Suri was bored. She had been in the Haylem Haymaker’s base for a week now along with the other mares, and they couldn’t go out as the mares were barred from going outside of Haymaker territory. When they were allowed to go somewhere in the territory, they had to be escorted by gang members. It was a grueling experience, and all she wanted to do was anything else.

“That’s it,” she declared, hopping off the couch and stretching. “I’m going out.”

“Wait, hold on!” Nebula quickly rushed to her hooves, tugging her away from the door to their room by her tail. “Don’t leave! You’ll get kidnapped!!”

“And?” Suri pulled her tail back. “I’d rather take the risk for food that isn’t just Neigh-opolitan and a bath that isn’t a rusty communal shower!”

“Nebula is right, Suri,” Moonshine Drop replied, casually flipping through a book. “We cannot afford to be caught in an ambush and kidnapped. It would cost North all of the leverage we’d have.”

“Oh please… Like you’re one to talk, Miss High-and-Mighty. I was always at risk of getting kidnapped when North and I were together, mkay? Are you telling me you can’t handle a little bit of violence?”

Moonshine huffed and looked down at her book. Just ignore her, it’s not that big a deal. She’s just a mare…

“Besides, I think a bit of action might help a certain somepony.” Suri’s eyes turned towards Lotus Dance, who was lying on the ground on a makeshift bed of sheets and pillows and staring up at the ceiling. She had barely said anything and her movements in and out of that room had been minimal. Her mind was nothing but confusion, frustration, and a feeling of emptiness. The only thing her mind was filled with was the sounds of her cousin training downstairs. His screams of force with every strike and the sounds of chains rattling as the bags he was using were kicked and punched around.

“Lotus!”

“H-Huh??” The sounds of a hoof stomp and a shout snapped her out of her meditation of emptiness. She looked around and saw Suri, her mouth quickly sinking into a frown. “W-What do you want?...”

“I want to go out. Come with me.”

“...” The young mare slowly laid her head back down on the pillow. “No… I don’t want to…”

“Come on! You’ve been holed up here for so long, you need to get out of here! Actually have a life outside of this!”

“I said no…”

Seeing the mares refusing to follow her, Suri rubbed her chin in thought before she got an idea. She shrugged and turned around. “You know, I’m going out with or without you all. It just means that if I get captured, you’d all be seen as responsible for me getting out.”

Suri quickly ducked, and like she predicted, she found a small burn near where her head would be. She smirked and looked over at Moonshine, who tried to compose herself again. “Wow, didn’t expect you to use that much force to try and put a stop to me~”

“I-I was trying to stop you! That’s it!” Moonshine shouted defensively. “You won’t make North’s efforts to free Lotus be in vain! He’s working himself to near death for her!”

“Yeah, and even if he’s putting in that much effort for her, what’s gonna happen when she gets free??” Suri snapped back. “Is she going to just wait for him or some other pony to come and help her every single time, or is she going to try and reach for freedom herself?? She needs to learn to rely on herself out there, mkay, ‘cause that’s how Manehattan and Equestria are to ponies who don’t have some kind of connection! We don’t get escorts around to protect us or have ponies determine how to do something! We have to figure it out ourselves!”

Suri panted, looking at the shocked expressions of the others. As she calmed down, she realized that she might’ve gone too heavy on the words. However, it was the sight of Lotus Dance shuffling up to her hooves that put a shocked look on everypony’s face, even her own. The youngest of the mares shuffled towards her cousin’s ex and mumbled, “Fine… I’ll go…”

Nebula hopped to her hooves. “Hey hey! You don’t have to! Suri’s just trying to get a rise out of us and being selfish!”

“Hey! Watch it, paint head!”

“Were you always like this?? Do you even know what North’s doing to himself just for Lotus’s sake?? What did my brother see in a stupid, selfish, spoiled brat like you??”

“ENOUGH!!”

Moonshine Drop’s irritation from the arguing had risen to such a point that it caused her to lose concentration and slip into her Royal Canterlot Voice. Fortunately for her, all that anypony saw was the quiet, tall mare suddenly booming her voice and scaring the daylights out of them. With a sigh to relieve tension, she spoke.

“L-Listen. It’s extremely dangerous for us all to go. Even if we went as a group and never left each other, we’d likely be outnumbered. I agree that I would like to go out as well, Suri, but nopony would reasonably agree to chaperone us around the city.”

“I would.”

Moonshine suddenly yelped and leaped from her seat as Silver Knives popped out from behind the door with a smile. Everypony was surprised, but Nebula was the first to speak, albeit very nervously. “H-Hey! How long have you been… Listening to us…?”

“The whole time more or less,” the mare shrugged, entering as she twirled her long mane. “Honestly, I was going to scare Suri back into the room, but that speech… Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s go out.”

They all blinked in confusion, Suri speaking up. “Aheh… You? You wanna join in a girls day out?”

“Uh, yeah. Do I look like I wanna spend every single moment working out like the stallions in there?” She pointed out the window to the stallions working out and fighting. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, fighting kicks flank, but I get bored, ya know? I want mare friends to hang out with, do whatever mares do.” She paused, inspecting a hidden knife in her hooves. “Mares talk about knife collections, right?”

Suri’s eyes widened as she approached the assassin, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Oh, wow… We need to go out, like, now, m'kay? You need a real crash course in marehood.”

“From you?” Nebula raised an eyebrow.

“Shut up. Come on, let’s get out of here?”

“Well, how are we gonna get out, genius??”

