"You damned fool!" Blueblood slapped the mask off the face of the pony before him. "I told you to put the drug in her cake not HER WINE!"

The servent dropped to the ground holding his face to hide it while reaching for his mask while blueblood glared down at the pony at his feet.

"Do you realize that you could jeopardize years of planning because of your failure to communicate a simple order!" Blueblood barked.

"Forgive me my liege but it was a mistake the waiter had not expected the princess of friendship to drink the-"

"SILENCE!"

The masked servent placed his forehead on the floor and a coward at blueblood's voice, the prince however turned to the window overlooking Canterlot.

"However the failure of your agent could work in our favor if played correctly," Blueblood stated holding his chin while in thought.

"By what means milord?"

"Ignoring your agent's failure to follow my basic order... we could have this played off as an attempt to poison Twilight by means but having this happen so soon to our other 'accident' may prove tricky especially with that Starlight currently investigating the dragon's disappearance," Blueblood glared back down at the servant. "Prehaps we could have this done to where we can kill two birds with one stone... having more reasons for the public to hate those desert beasts while we can post the blame onto those like filthy rich for being a spy of some kind,"

"Brilight planning my liege," The masked pony stated while still groveling on the floor.

"But we will need to plant evidence and bribe ponies not only to lie about this but to be silent about our plans... bah! More of the causes treasury wasted! If we are to move up with our plans we will need to recover this wasted funding," Blueblood barked before pointing to the door. "See to it that we begin with this 'clean-up' and keep word about this reaching ponyville as long as possible! The last thing we need is more ponies second-guessing,"

"Right away my liege," Standing up the pony placed his mask back on before swiftly disappearing into the darkness leaving Blueblood to groan.

"This is too much work..."

(The badlands, Zebra land outpost)
(Three hours after wall breach)

Six didn't know the zebra rule all that well honestly.

Only what he knew from Damion.

He was a king loved by his people and a true friend to those he gave his loyalty.

Now he was here, lifeless, unmoving, decapitated.

Looking at the sheet-covered body the courier turned his head away while the panther king bowed his head over his friend's corpse.

"Who did this?" Damion voice echoed through the room, despite the tone he spoke with, all in the room could feel fury seething from within his soul.

Aya stood across the table with her arms crossed.

"A pony. Laid calm to the old laws," Damion looked at her with watered eyes.

"I know it was a damned pony. What was the bastard's name!"

"Sentry. Flash Sentry if what his guard said is true," The Jackal queen answered causing the panther king to stare down at the unmoving body before them.

"Damion. I'm- I'm sorry," Six words caused the Abyssinian to shake his head.

"No. This isn't your fault. This is on Flash Sentry... and all of Equestria," Damion turned to the two standing beside him. "If they think they can keep getting away with this. They can't. Not again. No more will the sands of our home drink more of our blood,"

Staring down at the two Damion bared his fangs with a growl.

"No more," Damion hissed. "Every Abyssinian. Every Zebra. Every Jackal. Every steelman. We will bring fire to Equestria. And I will mount the head of that bastard who did this to my throne!"

The panther looked back to his dead friend as he hung his head.

"For our people... For Xavior,"

All stood in silence until the queen spoke.

"No,"

Damion's ears perked up at the sound of her statement causing him to tilt his head slightly.

"What did you say?"

"We are not conquerors, Damion. Even with the developments Six has made. We have been a shield. Not a sword," Aya looked at Six then back to the panther king who stared at her. "We need to focus on our homeland. Here. On our home. On our people. On our legacy,"

Aya slowly walked over to the slab on the opposite side of Damion as she looked at the king's corpse.

"Equestria is rotting away already we know this. It's only a matter of time before it falls," Aya placed her hand on the shoulder of Xavior's body. "If they wish to keep sending their people here to die. Then so be it,"

"This is Xavior, Aya. We were raised together. We saw each other as a family. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Yes,"

"Than for us to do nothing is... is..." Damion bared his fangs at the thought while looking up at her.

Aya stared at her fellow ruler.

"Say it,"

"Cowardice,"

The two looked down at the slab.

"I don't wish to bury any more of our people,"

"You wouldn't have to," Six voice had the two turn to him. "If Equestria wants a war. I'll give them one,"

Six turned on his heels and marched from the morgue placing his helmet on with ED-E following after him, leaving the two alone to mourn.

(Equestria)
(Ponyville, cider-side bar)

Starlight sighed, placing her drink on the bar, staring at the evidence she had collected over the past few days involving Spike's apart kidnapping. Normally she wasn't one to drink but these past events have caused the master Unicron to go for the bottle to evlate her ever-growing headache.

