Author's Note

This got published faster than chapter 13, right?

Chapter 15. Trottingham showdown.

Luna grabbed another piece of paper, ready to note the same style of writing with lots of subtext and undertone. As she expected, the request form of yet another noble was just a fiction just to get richer. She already got disapproving stamp, when someone knocked.

"Come in," Luna shouted. Two ponies entered her cabinet.

"Who of us shall report first?" Unicorn asked. Luna looked at him and nodded. Bat pony standing by unicorn side stepped aside. Unicorn meanwhile came closer and put a package.

"What is this?" Luna asked.

"A report. From Las Pegagus," he said.

"Oh, finally," Luna sighed. "The last one was made five years ago."

"It's not official," he replied. Luna sighed again and massaged her temples.

"Tell me its content, then," she said.

"Well, I can't say much..." he took a pause. "I've been for a month there and I can't say anything changed... Oh, how can I forgot. There was cases of murder."

"Murder?" Luna bowed an eyebrow. "Las Pegasus is a city of sin. Isn't that ordinary for Las Pegasus?"

"Maybe in slums..." He took another pause. "In other part of the city, there is other sins... This time it's different, though. The murder took place in upper part of the city and...There is something interesting about it."

"We listen," she said.

"I managed to see one of the corpses before it was shoved up somewhere by others," he said. "He resembles those killed by our 'bounty hunter' practically one to one... Except two things. First, his wounds are deeper and made by something else other than a regular axe. Second, there was a piece of paper, I managed to grab. Here it is."

In Luna's hands, a little piece of paper appeared. It had a word 'greed' written on it. "Hmm, what a peculiar finding. Is that it?"

"That's it, mistress," he replied.

"Get back to your unit, then. Soon, you'll be assigned to a new task," Luna said. When unicorn exit the room, she turned to bat-pony. "Star Brawler. Any report?"

"Yes, here it is," he replied and pulled two sheets out of his cloak. "This is psychic portrait of Shadow Web, the current governor of Oasis Bliss."

"Yes... And the second one?" Luna asked, taking the second sheet.

"This is contract," he answered. "She will accept our every condition, but she have her own conditions."

It took half a minute for Luna to get the whole content. "Huh, I don't see why we shan't fulfill her requests... But the letters?"

"Here," he put a couple of envelopes in front of Luna. "Anything else?"

"No. We don't require your service for now," she replied. "We know who will be up to the task."

"Oh, fine," he turned to the door. "I'll go buy a drink to our sorcerer."

When Luna was alone, she took an envelope. "Trottingham? Isn't that too far?"

"What a nice tree," Twilight said, looking at strange looking tree, which had both apples and pears growing on its branches. "Oh, wait... It's just two trees, isn't?"

"Yup..." Applejack replied, not even looking at her. She turned after some moments, though, "Twi?.."

"Why, yes, it's me," Twilight said. Looking at the situation as whole, she asked, "you are mourning someone?"

After a little pause, Applejack replied, "mah parents..."

"Oh, I... And I was even wandering about that," she looked at Applejack, feeling her sorrow. "Well, nopony is protected from that."

"Ye are right..." Applejack agreed, still looking a bit sullen. "So, another task?"

"How did you?.." Twilight gawked at her.

"With life like ours, it would be a miracle if things like that wouldn't happen every now and then," Applejack replied. Twilight only nodded at the logical statement. "Where we gather up?"

"Oh..." Twilight hadn't heard Applejack, being too deeply in sudden thoughts. "Uh, at train station."

"Fine," she turned around and headed to farm. "Ah'll tell my family."

"I will get others," Twilight turned to the gates. "Remember, at the train station!"

After twenty minutes, they are standing before the train and after five minutes they were on the way to Canterlot.

"What's the deal?" Rainbow asked, looking at the used tickets.

"I wouldn't mind visiting Canterlot yet another time..." Rarity said, as she put her makeup. "We are not going to stay at the city, right?"

"Right..." Twilight replied. "We will end up in Trottingham."

"Argh... Trottingham..." Rarity stopped with making up. "We really are going in that... Village?!"

"It's bigger than Ponyville..." Applejack retorted. "Besides, the town is one of the main lumber producers in Equestria."

"Yeah, yeah..." Rarity sighed and continued to make up. "Well, lady should always be a lady, after all... Even if you are in the middle of nowhere..."

Everyone turned to their own things except one of them. "Uh, Twilight... Where is briefing?" Pinkie asked.

"Ah..." Twilight turned to Pinkie.

"Huh," Rainbow meanwhile turned to both of them. "Oh, really! Where is briefing."

"Oh, right..." Twilight agreed and gathered her thoughts. "Well, listen. At Trottingham, we will get the picture of what is happening there... And do a little job of a courier. There is an envelope and it should be in the hands of a unicorn. Her name is Water Splash and we should find her."

"Uh, so we just go there and pass the letter?" Rainbow asked.

"Don't forget that we need to get the picture of the city," after saying that, Twilight took her bag in her hands. Opening it, she got a notebook out of there, "I might have a picture of the city already but it's old and well... It's all just words."