Knives paused for a moment before a memory snapped into her mind. Rushing to one of the walls leading outside, she quickly unlatched some small locks hidden by the darkened wall. As she did, she revealed a hidden doorway out of the building, albeit a two story drop. Looking down at the landing point, a dumpster that was still quite full, Suri’s head darted back to Knives.

“You really don’t expect me to land in that trash, do you?”

“What? I thought you wanted to get out.”

Suri’s gaze focused on that almost smug expression the gang member had on her face. “Yeah, and not come out of it smelling like the city’s dump, m’kay?”

“Oh, pardon me princess. Perhaps you’d like a royal chariot and a choir to sing as you go down would be more your speed?”

“What’d you say, you-??”

“Okay, enough of this…” Moonshine sighed as her horn lit up. She and Suri became enveloped in an aura before descending down to the warehouse streets. The others paused as they watched on, but before they could comment, the unicorn looked up at them. “Are you all coming, or are we venturing out on our own?”

“... You know, I forgot she’s a unicorn. Not sure why,” Nebula spoke as she fluttered her wings and glided down. Knives and Lotus followed suit, and as they grouped together, Suri pointed towards the skyscrapers.

“Alright, girls! Let’s get our girl’s day out on!”

~~~

The five arrived at the closest shopping center they could find, where the first thing they did was acquire a new set of outfits for disguise. They needed to be discrete, but cover them enough that nopony could easily recognize them at a glance. Most importantly, though, they needed to not get something too pricey. As such, Suri had to be dragged out of the high end boutiques and into a nicer but affordable department store.

“Hmm…” Nebula pondered as she looked between two pairs of shades to match her blouse and dress combo, slipping one of them on and looking at herself in a nearby mirror. “Oh yeah. I’m cool.”

Knives stifled a giggle as she looked through some dresses, tapping her chin. “Suri, could you come here a moment?”

Suri, in the middle of settling on a hat that wouldn’t mess up her mane, approached. “Yeah? Wanna mock me some more? Cause I’m not afraid to brawl in a store again, m’kay?”

“Oh no, I’m actually hoping you could help me pick something out. I’ll admit I’m not the best when it comes to picking out an outfit for subtlety.”

The sincere smile caught Suri off guard, making her tilt her head. “... Wait, aren’t you supposed to be some kind of assassin or something? That’s what I heard… Assassins are supposed to infiltrate and whatnot…”

“Ah yes, well…” Knives looked away, a pink blush forming on her cheeks. “I must admit, Guard Breaker picks out my outfits for me. He has a better eye for detail on this than me. I’m more intimate with… Biology and equipment.”

Suri stared at the mare with a greater look of shock, completely taken aback by the news. Guard Breaker?? That giant lunkhead is a better pick of fashion than the actual mare?? What… Even are you??

“Ugh…” She rubbed her temples with her hooves and pointed to a beautiful, if plain red dress with white flowers. “That… That one should work…”

“Hmmm…” She tapped her chin. “Does it have any secret compartments for my knives, though-?”

“J-Just get a purse!!”

“Oh, but it’s so inconvenient…”

Moonshine chuckled at the sight of their banter, looking down at her own choice of a midnight violet dress with frills and straps, what she believed was called “goth couture”. She admitted she’d prefer something lighter and peppier, but it might’ve given her away. Although… She thought to herself. Maybe using that would make it easier…

“U-Ummm… Moonshine?”

The unicorn snapped out of her thoughts to look to her side, where Lotus, still avoiding eye contact, held up a pastel blue and pink shirt and skirt. “What… What do you think about this?”

“It…” Moonshine brought the outfit over, looking them up and down before bursting into a massive smile. “It’s WONDERFUL!!”

“H-Huh??”

“Oh my goodness, these colors, the brightness, the cute bear design on the front! It’s so adorable!!! Where did you find this??”

“U-Ummm…” She pointed to a separate part of the store. “O-Over there-”

“Then let’s make haste! I need an outfit just like this!!” Her horn lit up as she dragged Lotus with her. The poor pegasus could do little as she was bombarded with comments and various outfits, with only one thought going through her mind.

W-What, what what what whyyyy??

~

With disguises purchased and worn, the five stood by the doors in their new attire.

“Alright, we got everything!” Suri proclaimed as she turned towards the food court. “Let’s go out and hit the town! I’m starving-!”

“Not yet.”

Suri stumbled to a stop and looked back in frustration. “Oh, what now???”

“We have the outfits, but there’s still the possibility that we’ll be spotted. I don’t want to spend too much of my magic in one day, so…” Her horn came alight as each of the mares’ attire became engulfed in a deep blue aura. As it faded, Suri inspected her clothes.

“I… I don’t get it. What did you do?”

Moonshine Drop wiped her brow of sweat and took a breath. “Threat Perception Blocker. Paired with a connecting thread of magic as well as a 12-hour time limit. Normally, the magic needed would be shared among unicorns, but among five non-unicorn mares…”

The group watched as she slumped forward, slightly exhausted. I really must be losing my grip… I could connect all of Ponyville for a time, but this was a struggle… Perhaps it’s due to my form? Me holding back to fit the illusion?

“That’s amazing, Moon!” Nebula declared as she zipped forward with surprising speed, stunning Moonshine.

Knives chuckled with her usual sweet smile. “Indeed. It figures since you’re in the Royal Court, but to have such magic… You’re somepony to watch out for.”

“A-Ah, thank you…” The unicorn blushed with pride and embarrassment. “Truthfully, taking to the path of the moon was something that was a passion, even if it’s not what I do in the court. Not that I mind, of course. Even though…”

“Hmmm?”

Moonshine sighed and shook her head. “I-It’s nothing, really. So, we were talking about food? I could use a meal.”

“Yes, finally!” Suri shouted as she turned back to the food court. “We can talk about tragic backstories later!”

~

