Frostpony: Of Hounds & Horses

Chapters

CH 1 - Prologue
CH 2 - Act 1, A New Age
CH 31
CH 3
CH 4
CH 5 - Act 2, Banners & Drums
CH 6
CH 7
CH 8
CH 9
CH 10 - Act 3, Friends
CH 11
CH 12
CH 13
CH 14
CH 15 - Act 3, Rebel?
CH 16
CH 17
CH 18
CH 19
CH 20 - Act 4, The Calm
CH 21
CH 22
CH 23
CH 24
CH 25 - Act 5, The Heist
CH 26
CH 27
CH 28
CH 29
CH 30
CH 32 - As One Door Closes...

CH 1 - Prologue

Rini felt exhausted.

Another long shift pulling auto-wagons apart, and fixing up second-paw components certainly takes a toll on you. Especially in a thick parka in minus twenty-degree weather, with enough snow to lose a puppy.

It was a miracle she could even walk at this point.

But it was the kind of labour she loved. Ever since a pup she was the type to pull things apart and put them back together, and the town’s Scrapyard was full of old things she could tinker with.

But it wasn’t because of any of that she felt exhausted.

It was because she was running for her life.

Storm sirens echoed across the town as the wind threw around anything loose. Store signs rattled relentlessly, weather gauges buckled and bent, and frozen branches threatened to snap like toothpicks.

An almighty storm rapidly closed over the horizon as it prepared to devour the town. So cold was its wrath that no instrument could measure it, nor could any common fire protect from it.

The only refuge in the whole town was a shelter, near the outskirts. More comparable to a bunker in function.

But the Diamond Dog wasn’t running in that direction. Where Ponies and other Diamidians fled towards safety, she weaved her way past them trying her best to avoid being hit or knocked down.

Right now, she had to find them, and had to make sure her friends were okay. Others cautioned her not to leave but she wasn’t taking that chance. Not when they were some of the only friends she had left.

That and one of them owed her five bits.

Rini ran across a street towards a house, wooden and worn, before violently knocking on the door and ringing its bell. “Brambles!” She shouted, “Brambles! You'd better not be in this building or…uh…”

She stood for a moment. “Oh right.”

Rini couldn’t have waited more than ten seconds but a simple head turn towards the wave of cold death had her snap, and she began thinking.

“Come on Rini where’d he’d be?...”

An idea came to mind and she dashed to check. Racing around to the back she jumped up, grabbing the fence and peeking over.

There she saw a large, freshly dug hole where a backyard sandpit should’ve been, now a mound of dirt stacked behind it.

And more dirt was still being thrown out.

“Brambles! Get your rock-eating face out of that hole!”

On command, another Daimidian (A Hockston Terrier to be exact) peaked his head out, an unused shovel in his mouth. “Mhm?”

“Good! Now get to the Storm Shelter!”

He looked at her confused for a moment and pulled the shovel out, raising an eye. “Why?”

Just then, a loud thunder crack and flash of light made both of them jump. Brambles now looked past Rini to view what was behind her…

“Oh…that’s why.” He calmly spoke, though sweat was already forming on his brow.

“Get moving ya mutt! I’ve gotta find Gale!”

With little more delay, Rini hopped down and resumed her near frantic pace.

There was a diner a few blocks away, a set of stairs leading to her friend’s home right above it. Gale was nowhere near as oblivious as Brambles, so hopefully all she’d have to do is knock, wait for no reply, then leave knowing he hadn’t slept in again.

But, true to the old saying, it’s never as simple as saying it out loud.

Just over halfway there she ran out of time. The storm came in and the force of its winds threw her to the street. The world around her darkened and snow blocked her sight. Quick to recover, Rini pulled her goggles down and switched on the lamp device, a chest mounted heater and torch.

It didn’t do much, her vision only extended maybe ten hooves, fifteen if she focused, but it was still better than being completely blinded.

If the calm before had rattled the town, now chaos had come to claim it. Loose debris flew freely, threatening to clobber her as she pressed on. The frozen trees were no match for nature’s might, and were torn up from their roots. Those same store signs and weather gauges now bent or snapped completely, unable to hold strong against the brutal arctic winds.

This storm was unlike anything she’d seen before, found only in the fantastical of fiction.

But she couldn’t stop now, if Gale was in trouble or hadn't made it she’d make sure he did, or die trying. Such was the curse of loyalty.

To her relief it didn’t take long to finish the trip and knock on the door, loud enough to wake the dead. When she was met by silence she wasted little time and climbed back down. She could already feel her body protest from the chill, the air cold enough to burn her lungs and ice over her goggles, which she had to wipe. If she didn’t hurry soon, the cold would swallow her like it did everything else.

Thunderous cracks occasionally broke the fog and lit up the street, like a photo flash brightening an otherwise pitch black cave. There was no-creature left and the streets laid barren, hopefully to the safety of the shelter.

During one of those strikes however, she heard a sharp, shrill scream. It was very nearly drowned out by the wind but the flash of a black silhouette against the backdrop showed her the way.

Rini fought her way through, battling against the wind that so badly wanted to topple her.

From the darkness revealed a navy blue pegasus laying prone. A heavy wooden billboard trapping him in place.

“Gale?!” Rini shouted, being met by a shrill cry with a Trottish accent.

“R-Rini? H-Help!”

The Daimidian moved around and lifted, but struggled to shift the broken advertisement. “C-Come on! Come on!”

Gale kicked and twitched, pained groans escaping him as Rini tried. “Y-You can d-do it Rini! I-I know you can!”
She heaved and heaved, taking a deep breath and pulling with all she had. Managing little more than a few inches. But it was enough and Gale crawled away, letting loose a blood curdling scream as he did so.

When Rini turned to see why it was as though his blood had turned cold, icy even, practically freezing over the wound.

Several crimson splinters pried themselves free of the pony’s body, but in doing so had opened a red river of its own. His wing also lay mangled, bent unnaturally as he pushed against the pain.

Once free she moved to assist him, amazingly enough he could still walk, little more than a limp driven by will but walk. “I’ve gotchu Gale! I’ve got you!”

The pegasus leaned heavily on her side. Both of them were hindered by the storm but at least Rini had eye protection. Gale may as well have been blind. At least with so much to focus on, Rini hadn’t the time to be shocked by his injuries. Though her own chilling body gave plenty of concern.

She knew the way towards the Storm Shelter even with her vision impaired. Years growing up alongside the town itself had her remember every street like the back of her paw. Yet things were made no easier as the storm raged on and that was on top of carrying her injured friend.

Objects crashed into nearby buildings, windows shattered and storefront pottery smashed.

Not even entire buildings could be totally safe, as when the two hobbled by the town’s church its bell violently clanged. A literal alarm bell that signalled what was to come.

Perhaps it was the nearby buildings that had prevented the two from being tossed to the wind like so much else, or maybe those more powerful gusts blew just over their heads? Such questions were flung aside when Rini turned to the bell tower, witnessing a lightning strike blow out one of its corners.

“Oh shit.”

“What?” Gale asked, snow clouding his vision. “W-What is it?!”

The tower’s structure began to crumble and crack, unable to withstand the assault.

“MOVE IT!”

Rini began rushing away from the church clutching onto Gale, pushing towards an alleyway on the right. Moving agonisingly slow as the church tower leaned forward and boards flew off in droves. Raining like hail onto the street below.

They were nearly there, almost within some semblance of safety when one of those two by fours pelted Rini’s back, eliciting a shocked howl as the two were struck down.

“No, no, come on!” She rushed to get up, her body too awash with adrenaline to register the pain. Horrible creaking came from the tower as it began to collapse, mere moments away from crushing the two like bugs.

They scrambled to get up and into the alley, nearly throwing themselves forward as the building fell and quickly engulfed the street in darkness. The ground shook and their ears rang as a cloud of dust kicked up and flooded in behind them, having narrowly dodged a crushing death.

There they laid down for a moment, their hearts pounding in their chests.

“What was that?!” Gale yelled, grinding his teeth between words. “W-What the b-buck was that?!”

“Let’s just say the pastor won’t be happy.” Rini giggled, trying to make light of it and again ignore whatever injuries she’d just accumulated.

But the cold didn’t wait and every second her body was relentlessly assailed. Rini could already feel her fingers begin to stiffen from under her gloves, her hind paws were already numb. If they didn’t get to the shelter soon they’d lose the capacity to.

With little time to lose she rose and assisted Gale once more. Trudging through the deepening snow, trying to hinder their progress. Every step grew in challenge, feeling more like walking on stilts than legs. But with dogged determination they pressed on.

Between every street crossed, every flying debris dodged and every blinding lightning flash, they made progress at a slower and slower pace. The duo’s freezing, injured bodies begin to fail them. Rini especially could feel her back protest from the earlier strike, made worse by having to support Gale.

Never did she think the apocalypse would swallow her town like it did now, her included.

Soon the blinking lights of the Storm Shelter came into view. A dome shaped building nested within a public park. It was only a couple stories tall but most of it was underground, built out of an old mine they’d insulated. Right behind it was the town’s Steam Hub. A giant industrial furnace a few stories tall with all manner of piping running through its sides feeding the Shelter all the necessary heat to endure the wintery wrath.

Already it’d been battered by the storm, its solid metal shell having been struck by debris and lightning strikes. Scorch marks and dents pocketed the exterior but it held strong.

And thankfully so, as by now Rini could barely feel her limbs. The feeling under her skin now more akin to wearing one big rubber glove than actual sensation. Her lungs pained from the cold washing around them and her breaths grew dangerously shallow, the air she swallowed feeling like frozen needles.

But as they marched towards the shelter’s door the world began to grow darker, her eyes heavy with exhaustion and doubly so for everything else. Was Gale always this weighted?

She only had maybe a few dozen more lengths to go, and she could see the door was still open…for some reason. Yet the effort required was mountainous and unable to keep wiping her goggles, they froze over.

That was alright, the only direction she had to go was forward.

Only a little more left to go, just a little more…

She’d get there, any moment now…

It was…so cold…so stiff.

It wasn’t enough.

She collapsed.

CH 2 - Act 1, A New Age

A full day passed before the winds calmed down and the temperature grew less deadly. The people of Cherrywood emerged from the shelter, eager for sunlight and to see the state of their home.

They were greeted to a community ravaged by the elements.

Days had gone by and repairs were made, rubble was cleared and stockpiles were counted. Even so, many had lost much to the Great Storm and for some, they’d perhaps never recover. In body, mind or material.

But work continued and life resumed.

Such was the case for Brambles Ballbaring, as he strolled through a snowed over scrapyard with a smile.

There was something so nice he found about the place and he couldn’t describe what. Was it all the twisted wrecks around him? Holding promise of valued parts and payment like treasure chests? Was it the cargo crane near the centre with its towering presence? Able to cast shadows that reached outside the chain link fences, or was it that things just looked prettier when covered in snow?

He couldn’t find the words and that was okay, he didn’t need to. Instead he simply enjoyed the sights as the last few minutes ticked by on the work shift.

Or at least he tried to, as when he walked towards a beat up auto-wagon he began to hear various clicks and metallic clangs come from the front of the vehicle, telling of another Diamidian’s work on it.

The moment Brambles peered around and saw her rusty reddish-brown coat, as well as the cinderblock she was standing on to reach in, he knew who it was.

“There’s no way.” He thought to himself. “She shouldn’t be here!”

He approached and knocked on the wagon’s frame, prompting the scrapper to pull herself out of the engine block-

“Hey! Sorry I jus-” Clung!

-and bang her head in the process.

“Rini, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at home resting?”

Groaning as she rubbed her head, she turned to face Brambles, pulling down her goggles to reveal her emerald green eyes. “Uh, I got better!” She smiled.

But the mutt only glared at her, discontent in his voice. “Rini, that's not what the doctor said…..”

“That while the puncture wounds would take a few weeks, the broken bones would take months?” The female dog merely rolled her eyes at her friend’s comment.

“Uh, yeah?”

“Brambles, that's what he said to Gale.”

His eyes widened and he darted his eyes to the side at the snafu. “Oh….”

“Look Brambles I’m fine, I just got a little cold is all! My back’s still complaining but it's nothing serious. Just a bruise.”

Brambles didn’t look convinced, eyes drifting to Rini’s back, unable to see the bruises but imagining them none the less. “I mean, are you sure? Riley said you collapsed just as you were making your way inside.”

“My mom says a lot of things, she was just scared. A few days by the fireplace fixed me right up. Besides, you’re no stranger to injury! Remember when all those bird cages got dropped on top of you?”

“Oh right! I only broke three ribs.” He plainly stated, paw unconsciously drifting to his side.

Rini suppressed a chuckle and looked away, amused by his naive downplay of the event. Very few could walk away from having a delivery truck’s worth of cargo snap, dangle and fall upon them like he did.

“And that’s why you should always check the cargo cables.”

Brambles groaned at that, mumbling to himself. “I hate heights.”

Both were suddenly interrupted by the loud ringing of a distant bell, signalling the work day’s end. But while Brambles smiled, Rini frowned and put down a component she’d ripped from the engine, unsatisfied with her work.

They left the scrapyard in short order and ventured into town, with Brambles waving goodbye to the yard’s garden gnome as they did so, a funny if odd little quirk of his Rini never understood.

Wooden boards and temporary coverings patched up broken windows and wall breaches. Snow was still being cleared from basement stairwells and rooftops, but the Diamidian’s natural digging had resolved the worst of it. Still, with how much damage the town had sustained the construction crews had their work cut out for them, and many had to make do with what they had.

“Do you think Gale’s diner is open?” Asked Brambles.

“What? No! You were so concerned about me earlier, why not him?”

“Oh I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just, the lunch truck didn’t come again and I’m hungry.” The dim dog’s stomach started to gurgle in confirmation.

