Fallout Equestria: Power Ponies

Chapters

The Gem in the Ring
Chasing a Dream of Light
The Nightmare Lives
Lady Luck
The Flames Burn
Day Off

The Gem in the Ring

The light that filtered through the thin cloud curtain was stronger than any amount that Lapis had ever seen in all of her travels. She slowly moved along in the line, holding her ticket close to her her chest, waiting for her turn to cross the bridge that lead from the Equestrian wasteland into End of the Line, the untouched city. The line to the bridge moved steadily dozens of ponies shuffling to either pay the toll, or the lucky ones, like her, present their ticket of entry. She looked off to the side. Hundreds of small tents were set up, a large shanty town of ponies that weren't able to afford to cross the bridge. Her ears flopped down. Many of the ponies had been sold on the idea that End of the Line was freedom from the wasteland, a place that was untouched by the radiation and taint that had rotted Equestria, only to find out after leaving everything they had, that they didn't have enough to make it there, so here they stayed, nowhere to go back to, and unable to keep moving forward. Her heart went out to them, it really did. But there wasn't anything that she could do for them. Even if all the wealth of Tenpony Tower and Red Eye were combined they might be able to get only half the destitute shanty town ponies across.

"Toll." She snapped back to reality. Standing in front of her was a large stallion in military armor. She shrank back a little as he glared at her.

"I actually have a pass." She held out the ticket that had been sent to her from one of the business stallions that had passed her home nearly a year ago, they had adored the work she had put into her jewelry pieces, and offered her the chance of a life time.

"Fine ticket fee." He snatched the ticket from her wing.

"Ticket fee?"

"You heard me squeak toy." He glared down at her. "Just because you have a ticket doesn't mean you just get to waltz across the bridge. 400 caps, pay up or get out of line."

"B-but the ticket says-"

"You heard me flying mouse!" he bellowed. Lapis winced covering her ears as they started ringing. The ponies behind her coward down a little bit. "If I say 400 Caps you either pay it or you get the hell out of line!"

"That's extortion."

"And you'll pay it or LEAVE!" She winced at the last word. Her head felt like it was splitting, as her hearing filled with a high pitched whistle.

"Fine but I'm going to tell my boss about this BS." She pulled out a bag. which was snatched out of her hooves before she could register that it was even there. "Hey there's 500 caps in that, you can't just-."

"Shut it and MOVE!" The guard grabbed her and threw her to the other side of the toll station. She was thrown to fast for her wings to do anything for her, and she hit the ground with an "unf". "Now get out of here, or do I have to buck you the rest of the way, NEXT!" She winced as he roared for the next pony in line to come up.

"Jackass," Lapis muttered under her breath as she got up on shaky and sore legs. She limped forward across the bridge what was left of her jittery cheery mood about coming to this city were currently dead. She moved over to a railing, and looked over at the cold water. Her gray face and yellow eyes stared back at her. Her midnight blue mane was completely disheveled from being thrown.

"Hey you okay?" a stallion asked quickly being reflected in the water next to her. Lapis looked over at him, her ears were still ringing, the only reason she hadn't heard him coming sooner. He was about her age, early maybe mid twenties. His coat was Pinkie Pie Pink, and he had a nice soft blue Mane. He actually looked like he bathed regularly. He leaned over on the rail next to her.

"Fine I guess. The toll officer took almost all my caps, even though I had a work ticket. I might not even have enough for a lunch, now." She could tell from the refection in the water that he was watching her own rippling reflection. "I wasn't expecting that kind of treatment from here. Maybe the racist jerks at Tenpony Tower, but not the untouched city." He laughed a little at that. "What?" Lapis turned to glower at him.

"Nothing, it's just morons are born everywhere. This town has its fair share, just like Tenpony has their's." He smiled looking up from the water at her softening face. "Come on, I'll grab you a lunch, don't want your first impression of the city to be completely shit."

"Not that I'm not grateful, but I'm not looking for a coltfriend." He laughed again, it was was almost a child like laugh, unrestrained but some how soft.

"No offence to you or other bats. But I don't think you'd be marefriend material for me. Though probably good friend material. Name's Disc Jocky." He held out a hoof. "Just doing this because most ponies coming into the city don't normally have their eardrums nearly ruptured or are thrown eight meters into asphalt. You need a pick me up."

"Lapis." She shook his hoof. "And I guess I do. I'll pay you back for lunch when I can." She leaned against the rail as she moved along the bridge, Disc walked next to her matching her pace.

"So what's your poison?" Disc asked as they headed along, despite them still being on the bridge there was a large bazaar of tents and shacks set up. Ponies moved to and fro, and callers called out into the chaos trying to bring more ponies to there establishments.

"My what?"

"Your poison, your food? Though some of these places probably can't tell the difference between those two. Even with a dictionary."

"I'll eat whatever, though you're not really selling up the food in this place. How about salad."

"I know a place, nice little shack over here." He led the way into the shanty she was about to follow him when all of a sudden everything went bright, Lapis closed her eyes as she lost her sight.

"What just happened?" She tried to open her eyes everything was bright and she felt warmth on her back. "What the what's going on?" She looked around.

"The sun's out," Disc answered from just in front of her. She looked up, her pupils became thin slits as she gazed into the azure sky above them. She felt her jaw go slack and her bat wings pulled away from her body just a bit. She could hear Disc laughing at her reaction. "First time is always something isn't it?"

"Yeah." She breathed looking up at the few holes in the cloud curtain, and fighting the urge to look at the sun. "It's so amazing."

"Yeah, you get used to it." She looked back down to him. He sounded different saying that, almost remorseful. He wasn't looking at her, or the sky, or the bazaar but looked off to the east and the Untouched City. When he noticed her staring at her he gave her another smile. "If your done looking at the sky, let's head over to the salad shack."

"You okay?" Lapis asked, surprised she actually cared about his answer. She cared about pony even one's she'd never talked to, but it was scary how easy this stallion made himself her friend. "I mean you looked kind of sad there for a minute."

"I'm fine just thinking about thing going on back home." He gestured her into a small shack that was on the edge of the bazaar about half a kilometre from the toll booths. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the change in the light level.

"Disc I see you found another friend." A gravely voice said. "It's been a while since I've seen a bat pony."

"Yeah, she's new to town, Old Timer. Had a worker's ticket, and still got exploited by those toll guards." Disc sat down at a table. "So I'm buying her lunch now, and she'll pay me back later."

"Well at least you brought her to my shack." Once her eyes adjusted she saw Disc sitting on an old lawn chair. He was waving her over. Next to him was a pegasus ghoul. "Come on over and have a seat, what do you want to eat?"

"I'd like a salad please." She sat down.

"And you Disc?"

"I'm good." He passed the ghoul several caps. "Old timer here has been around since things started rebuilding around here. He know's all the in's and out's of the city. So I'm curious, you got a work's ticket, who are you working for?"

"I'm going to be working as an assistant jewelry maker under Mr. Fortiis." She answered almost immediately a plate of greens was put in front of her. "He was really impressed with my work, when he traveled by my colony town a year ago. A couple of months ago I got my worker's ticket."

"Fortiis is a good stallion, a bit of a weirdo, but he's a good boss, from what I've heard." There was a loud beep.

"What was that?" She looked around.

"Sorry that was my Pip-pad."

"Your what?"

"Pip-pad." Disc grabbed a tablet looking device from his saddle bag. "It's like a pip buck but you don't have to wear it." He put it on the table. "Hey sis."

"Hello brother, other child of our mother!" A slightly staticy sing song voice cracked out of the device. "Hey where are you at right now?"

"I'm with a friend at Old Timer's shack."

"You know that's not my name you little shit." The ghoul pegasus glared at him from the other side of the shack. Disc just waved an acknowledging hoof.

"A friend friend or just somepony that you just met?" Lapis raised an eyebrow, so this wasn't an uncommon occurrence for him.

"I just met her, her name's Lapis, and I don't want to hear you criticizing my friendliness given that you've had more coltfriends than I've had meals in my life." Lapis raised an eye brow at that, there was a small pause before the machine crackled back to life louder than before.

"Lapis. Awe so cute you've got a crystal pony marefriend!"

"Friend that is a mare."

"And I'm a bat pony not a crystal pony." Lapis chimed in there was another long pause from the devise.

"Oh exotic taste you got there brother. And sorry for being so loud."

"Right look Dub, what do you want?"

"Right I need you to buy a few things for today, ten healing potions, a couple of bandage rolls and a good bit of bard wire, and maybe something soft to." Lapis' ears perked up as the other mare's voice became soft.

"Oh shit, that's today, yeah I can grab the stuff." He got up. "I'll see you around Lapis, good luck," He put half a dozen caps on the table before rushing out. "See you Old Timer."

"For the hundredth time my name's Lonesome Road." The ghoul yelled after him. "Pain in the arse." The ghoul walked over and picked up the caps.

"Is he that way to everyone?" Lapis asked finishing her small salad.

"Yeah, he runs around and befriends everypony that he can." The ghoul answered. "He's been doing it for a good number of years now, help's ponies ease into city life, then once they finally get the fucking hint he helps get them out."

"What's that supposed to mean, everypony tries to get in here when they can." Lapis looked up from her empty plate. "This is End of the Line, the Untouched City. A place that hasn't been touched by the bombs or the wasteland." She jumped as the ghoul laughed in a hacking and rough vocie.

"Oh yes a fairy tale of a city." The ghoul laughed patting her on the back. "But that's the rub, squeakers, it's just a fairy tale." He patted her back still hacking up his rough laughter. "Sure the bombs never touched that hellhole of a city, they never needed too. Outside of Fillydelphia or Tarturous, you won't find a more hellish place. Do yourself a favor squeakers take these dozen caps and walk back to where your from. It'll save you a lot of fucking grief."

"It can't be that bad." Lapis looked up at the ghoul.

"You won't last a week. I'd bet these caps on that."

"Deal." Lapis stood up and shifted through her saddle bag at the bottom underneath a black bandanna she found her sunglasses. "I'll be back in a week to pick those caps up." She walked out of the bar and back out into the sunlight, and continued down the bridge.

The sun continued to filter through the ever thinning cloud curtain, until when she finally arrived at the other end of the bridge, the cloud curtain was completely gone. Even with her sunglasses she had to squint to keep the light from hurting her eyes. She brightened up though as she saw the large stallion that seemed to tower over all the rest of the crowd. "Mr. Fortiis!" she called waving her hoof.

"Ah, yes Lapis, good day it is that you finally make it over." Fortiis moved through the crowds with ease, the ponies and griffons moving out of his way as the large gray stallion made his way toward her. "I heard from bird that you were here, but bird is notorious liar, unlike dog, you can always trust dog. So I come to see if bird told truth for once. It seems bird did. This is good." He walked up to her and hit her back with a hoof, in what was meant as a pat on the back. "You are ready to see new place of work yes?"

"Yes sir." Lapis smiled and nodded following beside him. As he led her toward the city. The large buildings were everywhere most of them were postwar architecture, made with whatever material could be found most were made of thin wood or metal, older ones were made of converted train carts, but even this close to the bridge she spotted several large prewar structures. Most of the ponies here looked like normal wasteland town ponies, but there were so many it actually felt like she was in a prewar city, like she saw in the history books.

"That is the spirit." Fortiis 'patted' he back again, she winced a bit, but her smile stayed genuine and fully plastered on her face. He led her down the bustling streets. "You can start tomorrow I found you good apartment to stay at in walking distance to work. Then we go look at shop it will be great."

"Thank you sir. I can't wait to get back to work." Lapis trotted just to keep pace with his walking speed.

"Ah yes good you are hard worker I like that in ponies I hire." He led her down the street to a series of prewar buildings. They all looked like brick cubes each was four stories high, and had windows, most being boarded up, evenly spaced at about one every ten meters. "This is your new neighborhood, I know it doesn't look like much, but that is because it was built during the height of the war so sadly they aren't much. But it is inside where it counts."

"So these are like diamonds in the rough."

"Oh good heavens no these are peat coal, most definitely peat coal. But they are safe so they are good." He laughed 'patting' her on the back causing her to stumble forward.

"Safe sir?" Lapis asked looking confused. "I thought that the entire city is safe?"

"Hahaha. No," he answered flatly, "this town might look all nice and pretty but do not go out at night if you do, do not go alone at night, at least not for the first year anyways. Once a good number of ponies know who you are then you'll be okay. After all if somebody from the Big Thirteen tries to snatch you, you can't count on the Disco Do-Gooder to save you."

"Big Thirteen, Disco Do-Gooder, sir?"

"Oh yes, so Big Thirteen are a reference, to the Cartels and the three industries that are total ass hats. You should avoid them at all cost. As for Disco Do-Gooder, he is okay, long time friend of mine. He runs around and does a lot of good for ponies, fights crime, tries to help where he can, but he can only be in one place at a time, and this city is far to big even for a hyperactive colt like him."

"I didn't know about any of this?"

"It's all known here, but yeah saying oh hey did you know that there is a massive kidnapping, pony trafficking, and slave trade." Ptooi. "Those bastards at the Red Moon Cooperation are real bad ponies." He looked down at Lapis. "You should be fine here this place is safe for the most part from their influence."

"But this is End of the Line. It's the Untouched City right?" She paused the pegasus ghoul's laughter playing back in her head, 'Oh yes a fairy tale of a city, but that's the rub, squeakers, it's just a fairy tale.'

"Oh yes untouched by the bombs, but the wasteland, or rather soul of the wasteland, that was probably born here. So yeah you should keep your head on you, but you seem like smart mare, and hard worker too, that is why I hired you and had you brought here." Fortiis hit her on the back again as she deflated. "This is big, big town, you can easily avoid the bad things here. Besides we all try to make it a little better."

"I know I will sir, and I'll do more than try."

"Ha, that is spirit. Ah yes this is your apartment, it looks cheap, because it is, but is free for you so hopefully that is good." He walked into one of the large brick cubes that housed the residents of this part of the city. Lapis followed in behind him. The first thing she noticed was how dark it was it took her eyes nearly a minute to adjust. If only it took her nose that long to adjust as well. The smell nearly made her gag a noxious mix of cigar smoke, unwashed pony, and possibly even mold. Her ears flopped down and visibly deflated. "Do not be sad this is best complex on this street, and look they still have some of the original carpeting. Come now we'll go see your room."

"This is one of the best?" She looked around. Three ponies were in a dark corner strung out on Med-X. Another two unicorns were sitting forlornly at on a couch with black bags under their eyes for clear lack of sleep. she grimaced, on her journey here she'd seen slaves in better condition, even before she helped them. Fortiis was right about it still having some of the original carpeting, grey blotches of the stuff lay loosely attached to the concrete floor.

"Well yes. I got you best safest place that was close to shop." Fortiis started heading to the stairs. "I got you best room to, still has window with glass, a bit dirty but you can easily clean up. In day or two." Lapis tried to smile and follow her boss up the stairs. They went all the way to the top, passing several ponies strung out on one landing, and a small colt and filly trying to sleep in the corner of another one. The top floor was in no better state than the bottom three. "We have top floor so that you don't have ponies above you doing all night parties."

"I'd just be happy if there were parties." She followed him to her room after he unlocked it he gave her the key. "Go in is goodish room." She hesitantly opened the door, and walked in.

Inside the room the carpet lay in thin patches scattered all over the place. The room was lit by four evenly spaced bare light bulbs hanging form the ceiling. The window was on the opposite wall covered with nearly two centuries of grim and muck. The furniture was worn, and there were several stains on the couch that was against the wall and the mattress in the far corner. In another corner were the toilet and shower, no walls separating them from the rest of the room, not even a curtain. By wasteland standards this was pretty good, there was even a fridge in the kitchen whether it worked or not didn't matter it was a fridge. But compared to the expectation she had for the fabled Untouched City it was just a little much. After a few minutes Lapis finally swallowed the lump in her throat.

"It is a good room, yes?" Fortiis asked.

"I mean, yeah, it's good," she said.

"You say it is good with your word, but everything else is saying is bad."

"I don't want to come across as ungrateful Mr. Fortiis sir." She looked up to her new boss. "It's good it's just. Not what I was hoping for from here. I thought that this place really was untouched, like a prewar city, you know. So, reality is kind of hitting me hard right now." She started walking around. "Do you think the window will open?

"Right now probably not. But I am good friends with a little repair pony, I'll send him by tomorrow so he can work on it once you get off work." He smiled. "Speaking of Baba Yaga I'll show you the shop. I promise you, it will certainly live up to expectations, and you'll be making jewelry out of a lot better materials than just smooth river rocks." She couldn't help but smile at that. "That is a real smile, I'm glad to see you are happy to work."

Fortiis hadn't been joking that his shop was within walking distance. It was just two blocks from her new home; in fact if his repair pony was able to fix her window so it could open she would probably be able to just glide in to work. Though given the number of pegasi and griffons she'd seen she'd need to figure out how to close and lock it again. While her apartment and the city as a whole were complete let downs the jewelry shop was not. It was furnished with glass cases in which were jewels of all kinds and sorts, not just replacement spell gems and talismans, but actual diamond rings and gold necklaces and bracelets. Working behind one of the glass cases was a light blue unicorn buck with a ginger mane. He smiled and wave at the two of them

"It's amazing." She waved back, as she looked from glass covered display stands to shelves with gems and velvet display necks adorned with silver necklaces.

"Yes is very nice but please hold in amazement until after you see the workshop." He led her behind a counter and into the workshop, every tool she had heard of and some that she hadn't were in the large workshop. On one of the walls were several lock boxes everywhere else were polishing stations, cutting benches, sanders, there was an entire shelf crammed full of just sizing instruments. Lapis was prancing in place. Like a foal at Hearths Warming.

"Eeee! I get to use these?" She smiled ear to ear. "All of these."

"Yes, 24 Karat will train you on these starting tomorrow, and after a week you'll work seven hours in here, and one hour on sells." Fortiis patted her back hard again.

"Can I start today! Pleeeeease!"

"I mean you can if you want, but you can't work the machines until, 24 Karat comes in tomorrow. Why not go home and get rest, surely you are tired after long walk here."

"Well I guess I can wait for tomorrow, do you know a cheap place to grab dinner sir?"

"Cheap, didn't you get your 500 caps moving pay?"

"I did but, one of the toll ponies took it." Lapis looked down at the floor.

"What you had worker ticket." It was the first time she saw Fortiis look upset.

"They said it was a ticket fee or something and took all my caps."

"Well I'm glad you told me this, I'll file a complaint until then here are thirty caps, you can get a good sandwich from the food cart two streets north from here. Have fun." Fortiis pushed her out of the warehouse shutting the door between them.

Lapis rested on her couch as she tried to watch the sunset though the crusted grim on her window. She was still a bit hungry, she'd planned on eating her sandwich in her room, but the colt and filly on the landing looked so hungry, she didn't mind going a night without food, not when those two looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks. The smiles that they gave her made her feel like a million caps. She looked over to the other side of her dingy couch. Her saddle bags lay there. "Hmm. If the towns to big for one hero. Maybe two could help out."

She slid off of her couch and started digging though her saddle bags eventually pulling out a midnight blue leotard with a black collar, in the middle of which was a little sapphire. She put it on and then pulled out a yellow belt and got it around her, followed quickly behind two thigh high black socks on her hind-legs. Two regular socks on her front hooves. She slid two boxing socks onto her hind hooves over her thigh highs, and to boxing shoes on her front two. With a grin on her face she dug out a bow, some shock arrows, and then last of all her mask a black bandanna with two eye holes cut out.

"It's time to make the fairy tale town real. One night at a time." She smiled tying it around her head and flicked her midnight blue mane to the side. "Time to go."

She snuck out of the building onto the roof, and waited for night fall. Before moving out gliding from building to building, as she looked for anything she could help with. The once busy streets where now completely abandoned. It was strange that the once bustling streets were now completely empty, she looked around before something caught her attention. Her eyes focused on movement below. She stopped and watched the alleyway intently. Nothing moved for nearly a minute, then in a blur a young unicorn stallion burst out of the alleyway galloping hard across the street. They dove into the shadows of the opposite alleyway. Her ears perked up at another noise.

"What was that." A mare voice came from the street on the other side of the building. Her eyes flashed to the alleyway the young stallion had run out of. Two figures started moving through it. "Could it have been a rat?"

