Helping Comet get packed and ready for work was an act Drill didn’t expect to be so gratifying.

It was the kind of feeling where he could envision himself walking him to school on a nice spring day. Sun to his back, wind in their manes, and the gentle brustle of nearby trees to accompany them. It was a nice fantasy for him to imagine, if only for a precious few moments.

In truth, he still felt shaken from the night before and anxiety had sunk its teeth into him. There was no stopping him from taking them to work, he was too stubborn for that, but his late-night encounter had him on edge and though he didn’t comment, Comet could see as much.

“He’s probably still a little sad after last night, hopefully he feels better later.”

A sign on the building’s main entrance set the precedent already.

URGENT NOTICE!

Weather stations have picked up a storm headed our way. No, it’s not another Great Storm but It’s set to hit us early evening. Everypony please take care to stay warm and avoid travelling outside after standard work hours, thank you!

“Please don’t let it be one of those days.” Drill grimaced, again recalling the owl the previous night.

The thermometer read no better at well below minus thirty. They’d have to keep their time outside brief, but such a thing was familiar by now. So with a deep breath, the stallion braced himself and the two walked out into the cold.

“First order of business, breakfast.”

Three vastly different diamond dogs stood together in an alleyway. At the end leaning against the wall facing the street was a shorter Pitbull. In the very back he was shadowed by a massive, hulking Greyhound and in the middle of the two extremes was an impatient Doberman.

“Do you see em yet, Scout?”

The pitbull turned towards him and answered with a scratchy, high-pitched voice. Like hearing nails scraping along a chalkboard. “Not yet Kade, I’ll let you know when I do.”

Kade looked back unamused and began flipping a small, crystalline coin made from amethyst. Inscribed with the image of a queen on one side, and a number on the other. Before long, however, he grew bored and turned to the wall of muscle standing behind him.

“How are you holding up you big mutt?”

The brutish Greyhound only spoke two words, but they were heavy, low and with an accent thicker than cement. “Terry hungry.”

“Hang in there, we’ll get chow soon.”

There was a moment of quiet as Terry stood hunched over and stared at him, the cogs in his brain failing to function. “What is chow?”

“Food.”

“Ah yes! Terry like food.”

Kade rolled his eyes, he didn’t blame the Greyhound for being slow, that was just part of the territory. Thinking was his job anyway, but sometimes it irritated him.

Hopefully, this would be a quick and easy job.

It didn’t take long for him to begin flipping his coin again as they waited. Minutes ticked by and for a moment Kade doubted they’d ever see them. But then Scout turned and darted into the alleyway, nodding to Kade who turned to the brute.

“Terry, there’s two ponies passing by, grab the little one with only one wing.”

“Little one? Only one wing?” Kade nodded. “Okay.” He plainly spoke.

Terry moved past them and with every step there was an audible thump barely above that of the busy street outside. Very few if anypony were bothering to turn and look to the obscure alleyway they’d picked, and it was for that reason Kade had picked it.

It would be easy, just wait, let Terry’s iron grip snatch the kid and book it before they were shot.

The group didn’t have to wait long for their moment of truth and Terry threw his massive hand forward, easily enough to engulf a typical pony’s head before pulling away again.

But as the other two prepared to dash they saw what Terry had in his hand, he turned to them and smiled.

He was the only one smiling, however.

“Terry…” Kade spoke.

“That’s a rubber chicken.”

The hulkish Diamidian looked at the comparatively tiny yellow toy, featuring a discoloured patch of stitched-on rubber where its wing should’ve been. “You said little one with wing, this was the littlest one I saw.”

“That’s not what we!-oh nevermind.” Scout gave up and walked away, shaking his head, and blaming himself for not being more specific.

Just then a voice from the crowd called out to them. “Hey! Give Boneless back! He’s been through enough!”

He turned around and looked at the pony before returning to Kade, who nodded with approval. “Oh…sorry.” He gave back the toy and slinked into the alleyway, regret for failure clear as day on his face.

“Terry?” Kade craned his neck to face him.

“You’re an idiot.”

The walk to work had been mercifully uneventful, though that just meant Drill had to keep guessing what would come next.

Breakfast was okay, with no poison or poorly cooked food and Comet was doing alright. They clocked in at the Hothouse ten minutes early even! Likely a result of their desire not to stay outside, everypony was rushing around to get out the cold today and Drill couldn’t blame them.