“Neither have I Brambles, we both are. But there’s plenty of other places and you’ve got food at home.”

“Not really, I’ve looked around. Most shops are either damaged or too low on stuff! That storm really shook things up.”

Rini raised an eye at that, somewhat surprised by the news. “Odd, has nothing come into town since the storm? It was pretty big.”

Looking around again she did notice that very few, if any stores were even open at the moment. Understandable given the damage, but it was still surprising to see.

“Maybe my mom’s still got something at her trading post. She’s no grocer but she sometimes stocks non-perishables. Like trail rations for hiking.” She continued.

“Oh! Like army stuff? I’ve heard that it tastes like cardboard.” Brambles turned a little green imagining the less than savoury food.

“Nah, more like dried meat or cheese. Makes em herself.”

“Cheese sounds nice!” He smiled, deciding to ignore the dried part. “I’ll have to take a look later.”

With that Rini smiled and they continued, trekking past broken storefronts and icy brickwork. Looking around it was odd to think how much had changed so quickly.

Once upon a time there used to be a lush forest right where she stood, where she played with her brother. Now all those old cottages were surrounded by noise and smoke. All the new brickwork and steel structure buildings weren’t even a decade old. Paved roads replaced dirt trails and wood logs were turned to charcoal and panels.

The past decade had seen many advancements for Equestria and its neighbours, some more than others.

Yet despite the lost tranquillity she still went about her days no different. Houses had to be heated and mouths had to be fed, Cherrywood was like any other town afterall. Even if having a mixed Diamond Dog and Pony population brought some oddities with it. But something was always missing, something important.

She knew what it was but despite her efforts she couldn’t ever shrug it off. It was a longing to be with someone. Not with a friend but with family, and it made her cringe thinking about it.

But her train of thought was soon cut by the sound of a bird. Not a seagull or crow, but the hooting of an owl during midday, and she turned towards it.

Sitting atop the remains of the fallen church belltower with its back to the sun, Rini saw its avian silhouette. Unable to see details because of the blinding light but awestruck all the same. She raised a paw to help block out the light but to little avail.

“Well that’s funny,” She thought, “I thought they’d all moved after the forest was cut down. Also, aren't owls supposed to only come out at night?”

“Brambles, do you know anycreature with a pet owl?” She asked, but received no reply.

“Brambles?”

“Steady…”

She turned to look and saw the Terrier aiming a revolver at the bird.

With the paw she’d held up she moved to wrangle the gun towards the ground. She tried to hold the hammer back as Brambles panicky pulled the trigger, but it slipped by her pinkie finger and a loud gunshot echoed throughout the street, startling all nearby including the owl. It quickly raced off to places unseen as Rini ripped the weapon away from him despite her smaller size.

“Brambles you can’t just shoot a gun in public you lunatic!” Rini spoke, stunned by such a reckless action from her friend.

“But I’m hungry! My favourite hot-dog stand got turned into a lightning rod during the storm and the cans of pork at home aren’t cutting it!” The poor dog sounded almost maniac, eyes constructed with borderline madness.

“Oh but processed pork in a bun is just so much better! How about you cut two slices of bread and make yourself a sandwich tomorrow!”

Rini then opened the revolver’s cylinder and emptied it, before pushing both it and the cartridges into Bramble’s chest.

“If I find you carrying that thing loaded again, I’m telling Gale to make you play dress up next game session.”

An embarrassed whine punctuated his guilty face as took his gun back. Rini growling lowly as she took off down the street without him.

“W-Where are you going?”

“Home! I need to clear my head.”

Rini’s family home looked quite out of place compared to her youth. The building itself was a single story cobblestone cottage with wooden framing and a thatch roof. Small windows with wooden boards, a single chimney on the side, and what was once a lush front garden now frozen solid.

A typical dwelling for any-creature…about ten or twenty years ago.

Now, while it still had a small front and back garden, concrete sidewalks and roads stretched outside it. Other, more modern houses stood to its sides and rear, and now the only sign it’d ever started existence within a forest was the single frozen tree within the backyard. Its branches barely holding the treehouse nestled within.

At least the intervening time Rini had spent travelling had seen her calm down.

“Glad you’re not here anymore dad, you would’ve hated this.”

After unlocking it, she went through the door whilst undoing her coat. Hanging it up as a familiar voice greeted her from the kitchen.

“Hi Rini! How’s my little puppy-wuppy?”

Rini cringed as she hung up her scarf. “Don’t call me that mom, I’m a grown bitch for crying out loud.”

“I know,” Riley spoke, happily approaching. “But embarrassing you is my job.”

Rini rolled her eyes as she was pulled into a nice hug with her mom, before briefly twitching as she accidentally patted the bruise on her back. “Ah!”

“Oh, sorry.” She let go. “Completely left my mind honey.”

Rini stretched as she worked through the pain, trying that yoga pose the doctor had recommended. “It’s fine, how are things?”

“Well, things were quiet at the store today. I only got home maybe ten minutes before you, and then found the kitchen heater had stopped working.”

Rini rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Smooth way to ask mom, I’m on it.”

She finished up and pulled out the toolbox from under the kitchen sink. They weren’t her work tools but they’d do the trick. Seeing the pipes leaking underneath however made her take a mental note to fix it later.

Taking a breath, she began work on the radiator. Closing up the pipes and unfastening it from the wall. All the while Riley stood behind her with a smile.

Fixing it wasn’t hard, just tedious. It seemed every other week it’d break down, but not once did Rini ever have to break out her own tools. A faulty pipe, maybe a stiff valve, If anything her mom could probably do it but it was therapeutic in a way. The satisfying clicks of a wrench twisting a bolt. Boring into a rusty screw to get it out, or that moment when something stiff just clicks into place.

It was the same reason she’d started all this in the first place.

“So, besides this, how’s your day been?”

“As I said, quiet. Not a lot of customers came by and I can’t blame them. Everything’s been going up.” Her more playful tone vanished, and worry began to set in.

“That’s just winter mom, you say it yourself.” She tried reassuring her. “Come spring folk will come flooding for fresh goods.”

“I don’t know honey, prices have been going up way higher than usual seasonal hike. Seems no-creature has the change for anything now.”

“They’re just scared mom, Storm’s got every-creature on edge. Maybe you should try some more seasonal stuff?”

“And sell myself out to some big name brand? No thanks honey, I’m too small for that.” Riley rebutted, before passing a wrench to Rini. “Those vultures would eat up my store faster than Brambles at a pie eating contest.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of which, expect him to come knocking for trail rations. He’s getting sick of tinned meat.”

Riley chuckled, all too familiar with the dog’s picky and insatiable appetite. “Thanks, I’ll see about going on a hunting trip this weekend. Been a while since I broke out the rifle.”

“I’m sure the butch would appreciate it.” Rini finished up with the heater and fastened it to the wall. Reconnecting any pipes and securing it in place before giving it a pat for good measure.

That was when her stomach growled, hunger pains twisting it in place. “Speaking of which, what’s for dinner? Had to skip lunch again.”

“Uhm…” Riley paused before walking over to inspect the fridge. “I can probably cook up a stew, we still have some chicken left. She then pulled out a bundle of wet, soft carrots she gagged at. “Might be a bit light on veg though.”

Rini narrowed her eyes at that, remembering what Brambles said. “Hey mom? When was the last time you saw a delivery truck come in? To resupply the shops?”

Riley didn’t reply, at least not immediately. Instead she seemed to take a moment to think. Rini could sense an underlying worry begin to aura around her mother.

“A while,” She replied, uncertainty in her voice. “Don’t worry honey I won’t let us starve. We’ll outlast this whole town if we have to.”

Rini opened her mouth but cut herself off, instead she nodded and headed for the living room. She didn’t want to chase the issue and the sink she could fix later. For now she simply wanted to sit down and relax.

And yet, even as she thought that, in the back of her mind she couldn’t let that small flicker of worry die out. She only hoped it was her being paranoid and not something worse.

Author's Note

Fun fact: Diamidians don’t consider the terms Bitch and Mutt derogatory unless an offensive tone or purpose is used, as they’re otherwise the correct words for differentiating gender.

CH 31

While it required some careful manoeuvring from Rini, and plenty of communication with Riley as her eyes, they did eventually clear the town. The controls turned out to be surprisingly simple and once she’d got the hang of it, Rini was practically flying around on the swivel chair.

All of this despite never having driven anything prior.

Now they were out in open Frostland and yet the military still chased after them.

“They just don’t give up!” Exclaimed Riley. She moved to the far right side of the bridge and looked into a giant viewing mirror.

A few more trucks and buggies were trailing behind them, but by and large that was it. Most had either lost heart, gotten lost or had fallen victim to Rini’s adjustments.

Or at least that was the belief…

Because Rini’s work hadn’t ended.

Riley watched as even more vehicles, mostly buggies, began to veer off for reasons unseen or unheard.

“I may have…”creatively reorganised” the wiring on some of their radios. Can’t drive when a high frequency is splitting ya ears, can ya?”

Her mother glanced at her, then back to the mirror just in time to see the wheels on a truck literally pop off all at once.

“Rini, dear? You know I love you with all my heart, but by Eudora’s crown you can be scary.” Rini’s only reply was to madly grin at her. The same kind of gremlin-like smile that promised the destruction of Equestria through sunshine and rainbows.

“That! That specific kind of scary.” She added.

Rini didn’t need to voice her pleasure at her mother’s reactions, it was plain as day on her face.

The few vehicles that were left only consisted of a trio of trucks. All transporting troops eager for some revenge. They moved around to sandwich them, with one truck to the flanks and one in front of the landship. “Rini dear, we might be in trouble.”

As Riley stated that, she ducked just in time to avoid a storm of glass as bullets pelted the bridge. Were it not for the bulky panels and control consoles in front of her, Rini would’ve been wracked by glass shards.

Snow and wind rushed inside and Rini drew her goggles down. The older Diamidian mirroring her actions.

“Welp, they fired first!” She twisted the steering wheel and the whole world shifted. Thousands of tons of metal and mass suddenly leaned to the left, and Rini hoped to ram one of the trucks.

Once more she was shown the weaknesses of the Rustbucket, as the transport truck hit the breaks. It moved behind before the colossal shadow could crush it, and Rini cursed under breath as she looked at the mirrors mounted to her far sides.

“Mom, I think you might be right!”

“Greaaaat! Just wonderful!” Riley withdrew the rifle and shotgun as wind rushed inside. She set the double barrel down and checked the chamber. “Got any more ideas?”

Rini looked down and checked the different panels. The Rustbucket was intended to have been protected by a fleet of vehicles, but it had to have something, right? A foghorn, or a gun turret somehwere? Or perhaps a-

“The crane’s in use?” She stared at the green light indicating so, and turned to an intercom with a few nobs. She twisted the nob and set it to talk to the crane and spoke into the wire mesh.

“Hey! It’s Rini, a-at the bridge! Who’s on the crane right now?”

A harsh, static ridden rendition of a gruff voice sputtered through. “Alpine! Cole’s a lil’ busy but he gave me the basics. View’s great from up here by the way!”

“Right! Um, can you try smashing the trucks from up there?”

“Crane’s got nothing attached at the moment. Cole’s got a big thick block of engines all chained together, but I need you to open the roof’s cargo doors, can you do that?”

Several loud cracks preceded a flurry of dents and bangs on the back wall of the bridge. The thick metal covers held however, and Rini pulled on a cable to turn on an overhead light. She quickly scanned the panels and soon found the correct button.

A soft beep serving as a prelude tosome distant alarm and the rumble of several unseen mechanisms. She could only wait as the crane’s hook descended down into the now open compartment.

Cole looked up with a smile as he climbed atop the makeshift wrecking ball, quick to attach and secure it. With a wave of a flashlight Alpine raised it as Cole jumped off.

“Okay, we’re in business.” Spoke Alpine.

A crack met Rini’s ears and she turned to see Riley, perched upon the broken windows firing her rifle. In return, she ducked down as another torrent of auto-gun fire peppered her hiding spot, a stray bullet managed to catch and tear at her arm which prompted a pained bark.

Riley clutched the wound and turned to her. “Honey, please hurry! They’ll get an angle on us sometime soon!”

“Get em Aply!” Rini cried into the intercom.

“Call me that again and I’ll execute your goldfish!” Rini snickered and covered her mouth with a paw.

Outside, the crane spun around with the literal engine block swaying in the wind like a giant flail. Alpine was no crane operator but he was working through it. That lever to drop and pull, this button for lights, and the joystick to turn the crane. It was so simple a farmdog could probably work it out.

With a mighty pull the improvised wrecking ball swung around the vehicle bay. Too fast for the driver of the right side truck to react. One moment he was driving through a black void of snow, the next a giant cube of tangled up steel and steam pipes crashed through his windshield.

The whole truck flipped and crashed after that, with Alpine wrangling the joystick to turn the crane around.

However, his act had been witnessed in its entirety by the truck trailing behind the Rustbucket, and the driver moved to his broadside.

Moments later Rini’s speaker lit up as Alpine yelled through in panic. “Taking fire! Can ya throw em off?”

“I donno, can you spare my goldfish?” Rini teased.

“Shut up!”

Rini rolled her eyes and threw the wheel the other way, with the landship turning accordingly. Riley had to grab something to avoid being thrown by the sudden shift in force.

As expected, the truck swerved away to avoid being crushed, but it gave Alpine enough time to readjust and turn the crane. The wrecking ball (block?) smashed into the side of the truck as it moved back towards Rusty’s rear and spun out of control, rolling onto and skidding on its side.

“I got em Rini!” Cried Alpine, his voice hagged. “Gotta go though, I’m hit. It’s not bad but I’m leakin’ here!”