"It doesn't hurt to check, it might be a pony that stayed out to late for their own good. That would be fun." The second shadow was clearly a stallion. They walked out of the alley way and into the road. The two of them were wearing combat armor and flak vests. The mare tapped the stallion and pointed to the ground. Lapis followed her hoof to some muck that went all the way across the street to the other ally.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." the mare floated out a bomb collar. Lapis' eyes narrowed on the two of them, and she pulled out and loaded her bow. "And I promise we won't hurt you to much."

"She only speaks for herself." The stallion laughed moving toward the alley. "Run or hide, your numbers up, runt." The stallion leaned into the alley way. The was a bang, and the stallion flew out into the street. landing on his back. The young unicorn stallion ran out of the alley and bolted down the street, neither the pony snatchers nor Lapis paid them any mind as another young stallion limped out of the alley. He was white earth pony with a neon pink mane and tail. His eyes were behind a pair of glasses. He was wearing a blue body fitting suit that went from his neck down to his hind hooves, with a purple strip going down the middle front part of his suit. His front hooves where in socks that cut off just under the shoulder, with purple compression sleeves around his calves. On his front right hoof was a modded displacer hoof.

"Shit." The mare looked back to her partner keeping an eye on their assailant. "You okay."

"Yeah my night just got better, I've been wanting to fuck up this up start for a while. And look he's limping, you think you can take us on while you can't even walk straight? Fuck you." The stallion got back up to their hooves grabbed a crow bar with his teeth.

"The bounty on his head is what. 8500 caps." The mare floated out a cattle prod. "I could have some real fun with that. Sorry Colt Wonder, but you should have minded your own business. Now why don't you put on the bomb collar and come quietly?" Lapis lined up her shot and fired from the roof. The shock arrow hit the stallion in the back of the head. There was a loud crack as the taser arrow head went off, and the stallion hit the ground like a lead brick. "What the fu-"

"Party Bash!" The Disco Do-Gooder lunged forward and the mare was sent flying into the wall of one of the shops. "I'm not really a quiet stallion." He stomped on the bomb collar with the displacer hoof snapping the device in half. He pulled out a couple of ropes and shackles. Lapis sat on the roof and watched as he tied and shackled the two pony snatchers. Before he looked back up to her and waved her down.

Lapis smiled and waved him up. He slowly limped into the shadows of the alleyway a moment later she heard him coming up the stairs of the fires exit until he finally got onto the roof. "The Disco Do-Gooder, I take it." She looked him over. He was a couple years younger than her, maybe eighteen or nineteen years old, but his equipment looked like it was painstakingly kept up, especially the displacer hoof. His face was soft, but unmistakably a stallion.

"Yes." He nodded. "And you are?" he asked studying her just as much as she was him.

"I'm Sapphire the Crystal Archer." She smiled walking around him. "And do I get a thank you for saving you?" she asked playfully.

"I wasn't aware that I needed saving." He turned around on the spot. "I could have taken those two easily." He smile just as playfully. "But all the same thanks for the help. Pony Snatchers are a constant threat out here. It's nice to have some help. This was my third pair tonight." He looked passed her to the heart of the city. "Could you help me drag those two to the station."

"Sure. I'm not passed a little manual labor. So which one of you're little scraps gave you that limp?" She asked spreading her wings.

"I got it during my sparing actually."

"If you've been doing this for any amount of time, you should know better than to run around to fight thugs while you're injured." He shrugged.

"The filly, two mares, and that last stallion wouldn't still be safe if I did." He started heading down the fire escape. Lapis rolled her eyes, and with a hop glided down to the two pony snatchers.

"If these two work for the Big Thirteen won't they just be bailed out?" She asked starting to drag the mare behind her, as the Disco Do-Gooder took the stallion.

"No, snatchers like this are just standard slaver thugs. Sure they do business with the Big Thirteen, but their not counted as members of the cartels or the cooperations. He looked over at her. "Trust me if they were we'd still be fighting and it wouldn't be as one sided as this one was." They turned a corner and found three griffons in sheriff dusters, with riffles waiting.

"Thanks for the help fancy hooves." The griffon nodded and the two other griffons took the snatchers off their hooves. "I just got off the Pip Pad with your handlers, and we're locking this area down. They want you to pull back." The griffon looked at Lapis, "who're you?"

"My name's Sapphire the Crystal Archer." She smiled. "I'm new in town, and happy to help."

"Right because that's all we need. Oh well, thank for the help I suppose. Now go back to your house this area is under an official curfew now."

"Right, well bye for now I guess. It was nice meeting you Disco. See you." She took off her darker clothing soon disappearing into the cloud covered night sky.

Lapis rested on her couch relaxing after her first day, despite her dingy apartment, the truly vile part of the city, she now called, home, and the fact that she again had given her sandwich to the colt and filly one landing down and would again go to bed hungry, this had been a near perfect day. 24 Karat had taught her how to use all the cutters and had let her have a go on them an hour before her shift was over. Now all she had to do was wait for the repair pony that Fortiis had called over for her to fix her window. There was a knock at the door.

"Repair pony."

"Coming." Lapis hopped off and opened the door. That was odd that voice sounded rather familiar. She opened the door and froze. She stared at a young white earth pony stallion with neon pink mane and tail, and red eyes. He stared back at her.

"It's you!" they said in unison.

Author's Note

Fortiis belongs to Tuftee, used with permission

Chasing a Dream of Light

"So how long have you been in the vigilante business?" Lapis asked as Fluid Moves worked on fixing her window. She couldn't believe that she'd meet him outside of his alter ego, but then again this was the repair pony that Fortiis had hired, and her boss knew him as the Disco Do-Gooder too, so it wasn't to far out of the ball park for her.

"For about a decade," Fluid answered taking the dirty window pane down and grabbed one that looked brand new. "Ever since my parents died." Lapis sat up at that.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I've come to term with it, and I'm working on resolving it." He put the thick pane of glass into the new frame that he made for it. He looked over his shoulder to Lapis, his eyes were oddly calm. "What about you, what happened to make you want to be a hero?"

"Ponies need one." Lapis answered after a long pause. Fluid smiled and nodded at her answer. She blushed, it felt really good to get approval from a peer. Not a law pony that thought she was just a weirdo with a tights fetish, but a fellow 'power pony' for lack of a better word. "The colony town I grew up in was a big one, maybe eighty thestrals and about a dozen ponies. We lived in a cave and were always fighting with hell hounds; one of them was a real psycho like demented raider tier psychopath. The mask helped me not be me, I was able too be like one of those heroes in the old comics. And I fought him and won. It felt so good to help everyone, and they needed me then, so I just kept going. You know."

"Yeah I get it." He nodded.

"It's nice to finally be able to talk about it to a pony that doesn't think that I'm just a crazy pony in an old Nightmare Night costume." She sighed contently leaning back watching him work.

"I get that too." He laughed, as he cocked the new window with a wonder glue mixture. "I can't tell you the number of times I've been criticized for my choice of apparel. But it's not as cumbersome as actual armor, and I can fight in it, so I don't see the problem."

"Yeah, and I just saved your caravan from a pack of raiders, for free, the least you could do is not call me a freak." Lapis gestured with her hooves. "Is it so hard to just be happy and thankful."

"Yes, ponies like that are the absolute worse, or the ones that you save only then to turn around and try and mug you, or something?"

"You're preaching to the choir colt wonder, I can't tell you how often a scummy buck tries that nonsense. And I can never figure it out. I mean you just watched me kick the asses of ten raiders, you couldn't even handle one, but when I turn my back to fly away you suddenly think you can take me?" Lapis laughed. "Luna, it's nice to be able to talk about this stuff to somepony that finally gets it." She sighed and leaned back in her sofa her stomach grumbling. "Hey I know it's an odd question Fluid but, ah. You wouldn't happen to know an eat in diner that would be open this close to sundown would you?" I keep giving all my take out to the colt and filly that sleep on the landing." Lapis looked out her window it looked like only an hour until sun down.

"I mean I wouldn't mind you coming over to my place. It'll take some time, but I could introduce you to the rest of my team." He offered as he set in the window seal.

"Team?"

"Yeah team, I work with a group of ponies that help keep both myself and this city safe, and I'm sure that they would like to meet you too." He began putting his things back into his bag.

"Aw, did you tell them all about the pretty bat pony that saved you butt?" Lapis smirked.

"Actually no, my handlers found out about it in the paper. The sheriff gave a statement about how a second masked vigilante had assisted in the capture and arrest of half a dozen snatcher." He sighed. "The two of them gave me an ear full, about how dumb I had been going out in my state."

" Well that's good because it was dumb." Her stomach growled again. Lapis chuckled a little bit "You know normally I don't go with stallions I just met especially back to their place, but I'm hungry and you owe me one."

"For the last time, thank you, but I had it," Fluid countered playfully.

"Right, sure." She got up and stretched. "And Oliptera's really are just flying mice. But if you're inviting me to your place for dinner I'm not saying no. But we should probably hurry, the sun's already low in the sky as it is." Fluid nodded, leading the way out. Lapis followed him at his side. The two of them headed down the street heading north.

Lapis could only stair in shock, her jaw slightly agape, at the building that Fluid led her to. It was on the outskirts of the north western edge of town. A large prewar mansion sitting on a hill, even from the front gate she could hear the sea the separated Equestria from the Griffon lands. Everything was in pristine prewar condition, the grass was even mowed and green. She looked between him and the mansion and then back to him.

"You live here?" She pointed to the mansion. "Here. In a mansion. That mansion?"

"Yep, that is my family's estate. My family were low members in the prewar aristocracy, but aristocracy none the less, it did come with it's perk apparently, this mansion and its security being one of them." He continued walking the gates opened automatically for him. "Come on, are you hungry or are you just going to stand there and gawk?" He asked with a playful smirk.

"I can't believe you're loaded?"

"Sort of." Fluid walked up to the gate which opened automatically for him, Lapis following at his side. The two of them walked up the old cobble path up to the mansion. As they approached the front doors of the mansion they opened for them. A protectopony stooped to the side of the door.

"Welcome back young master, is this your guest?"

"Yes and thank you 41fr3d," Fluid said Lapis gasped again as she walked into the mansion, not just was it pristine on the outside, but it looked like she had stepped back into time. The mahogany walls were clean and looked brand new. The marble flooring looked like it had been polished just this morning, even the carpet looked full and soft. The colors were full and vibrant, and nothing looked like it was about to fall apart. She looked around, this couldn't be real.

"I must be dreaming."

"No, this is all real, Welcome back kid." Lapis' ears shot straight up. She looked to the stairs standing on the landing. "I thought it was you when I read the paper. This sucks, my sister's going to give me a lot of crap about this." Disc Jocky gave her a smile as he started walking down the stairs to them.

"You two know each other?" Fluid asked his turn to be surprised.

"Yeah we met yesterday right after I got passed the toll section on the bridge. Thanks for lunch by the way. I hope you don't mind but I'm munching supper off of Fluid tonight, so I guess I owe you guys, two meals," Lapis said. "I'm kind of curious what was the bard wire for?" Disc's friendly eyes became cold and steal like sending a shiver down her spine for breaking some unspoken faux pas.

"Drop it and don't bring it up again," he said bluntly before shifting back to his friendly and inviting smile so fast it should have given him whiplash. "Now lets go to the dinning room, I'm sure Ash, Jet, and Dub, are starving." He lead the way Fluid and Lapis to a large dinning room.

There was a large table, of polished wood in the middle of the room. Against the wall were massive windows that went from floor to ceiling, giving a commanding view of the grounds. The room was so grand she almost missed the four ponies sitting at the table. The oldest of the four looked just like Disc, but she had a bit more of whimsical look in her eye, and the second that she locked eyes with Lapis her lips curled into a playful smile. Lapis braced herself for the teasing that was doubtless going to involve her. The other three were close to the same age as Fluid, late teens, maybe two years into their twenties. One of them was looking over his shoulder his back having been to them as they walked in, he was an earth pony with a rust brown coat and an orange mane. The other colt at the table, was a pegasus, with a small teddy bear resting on the table in front of him. His coat was a light brown, with a two tone red mane and tail. The pony sitting next to him caught her attention, she wasn't a pony, but a changeling, an orangish body, and an ashen gray mane. Her wings weren't like the wings of the hoofful of changelings she'd seen before, her wings were more like those of a pegasus.

"Hello Fluid, I see you met brobro's marefriend before me."

"Friend that is mare," both Disc and Lapis said causing everyone in the room to laugh.

"I'd tell you about Dub's coltftriends, but I wouldn't finish until breakfast."

"Hahaha." Dub exaggerated, "That was so funny, brobro. Come on Lapis take a seat and tell us about yourself dinner is going to be a while." Lapis smiled and took a seat next to the rust brown earth pony. Fluid sat between Dub and the pegasus, and Disc sat between her and his sister. "Seriously though, tell us about yourself, Fluid didn't know much about you this morning, and I want to make sure you're not some scumbag in disguise, not that I think you are but still, you wouldn't be the first stinger the Big 13 sent after us."

"What do you mean stinger?"

"You know sleeper agent. Like what Pinkie Pie was, as double agent that gets really friendly before springing their tarp. We've had to deal with Pinks before."

"For the last time Rusty Pinkie wasn't a Zebra double agent." Dub groaned, "But yes that's what a stinger is, the Big 13 had a real nasty one try to infiltrate us a couple years ago, so please tell us about yourself." Dub smiled.

"Well I'm not a stinger, I came here to work with Mr. Fortiis. I wasn't even aware of the Fluid until Fortiis told me about him, and then when I met him last night."

"She is telling the truth." A robotic voice said. "Also, dinner is served." The robot returned carrying several plates. There were salads, soups, stuffed vegetables, and a cake. Lapis' stomach grumbled loudly.

"Okay okay fine, if 41 vouches for you then you're good. And you sound hungry too, so let's chow down." Dub smiled floating over a salad. The others grabbed plates, "Go ahead grab a plate or two nopony's going to judge you." Lapis didn't need telling a second time she gabbed a bowl of soup and a plate of stuffed veggies, and dove in.

"Good?" Disc asked.

"Delicious." Lapis nodded. "What's that noise?" She looked up at a high pitch beeping coming from the rust colored earth pony sitting next to her. The colt pulled up his modded pipbuck and started flipping through the prompts, cutting off the beeping.

"Uhm Dub, do we have a job tonight?" he asked looking past Lapis and Disc.

"No." The Mare shook her head. "Why?"

"I think we just got one, western side of town there was a big group of snatchers, It's bad really really bad. I think they're trying to smoke this new hero out." He gestured to Lapis. "We're going to do something right?" Fluid got out of his seat.

"Yes we are," Fluid said. "I'm going to grab my stuff."

"Right Ash grab your stuff too." Dub nodded. "Rusty find out the numbers that we're going up against."

"Jet get medicine lot's of it." Disc got up. "Do you have your stuff on you?" He looked to Lapis.

"No I don't normally carry my things on me, they're all in my apartment on the western side of town," Lapis answered getting out of her seat. "I could get back to my place in a few minutes if I fly as fast as I can."

"Right wait for Ash she'll run cover for you." Disc nodded. "Rusty you have a head count yet." Rusty looked up from his pipbuck.

"About eighty upward estimates are just touching triple digits." Rusty looked up to Disc, "The sheriff is raising all kinds of hell; he want's everyone on the streets now." Ash the changeling ran back into the room, she was wearing something a kin to a suit with a white shirt, a magician's hat, and a pair of reflective glasses. Fluid was back in his suit, and the pegasus returned with two large medical saddle bags. Once they got back Dub ran off to the stairs going up.

"Ash you're going with Lapis to get her stuff, you're going to be going ahead of us so stay smart while you're out there. We'll follow you as fast as we can."

"Right good luck." Ash nodded.

"Good luck," Lapis repeated as she and the changeling galloped out of the mansion and took to the air as soon as they were out of the door. They were just entering into the city when they fell under attack by two pegasi in thick plated combat armor.

"Shit get to safety. I've got this." Ash's wings caught with green fire which she lobbed at the two pegasi forcing them to break off. "Good luck and don't be late we're going to need all the help we can get!" She charged after them not letting up for a second.

Lapis flew low in the shadows between the buildings after that, screaming and gun fire could be heard everywhere, she landed on the roof and rushed into her apartment. She grabbed her stuff rushing to put her suit on and get her arrows ready. She rushed out her door but stopped for a second, surely they wouldn't go into buildings, would they. The thought made gave her pause before she ran down the stairs to the landing. The colt and filly huddled into a corner. "You two come on, there's a door open upstairs go." They hesitated. "Come on!" She grabbed one inn each arm before flying up the stair and back to her apartment. "You can stay here till it's safe got it?" The colt and filly nodded. "Good, lock the window behind me." She opened her window and jumped out. She hoped none of the snatchers saw her, but that was a problem for later she could hear the fighting it was just one street away now. She flew to the roof top in the street below her several police officers were in a fire fight with nearly a dozen snatchers. The fight was maddeningly one sided. She pulled out her bow and fired a explosive arrow into the middle of the largest bunch of snatchers. With a boom a group of ten or so snatchers were sent flying in every direction away from the impact. Her efforts had certainly helped even the odds for the officers, but a moment later half a dozen rounds bit into the concrete block of a building that she was perched on.

"Up there!" She ducked dove down into cover as bullets chipped away at the roof edge. A second later she felt a painful crack in her ribs as a black coated pegasus slammed into her ramming her off the roof. Sapphire bit down hard on the pegasus' ear and twisted, a second later they collided into a dumpster. Sapphire the Crystal Archer struggled to get to her hooves, her world was a blur of pain, but even through that she could hear a dozen or so ponies charging to were she had fallen she pulled out her bow and notched the first arrow she could grab. The first snatcher appearing around the corner screamed as lightning erupted from the arrow. The next two charged her with another four coming up after them.

"Gotcha!" One of them cheered jumping on her. She slammed her head into his, the crunch of a broken nose was soon followed by the pain of having several more ponies slamming into her forcing her onto the ground. Despite her struggling she couldn't get them off of her. "You fucking bitch you broke my nose!" Was all she heard before her mind went white with pain. Her left wing stung and pulsed with pain as the stallion's hooves fell on it. She clenched her teeth with no intention of giving them the pleasure. "You should apologize."

"You first. Party Bash!" The air above Sapphire's head boomed as the Disco Do-Gooder's displacer hoof went off. Knocking three of the ponies off of her and sent them flying into the ally way. She felt the ponies holding her hind legs down loosen their grip.

"Get off." She bucked the two bucks where she knew it would hurt them. They quickly fell off of her faces scrunched up in pain. Sapphire's smirk lasted for all of two seconds before the barrel of a shot gun was put against her temple.

"Don't even try anything, now take that displacer hoof off freak show or I splatter squeaky's brains out." The last snatcher, a grey mare, glared between Sapphire and Disco.

"Bada Ban-Achu!" The Mare looked up only to have her face smashed in with thin metal rod. As a white mare landed with a grin, her yellow eyes full of playfulness as she gave Disco and Sapphire a wink. She was about the same age as Disco. She wore a khaki brown gastby hat, she also wore a khaki shirt with a blue jacket over it. She had a mask similar to Lapis' but blue, and was wearing khaki shorts. "How're you do-Achu!"

"Gesundheit." A yellow unicorn stallion walked up to them, he was a few years older than the mare, closer to Dub's and Sapphire's age. He was wearing a simple stable suit sans numbers. He sniffed. "Sorry for butting in but we're new in town just finished swimming across ocean there." He sniffed again. "Then there's this big thing. You don't mind if we join you're team do ya?"

"Honestly, welcome aboard." Disco helped Sapphire back to her hooves. "Who are you?"

"Wait you two swam across an ice cold ocean? Why?"

"Names Light!" The mare smiles before sneezing.

"Gesundheit. And my name's Dream." The stallion smiled wiping his nose. "And we did yes, we didn't have the caps for the toll, but I really don't recommend." He sniffed again. "Got a terrible cold."

"Okay, I'm impressed, I can't even stand to be in the water for more than a few minutes, I'm the Disc Do-Gooder."

"Sapphire the Crystal Archer, shit they really messed up my wing."