It was safe to say none of the facts she found didn't make any sense!

Suspecting that Six guy and the kingdoms of the badlands made even less sense for the fact.

Ever since her talk with Six, his words had lingered in her mind, almost repeatedly repeating like she knew she was missing something. Sure he was a bit of a jerk to her but Starlight slowly came to the reality, that Six might not be the person many accused him of being.

'Goddess! Why is this such a headache,'

Lifting a picture of Spike's bedroom Starlight stared at the photo, the room was a complete mess, with broken tables and chairs, ripped cloth everywhere, a broken window, and not to mention a large sum of blood. There was a struggle that was for sure, Spike had to have been fighting back that was for sure.

However, something bugged her about the picture.

The window was broken that was for sure, however, the guard informed her that the intruders busted through the window to escape before they could enter. Another fact was there were no eyewitness reports of any pony seeing anyone flee the castle of friendship.

Only a single piece of evidence pointed to the badlands, a small patch of Abyssinian fur with a piece of cloth similar to the sand devil from Abyssinia. That was the only proof they had connecting the badlands to the kidnapping, something told Starlight this wasn't the case.

From what she read Sand devils were expert trackers and survivalists able to go days on end without aid from any outside help, along with that they were discipline fighters who could swiftly and quietly deal with any threat their way. Yet from what she read the attack seemed like Spike saw his attacker coming, if the books about the sand devils were true Spike wouldn't have seen them coming even if they were right beside him.

Spike was a dragon but he wasn't a trained fighter. From the damage in the room, this told her that the attacker wasn't a trained professional, which the sand devil was. Had he been attacked by a sand devil the Abyssinian would have him tied, bound, gagged, and wrapped up nice pretty within a heartbeat.

'No offense Spike,'

Finally the glaring problem above all...

There was no trace of window glass INSIDE the room!

Grabbing her drink she downed her third glass with a grunt, pushing the glass forward Starlight stared at the documents unaware of the pony that sat down next to her.

"Hard day?" The stranger's voice caught her off guard, but the pony quickly relaxed seeing him speaking to her.

Starlight shook her head.

"More like a hard week,"

"Yeah, I hear that," The pony held out a hand to the barkeep. "I'll have what the lady is having,"

Pulling his hand down over his eyes Starlight looked up at the pony, he wore a large brim hat with a poncho wrapped around most of his body. The poor lighting of the bar made it difficult for her to make out his coat and his face, the barkeep passed the pony a drink and was quickly repaid.

"Don't look at me so much," The pony whispered causing Starlight to give him a weird look. "They got eyes everywhere,"

Confused the Unicron was about to speak, but the pony slowly pushed something to her from underneath his sleeve.

"Look I know you don't know me. But listen real shady stuff has been happening in the badlands even before the whole cut-off from the cats and zebras," The pony responded.

"Who are you?" Starlight asked while the pony took his drink.

"Doesn't matter," The pony crossed his arms on the bar while secretly pointing to the thing he pushed to her. "I'm in trouble here Starlight and I've heard you are looking in the wrong direction for answers. That is what I found and- Oh boy does this rabbit hole go deeper than a sand-shifter on a hot summer day,"

Starlight pulled the small book he handed her.

"What goes deep?" Starlight questioned.

The pony shifted in his seat.

"Listen I don't have much time they're onto me Starlight. All I know is you are one of the good ones sure you had a rough past but I've been told you're good and you'll stop at nothing to bring the truth into the light," The pony pointed out. "These guys are real bad news and if they continue who knows what will happen they've already-"

The pony froze when he noticed something in the darker parts of the bar.

"Who's they?" Starlight asked but the pony got up from his seat.

"I can't say any more I gave you what you need," With that the pony bolted out the bar leaving Starlight with the small book.

Opening it she saw it was a journal, a bit confusing but her eyes soon widened at what she was reading.

"Oh god,"

Author's Note

OH my god, I am so sorry here lads.

Just... been a long hard past couple of months with different mind rushes and lack of fallout inspiration.

Along with work Drama

However here is an update to one of my longest-running fallout stories, THAT'S NOT DEAD!

(yet)

Still a destiny-inspired start along with Noir detective bar scene with Starlight now going to learn the truth about spike's disappearance.

However, She might find it difficult after what is going to happen with a full-on war brewing up.

The next update will not take a year, which I promise to you guys.

Till then.