It was rather risky to walk around the place, where drug dealers were keeping captives. Blaze was thinking that everypony he met were looking at him back. It wasn’t really that untruthful, since a stallion with huge sack on his back wasn’t a sight to see each day.

Less risky it was for six mares to do the same. They separated and also were eyeing the house. It was a miracle that they haven’t met and only a couple of bat-ponies flying over the roofs noticed him. One of them was watching him precisely.

Only when girls gathered in one place and one of two bat-ponies descended to them, Rainbow noticed a familiar unicorn. “Is it me or this unicorn is oddly familiar?”

By that time, Blaze already found a place, which he could use. He needed a dark alley where he could put his battle outfit on. There was such a place nearby. When he was about to go there he heard Rainbow. When he looked there, Twilight already noticed him. “Familiar? This is Blazing Spear. You definitely should know him.”

“Blazing?... Oh, right. I remember now,” she said. “Hey, come over here, big guy.”

“What’s up?” A bat-pony hissed as he got down from the roof. His partner also got down alongside with him. “Who in Tartarus is he?”

“He is Blazing Spear. He is guard…” Rainbow was about to say more things about him, but Blaze was first.

“I’m retired. As my whole crew aside from our commander,” he said.

“Oh, so why you have retired in the first place? Any serious reasons?” the female bat-pony who was a second bat-pony in their team asked. She had bright scarlet mane and eyes to match that color. Her coat was pitch black. Her cutie-mark as well as her teammate's one were hidden.

“Oh, there was just that disturbance with “Three Circles”,” he replied.

“Ah, I see,” she nodded and rubbed her chin in thought. “You all did it pretty well back at Whitetail. I’ve seen the reports.”

“Are we going to get in there, or what?” the male bat-pony looked at them.

“You are no fun,” female bat-pony said in reply. “This is standard mission infiltration mission. Anypony or anycreature in there who would be tied up is not an enemy and they must stay alive until the end of the mission. Other are expendable, aside from those who are not trying to kill you. Look after the latter, though. They might turned out to be enemies, who are planning to strike in the back. So, since it’s clear than the mission starts in…”

“Actually, I believe I need a moment,” Blaze said, pointing at the sack on his back.

“Oh, really?” Male bat-pony he looked at him, a bit angrily.

“Well, we also need a moment,” Rainbow said.

“Alright, five minutes,” he sighed.

After five minutes, they stood before the house. All the windows were nailed up with planks. This wasn’t the same for windows on the second floor, so both bat-ponies were going to go on the second floor. Rainbow Dash will aid them. Others will breach the flimsy wooden door.

To rise the chances of getting in, Twilight brought Applejack’s power suit. Applejack was training with it every now and then. Now she decided to try it out. It was unfortunate for Twilight since a train couldn’t carry such weight and Twilight was forced to get the suit into her dimensional pocket. It barely fit there.

Twilight wasn’t using her dimensional pocket ever since she moved into the library. She had stored money there but now they are in the safe place in her bedroom on the second floor.

One feature made the usage of dimensional pocket a bit problematic not only for Twilight, but for all unicorns in Equestria.

To use dimensional pocket properly, a unicorn must keep in mind everything he put there. If he or she forgets what they put in there, then they will both the item and the space in the pocket.

It wasn’t hard for Twilight to remember the suit, but as it always happens, when the time comes, you must be reminded about the important stuff.

Aside from the power suit, Twilight also brought her familiars. If Venom, the snake familiar, had coiled herself around Twilight’s arm and now resembled an armlet, then raven, who was flying around girls, was a bit outstanding for Canterlot’s cityscape, since it’s on the mountain and any bird is a rare sight there. Fang was… Well, the wolf resembles a normal Canterlot’s dog very poorly. If they were in a village like Ponyville, then Fang would look like a fine hound, but in the city like Canterlot, a mass of muscles and grey fur is not it.

Now, Twilight, Fluttershy and others were about to break the door and get in but they agreed that flying ones were first. Soon they heard the breaking of the glass and they added the sound of wood cracking.