But now came the time for the two to split and do their respective duties. Drill was picking up where he left off with the carrots while Comet had been reassigned. Now instead of mixing with dirt, he was washing off freshly picked veggies.

It was boring work to be sure but it was easy, he couldn’t nor wouldn’t want to be the one mixing compost, knowing what exactly went into that stuff. Washing grime and grit off cabbages and carrots did at least feel nice thanks to the abundance of warm water, and given enough time he could see himself enjoying it even.

He missed playing with water, when was the last time he went swimming again?

Probably too long ago if he couldn’t remember it.

After a while, Comet left for a bathroom break but on his way back he spotted something weird.

There was a piece of shiny paper sitting upon a large, pony-sized pile of unwashed cabbages which wasn’t there five minutes ago. Maybe the delivery pony had visited him in between and dropped it? Either way, he felt drawn to it and tried making out the text it read.

“Sil-va Sc-ra-ip…silver scrip?” He spelt out loud. “What’s a scrip? And how’s that silver? It’s paper!” He stared at it from a distance before looking around him. “Probably more adult stuff, maybe Applebloom will know?”

Comet scanned his surroundings, but try as he might, he found no sign of her anywhere, likely busy in other areas of the Hothouse. In fact aside from a few ponies, the room was oddly quiet.

Nopony would see if he took it, maybe he could and find who it belonged to? Silver was valuable, wasn’t it?

He looked at the piece of square paper intensely, wondering whether or not he should try being greedy, nice or neither, much to the anticipation of unseen eyes….

“Nah.” He shrugged, going back to washing cabbages.

Just behind the pile, however, was an incredibly angry Pitbull mere moments from lunging. Held in place only by the efforts of Kade. Scout was holding a large hooked cane that was now raised ready to strike, his mouth covered up to prevent an angry screech from shattering the anti-freeze-coated windows.

Slowly but surely, Kade paced away from their hiding spot and out the window they’d left slightly ajar.

Once on the other side and with no-creature to be disturbed, Kade let the Pitbull loose.

“Are you fucking kidding me, I had to sell so much origami back at Dogtown and that kid turns up his dumbass nose at it?! AAAAaaahhhh-”

The sound of rushing water and rough scrubbing reduced what would’ve been an earsplitting screech into little more than a muffled growl, that could’ve easily been mistaken for all kinds of innocuous things. Naturally, Comet ignored it.

“Those machines sure are loud sometimes.”

Back outside, Scout had finally emptied his lungs and sat huffing and puffing.

“Scout?” Kade addressed him.

“You’re an idiot.”

The evening foghorn signalled the end of shift and no sooner were Drill Bit and Comet on their way home.

Drill was unnerved the whole day. Usually, when the owl visited him the effects were either immediate or at least quick. Was the storm going to be what tested him? He had no way of knowing and that was the worst thing of all. It could be anything!

His distress wasn’t lost on Comet, it’d been apparent since this morning. But when Comet saw the way he kept looking up and watching his surroundings during dinner, he knew it wasn’t getting better.

Last night he asked Drill if he was okay and he said stuff, maybe it’d work again?

“Mr. Drill Bit?” He asked, riding on his back. “Are you okay?”

Drill’s ear twitched and he snapped his head around a moment later. “I’m fine Comet, just a little worried is all.”

“Why? Afraid I’ll do something stupid again?”

“No no, just…I’m scared. Something is coming, I’m not sure what it is and that in itself makes it scary.”

“Oh!” Comet realised. “And because you don’t know what it is, you can’t get ready for it?”

“Precisely.” Drill smiled, the kid was a lot more insightful than he gave himself credit for.

“Is there a way you can figure it out?”

“I think so but…I’ll admit I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

“Maybe I can help? Ms. Rose always said projects are easier when more ponies work on them.”

Drill bobbed his head for a moment thinking. He was apprehensive about telling Comet about the magic bad luck owl that’s been chasing him for over a week, but if there was anypony he could describe madmare logic to and be taken semi-seriously, it would’ve been a child.

“Hmm, let’s get home first, then I can explain.”

Comet smiled and the two made their way home without another word. They could both feel the weather changing, the wind picking up, the pressure mounting inside their ears and by the looks of it, so did everyone else.

The term rush hour couldn’t have been more apt as ponies hastily made their way home. The pub was likely closed as was any other public venue or space and for good reason. The Great Storm had left some deep scars and nobody was in a rush to become the next great frozen art piece.

Drill and Comet were likewise, hurrying towards the front entrance of the apartment block hoping to shelter in for the evening.