“Get out of there Alpine, you’ve done what you can.” Rini then turned away and toward Riley. “Alpine’s hit, It’s up to us now! Only have one more truck to deal with.”

She nodded and let the rifle slide down, a fresh bandage now wrapped around her bloodied arm. Riley then picked up the shotgun and went to the otherside of the bridge. Ready to play a deadly game of whack-a-mole.

With a deep breath she popped up and quickly fired both barrels at the distant truck. Muffled cries of pain signalled the success of her assault and she dived before gunfire could rip her to ribbons.

After that the shooting intensified, and even Rini found herself ducking as bullets battered the bridge.

Riley waited it out as she reloaded, then moved to another spot. “Think you’ll get 'em at this rate?”

“If I’m lucky, this isn’t like shooting birds!”

She stood up again and repeated her prior action, all the way to the dive down below. “Think they’ll get the message?” She jested.

Rini waited for a pause in gunfire before speaking again. “Dunno, they’ve been stubborn this far.”

Riley stole a peek as she reloaded, and saw the truck begin to change position again. They adjusted their strategy and moved to the right, aligned with the starboard tread.

“What are they?” Riley quietly asked as they steadied. A few soldiers then climbed from the back panel and started throwing things at the vehicle bay. Moments later a series of loud booms rang out and Riley put two and two together. “Rini! The treads! Move away!”

“On it!” She turned the wheel and the truck adjusted, momentarily thrown off Riley swapped out the shotgun for the rifle.

She had one shot, one chance to aim without fear of reprisal as they wildly swerved.

The window sill as her shooting platform. Her heartbeat now in focus, and her breathing laid still.

“Don’t focus on following, wait for them to enter the irons.”

It went from side to side, the canvas and carriage blowing in the wind.

“Come on…”

The side door window had been replaced with slitted sheet metal, to shoot the driver was impossible.

“Come on!...”

Then the wheel came into view.

CRACK!

A bang akin to the popping of a giant balloon followed and the driver struggled to control the sudden shift in force.
The transport truck tipped forward slightly and slid to the left. Before Riley knew it, flashes of light rang out from the rear. Everything occurred within mere seconds after the shot.

Rini could only watch as another, final torrent tore at the bridge and sent Riley tumbling back. Thin wisps of red flew towards her and in that moment, red was all she saw.

“MOM!” She grabbed the throttle handle and nearly tore it from its panel.

A horrid, hungry roar echoed from the Rustbucket’s engines as it charged forward towards the truck. Without all of its wheels it couldn’t outpace the gargantuan behemoth and could only hope to veer off.

Rini however wouldn’t allow that.

Just as it neared the treads and hope of escape dangled in front of it. She twisted the wheel and both the truck and its occupants became to the Rustbucket what a mound in the road was to a regular autobody.

There was no scream, no explosion or shrill metal crunch.

Just a bump in the road as it passed underneath.

With no other reason to stay Rini jumped from her seat and rushed to Riley’s aid. She’d managed to prop herself up against the wall and Rini knelt down. Her anger quickly dissolving into anguish as tears welled behind her goggles.

“Mom! Mom no! No no no no!” She held her mother still and applied pressure, but there were so many holes, too much blood, and nocreature to help. It was all happening so fast.

Funny, she’d thought she’d long been desensitised to such a sight.

Riley cranked her head up to look at her and with great will, forced a smile. “Hush, hush now. It’ll be fine, y-you're safe now.”

“No, no! You saved me, now let me save you!” She turned to open her coat and rifle through her pockets. “C’mon where’s that potion!”

“Rini, please.” She laid a paw on her shoulder and held firmly. “You won’t get a second chance to say goodbye.”

Rini froze and slowly looked up at her. Riley shakingly raised a paw and took off her goggles, her face turning a deathly white yet smiling all the same. “N-No, no p-please don’t go mom! I-I’m not ready yet!”

She softly giggled as Rini lifted her own goggles. “L-Look around you d-dear, of course you are. What k-kind of mother w-would I be if I couldn’t prepare you?”

Tears streaked down Rini’s face and whines emerged from her throat, her lip trembling like no other. With every breath the strength to draw the next increased, to the point Riley’s lungs sounded more like crumpled paper.

“Rini, dear…promise me something?”

“A-Anything mom.” Her voice cracked.

“Tell Rover…I forgive him.”

“Oh…mom.” Rini leaned in and hugged her. Riley reached around and held her just as, if not more tightly. With each passing moment however, Rini could feel her mother’s grip slipping. Second by second, it got weaker.

“I love you…”

“You to, dear…both of you…my…little…pups…”

Rini let loose a muffled howl and buried herself into Riley’s shoulder. The echoes of her cries halfway drowned out by the bellowing winds, and the rumbling machinery.

CH 3

Several chairs surrounded a wooden table in the centre of the room, with an inactive fireplace nested in the back wall. A plaque featuring a crossed over double barrel shotgun and a bolt action rifle sat above it, with an award featured on the fireplace shelf below.

A bookcase held several titles, many of which Rini hadn’t read and that had gathered dust since. A bulky radio sat turned off in the corner and a collection of tiny rough gemstones sat within a large frame on the wall.

Rini picked the room’s only couch and laid down, rubbing her forehead from weariness.

For her first day back at work after recovering, it’d been a long one. A lack of lunch would’ve made any-creature snappy but what Brambles pulled was just…

She took a deep breath in and let out a long sigh. “He’s a good friend but oh rocks can he be dim.”

As much as she didn’t want to admit, Rini had a gripe with most creatures she knew. Gale always doubted himself, Riley never learned the term “just good enough,” and of course Brambles didn’t even know what a bush bramble was. Though that was typical for many Diamidians, they weren’t known for being scholars and super wise wizards like the ponies.

They were truly the living embodiment of all Brawn and no Brain.

It was true for everycreature really. No-creature was perfect, but some flaws stuck out more than others and the ones that did wore her out fast. Like how indecisive Brambles could be when asked the simplest things, or when Gale would only tell her something important at the last possible moment.

Rini wasn’t devoid of her own flaws of course. If it weren’t for all the short jokes she might’ve been less snappy. More than once that attitude had landed her in hot water and she was more willing to boil then cool off, such as right now.

Annoyed, she wiped her face from frustration. “I gotta think about something else.”

With a breath, she turned over and found herself looking over the various picture frames mounted atop a well occupied fireplace. So many memories in such short order, with most making her smile. “Yeah, those will do.”

Her brother’s eighth birthday within the cottage, back when she was just a four year old pup. Then a family outing at a village fair a few years later. Her brother digging up his first gemstone, and of course, Rini’s eighteenth at that Pizziera with Gale and Brambles.

They were all experiences that she fondly recalled no matter how much time passed. And it seemed to do the trick as she felt a nice flutter in her chest as she looked over them.

But every time she saw her brother in those pictures, a drop of poison was added to the mix.

“I’m sorry Rover, nobody could’ve anticipated what happened to Dad that day. What are you up to now? Still chasing bits or are you chasing tails?”

Rini sat up and walked to take one of the frames. A picture of the two chasing each other as kids. She remembered that day. Running around with the grass beneath them, tree branches swaying over their heads and birds chipping way above.

She let out another sigh as warm nostalgia turned to mournful depression. Putting down the frame as she looked to another, this one of her dad having just worked his first shift at Cherrywood’s (then) new coal mine. Happily smiling for the cameras as well as all the others working with him.

If only they’d known…

“Maybe one day, we’ll all come together. Somewhere better than here, somewhere warm and quiet again.”
...
“I miss you guys…”
…

Several loud door knocks woke Rini from her stupor and she moved to answer. Riley also paused from her cooking to check in. Whoever it was they were knocking incessantly, almost as if another storm was barreling towards them and they hadn't got the memo.

But when Rini opened the door, her expression dropped and she nearly shut it again when she saw Brambles on the other side.

“Hey Rini, wait!” He cried, pressing a paw on the door despite Rini trying to shut it.

“What do you want Brambles?” She said, speaking through a crack. “In case you lost count it’s only been an hour since our last meet up, and that wasn’t exactly the most pleasant one.”

“Turn your radio on!” Surprisingly Brambles sounded completely serious, not a hint of humour or his usual dimness to be found.

“What? Why?!”

“Just do it! The Channel doesn’t matter!”

Rini turned to look at Riley who’d overheard. Both sharing mixed looks of confusion and concern. Brambles was let in as the three made for the living room and Riley pulled the ageing radio up onto the table. She switched it on but only a near incoherent mess of scratchy static and scrambled words met their canine ears.

Frowning, she pulled the back panel out and rearranged some wires.

Quickly, she pulled out some bad ones, crossed a few good ones, jammed in some new wires and closed it back up. It was typical for the old thing, but after she twisted the various nobs and gave it a quick bash the speakers spoke intelligible speech again.

“There we go! Works every time.”

Shortly after the three Diamidians gathered closely as a voice came through. Regal and refined, she spoke with a soft voice carrying an authoritative undertone which set both girls on edge.

Brambles however stood still with a smile, with his tail occasionally wagging to and fro.

“-thousand years we have toiled away for their gain. Equestrian taxes and long hours dictated by their laws taking away from our hardworking families who struggle to feed themselves. But no more! As Queen of Diamidia, I, Eudora Clawthorne swear to you that I shall take this opportunity to usher in a new golden age for our people.”

Riley and Rini both turned to each other with pin-prick eyes. A sinking feeling weighing in their stomachs.

“No longer shall canine kind be confined to Equestria’s shadow, no longer will we have to make do with whatever scraps they throw our way, and no more should we have to bend to their rules. From the body of Equestria, a greater Daimidian kingdom shall rise. One where we all shall find the fortunes we seek! And the ponies shall be put in their place!”

“Wooo!” Brambles howled, throwing his arms up in the air.

The odd looks he got from Rini and Riley however quickly made apparent their displeasure.

“What?”

“Brambles?” Rini began. “Do you…know what she meant?”

“Yeah? She’ll make everything better for us, right?” He spoke completely straight, oblivious to the truth.

“N-No Brambles, I mean I guess but…I don’t know. There’s a lot I don’t like about this.” Riley spoke, unsure of how to respond.

“Yeah, sure I’ll admit having to deal with Equestrian taxes is annoying, but the ponies aren’t monsters! Don’t they want nothing more than peace and friendship?”

Brambles looked between both of them confused out of his mind. Scratching his head trying to make sense of things. “But…what about all that stuff she said about ponies taking money from us? Or their laws? Or the whole shadow thing?”

Riley sighed and shut off the radio before turning to Brambles.

“Hey kid? Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes, people say things a certain way to push their own agenda? Or are just straight up lying? Even if it’s about something small it can still add up.” Riley then walked to and pulled an entry from the bookshelf. A storybook with the cover depicting two halves of a fictional princess. One, a beautiful, elegant unicorn, and the other a blackened, hideous monster.

She placed the book on the table and sat down. It was the kind of fairy tale one would read to their young before bed. For a moment Rini pondered why she’d pull out a children’s book of all things then remembered…

She’s trying to teach Brambles something.

“I know you never had to deal with that kinda crap, being raised without wondering where most of your stuff comes from. But out here, when you need to fend for yourself, you become a lot more aware of the world around you and the dangers there are.”

Brambles gently picked the book up and opened the pages, his previously nervous expression turning to a content smile.

“Good, why don’t you give that thing a read and I’ll ask if you can tell me what the moral of the story is once you’re done?”

A few moments passed as he flipped through the pages. Rini knew what was going to happen, she knew it was coming, and gave her mom a smug grin as she waited.

Eventually that moment came.

“Wow, lots of pretty pictures!”

Riley frowned and sat up, glaring at him in confusion.

“Yeah they are nice but…how much have you read?”

Brambles looked up, lights clearly not on upstairs. “Uh, what?”

Rini wasn’t able to contain her giggles any longer and bursted out into a fit of laughter. Her mother took notice and darted between the two. “What? What is it Rini?”

The scrapper broke from her heaving to address her. “Brambles can’t read mom!”

“W-What?!” She glanced back to the mutt holding the book out, continuing to stare at the pretty pictures.

“You mean to tell me you’ve been friends for over five years with a mutt that can’t read, and never told me?”

“It never came up!”

“So how the heck do you manage to play Ogres and Oubliettes with him?!” Riley still had vivid memories of the many, long hours she watched them play.

“Oh it’s mostly roleplay, and Gale’s an artist so we use pictures!”

Going back to Brambles, the mutt looked up between the two and smiled before closing the book. Having enough sense to know Riley was getting upset.

Who of which face-pawed and sighed, deeply. “Okay look. I don’t blame you for being slow Brambles, that’s not your fault, but eventually you’ll have to get your act together and I hope to skies above you’re ready for it.”

“Because I’ll tell ya one thing,” Riley then turned her head around, gesturing towards the plaque above the fireplace.

“We are.”

CH 4

The next day started out no differently.

Rini brushed her teeth, had her breakfast, did some morning exercises and off to work she was.

It was a funny feeling, living long enough to see a town develop around you. At first it was a collection of cottages out in the country, then a cosy little village, and now a noisy industrial town. With auto-wagons and big blocky buildings.

And then if that wasn’t enough, some frosty ice god had blown just a little too hard in the town’s direction.

Yet somehow, someway, it’d managed to get even more obscene. As whilst walking down the sidewalk, lost in her thoughts, Rini was suddenly woken by the sounds of rushing trucks.

Transport Trucks.

She had mere seconds to brace herself before a flood of snow was kicked up, coating her in white sludge as they sped past throwing the wind in her face also. Her clothes were dampened, her fur was wetted, and bits of grime cling to her coat.

With an eye twitch, she brought her arms up and tried flicking some of the dirt off, growling all the while, though she had to pause to spit out some snow that had gotten in her mouth. Once she was cleared her eyes drifted to the trucks, confused by their presence.