Despite what was said, Suri ended up ditching the food court as she thought the options were kind of lacking. Fortunately, with multiple floors, each one had a small food court all their own, but where some were satisfied, the rest had issues. It wasn’t until they reached the 7th floor that they found a food court that catered to all of them. Fortunately, the whole time, they got the chance to shop for trinkets and things just for the fun of it. They even took the time to go to a spa simply for its public baths, a much more comforting experience than an old shower. Now, the five casually chatted as they went through their meals, bags filled with an assortment of items.

“I’m telling you, Nebula,” Suri spoke as she sipped on her tea. “If you actually used some of your paintings, or even just your art skills, into making clothes, you’d make way more consistent bits than if you just sold paintings.”

“Ahhh, maybeh…” Nebula sighed before swallowing a mouth full of fries. “But I always feel like it would just dilute my identity and my works if anypony can just get them as a shirt or something. Wouldn’t the original lose its spark…?”

“Not at all,” Knives smiled as she enjoyed her salad. “Truthfully, ponies who see art on clothing would tend to recognize it more. Plus, when somepony buys a famous painting, they tend to use that as a means of making a lot of merchandise out of that painting…”

“Ugh, that’s so scummy…”

“Yes, but if you had a say in that, you’d still be remembered. Especially if you worked with high end designers who could advertise with your name.”

Nebula watched as Suri spoke, leaning into the table a bit. “Suri, that’s… Oddly smart business for you. I’m surprised you aren’t doing way better.”

Suri nearly choked on her tea and flashed a glare at her ex’s sister. “A-And who says I’m not doing well??”

“Well, you just seem… I dunno, like you should be living a more luxurious life.”

“She is right…” Knives nodded. “You have the energy of someone on the downturn. Has business really been that slow?”

Suri’s face turned sour as she gripped her cup in her hooves. She looked as if she wanted to start ranting, but was holding herself back. Sensing the tension, Moonshine spoke up. “I understand if you don’t want to speak about it, Suri. If you wish, I could share something personal in exchange…”

“Oooo, excellent idea!” Knives clapped her hooves in excitement. “Sharing something intimate is an excellent way to bond!”

Nodding, Moonshine took a deep breath before she began. “The truth is, in my family, I’m not seen as… Highly as my sister. She works in the Court as well, but is seen more favorably by aristocrats and such. Being a mare of science, my work is really only seen when the alcohol comes out, and it almost never gets praised. If it’s bad, though, it is solely on me… We aimed to settle our differences recently, but I won’t lie and say the rift isn’t there, especially when she can be impish…”

“Oh?” Knives tilted her head in curiosity.

“Yes, she…” Moonshine blushed in embarrassment, remembering her times as Luna and seeing Celestia sexually torment her lover. “Used her sway with the guard to interrogate North. In a very… Provocative manner. I had to give my own brand of justice on her as a result.”

Each of the mares gave their own reaction to the story. Suri looked away with a slight blush on her cheeks while Knives gave a joyful giggle. Nebula, on the other hand, covered her face in complete shame of hearing her brother’s intimate details, and while Lotus barely reacted, she looked down to hide her face in a very similar manner.

“Please… Don’t talk about what North does in the bedroom again…”

“Y-Yeah… I don’t… Think I wanna hear about how big bro gets his kicks…”

I don’t believe my North was having much fun, girls…

“Well, anyways…” Knives adjusted herself in her seat. “I suppose I’m next, since I volunteered. I can speak with you about how I rolled in with this rowdy crowd who’ve been protecting you.”

“Eh, I know this story…” Suri waved a hoof. “I’ll pass.”

“Well they don’t, so quiet down.” Knives maintained her smile at Suri, even as a hidden blade could be seen in her wings. “Anyways… Being young and broke in Manehattan isn’t very fun. Least of all when you have a family like mine. They ran a butcher shop, and because we were selling actual meat, our clients were usually animal tamers or more carnivorous creatures. That kind of life gives you a stigma, and so we didn’t have much for friends or steady income. To make up for it, my siblings and I decided to do some performances. Usually some level of acrobatics and knife juggling. It was good for raising pocket money, although it was…” Her eyes drifted to the scars on her hooves. “Dangerous…”

“A butcher shop…” Moonshine muttered as she looked down at her food. “Wait, I thought the sale of meat was prohibited nowadays?”

“Bingo,” Knives pointed her wing at her new friend. “What we were doing was very illegal, which is why, even with a gang backing us, the police eventually came and raided the whole place, right as I was sinking a knife into some poor bovine who didn’t ask to be there…”

She looked down at the food and took a deep breath. “I had two options. Come quietly and say the truth, which would’ve gotten me sent to juvie and be left to fend for my own with a reputation as a butcher, or try and make my escape with whatever bits I could and find somepony to take me in… We all simultaneously chose the latter. I used my knife throwing skills to good use and took a few cops out before I made my way to the safe. I took as much as I could before I disappeared out the window. My siblings… They were less lucky…”

“Knives…”

The assassin shook her head with a sigh. “Don’t bother. Even if we were fillies and colts, we were bad. Everypony took a sick joy out of their work, and I figured that joy was payment enough for them.” She raised a wing, revealing a sharpened knife. “It wasn’t long before I found him… A stallion with his colt nephew… He saw how skilled I was with a blade and challenged me to a fight. If he won, I was to join his gang and if I won…”

They all looked at her, anticipating an answer, but she sighed and shook her head. “That doesn’t really matter. I lost, clearly. I had so much that I needed to learn back then, and being one of North’s personal guard, we bonded. Of course, I had my own shares of troubles, like a purple mare who kept causing us all trouble by running her mouth-”

“Hey, watch it, meathead! It ain’t my story!”

Chuckling, she continued. “But, I found my place. Murder, as it turned out, was fun for me, when it was ponies who deserved to die for their sins. And with my skills, I was very effective. Between North, Diamond, and Guard… I feel like I truly found home.”

