe.

Steel Bit lays on his back, his wings spread out over the bed, his snoring is soft and shallow. Lilly Drops sleeps on his chest. Her wings twitching from her dreams.

THUMP!

“What?” Lilly Drops awakens with a jolt. Groggily, she looks up at the lonely window above them that allows the street lamps to shine their beams into their room.

THUMP!

She hears the noise again and looks at the door to their room. “Steel… someone is at the door…” She rubs her eyes, letting out a yawn. Hearing no reply, she looks down and sees that he’s still snoring, deep in slumber. She frowns, jabbing his sides with her fingers.

“G-ah!” He jumps up with fright. “What?” He spits, giving her a glare.

“Some-pony is at the door!” She points with a yawn, falling back onto the bed, her rump sticking up in the air. Steel Bit sighs, tossing the sheet over her, covering her up. Standing up, throws on some pants and makes his way out of the room and down the stairs.

THUMP!

“I’m coming!” He shouts, looking at the clock that hangs over the back of the bar’s glass mirror. Seeing that it reads ‘4:00am’, he wonders who could be at his pub at this time of night. Getting to the backdoor, he opens it with a grunt. “Do you know what time… Squirt!” He stares down in disbelief at Rainbow Dash’s appearance. “What the hell happened?” She doesn’t reply, her eyes stare into space as her body shakes. Glancing around the neighborhood, he places a hand on her shoulder. “Come inside...”

“What’s wrong?” Lilly Drops asks as she stands in the middle of the stairs, covering herself with a bathrobe. Her gaze lands on Rainbow Dash. “Oh my… What happen?” She asks, horrified by the filly’s appearance.

“I don’t know, she won’t say anything!” Steel Bit huffs in frustration. “Can you bathe her, wash off that blood, I’m going over to Miss. Silver Wind’s place and see if her daughter has a spare nightgown we can borrow.” Lilly Drops nods, leading the filly up the stairs. He runs a hand through his mane, running out of the pub.

Rainbow Dash stands in the tub, allowing the warm water to fall on her, soaking her fur, warming her skin. Lilly Drops manipulates the shower head aiming the stream of water onto the parts of the filly’s body that needs the attention. Rainbow Dash stares at the red tinted water flowing off her body, down the basin of the tub into the drain. “I… Killed… Her…” She lets out a pained sob.

Lilly Drops looks at her worryingly. Sitting on the rim of the tub, she looks into her eyes, reading her hurt expression. “What was that you’d said?”

Rainbow Dash looks at the mare. “I… I killed my mommy…” Lilly Drops is taken back.

“I’m back! Hopefully this fits her… What’s wrong?” Steel Bit asks stepping into bathroom.

“She said, she…”

“I KILLED MY MOMMY!” Rainbow Dash sobs, tears falling from her eyes. Her body shaking. “I killed my mommy…” She cries, falling on her rump, her tail bone trying to wrap her soaked tail around her.

Steel Bit feels uncomfortable as he kneels down to her. Seeing the tears and the redness of her eyes, he quickly puts his concerns in the back of his mind as he pulls her into a loving hug. “Shhh… It’s okay, I’m here, Lilly’s here. Everything is alright kiddo.” He coos, stroking her wet mane with his fingers. Lilly Drops hands him a towel, which he uses to dry her off.

“I saw my daddy… I saw him…” Rainbow Dash wraps her arms tight around her friend. “He hates me… that’s why he left us…” She sobs. Steel Bit and Lilly Drops stare at the filly in shock, listing to her somewhat incoherent rambling. “I got mad… Then mommy got mad… She gave me a drug… I hate taking it, but mommy likes it when I take it… And then there was this monster… and, and, and it attacked me… I killed the monster…” She cokes on her sobs, coughing in the stallion’s chest. Recovering from her fit, she buries her face into his bare chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

Both of them look down at her with flat frowns and hurt. They knew what she meant by monster. They know what drug, she was talking about. It was a drug made on the cheap, one that a user the fix they needed, but at the cost of awful highs.

With a sigh, Steel Bit does his best to finish drying her off so he can get her dressed. But her grip on him is strong. Giving up on the ordeal, He and Lilly Drops make their way back into the bedroom and lay back down on their bed. Placing Rainbow Dash in the middle of them, they cuddle up to her, trying their best to calm her emotions.

Chapter 3

“AH!” Rainbow Dash awakens with a jolt. Sitting up in her bed, she wraps her arms around her legs, rocking back n’ forth. Her body shaking violently as her body’s temperature spikes from a developing fever.

“Dash?” Steel Bit who lays to her right, sits up, placing a hand on her back, rubbing the base of her wings. She breaks out into sobs, coughing up mucus.

“Is she alright?” Lilly Drops asks, turning over, eyeing them both.

He sighs, placing a hand on her forehead. “She’s burning up… It’s been two weeks, when will her nightmares end?” He grunts in frustration. Rainbow Dash lets out a moan. “Oh, Dash, it's alright.” He pulls her into a hug.

Lilly Drops looks at the key-wound-clock on her nightstand. The arms of the clock read 5:12am. With a sigh, she gets up from the bed and walks up to an almond-wood dresser. “I’ll take her for a walk…” She throws on a white dress, with black frills that touch her fetlocks. “It will do her some good to get some fresh air.” She puts on a white cloche hat. “She needs it.”