Cherrywood wasn’t a town with major auto-wagon traffic, having been built with roads not accommodating for such. So seeing not just one, but several trucks rushing through the street caught her attention. What would’ve been an intriguing sight however had instead tempted her temper and she traced the wheel marks in the snow.

They’d headed towards the town centre, which wasn’t far, as Cherrywood wasn’t a big town. What was a ten minute detour anyway? If the foredog at the scrapyard complained she could just throw a few bits his way.

“Yeah, let’s go find that jackass.”

Without delay Rini followed the trail of exhaust fumes and found the town center. Now she was expecting to maybe see a few giveaways or the mayor trying some new surprise fair to line his pockets, but when she turned the corner all that anger vanished.

There weren’t just a few trucks, but several, as in double digits worth. All were surrounding the Storm Shelter and Steamhub full of numerous crates and boxes. With what Rini could only assume were soldiers going around giving them away. They wore earthly brown overcoats with caps and scarfs.

Surprisingly, only a few of them carried actual weapons and the ones that did hung back near the trucks. She could tell a rifle or a shotgun when she saw one, but then there were also shorter weapons, with boxes sticking out their sides or tops with very pipe-like bodies. As if some-creature had cobbled them together using what was left of their kitchen sink.

Knowing Dimaidian engineering, that may have actually been the case.

Regardless, Rini stood awestruck, how’d they managed to get to town so quickly? Did they arrive the night prior or had they just gotten here? Were they here purely to help the town or was this just some nice opening act? She would’ve been happy had last night’s broadcast not coloured her vision, now she wasn’t sure.

Whatever the case, the common dog wasn’t complaining. With most stores running too low on stock to sell anything, a lot of houses needed their pantries refilled. Even the ponies were getting their fill, which threw Rini through a loop.

Weren’t they going to try doing something to them?

Was she wrong maybe?

Did they get the wrong idea?

Perhaps Queen Eudora was just saying things for dramatic effect?

Maybe she’d gotten all worked up over nothing?

Time would only tell if they’d remain consistent with this behaviour and Rini wouldn’t be so quick to persuade. She turned and left for the scrapyard before she was officially late for work, trying to rub off more bits of grit from earlier.

When she got there she found the soldiers had already beat her to it.

Numerous different vehicles had been added to the junk heaps, with many of them scorched so badly Rini could swear they’d been dragged through a tire fire. Vans, jeeps, personal vehicles, even some military vehicles from the Equestrian army were thrown in. Likely stolen, bought or…looted.

She shuddered to think about it and looked around. Quickly clocking in and exploring the yard for any nice pickings.

Truth be told there were many options, almost too many in fact. Usually the yard only received a few freshly decommissioned vehicles every now, usually with vehicle frames making up the bulk of new arrivals.

Here though the military dumped not just what they’d found, but many of their own vehicles that were about to give up the ghost. It was tough to decide but, in time, she gravitated towards a delivery truck. The truck was already missing a couple wheels and some exterior components, but otherwise intact!

“First things first, the cargo compartment.”

Rini presented a crowbar and went towards the back, where a fold up door stood in her way. She tried the easy option first and pulled it up, but found it was locked.

Instead of frowning, she smiled.

“Locked, means good chance there’s something inside.”

The sharpened end of the crowbar went right under the door as Rini forced herself upon it. Hitting it again and again until she was confident enough had sunk inside, before leveraging her strength prying it open.

It took a few attempts but she managed, and with a sharp crack the door flew open and upwards folding against the ceiling.

After catching her breath Rini threw her hair back and climbed inside, greeted by clean, sterile white tiles that made up the back of some kind of emergency room. A medical bed with straps on the right and several cabinets with a sink on the left.

“Okay, not exactly what I was expecting.”

It smelled the part also, ageing chemicals akin to old wax met her senses and the vehicle creaked as she climbed in. It wasn’t a delivery truck, it was an ambulance , one that just looked like such and had a folding door…

“Funny, didn’t see any medical marks on the outside. Maybe they got removed when it was decommissioned? Or did the thing start out as a truck and get turned into an ambulance?”

Rini shrugged and moved forward, thinking about the where wasn’t her job, but it was fun to fantasise sometimes. Heck, some of her best moments came from joking about how such pieces of equipment wound up in the yard to begin with, or what wacky things they were involved in beforehand.

Heck she would even reenact some of the wackier scenarios in her head for the heck of it. Sure it wasted time, but she was alone anyway, might as well have a laugh.

Pushing that aside, she moved to dig through the cabinets, looking for loose objects. Most had been emptied, which was expected, but there was one that still had a couple of glass pill bottles. They weren’t massive, about the size of a hip flask, but they were unopened and Rini examined them.

“Painkillers and Laxatives, don’t know any-creature who’d need toilet meds but I’m sure mom will find a buyer.”

Pocketing both she continued her work, finding little else besides dust bunnies and dry air. So she broke out her tools and got to work…

Rini panted between water gulps. Her muscles burned and her coat was sticky from the cold. She’d been at it for the past few hours and her efforts were on display.

The truck turned ambulance had its back compartment all but cleared out, and several boxes lay half filled with various mechanical components. Cinder blocks propped up the wheel axles, the doors and chairs had been detached, and whatever fuel it still had was taken away.

She’d by all accounts picked the vehicle clean of just about anything of value it still had.

It was a great feeling, satisfying even, but it did nail in why taking regular breaks was so important.

Especially in minus twenty degree weather.

More than once she had to retreat to the garage and rest by the heater to warm herself back up. Now that she was approaching the mid-shift she decided another break was in order.

“Snapjaw had better not get on my case again, It's too damn cold out here!”

She was just about making her way towards the garage again when she felt something. A rumbling.

The ground began to shake ever so slightly, little enough one could dismiss it as vertigo. But Rini wasn’t so sure and pulled out her water bottle. It didn’t have much water left but it was enough, and she placed it upon a nearby car hood and sure enough, the water didn’t just wobble. The whole thing started sliding around as the rumbling grew in strength.

Then she heard it, the roaring of some distant engine crawling towards her. Picked up early by her canine hearing. She cringed as it grew louder and louder.

Rini walked back out and turned towards the front gate, trying to get a better view.

If her jaw dropped any further, it would’ve crashed right through the ground.

A huge, truly gargantuan vehicle on treads, made its way towards the scrapyard. The treads alone were big enough to totally dwarf even the largest of Diamidian breeds, or require a ladder’s full length to climb atop of.

The hull itself? Easily two to three stories large. More akin to a moving building in itself than a simple vehicle. Its cockpit protrudes from the angled front of the hull with a thin, glassy slit for the driver’s observation. Hatches, spare treads, crates, pipes of various sizes and other items ran the vehicle’s length.

Its terrible size didn’t just make her feel tiny, she was tiny compared to it. Her head didn’t even reach halfway up the tread skirt!

The thing was so big it even had a damn crane built atop it! Who does that?!

“Landship.” That was the only word she could use to describe it, a huge, gargantuan ship on land.

Rini retreated as it made headway into the scrapyard, followed closely by several army trucks, all towing other trucks. Most if not all the vehicles were in different states of disrepair, with many of them breaking down just trying to get through the gates, even crashing into and denting it once or twice.

Eventually the giant…thing slowed down and came to a stop, just about crushing an equine garden gnome.

Which prompted a high pitched howl that could’ve only belonged to Brambles…

“Mr. Tibbles no!”

Rini had to suppress a comedic grin as her friend rushed to collect the ornament’s remnants. She shouldn’t laugh, but oh how she struggled not to.

The reprieve would be short lived however, as now having parked, a huge ramp descended down upon the area behind it. Kicking up a plume of snow and ringing its metallic clang in her ear as it crashed against the ground.

Many other scrappers emerged from their work to take a look as more soldiers began pouring out the back. One of them in particular, dressed in a fancy uniform began calling out.

“Anydog that’s an engineer, or has technical skills please come forward! Our vehicles need repairs and we’ll pay handsomely for your work!”

Rini looked around and saw her coworkers begin to approach, drawn in either out of awe or the promise of payment. She couldn’t deny it was tempting, but just like earlier that day she didn’t want to get ahead of herself.

Or at least that’s what she would’ve liked.

Looking around, she could see soldiers going into the scrapyard rounding up any-dog that didn’t arrive on their own accord. Reason told her they were probably just trying to get them on the same page. After all, even she’d get too caught up in her work sometimes.

But that little nagging dog perched upon her shoulder prevented her from trusting them. She’d step forward like the rest, but took greater note of her surroundings. All the vent coverings, the hatches leading outside, ladders and stairways. Just in case she had to leave in a hurry.

“Good morning everydog, I’m Captain Caleb, and I’d be honoured to show you around!” He threw his arm up for dramatic effect, flashing the gold signet ring around one of his fingers as he proceeded with the tour.

“This piece of fine Diamidian engineering is a Mobile Vehicle Bay. Equipped with the facilities and tools needed to service a fleet of vehicles practically anywhere! But we call her the Rustbucket.” He went on, describing the various features it held.

There was a garage large enough to fit two trucks in the main bay. A second floor with catwalks above attached to a sealed recreation room, with its own pool table of all things. A sleeping area for a crew, a third floor with the driver’s compartment and of course the engine bay underneath deep below.

And what an engine it was…

Or rather, a set of engines.

The Rustbucket didn’t just have one, but several engines, all working in tandem to propel it. Each in different states of functionality, with some having completely broken down. The room was well ventilated at least, or so the officer said.

In truth, probably only half the fans were working and every-dog could tell as much from the stench of engine fumes, prompting many to cover their mouths or shield themselves with scarves.

Somehow, Rini felt her shift had only just begun…

CH 5 - Act 2, Banners & Drums

Of all the buildings within Cherrywood, Riley’s trading post was probably one of the oldest still standing. Mercifully spared the worst of the Great Storm.

In a sea of stone and brickwork, her cosy log cabin stood out as a pillar of the community.

At first she’d sold pelts, cured meat and other animal products, but over time she’d had to diversify. Now she had a little of everything sitting on those shelves.

Jackets and sewing kits, kid’s toys and snack foods, spare parts and spark batteries. No two weeks were the same within that building and today the shelves sat full and fresh.

Yet there was such a thing as too much stock, and many of those shelves had sat at capacity for days.

The ageing Diamidian leaned back in her chair bored out of her mind. Twiddling her thumbs as she watched the clock.

“One o’ clock and still not a single soul. I get it, you all wanna save for food but like, would it hurt to browse? At least give me something to keep me busy.”

It’d been a troublesome time for every-creature. Most were getting concerned where their next meals were coming from, or if the damage done could even be repaired. But for a generalist like Riley, it all sounded like city folk yapping because they hadn’t learned how to live without a convenience store down the street.

“I could walk out right now, start over, perhaps try for that forest a few miles away? Sure it’s a little cold but how bad could it really get?”

Thinking that, she turned to look at a thermometer and her eyes widened.

“Okay, fair enough, minus twenty three sucks. I’m going to have to bundle up something fierce for that hunting trip.”

She sat up and began to mindlessly stare off into the wall. Playing around with a mental checklist of things to bring to said trip.

It wasn’t long before she was interrupted however, as for the first time since opening that day, the bell above the door rang and caught her eye.

A group of mutts in big, brown coats with scarfs and caps walked inside. They began wondering about browsing her wares and picking out what they liked. A smile grew across her face, not so much at the prospect of earning something, but to have a little interaction.

The moment she saw their collars however, that smile quickly waned.

They all wore the same kind of collar. Black with purple accents and mixture of deep purple and grassy green gemstones. Such a thing wasn’t typical of the common dog and she set herself straight as they approached.

All kinds of things were placed upon her counter, lots of very expensive things to boot. Near perfect condition spare parts, extra heating equipment and fuel, insulative fabric and even what little hard liquor she had on offer.

By all accounts, it was worth more than what she was selling it for, given how much she’d dropped prices.

Granted, very few items had actual price tags on them. She liked being flexible in case some-creature in need walked in. But for a group of war dogs?

No chance.

“That’ll be ninety seven bits. You boys got the scratch for all this?” She stated, watching them all.

There was something off about them, something that set her on edge. She didn’t see any weapons, but the way their paws or ears twitched, their eyes were hidden behind snow goggles and they couldn’t quite sit still. Or they did but sat perfectly still, enough to make her question if they were breathing.

“Oh don’t worry miss, the crown will compensate you plenty for your service.”

He then pulled out a blank cheque and vigorously wrote into it. Rounding it out to a hundred before passing it over and grabbing all the items.

Before they left though Riley spoke out. “You realise you’re not supposed to pay with cheques right?!”

The group halted and turned around, eyelessly staring into her. One of them already had a chew toy in their mouth complete with the price tag still attached.

“And this is Diamidian currency, we pay with Equestrian bits around here!”

“That won’t be a problem for long, miss,” The head dog answered, “The town will be switching currency soon, and you can swap it out at your local bank if it’s an issue.”

Riley stared at them wide eyed as they left. The last comment hitting her like a train as her earlier fears slowly reared. Now a hundred jewels richer, but feeling no better for it.

She looked down at the piece of paper. Shock turned to fear as the implications felt more real than ever. Were they alone? Or had a whole army just walked in to strongarm the place?

From that, her fear turned to frustration as she clenched her fist, putting the check down before she damaged it.

“Just who do they think they are?”

Dusk had settled upon the town as Rini’s shift finally came to a close. And it’d certainly been eventful if nothing else.

She’d managed to familiarise herself with the Rustbucket and helped move the military trucks outside into the Scrapyard. Eventually even shaking off her nerves from earlier, getting right back into the scrapper’s mindset and repairing what she could.

“But oh, there was so much to repair.”