"Jet's a few streets down, he's got medical supplies, I need to move up. The rest of the group is making a push." He looked to the east toward the city.

"I'm going too." Light smiled. "I want to fight, the one with the highest score wins."

"I'll escort you to the Jet pony, he's an actual jet pony right with like an engine and things?" Dream asked walking next to Sapphire.

"No his name is Jet, he seems to be Disco Do-Gooders' team medic." Sapphire said walking with him away from the fighting, for now at least. "I'm, not sure how good he is this is my first time working with them, I'm new here two second day in town."

"Nice, what brought you here, promises of riches, fame, and fun?"

"No, I was offered a nice day job. I had a rude awakening when I came here. What about you two?"

"Nah, we heard that this was where the bad ponies were and we decided to come over and give it our best shot to fix it." He shrugged, and wiped his nose with a sleeve. "Sis always likes to play hero and I mean we weren't really doing anything else." The two soon walked in on a hastily constructed medical table.

"Are you okay?" Jet's head shot up as she approached. "Ash told us what happened."

"I'm fine. But some snatchers messed up my wing. Do you have something for that?" As soon as she finished the pegasus dove into his bags pulling out a shot of Med-X and a healing potion. "Thanks, you need got anything for colds?"

"Eh, I'm fine actually, fit as a fiddle no shots needed." Dream stepped back. "All good."

"Afraid of needles?" Sapphire asked as she gave herself the shot and quickly gulped down the berry flavored purple potion.

"Jabbing yourself with sharp pointy things shouldn't be anypony's first choice." He sniffled again.

"For a cold I could give you healing potion." He quickly grabbed another from his bag.

"Great give us two his sister's got a cold too, and is currently helping the Disco Do-Gooder out."

"If your heading back to him give him this." Jet tossed a dash inhaler to Sapphire, and passed a gabbing another healing potion out of his overly sized medical bags gave them both to Dream. "From reports that Rusty's getting all the snatchers are pouring into this area, there's about to be a big fight, but everywhere else is quickly turning back to law and order."

"That's great news." Sapphire nodded and headed back into the sky. "I'm heading back now."

"Hey wait for me!" Dream chugged his healing potion and bolted down the ally way back toward the sounds of fighting. "Oh and thanks for the potions kid!"

Sapphire didn't have to fly far. Disco and Light were fighting anywhere from ten to twenty ponies the only thing keeping them from being over run was the narrow alley way that they had made their stand in. The rear part of the ally was completely blocked off by a stone wall. Ash was flying helterskelter patterns in the air, avoiding the fire for eight pegasi. Dub and her twin brother Disc were firing off spells and were mostly relegated to a support roll for the actual fighting, though they did take turns shooting into large masses of snatcher; Dud with her battle saddle, and Disc with a small one shot grenade launcher that seemed to be loaded with tear gas.

"Disco! Catch." She dropped the inhaler down on him pulled out her bow and quickly joined Ash in a bid to get aerial supremacy away from the snatchers.

"That's cheating no fair!" Sapphire couldn't help but smirk as Light's complaints were followed by a sneeze. She pulled out her bow and started taking out the pegasi in the air that were trying to take out Ash. If they were treating this like a game then she was going to take the high score. Arrow one hit, two hit. The remaining six pegasi quickly readjusted trying desperately now to stay in the air as Ash lit the sky in green fire balls. Two more pegasi fell out of the sky.

"Took you long enough. Did you iron it out first?"

"Sorry it was at the cleaners and we got talking then we swapped mango recipes." Sapphire laughed as Ash blew her a raspberry. She had never gotten to banter with peers before, not like this. There was a loud boom as one of the remaining pegasi were blasted out of the sky. The last one flew off routed. The twenty odd snatchers that had been struggling too get Disco and Light were charged from the rear, as Dream led a charge with the city's police force in-tow . In less than a minute the snatchers were scattered and running. A good thirty of them lay cuffed on the ground with more reports coming in on the griffon's radio about other successful arrest going on all over the west side of town. "Well did we win?" Sapphire asked walking up to the griffon and Disco and his team of allies. The griffon nodded.

"Besides two more mask wearing weirdos showing up and an all out raid on the supposedly safest part of town I'd call this a win, we've arrested nearly half of the snatchers that pulled this stunt." He looked around. "I don't even want to know who you two are." He pointed to Light and Dream. "Don't cause trouble and your welcome to stay got it?"

"Yes sir mister police officer." Light smiled and nodded her head. The griffon just sighed.

"Just go home for now." He walked off.

"Anyway we could bunk with one of you guys? We don't actually have a place yet." Dream asked.

"Sure cutie." Dub put her arm around him. "And you can tell us all about yourselves on the way back. "Sorry dinner was bust, come by whenever you want. There's a room always open for ya." She smiled to Sapphire.

"I'm good and I will but I like where I'm at now. Speaking it's nearly midnight, I've got to go. Bye!" She flew off as the others waved. A few minutes later she landed on the roof of her building, and walked back to her door, and unlocked it. The next thing she knew a frying pan hit her in the side of the head. The pain was mercifully dulled do to the Med-X.

"Sorry!" The colt quickly backed into a corner cowering and terrified.

"Crud that hurt kid." She looked at him huddling next to his sister the two looked like they were about to piss themselves from fear alone. "Look it's okay. You're fine. The snatchers are gone. You can sleep here if you'd like?" The two looked at eachother before cowering back to the landing.

"Th-thank you." It was a soft whisper she doubted they even knew she heard it. Lapis sighed and with a smile took her mask off, followed by her suit and put them back in her bag, before flopping down on the well used mattress and blacking out.

The Nightmare Lives

Fluid Moves continued to work on the small water filtration and sanitation system that had been laying on the the desk next to his bed for several weeks. In the past week he had found a lot more free time to work on his projects and commissions. Since the Snatchers had made that last large push, they hadn't been able to muster enough terrorize the edges of End of the Line. There was a quick knock on the door. "Flu-Flu, we're going to be having breakfast soon, you have any requests?" Ash asked from the other side of the door.

"Breakfast?" Fluid yawned, looking up at the wall he saw the clock showed it was 9 AM. "Flapjacks with butter." He rubbed his eyes. He sighed putting his tools down as he got up shaking his head a bit. He walked into his bathroom and to the tub. He turned on the water on, and put his head under it. "Ah, cold! Cold." He pulled his head back out shaking it vigorously now far more awake. With one more stretch, and a quick drying off with a towel, he headed out into the hall.

Hey!" Light trotted up behind him. "Thanks for letting us stay here, 5-stars." She smiled her brother right behind her.

"Ditto." He nodded. "If there's anyway we can pay you back don't hesitate to ask." He smiled. "And if you need to grab some sleep. I'm sure my little sis is capable of helping out."

"Is it that obvious, that I did an all nighter?" Fluid asked as he led the newest sibling housemates to his dinning room.

"Yeah, you've got bags under your eyes." Light said. "Were you planning out a massive counter attack on those snatchers and completely destroying their organization?"

"Not really, Disc is the one that normally comes up with the plans, I've been trying to fix a water filtration system for the third district." They headed down the stairs.

"Disc is the stallion right?" Dream asked. Fluid nodded. "He seems like the type that would stay back and come up with the plan."

"Just like you." Light smirked looking back over her shoulder.

"Hahaha. It's just difficult keeping up with you. Something you will find out soon enough Fluid, I don't feel bad for you at all." They soon made it into the large dinning room. Ash had her disguise up and was sitting next to Jet Lag, whose teddy bear, Mr. Happy Smile Mail Bear, was resting on his head. Dub was sitting opposite Rusty, the two were deep in a conversation about computer systems. When she noticed the group walking in she waved to Dream and patted a chair next to her.

"Oh, brother's got another marefriend." Light poked Dream's side.

"Do I have to give you another noogie?" Dream gave his sister a side ways glance.

"No, my hat defends me, your noogies have no power here." Everybody had a laugh as Light held her hat closer to her head. Fluid walked over to the table Taking a seat next to Disc. Light followed her brother to the table taking a seat next to Rusty as he sat next to Dub.

"Breakfast is served." 41fr3d walked into the room balancing several plates with dozens of pancakes. The plates were placed on the table. "Are there any further requests?"

"Butter would be nice," Fluid said.

"Berries," Ash said raising a hoof.

"Oh maple syrup, you can't have pancakes without maple syrup." Light jumped up.

"Tomato juice." Rusty said.

"Tomato juice?" Dream asked, looking at the rust brown colt.

"Please don't get him started, it's to early in the morning for this."

"Why tomato juice?" Light asked.

"Because tomatoes are the only uncompromised drink left in the whole of Equestria." Dub groaned and face hoofed. "You see the Alicorns of Unity are secretly putting chemicals in the water supply and will eventually activate them turning everypony into mindless zombies." Rusty began. "Ponies that don't drink water but still drink things like orange juice, beer, or milk will also be infected because they have to use water to make those things in one way or another. But the acidity in tomatoes is just right so that the chemicals can't survive in the juice."

"Wait what about lemon juice?" Light asked being the only one at the table paying Rusty's rant any attention. Ash and Jet were giving each other lover eyes as they talked about the dreams they had last night. Fluid was checked out resting his head in his hoof, Dub's brother was going over a couple of letters.

"Lemon is just one small letter away from demon, that's why you can't trust lemons, they're an unholy tarturous spawn that escaped when Cerberus 'got distracted'." He used his hooves to make air quotes on the last part of his explanation.

"This is not normal for you guys?" Dream asked.

"Us no, him yes." Dub sighed but quickly perked up as the requested items were brought to the table. "Okay time to chow down." She floated pancakes onto everybody's plates. "No more all nighters for you." She glared at Fluid as she slathered butter and syrup on to his pancakes.

"I don't see the problem with it, let him live a little, it's not like you don't pull all nighters with all your coltfriends." Dub took one of the berries and threw it her brother. "Very professional." She stuck her tongue out at him. "And that's how you get my sister to give you tongue, Dream." A second later Half the tomato juice was poured on his head. "This is normal for us though, in case you were wondering." Disc wiped off as much of the red tomato juice as he could with his napkin as the others chowed down on their breakfast.

"I kind of was actually." Dream smirked.

"Are you planning on staying here?" Ash asked as she finished her pancakes.

"I mean if it's okay with you I don't mind. And it would break Dream's heart if we had to leave another mare friend behind." Light smiled.

"The tomato juice is only half empty Light. I'm about to pour the rest of it on you."

"You see Dream that's your problem, you're a glass half empty kinda guy. I'm a glass half full filly myself." She stifled a laugh as Rusty started cursing grabbing the glass and pulling it away from her brother's telekinesis.

Lapis was humming softly to herself as she made her way back to her apartment, things had been going extremely well for the past two weeks. She'd been finally started working on cutting real jewels and making actual jewelry. It was a dream come true. She paused at a small candy shop, with a smile she headed in. A few minutes later she was heading back to her apartment.

As she arrived in the lobby everypony was asleep even the Dash addict that was strung out in the corner, they were all twitching in their sleep as though having nightmares too. She stopped humming and continued up the stairs. The entire complex was asleep. She got to the last landing and looked around for the colt and filly. The two were nowhere to be seen. She moved slowly to her room on the top floor. Her eyes darting at every shadow or perceived movement. When she got to her room the door was slightly ajar. She paused and dropped her bags before she charged through the door. There were two high pitch screams from under her bed as she looked around. She could see two small pony shapes cowering under her bed, aside from them the room was exactly the same as when she had left it.

"You two are okay. Come on out." She sat down waving for the colt and filly to come out from under the bed. "Oh I got something for you two." She grabbed her bags out of the hallway and pulled out two chocolate bars. "Come on." She offered them to the colt and filly. "You're okay, I said you were safe here and I meant it." The two slowly crawled out from underneath the bed and moved toward her. "Do you know what happened here? I doubt that everypony in the building just decided to have a nap at the same time."

"He-he-he put them to sl-sleep." The colt stuttered his eyes darting back an forth.

"He put them to sleep who's he?" Lapis asked giving the colt and filly the chocolate bars.

"Meph-Meph-Mephistopheles." The colt stuttered shaking like a leaf.

"Did somebody call?" A high pitch laugh filled the room sending the colt and filly bolting back to underneath the bed. "You really shouldn't speak of the devil unless you want him to show up." The shadows in the room slowly flowed around the walls and floor creating the smoke like silhouette of a unicorn.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Lapis spread out her wings and stepped between the smoky mist and the two foals hiding under her bed.

"I just wanted to deliver a message." Out of the smoke and shadows a blood red unicorn with a black mane began to materialize. "Something that couldn't be misunderstood."

"Then just say your peace and get out." She glared daggers as the unicorn shifted in and out of the smoke.

"If you insist." He smiled like the Cheshire Cat as the black smoke pulled around him. "If we have to get to the point then fine. You'll get the point."

"Be-behind you!" Without even looking Lapis threw herself to the side. Just as a cane sword dug into the carpet and bounced off the concrete floor underneath.

"Shut the fuck up you little piece of shit!" Mephistopheles fired a bolt of magic under the bed causing the colt and filly to scream and shriek. Lapis charged him as he faded away, the smoke burned her eyes when she flew through it. She winced as her head hit the wall. She turned back around. The unicorn was gone, but her eyes were drawn to the bed the colt and filly were crawling out their bodies slowly turning to dust as the moved forward. The filly crumbled to into a pile of soot on her patchy carpeted floor as the colt just struggled to get to Lapis.

"Y-you said we'd be s-safe here." Was all the colt could crook out as his throat turned to ash, and his head fell to the floor rolling to her hooves as she pushed herself to the wall. "You lied, you lied, you failed, you can't save anypony. Weirdo. Freak. Liar!" the head screamed at her as it too crumbled away to dust. She curled up as the colt's head was reduced to a pile of soot at her hind hooves.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She repeated over and over again. Her world became cold as ice, and she was now soaking wet covered in blood. A few second later she had another wave of cold wash over her, she was dripping wet with it. She started hyperventilating, She was being pulled somewhere, a moment later she was submerged.

"Sn-snap out of it." The colt's voice sounded like he was above the water. Her eyes opened, it wasn't blood, it was water in her kitchen sink. She pushed her head up coughing and rubbing her eyes.

"What, what happened?" She rubbed her eyes.

"Th-the smoke." The colt stuttered. Lapis leaned over the sink panting hard as reality slowly trickled back to her. "It makes you see th-things." The colt continued. "T-to much a-and you black out."

"Like all the ponies down stairs?" she asked still leaning against the sink. The colt and filly nodded. "Right. You two know who that jackass is." She looked between them. "You knew his name."

"W-we ran h-here."

"And he followed you." The nodded. "And he wanted you to tell me what had happened?" Another nod confirmed her concerns. "Right, okay he shot at you did you two get hit?" She asked looking them over.

"N-no. He he was close."

"Okay, well I don't like leaving you here, if he comes back so for now can you two come with me we're going to go see a friend of mine. You might know him. The Disco Doo-Gooder, yeah?"

"W-we'll just st-stay here."

"And if he comes back?"

"W-w-we'll st-ststststay-" The colt started shacking as he stutter worsened.

"It's okay, it's okay." She patted him on the shoulder. "Just stay hidden okay."

"O-o-ok-k-k-kay." With a nod Lapis dragged the rest of her things into the to room and started changing into her heroine uniform.

"Lock the window behind me you two, and when I come back please don't hit me with a frying pan." She gave them a wink and bolted out of the window, heading straight for the Mansion.

A few minutes after a late lunch, Fluid led Light up to the second floor where there was a large dance hall that made up the bulk of the floor. Around the room were booths and tables and against the back wall were large speakers and a DJ spin table. "Nice dance floor, is it new or has it always been a dance floor?" Light asked as she walked on the hard wood floor.

"We've always had a dance floor, I got my cutie mark here." Fluid looked over the dance floor for a few seconds a look of longing coming over him. "I guess I might have made it a bit bigger than it used to be." He yawned then shook his head. "Anyway we use this room for training when we're not hosting parties here." He walked over to a table and picked up a wooden replica of her arnis, "If we're going to be working with each other we should probably learn each others movements, so how about a little sparring?" He tossed her the wooded weapon.

"I'm down for that, but aren't you tired?" She gabbed it. "Oh, this has a nice feel." She swung it around a few times.

"I can shoot up some Dash that should wake me up quick and fast," Fluid grabbed a Dash canister.

"What no. That's cheating! I want to see what your like, at base line if I'm going to be working with you, you can take the Dash after our first spar." She charged at him knocking the Dash out of his hoof. "If you really want to spar while your tired then you can just drink a caffeinated soda or some coffee if you really need to."

"But I don't like coffee." He sighed and shook his head. "It's fine I can stay awake and this should definitely wake me up." He walked back away back to the dance floor, he stood up on his hind legs getting into a strange fighting stance.

"You use a two legged fighting stance too? Neat!" Light smiled twirling her weapon as she balanced herself on her hind hooves and carefully moved up to the dance floor. "I haven't seen very many ponies that fight like this."

"It's a zebra stance." Fluid said, "But your's doesn't look like a zebra fighting stance."

"It's not." Light smiled ear to ear. "I managed to get a hell hound from Old Olneigh to show me how to fight on my hind hooves. It wasn't easy but I learned, and there's no risk of me losing teeth like if I had to use my mouth."

"That's a unique solution. Ready when you are." Light nodded and charged swinging her arnis as she closed the gap between the two of them. She swung hard, and Fluid dogged stepping back. She swung again, he moved to the side. "Are you still warming up or are we going to begin."

"I'm just taking it slow. No need to get to serious just yet. After all weren't you the one that said he was sleepy after staying up all night?" She swung again. There was a loud bang as he stopped the swing with a punch.

"I'm waking up."

"Good let's get started." Light smirked twirling her arnis once before letting lose a flurry of swings Fluid dodging most and kicking and punching the few that were to close to dodge. "Woah." She stepped back. "Okay, that, that was pretty cool." Light beamed. "So lets turn it up a notch."

"You're finally going get serious?" Fluid smirked back. Changing he stance going back down onto four hooves.

"You asked for it." She threw blow after blow at Fluid, who spun around like a break dancer knocking her blows away one after another, after another. "Dang that's awesome, you've got to show me how to do that." She looked at him as he got back up. He swayed from side to side before falling back down on his rump. "You okay?"

"Yeah I don't recommend doing that while tired I just got really, dizzy there for a bit."

"So you mean if I do this." She softly thumps him on the head with her arnis. "Hey I finally got you. Yea!" He fell on his back with an exaggerated cry of defeat. Light sat down with a laugh. "But that was awesome what was that thing that you just did with all that spinning?"

"That, that was called Party Polka, it's an Ministry or Moral martial arts." He groaned. "The room won't stop spinning." He lay sprawled out on the floor. "I learned it a long time ago," he said between breaths, his mood dropped a bit. "It was when I got my cutie mark."

"Could you have sounded any sadder saying that?" Light asked sitting down next to him.

"It's an old memory is all." He looked to the table with the Dash canister on it. "It's not sad at least not by itself anyways, but with all the other ones." He gave a weak shrug while laying on the floor.

"Tragic backstory storytime?" Light asked.

"No I'm good." He roll got back up. "Ready for round two?"

"Please I'm always ready." She jumped back up to her hooves "Tell you what, go ahead." She pointed to the table. "I kinda feel like a cheat fighting while you're tired. So grab some Dash and we'll call it even." A loud knocking echoed up the stairs from the main doors of the mansion. "What the heck was that?" Light looked over her shoulder.

Lapis arrive at the mansion after only a few minutes of the hardest flying in her life she banged on the door hoping they could hear her, and wouldn't be to upset about the frantic knocking. It was important. After a few seconds the door was opened by the pegasus.

"Hello, uh Ruby right."

"Sapphire, but that's not important Jet Lag I need Disco's help."

"Right come in." He turned around and bolted up the stairs. She could hear him calling to others as he flew up. Sapphire only had to wait for a minute before everyone showed up, including the two new comers Dream and Light.

"Are you okay?" Disc asked.

"Not going to lie I've been better." Lapis tried to catch her breath. "Somepony attacked my place. A unicorn. He used an illusion spell to knock out all of the ponies in my apartment complex. Do you know a blood red coated unicorn, black mane and tail, sickly green eyes."