Steel Bit gets up from the bed and scratches Rainbow Dash behind the ears. “I’ll be cleaning up the place… It will give me something to do.” He gives her a smile. “Enjoy your walk.” Rainbow Dash stares off into space, keeping her eyes on the fibers of the bedsheets. Sighing, he walks up to Lilly Drops giving her a kiss before heading downstairs to the pub below.

Turning around, Lilly Drops smiles holding up an outfit for the filly. It’s a simple dark emerald green dress with white frills and her own cloche hat colored in a rich orange. “Ready to go?” Rainbow Dash looks at the mare and gives her a small nod.

Stepping outside, the cool morning air chills their bodies, causing the feathers on their wings to shiver. Holding Rainbow Dash’s hand, Lilly Drops leads her down the street heading towards the eastern part of the city, near the mountain face of Golden Wing Peak, which Cloudsdale hugs and anchors itself to.

While they walk, Rainbow Dash stares at the shops and homes they pass with heavy eyes. Several mares, hang clothes from drying lines. She eyes four children playing a card game on their balcony. A stallion sits and drinks his beer, while his wife screams at him from inside their home. Growling to herself, she turns her attention to the road. Her walk becomes lazier, her hooves dragging themselves along the cobblestone.

Lilly Drops looks down at the filly with a sigh. Placing her hand in her dress’s pocket, she shakes the filly’s hand. “Come on, I want to see a smile on your face.”

Rainbow Dash looks up at her with a dumbfounded stare. “Why?”

“I’m taking you one of my favorite shops, but I want you to keep it a secret, if Steel found out, he would get fat.” She giggles, giving a smile. Rainbow Dash gives a small smirk. Lilly Drops feels a weight lift off her heart. Even though it was a small smile, its progress none the less. Turning her attention back to the road her smile enlarges. “Well, we’re here.”

Turning down an alley, they see a shop at the end of the alley, mushed in-between two buildings. Hanging above its door is a wooden sign of a coffee cup with steam floating out and round hard candy. Stepping inside, the smells of coffee beans and minty candies hit their senses. “Good morning Lilly! I see you finally brought the filly you’ve been talking about.” The barista behind the counter hums. “How are you two doing?”

Lilly Drops smiles, helping Rainbow Dash onto her barstool. “Doing okay Golden Breeze.” She takes her seat. “Just out for a morning stroll with Dashie.” Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes at the nickname as crosses her arms on the counter, laying her head on them.

Golden Breeze’s smile falters from seeing her hurt expression. “So…” She leans in, whispering in Lilly Drops’ ear. “Is she, you know?”

Lilly Drops nods. “She doesn’t talk much.” She runs her fingers through the filly’s mane. “After we buried her…” She stops herself. “You know.” At the mention of her mother, tight sensations build within Rainbow Dash’s chest.

Seeing the hurt in the filly’s eyes, Golden Breeze gives her a soft smile. “Well, I think she deserves a special brew.”

Lilly Drops feels her heart skip a beat. “You mean… you have those beans… How!?” She leans on the table with excitement. Rainbow Dash looks at her friend with a raised brow, her own curiosity getting the better of her.

Golden Breeze smiles. “My cousin and his ragtag team of wannabe pirates happen to successfully raid a bat pony cargo ship heading for the southern ports of Wingthington.” She pulls out a cloth duffle-bag containing the beans. “The upper class of pegasus society thought they could keep it all for themselves!” Lilly Drops and Rainbow Dash smile at her words.

Smirking at their reactions, she pours the beans into a grinder. Cranking its handle the metal teeth within the machine moves at a steady pace, grinding the beans into a fine powder. Grinding the right amount, she scoops up the powder, placing it in a tall glass French-Press, pouring hot water over the powder, she lets it simmer for a minute before pressing down on the press’s strainer, squeezing out the oils and rich flavors of the beans.

Lilly Drops lays her head in her hands, absorbing the coffee’s rich, creamy fragrance, licking her lips in anticipation. Rainbow Dash watches, curious to taste this new experience, her eyes staring at her cup being poured with wonder. Handing their cups to them, she places two cubes of homemade caramel in their coffee. “So, what do you think?” Golden Breeze asks, leaning on the counter.

Lilly Drops takes her sip, a large smile adorning her lips. “Damn… Good like always.” She looks down at Rainbow Dash. “You going to keep staring or you going to sip it?”

Rainbow Dash gingerly picks up her cup and places it to her lips. Her eyes go wide. The creamy, toasted, hazelnutty and caramel flavors assault her taste buds with sensory overload. “Woah…” Licking her lips, she takes a bigger sip. She hums a giggle, swinging her legs.

Lilly Drops smiles, looking at her friend. “I think that did the trick.”

Steel Bit stands behind the bar, restocking his gin, rum, and whiskey of varying flavor profiles and alcohol volume. In his mouth is a cigar, its rich aroma overwhelming the pub. Hearing the bell over the doors ring its high pitch melody, he looks over his shoulders, curious as to who would be entering his establishment in the early morning. He frowns when he eyes a pegasus mare in her late fifties.

The mare stands in the doorway, her upper body leaning on her cane as she looks at the interior of the pub. With a smile, she walks up to the bar and sits on one of the barstools. “Hello Steel Bit,” She places her cane on the counter. “How are you this morning?”