“Fang! You know what to do!” Twilight shouted as she released the wolf, who immediately vanished in one of the dimly lit rooms. When they were on the train, Twilight taught Fang a stunning ray. Twilight wasn’t very fond of stunning ray, a ray of simple magic and other combat spells, which were allowed. In her opinion, a few spells that were called “combat magic” is not enough for a mage and it put certain boundaries on every unicorn. Twilight still gave that spell to the wolf familiar since she couldn’t disarm enemies with little harm done to them.

“There is a basement!” Blaze called everyone. First room was almost empty, aside from two guards. What was on the second floor, no one of them knew but Pinkie immediately climbed up the staircase when she found it. Other went down.

“Let’s check one by one,” Twilight suggested as they found themselves in the wide hallway with several doors on each side. Behind the first door, a muffled conversation could have been heard, but when Twilight and others got closer to it, they changed to steps. The door opened but no one exited.

“What the?...” Blaze looked in bewilderment as a stallion fell to the ground.

“Tree Hugger?” Fluttershy asked, as she looked at green earth-pony, who stood in the doorframe.

“Huh, Flutters?” Tree Hugger asked in her laid back tone. Fluttershy immediately rushed and hugged her friend, “Oh, sis… I thought I would never see you again.”

“But why you are here?” Fluttershy asked. Before Tree Hugger answered, she pointed at the body lying on the ground. “And…”

“It’s quite a bummer for you and especially for me, but they were clear that I should do as they say,” Tree Hugger said, her tone showing regret. “I don’t know how I managed to make them give me this club.”

She showed a baton, which had handle, sticking from the side. Tree Hugger held the baton by handle and the baton itself was placed under her hand in longitudinal position to her arm. That construction allowed Tree Hugger to hide more than a half of the baton in her sleeve.

“Are you working for night guards?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah,” Tree Hugger replied. “They caught me but instead of sending me to gallows, they made me work for them. As I understood, only single criminals are offered that. So, don’t think, they had some business with those fellas.”

“Let’s check all the rooms,” Twilight broke in. “Is there anything here?”

“All hostages the gang caught,” Tree Hugger replied. “The last mare they got yesterday is there.”

She pointed at the farthest door on the right. Blaze immediately moved there, Twilight by his side. When Blaze got there he was about to break the door, but Twilight stopped him. She said that it’s better to do together. On three, they get in.

In the room, they found what Blaze was looking for. Her sister was there but one of the gangers was there, holding her in his hands.

“Let me leave or her brains will be on walls,” an earth pony from the gang threatened them. The effect was empowered by the gun pointing in the head of Blazing Brush.

That had an effect on Blaze. A moment ago, he was ready to reap and tear everypony, who dared to touch his sister even a single time and now he stood there frozen. Twilight meanwhile was waiting for something like this and had prepared a spell.

Click.

“What?...” Stallion asked. When he looked at his revolver, he saw a missing barrel.

“Hiya,” when Blazing Brush understood what happened, she used the situation for her own benefit. Elbow strike and then drop to the ground. Her brother showed no hesitation.

Stallion from the gang fell with an axe in his skull. “How are you? Didn’t they…”

“I’m fine, big bro,” Brush said, standing up with a help of Blaze. She immediately pull away the ring from her horn. “If it wasn’t for ring, for eyeglasses and for food, then it’s a way better than many hotels in Canterlot’s Undercity. They didn’t even do that to me,” she pointed between her legs.

“Oh, that’s good,” he said. “They probably wanted you to be in a better condition.”

“That’s right,” she replied. “Who wants to receive a violated mess, who hardly resembles a relative from before?... There are plenty of prisoners here and we must free them.”

“We are on it,” Twilight said.

“Oh, Twilight, right?” Brush asked and Twilight nodded in reply. “Hello there. I’m happy to see you, even if you are blurry purple figure.”

“Thanks,” she replied. “Glasses?”

“I have spare ones at home, don’t worry,” he said. “I believe I can get there. Especially, since there are some prisoners here.”

“Night guards will help you,” Twilight said.

“Night guards?” her face changed to an annoyed one. “Well, I believe there is hardly a place, where they haven’t been.”

After half an hour, they get all the hostages free. The male bat-pony took hostages and accompanied them to their homes. Girls also went somewhere. Only three left.