"Sound like any of your coltfriends Sis?"

"Very funny Bro-Bro." Dub blew him a raspberry pulling out her pip-pad and scrolling though the tabs until she stopped. "Did the pony look like this?" She held it up to Lapis, Light and Dream walked around to get a look at the pony on the screen. On the screen was a wanted poster with the pony from before.

"Yes that's him. The colt said his name in my room, and he just showed up."

"Right. Thanks for not saying his name, this one has a very eerie ability show up whenever and wherever his name is said." Dub removed put down her pip-pad, "There is a range for it, though. And he's likely still slinking around the area. Well holiday's over everypony." Dub sighed. "Poor Glass is going to think I'm standing him up."

"Right Fluid you and Ash go get your things; Light if you want to join in to you can, but this isn't a small timer. He's the real deal."

"Heck yeah I'm in! Did you even have to ask?" She smiled. "I'm going to grab my things!" Light bolted up the stairs behind Fluid and Ash.

"I think I'll stay in the back with you two, I normally run support for Light anyways." Dream nodded.

"It's good to have you two with us." Dub floated a chair for Lapis to sit in for the couple of minutes it would take for the others. "Jet get to the hospital room, and grab as much stuff as you think we'll need, and if you can try and bring your chemicals to, I doubt Meph is using the same fear poisons as before." Jet nodded and bolted to the kitchen. "This is going to take little bit." Dub grabbed a seat on one of the plush arm chairs.

"You've dealt with this pony before?" Lapis asked.

"Every six months it seems he makes a move, he buys ponies from snatchers all the time, why no clue, but if we can't get them away from him, they're never seen again, not even in the slave camps or morgues, they just disappear." Dub sighed. "Bro-Bro you want to go get the things for us?"

"Yeah, Lapis, come on up with me, one of our benefactors sent you a gift. Don't think they know about Light yet or they would have probably sent her one too." Disc waved for Lapis to follow him up the stairs. Lapis nodded hopping out of the chair and following him up.

"Aww Bro-Bro's taking his marefriend to his bedroom," Dub said in her sing song voice as soon as the two of them got half way up the stairs.

"Mare that is friend," they answered at the same time looking back over at the giggling mare. Disc just rolled his eyes Lapis with a small blush. Dub just waved bye-bye to them grinning ear to ear. "Is she always like that?" Lapis asked following Disc Jocky past the large dance hall that took up most of the second floor.

"Ever since I met her. So before day one." He smiled. "But she's coping Meph's not a pony you deal with lightly, and besides, I'll let her have her fun. I'm going to get her back before tonight."

"I'd like to get in on that, anything you had in mind."

"I'm going to switch her soap for coat dye."

"That's terrible." Lapis whispered close enough for him to hear. "Make it white." Disc smiled and nodded. The two of them got to the third floor and headed down a long hallway, doors on either side as they went. In one room She saw Fluid Moves rushing to get dressed. His room was full of gizmos and inventions of varying kinds, and a plush bed with an arm chair and loaded bookshelf. They passed to quickly for her to see any of the titles though. At the end of the hall Disc turned left and stopped at another door. Disc's horn lit up and he walked in as the door opened. The room was fairly bare and very clean. With just a bed and a computer on a desk, an armchair, a dresser, and a nightstand, with another door off to the side. "You have a nice room."

"This is actually Dub's room, I'm grabbing her battle saddle. My rooms next door. We share the bathroom." He nodded to the door as he opened the bottom draw of Dub's dresser pulling out her battle saddle and two riffles.

"My stuff's in your room?"

"Dub dropped it off on me saying I was a good bluffer, and could earn good coltfriend points if I gave them to you saying I bought them for you." He rolled his eyes. "But yeah they're on my bed." Lapis nodded and walked through the shared bathroom, which was about the same size as her studio apartment, and lacked nothing. Even having a Jacuzzi tub.

"You know if you really wanted to earn coltfriend points you'd let me use your tub."

"You're starting to sound like Dub Step you know." Disc closed the dresser drawer.

"I'm just saying to use a tub like this I'd be her Marefriend. Have you seen what I have? It's a small shower that's it" She opened the door to his room, it was a lot more cluttered than Dub's room, but her eyes shot straight to the item resting on his bed. It was the most beautiful bow she'd ever seen. "Oh My EEEE!" She bolted toward the bed picking up the bow. "It's amazing! Absolutely amazing!" She looked it over. It was a sapphire blue bow with a black and yellow handle grip similar to her costume on the side facing the archer that would normally be covered up with a hoof was a small dark purple circle, inside which was a lighter purple mare with a sniper riffle, and the words 'Flyer Arms'.

"Sounds like you like." Disc walked into his room floating over a couple of telekinesis trigger pistols. "That or you stepped on a nail."

"I Love IT!" She held it in her hoof. "Composite, pulleys, it's got to have an range of at least four hundred meters. Eeeee. It's making me Eeee." She smiled looking it over smiling like a foal that got everything they asked for on Hearths Warming.

"I noticed." He smirked. "Now come on. Let's get back down stairs. Oh and try not to 'eeee' again, we don't want to give Dub any ideas."

"Oh Luna, I hope she didn't hear that first one."

"Fortunately the walls and doors are sound proof, or I might have gone crazy a long time ago." Disc smirked heading out of his room Lapis followed stifling a laugh as they headed back down. Fluid and Ash had changed into their power pony suits, Light was wearing a mask the only thing different from her normal close. "Here you go sis." He tossed Dub her battle saddle and two hunting riffles.

"Thanks Bro-Bro." She started saddling up. "Jet will be up in a moment with his supplies." She looked around at the assembled ponies. "Alright briefing time." Dub's tone changed to one of authority as she latched the last buckle and affixed the two riffles to her sides. "Meph, is a unicorn, while he uses illusion spells his real weapon is the smoke like gas that he uses. This is a high power fear gas any small amount won't cause more than a few audio hallucinations, a lung full though is enough to put you in a completely altered state of mind. Jet will be working on antitoxin in the field, so try not to get more than a few whiffs. We'll be doing a team system if your team mate get a small amount dosage that's more than audio hallucination pour a water bottle on their face, this will hopefully help." Dub looked around. "Disco, you and Light are a team, and both of you are on point. Ace of Flames, you're staying with Jet in the rear." Disco, Ace, and Light all nodded. "Disc, you and Sapphire will be a team, take the close flank on the left, you're magic will be a bit more useful than mine. Dream you'll be with me. We're going to be a bit further out, on the right flank of Light and Disco. Rusty you'll be coordinating everyone, use one of the mansion's sprite bots and keep it on my side. Any questions?"

"The ponies in my apartment complex will you be able to help them?"

"We'll head there first," Disc Jocky spoke up. "It will help Jet figure out what this new gas is, and we need to help those that are currently under the drugs influence." Jet walked back into the room saddle bags nearly overflowing as Disc finished his sentence. "Ready to go Jet?"

"I'm ready." The pegasus colt nodded.

"Alright let's move." Disco started out at a full gallop. Light followed at his side the two almost seeming to race each other to Lapis' apartment. They both arrived at the street after a quarter hour hard gallop. Light looked around as Disco caught his breath, the entire street was abandoned, and there was an eerie calm and quite that seemed to ooze around the area, there were even a few ponies unconscious in the street.

"I take it that this was his doing?" Light looked around. "Do you think he left?"

"I doubt it." Disco slowly started moving down the street. "Keep an eye out. At least until the second team gets here."

"Second team. Is lame flame going to be in that one?" Light and Disco jerked around behind them as the disembodied voice came from several of the alleyways behind them. "I didn't know that you had another new masked weirdo. Though at least this one isn't in tights." The voice came from the opposite end of the street. "So, Filly who're you?"

"Light," she answered with a smirk. "I'm here to kick you butt."

"You had me going there that you'd be sensible, with the reasonable close and name that isn't a joke, but no you're just as dumb as the colt standing at your side." Smoke began to pour from all of the alleyways on the street as Mephistopheles began to take shape from the twisting clouds of fear gas. "See if you smart you'd give up, I'd even let you run away." The smoke was beginning to pool around their knees.

"You talk a lot you know that Meth?" Light smiled standing up on her hind hooves twirling her arnis in one of her forehooves. Disco stood to his hind legs next to her taking the zebra stance he was trained in. "Now get over here and get your butt kicked in."

"I'm going to enjoy killing you." He glared at the two of them as he casually strolled forward. "Good-bye thorn in my side and good riddance." He giggled. The flash of the slowly setting sun off of shinning metal was all the warning Disco and Light had of the Mephistopheles' sword careening down on them. Light parried the telepathically controlled sword which spun and darted back down to them swinging madly in wide arcs, forcing the two of them to split apart. "Not so tough without your unicorns around are you mud colt?" Mephistopheles laughed with a sickeningly wide smile, as his sword seemingly possessed swished and thrusted at the Disco, who only barely managed to stay ahead of the glistening blade.

"Disco just um, keep doing that I'm going to try and take him out. He can't use magic while he's controlling his sword." Light charged him.

"Can't I mud bitch?" He smiled madly. As his horn stopped glowing, yet the possessed weapon continued it's maddened attack on Disco. "You don't get to die fast." His horn lit up again a in an instant all the gas around her swarmed up to engulf her. Light took one last deep breath of fresh air as the black burning smoke covered her. Her eyes started to burn and water. She put a hoof over her muzzle. Seconds began to feel like minutes as her world was reduced to a black smoky mist.

"Party Bash!" Disco fired off a pulse of noise blasting down the street and clearing away the smoke cloud covering Light.

"Thanks" Light threw her arnis into the sword knocking it away from him.

"Ditto." He grabbed her arnis and tossed it back to her moving back toward her, trying to keep his breathing under control.

"You look tired Disco, why don't you take a nap?" Mephistopheles' horn lit up, the gas surged forward warping around the two of them. They both took deep breaths as the gas pooled around them. "And this is how you deal with an annoy colt with a tights fetish." Mephistopheles laughed as his sword darted into the cloud. In moments Light's eyes were already burning and tearing up again. She groped around for Disco, the gas was starting to mess with her sense of space. Near by she heard a pained grunt, then another, and another. She moved to it. A second later she found Disco. Light grabbed him and pulled. Disco moved slowly slumping against her she felt something wet on his side. She heard another pained grunt as the sword flew by. Even in the painful gas her eyes went wide as what was happening clicked she threw him over her back and galloped hard. Her lungs burned. Her body began demanding that she give it air. She bolted out of the poisonous cloud. She grabbed another breath and jumped to the side doing her best to keep her and Disco above the growing smoke. Disco was breathing raggedly on her back but whether or not he'd breathed in the gas she had no idea. "Run run run mud bitch." Mephistopheles laughed from behind her as she skidded to a halt. In front of her the gas formed a wall from the road to the roof.

"Not good not good. Disco I really need my combat buddy back on his hooves." To her surprise he slide of her back getting back on shaky hooves. "Alright Disco." Light smirked getting back up on her hindhooves and taking her arnis out of her mouth and holding it in her front hoof again. "You're in trouble now Meth. Two on one."

"It's about quality mud horses, and I'm a tear above."

"Speaking of above look up." Light smiled helping Disco stay up right.

"Do you think I'm going to fall for that." He sneered at her in disgust.

"No you're to arrogant." Sapphire chided.

"What?" Mephistopheles turned looking to one of the roof tops and an arrow already flying at him. It hit the ground at his hooves blowing up at his hooves sending him into the side of one of the apartments. The wave of smoke broke like a wave. Disc's horn lit up as a shield encompassed Disco and Light. Sapphire fired another shot Mephistopheles parried it with the sword, the air erupted into a lightning storm.

"Sapphire leave Mephistopheles to me, I can handle him." Disc glared down at the raider. "Get this down to Disco, he looks like he needs a healing potion right now." Disc floated a two healing potions to the his partner as she grabbed them he floated out his pistols. Sapphire nodded flying off.

"You think you can take me!"

"No I know I can Mephistopheles, I'm not afraid of you, and I never will be." He opened fire on raider below.

"I'll fix that." Mephistopheles' attention shifted from the three power ponies to the unicorn on the roof the sword darting at him as the bullets flew through him as he became more smoke than pony. The sword bounced off a bright light blue shield.

"Gotcha." Sapphire grabbed both of them one in each hoof and flew them up to another roof top. She popped the corks off of the two bottles and gave each pony a bottle of the purple liquid. "Here you guys go, good job." Sapphire helped Disco get his potion down. "Sorry it took us so long, the others will be here in a little bit." She got back up and notched another arrow.

"Glad you made it when you did, I guess we'll call it even for when I saved you that last time." Light sighed in relief as she took a few sips from the healing potion, her eyes quickly started feeling better. She offered the rest to Disco who was gratefully took it. The wounds he took from the sword were closing very slowly as the potions did their work.

"Right." Disc started running along the roof jumping to the next concrete box as a wave of smoke washed over the apartment that he had been standing on moments before.

"What the matter?" Mephistopheles asked appearing out of the smoke. "I thought you said that you weren't afraid. So why are you running colt?"

"I'm not I'm just making you an easier target. Ace take him out!" Ace of Flames dived down on him on Disc's cue. Her wings burning with fire she broke her dive at the last second as the fire washed over Mephistopheles. Who again started to fade into smoke as the gas was burned away. Sapphire fired an arrow which turned to a large section of the smoke as well as half of Mephistopheles to ice.

"Argh." The trapped raider stallion turned glaring daggers at the bat pony who smirked and waved good bye to him. "I'll make you regret this one day squeak toy I swear by all the glorious nightmares of the wasteland you'll regret this!"

"You first. Take him out kiddos!" Disc grabbed Disco and Light in his magic and threw them across the street to the roof top Mephistopheles was now trapped on.

"Party BASH!"

"Badda Bang!" The two earth ponies screamed as they brought down their two weapons Disco's displacer hoof going of with a loud band and a crack of lightning, and Light's arnis coming down with a skull cracking bang on Mephistopheles. The raider was thrown to the edge of the building as his icy prison shattered from the displacer hoof's sonic boom. "Told you, you were going to get an ass kicking." Light smirked.

"You fucking mud ponies. Just you wait." He glared at them, his green eyes shrunk down to pin pricks and his black mane draping over his face. "I going to get you for this, you'll beg for death before I'm fucking done with you." He pushed off the edge of the building. Light, Disco, and Flame charged forward seeing a puff of black smoke slowly dissipating.

"He got away again." Disco sighed.

"Well at least we won." Light looked over Flame. "So where's Jet I thought that he was going to be staying with you?"

"He was but Dub wanted me to get over here to help and she and your brother are keeping him safe as he works on a cure." Ace of Flames landed next to them. "I think they're in the far building over there." She nodded to the furthest apartment complex on the street.

"What now?" Light asked.

"Well now it's up to the smart ponies, to figure out how to undo the damage that he did," Disco answered. "Not much to do except make sure that Jet's safe then get his cure to all the ponies that need it."

A few hours after sunset and all the ponies that had been subjected to Mephistopheles' toxic gas were awake and recovering. Disco and all of the others had headed back to the mansion, and Sapphire flew back to the roof of her own building and headed down to the top floor. She walked cautiously back into her room the colt and the filly were sound asleep on her couch, the wrapping paper for the chocolate bars were on crumbled up on the table. She sighed and smiled grabbing the thread thin blanket from her bed and draping it over the two of them before laying down on her own bed. More than happy to get some sleep before she was back off to work tomorrow.

Author's Note

Sigh...This goal was failed. 05/09-05/16
But will work on next time...

Lady Luck

A ghoul in a suit softly hummed to himself as he cantered through the low lit halls of the well maintained tower. Two muscular and well armed earth ponies in heavy metal armor flanking him leading him to a massive set of double doors. They stepped aside opening the doors for the ghoul stallion, who walked in with a cheerful grin. The room he walked into was well carpeted, and lit. The walls were covered in mosaics of the glories of slavery. There was a little mare collared and chained to a beautifully made pine desk, behind which sat a hard looking stallion in a suit. "Hello, how can I help you?" The ghoul asked never once losing his grin.

"I have a problem, one that requires a unique set of skills, a set of skills that you are well known for, hence why I brought you here. Please take a seat." He gestured to a chair.

"Oh. Somepony is giving the Big 13 problems?" The white ghoul sat down and pulled out a cigar. "That's interesting, very very interesting."

"Not somepony, a whole group." The large earth pony pulled out a match and offered lit the ghoul's cigar. "Before when it was just one it was amusing, a little colt trying to fulfill his parent's dream. Then he got a couple more. Not as amusing, but still the worthless colt couldn't actually be a nuisance, but now. Now there's three more. They could all actually become a thorn in our side." He leaned back and lit his own cigar.

"Colt? You wouldn't be talking about that little masked pony running around? I suppose I could get him for you. What do I get in return? I'm not a bounty hunter so the bounty doesn't interest me and 8500 caps is far to cheap for a pony of my services. Oh and I get to do it my way, no outside interference."

"Of course you can deal with them however you want just do it soon. As for reward...How's a balefire bomb sound to you." He smirked.

"A balefire bomb? the ghoul asked his face losing its smile, as he shifted to something more neutral. "I could use that sure, but It's not exactly a payment. How about that and I can keep one of the cuter hero wannabees as a slave of my very own, and you get the others?"

"If you can get me the whole lot of them then sure. You can take one with you, but I want you to make them a top priority. The next pony I'm bringing in if you don't have them dealt with by the end of the month is the Bloody Butcheress. And once she's put on the job, then there's really no stopping her. So, if you would please not play around and get them all gathered up, I would be very pleased, Royal Flush."

"Of course of course. I assure you I don't want that fiery maniac anywhere near that cute little pegasus colt anymore than you want her running around the city gutting and eviscerating everything that breaths." Royal Flush nodded. "Now is there anything else that you want me to be aware of, Mr. Subjugation?" Royal Flush asked blowing out a long stream of smoke from his cigar.

"Nothing that I can think of, just get it done in a timely manner or I can't guarantee that you'll get anything."

"It's always the risk that makes the gamble fun. Consider this thorn bush problem of yours taken care off. I'm sure I'll have them all in chains before you by the end of the fortnight." Royal Flush gave a nod before heading out his poker face going back to one of glee. "Balefire, balefire, glowing like hellfire, little colts and filly, Royal Flush is coming for you now, don't bet your soul on a hand that you can't win." He sang to himself as he trotted down the hall.

Ash trotted down the street in her pegasus disguise next to her coltfriend. Their saddlebags were filled to the brim with posters and fliers of the rave that would be taking place at the mansion over the weekend. Dub Step and Disc Jockey would be DJing the event, and Jet Lag had already whipped up nearly a hundred of all the small time drugs for the party. Now all that was needed was to put fliers up all over the place letting ponies know that Fluid was hosting it. They were taking the West side of town, putting up posters on buildings and on pole as they went along. Of course they were also enjoying a bit of window shopping as they went along. "Hey Jet know you don't normally like other ponies touching you but at the party could we have a slow dance?"

"I mean, maybe. I guess we could hold hooves." Jet said not making eye contact. "With a little Dash I'll be a lot more ready. I mean. Sorry, I know I'm not the best coltfriend in the world, but I'm working on my touching problem."

"I know Jet. Air hug!" She wrapped her hooves around him being sure not to touch him. "Now let's just forget about it until the party, and we're both good and set with Dash. If we can get any before Fluid uses it all. He's such a Dash hog."

"That shouldn't be a problem, I made sure to make twice as much Dash as anything else." Ash stifled a giggle.

"Right and I'm sure that Dash being your favorite drug had nothing to do with that decision." She smirked as she pulled out another flier and put it up on one of the old poles.

"It's not, if Fluid wouldn't take like ten Dash, and speaking of." He looked at her. "You hit it hard too." He pulled out a flier from the pile in his bag, that Happy Smile Mail Bear was resting on. "It would take a lot of Dash just to satisfy the two of you." He posted the flier to the wall of an apartment building.

"Well what can I say when my coltfriend makes the best Dash I just can't help myself in indulging just a bit." She smiled. "Besides can we have some Dash fun when we get back?" Ash put up another poster.

"Sure. If we hurry we could probably get done before Fluid gets back."