Steel Bit gives a sigh “I’m Alright Feather Gale.” Setting down a bottle he walks up to her, leaning on the bar. “How are your whores doing?”

She huffs. “They are referred to as ladies, they’re higher class compared to common whores.” She turns to the side a bit, staring at the piano in the corner of the pub.

“Yeah… Keep telling yourself that.” He chuckles. “Can I get you anything?” He raises his brow.

She hums, admiring his expression. “As a matter of fact, you can.” She turns to face him. “Frist, I want a glass of gin on cloud ice.” Steel Bit walks over to the back of the bar, he stuffs his right hand into a small dark icy-cloud and pulls out two airy-ice-cubes. Placing them into a glass, he pours the liquor on the ice. Handing it to her, she takes it and gives a sip, humming a tune to herself.

“And?” Steel Bit crosses his arms. “What is the second thing you want?”

“Patience dear, patience.” She shushes him, taking another sip. Smacking her lips, she gives him a smirk. “My second request is that you hand over Rainbow Dash.” She leans on her right elbow, swirling the contents of her glass.

Steel Bit growls. “Fuck that!”

Feather Gale frowns. “Darling please, language!” She places her elbows on the counter, resting her head in her hands. “She is my harlot now since her mother is no longer working for me.” She sips her gin. “We know it’s just business.” She points a finger.

“In your dreams, she’s not going with you, and there is nothing you can do about it!” He points back a finger.

Feather Gale slowly sips her gin. “Oh, on the contrary dear, it’s in her mother’s contract…” She pulls out a piece of paper handing it to him. He takes the paper and reads it. “Windy Whistles put her daughter down as collateral in case she’d quit before her contract was up.” She hums sipping her gin.

Steel Bit brows sink lower over his eyes as they narrow. “Doesn’t say anything about death.”

“Read the fine print.” She huffs.

He sighs, looking at the small font at the bottom of the page. “If a worker is to die during her contract, all items declared as collateral, belongs to the business and business’s owner…” He stares at the mare who gives him a smug look. Seeing Rainbow Dash’s mother’s signature, her growls crumpling up the paper, throwing it at her face. “Like I said, fuck no!”

She frowns picking up the wadded-up paper. “Well then, looks like we’ll be doing this the hard way.” She huffs sipping the last of her gin. “Looks like she’ll become another missing filly, joining the faces on the news-boards…!” A knife comes down in front of her, in-between her arms. She jumps back, staring at the stallion with wide eyes.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you!” He spits, gritting his teeth.

She frowns. “You think you can protect her?” She laughs putting a hand to her lips. “Darling, I know ponies, I have the shekels to manipulate anyone.” She taps her fingers together. “I always get what I want!” She gives him a sly, menacing grin.

Steel Bit keeps his hand on the knife. “So, do I…” He pulls the knife out from the counter and aims it’s at her face, the tip of the blade inches from her snout. “More than you think, and all of them hate you… Your days of extortion and child kidnaping burned a lot of bridges you bitch!” He pokes her snout, causing her to move back in her seat. “Don’t you lay a finger on Dash! If you do, I’ll gut you! Understand?”

Feather Gale regains her composure and hands him her glass. “I understand darling…” She stands up walking out of the pub. Getting to the door, she looks back. “Now you understand this. Rainbow Dash belongs to me one way or another!” She hisses, stepping out into the streets.

Steel Bit grits his teeth, taking a bottle of whiskey, he opens it and takes a large gulp. “Bitch…”

Rainbow Dash and Lilly Drops sit on the edge of a fifteen-feet tall cliff, watching the twenty-five-feet waterfall of one of the mountain’s sides crash into the lake below. The mist surrounding the lake near the falls, reflecting the light of the sun into rainbows. Rainbow Dash snacks on some candy from the shop silently, her eyes staring softly at the rushing water of the fall, letting its roars calm her.

Lilly Drops watches the water of the lake lap up against the dirt-sand beach. “So, this is your favorite spot?” She asks, looking at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash nibbles on a piece of candy. “Yeah…” She keeps her eyes on the waterfall.

Lilly Drops smiles. “Have you brought your friends here, before?” She leans back. She nods, chewing her piece of candy. Lilly Drops smiles kicking her legs that hang over the edge. “You ever,” She watches her prism mane flap in the breeze. “Bring your mother here?”

Rainbow Dash grits her teeth as a tight sensation forms in her chest. “No…” Tears form in her eyes. “She never wanted to come…” She curls up wrapping her arms around her legs, her wings fluttering about.

Lilly Drops sighs with a smile looking at the rainbow reflecting off the mist. “Well, she missed out.” She runs her fingers through the filly’s mane. “I’m glad you brought me here. It's very beautiful.”

Rainbow Dash smiles. “Thanks… I just wished mommy wanted to do things with me…” Her tears roll down her cheeks.

“Well?” Lilly Drops gives her a playful smile. “Do you feel like going for a swim?” She flutters her wings.

Rainbow Dash looks up raising a brow. “But we didn’t bring our swimsuits?”