Nebula smiled at that and leaned forward. “Wow, that’s… That’s really amazing…”

Knives turned to Nebula. “But enough about me. Let’s hear from our celebrity~”

“U-Ummm…” The artist jolted in place and fidgeted about. “I-I don’t think I can offer anything like your story.”

“Nonsense,” Moonshine shook her head. “Your story doesn’t need to be incredibly interesting. We’re just pouring our hearts out together.”

Nebula saw the sincerity in the unicorn’s tone and face, a kind of sensation that she hadn’t seen in years. She could feel her chest tighten up as her words got caught in her throat. North… You’re so lucky…

“W-Well, I guess…” She sighed as she looked down. “Ponies think that because I’m some rich mare that my life was always easy. North’s kinda the proof against that, but even when we had the bits for things, it felt… Isolating.” She looked down at her oatburger. “Mom always felt so distant, like she was handling some kind of faberge egg. Something to be adorned at a distance and shown off, while dad…”

Suri chimed in. “He’s an ass, yeah?”

Nebula quietly nodded.

“Yeah, I kinda assumed that with how he treated his own son. Heard stories, but never got enough on him to paint a full picture.”

“Well, he certainly had something to say about my artistic pursuits…” The pegasus shook her head. “I got to hear endless lectures about how I was wasting my potential with art instead of following in his hoofsteps and taking over his business. It was only when my mother convinced him that it could be beneficial for tourism that he relented. Even still… I had to fend for myself after college. He promised me an apartment, which is how I have the place I live in now.”

She went silent for a moment, then closed her eyes tight. “B-But… It was a trap. I got the apartment, but I had to pay for it every single month. I couldn’t afford to relax or enjoy myself because the rent and utilities cost me a hoof and a wing. He said that I had to strike it on my own, but if I failed, I’d have to either live on the streets or… G-Go back to him and get a ‘real job’…”

Tears began to fall down her face as she grit her teeth in frustration. “I-I really thought that… That North and Diamond were bad people… Th-That abandoned me to be like this… I bought everything dad said to me, thought he was actually right when he said I had to strike it on my own and suffer for my art! I-I didn’t even stop to think that my own brother actually did care about me…! I’m such an idiot, I-”

Her pleas were cut off when she was suddenly dragged into a close embrace. Pausing in confusion, she looked down and saw Lotus clinging to her as her eyes were shut tight. “I get it… Ponies think you’re some rich daddy’s mare, but you’re not even given a chance to enjoy life… ‘Cause of family… I have a dream too, but I left it behind so my uncle didn’t worry about his troubles with the BDC…”

The comment surprised everypony at the table, with Knives leaning in. “Really? The young mistress has a dream? That’s the first I’ve heard!”

“Lotus, you don’t have to tell us if you don’t wish to…” Moonshine began to speak, but Lotus simply shook her head.

“No… I think getting it off my chest might be good…” She took a deep breath. Her voice trembled as she did her best to force the confession out of her throat. “I… I-I… Always wanted to be a Neighponese idol…”

She could feel the eyes on her, shrinking like a violet while sinking her hooves into her face. In her mind, all she wanted to do was dig through the floors of the mall straight down to the ground just to escape. She waited for the mocking laughter that she always anticipated from her confession.

“Are you kidding??” Nebula bounced in her seat, brimming with excitement. “That sounds wicked!!”

Lotus froze, glancing at the artist. “W-What…?”

“Yeah! I love idol culture so much! Those outfits are so adorable, and the music always brightens up my mood, and those concerts!!!”

“You… Like idols?”

“Well, duh! Who wouldn’t?”

Knives smiled with an affirming nod. “I think you’ve got a lovely dream. I believe, if you have the chance, you should pursue it.”

“Yeah…” Suri nodded. “As cheesy as it sounds, it’s at least something to pursue. Shame you’re trapped in this dumb stalemate.”

The mention brought Lotus’s mood down, but Moonshine quickly interjected. “That is what North is training for. I promise, if he wins, she will be free to pursue any dream she wishes.”

“Yeah, but can we promise that those Neighpon gangs would hold up their end of the bargain?”

“Oh, I promise you…” Moonshine leaned in, her gaze sharpening to an icy glare. “If any were to lay a hoof on her after she attained freedom… I would quickly ensure they’d regret such a choice.”

The tone at the table sent shivers down the ponies’ spines, to the point where even Knives got goosebumps. It was all the more shocking when the unicorn suddenly shifted to a kind smile. “Now. Your turn, Suri. We all showed ourselves, after all.”

“Y-Yeah, yeah…” Suri grumbled as she looked away. “Look, I… When I left North, it was because I wanted to pursue fashion. And…” She grit her teeth. “I needed the upper hoof. I could do it, but every time I competed, I got taken advantage of and tricked! Just like the slums… So, I did the same to another mare, Coco Pommel… Promised her a chance to make it in the world if she stuck by me. I knew she was a gullible mare, and yeah I took advantage of her to push myself.”

She went quiet, leaning in a bit. “Maybe… I was actually going to honor it when I was big enough. I don’t know. A mare like her would’ve been taken advantage of just like I did. I thought those high end fashion ponies from uptown would actually be honorable, but they were just like the scum that tried to swindle ponies back when…” She caught herself before she could speak further. “It didn’t matter anyways. Coco exposed me for stealing this mare named Rarity’s fabric and claiming credit, and using Coco for free labor. My name became mud. I can barely get work mending clothes, let alone have ponies look at my designs anymore…”

She shut her eyes tight. “I-I had good designs too, you know!! Why was I left to rot?? Why did Coco get picked for costume designs?? W-Why…?” Tears slowly fell down her face. “W-Why did I have to steal things just to get ahead…? What is wrong with me…?”

Moonshine Drop looked ahead at Suri, who quietly cried into the table. The feeling of pity overwhelmed her. It is true that she did something awful, but she herself wasn’t immune to such criticisms. She slowly lifted her milk tea and sipped from the straw.

“Suri.”