Brush was in hurry, as she wanted to see Solar Lance. She didn’t leave immediately as Blaze stopped her. He needed to retrieve his clothes, so he went in that alleyway. There in the trashcan he gathered his sack and was about to begin to put normal clothes on him, but Brush rushed him. He only managed to hide his chain mail under his shirt.

Female bat-pony stayed in the house. That unnerved Brush and when Blaze went after his clothes, she asked her about what she was going to do. Bat-pony said that she will clean up the place, but when both of them were about to leave, bat-pony all of sudden desired to accompany them.

“And, why?…” Brush was about to retort, but bat-pony was already moving the way they wanted to move, as if she knew where they are intending to go to. Brush looked at the house and saw couple of bat-ponies, entering the building.

“I don’t like it,” Blaze said.

“I don’t like it either,” Brush agreed with him. Nevertheless, they went with their uncalled companion.

She meanwhile stood on the road as if waiting for them. “Are you waiting for us?”

“Not really,” she said, not turning around. “I just remembered that we haven’t properly introduced ourselves. I’m Scarlet Study, at your service.”

“Well, Scarlet Study…” Blazing Brush looked at her directly, but all her attention was her brother. “Can we go on?”

“Yeah-yeah, we can, Blazing Brush,” She made a brief glance at her, and then looked at Blazing Spear once again. “Blazing Spear… Or maybe, Bounty Hunter?”

“But how?” Even in a hushed tone, the question sounded rather loud.

“I’m a detective, who took your case,” she replied. “Don’t worry though. Let’s just say, those ponies, you murdered, are not really what this world needs. We can also say we know some ponies like the ones you murdered and we can pretend someone of them was Bounty Hunter.”

“And I?” He looked quizzically at her.

“You?” She replied with the same look. “Oh, you can be a clever boy and don’t repeat all that. If you don’t know, moneybags started to be afraid of Bounty Hunter and started to look for mercs. Also, your mask is now known by a certain amount of people, so don’t try to wear it every now and then.”

“Huh, I see,” Blaze sighed. “Well, come with me, Brush.”

“Are you worried about something?” Brush said. Bat-pony didn’t follow them and stayed behind.

“Too many ponies know who I am,” he answered. “I don’t like it.”

To the house of Solar Lance, they came in a disquieted state. When Lance saw them, he understood that something was wrong. When he asked them, Brush replied that bats are just flying everywhere and seeing what they shouldn’t.

“Bats?” He cocked a brow, but then realized it. “Oh, they were at that vermin pit, right?”

“Worse,” she sighed. “They know.”

“Fuck!” He swore. “We have problems or…”

“Problems are in both cases,” She replied, before hearing the ending. “Your second suggestion is right though. They know but they looked at it with blind eye.”

“Well, I see,” Lance nodded. “So, what do you want?”

“Do you have that weed?” Brush mumbled.

“The one you are smoking?” Lance asked. “Nah, but I got beer.”

“Wow, I wouldn’t mind,” Blaze said.

“Do you know, your beer is just pee with spirit,” Brush commented. Nevertheless, she went with them.

Soon, they were at the kitchen. The scene quickly became idyllic. Booze, two friends, a mare that was snuggling with one of them. Even though, Blaze learned that his sister is in relationship with Solar Lance, that view still made him rather uncomfortable. So, most of the booze was guzzled by Blaze solely. He then remembered something.

“Hey, care to tell me one story?” Blaze voiced out. That got both Lance and Brush shiver.

“Sure. What shall it be?” Solar Lance asked.

“Why Jonathan needed to stay here for two weeks?” Blaze asked.

“You’ve been working for him for two weeks,” Lance looked at him in amazement. “Haven’t you asked him if that bothered you?”

“That bothered me only when he said I’m free,” Blaze honestly replied.

“Well, if you want to know, then I’ll tell everything I know,” Lance looked Blaze dead in his eyes. “You are lucky, I asked him about it. He told me his story, but I will not tell if it’s truthful or not.”

“Just begin,” Blaze looked back at his ex-boss eyes.

“So, let’s get to the very beginning of the story,” Lance rubbed his chin. “As you can understand, it all started in Wood Kingdom, or if being exact, in Everdell.