“We have our undergarments!” Lilly Drops chuckles, standing up. “Come on, I’ll fly us down there.” Rainbow Dash timidly gets up from the ground. Picking her up, Lilly Drops holds her as she soars down to the lake. The wind flowing through her mane feels wonderful to Rainbow Dash. Landing on the beach, they walk over to a log and undress from their dresses. “Last one in is a rotten egg!” Lilly Drops runs to the lake.

Rainbow Dash’s completive nature kicks in as she gives chase, her depressed mood leaving her during this moment of joy. “You’ll be the rotten egg!” Her legs kicking up water as she runs along the lake’s shallow edge.

Getting waist deep in the lake, Lilly Drops turns around. “I win!” She splashes water at her. Rainbow Dash giggles jumping on her, pulling the mare into the water. “DASH!” They go under.

Coming up for air, Rainbow Dash’s mane covers her eyes, the multitude of colors that make up her mane mixes with one another, creating a chaotic array of colors. Lilly Drops rises from the lake, sucking in some air. Her long red mane covering all but her snout. Rainbow Dash giggles at her appearance. Turning to face the filly, a mischievous grin comes to her lips. “Come here you!” She grabs her, tickling her.

“Stop it! It tickles!” Rainbow Dash breaks away, backstroking towards the small cliffs near the waterfall. Lilly Drops quickly catches up and swims beside her. Getting to the staggered cliffs, Rainbow Dash lifts herself onto their shore and climbs up to one of the cliffs towering eight-feet. “Watch me do this trick!” She yells.

“Watching!” Lilly Drops calls back, sitting on a bolder semi-submerged in the lake.

With a large grin, Rainbow Dash steps back from the ledge inching her way to the face of the mountain. Touch the stone of the mountain, she runs full tilt and jumps. Thrusting forward, she begins her first roll of her front-flip. Making three full revolutions, she dives into the water perfectly.

Lilly Drops cheers. “Awesome Dash!” Her clapping slows when the bubbles from her entrance simmer down until none appear. “Dash?”

Rainbow Dash floats under the water, she lets the soothing current flow over her. Opening her eyes, she squints looking at her environment. “Mmm?” An object in the void catches her attention. Focusing her gaze, she starts to make out its features. “MMM!” Her body goes stiff as it floats up to her. The figure is a mare, her short mane is a scarlet-orange, her fur, a sky-blue. Crimson stains her white nightgown.

Panic overtakes Rainbow Dash as the mare’s snout is inches from hers. The mare’s eyes open wide, revealing them to be crazed. “Dash!” The mare yells, bubbles leaving her mouth. Rainbow Dash stares in horror. “DASH, WAKE UP!” She grabs her. Rainbow Dash yells, water filling her lungs. “DASH, YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!” The mare grabs the back of her neck, winding up a punch. “WAKE UP DASH! WAKE UP!”

Chapter 4

“RAINBOW DASH!”

Rainbow Dash jerks awake, severe pain overwhelms her. Hissing, she sits up, coughing up some blood. She looks at the specks of crimson soaking the coarse-tan-dirt surrounding her. “Oh, thank goodness you’re awake?” Raising her brow, she tilts her head back and sees a teenage pegasus filly looking down at her with mismatched yellow eyes.

Another teenage unicorn filly looks down at her with wide eyes. “I think she lost some of her brain?” The metal ring around the base of her horn sparks.

“Derpy?! Sugar Belle?!” Rainbow Dash asks in confusion.

“Yes, it’s us… Hello, sis!” Derpy smiles. Sugar Belle waves with a giggle.

“And us…” A teenage earth pony colt comments. “Damn he must’ve hit you hard?” His short black mane bounces with his movements.

“Quibble? Who hit me?” Rainbow Dash fight back the urge to puke.

“Look in front of you and you’ll see the bastard!” Another teen pegasus colt with black fur comments, popping into her vision.

“Get up, your about to lose!” A younger pegasus colt with light grey fur shouts atop the teen’s shoulders, his feathers on his wings fluff up as he points at something or someone in front of him.

Holding a hand to her head, Rainbow Dash sits up and looks in the direction he’s pointing. “Oh… Now I remember…” In front of her, standing at the other end of the octagon ring is a buffed-up human, his jawline is broad and his blonde hair is cut short. He wears a red prison uniform with the number: ‘8-D-4455’. She stares at him as he celebrates with his arms up, waving to the crowd.

“Oh, looks like Nicholas celebrated too soon! Rainbow Dash is up! And ready to go!” An announcer shouts from a balcony overlooking the ring and fifty-feet atrium. The crowd of earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, humans, griffins, zebras, buffalos, tabby cats and mixed races, cheer loudly, stomping their feet against the concrete floor.

“I’m not really ready at all…” Rainbow Dash huffs under her breath.

“I think you got this one Dashie.” Quibble comments, giving her a sly smirk.

“You’re an ass kisser Quibble.” She sticks out her tongue.

“What… I can’t help it, you’re just too sexy.” He sticks out his tongue in return. She rolls her eyes, trying to hide her blush.

“You got this Dash!” the little colts shouts.

She smiles at the colt. “Thanks, Rumble.”

Noticing the crowds changing their mood, Nicholas turns around staring at the prism haired teen. “Damn, you’re a gluten for punishment girl!” He cracks his knuckles, walking to the ring’s center.