"Oh, when had ya?.." Applejack was about to ask about notebook and Twilight's knowledge, but Twilight was faster.

"I talked with someone," she said. "You see, when I received the message from Luna about Trottingham, I was at town's archive. I was in the migratory section, so I went straight to Trottingham immigrants... Do you know Pipsqueak?"

"That l'il two-colored furball?" Applejack asked. When Twilight nodded, Applejack added, "yeah, ah do know him. He helped us at farm when he was lookin' for cutie-mark."

"Well, since he and his mother are from Trottingham, I had a little talk with his mother," Twilight said and looked at the notebook. "Look here. The city from the skies looks like an ellipse and it is flattened against the sea. It is built around the crossing like Ponyville, but unlike our city, Trottingham is built around four roads instead three roads. The eastern and western roads together are called the Water Way, while the northern and southern are called Sky Way. Sky Way, the longer street goes from one gate to other, Water Way, the shorter street, ends at ocean in west. The other side of the Water Way is other gates, if you need to know. Well, uh... Oh, right. Listen, it's important. Sky Way as our refugee said is a 'frontline'. But if it's a frontline, than who is on both sides? Well, in the city there is two factions traditionalists and innovators. At least, it was like this three years. We should check this out the same time we look for the mare in question. This is clear?"

"Clear as skies after ten seconds of my work," Rainbow boasted.

"Yeah, ten seconds of work and two hours of sleep," Applejack noted. To that Rainbow replied something, but Twilight didn't hear it. She had her notebook but instead of writing down some notes, she read a story from the box, she stuffed in between the pages of notebooks.

Yesterday, she was up till late solving a puzzle from the box. With each time, box got her a puzzle harder than one before. Yesterday and a day before, she was given a paper with an old ponyish text. Her goal was to translate and give the box the translation. An absolutely accurate translation as the box rejected one of her works where a couple of words were taken out of nowhere, since Twilight thought they would fit. They hadn't, so Twilight lost another couple of hours to translate another text since box eliminates old text and translation after each fail.

Well, at least, box was giving spells, she thought, while remembering every note box gave her to translate. Each note was about a spell. So, let's see... Lightning catcher, smell neutralizer... Goodness, I thought they were better when I was translating them. I even break them up into components.

She even created new spells with these components. Right at the moment, between her fingers was a little glob of raw energy, which attracts every lightning of magic or natural origin. This was the way Twilight received from the box. She also had a lightning attracting disk and ray. The first one was useless because it expended more energy than original glob. The other one was useless because the lightning would go all the way from the beginning of the ray right into the horn.

It wasn't the only spells she received from the box. There were also dust blower, rust cleaner...

With disappointment, she turned to the story. She already read the beginning of the story. After some time, she read it and sighed. There, in the piece of paper she just read, was nothing.

She remembered other stories of the snake adventurer and, how it turned out, researcher. She remembered how he discovered a strange book on something he was calling 'Void'. That book on 'Void' theme was also referred in the following story. What was strange is that Sethra was already finishing first one and discovered a couple more of these.

After that, Twilight noted an important detail about these stories is that. All of them seemed to be incomplete and fragmented. It was either because Sethra made them so or because box was giving her so. The last variant made her uncomfortable because she didn't knew from who she received these stories and for which reason. That demon who gave her the box might be someone's minion.

Meanwhile, the train tooted, signaling everypony that the train is going to the stop. Five minutes and they were at Canterlot's train station. With no troubles, they were on the road to the north.

The road was quiet for some time. Somewhere in the middle of it, though, Pinkie made an interesting discover. The train was almost empty.

Well, not really empty. There was quite a few ponies in each carriage, but everyone of them either got off earlier or will get off sooner but not at Trottingham.

At Trottingham's train station, there were only six friends.

"It's quite lively here," Rarity noted. On the contrary, the train station was almost empty . With them, there was a bored ticket salespony.

"Well, maybe it's better in the city?" Pinkie suggested. It really get livelier when they entered the city.

"Gah..." Rarity face gets green immediately. The city had a bad smell. The smell of a sewer. "How is that possible?"

"Let's get into middle of the city," Twilight said and headed towards destination. Her thoughts though were about how box managed to make such an incredible guess. The very first time, she received the foul smell, she put the spell on her.

"With this stink?" she unintentionally sniffed and turned even greener. Twilight sighed and turned around. Rarity's nose shone with green light which turned transparent but blurry. She breathed in without a hitch and turned to normal.

Soon, they stood in the middle of Trottingham.

"Look, before and behind us, there is road made of blue stones. It's a Water Way. It doesn't matter for us right at the moment. Sky Way, the road to the left and right, is more important as both sides belonged to rivals. We should investigate them and see if they still belongs to these rivaling factions and if they does, then we should stop them. In the same time, we should look for a mare in question." Twilight said and headed backwards. "I'll look for information at library. Be here after an hour."

"I... I believe, I will help you," Fluttershy said and followed Twilight. Others looked at them.

"Nah, I'd better beat someone. Ponies can tell many things if you untie the knot in their mouth," Rainbow punched her fists and headed forward. "Applejack, wanna go with me?"