The Rustbucket was easily the biggest piece of equipment she’ll ever work on. Granted she was no slouch, she’s done her fair share of auto-body work, but the Rustbucket was Diamidian engineering at its finest.

Quick to break, quick to fix.

But almost everything was breaking.

So many times had she performed an assessment of something only to find that it had in some way, somehow broken. The gear clutch for the driver had rusted stiff and needed a hammer, the internal ventilation was on the verge of giving up, most of the instruments were giving incorrect readings or had just broken, not even the break room fridges were spared!

Seems the nickname Rustbucket was quite appropriate, as this thing was basically held together by stubbornness and prayers.

Try as she might this wasn’t going to be a one-dog job, and assessing the vehicles outside showed little difference. Many had engine problems, flat tires or faulty transmissions.

She’d spent most of her day going around making laundry lists of issues each one had. It’d finally got her to practise her writing skills, but by the end of it, her digits were sore.

It was almost a relief then when she heard the end of the shift alarm. She stowed her tools and finally took a breather, having long since gotten used to the smell of burn and brass.

But as she walked towards the front gate, a not so friendly face was standing there waiting for her.

An orange and white, pudgy mutt with the chops of a bulldog in an overcoat two sizes too big for him. A vain attempt to make himself look broader than he actually was turned towards her with a cigarette in his mouth.

“Something the matter Snapjaw?” Rini asked, half hating herself for prompting the Foremutt.

“Me? Oh no no no! I’m thrilled in fact. I ain’t never seen so much business come in.”

“Right…”

Rini kept walking, almost to the gate when Snapjaw continued.

“But, I did have something I wanna ask you.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she stopped and turned to face him.

“First, ya pay,” The bulldog produced a small bag of bits and tossed them to her. Gabbing them and holding on, she soon put them away within her coat. “And second…Well, ya see, these army guys are paying nicely, real nicely. So being the nice mutt I am, I wanted to ask what you’d say to doing overtime?”

“Yep there it is. Butter up and fry.”

“I’ll think about it Snap, but I don’t really need the extra money right now.”

Even as she spoke those words she could hear Snapjaw’s paws and jaw tightening at her refusal.

“Well! It never hurts to save up, maybe you could get your own place after winter? Must get crappy living in that cottage for the same twenty-four years.”

Rini paused at that, turning to him with an indignant eye and as much professionalism as she could muster.

“With all due respect sir, No.”

Not wishing to linger, she stormed away past him with a power walk. Her mace-like tail bouncing to and fro from agitation.

“Uh, hey! Brambles has already said yes!” Snap called out.

“Oh of course he would, you probably tricked him with another topic first.”

Rini didn’t slow down, if anything she sped up. Any faster and she’d be jogging as she gained distance from her boss.

Street lights flicked on as she traversed through the evening hours. Work hours ending and people emerging to go home and rest. But for her, she had to do one more thing.

“I gotta check on Gale, I need to make sure he’s alright.”

CH 6

A shot of guilt flowed through Rini as she approached Gale’s diner.

The pegasus had been hit hard during the storm, much worse then she had and only now was she paying him a visit. Looking back, it was sort of surreal to think he wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t gone out of her way to help him. An act that nearly cost both their lives.

At least she could look towards the building in front of her with a smile. A warm, rising joy fluttered in her chest knowing it was because of her he’d stick around. They could keep playing his games, enjoying his food and talking about costumes.

“It’s true I guess, you don’t know how much you love something till it's gone.”

The diner itself wasn’t a big place, little bigger than a take out joint with some nice decorations. Smooth mosaic tiles and framed paintings of fish, ships and port towns added to what was a simple seafood restaurant. But Gale had put a lot of effort into that image and ended up with a charming place punching above its weight.

All in all, it had a warm, welcoming atmosphere that was desperately needed in the town.

His apartment rested right above with an unsalted stairwell behind the building. A good deal of snow had built up and she had to hold onto the side rails to avoid slipping upon the ice. At least this time she didn’t have an unearthly cold wind blowing in her face.

“Times like this make me wish I was a unicorn, maybe use some magic to just melt this ice.”

When she did reach the door she held herself back from knocking, and was drawn instead to the numerous amounts of letters practically spilling out of his letter slit.

“Poor buck’s probably been bedridden this whole time. I would be to if I got nailed like that.”

She picked up one of the letters and brushed it off. Poking into Gale’s business wasn’t something he’d be happy about, but given all that’s going on?

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I just…looked at a few, right? I won’t open them up, just seeing where they’re from.”

Rini expected to see the names of friends or family written upon the paper, only to find almost all of them had come from some institution in town. The electrical and heating companies, landlords, town hall, even the military.

She paused at that and looked over the black and purple envelope. Lacking a return address yet sealed with a wad of amethyst wax. The insignia depicted a gilded crown sitting atop a gleaming gemstone with a ribbon below.

It wasn’t her place to open it, Gale had to do that. Along with so many other letters quietly collecting snow and getting soggy. So with a sigh she leaned forward and knocked on the door.

The reply wasn’t immediate, in fact it took a minute but she could hear some-creature moving about from the otherside. He didn’t answer the door however, which led her to one conclusion.

“He’s using the door’s spyglass.” She then looked up at Gale's door light, seeing it hadn’t switched on. “And that’s on the fritz again.”

“Gale! It’s me, Rini! Is everything okay?” She shouted, hearing more shuffling about on the other side.

“Rini?! I-I mean, how do ah know you’re Rini?”

With a low growl and eye roll she replied. “Remember that time you asked me if restraining a wild dog was Athletics or Animal Handling?”

“Gah okay! Not too loud alright?”

A smile appeared as the Trottish stallion began undoing the many, many locks on his home. Before the door opened and flicked the lights.

The visage of a navy blue pegasus a few years younger than her appeared within the doorway. His eyes heavy with dark sets of rings and his mane frizzled with bedhead. One of his wings was held within a cast and adhesive bandages lined his abdomen.

“You’re a mess.” Rini spoke, both with a hint of humour mixed with genuine concern.

“Ya don’ know the half of it.”

Gale moved away to lay down on the living room couch as Rini put her scarf up while also shutting the door behind her. Being able to take in the sights of the place. Bookshelves adorned with different tabletop and roleplay gaming systems lined his walls, alongside more nautical paintings. A big mouth billy bass and lastly his costume racks.

They were tucked away within a dedicated sewing room he had, but the door was ajar and even from here she could see some of her favourites. A pirate with a big fancy hat, a highway pony’s overcoat and crimson red bandanna, and of course, a set of actual thin steel plates belonging to a noble knight. The blazing emblem of a phoenix marked on its shield.

“Soo…just checking on me?” He started, clasping a cup of water with his good wing.

“Well…yeah? Did you hear that radio broadcast last night?”

“Yep, this afternoon ah had all kinds of creatures knocking on my door. Ran out o’ painkillers and couldn’t sleep the night prior.

“Huh…” Rini turned to the bundles of letters and started gathering them up, moving to and placing them on the table. Most were half frozen or soggy, so with a sigh Gale got up and went over to a small safe sitting under an aquarium. She wasn’t privy to the assortment of goodies he kept in his personal stash, but Gale did have a short list of enchanted items tucked away.

Moments later he produced a small ring and popped it on the table.

“Do you mind? I don’t have digits.”

Rini nodded and took the ring. Sliding it down hers before gently guiding it across the crumpled pile. An orange glow sprang from it and tiny whips of flame flew across the table. The ice quickly melted and water audibly sizzled into steam, the letters quickly drying out as Gale helped spread them apart.

Afterwards, Rini took the ring off and gave it back, now with each one dry enough to open.

“Didn’t think a Ring of Warmth could do that. What other little toys have you got in there?”

“Eh, nothing special. I prefer ta keep em’ to meself.”

“Oh?” Rini perked up, “Oh! I see how it is.” Then gave him an evil, smug grin.

“Come on Rini, don't take the bottle.” He gestured towards the letters. “Let’s see what all this junk’s about.

“I’m sorry, but what in the actual buck?”

Gale stared wide eyed at several letters, each antagonising him more and more as Rini cut them open.

“I’d already paid me medical bill! Why are they making me pay twice?!”

Rini picked that one up and examined it, her face contorting as her eyes scrolled through. “Pillow lease? Discharge via main exit? Mandatory tip? What even are some of these?!”

“It's bonkers right? And then there’s this.” Gale grabbed the letter from the army and quickly read through it, shaking his head in disbelief. “Dear Gusty Gale, I regret ta inform you that Cherrywood may no longer be safe for vulnerable individuals such as yourself…External community centre?! Yeah right!”

“They’re seriously suggesting you move out?”

“Move out? Rini, they’re trying ta open a Diamidian restaurant on the other side of the street! They’re trying to put me out to pasture and take me business.”

There was a moment of quiet as she looked at him in horror, before turning to the front window and pulling the curtain back. True to his word, the storefront directly opposite Gale was being renovated into a barbecue restaurant. The store sign was already partially raised above the door.

“Where the heck are they going to get all the meat for that?”

“What am I gonna do Rini? They threw my utility bills at me already! I shouldn’t have had to pay that for another three weeks! And with this wing, ain’t no way I can cook to get the money together.”

“I-I don’t know, but there’s got to be a way. I didn’t nearly get turned into a popsicle saving your flank just for you to get carted off.” Rini stated, closing the curtain and turning to him. “Working the scrapyard would be too intensive for your wing, and I don’t want you getting anywhere near those soldiers.”

Gale trotted around the table, walking in circles rubbing his head.

“Maybe…maybe ah could try giving some of me older costumes to your mom. Have her sell em’ and share the money? Or help her tailor new stuff? I’d imagine coats would be in high demand right now.”

“Yeah, yeah that might work. Mom’s not big on money anyway so I can’t imagine her taking much, if anything.”

Rini turned to look at his costume room and sighed, unable to stop a quiet whine escaping her throat. “I’m gonna miss those, I loved it when you played dress up.”

Gale moved up beside her and rested a hoof on her shoulder, putting on a reassuring smile. “Hey I know, but it's not the end of the world. Ah can always make more anyway.”

She softly nodded as she opened up her coat, pulling out the bit bag and painkiller bottle from earlier and resting it on the table. “These should keep you going for a bit, just…read the labels. I found that in an old ambulance delivery truck…thing.”

“Ha! The Diamidian health service, cutting corners since whenever ago.” He jested, though he did take a careful look at the bottle.

A smile was brought to Rini’s face at that and she leaned down for a hug, Gale accepted but the two were cautious of his wing.

“Thanks Rini, you’re a lifesaver…literally.”

CH 7

The following morning, Rini found the scrapyard abuzz with activity and it left little to the imagination why.

Work on the Rustbucket had begun even before she’d arrived, and scores of military equipment were neatly lined up by the garage. Trucks, armoured cars, steamsleds, the list went on as she passed by the gates and clocked in. They’d even bought in a new, jumbo sized food truck which would’ve no doubt won Bramble’s favour.

But as she grabbed her toolbox from her locker and headed for the ambulance to continue her work, a paw held her shoulder.

Rini jumped around with a yelp, seeing Snapjaw materialise behind her.

“Gah, damn it Snap! Don’t sneak up on a bitch like that!”

“Sorry Rini, but we need you in the vehicle bay.”

“Huh?” Rini paused, still overcoming her adrenaline spike. “I-I thought work here was freeform.”

“Eh mostly, I ain’t exactly calling the shots anymore.”

Her eyes widened at that and she turned towards him. Meeting his casual frown with a glare. “You mean to tell me the army’s got you out of the job?”

“No no, I’m still the Foredog, but that officer mutt…Caleb Gnash? He’s going around pulling everydog’s collar. I don’t like it either but I’m not about to argue with somedog holding a gun.”

Rini groaned and pushed his paw off, storming away from the Foredog towards the Rustbucket. From the outside it didn’t appear much had changed. The back ramp was still open and saw plenty of traffic, but she saw fit to use one of the access hatches on its hull.

It looked too busy for her liking, and she’d rather not receive a surprise kiss from a rolling component crate.

Huge plates of armour formed a skirt covering the tread wheels, which themselves were of unequal size. If she looked hard enough behind them, she could see plates of metal on the interior meant for knocking track pins back in place. The skirt had numerous dents and pot marks, spare wheels, loose luggage and shabby ladders. Half of which looked barely stable and liable to give way.

It was honestly a miracle this thing had managed to hold itself together up to this point.

Perhaps then her lighter frame was a blessing in disguise? As while the climb was made all the more lengthy, the flimsy ladder failed to give way under her weight.

Opening the access hatch she was blasted by a wave of hot, humid air that rushed past her face. Catching her breath she jumped inside and felt she’d dropped hinds first into an oven. Greeted by a darkened maintenance corridor, the heat visibly radiated through the air as the Rustbucket’s engines churned through fuel, trying to keep itself warm.

Rini panted and undid several buttons on her jacket. The freezing air outside had made the sudden change all the worse.

If the ventilation system was faulty before, then it was on its deathbed now.

“First order of business, fix the damn air conditioning! I’ll cook at this rate.”

Rini grabbed her tools and the next thing she knew, she was shifting through vents and crawl spaces with a satchel by her side. Replacing bad wiring, unjamming vent blades and cleaning air filters. Thankfully the vents were plenty spacious for her and if it weren’t for the bruise on her back, she might’ve enjoyed it.

She was just starting to have fun when she turned a corner and found several holes lining the vent wall. Crawling to them, she traced their trajectory into the other side and was greeted by a brassy gleam.

Her expression dropped and her stomach suddenly felt empty, as did her ears slump to their sides.

“Oh crap, this thing’s seen action…like it’s actually been shot at and attacked.”

She reached a paw and pulled on one of the bullets, bringing it up to her chest light so she could see it was…

“Copper?”