Rainbow Dash grunts, getting up from the ground, wiping the dirt off her navy-blue prison uniform. “Someone’s acting all cocky!” She chuckles, putting her hands on her hips. “What’s the matter, trying to compensate for your small dick!”

The man frowns, gritting his teeth. “My dick is big enough sweetheart, maybe after I bash your skull in, I’ll let you take it for a ride!” He laughs. His group of friends, consisting of a tall, dark-skinned human male, a scrawny caucasian human male, a chubby white furred tabby cat male and thin dark-grey tabby cat female cheer him on.

Rainbow Dash waves a hand mockingly. “Naw, it’s alright. My colt-friend’s cock is all I need!” She points a thumb at Quibble. “Besides, I guarantee his dick is a lot bigger than yours.”

Nicholas growls, glaring at Quibble, the colt blushes with fear and ducks behind the high chest wall of the ring. “You little bitch! ERRAH!” He charges at her, his hands extend out, his fingers pointing outwards like claws.

Feeling some adrenaline kicking in, she jukes to her left, smirking, letting the man crash into the wall. The top of the wall jams into his stomach. The man leans on the concrete barrier, catching his breath. Humming a giggle, Rainbow Dash skips to the other side of the ring. Her prism colored tale swinging side to side.

Up in the announcer balcony, a large heavy-set unicorn watches the fight. His breath is short and shallow as he chews on the end of his cigar. Sitting on the floor next to him is a fourteen-year-old pegasus filly. A leather collar hangs around her neck, locked with a small padlock. She plays with her amber colored tail, her eyes glaring down at Rainbow Dash, her lips frowning.

Sitting to the Unicorn’s right is a pegasus stallion, his fur coat and mane are the same colors as the filly’s. His amber eyes glare at the fight. “You really think Rainbow Dash will win Kingpin?”

The unicorn gives a raspy huff. “I know she will!” He coughs, before taking a drag of his cigar. “I know when I see talent, isn’t that right Feather Gale!” His chuckles are hoarse, smoke leaving his mouth as he laughs.

Sitting next to the pegasus stallion is an elder pegasus mare, she stares at the fight with her only good eye. “Yes, Kingpin… We have a knack for finding good talent.” She glares at Rainbow Dash with lust and hate.

The teen-filly stares at Feather Gale’s left eye, its scarred, blind pupil glares at her, looking deep into her soul. Seeing the filly staring, the pegasus stallion grits his teeth. “Lighting Dust, keep your eyes on the fight!” He hisses. The filly shivers, turning her eyes back to the octagon.

Rainbow Dash holds her shoulder as she dodges Nicholas’s punches. Running backward towards the wall, she pushes herself off it, jumping over the man. Directly over him, she kicks down on his shoulders, sending him into the wall once again. Rolling on the ground, she stumbles to the center.

Growling the pain away, Nicholas pushes himself off the wall and glares over his shoulder. Seeing his crazed look, Rainbow Dash shakes her butt, sticking out her tongue while she gives him two middle fingers. Calming himself, he gives a smirk. “You’re such a tease!” He chuckles, running full tilt. Smirking, she runs to him. ‘Is she dumb?’ He thinks.

Nearing one another, the man swings his fist. Juking to her left, dodging the hit, she kicks his ankle, causing him to grab his right leg. Quickly she kicks his crotch, the tip of her hoof pinching one of his testicles against his thigh. Falling to his knees, he clutches his manhood, clenching his teeth in pain. With his head low, she kicks him in the face with a roundhouse kick. Teeth fly out of his mouth, they bounce around like rubber balls along the ground.

He glares at her with a scowl, blood drooling out his mouth. Before he can react, she gives a front kick with her right leg, her hoof making contact with his jaw. Some of his remaining teeth crack, his head whips back as he falls backward, landing hard on his back.

Silence falls over the audience before a huge choir of cheers and boos sing out.

Kingpin smiles, looking at the pegasus stallion with a smirk. “I told you, Golden Dust, I know talent, four years of fighting and Dash has only lost seven fights!” He laughs heartily. “And has won thirty-six!” A human female, a griffin male, and several others grumble as they hand over cigarettes, drugs, and coins to him as they leave the balcony.

Golden Dust huffs staring at Rainbow Dash. “Damn… I lost again.” He tosses over a pack of cigars to the unicorn.

“She may be a filly with talents, but she’s also a stubborn hot head!” Feather Gale sighs, sipping gin from a metal cup.

Enjoying the audiences’ cheers, Rainbow Dash smiles back, giving two thumbs up. “Yeah!” She cheers back. “Oh… ow…” Her adrenaline finally leaves her, allowing the pain to return to her senses. Feeling weak, she leans on her knees catching her breath.

Her friends seeing her pained appearance jump the wall and run to her aid. “You alright?” Derpy asks looking at her friend.

“Is she dying?” Sugar Belle asks with concern.

“She’s not dying.” The teen pegasus colt replies, setting down Rumble on the ground.

“You don’t know that Thunderlane!” Sugar Belle cries.

“I’m fine…” Rainbow Dash clutches her head. “Oh… Damn, I need a…” Sugar Belle hugs her friend. “Sugar! OW!” The unicorn blushes, ending the hug in embarrassment.

“Jack is going to be pissed when he sees you like this.” Quibble states supporting her against his shoulder.

“He’s just overprotective.” Rainbow Dash huffs, laying an arm around his neck.