Suri said nothing, head hidden in her hooves.

“What you did was indeed wrong. Nopony can question these facts. Claiming the work of others for your own advancement wouldn’t just hurt the ponies you stole from, it would hurt you. How could you claim to be the best if you’ve never tested yourself? What will happen if somepony comes with something you can’t handle and there are no ponies left to take from? All it would lead to is your inevitable disgrace. In truth, I feel it was better for you to fall now instead of in the future. The bigger they are, so on and so forth…”

Suri again didn't speak, so Moonshine continued. “However… I too have done horrible things in my life, and even when faced with my utter defeat for my faults, my sister… She forgave me. Asked me to come with her to the court and she would find me work. Forgiveness is what makes us stronger. So, in return for promising that you’ll not take from other ponies without honest permission, I shall speak around and see if I cannot find you work handling clothing in the Royal Courts. It may be simple dress and suit mendings, but it is a better place to start than most.”

There was silence at the table until Suri sniffled. “Y-You… Why are you making this so difficult…?”

“Hmmm?”

“I-I’m… I’m supposed to hate you for taking him from me… For being a better mare…” She lifted her head, revealing running makeup and red eyes. “W-Why are you making it so hard to hate you? Why… Why am I so happy that North has such a great marefriend… I-Instead of somepony like me?”

Before she could bury herself into another crying fit, Suri’s body was enveloped in Moonshine’s aura as the unicorn brought her over and hugged her tight. “I believe he forgives you. No more worrying about that. Focus on the future. Not the past.”

Suri slowly squeezed her and nodded, taking a few deep breaths. Not wanting to be left out, Lotus moved forward with a raised hoof. “S-Suri! If you could, I’d like you to design an outfit if I do start an idol career!”

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Nebula clapped. “And perhaps I can lend you a couple of designs so you can make clothing, provided we work together on it.”

Seeing the support from these mares, Suri’s face locked up in awe. Real, honest support, something she thought was long since gone, was now right in front of her. Despite everything she did, they cared about her. A bashful smile spread across her face. “L-Look at me… I’m a total mess… I need to fix my makeup…”

Nebula giggled slightly. “Yeah, once you do that, we should probably get going. But this was fun. Hopefully when this is all over, we can all spend time together somewhere nice.”

“I remember that there’s a karaoke bar in Little Neighpon,” Lotus pointed out. “I’d love to go there with you all.”

“Oh, we’d get to hear you sing~?” Knives leaned in. “I’d absolutely kill for a private performance!”

“Knives, I’d think you’d kill regardless of that…” Nebula chuckled nervously as they slipped into a wide alleyway.

“Well yes, but to hear the young mistress sing? I’d kill even more!”

Moonshine Drop chuckled slightly at Knives’ antics, but something was bugging her. She could feel as if eyes were staring her down, but whenever she turned back, she didn’t see anypony mysterious. It was only as they were right in the middle that she felt a crackling of magic, the hint of a shadow, and the overwhelming sense that they were too late. She didn’t even try to warn the others. By the time she noticed, every escape route was blocked with Black Dragon’s Claw members. The ground was crackling with magic from the unicorns that stood behind the Earth Ponies, a runic circle formed which danced on them. Any air attempts to escape would be a bust as pegasi floated above them, ready to pounce.

“W-What’s going on??” Nebula’s head darted around in utter panic. “I thought we had that perception thingie!!”

“It appears that they had a way around that…” Moonshine muttered, looking towards one of the nicer dressed of the unicorns. “It was something I considered, but didn’t think it would be a factor… You had ponies looking out for us, but not to cause harm. Am I correct?”

The unicorn barely reacted as he was called out, instead nodding and speaking in a series, frank tone. “Indeed. We had been following you for some time, but when we lost track of you at the mall, we assumed magic. It did not take us long for us to find you afterwards.”

“I see… I would have expected our disguises providing enough cover in case the ward didn’t work.”

One of the Earth Ponies cackled and step forward. A spindly stallion, his eyes screamed madness while his tongue was clearly trying to fly out of his mouth. “You idiots! We’ve had profiles on all of you! How you talk, how you walk, even down to your little hoof motions~! There’s not a pony in Manehattan that we don’t have an imprint on!! But hey…” He slowly stepped towards them. “I’m feelin’ generous. I’ll let one of you come back to my place if you give me a good time, otherwise…” He quickly produced a knife and licked across it. “Well, I’ll be sure you’re alive, of course~ Hostages are no good dead…”

The unicorn stared down the unruly subordinate. “Senbei, you’re out of line.”

“Ah, shut it! I’m second in command, aren’t I, Captain?? Or do you want me to bring this up to him?”

Everyone took various stances, ready to defend. Knives moved her wings, ready to turn this stallion into mince meat, but somepony acted first as the mares watched Suri slowly move towards this threatening stallion.

“S-Suri, don’t!” Nebula called out. “He’s tricking you!!”

Suri ignored her, approaching the stallion, whose menacing smile grew wider and more perverted as she wrapped her hooves around him. “Yeah, that’s it… Let me get a grip of those fla-”

Then, in one fluid motion and before anypony could see what happened, Suri hoisted the gang member up and launched him into the concrete behind her so hard, his head caused the concrete to visibly crack. Everypony, from the gang to her own friends stared in shock as she finished it with a buck that launched the stallion past her friends and into some of his fellow gang members.

“Sorry, but…” Suri slowly undid her scarf, rolling her neck. “You couldn’t hold a candle to the stallion I love.”

The sheer audacity of such an attack and the aura of confidence exuded from the mare sent a fire into every pony present. For the Black Dragon’s Claw, it was a fire of rage. For her friends, a fire of passion. Everypony charged right into the center, right at the mares with knives, chains, pieces of lumber or just bare hooves and began to swing, and each mare began to fight with every inch of their might.