Looking back, she shined her light upon the warped projectiles and saw many of them were made of different materials. Brass, lead, steel, copper, she wasn’t a metallurgist nor a gunsmith so she couldn’t name them all, but it brought a giggle to her rising grin.

“Who’d be so dumb as to not standardise their bullets?”

No answer came for a moment before it finally clicked in her head.

“Oh right…us.”

Rini let out a disappointed sigh as she pulled the rest of the bullets out and drew out her tools. Replacing the whole vent section wasn’t needed, not with what she had in mind. “Still, why would they shoot at their own vehicle?”

As she theorised, a few spare metal plates and a welding torch were brought to the bullet holes. Her goggles and gloves protecting her whilst the holes were sealed. “Maybe there was a misfire? An accident? No, don't kid yourself Rini, there had to have been a fight. Only question is whether it was over something important or stupid.”

It was unnerving to think she was sharing space with mutts that had…killed other creatures. Sure in the back of her mind she knew that was their job, but there was a difference between just seeing somedog in uniform and seeing the aftereffects of their work first paw.

These soldiers were dangerous, and she had to remind herself of that.

Rini finished her repairs and climbed out of the vent, hitting the ground with a soft clang.

The work had left her panting with her tongue out and her coat undone, like some wild mutt in summer. Sure, she could’ve opened one of the hatches and let some air in, but then her lungs would revolt from the temperature shock. Besides, the engines needed this.

So after painstakingly patching up the climate control she yearned for what came next.

With a flick of a switch she waited by an open duct, anticipating a cool breeze of air that’d no doubt wipe away this blasted heat!...

Any moment now!...

“Come on!…”

Yet even after a solid minute passed by, there was still no response.

“Oh you’re kidding me.”

Rini frowned and flicked the switch off, slamming the vent cover before storming away again. How long had she been working on those things? She didn’t carry a watch and without any windows she couldn’t see the sun. It was all throwing off her sense of time and that pained her almost as much as the heat.

If she was going to keep doing this she at least needed to cool off.

“Maybe the breakroom fridge has some water? Failing that, I’ll use the garage’s bathroom sink.”

Her clothes hung loosely to her frame, with only a few buttons keeping her coat from flailing about. “Oh how nice it would be to be able to sweat. Gale doesn’t know how lucky he is.”

Finally, Rini reached the door to the breakroom seated above the vehicle bay and threw it open. Finding it barren of activity and just as hot as the rooms behind her. There was a dart board, a pool table, couches, tables and a kitchen unit with a few fridges sitting to the side.

Wasting little time, she moved towards them and pulled open one of their doors, revealing a darkened, depowered unit barren of content.

Rini’s eye twitched.

The second fridge was pulled open to reveal much of the same.

Now her ears flicked to!

The third and final fridge had its door practically fly open as Rini peered inside, manic for aid. Only for it to also share a similar state as the others.

An increasingly frustrated growl hummed from the back of her throat, rising in volume before lashing out as an angry bark. She slammed the door shut and turned around, pressing her back into it only for her bruise to agitate her further.

“Mother!- Why isn’t the damn fridge stocked!?” She howled, knowing none would hear her whilst covering one side of her face. “Aaaagghh!”

She stood there for a few moments, re-taking control of her pulse as the anger faded. Keeping the broken fridge topped off with water at least had to be somedog’s job, right? Otherwise where would they get water from while on shift? The garage had some but it wasn’t enough for the workers and the army.

“Not unless they plan on giving it away at the food truck,” Rini theorised, before her eyes went wide, “…which we have to pay for.”

She hit the fridge door with the back of her fist and walked forward, her head swimming with heat. Both from her pent up emotion and the ongoing operation of the vehicle bay. Placing a paw on the pool table she rested, the other rubbing her forehead as she lazily looked around.

“So that’s what’s going on huh? They get Snapjaw to encourage longer hours, whilst getting the money they’d have spent on wages back in food and drink? What next? A tool lease?”

Rini panted as she slowly shook her head to and fro, a vain attempt to quell her rising headache.

“Oh by the dime do I wanna kick their asses. First though, this heat’s gonna kill me if I don’t do something.”

At last her gaze fell upon the windows observing the vehicle bay and workshop below. The back ramp lowered, giving view of the world outside as she approached.

Pulling the latches open, a gust of chilled wind met her and she finally felt sweet relief! But quickly, she began coughing as her lungs and throat were bitten back by the stark difference in temperature. Stricken by a burning sensation in both she stepped back to catch herself.

It was a harsh flip of the script. Like going from an oven to a meat locker, and she suddenly remembered why she hadn’t tried for the hatch earlier on.

Steadying herself, Rini did her buttons up again as the cold flooded into the room. Hopefully she could equalise the temperature and come back to rest between repairs. For the time being however she wanted to relax, let herself calm down.

During that time, the sound of more distinct vehicle engines managed to worm their way past the audio mess that was the Rustbucket, and she peaked through the window. A pair of half tracks were pushed up and into the vehicle bay by a pair of massive, hulking Diamond dogs. Mastiff breeds if she had to guess where nearby engineers got to work on them.

Seeing them try repairing a couple of their vehicles didn’t surprise her, not in the slightest. Gnash had stated that the Rustbucket’s job was to service vehicles in the first place.

But it did get her thinking, just how many of the trucks, transports and auto-wagons they had parked outside needed repairs? How many could actually start their engines or needed some other fix? There were tons of them.

That was when something clicked in her head. She remembered how they’d struggled to get all of their trucks through the gate the day they arrived, and how some broke down right there and then.

Like a puzzle coming together, several things clicked at once.

“Oh right! Cherrywood doesn’t have heavy industry or a great auto-mobile presence.” She recalled, the scrapyard’s garage being the only one in town. “There’s nowhere they can go for parts except here. They need this thing to jury rig components for their trucks and cars!”

She looked down, observing how the scrappers would push crates full of parts up the ramp to be taken and examined. Some being fitted into the half-track, some taken to the machine tables for adjustments and others thrown right back in for later use.

“Without the Rustbucket, they’d all break down without the parts to reach the next town! Who needs big, expensive factories producing spare parts when you can just take and adjust what the ponies have?”

As she thought this a loud banging sound resounded through the hull along with a couple creaking noises.

“Diamidian Engineering at. It’s. Finest.”

Rini smiled as she watched the dogs below, revelling in her discovery. The army’s lynchpin should she want to take action. What would she do with this information? She didn’t quite know yet, but it was nice to have in her back pocket.

“Come to think of it, what if Gale does have to skip town? Where’d he have to go? Maybe Mom’s right about starting over.”

She shook her head and turned around, going back to her duties within the ventilation ducts.

CH 8

Hours passed within the blink of an eye to Rini Burrows.

Within the vast guts of the landship laid many flaws for her to fix. Wires to cross, pipes to seal, plating to patch up, but after enduring what felt like an eternity did she finally feel the fresh wind upon her face.

Wind blown by a mechanical fan anyway.

“About damn time. Should make the engines complain less, I know I will.”

With a smile on her face she shut the vent covers and strode off out of the dimly lit halls of the Rustbucket, finding dusk had settled upon the sky. Street lamps flickered to life and the walkways laid sparse with activity, but something was off.

It was dark, darker than usual for her end of shift.

Soldiers still moved about with a few other scrappers sticking around, likely working overtime. But she hadn’t heard the bell. The one that usually signals when it was time to stop.

“Oh crap I worked too long.”

“Rini!” Called a familiar voice. “I’m glad you went ahead with-”

She turned around and glared at Snapjaw, knowing he’d pull her by the arm if she didn’t act now.

“I lost track of time Snap! Not the same thing!” She interjected, trying not to let her temper flare to hoo.

The other Diamidian stopped in place and clenched what was a friendly wave, not expecting her response. “O-Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise I deserved to be shouted at like that.” He calmly replied.

Rini cringed, mentally slapping herself for being so brash to her boss. Forcing a smile she took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“Well, if you didn’t mean to stick around I suppose you won’t want any of this.” Snapjaw then pulled out another big bag from his coat. Not a large one but he tossed it up in the air for good measure, almost taunting her.

Having caught herself, Rini stared at the bag. Her first instinct was to just turn, leave and take her dignity with her, but remembering Gale’s predicament complicated things.

She didn’t want to bend the knee to Snap, but she’d already put the extra few hours in even if she hadn’t intended it, and Gale needed help.

So with a quiet sign she tried masking, Rini walked on over toward him. Looking up solemnly.

“I apologise sir, I shouldn’t have raised my voice.”

Snapjaw merely continued to stare at her, expectedly, while juggling the bag in his paw.

“Or interrupted you.” She added through tightly clenched teeth.

“Good, don’t do it again or you’ll be cleaning out the exhausts next.” Snap passed over the bag which Rini pocketed.

Without another word she turned and moved to clock out and left the yard, now travelling through the darkening, quiet streets.

It was surprising what a few hours difference made to the town. Barely anycreature now walked the roads. Equine or canine. It did make for a more peaceful walk however and for a time she was granted some serenity watching the snowfall around her. The bright street lamps colouring the snowfall a golden glow as they fell.

“Maybe I should try nightwalks more often? This is…kind of nice. Even if it is crazy cold too.”

An unconscious smile graced her cheeks as Rini turned street corner after corner, careful to avoid the icicles hanging above.

Everything was happening so quickly. Not even a week ago had that storm crashed into her town, and only yesterday did the army roll in. Now Gale might be in trouble, and her job at risk. How long until the army stops giving options?

She elected to push those thoughts aside for a time and just let the snow fall upon her face. Now away from the noise of the landship, or the clangs of tools upon material, she was left with a rare moment of peace. The moon was even out! Partly covered from time to time by the clouds above but it did cast a nice white glow across the town when it did.

She didn’t know how badly she needed a moment to herself.

The winds were calm tonight, barely there even. If she stopped and just stood, she could hear little else but the quiet noise of…

“Paper? Somedog drop their news?”

Rini slinked into the shadows, moving towards the source of the disturbance. Her ears caught onto the sounds of something thin and wavy being plastered onto a wet surface. Likely some kind of adhesive.

When she rounded the corner she kept back, leaning just past the wall to view the street.

A group of soldiers were busy planting posters to a large wall. Beside them, paint cans full of glue which they messily applied to the brickwork, before using paint rollers to straighten them out. Even from this side of the street she could make out the slogans they were spouting, if she squinted.

Several arms held up picks and hammers, promoting hard work with the crown right above them in purple and white. Another spoke of the “Great Diamidian Community!” and how Diamidian towns should be for Diamidians only.

Rini’s heart skipped a beat and she picked up the pace, near running towards Gale’s. Through back allies and empty roads, over discarded debris and snow piles, her mind began racing faster than her heart did.

“Have they done something to him? Oh I swear if they’ve carted him off already...”

She could already see it play out in her head. A couple soldiers kicking his door in, throwing him into the back of a truck and sending him away, never to be seen again. All because she’d lost track of time repairing the worst ventilation system this side of Cherrywood’s backyard.

Oh she wouldn’t be just angry, she’d be livid. With Snapjaw, with the army, that oversized garage they’d decided needed treads, but most of all she’d be angry at herself.

Feelings that only magnified when she caught sight of Gale’s diner.

It was a damn mess.

The windows were covered in spray paint, drawing crude slurs and offensive imagery all over what was a well cared for entrance. Rubbish and torn refuse bags littered the street around it, and even the second floor wasn’t spared. A turned over ladder indicative of their efforts to deface the windows of Gale’s apartment.

Rini doubled down and ran behind the building. Reaching Gale’s stairs she tried rushing up them, but had neglected their icy nature.

To her credit, she’d managed to make it half-way up on momentum and muscle memory alone before slipping.

“Dah!”-“Ack!”-”Ah!”-”Ahhah!”

Rini laid flat at the bottom of the stairs, an annoyed, pained groan resonating from her throat, the cold of the snow helping numb the small amount of pain she was experiencing.

Not one to be easily deterred however, she achingly picked herself back up and secured a paw to the guard rail. With the adrenal high having worn off, she carefully crept upwards step by step. Her annoyance persisted within the back of her vocals.

Finally she reached Gale’s door, which itself had also been spray painted with a picture of a pegasus (presumably him) being buried up to the head, where a hammer hovered above.

“They really did a number on the place.” Rini observed, before looking towards the handle, and finding it bent and dented, along with the area around the frame. In an instant she felt her heart freeze. “Crowbar impacts, oh crud that’s not good. Please still be here, please still be here!”

Rini knocked upon the door, looking into the spyglass which hadn’t been spared the paint. “Gale! It’s me again!” She called.

Like before, her words were left to hang in the air. Dread creeping in as the seconds ticked by.

“Maybe he went to sleep already?” Rini thought, trying to rationalise things. “Healing a wing does require a lot of careful rest after all. Maybe I’m getting myself worked up?”

For a moment, she had half a thought to leave and try again tomorrow, but looking at the door banished that. “No, no, I have to check.”

“Gale?” She called again, her voice wavering, “Please answer.”

…

“Look, if you’re in there I’m sorry! I got caught up at work. I understand if you’re angry but I have to make sure you’re okay, have you seen the state of your diner? It looks like a big city slum!”

…

“Please, say something, anythingeven. Before I break this damn door down!”

Rini stood by and waited with dwindling hope. Shoulders slumped to her sides and tail occasionally wagging. She patted her coat and felt a pipe wrench inside a coat pocket, alongside her miniature tool kit. While she was no locksmith, if nothing happened she’d have to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.

Finally, enough was enough and she began reaching for her tools. Quietly asking which best for getting through knowing just how many locks Gale had, but just as she pulled out a screwdriver, she was disturbed.

“Rini? Are you alone?”