“He just cares for you…” Derpy is cut off from an angry voice yelling out over the atrium.

“You cheating bitch!” A human male shouts in broken pegasen as he storms up to her with his posse of three.

Rainbow Dash and her group of friends notice that its Nicolas’s group of friends. “I cheated?” Rainbow Dash asks, staring at the pale-skinned human with a frown. Her friends stare at the pose, taking a defensive stance.

“There is no way a fifteen-year-old filly can beat a forty-five-year-old!” He spits, jabbing his finger in her shoulder. She hisses in pain giving the man a growl.

Quibble snarls. “I would watch it if I were you!” He flashes a shank from his prison outfit’s pocket.

The human laughs. “Isn’t that cute…” He pulls out a six-inch-knife and holds it over his head. The dark-skinned human shows off his brass-knuckles, while the tabby cats extend their claws. “I lost my cigs because of you, you winged freak…! AH!” A bullet ricochets off his knife, severing two if his fingers. He drops the knife, falling to his knees, staring at the bloody stubs that were his fingers.

His friends stare in horror as they backaway hiding in the crowd.

The crowd of prisoners silence their chattering and look up.

Rainbow Dash and her friends eye a pegasus guard aiming his rifle at them from the guard watch-balcony. “Prisoners of Mourning Hollow Island!” He shouts. “To your cellblocks NOW! None shall be in the center lobby tonight!” The prisoners mumble, heading out the doors that leads them into the main central lobby of the prison. Rainbow Dash looks over her shoulders and sees the prison guard tip his at hat her.

“FUCK!” Rainbow Dash spits, biting her pillow.

“Will you hold’a still!” A zebra hisses, holding her left shoulder. “You have partial dislocation that’a needs de be fixed!” He quickly pushes the joint back into place.

Rainbow Dash screams into her pillow. “Oh… Fuck… Doc, I need to hit up!” The zebra pinches her ear. “AH!”

“You take no drugs, not now!” He rummages through his tattered leather bag. “I’m not done!” He takes out some gauze and homemade rubbing alcohol and begins dabbing her open cuts.

Rainbow Dash hisses from the stinging pain and clinches her pillow tighter. To keep her mind off her woes, she stares at Quibble, who sits at a desk that’s directly under their cell’s six-inch-wide and four-feet-tall window, doodling in his worn sketchbook. “What are you drawing?” She shutters.

“Just drawing some poses.” He replies not looking up from his work.

“I’m here!” Derpy calls out happily, carrying a tray of mugs. “Who wants some of Whisker’s homemade brew?” She sings, her tail wagging happily.

“I do!” Rainbow Dash sighs, extending out her hands in a as a child would beg. Derpy hands her a mug. Smelling it, she giggles and takes a large gulp. “Thanks, sis, I needed this!”

Derpy smiles at her sister. “Quibble? Do you want some?” Quibble turns around and picks up a mug. Raising the metal-cup, saluting her, he returns to his work. She turns to the zebra. “Do you want some Doc?” The zebra shakes his head, not looking up from his work. With a shrug, Derpy picks up the mug and chugs it. Her crossed-eyed expression straightens itself out, burping, her eyes return to their crossed-eyed state.

Rainbow Dash smirks at her sister’s expression. “Derpy?” Her smile leaves.

“Yes?” She gives her sister a smile.

“Has… uh, has Jack found out yet?” She looks at the grey-furred pegasus with worry.

Derpy chews the ends of her canary-yellow mane. “No, not that I know of…”

“RAINBOW DASH!” A deep masculine voice echoes out over the cellblock.

Everyone in the cell freezes at the voice’s tone. “I-I take that as a yes?” Quibble looks over his shoulder. Rainbow Dash stares at her cell’s door and swallows a lump as she hugs her pillow.

With a nervous chuckle, Derpy heads to the cell’s door. “I’ll soften the blow!” She gives a large grin before darting out of the cell.

Shivering, Rainbow Dash gets up, too much protest from the zebra. Giving him an apology, she slowly nears her cell’s door. Quibble not wanting her to face him alone, gets up from his seat and walks by her side.

Leaving their cell, they walk towards the railing of the fifth story catwalk and look out over their cellblock, searching for Jack.

To an outsider, Mourning Hollows Island Penitentiary wouldn’t seem to be a prison at all. It is, just one where the guards have willingly given up ninety-percent of their control within the walls of the prison, letting the prisoners run the place, to a certain degree of leeway, while they maintain full control of the island itself.

Their cellblock, like the others, all eight of them, the prisoners of Mourning Hollows conduct life of a typical small town, if it was all a ghetto, the good and the bad. Some of the cells within the cell blocks sell food, wares, drugs, sex, gambling or teaching. Other cells remain as residential dens.

On the back wall of Rainbow Dash’s and Quibble’s cellblock is a large number seven, painted in black. The block’s structure itself is an imposing one. At a hundred-and-fifty-feet in length and a hundred-feet wide, towering eight-stories tall built out of steel, concrete, cinder blocks and limestone makes many of its residents feel small.

The size of the cells within the cellblocks of Mourning Hollow are ten-feet by ten-feet, containing a toilet, a sink, and a bunk bed. Except for cells that were turned into stores or restaurants, as they are made out of two or more cells.