"Ah don't see why Ah shouldn't go," she sighed and go after Rainbow.

"Well, I will look for that mare, Water Splash. Pinkie?" Rarity turned her head looking for a cheerful mare. Seeing no presence, she sighed much like Applejack.

Twilight grunted as she closed the book and put it on top of the high stack.

Almost every book on Trottingham's history hadn't the required information. Practically, all of them ends on the date which was fifty years ago.

Unlike Ponyville, Appleloosa or Oasis Bliss, Trottingham is an old town, which was a bit younger than Canterlot. It's rich history wasn't interesting for Twilight at the moment.

Fluttershy meanwhile was also reading a book... On herbology. Twilight also took a couple of books on magic but after seeing that every one of them were redacted the same way like books in her library, she put them away. Twilight had already read every book which was allowed in Equestria.

She was about to grab another book, when she heard someone asking, "Interested in our history, as I see?.. Maybe, you're looking for something in particular?"

"Huh," she huffed, as she turned to a unicorn. She looked like a piece of fine steel. Cold and relentless. "Well, I do look for... some modern history..."

"Of our city?" She broke in. "Why, I can help with it... But not here."

"Not here?" She looked quizzically at him. He slightly nodded. "Fine, but I need to talk with my friend first."

When Fluttershy put books aside and agreed to follow her, they exited the library and headed somewhere. All the way, Twilight was trying to ask questions but mysterious unicorn ignored her. With each second, Twilight started to regret that she agreed with unknown unicorn.

When she and Fluttershy were about to leave her, she turned to them. "Already leaving? But weren't you having some business here?"

Twilight didn't want to answer both questions, but after seeing unexpected guests everywhere, she sighed and turned to her. "Well... We do..."

"I believe, I can help with your business... But first, you must help with our business. Am I clear?"

"Very..." Twilight narrowed her glance. "Speak."

"Oh, I just require something to be delivered," She said. "A little package. We need you to be on the crossing. In two hours after noon. To make sure you wouldn't unpack it, here, a little sum to ensure that to not happen."

Twilight looked at the package unknown mare gave her. It felt... off.

When they were in the distance, Fluttershy whispered to Twilight, "Are you sure about that?"

"Of course, I am not," she replied. "This box... Something wrong about it."

"Then, why we do this in the first place?" Fluttershy asked.

"To be honest, I don't know," Twilight looked around. "Are they following?"

Fluttershy looked around like Twilight. "It's a city, not a forest... But I feel no presence there. They are not following."

"It's strange..." Twilight murmured.

"This is an absolute delight," Rainbow smirked, as she drank cold water. The empty glass bottle soon was used as weapon and was broken with one strike.

Her opponent was on a verge of falling without consciousness. After Rainbow's strike, his body was dropped on the ground as nothing kept it on legs.

"Won't ya agree, AJ?" Rainbow shouted. Applejack meanwhile throw her bottle into trash can nearby.

"It was the third, whom you beat into next day," Applejack noted. "No one of them knew a thing about those guys, we are lookin' for."

"Well, at least it's interesting for some degree," Rainbow replied. "I know you, you wouldn't just go and read books?"

"Hmm, ye're right..." She replied. They walked forward, trying to stumble on somepony. To their misfortune, that somepony stumbled on them.

When they turned to some alley, someone whizzed behind them. Rainbow wasn't going to react to that but Applejack strangely swayed. "What's up?"

"My wallet... He stole my wallet!" Applejack shouted. When Rainbow turned to Applejack, she was nowhere to be seen. When Rainbow get to crossroads, she saw backs of the thief and Applejack to the side.

She was ready to run after them when she remembered that she has wings. She took off into the skies and flew over the alley.

When the road ended, Applejack was on other alley. This one was bigger and it was easier to lose a thief. Thief though wasn't trying to hide and Applejack immediately followed him.

Rainbow meanwhile was looking at them from the roof. She followed suddenly quick earthpony right until he got closer to a hatch, from which a unicorn was looking out. When he run by, he threw a purse to unicorn and unicorn dived into a hatch right away. Earthpony meanwhile ran somewhere else.

Without a second thought, Rainbow and Applejack followed. What they hadn't noticed is that streets had little to no passersby. Little of ponies who was outside were watching them, and soon after Rainbow and Applejack goes down into the hatch a couple of ponies went to a hatch and closed it.

Down there in the sewers Applejack and Rainbow were running through tunnels. To their surprise, Trottingham sewers were quite clean.

Thief was running somewhere ahead and both Applejack and Rainbow were hearing his steps.

Both ponies were feeling bad about the situation and it turned out that their concerns weren't for nothing.

When they saw, thief turning the corner they followed. There they found him catching break.

"Give it back!" Applejack shouted. He turned to her and threw a glance past her. It was a mere glimpse so not Applejack or Rainbow noticed it. "Did ya hear?"

"Of course," he looked right into her eyes. Then, he threw her purse to her.

"That's it?" She asked and he smirked. She didn't liked it and started to recede.