Freezing in place, Rini slowly rose her head towards the door. Gale’s voice was hushed, barely audible from behind the door. However, her concern and stress soon turned over to anger at her friend. A veil of quiet calmness persisting just over a well of rage.

“Gale?...Why’d you have to scare me like that?”

“Caution first, how do ah know you’re alone?”

Her eye twitched at that but she could see why, he was probably still spooked.

If only she’d cared.

“Oh golly gee gosh Gale, was it my voice you heard crashing against those stairs? Or the neighbour’s dog!?”

“I-I’m sorry Rini,” Gale trembled, “but they’d brought along my mailmare and used her to try opening me door up.”

“W-Wait what?!” She stepped back, taking a second look at the damage.

“They had bolt cutters Rini, buckin’ bolt cutters an’ a wedge! I was lucky ta close the door but they’d cut a few of me chains.”

Rubbing her forehead from emotional whiplash, Rini took a moment to think. Shock and sympathy setting in.

“Damn I’m…I’m sorry Gale, but did you have to leave me hanging?”

“Ah didn’t know! I can’t even look through my spyglass anymore. Those guys, they have it out for me!”

“What on equss did you do to piss em off?” Rini felt compelled to ask, despite knowing the likely reason.

“Again, ah don’t know! Honest! One moment ah was shopping for groceries, the next I’m being chased by a pack o’ dogs with clubs, bats and colourful language!” The sounds of several bolts coming undone signalled the opening of the door, but by only a tiny, paperthin crack from which Gale viewed Rini.

“I ain’t have much to eat Rini, and the city is threaten’ ta cut off me water. I’ve got cans of soup and some idiot milk but that’s for emergencies.

The Diamidian rubbed the back of her head as he explained. Each new problem adding to the last, and rebuilding that prior pyre that had burned within her. But not aimed at him.

“If ah don’t think of something soon they’ll come sign me up for “compulsory community service," which ah think we both know what that means.”

Rini facepawed and let out a long, winding sigh. She didn’t want to admit it but with how things were turning out, her friend might have to do the unthinkable.

“Gale, you may want to think about packing up and preparing a backup plan. These soldiers are not here to help you. They likely orchestrated this and made sure the police couldn’t get involved. They don’t want ponies here.”

“But why?” He retorted, “Why go through the effort of all this? Why not just kick down me door and drag me away?”

“I-I don’t know, to keep face? Easier to take over a town when its folk don’t see you doing anything wrong.” She wished she had a clear answer, but even with as much as she knew, some things still didn’t add up.

“Bucking!-Agh,” Gale faltered, his head hung low. Even from through the crack Rini could tell he was struggling to cope. “They can’t just get away with this, ah’ grew up here dammit! So did many of the other ponies in town. They can’t get rid of them all!”

“Oh but they’re trying alright, if they’re ready to do this to you I’m willing to bet they’ll do much more.”

Gale stood silent for several moments, quietly coming to grips with his reality coming apart. Rini watched on with mixed thoughts. It was disheartening to see such a travesty plague her friend, and she quietly wished there was more that could be done.

As things stood though she’d rather he was alive and well, then doing who knows what at some prison camp somewhere.

“I…ugh damn it…bucking dammit Rini…alright, I’ll…I’ll start making preparations. They ain’t going to get away with this, ay hear me?” His voice trembled and cracked, the anguish like a nail scraping a chalkboard.

Rini nodded, offering a sympathetic smile. “I hear ya Gale, don’t worry, me and mom will help take care of you.”

“T-Thanks…B-By the way Rini, do you see anypony out there? I’m scared my place is being watched.”

At the mention she quickly snapped her head to the right, down the alley she’d came from and within the far distance behind the corner, she saw the briefest flicker of movement…

She stood still, frozen like a statue staring downward.

“R-Rini?”

“That’s because it is.”

CH 9

“A-Are ya serious? Like, somecreature is actually watching me door?” He began, ready to shut at a moment’s notice.

“Gale, why the dime would I lie about that at a time like this?”

Rini looked on, staring into the alley where she’d seen that fading glimpse of something. It was little more than a flash, but enough to announce another’s presence. Thankfully they’d been quiet so she doubted they’d overheard much.

Still, going home was going to be interesting.

“Back alley, there’s a fence you can jump.”

Rini merely shook her head in the negative.

“No good, spent all day crawling through an overheated garage with treads, they’d smell me for miles away.”

“Well…what then?” Gale opened the door some more, now looking at her with both eyes.

“I donno, but I’ll figure something out.” Rini turned to him and opened up her coat, pulling out the overtime payout she’d unintentionally earned. “You take this but don’t pay any bills with it. Bank’s probably already coughed up everything to your name.”

Gale nodded and closed the door, money underhoof. Now left to her own devices Rini descended from the stairwell and made a run for it.

Snow was kicked up from under her as she dashed through the alleys and across the street. Now devoid of of anycreature save for whoever she saw.

“I can’t let them follow me home,” She thought, “Need to lose 'em or deal with' em, how though?”

Her shadow emerged and disappeared upon windows and walkways as she sped under every street lamp. Keenly conscious of the tracks she was leaving in her wake.

“How the crap am I going to mask my scent? I must smell like a half gallon of sweat and engine oil. Oh forget that I ain’t loosing them without a change of boots!”

Street corner after corner she continued, pacing herself to prevent exhaustion from slowing her down. Never before had she felt more aware of her surroundings as she did now, and cringed at the darkened corners where she couldn’t see.

It seemed every few paces revealed another spot she’d expect to see a pair of disembodied eyes staring back at her. Another place for something to leap out and snatch her away, or rush out to give chase.

Occasionally she’d glance over her shoulder, taking snapshot looks at the street with its many gaps. Every time she’d only find an empty snowy road, still littered with remnants that hadn’t yet been cleared.

Yet she knew something was watching her, stalking her, waiting for her guard to drop. Almost…like a wolf.

And these ones were smart, she'd thought. Smart enough to follow their prey back to their burrow, that way they wouldn’t have to be content with just her. No, they could take their fill upon the whole family waiting for them.

This rabbit however was a clever one, and the moment Rini turned a corner and saw the half-demolished ruins of the town church, she had an idea.

It’d been walled up with fences in the time being, with the front gate claiming it as a de-construction site. The front gate was locked of course, but every problem had its answer and Rini sure had hers.

It was called a pipe wrench.

With one strong strike to the cheap padlock’s side, the metal snapped and the chain unbound. Inside, she found the site adorned with all manner of equipment. Toolboxes and wooden flanks, buckets of bent nails and salt. There was even a small crane with an iron girder hanging from its grasp.

Rini walked inside and spun around, looking at the broken wooden walls and half disassembled pews. Bags filled with the remains of a building many held high, their visages and emblems of the sun torn of all their worth and thrown away.

A solemn scene, as though even the gods themselves had long forsaken this place.

By no means was Rini into that kind of stuff, it was never her belief to follow, but seeing it be so blatantly rubbed away sparked something. The same rise she felt the day prior reading Gale’s bills, and earlier tonight seeing his place get trashed.

A slow, vengeful fury rose within Rini’s core. Stocked by the flames of her friend’s suffering and furthered by her work day frustrations.

It climbed and climbed, before combusting into a grand pyre.

“You know what? No, screw running. Wasn’t helping anyway.” She pulled out her pipe wrench and looked at it, adjusting a few bolts and nobs. “If they wanna play foul so badly, damn let them. I’m gonna at least knock some teeth out before I go down.”

Sure enough, It wasn’t long until she had company. Her stalkers were likely hot on her trail as she entered the site, yet slowed their pace some once they were sure she was cornered.

A pair of mutts walked in at a brisk pace, smiling as they waltzed through the half-broken archway entrance. The bigger one was a Husky with bright blue eyes, the other a lanky Boxer with a bandaged neck, and both notably larger than her.

And both of them were eying her with obvious malicious intent in mind.

“What’s the matter lil’ bitch, ya lost?” The Boxer spat, showing a toothy grin.

“Nah, I think I'm exactly where I need to be.”

“You sure? Girl like you walking alone on a night like this? Could use some protection goin’ home.” The Husky spoke, a sinister smirk on his face.

“Oh, not me, mom didn’t raise no Abyssinian.”

While the Boxer seemed to anger at her retorts. The Husky rolled his eyes and pulled up his sleeves, showing no interest in banter. “Save it, we’re gonna show you what happens to ponylovers in this town.”

“Oh? What’s wrong with liking ponies?” Rini jabbed, if only to annoy him.

But the blue eyed Diamidian ignored her comment and the two started approaching her. The more Rini watched the more she made out, and quickly she noticed a couple things. First was their age, they didn’t look like teenagers but rather young adults, younger then her perhaps. Secondly, they simply could not sit still.

They’d masked it well with their movements but she’d seen that kind of involuntary twitching before. The flicker of the ears, the sporadic swish of the tail, and the sudden but rapid contraction of their facial muscles.

The realisation almost hit her like a truck.

Probably because the Husky had almost hit her.

“Oh shi-” Rini ducked away as he lunged, raising her pipe wrench in self defence. Being high on bravado was one thing, but actually having to deal with the duo was another, and she quickly became allergic to the idea of pain.

She turned towards the exit but found only the rushing weight of the Boxer charging her. She tried to move away but couldn’t quite evade, with her leg getting caught forcing her to the ground.

As the mutt moved to pin her down however, she twisted around and smacked his jaw with the pipe wrench. An act that only seemed to throw him off balance more than harm. So she switched targets and in a move many would take as crude, extended her leg out. With her steel-paw capped work boot she assaulted the mutt’s family jewels.

A loud crack echoed through the silent church.

There was a brief moment of quiet as the Boxer’s eyes reached the size of pinpricks and his face slowly contorted, before releasing a shrill howl and falling over clutching his battered gems.

The Husky however kept up the pressure, and Rini scrambled away on all fours trying to evade the larger dog. Jumping over paint cans and broken pews. She thought she might be able to make a move for the exit but the Husky was wise to the idea, and the two quickly found themselves at a stand still.

A jerk to either direction was mirrored by the mutt, and a smile grew as he blocked her off.

“No running away this time little lady. Might as well lay down and give up.”

Soon though, Rini echoed the smile right back as he looked behind him, seeing what he couldn’t.

Pipe wrench in paw she levelled it into a throwing stance, and the Husky easily evaded the projectile as it flew by his side.

That however wasn’t what Rini had aimed for, and as the Husky began approaching a wood plank came undone. Buckets of salt materialised from seemingly nowhere just in time for him to notice, and get clobbered to the ground with a pained whine.

Now the Boxer was recovering and climbed back to stand towards her. His legs crossed and his face twitching from pain (assumedly) he glared angrily at her, pulling out a knuckle duster thick enough to embarrass a claw hammer.

As if to answer him, Rini turned and took a nearby shovel from a wheelbarrow and kept her distance. Pointing the shovel head toward him as if it were some kind of spear.

The attempt to threaten the mutt might’ve worked on a pup, but not him and he rushed forward, managing to grab the shovel’s shaft when Rini tried in vain to smack him. With his free fist he struck Rini’s chest and yanked on her collar, pulling her back in for a repeat strike to the face.

With an audible crack her muzzle exploded in pain and she fell. Hitting the ground back first, she felt the trickle of something warm dribble down her face, and a small, tiny object swimming around her mouth.

Despite the hard blow, adrenaline kept her going and she turned to look up at the Boxer, who’d again grabbed her collar and cocked another punch.

A glance at the loose floorboard under her however gave way to action. Raising her own arm she came down hard on the nailless wood, and the opposite end shot up right between the Boxer’s legs.

If Rini’s previous strike was akin to cracking a window, this was shattering it.

“T-That…h-hurt.” He quietly squeaked, his quivering lip forming a frown as the Boxer fell to the side clutching himself.

Getting a grip with herself, Rini got up just in time to see the salt covered Husky doing the same. She looked around for anything of use and saw that crane again, along with a bucket of beer bottles filled with ice, and that discarded shovel she now re-equipped.

Standing tall and with bloodshot eyes, the Husky turned to her as she repositioned.

“You know, for a yokel, you’re a real pain in the neck!”

Rini smirked and glanced at the proned Boxer. “I donno, ask you’re friend. It’s not his neck he’s clutching.”

“Oh you smug little bitch.”

“I aim to please!”

He charged towards her and Rini made her move. Slamming the girder with the shovel sending the other side spinning towards the Husky’s back. He saw it coming and prematurely ducked, only for the ice bucket to be smacked instead and spill its contents across the ground around them.

With the floor now covered in ice and broken glass, both came to a halt to prevent slipping. Rini made use of her shovel to clear a path whilst the thug had to deal with the cards he was dealt.

He moved slowly and methodically trying to avoid both hazards, giving Rini plenty of time to get away.

Now Rini could have left, she could have just walked away and went home.Sadly, she’d have to deal with being stalked again, and she didn’t want that. Also these assholes damn near broke her nose and she was confident they’d dealt some dental damage.

Retribution was needed.

So instead, as the Husky was busy trying to navigate the dangerous ground, a shovel suddenly flew and struck his side. Closely followed by a plethora of small objects Rini had found.

Wrenches and hammers, screwdrivers and hoofdrills, before eventually the toolbox itself was lugged at him.

He struggled to maintain balance as the toolbox slid under him, and for a moment it seemed he’d regain it. Only for a cinderblock to prove the final straw and throw him over.

He looked up to see her standing by the crane’s controls with a wooden two-by-four, but seeing him grounded she set it aside as she worked the controls. The metallic girder hovering above him.

“Mercy?” He pleaded, all prior bravado long gone.

Rini looked at him briefly, before she wiped some of that liquid off her face and stared back at her own paw, now tinted a crimson red.

“Uh, no.” She replied, placing a paw on the chain release lever. “How’s this for a ponylover?”