Suri was no stranger to scraps, and she was definitely not a stranger to angering the wrong ponies. When she wasn’t practicing her skills in fashion, she was practicing how to brawl. She still had the practice bag that North had given her all those years, and whenever she got mad, she took her aggression out on it. What came out of it was a whirlwind of kicks and punches, sloppy in form but brimming in the rage she built up over the years. A pony wrapped chain around her neck, tugging on it in an attempt to choke her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she pulled back, moving a hindleg back and tripping up the gang member over his own momentum. Once he was on the ground, she began rhythmically stomping on his face before stepping back to avoid a blade slice. Even as her cheek was slashed, her smile grew wider.

Knives was never one to shy away from a fight, let alone spill blood in the name of her gang. Now, she was doing it in the name of her friends, and this caused her to be more savage, more bloodthirsty, and more determined to imprint anyone who lived through her sharpened hell what the consequences were if they dared to touch any of them. Her blades became a whirlwind at anypony who even got close, and any strike laid upon her was returned with a precise stab that wouldn’t kill, but would most definitely hurt. She spotted some pegasi flying towards Lotus, ready to kidnap her. A maddening giggle came from her mouth as she produced an old memento, a cleaver, and with a swing of her wing, sent that cleaver right at the closest of the pegasi and savored the screams as it sliced through his wings like butter. To these stallions, they got to see the daughter of the Butcher of Bucklyn at her peak and panicked as she approached them while her smile grew wider.

Luna had always spent her days in the shadow of her sister, but even with her times as Nightmare Moon, her time of actual combat was limited. She usually relied on her magic, and at the moment, she could feel a good portion locked away. She did her best to charge a spell, but the most she could do was fire a blast of kinetic magic into an oncoming BDC member’s face. Even with her magic diminished, it was leagues above what others expected. Tossing barriers when needed, she returned with a powerful force back and when she needed to conserve her energy, she threw out a kick with all of her might. Suddenly, a pulsing in her soul caused her to feel a great rush of energy as the spell circle around them shattered to ether. The unicorns holding it stumbled about, clutching their heads in their hooves. The captain could see that this mare, whoever she was, started to cackle. Her eyes began to sharpen while her tongue ran across her teeth. He didn’t know it, but the disguised Princess was saved by her inner fear. She could save them from the attack, teleport them away, but as she felt one approach with pipe in jaw, she knew that they would just keep pursuing them. No, these stallions, these peons, needed to understand fear.

“Thank you…” Luna muttered as she caught the stallion in her telekinesis before turning to him as her smile grew wider. “Now, would you like to see something truly frightening?”

Nebula, by contrast, wasn’t a fighter. She never even tried to fight all her life. Why would she? After all, it only caused problems, and she always had somepony to watch over her. There was always somepony to save her. Now, all of her friends were caught up in their own fights, and she was left to defend all of their gifts. She stumbled back as a few stallions approached her with ill intent in their gazes. Her body locked up while her brain went in several different directions. It was in her panic that she recalled a memory from the past, of one of the first fights she saw North get into. He wasn’t the most skilled fighter and mostly relied on the things around him, and he often chucked things around, from chairs to tables; and fortune smiled upon her and gave her a weapon in the form of a metal trash can, small enough for her to pick up, bit weighty enough that when she chucked it, it caused a couple of them to fall onto their back. The ones that didn’t rushed in, only to be met with a metal lid that she held in her teeth like a shield, swinging with the desperation of a drowning pony. She was fortunate then, that the ones she faced were the dregs of the BDC, little more than cannon fodder who took a few hits and panicked to get a less active target. That target being Lotus Dance, who stood with her eyes closed, almost lost in herself.

Lotus! She thought as only one thought ran through her mind: Protect. She spun in place before releasing the lid like a frisbee at one gang stallion, and in a stroke of luck, it connected with the back of his neck. As he crumpled to the floor, the others stopped and turned around towards her and in that moment, each one hit the ground as Lotus struck them with grace and elegance before gliding across the alleyway. The mare’s beauty caught her gaze, and in a moment frozen, she saw a galaxy of red flying around the brightest of stars. Her heart skipped a beat and her smile grew wider.

Lotus had trained with Diamond for as long as she’d been there. Despite his insistence otherwise, she pressured him to teach her, and while she didn’t have the same force and strength as North Star, she emulated him in technique and in some ways surpassed him. Her body moved like liquid across the battlefield, nimbly stepping around every strike before laying out her own. A majority of the Black Dragon’s Claw were aimed at her and her alone, but nothing they did could actually grab a hold of them. Her movements were fast and rhythmic, as if she saw this as nothing more than a simple dance. The captain could see it, her body moving as if she was putting on a show. It wasn’t the kind of amateur work that comes from someone starting out. That was a mare who lived for dance, and who saw the world in music. Even as she was about to be captured, her friends wouldn’t let others get in the way of her performance, be it slicing off wings, inducing nightmares, or just holding back the crowd with a trash can. They were a team, and they were working in sync now.

A disgraced fashion designer. A butcher. An artist. A royal. A gang leader’s daughter. Those titles were meaningless. In this moment, they were just mares, just friends, and that unity stood them far stronger than they ever could.