But then it all happened so fast.

He heard a whistle off to his left and instinctively turned in that direction. Drill barely had time to register what he was looking at before a wave of scalding hot liquid was splashed across his face, eliciting a sudden cry of pain.

Next, something large and heavy doubled down and smacked him across the temple, sending him tumbling to the ground in a daze. He heard another cry and was barely able to register it as Comet’s, the ringing in his ears muffling all else.

A moment later he was able to open his eyes, seeing double but quickly refocusing on the world. He saw…Diamond Dogs? Yes, Diamidians for sure, and the largest one had Comet. Speaking of which, was it just him or was that one really, really big?

The intrusive thought was cast aside as instinct kicked in. “Comet!” He cried, climbing to his hooves to give chase. But the earlier attack saw him stumble and stagger and furthermore another one of them, a brown and black one saw him and pulled out something bright and blue.

It only registered to him a moment after it was airborne that it was a cooling crystal. “NOO-” He raised a hoof but was promptly cut off as the world flashed with blue light. He saw with horror as the three mutts descended underground, the whales and cries of a child growing dim.

The whole exchange took less than ten seconds.

Of course, it was only after seeing the Pitbull with the blue gemstone dotted collar that everything clicked into place.

“Drill Bit you fool!”

Nearby ponies rushed in different directions, some went to get guards while most began kicking away at the ice immobilising Drill Bit. With as many as a dozen all working to free him it wasn’t long at all until he was peeled free from his prison.

Even with his head swimming he still threw himself forward, pushing through ponies to frantically punch and scrape at the freshly filled tunnel the dogs had escaped through.

“NO NO NO NO NO!” It was of little use, his hooves could break stone as if plank but full-on digging was beyond him. “COMET!”

With one last punch, he fell to his side and curled up, barely able to hold back the flood of burning tears under his eyes.

“The blue gemstone, the Pitbull’s collar. Drill Bit you absolute idiot! The owl was there to warn you!”

“He’s gone…” The colt that he’d worked so hard to help was gone, ripped away from him so suddenly all because of his inability to think.

His world was falling apart. The screams at the ore plant, the petition he’d been arrested for, the renovations to his apartment, none of it had mattered in the end and neither did he.

The stallion named Drill Bit had worked tirelessly all his life to earn himself comfort and the Frost ended that dream. Then when he’d tried atoning and perhaps building some kind of legacy he wasn’t afforded that either.

It wasn’t fair…

It wasn’t right….

If tonight’s storm wanted to take him so be it, there was little reason to remain.

“Drill Bit?” A familiar voice called out.

It was enough to shake him back to the real world and he weakly turned his head up, where the young eyes of Smoke Stack met him. The guards of an entire station were right behind him, but they were too little too late.

“They took him, I’d only adopted him a few days ago and they took him Smoke.”

The guard quickly helped Drill up and looked him in the eye. “Who? Who took who?”

“Comet! Those bucking mutts just napped my kid Comet!”

Smoke took a step back as Drill pawed at the disturbed earth, clear shock surging through his system. But instead of moping he hardened his glare and knelt down.

“Hey Drill?” Their eyes weakly met. “I promise you, with my damn life if need be, that I will help you get that kid back.”

“H-How? They could be anywhere.”

“Yeah, anywhere in New Canterlot, don’t know if you’ve noticed but this ain’t exactly Manehatten. If they wanna run from us there’s only one place they could go.”

Drill stared at him, a spark igniting newfound hope that became apparent in his voice.

“Where?”

“The vehicle deport, the only place they could grab a Steam Hauler and get out of town with any chance in that storm.”

A glimmer of hope started to form in Drill’s stomach as a familiar voice echoed in his head.

“Push on Drill Bit! For a brighter tomorrow!”

Drill didn’t know if it was a mood swing, but with how quickly his fear and sorrow snapped it might as well have been. A new fire took its place and rapidly grew as he climbed to his hooves, his still tender face twitching as the cold brushed over his dampened fur.

“Take me there, now.”

Author's Note

Diamidian society emphasizes an ideal they describe as “finding one’s fortune,” which boils down to working hard and earning a better life. But this ideal isn’t widely known to the common pony so it's often mistaken for simple greed.

The term “bitch” and “mutt” aren’t considered derogatory to a Diamidian unless spoken with a rude tone or purpose. Instead, they are used much the same way ponies would say “mare” or “stallion.”