"Then all the Dash will be ours!" Ash smiled. "You keep doing this side I've got the next street. We'll get this taken care of twice as fast that way!" Jet gave her a playful salute. Ash nodded and trotted off down an alleyway to the next street over. She just got to the other street before running into a ghoul. "Unf. Sorry mister, I didn't mean to run into you there." She helped the white earth pony ghoul back up. "You're not hurt are you sir?"

"Just a little dusted up. Say while you're putting up fliers could you deliver this for me. It shouldn't be to far out of your way and we'll call it even for you knocking me down." The ghoul offered Ash a small briefcase.

"Yeah sure not a problem sir. Where am I taking it off to?"

"Just drop it off at this place here." He pulled out a street map. "It's not to far from here. Just go down the street and drop it off to the pony inside. I was going to donate this thing to it."

"Sure I can drop this off I was heading down there pretty quick any ways, sorry about knocking you down mister."

"Flush, see you filly." Ash smiled and ran off. "Thanks filly you're saving me a lot of trouble." He smiled before walking down the street toward a block apartment building at the end of the street. Inside several ponies were strung out on drugs on the apartment's couch, several more were just leaving. Flush ignored them and made his way up the stairs to the last landing where a colt and filly were sleeping. "Hello, I've been told by a friend that you know about the new bat super pony that came into town."

"Not really sir." The colt rubbed his eyes, slowly waking up. "Not more than most ponies."

"Now, now, please don't lie to me. We both know that's not true and honesty is one of the most important virtues we ponies have." Flush patted the colt on the head. "Besides, I just want to play a game of cards with her, nothing bad ever happened over a game of cards." He tapped his chin. "You know what while we wait for her why don't we play a couple of hands too?" He leaned down. "We can even play for things. He pulled out a bag and put it down. "There we go 800 caps. That's a good starting bid."

"We don't have that many caps sir." The colt said as the filly looked into the bag, which had more caps in it than she'd ever seen.

"Well in old Equestria that would have been a problem, but in this day and age, you could bet yourselves." He offered. "800 caps is a big reward, you could get food, shelter, medicine. For a reward like that you'll need to take a big risk." He pulled out two bomb collars. "Now why don't we play." He put the collars down on the bag of caps. "What do you say?"

"I-I d-d-don't w-want t-t-t-to." The filly backed away trying to hide behind her brother as he looked at the bag of caps and the two slave collars resting on it.

"We could skip the game if you just want to tell me about our bat pony friend." Royal Flush pulled out a very worn out deck of cards and started shuffling.

"W-w-we really d-d-don't know her."

"Eight hundred is a lot of caps. Enough to I don't know..." He leaned in and whispered something into the colt's ear. The colt's face dropped. "All you have to do is win one game. One good hand of cards and your fortunes flip. Now would you mind cutting the deck?" He offered the deck to the colt. The colt looked at the deck of cards before splitting it in half putting the top half under the bottom half. "There we go. I thought that would get your attention. He dealt the himself and the colt a hand.

Dub was waiting for Lapis outside of the jewelry shop. When the bat mare got out of work she was practically pounced on by Dub. "Hello, hello, are we going to go to dinner tonight?" Dub smiled, it's a little bit early but it's still not safe to be walking around town after dark. No matter how safe the streets are."

"True I guess though this part of town has still been pretty quiet ever since we dealt with that large group of snatchers." Lapis slipped out of Dub's hug. "You think they're done for a while?"

"No." The pink mare shook her head. "Sadly we've been fighting them nearly non stop on northern and eastern parts of town. They'll likely be moving back to here soon enough."

"What you've been fighting snatchers and haven't invited me? I feel left out." Lapis tried to look upset about that.

"To be fair you're the only one with an actual day job. And it takes hours to get to the Northern part of town." Dub smiled. "And Fortiis would likely get a bit upset at us if we kept his employee awake all night, besides, the snatchers we've been fighting have been fighting have been more troublesome than they have been effective, they keep trying to pull us back closer into the middle of the city, you're not missing much. I promise."

"Well since you promise then I guess I can forgive you, but if you have trouble let me know. I'm always on the watch."

"Oh I know, bro-bro and I have spotted you doing your nightly patrols around the neighbor here. Thank you for that. It's good to know if something bad happens you'll be there to keep this place safe."

"Should I be concerned that you and your brother are stalking me?" Both of the mares laughed. "Hmm? What are these things about?" Lapis walked over to a freshly placed poster on the side of one of the concrete cubes, that made one of the apartment buildings of her street. "A party?"

"Yeah, Fluid throws these at his place every so often. They're a lot of fun. Colts and drugs everywhere, and bro-bro and I do all the music. My little Flu-flu got his cutie mark at a dance party you know, he's a really good dancer, and he absolutely adores hosting them."

"You're Flu-flu?" Lapis raised an eyebrow.

"He might as well be my colt I love him like he's mine. Jet Lag, and Ash too."

"Do I not get to have a Wub-Wub mom?"

"Cute but no I can't call you mine I'd have to have had you when I was what 2 months?" Lapis stifled a giggle. "Besides it would get really odd with you being my mare-friend-in-law."

"Mare, that is his friend." Lapis rolled her eyes as Dub had her turn giggling. "You're never dropping this are you?"

"Ne-ver!" she answered with a sing song voice. "So do you have a place in mind for our early super or are we just going to be walking around?"

"I have a place in mind, they're out on the bridge, and sell salads. The owner also owes me 12 caps." Lapis and Dub headed down the bridge to the small salad shack.

"Old Timer!" Dub cheered as she walked into the shanty shack.

"That's not my damn name Dub and you know it!" The ghoul pegasus turned around and looked between the two of them. "Huh, I see that you're back. Here to collect?"

"Sure am and to have dinner." Lapis and Dub walked to a small table in the corner of the building. "I'll have the same thing that I had last time."

"Ditto." The ghoul nodded and after a few minutes put two salads on their table. "Thank you Old Timer!" Dub smiled before starting to eat.

"For the last time Dub, that's not my name."

"How many last times have you had?" Lapis asked between bites.

"I don't know I lost track somewhere around 400 and that was years ago. I think I was a little younger than Flu is now." Dub shrugged, before the ghoul gently thwacked the back of her head with his wing. "Love you too Old Timer." She laughed as the ghoul grumbled and walked away to clean the counters. "So Lapis how are things going with you?"

"I'm loving working for Mr. Fortiis he's a good boss. He treats us well and he holds us to really high standards. 24 Karat is a good teacher too. I've learned more about jewelry making in the past couple of weeks than I have in years of self study." Lapis smiled. "And working out at night is great too, even if things have gotten a bit quieter lately I've still managed to find things that need doing. I could use a break. When is that dance rave thing that you're doing?"

"This weekend. So six days." Dub looked up from her food. "I'm sure Flu would be happy to have you over, and I can bet bro-bro wouldn't mind the company either. You'll love the party, we're the best DJs this side of the Celestial Sea. And that's not just me being a braggart either."

"I'll look forward to showing up then." Lapis smiled. The two of them moved from conversation to conversation for the next half hour until Dub got up and headed out. Lapis looked at her salad for a little bit before turning to the pegasus ghoul. "Hey Old Timer could I have two more salads to go I have a couple of more or less roommates that probably haven't had anything to eat today."

"My name isn't Old Timer filly and if you get started on that so help me." He sighed. "But yeah I'll get you a couple more salads and we'll call that as the twelve caps deal filly?"

"Sure. Deal. Thank you." Lapis grabbed the two paper bags heading back to her apartment. The colt and filly weren't on the landing, but that wasn't to surprising, she'd been having them come up and eat dinner with her at her place, they might only be getting one meal a day, but it was already doing wonders for them. She walked into her room and froze. The colt and filly were both looking at her tears in their eyes on either side of a ghoul sitting in a chair at her table. Both of them were wearing bomb collar.

"Hello, Ms. Lapis, or would you prefer Sapphire the Crystal Archer, I would hate to be ruder than the situation already is. I hope that you don't mind that I let myself in. My name is Royal Flush, and I've been hired to deal with you and your friends. But I'm not a complete monster you know. I'm willing to give you a chance, after all chance and fate are so perfectly intertwined." He pulled out his deck of cards. "How about it? A game of poker."

"How about I beat your face face in?" Lapis growled. "Take those collars off of the foals right now bastard and get out of my home." Lapis glared down at the ghoul seething.

"Of course I'm more than willing to leave your home, but I'll be taking my property with me." He smiles as her slit eyes narrow down on him. "Now of course if you'd like to play a game for them."

"I said get those collars off of them and get out of my house." She took a few steps toward him about getting ready to pounce. Royal Flush just smiled and pulled out a small device, making Lapis' blood run cold and she felt her heart drop like a rock into her stomach.

"Now now I won them both fair and square." He smiled. "The only way these collars come off is if either you beat me in a game of poker, or I press this button and those collars go bang. Now do you want to play, or should I take may property to a buyer?" Lapis grit her teeth and snarled at him but walked up to the table. "There we go." He smiled shuffling the cards but keeping his hoof just inches from the detonator. "Would you like to cut the deck?"

"I'd like to cut you." She grumbled.

"I'm sure you would." Flush laughed offering her the deck. "Now because you're a bit more important to me than these two I'll make you a simple wager, win this hand and you get both of them lose it, and you put on a collar too." He pulled the deck back after she cut it. Putting another collar on the table. "Deal?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really no, oh I do love playing these games." He smiled brightly, and dealt them both a hand.

Fluid walked down the streets with Ash next to him undisguised. Ash looked over to him as they moved down the tight alleys that made up the changeling parts of town, which were normally crowded with small streets, to help imitate the hive like passages that they originated from. Tarps and canvases went from building too building to block out the sunlight to help sell the illusion. Keeping their areas covered like this also came with the added benefit that snatchers couldn't easily scout out their areas in the day, by just flying over head. Though, snatcher raids in changeling areas normally didn't work out well, hunters quickly became hunted in these areas. It was likely the changelings abducted just as many if not more ponies than snatchers did, though it was impossible to prove the rumors either way. "So are you sure that you want to help me, we both know that Mr. Obsidian is a major ass hat. Especially to earth ponies."

"Yeah of all Dub's coltfriends he's the one I'm happiest about only being a one night stand." Fluid nodded. "But you're my little sis, so if you need to have somepony here to help you out then I'm more than willing to lend a hoof."

"Well so long as you're good with it, thanks." After half an hour of moving through tight streets they made there way to a series of apartment buildings. They were similar to Lapis' apartment buildings, only instead of being four story tall concrete cubes they were three story tall brick ones. The two of them walked inside one of the brick cubes.

"I'll admit changelings really do know how to do mood lighting." Fluid said as he and Ash walked in. The interior of the building was lit with stings and small orbs of changeling goo, phosphorescent lichen, and the odd candle. Several of the changelings looked up as the two of them entered. Many of them went back to what ever it was they were doing before they had come in, not paying them any attention. One of them walked toward them.

"Miss Ash, high born elite Obsidian, has ordered that I escort you and the mud pony to him," the drone said giving Ash a small bow. Fluid put on a neutral face to the slight.

"Don't call him that. He's an earth pony." Ash said with a frown.

"I'm sorry I din't mean to use the wrong word," the drone said a little confused. "I didn't mean to offend your dirt pony. Please forgive Chitin."

"It's alright Ash," Fluid said. "It's nothing less than what I'd expect from Obsidian."

"The dirt pony should show respect and not talk to changeling unless ordered, and not be so casual to high born elite Obsidian." Chitin growled.

"I'm Fluid Moves, my family is of the prewar aristocracy, I believe that means in pony society I hold the same rank as he does in changeling society. Making us peers." Chitin grumbled to himself before turning and leading the two of them to a small, pitch black room closing the door behind him.

"Ash," a refined mid aged masculine voice said, as a light flick was switched on. A search light flooded them in light blinding them momentarily. "Welcome to my home, I hope you don't mind me calling you here, on such sort notice and for false pretense, but I need your help." After a second their eyes adjusted. The room was furnished with pristine furniture that could have been looted from a palace. While it was a studio apartment just one room, it was clear that changelings were much more accustomed to making the most of limited space, it was small, full of luxurious furniture, yet somehow didn't feel crowded. "Though to be honest I think I'm helping you out as well. You see I commissioned a piece of jewelry that should have been done by now. Fortiis is very good about deadlines, but one of his jewelers has gone missing. That same day I was contacted by somebody on how they might get to you." He looked between the two of them. "I'm a smart and well informed changeling. I know who you two are." He looked at fluid. "And what you do. One of the reasons I agreed to teach you Ash, teach you the secret things only a true elite is allowed to know, and only reason I have for letting you run around with a filthy mud pony." He held up a hoof to stop any protest. "Now this pony that is looking for you, you can find him at the old Gold Bit casino. Deal with him and get that bat mare back to work."

"And how do you know that he's responsible?" Fluid asked Obsidian remained quite looking down his nose at Fluid who sighed. "Mr. Obsidian."

"I suppose that's the best I can get out of you at the moment dirt eater." Obsidian sighed, and floated out a single photo. "Ash once you've gotten her back to work do come back with your mud pony, I do have important lessons to teach you." Fluid and Ash both glared gasped at the photo of Lapis in a bomb collar with a black eye. In a second they both galloped out of the building racing down the tight alleys and small roads. Ash pulled out the pip pad they had and shot a frantic message to the other.

By the time they got to the abandoned casino on the outskirts of the eastern end of town. They were both nearly out of breath. The others arrived finding them leaning against one of the boarded up buildings that had yet to be reoccupied. Just out of breath as they were. Dub's horn lit up with her brother's as Ash's suit and fluids floated to them becoming intangible for a second as it floated through them and then was on them.

"You two okay?" Dub asked.

"Yeah. A. A bit winded, but fine. According to Obsidian Lapis is in here." Disco Do-Gooder nodded. "You all look winded too."

"Yeah we're normally not going full speed to the other end of town." Dream panted. "And I really don't wan to again."

"Are you kidding me that was a great run, I could go for another couple of miles." Light pranced on the ground looking around. "So are we going in and kicking bad guy ass or what?"

"Whoever it is they have a hostage, we need to move slow and carefully, in all likelihood we're walking right into a trap." Disc looked at the large casino.

"So we just walk in through the front door?" Dream asked.

"we don't really have an option do we?"

"Not really bro-bro." Dub looked over the group. "So we're going to be careful and take this nice and slow, let's go. But we're not going to use the door, and risk it being rigged with something." She flicked part of her sweat matted mane out of her face before moving in her horn glowing as she and Disc led the way to the building. The twins looked at each other and with a nod their horns lit up. The plastered concrete of the casino became like clay in their magic as the warped it into an arch way. The move in guns aimed looking around. The rest of the group followed them.

The casino was well lit. At the main entrance was a large circular desk. Past that were a few steps that went down to the game floor. The game floor was surprisingly empty all of the gambling machines had been hastily moved to the side wall leaving only a single card table in the middle of the large room. Sitting at it was a white ghoul in a prewar suit, with a black and red mane shuffling his deck of cards. Beyond him Lapis, and the colt and filly were chained to the railing next to the steps leading back up to the dinning hall.

"Hello, are you here to play?" Royal Flush asked with a smile. Dub and Disc locked there guns on him. Light, Ace of Flames, and Disco charged at him. Dream, Jet, and Rusty moved around to try and cut him off from any escape route.

"DON'T!" Lapis screamed, everyone froze.

"You see I just want to play a game, I have three chips to bet you have quite a few. I don't want you to just attack me, so I hacked the security system, any attack on me sets off a signal to blow off a balefire grenade bouquet I have on the western end of town. Even if you managed to hack the system I still have a manual detonator for it, and for them." Royal Flush smiled. "So what do you want to bet your freedom for theirs. Or my capture for the lives of others."

Disco grit his teeth. Ace fell back to Dub and whispered something to her. "Right." Dub sighed. "We've got to deal with that bomb first."

"I honestly don't care. So long as some of you stay behind to bet their freedom, eventually even if you get the bomb. There's still your friends over there." Dub huffed at the ghoul's comment.

"Jet, Ash, Rusty, you three come with me." She looked to her brother. "Disc good luck." She led the others out. Once they were out of sight Dub grabbed Rusty. "Okay Ash, get to that pawn shop and see if you're right if not let us know right away. Rusty you're with me we're going to see if we can hack the security system. There should be a maintenance door around back. Let's move." Rusty nodded and ran around the building as Jet Lag and Ash shot into the air.

"I'm sure they'll be back eventually." Royal Flush put his deck down on the table. Dream nodded and jumped down onto the game floor and walked up to the table. Disc coming up on the rear. "One at a time. You can bet your freedom for the freedom of any one of them. You fold you lose. I fold I lose one of them. Deal." He asked putting down a bomb collar as Light grumbled sitting down at the table.

"Are you sure we can't just you know fight like normal."

"Hmmm No." He shuffled the deck then put it on the table. She cut the deck. "And if I lose and refuse to put that thing on?" She looked at the collar.

"What do you think happens."

"Whatever just deal me my hand already." She smiled as she was dealt her hand. "Oh yeah read them and weep! Pair of Jacks!" She cheered. Royal Flush looked a little concerned.

"We don't really do card games." Dream said. Disc face hoofed.

"What it's a good hand. They're face cards."

"In draw poker you can put away cards you don't want to try and get a better hand." So you'd want to try and get more jacks so put those other three cards over here." Light did so. "Then I deal three more cards to you for the three that you threw away this is now your real hand you can't get anymore cards. You see. And I do the same." He looked at his hand. "And Unless you got another jack I win three fives."

"What but jacks are like a lot higher than fives!"

"Yeah but, damn it I don't want to agree with him but three of a kind of anything beats any two of a kind. Even three twos would beat two aces." Disc groaned.

"What? That's dumb!"

"But it is the rules. Now do you follow them or not?"

"Fine." She put the bomb collar on. "I'm not a cheater if I lost fair and square then I lost. But when this thing is off I'm kicking your ass."

"Noted Next, how about the brother. Complete my set." The ghoul put another bomb collar down on the table.

"Yeah sure." He sat down at the table. Mind if I shuffle?"

"Of course not just roll up your sleeves."

"Right right nothing up my sleeves." He rolled up his sleeves and started shuffling. Royal Flush cut the deck and then Dream dealt them both a hand. Dream looked at his hand and then to the ghoul. "two for me." Royal Flush tossed three cards of his own tapping the table three times as he did so. Dream dealt each their cards. He smiled, "Two pair." He showed his hand, 5 5 J 10 10.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Royal Flush showed his hand. A 2 2 J 8. He pulled out a little remote with a press of the button the bomb collar and chain around the filly came off. The filly grabbed her brother shacking like a leaf. "Reshuffle."

"At least you keep your end of the bargain." Dream reshuffled and dealt them their cards again.

"Of course it would be bad etiquette not to. A gambler has to keep his word otherwise whats the point of leaving it all up to fate?" Royal Flush looked at his hand. "Besides in my life time I've found that Lady Luck smiles on those that keep their word. Two cards." Dream looked at his hand concerned before he discarded three of his own. "Flush." Royal Flush laid out a flush of diamonds. Dream sighed and put the bomb collar on. "Next you the one that started it all. Even if the others get away. They'd still pay me well for you." He waved Disco over to the table. Taking the cards and shuffling them all back together.

"They?" Disco sat opposite Flush at the table as a bomb collar was rolled to him.

"Mr. Subjugation, and his associates." The ghoul answered as the cards were dealt. Disco looked at his hand then the ghoul who only offered him the same blank smile, before tossing four cards away. "Oh an Ace. Looking to win big."

"No risk no reward." Disco answered.

"Let's see if it pays off." Disco answered. Looking at the four cards that were dealt to him. As Flush took his two.

"Well?" He laughed at the Disco Do-Gooder's face before he showed his hand. 5 5 Q Q Q.

"Noting." Disco reviled his hand. 9 8 A 4 J.

"Such a shame. Go on Colt Wonder, put on you new uniform. I'm sure it'll look beautiful on you."

"You think you're going to win this."

"Don't know I'm a gambling pony, could go my way or your friend there could win all his hands, shot your other friends might even find some strange way to save you. Hard to say. Now put on the collar or heads start popping." The ghoul smirked his hoof tapping the detonator just below the button. Disco growled but put the collar on. "See you look adorable with that nice and tight around your neck."