"Why, of course!" He smirked. Applejack immediately stumbled on something or rather someone.

When she and Rainbow turned around, they saw three ponies. Well, two ponies by the side and a hulking figure in the middle. His identity was hidden, but under the hood there was a pony snout... And gloves were torn by dragon claws.

"You can go..." He giggled. "We are allowing... But only if you make a favor for us. You see, we have something with us, but we need to pass over it to someone else. We might get it ourselves but I believe it would be better to have someone else to do it. Do you agree?"

Rainbow and Applejack silently glanced at each other, and then nodded to a mysterious pony.

"In that case... Give them," he nodded to one of the ponies behind mares and that pony handed over a package to Applejack. "We don't want to have you open the package so we will do something to ensure that... Say, will a little pouch of money make you clever enough to not unwrap that bundle?"

"Clever enough?" Rainbow flared up. She and Applejack agreed though and went away with package and money.

Rarity was surprised.

Sky Way, the longest road of Trottingham, wasn't what Rarity expected it to be. At first glance, it was just a street, no matter how long it was. Now, after walking it for a couple of hours, she saw that the city even being in the middle of nowhere is still a city.

Sky Way looked to her as is Manehatten's Saddle Row and Bridleway. Here and there, different boutiques and clothing stores, theaters and classes. It was mixed with the occasional restaurants and what surprised Rarity carpentries. Woodwork which resided in showcases however were amazing. Rarity even considered them almost inspiring.

For Rarity, though, something was outstanding. She couldn't put a hand on it at first but then she understood. If in Manehatten, one's look dispersed for the sheer amount of shining signboards and advertisements, here in Trottingham there was nothing more than nameplates.

Having little money on her, she was just walking the street and eyeing what she may or may not afford.

Suddenly, she was startled. Pinkie who was very cheerful and very loud. Now, she was really sneaky and silent without a cause.

"Rars!" She shouted. "Rars... Are you fine?"

"Pinkie..." She looked at her, trying to catch her breath. She muffled her scream, however, as she believed it to be quite unladylike. "I swear, you wish death for everypony... And me especially."

"Huh? No. I wish our quest to be done," she looked at her with a big grin. "I found a place where they might help us. Follow me!"

And she was gone. Rarity made a lot of efforts not to burn away with anger and to find the pink earth pony.

"What is that place of yours is?" Rarity asked as she caught up with Pinkie. Both were running up to the northern gates, dodging the passersby.

"A brothel..." She casually said, not bothering to stop. Rarity only breathed out... And looked at Pinkie with a look that could kill.

When they reached the place, Rarity looked at Pinkie once again. "This?.."

"This!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"It's... A milk store," Rarity mumbled.

"Yes, it is!" Pinkie exclaimed again.

"You said it's a brothel!" Rarity screamed if she wasn't mumbling.

"You doubt me?" She asked with a smug grin. Rarity was taken aback immediately with sudden revelation. She looked at the milk store in a new lights.

The building was like any other on the street. Actually, when she was studying Sky Way and comparing it with Manehatten's ones, she found that every single building was a twin to others with a little exception. In Manehatten, two matching buildings could be hardly found in the whole city. Here, there is hundreds on the one street.

The store's name was "On Milky Way" as sign said. When they entered the 'store', it immediately had welcoming effect on Rarity, despite what Pinkie said. The wooden interior, the glass bottles and all too familiar bell sound.

"Sorry but I'm kinda busy!" A mare yelled from some place behind the stall. "Can you come at the different time?"

"Milky! It's me, Pinkie!" Pinkie replied. There was a thud sound afterwards.

"Pinkie?!" Mare's voice rang again. After a little pause, mare said, "I already said that I'm busy... But, Brass is here. She will help!"

Right after these words, the door behind the stall opened. Mare with a coat of bronze color and in plumber's slop.

"Hi, Pinkie..." She greeted Pinkie, as if she knew pink earth pony. She then noticed white unicorn, "I see, you've come with a friend."

"Rarity..." Pinkie introduced her friend with plumber. "You can trust her, Brass Pipe."

She was looking at Rarity for some time, before she made a gesture to go after her. She led them to some room with mounts of crates and behind one of them, there was a trapdoor.

Down there, they found themselves in an enormous basement, which... Was an actual brothel.

Both Pinkie and Rarity took seats behind the table, while Pipe went to somewhere. Soon after they took seats, a waitress come to them.

"You need something?" She said in playful tone, looking at them with half lidded eyes. "We have an assortment of various snacks, drinks... and entertainment."

Rarity was looking at everything with open mouth, not believing what she got herself into. Waitress made her feeling only worse.

"No, we require nothing," Pinkie replied. Waitress was about to continue offering their wares and amenities, but she went all silent. Pinkie was about to question it but then she looked in the direction waitress was looking.

"Oh... Who is she?" Pinkie asked. Everypony in the room was looking in the direction of two mares. One of those mares was Pipe, the other one was unknown to Pinkie or Rarity. To waitress and other ponies in that place, the mare's identity was very well known.

"It's..." she was about to answer but someone in the crowd made it first.