The captain could see that now. He came into this fight not of his own volition, as Senbei decided to rile up the lower grunts under his care to get hostages and win favor with the Master. However, despite the Captain’s insistence that the plan was poorly thought out and it would only create a massive war that could lead both gangs to ruin, Senbei cut him off and fanned the idiots’ flames of ambition hotter and hotter. None of them planned enough. None of them considered the contingencies. They just stalked and charged like animals, and like animals, they were being taken out. He had to go along to avoid a coup on his part.

He dimmed his horn, standing as he watched his underlings be taken out by these mares. Pathetic… He thought as he casually walked around the bodies of his former stallions. They truly believed themselves worthy of something even close to my position… Not much for me to do but report my failures-

He stopped just short of a blade flying by, narrowly missing his head and burying into the brick wall beside him. He turned to see Knives, bloody and panting as she stalked her way towards him. “Where… Do you think… You’re going…?”

Unfazed, he responded. “To report my many failures and to have my horn removed by my master for such, if I am lucky.”

“Ohhh no…” Knives giggled madly, licking some blood off of her cheek. “I’m not letting a BDC captain just leave so he can get more muscle and come back to find us! You’re going to sit here and take it like a stallion. You tried to take us and use us as hostages, or Celestia knows what else. No, you’re going to pay!”

The stallion didn’t move as he was slashed at, his cheek dripping blood. “So, what you did to the stallions who actually wanted to do this wasn’t enough?”

“Don’t make excuses,” Moonshine intervened, her voice seemingly sounding as if two mares were speaking at once. She hoisted him up by his neck, her eyes burning with hatred. “You are the captain, are you not?? What sort of captain has no control of his stallions???”

“The same captain who lives in a world where a single show of weakness means you get replaced and killed,” He looked down at the unicorn, unphased as he continued. “If you wish to exact vengeance on me, then let’s fight like normal ponies instead of trying to strangle me with your magic. As it stands, I let my second-in-command get the new recruits in on his scheme to supplant me, and now he’s suffering from a very disgraceful blow.”

He looked to the first stallion Suri knocked out and who was still getting kicked while unconscious by said mare. “Senbei wanted to show my refusal to inspire the troops, as he felt I was not making moves as the others had. In truth, our job is always to ensure our new recruits know what the Black Dragon’s Claw truly represents. This was our failure. The young mistress’s fate was to be determined in the upcoming match, and he chose to defy orders. It was his fault for failing to follow those orders, but my own for failing to reign in his ambition after so long…”

Nebula watched the stallion speak with a sincerity that was rare in this city, and, taking a gamble of trust, she nudged Moonshine. “Moony… Please, let him go.”

“What??” She darted her gaze to her friend. “You think I’d let this worm go free after what he-??”

Nebula flinched at the sudden movements, but still interrupted with a shout. “H-He said it wasn’t his idea! A-A-And I can tell, he’s not lying! I trust him!! D-Don’t… Don’t you t-t-trust me…?”

Moonshine gazed down at the artist, who even though she was terrified more than she’d ever been, even as she saw all her nightmares staring back at her in those eyes, stood tall and defiant, yet pleading and kind. That cold fire of her past began to dissipate, and she slowly took a breath to calm down as she set the captain down. “Very well. I trust you…”

“Thank you…”

Then suddenly, the stallion briskly moved down, and while everypony’s heads darted towards him, expecting an attack, what they found was more shocking.

He bowed to them, snout touching the ground with his eyes closed. “I truly apologize for my failure in preventing this. In truth, I feel that this kidnapping was little more than a futile attempt to extend this war…”

Knives looked confused, her bloodlust cooling off. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, this upcoming fight…” The stallion got back on his hooves. “Will likely be the final battle in the war between the Haymakers and Black Dragon’s Claw.”

“Sounds a bit bold to claim. What makes you say that?”

“The war was officially started to claim ownership over the stolen young mistress. No matter who wins, it will be settled after all of these years. They’ve reached a stalemate, their leaders are nearing their end, and the grumblings of ending the fighting can clearly be heard on both sides.” He turned towards the alleyway’s opening. “All that the Master wishes is for the young mistress to finally be happy and free. If that is his wish, that is mine.”

With that, the stallion began to leave, but Nebula stepped forward. “W-Wait!”

The stallion stopped.

“W-What’s your name?? I want to know who you are!!”

“Me? I’m…” He paused and looked forward. “Nopony.”

“I-I don’t believe you!” She refuted, trembling. “I want to know who to thank for not directly attacking, and so when I face your Master… I-I’ll ask for you to be forgiven!!”

There was a silence in the air as everypony processed those words, and the stallion turned his head just enough for a smirk to be visible. “... Lone Horse. But forgiveness cannot be earned from this. I must take my punishment. However… Thank you…” And with that, he walked off, leaving the five beaten, bruised, but alive among a pile of unconscious ponies who were most likely alive.

“Jeez, what a weirdo…” Suri muttered casually.

“Suri!”

“What? It’s true. Never met a BDC member who acted like that.”

“Indeed…” Knives nodded with a hoof to her cheek. “He’s so old fashioned.”

Suri glanced over at her friend. “Old-fashioned?”

“Yes, he moved with this manner that you’d see maybe three or four decades ago, and yet, he seems our age. Either he aged like wine, or he’s been doing research…” She sighed and shrugged. “Oh well, no sense in worrying about him. I think he’ll keep his word about us being safe for now.”

“Well, if that’s the case…” Suri rolled her neck. “I want to make one more stop before we go back.”

“Let me guess: Another spa?”

“Nope. My apartment.” Suri walked out towards the opening, a sharp grin on her face. “After all that fighting… Mama’s feeling creative.”