"Cute." Disc walked to the table his face an unreadable mask. "Don't worry you won't be wearing that for long."

"That face. Those soulless eyes, that unsearchable frown." Royal Flush looked at Disc as he sat down across the table form him. "Finally a pony that knows the game." Royal Flush offered him the deck. "Please be guest and shuffle I didn't think I'd get any fun but you. You're going to give me a lot fun."

"I'd hate to disappoint." He said Flush pulled out the collar as he shuffled. Then offered the ghoul the deck to cut before dealing the cards. "before we begin I'll see your collar, but first I'm betting the filly for the colt. I lose you get her back."

"That's not very heroic."

"I'm the handler not the hero." Disc dealt the cards. "Deal?"

"Of course a chip is a chip." The ghoul smiled as he looked at his hand. Disc gave his hand a dispassionate glance before putting two cards away. "Looks like I only need one." Flush smiled and put the card away taping the table once. Disc dealt the cards. "You first." Disc showed his hand. 4 4 4 J 7.

"You win." The ghoul showed his own hand. 10 4 J K 9. Disc reshuffled and dealt a new hand. The ghoul pulled out another release device and pushed it. The colt's collar came off.

"Same, filly for the filly." The ghoul looked at his hand as Disc made the wager.

"I'll see your filly and raise you their brothers." Flush discarded two cards.

"Fine." Disc said his face just as unreadable as he put three cards away. After the new cards were dealt the ghoul showed his hand 5 5 5 J J, in time with Disc's own reveal 8 6 3 2 Q.

"They go back in to the bomb collars, it looks like you've only got one chip left to bet."

"B-b-but."

"Back into your collar brat or all your wanna be heroes' heads go pop." The colt and filly put their collars back on. Disc's expression never once changing.

"I'll bet my returned filly against you." The ghoul smiled.

"Fine." Disc shuffled the deck before offing it to be cut. Disc put away four cards. The ghoul did likewise.

"This is fun. Each of us has an ace. Only you can't lose." Disc looked at his new hand. "Well gambler, show your hand." Disc showed it A K 9 2 2. "Good." The ghoul nodded grabbing the release control again. "But not good enough." He showed his own A 4 4 Q J. "I win put on your collar." The ghoul smiled. Disc just sat there his poker face unchanged.

There was a long quite pause that dragged on for several seconds as Disc just sat there.

"Come on don't feel to ba-" The ghoul was interrupted by a loud beep. "What was that?"

"My pip pad telling me my sister and Rusty hacked the security systems. Another two beeps followed. "And that was Ash letting me know that pesky bomb of your's has been dealt with." He let his poker face fall into a grin. "Which means we win. Don't feel to bad." The second those words were spoken the Disco Do-Gooder was already on the table swinging a sweeping kick into the ghoul's face. Royal Flush hit the floor. Dozens of detonators spilling out of his suit as he did so. Light hit as many of the release buttons as she could. Her collar came off along with all the others except Disco's.

"I told you when mine came off I was going to kick your ass." She smirked twirling her arnis. Royal flush backed away pulling out three grenades, he took off running pulling the pins and tossing them. One a the colt and filly. One onto the poker table, and one at Light. "Batter up!" She cheered hitting it like a baseball back into the main entrance. Dream grabbed Disco and flipped the table as he covered the two of them under his umbrella, his horn glowing as his magic enveloped it. Lapis grabbed the colt and filly diving away with herself between them and the grenade. Disc's horn lit up as the floor rose like clay forming a wall between Lapis and the explosive. A second later all three went off.

Disc was thrown back howling in pain as shrapnel blasted through him. Dream's umbrella and Disc's impromptu shield kept the others safe as the main deck exploded. Disco screamed seeing the pink stallion hit the slot machines against the wall and falling limply to the floor, before chasing after Royal Flush, Light right beside him. Royal Flush rounded a corner jumping as he did. The two heroes hit the trip wire as they ran after him. A firework shot out flying at them. Disco managed to dodge it pushing up against the wall as Light hit the floor. The fire work exploded into the corner behind them.

"Go get him!" Light yelled a few pieces of the wall on top of her. Disco ran up the stairs as Light pushed the rubble off of her. "Kick his ASS!"

As Disco rounded the corner on the stairs his head was slammed into the wall. His cheek bone pressing something in. His collar started beeping. "You take even a little bit of pressure off the button Colt Wonder and I'll be delivering you sans head to my employer." Royal Flush screamed as the Disco Do-Gooder's hoof shot out catching him in the snout. The ghoul growled slamming a knife into the offending hoof pinning it to the wall. Disco's scream was answered by Light's hooves running up the stairs. "I'm folding this is a bad hand but we'll finish our game later." Royal Flush ran into one of the hotel rooms above the casino and jumped out the window.

"Oh no." Light skidded to a halt as she saw Disco's state. "Don't worry Jet's on his way with healing potions." She looked around before spotting an old stereo remote. "I got this." She grabbed it and pressed the eject button. To Disco's surprise it worked. She grabbed the collar and threw it into the other room.

"Disc."

"Disc is okay. Bad but Jet said he'd be here in a few seconds to patch him up." Light said helping pulling the knife out of the wall. Fluid got to his hind hooves as Light helped him back down the stairs to the others.

Ponies cheered and jumped dancing to the beat of the music as fog and lights worked together to create a seemingly alien atmosphere. Dub and Disc used their magic to fire of flashy spells as they worked their turn tables and sound systems. Several hundred ponies had filled the mansions dance hall celebrating and partying. Most of them were already high, and nearly all of Jet Lag's drugs were gone.

"This is a great party!" Light laughed jumping up and down on a table to the beat of the music.

"It really is. I try to throw the best parties I can." Fluid smiled. Leaning back in the booth seat as he watched the lights dance off of the fog that filled the room, and all the bouncy ponies dancing in it. He knew somewhere on the edges Jet and Ash were have a slow dance, but couldn't see them through the crowd.

"I'll say that you did it, this is one of the best parties I've ever been to." Lapis took a sip from her cup. "Good beer to, after such a rough week it's nice to let loose and unwind."

"Think he'll be back?" Light asked still bouncing on the table.

"Unfortunately yeah."

"What why unfortunately I still owe him an ass kicking. If he think's I've forgotten I haven't he's getting a good whooping next time I see him." Light cheered. Fluid laughed getting off of the cushioned seat and joining her on the table jumping in step with the beat.

The Flames Burn

The frigid water of the northern Celestial Sea softly rolled in on soft waves on on the sandy coast as the water zenith at high tide. Subjugation stood on the shore as the waves peacefully rolled in. Off in the distance he could see the ship coming in; the ship that would solve his masked vigilante problem, though it was likely bringing him a headache of a different sort. His guards stood ready guns pointed as the small boat ran aground, and the cool night air was filled with a hyena like laugh. "So, I take it that you wanted to see me?" The eviscerated bodies of the crew were thrown down onto the sand. "You like my work?" A nirik asked from the bow of the ship looking down on them with a smile. Her flaming rippers floating up to her side. "I think this is a good demonstration of what you're getting."

"Unfortunately yes." He looked down at the crew. "Most of these were my slaves, from my personal stock. I don't like losing my property, Butcheress. Still this is the reason that I had you brought here by boat." She laughed a bit.

"Yeah, I might have gotten a little to into it, sorry. Not sorry." She looked around at them, her smile getting bigger as she spotted the city behind them. "Ohhhh. Big town you got there."

"Indeed, and one that is experiencing a little bit of an influx of goodie horse-shoes. A problem that I believe you are able to solve. Even if you being here will cause some complication." He gestured to the disembowel and desecrated bodies of the crew.

"I wasn't listening, I was looking at all those ponies over there, sorry, not sorry." She smiled. "So many souls so so little time. Do I kill all of them? Some of them and leave the others for later...So many choices."

"And this is why I brought you in by boat instead of the bridge." Subjugation looked down on her. "I want you to only kill a hoof full of ponies. I don't want an incident like what happened at Stable 240." She giggled a little at the mention of her previous job. "You are to kill the ponies I tell you, and those that get in your way, or else I'll throw you back to Trottingham, do I make myself clear."

"Crystal pony clear." She smiled. "So who is it I'm killing and can I have some pre job fun before then, just a couple of massacres, missing ponies, I'm sure in a town this big no one would notice a few missing ponies." He sighed rubbing his head.

"The pony I want you to kill is this one here, and his friends if they present the opportunity." He hoofed her a picture of the Disco Do-Gooder.

"Ohh, he looks cute. I can already imagine the screams coming from that face. It's a crime nopony's brutalized him yet."

"Indeed." He nodded. "But I don't want it quick I drawn out, something that will make ponies scared, something remember-able, something that will show them that it's better for prey to just remain prey, and something that will make wasteland hero wannabes learn not to interfere with this city."

"Right so, Blood Bath Sandwich, extra sadism, hold the mercy. That's my favorite, and my specialty." She smiled. "Anyway you have to lure Colt Wonder out?"

"There are plans until then stay out of the newspapers. I'll send you word when to strike and where. And for added security. I want you to wear this." He pulled out a small tail ring. It was made of oxidized copper and jade, with several rune and glyph marks. The Butcheress' eyes narrowed on the small ring, causing the large earth pony stallion to laugh a little at her suddenly serious and sour expression. "I see you recognize this little thing. A kirin artifact, older than the ministries, even the war."

"If you think that I'm join to put that thing on you fucking insane." She hissed. "I've got half a mind to rip and tear it, and your hoof for holding it." The guns aimed at her all gave audible clicks as safeties were turned off. "You called for my services, if you can't deal with the heat maybe you shouldn't have tried putting out the house fire with gasoline!" Subjugation chuckled a bit. "What's so fucking funny?"

"Only half a mind?"

"I'm interested in what you could possibly think would be enough to bring me here and tell me to wear that-that trash. What fucking large stainless steal balls you must fucking have!" She glared at him ignoring the guns and the bodyguards out right. "So, let's hear it buck, what do you think you can offer me that would even come close to justifying me staying, let alone wearing that!" His laugh mixed with the sound of the waves coming in making the nirik scowl. Her eye twitching a bit as her burning tail whipped at the sand.

"I think that this might interest you just a bit." He threw another photograph into the sand. A few slavers all of them earth ponies of moderate build, and varying sizes from normal to slightly smaller than one of the goddess' alicorns. She stiffened, at their hooves was a very abused, very scared looking kirin. "I have names, location, and a down payment waiting for you at my office. Now what do you think?"

She took a deep breath eyes fixated on the slavers in the picture. "When I put that thing on is when I start working for you right?" He nodded. "Which means right now I'm a free agent." He nodded again. "Good." Her two rippers thrust at max power and awash in nirik fire. Not a shot was fired amid the screams, within six seconds the bloodbath was finished. "Okay I'm good now, until we get to your down payment that is." She snatched the the tail ring from him and slid it on her tail. Her form reverting back into a kirin for the first time in years, her eyes just as frail and terrified as they had been when the picture was taken.

"I-I please don't make me do this. I don't want to do this." She said in a soft voice.

Subjugation burst out laughing. "I don't care what you want, I hired the Butcheress, and I am not disappointed. You're nothing more than the covenant sleep option I can turn on and off at will." He bucked her thirty yards into the sandy beach, "Now let's get to my office little mare so that I can seal the deal with your better half."

Fluid closed his eyes as the world around him slowly drifted away, time seemed to slow to a crawl as he floated in small green house pool. It was one of the rare days when he didn't have any jobs to do, no parties to plan, no politicians to talk to and work with, no asset managers to talk to, no hero work. In all everything was quiet, and after the shit show that had been last couple weeks that was something to be enjoyed. He floated on his back in the pool's water, warmed by both the water heating system, and the sunlight pouring in though the green house's windows. Fluid's ear twitched as he heard the green house's door open and somepony walking through along the cobble path of the green house's garden. "Hey, how's that hoof doing?" Light asked from the side of the pool.

"It's fine." Fluid answered not opening his eyes. "Jet's patched me up after far worse."

"Well that's good to hear." He could hear her walking away from the pool, but after a few steps she stopped and galloped back at it. "Super Secret Surprise Canon Ball Attack!"

"Wait what?" Fluid's eyes shot open as she splashed into the pool about three feet from him. The wave quickly and easily capsized him. He pushed his head up to see her laughing. "Very funny he splashed her in the face with water. I was trying to mediate."

"Whatever you were doing it looked boring." She chided. "Besides, water sparring would be so much funner and this pool is actually big enough for it." She splashed him right back. "Come on, Jet Lag doesn't spare, Ash is busy, and Rusty is in the middle of his broadcast proving that the alicorns have compromised Stable Tech water talismans."

"Why not spar with your brother, or with Disc."

"Disc, Dub, and Dream are all busy doing weird arcane stuff. Speaking of, this water is triple purified right?" She asked looking a little concerned. "I don't want the alicorns taking over my mind while I'm asleep." Fluid looked confused until she said the last part before he burst out laughing.

"If Rusty told me the sun was bright I might go blind staring at it just to make sure that he wasn't crazy. You can't believe half of what Rusty says on his radio, most ponies tune in to it because it's not DJ Pon-3, and he might be insane but he's also really entertaining."

"So if some of the pool water gets in to my mouth I won't become a mindless alicorn slave?"

"What no, you can't be serious. Look if I drink some will you stop believing everything that Rusty says?" Fluid asked managing to stifle the urge to facepalm.

"Yeah I guess." Fluid leaned down and took a mouth full of pool water before pulling back up and swallowing.

"Ehck, nasty but not going to turn me into an alicorn slave zombie." He said only to find Light laughing as she swam back to the edge of the pool. "What's so funny."

"I just bet Ash a hundred caps I could get you to drink pool water." Fluid's face went from white to bright red in the span of just a second. "Though I didn't think that it would be that easy." She pointed to a window outside of which flew a very disgruntled Ash in her pegasus disguise. She gave her adopted brother a look between bewilderment and annoyance. Fluid's face some how managed to get even redder. "You said that she was busy."

Light gave him an innocent and playful smirk. "Yeah, busy losing."

"I think I'm ready to spar with you." Fluid grumbled a little. At the mention of a fight Light's eyes began to sparkle. Fluid couldn't help but to forgive her.

"You're on Water Sparing Round One!" Light dived back into the pool charging at Fluid from just under the surface. Fluid took a deep breath before diving under the surface and charging at her. The two collided under water wrestling with each other until one pushed away popping up for breath before diving back down to continue the fight. After an hour of splashing, laughing, and "sparing" the two walked out of the green house dripping wet and nearly completely exhausted. "That was fun." Light shook her head as Fluid tossed her a towel that was waiting in a chair. "And more to the point a lot more exciting than just floating idley."

"Yeah I guess," Fluid looked up at the clear sky. The sun was still high in the sky. "I've got plans to go on a walk through the town, do you think that you could cover me Dub's been a bit over protective since she found out that Subjugation's sent another assassin out after us, and I need my space." He finished drying off his mane with a towel.

"Yeah sure I'll cover for you." She nodded. "I've noticed too. This Subjugation guy is one of those Big 13 guys right?" she asked.

"Yeah he's the top of the slavery industry, and one of the reasons that Red Eye is able to keep his slave empire in Fillydelphia up and running. He's one of the worse members of the 13." He sighed, all the same, we've fought his assassins before, and Royal Flush didn't seem like he was one of Subjugation's normal assassins. So, I doubt that we've got to be as far on edge as Dub is. Anyways thanks for covering for me." Fluid said heading to the gate.

"Yeah sure not a problem." She saluted and headed back to the mansion.

Fluid walked down the streets of the western part of town, further into the city than Lapis' apartment. The eight city blocks that he had been heading down had been turned into a large flee-market bazaar. Hundreds of booths had been set up and thousands of ponies, griffons, changelings, and even the odd yak or kirin were all moving through the impromptu shopping area. It seemed to take up twenty city blocks, and was one of the newer developments in this part of town, since the snatchers had been driven out of this area. The smell of varying kinds of foods filled the air, and the noise of conversation was all over the area. Fluid couldn't help but taking a lot of pride in his part of bring this about. He moved slowly through the crowd. The smell of a small dessert stand caught his attention, and he slowly made his way over to it weaving through the crowd. The small dessert vendor was selling berry crepes.

"Next." The vendor said as a small unicorn filly walked away. An orange kirin with red mane walked up to the vendor stall. She was wearing a traditional kirin dress, and had her tail completely covered. "What will you be having."

"I-I'd like a blue one please." She asked putting several strange token things on the counter. "This should cover the cost of it."

"What the heck are these things?" The unicorn stallion floated one of the tokens up to examine it more thoroughly.

"It's uhm-a stable token so that you can buy things."

"Sorry we only take caps here next!"

"I-I'm sorry."

"I'll take a raspberry for me and the blueberry for her." Fluid put sixty caps down on the vendors counter. Fluid smiled and nodded to the kirin. "Hi, I'm Fluid Moves, are you new to town?"

"You!?" she stepped back before pausing. "You didn't have to do that for me." She looked at him completely shocked. Fluid smiled.

"It's not a problem." He took the two crepes and offered her the blueberry crepe. "If you just got out of a stable I can understand your confusion, what Stable are you from?" He asked stepping to the side so the next pony could step up. She took a step back before hesitantly taking the offered blue berry dessert.

"I've been out of the Stable for a while." She bit her lower lip. "You shouldn't do nice things for strangers, and especially not me."

"Why not?" Fluid asked concerned.

"You just shouldn't." She pushed her way into the crowd disappearing in the mass of ponies.

"Guess Disc Jockey's just a lot better at making friends than I am." Fluid shrugged sitting down on a small bench eating the raspberry treat. After a couple minutes Fluid got back into the crowd moving between the ponies, It was about an hour before sun down when he finally got through all the crowds, though by that point many of them had already left, and there were just a few ponies or griffons left helping to move the stands back into the apartment buildings for the night. Fluid was heading back toward the northwest after he had finished his stroll. Even with the area safer the streets around the market area were already abandoned. He continued walking around the area, figuring a small early patrol would be nice before going back to the mansion. Even with Light covering for him he doubted that Dub Step and Disc Jockey wouldn't have noticed him missing by now.

"Hey!" Sapphire landed next to him. "I wasn't expecting to see you out and about."

"To be honest I'm not supposed to be out and about." Fluid answered. "That last pony was from the Big 13. So Dub and Disc are being a bit over cautious. I needed to get out and walk around for a little bit."

"Yeah I Disc visited me not to long after and told me everything." Sapphire nodded. "To be honest I figured it was only going to be a matter of time before we all got noticed by some of the more troublesome characters, but after we ran Royal Flush off things have been really quiet. I'm not sure if I like that or not. It's good things are quiet but I'm sure something is about to happen. Do you have your suit?"

"No it's back at my room why?"

"I don't know, but I have a nagging hunch that something big is going to happen tonight." She looked around. "Something just doesn't feel right." She looked around. "Do you feel it too?"

"No not really." Fluid shook his head. "But if you say so I'll let Disc and Dub know. I think it would be a good idea to help get the others out of the mansion too." Fluid looked around. "Do you want us to meet you on your roof?"

"Yeah that, could work." She nodded. Fluid nodded and headed back to the mansion at a brisk trot not soon after Sapphire took back into the sky. Fluid continued down the roads at his trot until he got back to the mansion just as the sun was setting behind it. He slipped back into the gates, and headed down the cobble stone pathway toward the mansion. The door to the mansion opened just as he reached out for it. His eyes shot open wide, and he stepped back. "Hey Dub." He smiled. "I was just taking a walk."

"Right, and you were just doing a walk around the grounds?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well something like that. I left the grounds to go on my trot but I stayed close." He gave a sheepish smile. Dub gave him a flat look that was clearly not amused. "I just got back from walking around and saw Lapis she said she wanted us all suited up and to meet her on her apartment roof. She says that she think something big is about to go down tonight."

"Fine, get inside and get your suit on." Dub stepped aside and let him in. Fluid walked past her heading to the stiars. "Also your grounded."

"But-"

"No buts you're grounded. You only get one Dash Canister a day. Period." She said shutting the door behind him.

"But I have a prescription."