"Laughing Queen!" Some stallion exclaimed. She meanwhile jumped on the table in one swift motion. After that, she turned to the crowd and made a gesture to keep silence. Room that become loud in no time returned to previous level of calmness.

Laughing Queen after that turned to Rarity and Pinkie. She put her hand forward pointing at the table. After a couple of steps, she pointed at waitress and made a gesture for her to go. In one moment, waitress was gone. In two, Queen took a seat with Pinkie and Rarity.

She was sitting quietly for a couple of seconds, so Rarity was able to get a portrait of the mare before her... Or lack of the portrait, since mare's face was hidden behind the mask. White mask covers her face completely and cutouts for eyes, mouth and nostrils were pitch black. At first glance, Rarity thought that she had black fabric under her mask, but almost immediately she understood that Queen had some kind of spell on her.

After these couple of seconds of sitting in one pose, she eventually moved. Her first move was a strange gesture, where she depicted an arc with her hands. Right away, three of them found themselves in some kind of bubble.

"No other ears, except yours," she said. Her facial expression made no move, no twitch.

"What do you want?" Rarity asked, putting a smile on her face.

"I want a lot of things..." she replied. "I know, you want too... The thing I want to ask is something you want, not me."

"And what that should be?" Pinkie looked at her, closing to a pony in mask.

She didn't reply at first. Instead, she turned her head to Pinkie and had a little staring contest with her. Pinkie lost no matter her incredible skills at that game. It's hard to look at someone's eyes and seeing pure blackness.

"You have four friends." She asked, looking at her opponent. Rarity silently nodded in agreement, seeing that for mare in mask it was a statement, not a question. "Right now, your friends will pass over two packages to each other. I do not know what they were given but in my opinion, it's not safe for your friends. Go and get your friends and their packages. If they say anything about their hirers, just tell them it's all covered... Actually, let Pipe say that. She will go with you, you will go now... You will meet your friends at the crossing."

After saying that, she sat up and clapped. Bubble around them dissipated. Ponies in the brothel started to liven up, so Queen turned to Pipe and with gestures told her to go after them. Soon, they were gone and Queen was left all alone with a crowd.

Twilight and Fluttershy came to their destination. Crossing of two roads, center of Trottingham. Rainbow and Applejack did the same.

After they met, they start to speak of their advancements. Soon enough, they reached the moment of hiring.

"Stop right there!" They heard a voice of Pinkie and soon were able to see her and Pinkie beside her with some unknown mare.

"Why we should?" Twilight asked, not clearly understanding the situation.

"You must give us these packages, you were given," she replied.

"What?! But, how do you know?" Twilight was taken aback.

"It's not important," Brass said. "Pass over these packages..."

"Why we should..." Twilight was about to retort, but then she noticed that this mare wasn't paying attention. She was about to look in that direction, but she didn't make it in time.

"Quick, let's move," another mare moved by. Not even bothering to check if anypony followed her. Fortunately, there was Pipe.

Soon, they were in the alley, behind milk store. There, a backdoor was opened for them and when they entered they were said to move on the second floor. There, the packages were taken from them and they were led to a room. In the room, two mares were already waiting for them. One of them was that mare who broke in their meeting. The other was unknown to the team except for Rarity and Pinkie... Laughing Queen.

"So, new ones," Queen looked at Twilight and her companions. Her dark eyes made everypony shudder, even those who already felt her look on them. "It's quite surprising of you to appear in our city right before the... 'civil war'."

"Civil, what?!" Twilight was shocked second time that day. "You... How that happened."

"Oh, girl..." She made a little pause, gathering her memories. "Five years ago, a new pony emerged. He was absolutely ordinary pony and he wasn't standing out... At least, for a couple of months. Then, he faced an absolute power of a certain pony. They call him "Father". He is making things here running for twenty years straight, even though he is not a legit ruler. The one who must be in charge is gone to Las Pegasus and his deputy... Well, there wasn't a single case of him doing something for himself. Each his decision was "Father's" decision."

"And what's up with that new pony?" Twilight asked, returning the conversation to the beginning.

"After a couple of months, that pony started to pull out different devices which was helping out different artisans. Saws for lumberjacks, looms for weavers and so on. Even though, it really helped out our artisans and even increased our month's production value, "Father" with his conservative vision didn't liked it. Deputy or, as you understand, "Father" started to organize checkups which always ended in confiscation of all innovations. After a month though, they started to take devices without any justifications. In a matter of weeks, there was nothing left and we returned to the way, we used to live. The new one however was surprised by that since he come to town because someone asked him to bring modern devices. When he understood that ponies lost his gifts, he become really mad. At first, he disappeared but soon, all Trottingham learned the name Chimera Strike..." Queen told a history as reply. "Or Chimera S. as he signs."

"So, can we help you in any way?" Rainbow asked.

"It's hard to come up with a way you can help us..." Other mare looked at Rainbow. "It may looks like you should go and help Chimera since he is a victim but it's not all that easy. You see, that smell outside..."

"Outside? There is no bad smell in here?" Twilight immediately noted the single word and asked about it.