“Everdell?” Blaze raised a brow.

“Yes. It’s the southern region of Wood Kingdom,” Lance replied. “Actually, Everdell is known for being a land of valleys. That’s where they grow crops.”

“So, and what happened there?” Blaze asked.

“A love story,” Lance smiled. “He was invited to the dinner by one of the noble families in Everdell. He, his father and another guest. At first, his father wanted to decide, but Jonathan convinced him to give him the ability to choose. His father agreed and so Jonathan’s new friend was able to see what it is a dinner of a nobility. His new friend was a mercenary, a bounty hunter and a sharpshooter. His name is Robert Hood and he is known for his outstanding accuracy. Jonathan spent a little time with him and decided that he is worthy of it. On the dinner, they met Marian, daughter of the dinner’s host. Host of the dinner immediately proclaimed a wedding between Marian and Jonathan and Jonathan’s father agreed. As you probably understand, Jonathan wasn’t the one to fall in love with Marian. Robert fell in love with Marian and she fell for Robert. Both Robert and Marian took the action of the host with hostility as you can understand. Just not to screw relationship with both, Jonathan decided to leave somewhere for two weeks.”

“Why?” Blaze asked. Both Blaze and Brush had little idea about the reason of such a decision.

“That’s the tradition. If two engaged lovebirds haven’t seen each other for at least two weeks, there will be no marriage,” Lance said.

“So, this way spouses would love each other and wouldn’t find it troubling to say yes at the altar, right?” Brush suggested.

“That’s how things are, but Jonathan said that there are still an amount of weddings happening because of parents’ wish and not kids’ love,” Lance said. “I wonder now if Robert actually married Marian or he is still trying change Marian’s father decision.”

“Maybe, they ran together into the night?” Brush suggested once again.

“Maybe,” Lance replied. “By the way, Blaze! Haven’t you asked Jonathan if he is fine about working at Rabbit Hole?”

“I haven’t asked but he actually was showing more and more irritation and disappointment each day. I believe, it’s because, he was an actor and performer and he didn’t receive what he wanted from the drunkards of Undercity.”

“That’s Canterlot’s Undercity for you,” Lance nodded. “And even if he gets to noble’s Canterlot, he wouldn’t receive much ovations either. Mages and aristocrats are not whom will be amazed by tricks and focuses.”

“At least, he complimented our ale,” Blaze added.

“Our ale?” Lance raised a brow. “You think his mouse grace would appreciate what simple ponies drink?”

“Don’t you want to say that?...” Blaze looked at him with bewilderment.

“He also had a bed in VIP room, right?” Lance smirked. “If you never seen it, then I’ll describe it to you. A bed there is royal-size, sturdy and with one of the softest bedclothes, you will find in the city. All other furniture there is the same quality. If other rooms are… Well, you have find out what are they, but the VIP room there is just something fitting any noble.”

“Is he…” Blaze looked at him with a look of disbelief and disappointment.

“He is of no high standards, though,” Lance replied, already guessing a question. “I once made him a bed on the floor and he didn’t complain about it. At least, until morning when I said that there is a plenty of beds in my house.”

“Well, I see,” Blaze nodded. “A noble is a noble, no matter where they come from.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Lance retorted. “Even though Jonathan is blueblood, he is much different from all other bluebloods in all kingdoms.”

“Whatever,” Blaze mumbled.

Soon they departed. Blaze went to his home and on the way back, he thought what he should do. There was no way he could continue his fight against injustice, not only because it would get harder and harder each time but also because night guards would probably kill Bounty Hunter and further continuation of the spree would going to be an unwise decision.

Those thought were infesting the mind right until he came to his home. Well, not absolutely his, as Bright Mind, who started to live with Blaze, opened the door.

“Hello, Blaze,” she said. “So, how it went?”

“Without a hitch,” he replied and sat on the little coach in the living room. Bright immediately sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder. This scene reminded him his sister and Lance. “At least, the beginning was fine. In the end… Celestia damn it, bats came in. They got all the secrets out of me. Now I can’t continue my fight with the malicious nobles and other corrupted forces in the city. Bounty Hunter is officially dead.”