"Your prescription is only for one dosage a day enough to help you with your depression, but not enough to get high off of, deal with it. Because it's going to be that way for two weeks." Fluid groaned his ears flopping down. "Don't give me that look now get up stairs and tell everybody you meet along the way that we're heading out."

"Yes ma'am." Fluid nodded running up the stairs. As Dub began searching the first floor for anypony on it. As Fluid ran past the first floor he called out to Disc and Dream who were in the middle of some kind of discussion. "We're heading out in uniform to Sapphire's roof." Disc nodded, and Fluid continued up the stairs. He knocked on Ash's and Jet Lag's doors as he passed them telling them that they were heading out if they were in there. He hurried into his room and got suited up.

After ten minutes everypony was geared up and at the front door, with the exception of Rusty who was in his and Dub's terminal room. He was in charge of intel gathering and coordination with sheriff Grey Feather, in an attempt to figure out what could be going on. He pulled out his pip buck and activated one of the post market features that he had added on. "I'm sorry Dub right now everything's quiet, there's a bit more snatcher activity in the southern part of town but the sheriff is working on it, and there isn't much extra that we can do there."

"Right, well we're heading out anyways Rusty." Dub said to looking at her pip pad. "I'm not sure if she's right or she just want's to have a midnight stroll with bro-bro, but far be it from me to interfere."

"Ha-ha-ha." Disc exaggerated his laughter. "Let's just get moving. Does anybody have any concerns before we head out." He looked around. Light raised her hoof, but started talking before anyone could respond.

"Yeah can we stop for snacks on the way back, if nothing happens?" Light asked.

"Sure, and other questions?" Light raised her hoof again. "Not related to snacks?" She put it back down. "Well since nothing we're heading out now." They moved quickly though the streets getting to the Lapis' apartment only half an hour after sun down. Jet and Ash flew up to the roof, the rest made their way up the fire escape as joining their three winged friends quickly.

"Hey, thank you for coming." Sapphire nodded once they all got onto the roof. "Sorry about calling you all out, but I've just got this sinking feeling that something bad is going to be happening tonight. But I know what. Has anything popped up on your radar or the police radar yet for tonight?"

"Nope unless the situation has changed." Dub pulled out her pip pad. "Rusty, we all good?"

"So far yes, the police and sheriff Grey took care of the snatchers that popped up over in the south part of town. Everywhere else is pretty-wait what the heck is that. Uhm Dub, not sure if this is a bad thing but uhm-yeah. Grey Feather just sent us a job. One of the snatchers they caught spilled the beans on a holding location. Just a holding location, but still that's a lot to work with, if we hurry we might be able to get there before any moles in the police inform the snatchers they need to move their prisoners."

"Right. Rusty send me and Disc the coordinates to our pip pads. We'll follow the way point on our EFS and hopefully get there before they even know that were on top of them." Dub looked to her brother. Disc nodded once his EFS had activated.

"Right our target is on this side of town but a good bit into the city. This could get bumpy as we get closer to the old down town area, but we should still be on just the outskirts. Stay to the roofs." He looked around. Ace of Flames, you're with Light and Disco, you three will be pushing straight down the middle. Sis you, Sapphire and Dream will run support and screening on the right. Jet and I will be staying a block behind your two groups and will be to the left."

"Everypony remember to keep an eye on the sky and be careful." Dub said. "Middle team you'll be setting pace for the rest of us so go how ever fast you need to." Disco nodded.

"Right then. Let's go," he said running for the edge of the roof before kicking off and landing on the apartment on cube on the other side. Light on his left and Ace to his right just above barely in the air. Just to their right the Sapphire flew across the gap Dub and Dream crossed the road over small aura disc's coming from Dub's horn. Disc used the same method when he and Jet Lag started following the others. As they headed deeper into the city.

End of the Line was a had five zones, to it, the center of the city in which stood the five great Cooperate Towers, the next zone was the ring, a series of large offices, industrial buildings, and government buildings. The Third zone further out still was Down Town an area two hundred city blocks all around, this area was in the unquestioned control of the cartels and other criminal interest including the snatchers. Beyond that were the several hundred blocks that comprised the Urban Sprawl, where many of the cultural enclaves and ponies lived and which provided a buffer between the criminal syndicates and the Law. Beyond that was the domain of the End of the Line Police force, the Out Skirts, which comprised everything else, and contained the bulk of the pony and griffon population of End of the Line. By half an hour they had arrived at the edge of the Out Skirts and began moving into the Urban Sprawl.

"Stay closer together." Dub looked around unsure.

"This is where problems start happening." Disc looked around unsure. "But we've got to head fairly deep into this zone of town to reach the warehouse that they're using to hold their victims. Rusty what kind of traffic are you picking up?"

"So far everything's quiet, not a lot happening, you should be fine." Rusty answered through the twins' pip pads. "You've got a straight shot to it."

"Don't you think that's kind of odd?" Jet asked. "Them just giving us a straight shot? And we've not encountered a single air patrol of snatchers yet. They normally have a least a couple dozen in the sky to relay possible targets."

"I think Fluid's aware, he's moving slower." Disc looked up at the sky. "Just to be safe though Jet slip off and grab us supplies." He tossed Jet Lag one of his pistols, "If anything happens you know how to fight your way out, don't travel heavy get the green stuff, potions, and the rad away too. And get back to us as soon as you can." Jet nodded and dove off the building blending into the shadows he disappeared into the shadows and started heading back to the mansion, and his medical supplies. Disc Jocky nodded with his horn glowing, as small magical whisper would inform the others but nothing else.

In the course of of half an hour they reached the location. Dub's horn lit up as she sent another message to the groups that they were there. Disco's group came to a stop, Dub, Sapphire, and Dream joined them. A second later Disc Jockey was with them as well. "That's the building?" Light asked, looking down on what had once been a ware house for a pre war shipping company.

"According to our EFS this is the place." Dub said. "And there are a lot of green bars in there, and quite a few red as well." Dub looked over to the others. "Right, this isn't going to be a cake walk. And getting them out of this part of town is likely to be just as hard, so I want everypony to be as careful as possible because getting the ponies out of the building is only the start of this operation." Everyone nodded.

"Right. Disco, Light, Ace, Sapphire you get to be the distraction, take out as many snatchers as you can. Dub, Dream, and I will work on getting as many ponies out as we can, we'll try to give you support, but don't count on our help." Disc Jockey looked over the four power pony costumed ponies.

"Sounds like a plan." Light beamed. "Now lets kick butt." She jumped off the roof landing on the ground she charged right in. The Disco Do-Gooder followed right behind them. Sapphire and the Ace of Flames. Took to the sky landing on the roof near one of the sky lights. "Bada-Boom!" She kicked the door into the warehouse open. The building had been converted into a large prison. Ponies lay packed in cramped cages. The difficult or trouble makers hung in cages attached to the ceiling by chains. The cages were barely large enough for a young colt. Often to small for the mares, stallions, and odd griffon that had the misfortune of being up there.

"What they hell?" The closest snatcher, a thin weasel built earth pony stallion, looked over to the door. An instant later he registered what was happening. "Everyone drop whatever the fuck you're doing! One of those hero wannabes just kicked in the door, This is going to be a big pay day!" He charged at Light before Disco darted into the room.

"Party Bash!" His displace hoof boomed as the thinly built weasel of a pony was launched across the building rolling head over tail as Disco and Light got on their hind hooves, each in their own fighting stance. One of the ponies in the cages took the chance to spit on the unconscious buck as he came to a stop right under her cage. It took the room a moment to register what had just happened before the snatchers dropped what they were doing and charged. Other ran to more defensible positions where heavier weaponry was already being loaded.

"Come and get me!" Light cheered charging into a group of snatchers her arnis bashing into forelegs, sides and heads as she ran into the group. Another group of ten snatchers moved in between her and Disco. They charged him forcing him to bob and weave his way further back as he dodged chains, mallets, and the odd gun shot coming from further back. He lashed out several times, but each time a snatcher fell back hurt another took their place. Light soon found herself having the same problem, no matter how many times she lashed out with her arnis there were always more snatchers moving in on her. One of them grabbed her from behind. "A little assistance Disco Do-Gooder, would be nice!"

"Ditto!" He called back as the snatchers finally got his back against a wall. The roof top sky light exploded in a shower of glass and green flames. Ace of Flames dived in her wings awash in green fire. Disco made use of the distraction provided by her entry switching his fighting stance in a flurry of kicks and spins three of the snatchers were on the ground and three others were stumbling back with broken noses and a few missing teeth. Light's hind hoof shot back behind her and the stallion holding her found something far more precious to as he cried out rolling on the ground.

"Thank you!" Light cheered before her eyes went wide and she dove for cover behind a couple of metal boxes, Disco mirroring her action behind a concrete barricade. The snatchers in the far back of the warehouse had gotten several in placed machine guns ready and began opening fire at least one gun aimed at each of the power ponies. The Ace of Flames began taking evasive maneuvers in the air, trying her hardest to insure that the caged ponies and griffons weren't ever in the line of fire. Many of the ponies started screaming, and a couple of the worse off ones broke down into sobs as every one aside from a few of the snatchers hit the deck. The boxes began falling around her as the stone barricade Disco was behind was being whittled down in hoof sized chunks.

"We need to get unpinned and deal with those guns!" Disco yelled over to Light. "I'm open for any ideas you can come up with!"

"Putting me a bit on the spot!" She rolled on her stomach and started looking though some of the boxes that fell. "Ah-ha." She rolled gabbed a mirror and a small laser pointer, a small egg timer, and other random bits and bobs. "Alright I'll try, be ready to move!" She yelled over the sound of gun fire. She angled the mirror and turned on the laser pointer. A second later the gun fire veered to the side as whoever was firing it fell back screaming she didn't wait doing aiming and firing her laser weapon at the other gunner teams. They faired just as well. "Go!"

"Right!" Disco didn't waste the opportunity provided to him. He bolted out of cover grabbing something as jumped the barricade. "Ace!" He called out. She dived bombed the snatchers that were trying to intercept him. He cleared three fourths of the warehouse floor.. "Grenade!" He yelled throwing what was in his hoof right into the face of one of the gunners that was struggling to get the gun aimed. Then he jumped into the near by slave pin. Ace of Flame fired two small green fire balls down on the snatchers before pulling back. To get away. The slave in the pin rushed away from the future ground zero. The snatchers jumped off of the elevated platform and ran from the machine gun position. Seconds passed. The Disco Do-Gooder jumped out tackling one of the snatcher and throwing them, a black unicorn mare into the cage wall of a few desperate ponies. Most recoiled two however grabbed her one by the neck the other by the waist, looking for the key.

"No boom?" Light asked, returning to the fight.

"It was just a rock." Disco answered, bucking two snatchers and spinning to avoid the ax of a third.

"That's not fair!" One of the snatchers screamed charging at him. Only to be blasted halfway across the warehouse and into the swing of Light's arnis.

"Deal with it," Ace smirked as second before all three machine guns opened fire again. Light barely managed to get behind some small piles of pony's belongings they had on them before being taken by the snatchers. Ace broke her charge on one of the snatchers pulling up hard. Disco bolted doing anything he could to stay ahead of the machine gun fire as the guns lifted out of their tripods by a white unicorn mare with a pitch black mane.

"That's not fair!" Light yelled at the Snatcher the others that were still up rallied behind their commander.

"Deal with it." The mare snarled. "The rest of you get them! And any slave that acts up you'r-" She screamed in pain. The machine guns fell out of her magical grip as an arrow in her knee came to life causing 24 volts to surge through her dropping her to the ground as she twitched. "GET THEM!" She screamed still spamming on the ground. The snatchers charged the power ponies. Three of them pointed riffles and hand guns up to return fire at Sapphire. Light engaged the snatchers that had charged her. Disco continued fighting and dancing around the warehouse floor keeping as many occupied with chasing him as he could. Ace flew around attacking as best she could while avoiding the half dozen pegasi that tailed her every move. Sapphire moved from skylight to sky light firing down on the ponies with guns and doing her best to help any of the others if they were in a tight spot.

The fight lasted half an hour before the snatchers realized that most of the once full warehouse was now empty, and many of the cages had been filled with their fallen comrades. A few of the newly freed captives joined in the fray and more and more the tide turned. Until all at once the Snatchers lost completely the last one being dog piled by a dozen colts and fillies wearing CMC capes, who despite their size quickly beat the snatcher into submission, and continued to do so even as Dub Step and Disc started pulling them off the unconscious pegasus mare.

"That, that was fun." Light smiled rubbing a bruised cheek from were one of her opponents had gotten a solid hit on her.

"Jet should be back soon." Disc nodded looking over the several hundred ponies they'd rescued. "Not bad you four. We did a good job and getting them out will be hard but at sunrise it'll be a lot safer, even in this part of town."

"Ha. You think you're getting out of here. You think you did anything good?" The white unicorn mare spat at Disc from her cage. "You idiots, you're not getting out of here none of you are!"

"And what's stopping us?" Dream asked. "Our hackers cut your communications and replaced them with all clear signals. The other Snatcher groups don't even know what's happened."

"You don't get it, in few short minutes I'll be out of this cage and you'll all either be dead or in chains." the warehouse echoed with a sadistic laugh. Everyone looked around unsure, a few of the ponies bolted for the door. Those that did screamed and soon fell quite as the sound of rippers cut through there screams just as easily as they cut through their bodies.

"She's half right." a nirik laughed walking between two rippers dripping with freshly spilled blood. The newly rescued ponies backed away those that had been in the small hanging cages grabbed weapons and stood between the nirik and the others, and the power ponies stepped up between them and her. "Though while I was ordered to just kill you," She pointed to the disco Do-Gooder. "I think with a little bit of creative interpretation, I can get away with killing the snatchers and the slaves too. Hello Super Zero, is this your team?" She waved playfully to Disco. "They look adorable. Think Light's head would look cute sewn to your body?"

"Uh no! I like my head on my body thank you very much, we're very attached."

"Won't know till we try." She laughed. Her horn lit up and a wall of fire blocked out the warehouse exits.

"She's looks familiar but I don't know where I know her from." Dub said her own horn lighting up.

"Oh you recognize me, it's probably from that time I visited Stable 240. It's how I got my most famous nick name yet."

"You're, crap, you're the Bloody Butcheress of Stable 240." Disc said softly, his heart felt like it sank in his stomach.

"You know me. That's good, so you probably know what's about to happen, next." Her voice got lower and a wicked grin spread over her face. She charged her horn lighting up as the rippers lashed out at her side seemingly with a mind of their own. "Time for the slaughter." Ace took to the air, Sapphire aimed her arrow and fired. Dub, Dream, and Disc's spells went of simultaneously. Disco and Light both began fending of the rippers bolted at them with murderous intent. The Butcheress fired her own spell fire and light engulfed the the area between the three unicorns and the nirik. A moment later she jumped though the flames and smoke another ripper roaring held in her grinning mouth. The arrow falling in several pieces around her hooves. When she landed her tail lashed warping tightly around Dream's throat. He gagged fighting with his hooves to loosen the tail's grip.

"Bro!" Light's charge was stunted as the ripper slashed at her she swung her arnis. For a second it looked like the Arnis would hold and the ripper would be parried away. The hope ended with the second, when the ripper was engulfed in nirik fire. It cut through the arnis like a hot knife through butter. Light leaned back as the ripper surged forward, limboing under it with less than an inch to spare.

The warehouse flashed several bright colors as beams of light fired from Dub and Disc Jockey's horns. Only to be absorbed by the nirik's shield. She laughed as Dream's struggles became more frantic. Disco charged the shield. "Party Bash!" She looked at him with soulless glowing eyes as she as she threw the third ripper like a knife the one behind him speeding up to catch him in the back as he jumped to hit the shield.

"Go bye." The butcheress waved good-bye with a smile so innocent it was sick. A second before the rippers dug into him he was blasted away by a blob of changeling ichor Slamming him into the floor. The Ace of Flames quickly followed it up by bathing the shield in all the fire she could conjure. The nirik's right eye twitched a little behind a cracked shield. "You ruin my kill, bitch!" The two rippers meant for the Disco Do-Gooder slammed into the changeling, revving and awash in nirik fire. Time slowed to a pain full crawl as the Ace of Flames spun head over tail backwards landing hard on her back screaming as the rippers tried to push deep. Before anything else could happen the warehouse was consumed in a blinding white light, and the air roared with an explosion fierce enough to shake the ground. A moment later the Bloody Butcheress was rolling on the ground her black burning body smoking. Dream lay a couple yards away gasping and coughing trying to refill his lungs.

Light ran her brother. Disco ran to Ace's side. Disc was already there gritting his teeth and holding back his own screams as he pulled the still burning knives out with his hooves. Ace's orange chitin began to glow in the light of the strongest healing spell he could muster. His twin sister marched toward the Butcheress with murderous intent in her eyes. The Butcheress matched Dub Step's death glare with one of her own. "Don't. Hurt. My. KIDS!" Each word was punctuated with the aura around her horn glowing brighter. "You stupid temperamental horse gecko!" She fired off her spell. The Butcheress returned fire with a spell of her own, powered seemingly by her own blood curtailing battle cry. The ground shook, and the air became electrified where the two spells met. The Disco Do-Gooder got up and attempted to charge her but his tail was bit by Disc Jocky, and he was pulled back. He was and watched as the spells began to burn a crater of molten concrete into the meters thick foundation of the warehouse.

The ball of energy quickly hit critical mass. The magical energies of the two spells exploded outward. The front wall of the warehouse was the closest to the explosion, and was blasted out into the street. The fires vanished as the Butcheress and Dub Step were thrown a dozen meters back. Disc Jockey's horn lit up and arches appeared in the remaining walls. "GET OUT!" He yelled. The recently freed ponies and griffons needed no further goading as they charged out in a half paniced stampede. "Rusty, Get down to the hospital room and get as many things as you can set up for Jet!" Disc Jockey screamed at the saddle bag holding his pip pad. A light in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He spun throwing Disco over Ace and casting a shield wall. It shattered moments later throwing him to the ground near his unconscious twin sister. He hadn't even registered that he'd hit the ground before the two of them were awash in nirik fire. It didn't singe their coats or burn their skin, but every nerve in their body flared up. The scream could have curdled water.

"Fuck you. Fuck You. FUCK YOU!" The Butcheress advanced on the twins. "Burn! BURNBURNBURNBURNBU-" Her head was a blur as the Disco Do-Gooder's displacement hoof went off. Lighting shooting into her from it's modification. She bounced back as she hit the concrete, and was hit again. She landed hard on he back with him jumping on top of her swing his hooves into her face and chest as hard as he could. Behind him Light was helping Dream get the Ace of Flames to safety, Lapis doing the same with Disc Jockey and Dub Step.

"Stop it!" Her hoof flared up Into the spit of his hip. He bit back his scream but still fell off of her. She struggled to her hooves seconds before he did. "Scream," she commanded her horn lighting up several times before the spell cast properly, nirik fire engulfed his body. He struggled back to his hooves grinding his teeth as tears started streaking down his face. "Scream I said. Scream and I'll make it quick." The fire burned higher. Disco fell back to the ground a long pained grunt coming though his clenched jaw. "Why don't you just scream and beg already?!" She started stomping on him.

"Why don't you?!" Sapphire's arrow exploded just as the Butcheress looked up. Blasting her back. As she smoke cleared Light Chaser was already bringing a small metal pipe she'd found down hard on to the Bloody Butcheress' horn. The nirik howled in pain. She swung catching the earth pony mare in the jaw, before, the metal pipe slammed into her own jaw. Light's eyes widened as the sound of rippers roared toward her. She leapt to the side as two of the rippers returned to their mistress. Before the Butcheress could make use of them another arrow exploded at her front hooves throwing her back Light charged threw the debris only to see the glow of the nirik fire on a building wall as the Butcheress fled.

Ash blinked several times as she slowly came too. The bright light and sterile white walls of the hospital room, which was under the cellar at Fluid's mansion, were hazy to her, as the drugs slowly worked though her system. She looked over to see Jet Lag asleep in his Ministry of Peace Doctor's uniform. Dub was asleep on another patent bed and fluid and Disc were asleep on benches against the wall. Fluid's head and chest wrapped with a few bandages. She started to move. Pain flared up in her side, and she hissed laying back down. "Owey, ow, ow, ow." She whined. Jet Lag's head shot up.