"You haven't noticed?" Unknown mare asked. After a nod from Twilight, she pointed to the closed window. There, over the window an amulet of some sort was hanging. "This house and lavatory down there in the basement we got these things."

"What's about the packages?" Rainbow asked when the room get silent. Queen looked at her and then at the mare. Mare looked at Queen in response and received a nod from her. She then turned to the door and went outside. After a moment, she come with the one of the packages, that were taken from the team.

"Look here," Queen said and took a knife from her holster. With it, she punctured the package and then made a cut. "See?"

"What we should see?" Rainbow asked and moved to the package but Twilight stopped her.

"We mustn't see... We must feel," she rubbed her temples, showing that she is not fine. Turning to everyone in the room, she said, "Pure magic. This thing is a bomb isn't?"

"A bomb?" Unknown mare burst.

"Bad side of it is that it would've explode after five minutes. Good side - only if we cut open it like I did," Queen made a little giggle. "Another bad side is that it would eventually explode after five more minutes after getting initial charge."

"That's..." Unknown mare with a shocked expression was about to say something but then she realized something. "Wait... If both fractions bought explosives and were going to exchange with them..."

While that mare was making gestures and murmuring something, Twilight noticed something. That mare had a peculiar cutie mark.

"Water Splash?" She asked. Mare was shocked at sudden question. Before she was able to say something about that, Queen broke in.

"You could make it out later. Now let's get back to something more actual," she said. "Since our fillies with guns started to go harsh, we need to think something out so they wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Ya have anythin' on mind?" Applejack asked, ignoring Twilight and Splash looks.

"If I had anything, this city wouldn't have been a shit hole," Queen punched the table she was sitting at. She raised from her seat and moved to the window. "Poor city... It was very livable and lively."

"We should overthrow the government?" Twilight asked.

"What? No, of course not," Queen replied, after she looked at Twilight. "You see, if we get old bones gone, new ones will take seat at the city hall. We don't want them cuz they don't consider wishes and lives of citizens. They might eventually get rid of a bad smell, they made, but they'll replace it with the smell of smokes."

"Old ones don't consider lives of citizens either..." Twilight was about to continue Queen's thought but she abruptly stopped it.

"Old ones care about us more than innovators do... In their own ways," Queen turned to her. "At least, they will not poison us and say it's fine."

"They do that?" Twilight asked.

"Until you wouldn't get your nose in their business, they'll allow you anything," Queen said. "They are keeping us at one level of production for thirty years. Now, even villages like Vanhoover. Manehatten - five times more of clothes. There is many more things we could do but conservators don't allow. Innovators on the other side will let us become one of the most productive cities in the ways we are good at and even in ways we've no progression at all."

"Uh, if both are fine at something and bad at the other thing... Maybe, we should make them unite?" Twilight suggested.

"An interesting idea... But how?" Queen asked.

"Why is that so?" Splash asked. "What makes you think it's possible? They are enemies!"

"They are enemies, it's a fact... But maybe they don't want it?" Twilight suggested. "We need a someone ready to talk about that and I have someone in mind... I believe Rainbow and AJ have too."

"Yeah... But how do you imagine us to do that?" Rainbow asked.

"Listen here..."

"Where are they?" This and other whispers were here and there. With each minute ponies sitting in ambush had more wish to simply go and abandon the mission.

"They are here," someone yelled and everyone calmed down. Looking in two direction they saw a gang with Twilight leading them towards the ambush. When they finally arrived a hatch opened and a someone bulky looked out of there.

"What are you doing here?" One of the mares from the gang asked.

"I wish to ask the same," a half-blood replied. "I believe though you know who you need to ask that question."

"Yeah, we both know," she said and then turned to Twilight. "You don't want to say something?"

A little crowd sitting on roof of the building were listening to the little murmurs and sayings between two gangs. Waiting for a sign.

"Where is our bomb?" She asked, not aware of what will happen quite soon. "I said, where is- Ah!"

After mentioning a bomb, the little crowd come to motion. In a quick swoop, both gang were neutralized and everyone was tied up. Even half-blooded brute had reinforced ropes on his wrists.

"You, bastards!" Mare that was interrogating Twilight immediately started to scream. "How dare - Umph."

She didn't summon any trouble as gag was placed firmly in her mouth. Much to Twilight's amusement, it caused a reaction from the brute.

"Get that thing out, bitch!" Twilight heard from him. Since it was something, she was looking for, she dig for it further. She took a knife from Rarity and stood next to muffled mare. She was screaming something in the gag but she become quiet after Twilight put a knife next to her neck. Brute meanwhile become loud again, "Don't you dare!"

"A jackpot," Twilight mumbled, looking at two enemies suddenly having feeling for each other. Suddenly for everyone, especially to the mates of these two. Those ponies, who were about tear each other, were now seeing how their leaders tried to save each other. "Go get them to the safe spot. Soon, there will quite a showdown... I hope, without bloodshed."

Soon, she was staying before Queen. "You've got what you need?" She asked.

"I did and it has ensured me that my affair will be successful... Though, I can't predict that it will be absolutely successful."