“Oh, that’s horrible,” Bright looked at Blaze and after seeing him upset, she became quite upset too. “And what do you plan to do?”

“I’m probably going back to guards. Are you with me?” Blaze asked.

“Not really,” she replied.

“You know, I wonder how you survived the academy,” Blaze said.

“Sometimes, I wonder myself,” Bright nodded. “I think, it’s because… Well, around you, I feel like I don’t need to fight, don’t need to defend myself and… Well, that sort of things. I feel like I can be a simple mare with simple dreams. In the academy, I wanted to show what I am capable of, since I didn’t do great at school. Now with you…”

“Don’t continue,” Blaze said, encasing her in a warm hug. Outside, the first snow started to fall on the earth.

The weather was fine. It was the middle of the winter, so the temperature was going to its lowest position. Each year, pegasi remembers how it was thousand years ago, when they had no ability to control the weather. In that time, winter was the part of the year when fearsome windigoes froze things over. Only with the help of unicorn mages, ponies could take a rest for a moment and grow some food until new windigoes came back to the land of ponies. In the remembrance of those days, pegasi create snow and ice, while Celestia weakens the power of the sun. This way ponies are made to remember what their ancestors passed through.

Earth ponies and unicorns though use this time of the year as a little respite from their day-to-day routine. Especially, when there is an official holiday in the middle of that season. Hearth’s Warming.

Twilight was preparing for the dinner at Applejack’s place. She was invited this morning but she had a feeling that something wasn’t right.

“Hello there, Twilight,” she heard all too familiar voice behind her. “I thought, it was a good time to visit my friend here.”

“Discord, what do you want?” Twilight quickly turned around.

“Why, Twilight?!” he exclaimed. “It’s been just a month and a half since the last time we met and you already forgot our deal?”

“Oh, well…” Twilight took a moment to gather her thoughts. Meanwhile, she went to a commode it the room and got notepad from it. “Care to give me some time to formulate… Actually, tell me about that Void. Tell me everything you know.”

“Oh, and are you ready for some philosophy, then?” Discord asked. Twilight only nodded in reply. “Hmm, OK, listen to me. If you never noticed that before, everything in this world is built on contradiction. White and black, light and darkness, good and evil. This goes so far that the reality itself is built on this rule. You see, all universes are connected with each other by Harmony and Void or, as someone call it, Chaos. All worlds connected with those places since because of them world has such things like mass, time and magic. Void is a place out there, it’s absolutely empty, but with special power you can create anything there. Those who has such power are called Void Lords. That’s what I know about Void.”

“I see,” Twilight pondered. Then, she remembered something. “You are the Great Snake, aren’t you?”

“You mean, if I had created the whole nation of snake people?” Discord raised a brow. When Twilight confirmed it with a nod, Discord said, “Hmm, you know… I might’ve given you a simple no, but I don’t feel it’s a complete answer. Therefore, I will also add that I haven’t started all your pony races. I also didn’t start gryphon, kirin, hippogriff, yaks, buffalo, dragon, changeling, centaur, gargoyle, breezie, cyclops, diamond dog, mouse, rat, deer, kelpie, minotaur, roc, siren, sphinx, windigo races or any other races out there. Is that satisfying?”

“Very…” She rubbed her chin. “I don’t believe, I heard about some of these races before.”

“Well, what is your last question for today?” Discord smiled.

“Last?” She was in thought again. “Oh, tell me, why your spells don’t have regular patterns that normal spells have. I checked it and that destructive ray of yours don’t have a ray pattern in its matrix.

“Because they are mine,” Discord casually said. When Twilight raised a brow, he sighed, “well, not really mine. They are more accurately described as spells from my world. Since they are from my world, why do you think, they must use patterns similar to ones that is used in your world?”

“Oh, it makes sense,” Twilight nodded to herself.

“I’m quite surprised it did,” Discord noted. “With me, things often lose sense, but I guess, not today. Have nice days, then. We will probably met sometime later.”

“Oh, goodbye,” Twilight mumbled in reply, but Discord was gone by that time.

Never she knew, they would meet quite soon.

Author's Note

If you have feelings that this chapter should've been published on Christmas or New Year, then you are mistaken. I'm not a big fan of thematic chapters and stories.