Looking over the edge of the fifth-floor catwalk, Rainbow Dash and Quibble look down into the hot, crowded bowels of their cellblock. Clothes hang from wires stretching over the balcony walkways. Several restaurant cells are hard at work cooking up meals to sell. A group of children run along the tiled floor of the first floor, playing a game of bean-bag toss. A female and male tabby cat sits outside their cell, gazing at the inhabitants of the block with dull expressions. A human female leans against her door frame of her cell, seductively wearing her navy-blue prison uniform. An earth pony stallion sits near the end of the cellblock playing a fiddle, while his unicorn wife manipulates a puppet with her hands.

A chill runs up Rainbow Dash’s and Quibble’s spine as they eye the man they fear at this moment. Jack is a tall human male. His grey eyes stare up at them in anger. His arms are crossed, his pinky finger tapping his inner-left-elbow. Shaking, Rainbow Dash and Quibble head down to the second floor.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Jack yells placing his hand on his hips, giving Rainbow Dash a stern scowl.

“She wasn’t.” A teenage unicorn filly as she sits in a chair, twiddling away at a stick. Rainbow Dash glares at the filly with a frown.

“Lyra, hush!” Jack hisses at her. Lyra sinks into her chair, grumbling to herself.

“I…” Rainbow Dash tries to speak.

“NO! No words!” Jack shouts. “Let me think!” He huffs, pacing back n’ forth. Derpy places her hands on her sister’s shoulders.

Quibble frowns. “Jack, she was careful!” He steps up to the man, trying to make himself look imposing.

Jack glares at the colt, the light above them casting some of his features in a dark shadow. “Careful? You think she was being careful?!” He points at Rainbow Dash. “She was knockout within a minute into the fight!”

“Well… She…”

“Well, what!” Jack walks over the back wall of his cell grabbing a bottle of home made vodka. “And she fought Nicolas! Hell, I know our relationship with cellblock eight was on the rocks, but this seals the deal!”

“You know I had no choice!” Rainbow Dash growls. “I have to fight!” She steps up to the human.

Jack frowns. “That’s a lie and you know it!” He gives a long sigh pouring himself a shot. “You have let the cheers and admiration go to your head.” He takes the shot. “Damn…” He places the shot glass on the table against the wall. “He would be disappointed.”

“Don’t you ever talk about him!” Rainbow Dash hisses. Quibble, Derpy and Lyra cower at her tone.

Jack hums walking up to her, a dull expression on his face. “I will mention him whenever I damn well please,” He taps a finger on her forehead. “Until you get it through your thick skull!” He gives a long sigh. “Just look at you, you look lie a fucken mess… What the hell would he say? Good job Dash?” He sips his drink. “I want you to take a break from fighting for two weeks.”

Rainbow Dahs feels a chill run up her spine. “But… But…” She clenches her fists.

Seeing her up getting upset, he places a hand under her chin. “Dash?”

She looks up with a frown. “Yes?” Her eyes stare at him, full of tears.

“I made a promise to him to protect you, and I aim to keep it.” He rubs his thumb across her cheek. “You should go say hi to her, don’t leave her worrying.” Rainbow Dash gives a nod and slowly exits Jack’s cell. Quibble and Derpy watch her leave and go to follow. “You two stay here. She’ll be fine by herself.” They look back at him with mixed emotions.

Rainbow Dash stands outside a cell. Her body feels numb, swear clings to her fur as she stares at a mare laying down on a mattress. A human boy sits by him running a rag across her brow. Hold in her breath, she steps into the cell. “Hello, Granger.”

The boy looks over at her. “Hello Dash.” He looks at the mare. “She’s doing alright, had one episode but that’s about it.” He gives her a smile “You taking over?” Rainbow Dash nods. “Great! I’ll tell my sister you said hi!” Granger smiles at her before dashing out of the cell.

With the boy gone, Rainbow Dash takes a long sigh and sits besides the mare. “Hi, Lilly Drops.” She takes on of the mare’s hands and begins stroking it.

Lilly Drops opens her eyes weakly and stares at the filly before her. “Hey Dash…” She brings Dash’s hand up to her face and rubs it with her cheek. “How’s my little filly doing?”

Rainbow Dash takes a deep breath. “Alright.”

Lilly Drops squints her eyes and stares at her adopted daughter. “Why is your right eye all bruised up?... And your lip?!” A shiver runs down her spine as her eyes’ pupils dilate. “Have you been fighting?!”

Rainbow Dash cowers under the mare’s tone. “Yes…” She quickly pulls out a metal card from her breast pocket “I won us several food allowance cards. We can get the good stuff they sever in the center lobby!”

“Why are you still fighting for that reached stallion?!” Lilly Drops shouts, her voice falters a bit as she tries to fight back a sob.

“We need to eat!” Rainbow Dash sighs, fighting back her own emotions. “I don’t make enough selling drugs or working the fields outside these prison walls!” She places the metal card in the mare’s hand. “This is yours, I have my own, it will last us four months…”

Lilly Drops throws the card against the wall. “NO!” Her eyes go mad. “I don’t want you to fight! We can’t lose you!” She looks out the door. “Do I need to get Steel Bit in here to knock some sense into you!” She glares at Rainbow Dash. “STEEL! Come here!”