"What you've got there?" She asked.

"Look here... There was a couple of ponies in both gangs who showed compassion for each other," Twilight replied.

"Who were they?" Queen asked, though not really waiting for something worthy.

"Well, there was brute, who was half-dragon and half-pony and steel mare inside and out," she told her. Queen meanwhile was absolutely shocked.

"Steel... Mare?" She said in some kind of abstraction. "You understand that it's really amazing! At first, I was thinking in any case just kill both leaders and their seconds in command, but now... I still will have someone to aim in these ponies' heads, but your idea now feels more reliable."

"Those two are really important?" Twilight asked, seeing Queen's reaction.

"Very!" She shined. "There are seconds in command, but you see: both fractions have two ponies who is one step down the leader. In case of innovators, there is two non-ponies. Now, we have only four targets."

"Wouldn't someone just take the lead instead of dead leaders?" Twilight asked.

"Both fractions are not that decentralized. There will be chaos which could be used by us so we can just kill everyone," Queen said. "We still will check out if they really hate each other."

"We need them in one place though," Twilight noted.

"Oh, don't worry. I know where and how I should push," she said.

At six in the evening, Twilight and the gang sit in the little cafe next to the edge of the city. There behind a couple of buildings, a green forest could be seen.

Right at six o'clock, their heard a crowd. Soon, that crowd come in sight.

Thirty ponies were armed to the teeth and ready to fight... Even though they were told that today's deal is all peaceful.

Right after a minute or so, another gang showed up. Somewhere the same amount of combatants, everyone with weapons. Quickly running up to the place in front of the crowd.

"What are you doing here, old fart," The one of them stood up in front of the gang. He bore coat of clear gold color and mane of black mane. His eyes were soft pink.

"Good evening to you too," An old stallion replied. His coat was of a dark grey color and his eyes were acid green. The look of them though was bored and his mane was silvered of age. "You were calling us?"

"No it wasn't him," Door opened and a masked mare came out. "It was me. Hello everyone."

"Queen?" The young one asked. "What do you want?"

"I want many things, Chimy. First of all, I want to tell you that I'll never gonna give you up..." She began.

"And you never gonna let us down," Chimy replied. "We all know that, Queen. Get to the second thing."

"Oh, the second thing... Well, both you and me are not native to this city. Yet, we still love it and we love the way, everyone live in here. They met you with despite and misunderstanding..." She begin to tell a story.

"What is she doing?" Meanwhile, in the cafe, two ponies with guns pointing in windows started to argue.

"I don't know. Maybe we should..."

"You should do nothing!" Twilight who was also sitting in the cafe replied to two ponies' bickering. "She has it."

Meanwhile, Queen told a story of how Chimera came to be. "Very interesting, but what is the purpose of this?" Chimera said after she ended the story.

"You are not really a merchant, Chimy," she smiled. "A true would flee and abandon any deal if he would sense that he is losing money. You stayed in here even though they took a lot."

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"It means that you want this town to be better," she said.

"No, he doesn't!" Someone suddenly shouted.

"Shut the fuck up!" Someone replied. Right after that things quickly escalated. Feeling that she was losing it, she glanced at the cafe. Hopefully, this glance was noticed by Twilight and not by two rifleponies.

"Stop this nonsense!" Twilight screamed. Seeing no effect, she waved with a hand. Right after that, door swayed as two bodies were thrown from them.

"Steel Nerve?" "Father" confusedly asked.

"Zenox?" Chimera did the same. This put the quarrel to stop. "What does that mean?"

"These two were making deals behind your backs," Twilight replied. It caused both crowds to burst another time.

"Is that true?!" "Father" asked. It brought both crowds to stop.

"Let's check this out," Chimera pulled out a shiny stone. Magical energy flowed out of it into his horn right away, and his horn lit with white light. "She told the truth?"

"She did," half-blood said. Nothing happened.

"It means, he lied?" 'Father' asked.

"No, it means that he is not lying. It's all the truth," Chimera said. "If he lied, my horn would shine with red light."

"Oh, also check if they have feeling for each other," Twilight suggested. Her sentence shocked everyone, but Chimera and "Father" showed no emotion.

"This stone is going to discharge soon," Chimera grumbled. Right after this words, his horn lit up again and he asked, "You love her, Zenox?"

He went completely silent. For a minute or so he and Steel weren't saying anything, until "Father" spoke, "Steel, can you tell me, what's up with that love thing?"

"Father..." Steel mumbled. "I... I do love Zenox..."

After that sudden revelation and a gasp from now single mob, which was formed from two, the charging gem shattered. "Father" turned to Chimera seeing white light quickly dying out. "So..."

He waited for his reply. Not turning to anyone, Chimera said, "This gem cost me three hundred bits... By the way, when you are going to marry?"

Sudden revelation was met with less amount of emotions. Shouts that two were traitors still were there, but they died down due to outnumbering shouts of congratulation.

"Father" and Chimera meanwhile turned to Queen and Twilight. "Why?" They both asked.

"Oh, that's a good question," Queen said. "Still, I would like to assure you that we have no malicious intent."