~~~

That night, Lone Horse stayed bowed as the patriarchs of the BDC discussed his fate. It had already been 3 hours, and a solid conclusion had not been made. The recruits under his gaze were recovered, and thankfully, all of them managed to be recovered alive. Granted, a good chunk were either disfigured, gibbering mad, or both, but they could recover. The ones that were coherent decided to shift the blame entirely onto their captain in order to keep the shame of defeat off of them. Yet, as the meeting concluded and the murmuring died down, the Master spoke.

[Lone Horse… After discussion about the situation regarding your subordinates, we believe it is best that you atone for your failure with your horn…]

Lone Horse silently nodded, watching as a small device with a lifting blade and a hole was placed before him. He prepared to put his head in, but the Master held his hoof up.

[That was the original plan. However, given that the match is arriving soon, I believe that it is not in our best interest to let one of our best magic brawlers simply go about hornless. Your punishment will be suspended until after the match has ended. Once done, we shall take what we are owed.]

[I understand,] Lone Horse mumbled stoically. [I thank you for this moment of mercy, and I shall use it to serve you with all my might.]

With a simple movement, Lone was motioned to get up and leave the main chamber, where Tiger waited outside, leaning against the wall.

[Disgraceful…] The tall stallion muttered as he turned to Lone. [You expect me to believe your training couldn’t prepare those useless ponies to face five mares? You truly are the dregs of this clan.]

[Pardon me, but if I kidnapped that so-called future bride you continue to brag about,] Lone’s gaze turned to Tiger’s, remaining serious. [Would you not fight as hard? I would not wish to rob you of that historic fight you have been training for.]

[Don’t cast this as you being generous!] Tiger snapped back, slamming his hoof into the wall and leaving large cracks. [You know your true failure, and you will suffer for it. I will show the patriarchs my strength, my capability, and my legitimacy in this match, and take the throne of the Black Dragon’s Claw.]

[So you claim…] Lone muttered as he walked past Tiger, unphased by his thunderous declaration. [But I have wondered for some time, if you truly are a worthy husband to the young mistress. Even if she has separated from us, the Master-]

[Forget that old fool, already! What does it matter what he-!!]

The words were suddenly silenced as Lone delivered a blow to the stallion’s chest, actually causing Tiger to stumble back a few steps. [Speak ill of the Haymakers as you desire, but never speak ill of the Master again.]

As Lone Horse walked off, Tiger could feel his blood boiling. He was ready to put Diamond’s nephew into the dirt now, to fulfill the family grudge years in the making…

~~~

And at the same time, North Star was delivering a series of punches and kicks to a bag, his body a whirlwind as he sent it flying. How it managed to be intact as it was sent flying across the training room was a mystery, but the angry expression on his face showed he was not satisfied. He turned to a stack of papers and began writing and sketching.

“Dude…” Guard Breaker mumbled as he handed him water. “How long are you going to keep training??”

“Until the fight,” North replied. “Sleep, eat, train, repeat until match day.”

“Okay, but what are you doing writing everything down for? You trynna write a book or something?”

“Contingency.”

“... For?”

“In case I don’t make it.”

“Dude!” Guard stumbled back a bit. “I thought you got over talkin’ like that!”

“There’s always a chance, G. I want to make sure my cadets are prepared for what’s to come in case I don’t make it.”

“And what if you do, huh?? What’ll the point of this be??”

“To give my knowledge to the future of the royal guard. It’s a benefit on both fronts…” As he finished, he stood on his hooves, his chiseled body dripping with sweat. The days of training had done well to shift his body from more than just fit. He was a battle machine now, even as his muscles screamed to relax. “There is still one move that eludes me.”

“Oh, that one?” Guard chuckled and shook his head. “Dude, that move isn’t going to happen. You can’t move that fast, and even if you did, Tiger’s whole family specializes in pressure points. They can defend against that.”

“It may be an unreasonable move to pull off, but…” He took a deep breath. “For Lotus, I will move mountains.”

Rolling his eyes at that comment, Guard grabbed a towel and tossed it at North. “At least take a shower. You stink.”

“Hmph. Fine,” He muttered, watching as Guard left before he moved towards the shower rooms. As he let the hot water run over him, he felt his muscles relax for once and his mind become clear. Taking slow deep breaths, all he thought about was ending this war, once and for all.

Author's Note

Hey, so... Sorry for vanishing. A lot of exams and essays, plus low energy combined with being overwhelmed with commissions. It's a tie between wanting to write what I want, and writing what other people want to pay the food and gas bills. Good news, I have gotten some work done, and I'm going to try and get a little bit done at a time. Good news is that I have 2 chapters (well, one chapter and a half-chapter) ready for you all. Hope you enjoy, and have a happy Halloween. ^^