Tears come to Rainbow Dash’s eyes. Fighting back a sob she places her hands on the mare’s shoulders. “Lilly Drops.”

“STEEL!” Lilly Drops shouts again.

“Lilly, please!” Panic begins to overtake her.

“STEEL! Why aren’t you coming!” Panic begins to coat the mare’s voice.

“MOM!” Rainbow Dash shouts.

Lilly Drops stares at her daughter and sees the tears that cling to her eyes. A numbing chill overcomes her, her limbs become weak and she collapses into her daughter’s arms. “No… NO!” She cries. Rainbow Dash braces herself on the floor and comforts her mother. Her voice soft and shallow as she speaks calming words into her ear.

Quibble stands by the stairs that lead up to the second story catwalk. He looks over at Jack’s cell and sees him, Lyra and Derpy playing a game of poker. He gives a long sigh and leans on the bars of the metal stairs.

“So Whatcha doing?”

Quibble looks to his left and sees a tan skinned teen human female staring at him with her bright green eyes. “Nothing much Jacky, just waiting for Dash.”

“Interesting…” Jacky hums playfully. “My brother told me that she arrived an hour early.” She gives a huff. “Very unlike her, what gives?”

“Jack told her to go early.” Quibble pulls out a cigarette and lights it. “He found out about the fight.” He takes a draw of his cig.

“Yeah I heard she took a beating for the first few minutes.” Jacky hums. “Usually she doesn’t let them get a hit on her, was she okay?”

Quibble gives a long sigh. “I think she was having an episode, daydreaming about something.”

Jacky looks down at her bare feet and wiggles her toes. “Like mother, like daughter.” Quibble gives a silent nod as he watches her toes. Seeing sky blue in her peripheral vision, Jacky looks up and sees the filly in question. “Whelp, I’ll let you go.” She gives Quibble a kiss on the cheek and runs off.

Quibble rubs the spot where her lips touched and watches as his filly-friend nears. “You alright?” He asks.

Rainbow Dash looks at the colt. “Sort of…” She takes his cigarette from his lips and puffs on it.

“How is she holding up?” He crosses his arms.

Rainbow Dash flicks off the ash from the cig’s tip. “The usual.” She rests her head on his chest. Quibble sighs as he lays his arms on her back. His right hand rubbing the base of her wings. She gives a pleased hum. After a minute passes by, she lifts her head and plants a kiss on his lips. Their tongues fight for control for several seconds.

Breaking the kiss, Quibble looks down at her with a small sly smirk. “Wanna?”

She bites her lips. “Hell yeah… I need it.”

-Two Hours Later-

Rainbow Dash lays against Quibble, her arms wrapped around his neck and her bare chest against his back. She enjoys his warmth as cool air seeps into their cell. Giving a delighted giggle, she plays with his right nipple.

Quibble ignores her, as he sits on the edge of the bed, holding a metal ladle over a candle flame, melting down crustal ketamine into its liquid form. He swirls it around trying to speed the process along. His body shivering in anticipation.

Upset that he’s ignoring her seductive advancements, she looks out their window and watches the rain droplets strike and roll down its glass panes.

With a hum, Quibble picks up a needle and expertly dips its tip into the liquid. Moving the plunger up, the needle sucks up the desired amount. Gently setting down the ladle, he flicks the needle before turning around to face her. “You ready?”

Sweat rolls down Rainbow Dash’s face as she gives a small nod. “Yes…” She pushes herself off his back and sits up, offering her arm. With his hormones still flowing through him, he can’t help but, look at her breasts. She gives a cough and gently pats his cheek. Blushing, he takes her arm and pulls back the fur, searching for a vein. Finding one, he injects the needle into her arm and gives her half. With a content sigh, she lays down on the bed and watches him inject the remaining drug into himself.

With a shiver, Quibble sets the needle on the nightstand beside their bed. With a sly look, he crawls up to her and plants a kiss on her lips. They fight for control over one another. He soon over powers her, his tongue dominating her as he pins her arms against the bed and spreading her legs apart with his. But, their second round of love making is cut short as their bodies begin to go numb.

“Shit!” Quibble hisses as he breaks their embrace. He rests his forehead against hers. Rainbow Dash, huffs shallow breaths. Her moods sours as she feels him go soft. “Dude?” He chuckles. “My fingers are like… noodles!” He wiggles them, giggling to himself. His attention turns to her wings. “Ooh…. They’re so soft…” He rolls over and lays on his side, playing with the primary feather of her left wing.

Rainbow Dash moans as she sits up, moving her attention to the wall directly in front of her. Her eyes are heavy and tired. Nodding off, her body shivers, shaking her awake with a jolt. Opening her eyes once more, a pale pegasus mare sits in front of her, looking at her with a small smirk. “Just like your mother?” She speaks with a chuckle.

Rainbow Dash frowns. “I’m nothing like you!” She mumbles, bracing her on the wall as her muscles go limp.

The mare picks up the sheet and covers her daughter’s lower half. “Oh yes, you are, more than you think…” Rainbow Dash growls, pushing her hand away. She stares at her daughter’s drunken state with a smirk. “It’s time to go to bed sweetie.” She stands up and lays her daughter’s head gently on her pillow. “You have a busy day tomorrow… very… busy… day…”

Chapter 5

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Chapter 6

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