"It's actually was done for the sake of the city," Twilight added.

"We saw that despite what you claim about each other, you have many things in common," Queen said.

"Instead of forming bonds between each other, you started pointless warfare which was leading this city into nothing," Twilight stated.

"But here and now, we suggest you an alternative way," Queen said. "Stop this."

"Let this city breath both figuratively and literally," Twilight ended.

"Hmm," Chimera smirked. "One question. You was cramming this?"

"Um, to be honest, it just come like this," Twilight said.

"Wow, cool," Chimera said. "Well, I believe I'm all up for this idea, but one problem. Grey mane?"

"I believe that problem is me, right?" "Father" asked. "Well, let me shock everyone another time. I actually wasn't against you that much. I was up for you as I am up for this idea. I still should admit two problems. First one is current mayor, who..."

"Who is dead," Chimera broke in. After admitting the look on 'Father's face, he continued, "they say, it was Silver Mouse, but one reliable source of information told me that corpses of mayor and his fellows had spear wound and this wounds, which resemble ones from an axe but they are too deep."

"Why I learned that from you?" "Father" asked. "Well, nevertheless, the second problem is a single pony out there. He probably knows that I supported you and now he is waiting for me... With weapon."

"Another grey mane?" Chimera asked.

"You may say that," "Father" replied. "Late Date is someone who actually hates you because of your modern thinking. His grandparents come from another city because their business there was put down, with the help of technologies, so that explains why they hates all gadgets. Here, those two quickly contacted us and they joined us. By now, his grandkid is a shadow leader of our fraction."

"If you don't like him, why you just don't get rid of him?" Chimera asked.

"I wish things were that simple," "Father" sighed. "His influence is unbelievably strong even though my parents were standing in the very beginning."

"Heh, fine!" Chimera smirked. "I'll help. Queen? You and your guys are in?"

"Why of course. It will better for our city," she replied.

"By the way, Queen," Chimera was about to turn around but turned to Queen instead. "Would you like to tell me who is behind the mask?"

This question get Queen surprised. This also get by surprise the crowd around as everyone thought that today there will be no other surprises.

"Well, I see no problem with this," she replied. Her mask went off in a swift motion. Twilight immediately looked at the mare next to her. "Hello there."

"Far Sail?" He quizzically looked at her.

"You know her?" Twilight asked, looking at the mare whose appearance was resembling of the ocean. Coat of navy blue color and white mane that looked like sailcloth. Only the eyes were of that bluish green as if the swamp's water.

"Of course, I do," he smirked, this time playfully. "A courageous traveler, a masterful sailor and a fierce trader. She is good at it all, but since she stayed here the last one is false."

"Huh, are you using my stuff against me?" Far Sail asked.

"You ask?" He smiled. After hearing a cough from "Father", he turned to the crowd and shouted, "Oak Leaf! Get my gun!"

Deer only sighed to it and passed over a rifle, that she get right away she heard about helping "Father".

"Now, I'm ready to help," he stood next to "Father". "By the way, Oak, you don't have any feelings for that?.."

"Chain Lightning?" "Father" broke in and pointed at firmly built stallion with noble white coat and mane slightly darker mane. Around his left arm, a chain was wrapped and the chain was attached to a short blade, which was held by right arm. When he was called, that chain had a lightning coming through it.

"Yes, him. Do you like him?" He addressed question to the deer. She shook her head negatively. "Huh, fine. But be careful there. I wouldn't sponsor the second wedding so look for money by yourselves."

With this they went to someplace at the north of the city, which was a two-storey mansion. A couple of ponies who went out of the mansion immediately got tied up and after a quick interrogation, they get an image of the rooms and estimated number of enemy forces. After that, they began an assault.

Even though, they outnumber the defenders but hastily done traps and surprise attacks, still get some casualties.

In the end, only one room was left. "Father" who already told to leave this room for him. He knew every room where Late Date might be hiding from previous times so he rather quickly estimated the room where Late probably was.

The door must be pulled to be open and when "Father" pulled, the door had a blade of the knife sticking out. Someone threw it.

"I know exactly who was practicing knife throwing, Late!" He shouted.

"I'm good at it, right?" An old pony in the chair with old and creaky voice asked. A calm look of "Father" was met by the angry look of grey eyes. He was adorned with rich black fur which had lost all colors like his mane due to age.

"This says the opposite," "Father" pointed out to the knife behind him.

"Then let me prove you wrong," he took the knife which was stuck in the table. After that, he made a mistake. He lost a couple of seconds just to rise from his chair. It was enough to someone outside to make his move and make the body fell to the side with the chair, since the corpse tackled it while falling. His brains meanwhile painted the walls in red.

"Father" was about to observe the corpse but decided to look into the window. There he saw a rifle pointing right at him.

He stood there for some moments. Waiting for Chimera's move.

His move was to lower the gun. He smiled right away and put the thumb up. "Father" made the same though his look was grim.

After a couple of seconds, they forced to broke that silent picture. Due to magic drip on Chimera faded away and he fell right onto the road.