"Ash!" He screamed with unrestrained joy forgetting his bedside manners for a second and rushing to her side Fluid and Disc both jolted awake a the other young stallions joyful shout. "You're you're okay!" He held her. "I-I wasn't s-sure."

"Yeah I'm fine, well maybe I have two more holes but hey changelings are supposed to have holes right?" She asked patting Jet's back. The no touching rule being ignored seeing how he was currently hugging her. "Hugging is nice for me but my body still hurts." She said.

"Sorry." Jet pulled away.

"Did I say you could stop." She waved him back in with a pouting face. "Just gentler this time yeah?" Jet nodded going in for another hug. "Is Dub okay?"

"She'll be fine. Disc Jocky answered. "She just needs her rest. In a few weeks I'll be covering my ears with a pillow again trying to get some sleep because she thinks the doors to our shared bathroom are sound proof, mare my words." Disc gave her a smile.

"How are you sis?" Fluid asked wiping away a few stray tears. "You had us scared there for a bit."

"Eh with all the love in this room. I'm doing great a bit tender. But good." Ash smiled. Leaning back down and quickly falling back to sleep.

Day Off

“And why do you think that so many of the quote unquote safe Stables actually turned out being psychotically inspired death traps. They weren’t meant to save anybody not a soul. Least of all the ones that actually got into them. And who funded these blatant bad ideas, it wasn’t the government, at least not directly, it was the Ministries! With direct approval from the highest echelons of pre war government. I have the papers right here folks!” Rusty picked up and dropped a stack of papers. “and why did they do this, because they made a pact with Tarturous them and the zebras, that’s why only major population centers were hit, but both countries elites turned on each other at the last second stabbing each other in the back in hopes that they would be ones calling all the shots in the new world order. With tried and tested methods to control everybody else! But they can’t control me I drink Tomato Juice!” Rusty raved into his microphone. “But that’s all I’ve got over the next couple hours I’m actually going to read these papers in front of me and tell you all about what I’ve discovered. Until then listen to these beats from Glow Stick that I can personally guarantee don’t have evil subliminal messages.” He tapped a few buttons and the red sign that said ‘LIVE’ cut off.

Rusty headed down the stairs past the upper floors of the mansion to the first floor. “Hello Master Rusty, can I get anything for you?” 41fr3d asked as he approached the dining room.

“Yeah, I’ll take some tomato juice. Hey have you seen the others it’s really quiet here. Normally somebody’s up to something around this time of day.”

“Master Disk Jocky is going for a walking with his sister, the young masters Jet Lag is at the races and the young Masters Ash, Fluid, and Light are with him, and the master Dream is looking for a job, from what I understand.” The protectopony began lumbering its way to the kitchen to get Rusty his glass of tomato juice.

Rusty headed to the dining room table with a packet of papers to read while he let the radio play a preselected play list of music for a couple of hours. He sat down and looked out at the sandy coast of property a small glint caught his eye. “Actually 41, I need to get some stuff just leave it next to the papers.” He sighed before getting up and going back upstairs, leaving the stack of papers behind at the table. He pressed a couple of buttons on his pipbuck and a couple of screens popped up, after a little bit of sliding found the prompt he wanted, and with the next press of a button the mansions internal security cameras went down. He smiled slipping into Dub Step’s room and moving quickly to the terminal that was set up. He knew better than to put his pipbuck into it. This required an old fashion hacking.

"Wooo! Go Jet Go!" Light and Ash cheered as the little pegasus colt bolted around a sharp turn in the track. Fluid watched from the railing as his friend used his hooves to half gallop half push himself off of the track wall. "The little dude is fast as lightning!" Light shouted to be heard over the crowd.

"Jet Lag is fast enough to qualify as a Wonderbolt to bad the Enclave kicked his folks out! Their loss."

"Who cares about the Fucking Enclave! I got my Jet Lag and they can go shove a stick up their butts." On the final turn he passed the pitch black pegasus that had been just a hairs width ahead of him taking the lead. "He's in the lead! Go Jet Go! Come on!" Ash jumped out of her seat and grabbed the railing of the old racing track stadium. Jet soared past the three of them crossing the finish line in first place. "Woo! Fluid go grab our winnings! She cheered jumping over the railing and running up to the pegasus. "Hug!"

"Hug." Jet Lag repeated letting her know he was fine with the contact. She wrapped her arms around him as he waved the track security away, before returning the gesture panting slightly out of breath. "That race was a tough one. Didn't think... I was going to make it there for a bit."

"I'll admit that Dashite was a close one, but you one in the end."

"Yeah no joke not bad kid." The Dashite said walking up to him. "I haven't seen flying like that since before I got my brand." He looked around before leaning in a bit. "Just between you and me, I was on Dash, I'm surprised you beat me, think you could loan me a couple hundred caps of your winnings?"

"Sure. Have them all if you want. That was a rough race."

"Nice thanks kid I owe you big you have no idea." He held out his hoof and after an awkward pause. "Hoof bump?"

"Don't take this the wrong way but no touching please, but yeah come on you can have it, not like I really need the caps myself." Jet smiled heading off to join Fluid and Light who were waving to him and Ash to come on over.

"Nice job Jet. But now what do we do that the races are over?" Light asked as they walked out of the stadium.

"I mean I was just going to go and do some shopping, until night fall." Jet answered.

"And fluid and I have to go do some training with Obsidian." Ash spit on the ground. "I was hoping to put it off, but we have a break in our scheduled and he want's us both come in for more training."

"Hmmm shopping with Jet Lag or super cool training with Ash and Fluid I'm sur-"

"No. No offence Light, but Obsidian's not the kind of changeling that you want to be around. Dub only had one date with him then dropped him like a hot potato, that should tell you all you need to know about him. Anyway's we'll see you around." Fluid waved good bye, as he and Ash head off leaving Jet with Light. After a couple hours they were moving through the crowded streets of the changeling district. Ash dropped her disguise as she and Fluid moved throw the cramped dark streets of the Changeling enclave. The two of them came to a stop in front of the Apartment complex that housed Mr. Obsidian, they hesitated for a second.

"One day Obsidian will cross a line that not even he can get away, and then I'll finally be happy to go into this damn building." Ash muttered under her breath.

"Ditto, but he did help us out, and this is a lesson for you, so we might as well go in, and get this over with." Fluid and Ash headed into the building. It was just as poorly lit as before. This time instead of Chitin, two changelings nodded to them and motioned for them to follow, instead of going up they lead Fluid and Ash to the stairs going down to the basement.

"High born elite Obsidian will be training you in the basement it's good that you brought a filth pony with you."

"He's a-"

"Let it go Ash. We've." Fluid interrupted his adopted sister. "Honestly, we both know I've been called worse. Let's just get this taken care of and try and met back up with Jet Lag in the market."

"Fine whatever." Ashe blew some of her mane out of her face. The pair of them headed down the stairs. When they got to the basement Ash's eyes quickly adjusted to the absolute darkness around her. Fluid slowly groped for the wall. "Fluid over here." She grabbed his hoof. "They expanded the basement here the walls are much further back than they would be."

"Yes we did. We are known for our subterranean architecture after all." Both of their ears perked up. "Come now Ash how are you doing today?"

"I was doing fine, What exactly did you want to teach me that we have to do it in the absolute darkness?" she asked watching as the black changeling stepped into her field of view. "If it's anything bad. I'm just going to head back up the stairs."

"Bad, Ash, we are changelings." Obsidian answered. "We are above the weak morality of the lower life forms, like those that you insist on associating with. Example," His horn lit up and Fluid went rigid. "On your knees and bark like a dog."

"STOP IT!" Ash screamed as Fluid got on his knees and started barking.

"Of course." His horn stopped glowing and Fluid went limp before putting a hoof to his head and groaning. "I merely wanted to show you what it is like, to prove that morality is to us as rules are to a god. We have no need for it. We have power, and anything that limits our use of said power must exist only to benefit the weak."

"Your wrong Obsidian." Fluid struggled back to his hooves. "If you're powerful than you need more morals than the weak because you're in a position to do more harm."

"And look what your morality as brought us, a wasteland ravished, poisoned, dying."

"And what did it get Chrystalis?"

"Don't say the queen's name Mud Pony." Obsidian took a deep breath. "We were going to betray the zebras and we were at war with your kind. It was only natural that they both hit the hive with everything they had on the last day." He sighed. "Now Ash to your training. Order your mud pony to do what I just ordered him to do. You're good in combat but the more subtle things those you still have to learn."

"Fine whatever let's just get this over with." She said flatly. Her horn started glowing Fluid went rigid. "Bark." Fluid remained rigid and completely silent. "Bark I said!"

"You don't want him to bark do you?"

"Of fucking course not he's my brother not a fucking dog."

"I beg to differ." Obsidian's horn lit up. " On your knees. Bark, and Pant. Mutt." Fluid immediately obeyed, barking and panting like a dog. "See if he sounds like a dog, looks like a dog."

"Stop it." Ash glared at him.

"Order him to." Obsidian smirked. "Or else your mud pony's going home with you like a mutt. I'm sure the City Council would get a laugh at that."

"Fuck you, Obsidian, I can't believe Dub was able to put up with you for even a single night." Ash sighed before looking at Fluid. "Stand up." She commanded. Fluid got back up.

"Back on your knees and bark!"

"Stay standing and remain quiet." Ash ordered, and her brother obeyed. "I might not want him on his knees and barking but you know what Obsidian, I sure as hell don't want a second rate asshole like yourself putting him on his knees and making him bark. Now if my lesson for the day is over will be going."

"You're attachment to a lesser race is only hurting your capacity to grow."

"I'm not to sure about that, given this is only my second time try mind controlling and I'm able to countermand you I think it's really helping my development." Ash smirked.

"Fine well then, One last thing, and you can go if you don't want me teaching you anymore today on how to be a changeling. Let's see how much your ability to drain a pony has improved. Kiss him. And try not to kill him this time when you do." Ash glared at him for a few seconds before sighing. She leaned in and kissed him. Fluid's eyes went from their vibrant red to a more muted grayish red. She pulled back. "He didn't die this time good, though your still taking to much. One would think your flying pony was starving you. Keeping up your disguise for as long and often as you do is doing you more harm than it is good and the pegasus colt can't sustain you alone. I suggest podding a few ponies."

"And if I ever find out that you've been podding pony's I'm going to turn you're head into a smear on the wall."

"I don't think the mud pony would like that."

"What Fluid doesn't know won't hurt him."

"By that logic the idiot must be invincible."

"Just hope I never find proof."

"Is that a threat?" he asked. Ash just glared at him for a moment before her body was engulfed in green flame, and she recast her disguise spell back into an orange pegasus. Fluid stumbled in a bit of a daze as he slowly came to Ash caught him before he hit the floor.

"Let's getting going Fluid. You need to get home."

Lapis leaned back in on the sofa while the two earth pony sibling that lived on the stairs gleefully downed the carrot and potato stew that she had cooked for her dinner. Though, she didn't mind that they were chowing down on it at her table, the two of them were looking a lot better now, she couldn't even see their ribs were sticking out anymore. After the two of them finished eating they looked up at her. Just gave them a soft smile and wave.

"Did you two save me anything?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes ma'am thank you for letting us have some." The colt nodded. "We can't give you a lot in return, though."

"That's alright you two just stay safe and if you're hungry come up and knock on my door okay, and if I'm not home feel free to have a go around the kitchen just, leave something for me to cook myself."

"Yes ma'am thank you so much miss Lapis." They waved heading out the door.

"You know you can sleep here too right?"

"W-we know b-but w-w-we need to-to go." The colt and his little sister headed out of the studio apartment closing the door behind them doubtlessly going back to the small landing that they called home.

She walked over to the kitchenette and poured herself a bowl of stew. She smiled as she had just enough for her lunch tomorrow, given the fridge worked only half the time there was no point in making to many left overs. She sat down at her table when there was a soft knock on her door. "Who is it?" she asked putting her utensils down.

"Just your friendly neighborhood repair pony's managers," came the answer from the other side of the door.

"Dub, Disc, is that you come on in?" Without needing any further request the door opened up and the pink twins walked in. "What brings the two of you to my humble home?"

"We were just doing our rounds and thought that we would visit."

"Bro-Bro wanted to see if his mare friend was interested in a date."

"Dub wanted to visit her four ex colt friends that also live in this apartment block."

"Don't say it like that, you'll make it sound like I'm easy?" Lapis couldn't fought back a laugh as Dub pushed her brother softly on the shoulder.

"Well ignoring all of that, I'm glad to see that you're walking around again, are you still burned out?" Lapis asked as the twins sat down on her couch.

"I mean, I still can't use my horn at least not yet, but Jet Lag and 41fr3d both agree that I should be able to use my magic again by the end of the month. But for the actual reason, we're here is for the Summer Sun Celebration, we were wondering if you'd be interested in joining us and setting up the party."

"Right, this will be my first Summer Sun Celebration where I can actually see the sun." She smiled and nodded, "but isn't that in a couple of months?"

"Well yeah, but it's a big thing here at End of the Line, and Fluid has a lot of responsibilities given his family's old world position in all of it, so we have to start planning and stuff month in advance," Disc answered.

"He was old world aristocracy right. Well I don't mind joining in, not like there's been much to do lately anyways. Unless you two have been holding out on me."

"Not quite but we have found a couple of interesting things. That could actually help us, with our fight against the snatchers. But we'll need a couple of extra days of going through it all."

"Anyways, we were a bit curious, what you were up to, no need to make all our meetings about work." Dub said leaning back on the couch. "though I am sorry that we kind of ran in on your dinner. We thought that you would have finished it before now."

"We can go if you'd like." Disc offered.

"I'm fine with you being here but I hope you don't mind if I keep eating, do either of you want any?"

"No, we both had something on the way here." Disc shook his head.

"So, how's working for Fortiis going?"

"He's amazing, his shop is everything he said it was and more!" She took another bit of her soup, her eye brow raised slightly as Dub's face slightly sours. "What's wrong?"

"We're not on the best terms with Fortiis."

"I had to teach Fluid sex ed. Do you know who taught Fluid sex ed before me!" Dub began. "Fortiis!" Her brother stiffed his laughter as Lapis looked at the pink mare a little confused. "And do you know what that Stalliongrad jackass taught him! Baby ponies come from EGGS! Eggs that the stallions lay." Lapis burst out laughing. "Oh sure you think it's funny, but imagine how I felt having his first question be how does the female pony put the egg in the stallion?! It's not so funny then."

"She's right, it was hilarious!" Disc laughs beside his sister earning him a punch to the side.

"He didn't."

"He did and if Fortiis is a such a good boss I'm going to feel a little bit guilty about shoving my hoof up his ass." Dub mumbled. "Whatever look changing subject, are you up for a walk with us after you finish your supper, we're going to go visit Old Timer, and see if he's got any news for us."

"Yeah sure." Lapis wiped a stray tear from her eye. "Just let me finish these last couple of bites. Oh, wait speaking of Fluid, he likes to tinker right?"

"Yeah he likes to fiddle around with things."

"He fixed your window, he fixes lots of stuff."

"Great do you think that he could fix my fridge?"

"Yeah we'll send him over in the morning to get your fridge fixed."

"Thanks, so what are the other new comers up too?" Lapis started drinking the thin watery broth of the stew.

"Dream's applied for a job as a math teacher in the only school this side of Fillydelphia if Red Eye's is to be believed."

"It's probably the only school, not that it's really a school. Just a politician trying to get votes with the I can rebuild the world line of talking points." Disc sighed leaning back. "He's really good at the math part of his job. The teaching part not so much. His sister, she's alright, she's extremely..."

"Spirited." Dub finished for her brother. "She's getting along well with the others. You want to go for a walk?"

"After the stew yeah, that'd be nice." Lapis nodded. "Once around the neighborhood would be nice." The three of them headed out locking the door behind them. "Hey Dub, what the heck is that?" Lapis pointed a few black cords with glass interwoven into them. hanging out of the pink mares saddle bag.

"That that's for tomorrow, Don't worry about it." Dub's smile falter for a second before becoming all bubbly again. "Do you want to hear about the time my brother and I 'accidentally' dyed his coat the same neon pink as his mane?"

"You didn't that's terrible! Tell me everything."

Fluid and Ash had found Light and Jet Lag waiting for them as they exited the Changeling enclave. Light was standing bipedally jumping from one hoof to the other earning her strange looks from each passer by. After a brief conversation the two groups joined back together and began wondering around town. They had walked around stopping at any shop that caught their attention, until the sun had finally began to set below the horizon leaving the four of them alone on empty and abandoned streets. Everybody hurried into their homes as the day began to come to a close.

"I would think ponies would start being bolder, about going out." Light said as they headed down abandoned streets.

"You can never be too safe," Jet said staying close to Ash's side though never touching her. "Though, I doubt that we'll run in to any snatchers tonight."

"I hope we do that'd be the best way to end this day off, punching a bunch of jackasses until they go down."

"We need to get home soon. After all tomorrow is the second friday of the month," Ash said a small shiver goes down Fluid's back.

"What? What's that got to do about anything?" Light looked confused for a second before her eyes light up. "Ah that the day that we all get waffles!"

"What no, that's when, well." Ash trailed off.

"There are three rule, don't touch me." Jet Lag started. "Don't tell pony's about who we are. and never under any circumstances go on the forth floor on the second Friday of the month. Those are the three most important house rules, you can't forget those things."

"I mean that last one is a very arbitrary rule. Surely you guys forget about it all the time too right?"

"Not really no." Ash shakes her head side to side.

"I don't like going up there anyways so I just avoid it all together," Jet answered.

"What about you Fluid you're being awfully quiet." Light smirked. "I bet you walked up there a few times and saw Dub doing things that you wish you could forget."

"I really don't want to talk about it," Fluid answered not looking up from the ground. The four of them walked along the roads Light, Jet, and Ash talking about what ever came to their minds. Fluid remained quiet not speaking unless spoken to, and when they finally got back to the mansion Fluid went straight to his room.

"See ya tomorrow," Light waved as he headed up the stairs. "Guess he's not feeling all that great."

"Light, again tomorrow's going to be a bit of a rough day for him." Ash led the way to the kitchen. "He's normally like this and then he's over it after sunset, don't worry and don't push him about it."

Heading up the stairs Fluid paused at the sound of a bang. He peeked into the ball room and saw Dream groaning head on the table, as he rubbed his temples. "Why can't they just understand. That's not how you do it?" He looked up from his table and spotted Fluid. "Hey colt, you look like my students before a pop-quiz."

"I-it's nothing. Is there anything wrong with you? You seem a bit upset."

"With me not at all, with my students, well that's a completely different matter entirely. No matter how many times I do the equations on the board none of them seem to understand how to do it themselves."

"Have you explained it to them?"

"I've told them a million times this is how you do it, but they just don't understand that."

"Try talking to Dub and Disc they're both good at home schooling. I'm heading to bed." Fluid walked away leaving Dream to fret over his student's papers.

"Yeah you get some rest you look awful." Fluid continued up the stairs to the third floor where he quickly made his way to his room for a rough night of sleep.

Ash, Jet, and Light made their way into the dinning room. Dub and Disc were eating quietly across from each other as the three or them made it in. "Hey Dub hey Disc, what's up you two? And if you say tomorrow I'm going to flip." Light Chaser walked up to the table and took a seat.

"The yesterday of the day after tomorrow." Disc smirked.

"Hahaha." She exaggerated her laugh at 41fr3d came up to her.

"Your usual."

"Yes please." Jet and Ash nodded to the robot from their chairs, as Rusty walked in.

"Just finished a walk on the beach, it's getting warmer out there. Finally."

"Well we hope you enjoy you're dinner, we're going to bed. There's a lot to do over the next couple of days." Dub nodded as her brother got out of his seat. She soon joined him, as the two left the table.

"Any theories on what goes on on the fourth floor tomorrow Rusty?" Light asks as the earth pony colt sits down.

"Theories I don't need theories I have the facts. Dub and Disc engage in ancient rituals and rites to try and contact the ministry mares using Fluid as a medium." Jet groaned and Ash face hoofed, as Light listened intently to Rusty as he went into a rant that would have lasted hours past midnight, had 41fr3d not sent them to bed, at half an hour past 2 AM.

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long.