With a shrill cry the chain went loose, and the metal beam crashed against the Husky pinning him in place.

Now left to herself, Rini let out a deep, exhausted sigh as she hopped from the crane. Spitting out a bloody tooth and feeling a cold chill running through her form.

“Mom’s gonna kill me…”

CH 10 - Act 3, Friends

Rini sat on the living room couch as her mother wiped the blood from her face. A lantern perched on the table across, provided a warm light, which washed across her form.

A bowl of now cold stew sat in the space next to her, but even if Riley lended her the time to consume it, she didn’t feel hungry.

Not after having lost a tooth.

The act of speaking itself pained her, and her cheek and muzzle had swollen since she left the church. A cloth wrapped ice pack pressed against the lump as her fur returned to its usual dark grey. Now damp and speckled with red, as opposed to dyed.

Though the pain was beyond tolerable compared to the worse suffering she was enduring...the anger of a disappointed parent.

“Rini Limestone Burrows.” Riley began as she looked into her eyes. “I have seen you come home from workplace accidents that have made me shudder. I’ve seen you walk in and out of the hospital with broken bones and sitched cuts.”

She turned to put the crimson cloth down and pull up a blanket, placing it around her daughter’s back.

Rini kept her eyes locked downwards, evading her mother’s gaze with a half-guilty look. She knew she was in the right for what she did, but not even the act of saving the world could absolve her of Riley’s judgement.

Even as a twenty-four year old, some young habits persisted.

“So please understand, It’s not the broken nose itself I’m worried about. It’s the fact you arrived three hours late for dinner, with a broken nose that scares me so.”

Riley moved to support Rini’s head and gently arc it upwards, the two now level with each other.

“Be honest with me dear, what the dime happened?”

A soft sigh escaped Rini as she turned her eyes up at her, with the events of the day playing out in her head with painful detail.

Or though that could’ve just been the tooth.

“I uh…lost rack o’ time at worth. Panicked, went ta cheff on Gale.” She spoke, low and slow through her swollen mouth.

“And?”

Rini swallowed a lump, mentally preparing for what came next.

“Goff attacked, muffs hid a number on Gale’s place. Hide to break in, woulda hid the same here.”

A quiet rage began to build within the mother and she took her paws away from Rini’s face, letting out a slow exhale of air.

She stood up and grabbed a small glass bottle of pills, pouring a few out and giving them to her alongside a cup of water. Rini drank as she paced around the living room, occasionally glancing towards the guns above the fireplace.

“So the asshats at work didn’t sound the shift bell?” Riley’s anger barely masked by a restrained, almost deadly calm.

“Didn’t hear it, was workin’ on a maffine, real big one. Couldn’ tell tha time.” She added.

Riley began closing curtains as she continued. An aura of maternal wrath surrounded her as she looked outside.

“How’s Gale now?”

“No good. No money, low food, about ta lose water. Diner’s a mess, bills won’ stap.” Rini sat up and adjusted the ice pack, trying to get comfortable despite the pain. “They're gonna take him away ma, he needs help.”

Riley cursed under her breath, double checking the lock on each window before closing the last curtain.

“I’ll visit his place first thing in the morning and bring some things with me. What happened to the lugs that followed you?”

“Dealt with em but…ah don’ think they were jus a pair of vandals.” Rini wanted to smile, but her swollen jaw wouldn’t allow it.

Riley turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

“Ma? Have you noticed something abou’ tha soldiers? They're twitchy, right?”

She nodded, moving to sit down next to her with a shiver up her back, moving the bowl of cold food away. “A few came to my store the other day. Thought it was strange but I didn’t think much of it.”

Riley knew what Rini was going to say, and for the briefest time there was a clink in her armour as she braced. She didn’t want to hear it, didn’t want for it to be true and hold out some semblance of hope.

But it was vain.

“The phugs, guys who attacked me, boff were twitching...alot.”

Once more Riley cursed under her breath, hanging her head down before sitting up again. “I don’t believe it,” She rubbed her forehead, “I don’t believe it, this is ludicrous.”

“Heh, yeah…hin’ sight it makes sense. They don’ want ponies around here but haff ta keep face. So, use soldiers outta uniform.”

“I get the logic but for the military to use such…mafia-esc tactics? It’s…gah…” She trailed off, struggling to turn her thoughts into words.

“Mhm, then chase me for bein a “Ponylover…” Rini moved the icepack away for a moment, turning to her mother and the two locked eyes, her voice heavy. “I-I’m scared ma, scared fer Gale, scared fer myself, and scared fer you. They’re puttin’ posters up now to. When’s it gonna stop? Where’s the line gonna get drawn?”

“I…I don’t know dear, bunch of them planted posters on my windows without permission earlier and I couldn’t remove them, they wouldn’t let me.” Riley paused, rubbing her face in an act to help calm herself. “This ain’t right, none of this is right.”

The two sat for a while in silence as the gravity of the situation weighed on them.

Quiet dread seeped into their souls and the light from the lanturn seemed to dim. Uncertainty and grim reality giving way to a coldness claiming embrace to their minds. A world’s worth of wonder forgotten in an instant.

It was the fading of hope.

Rini leaned over and against Riley, who outstretched an arm to embrace her daughter. For a time they sat there, sharing in each other’s warmth, with eyes growing ever heavy.

“This isn’t right,” Thought Riley, “You shouldn’t have to risk yourself checking on a friend, and no-creature has the right to hurt you.”

She twisted her head to glance at the fireplace picture frames. Memories both bright and dark flashing through her head. “Especially now.”

Looking back, Riley had only now noticed her Daughter’s eyes had shut, and her chest gently rose and fell atop her. A warm smile came forward as the lantern's light flickered, ready to fade and let the darkness claim them.

“Everything will be alright Rini, you’ll make it through this.”

Riley’s eyes hardened, fearing the many eyes likely aiming towards her now injured daughter.

“I swear by it.”

Rolling hills and lush forests formed the picturesque backdrop for a bright, sunny day. The sky was clear of clouds and the winds were whispering a gentle breeze.

It was another beautiful day within Equestria’s east, and within one of those rural forests sat a lone cottage.

Surrounded by rich oak trees and emerald green grass blades, berry filled bushes and colourful flowers. It stood alone and independent. Able to enjoy the sapphire blue sky without threat of interruption.

At least until a pair of young whealps came zooming by.

The adolescent Greyhounds raced around the cottage on all fours, one trying to catch the other. Ducking and diving around tree branches and fallen logs. Paraded by the singing of birds and the windy rustle of leaves.

“C’mon! Keep up Rover!” Rini called out.

Her larger, old brother lagged behind. A whole half-decade of difference between them. Despite his age affording him larger legs, he failed to keep up with his speedy sister.

“I’m…trying!” He huffed, tongue loose and flapping with the wind.

Rini almost effortlessly twisted and turned to the tune of the forest. Neither branch nor bush could slow her down, and where Rover had to navigate the foliage she simply slipped through.

Try as he might, there was little hope her brother could ever catch her.

She rode that high and sped up, rushing even faster through the thickets. Dirt and dust kicking up under her as the grass tore from its roots. It was a victory, one she embraced as tightly as she could ignoring all else around her...

Until a vine caught her leg.

Rini tumbled through the air bouncing off the earth, rough wooden limbs and thorn lined brambles racking her sides as she came to a hard stop. Crying out in pain before a river welled from her eyes.

Finally able to catch up, River rushed to her aid and helped comfort her. The twelve year young Diamidian supported his tearful sister back up. “Hold on Rini! I’ve got you.”

“It hurts! It hurr-urts!” She barked, trying not to cry .

Cuts and scrapes marked her legs and back, minor specks of blood poured from where she was struck and twigs tangled within her coat.

All things that didn’t so much as phase Rover anymore, not with how many hunting trips he’d been on.

Thankfully, the cottage door was only a short distance away, they hadn’t ventured too far from it. As they got close the door opened and a concerned Riley stepped out, quickly moving to help the two.

“My word what happened?!”

“Rini ran too fast, again.” Rover answered, his sister whining in pain.

Riley let out a sigh and took them inside. Helping lay the injured pup upon the soft, fur blanket covered couch beside the fireplace. An older Greyhound sitting at the table tightening the strings on an ageing guitar.

“Oh Rini, how many times do we need to speak about this?”

Rover fetched her a wetted cloth which she used to help quell the pain, Rini’s whining spiking as the coldness made contact.

“You can’t just run off in a place like this, if you get hurt and your brother’s not around, who knows what’ll happen!”

Rini sniffed, looking toward her half-stricken with guilt. “I-I’m sorry mom.”

“It’s okay dear, just try not to let it happen again.” Riley stated, wiping a tear from her eye. “Do you know how valuable you are to me?”

“Yes.” She replied, staring right back up at her with an uncharacteristically flat tone.

Riley looked down at her semi-confused, off put by the sudden change.

“R-Right…Rover dear could you-”

She turned to look at him, only to cut herself off when she was met by a surreal sight.

A dim, grey smoke was wafting off the young son. His eyes were full of tears as he silently stared at her. Bit by bit, little by little, his form began to evaporate as it was consumed and turned to dust.

“R-Rover?”

Her heart sped up, her blood ran cold and her hairs stood on end. Panicked, she turned to see the same thing happening to her husband.

“Richard?! W-What’s going on?!”

The ageing mutt didn’t reply, merely turned to face her as half of his face was consumed by a growing cloud of smoke. His form vaporised more and more as the seconds ticked by.

Unlike Rover however, who’s form was just vanishing, Richard’s body broke out into flame. The smoke black with the charred scent of iron and brass. So strong that to simply smell such smoke caused Riley to cough and sputter.

Riley stood frozen with fear as she watched half her family dematerialise before her and a flood of memories came crashing back in.

“No,” She thought, “Not again, please!”

The fireplace gushed with increasing volumes of thick, choking smoke. Quickly flooding the room as the sound of rocks and machines began to crash and groan just outside the house. The blue skies outside turned a dull, lifeless grey.

Shaking herself free she lept towards Rover, trying to grab ahold of and cling to her fading son.

But her arms tore through his body, and everything collapsed into a pile of fine, grey powder.

“NO!” She cried, looking down at herself and towards the pile of ash where Rover once stood.

Her breaths grew short, her heart raced and her blood ran cold. So very, very cold.

She couldn’t escape, the smoke rose higher and higher. Horrible coughing assaulted her senses yet it didn’t come from her. It came from the shadowy remnants of her husband, his face distorted and lost to the black haze and amber flame.

Riley’s eyes then turned towards Rini, her last light within the howling darkness and her only anchorage.

No matter what would happen, no matter how high the smoke rose, nor how bitter it tasted…

“Nocreature will ever take you away from me.”

Author's Note

Before Diamidia had followed Equestria into the age of industry today, most Diamidians stayed in small, often nomadic packs that lived independently. The promise of stable lives and high paying employment encouraged many to leave that life, creating a massive influx of workforce for the kingdom.

CH 11

It was a grey, gloomy day that greeted Riley Burrows.

Clouds filled the sky and filtered the sunlight. The town overcast with dim, darkend air that sucked the colour out of the world. Smoke and steam rose from chimney stacks, big and small, feeding into the foggy horizon.

Everything seemed just a little less lively as Riley weaved around the roads. Rarely did she see ponies walking the streets, and even rarer did see children. Given the circumstances she had no doubt school was out, yet she could probably count the amount of young she saw within one paw.

Was everycreature staying indoors? Hiding? Or something else?

It gave the town an…oddly empty feeling, seeing only the other half of the population out and about. Walking to work, talking to neighbours, shifting through snow, like it was just another day.

And around every other street saw more shifting coats and military mutts outnumbering the number of everyday citizens.

When she caught sight of Gale’s diner it was everything Rini had described and worse.

Oh, so much worse.

The place was barely recognisable anymore, the windows were smashed in, spray paint defaced the decorations, and the contents of numerous garbage bags had been strewn about the entrance, now spilling out onto the road. Those however paled in comparison to the other leading issue.

A truck was parked outside, which saw several soldiers moving furniture, home appliances and property out of both the diner and Gale’s apartment. Paintings and posters, tables and chairs, all the way down to small items like books and miniatures.

Within a moment, it became clear as day what they were doing.

“They’re looting his place…th-they’re actually looting his home. In broad daylight!”

Riley’s breath grew still as she watched. Sparks of anger ignited as her daughter’s descriptions from the night prior played fresh in her head.

Rolling her shoulders, she crossed the street and approached them. Her entrance was quickly met by another who stopped her some paces away from the conga line of mutts passing items around.

“Excuse me mam, have you-”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The soldier looked up to her, taken aback by her sudden response, likely not expecting retaliation. In a moment he began sensing the fiery aura around the older Diamidian and took a moment to reply.

A moment too long in fact.

“Errr we’re-”

“Why are you looting Gale’s apartment?” Riley snapped in, her voice stiff and stern. “Do you know how much this place means to some creatures?”

The soldier didn’t rise nor fall to Riley’s temper, instead keeping a steady tone, as if a desk worker addressing a complaint.

“Mam, I’m not sure you’ve heard but we’re looking for the pony who lives here. They’ve continuously failed to pay bills, and recently have been suspected for subversion and subterfuge within this community.”

He then reached into his pocket and produced a crude drawing of Gale. The lines were wonky, the colours were off, and the shape of his mane was completely wrong. More akin to a child’s drawing then an actual wanted poster yet that was the way it was presented. Complete with a short list of crimes below.

Riley looked at the picture for a moment, stunned that any creature with functional digits could scrap it together, before turning back to the soldier with an almost disappointed eye.

“Subversion and subterfuge? Do you even know what those mean soldier boy? Or are you reciting that script they gave ya?”

Even before the mutt had said anything, a simple eye dart to the side was all the confirmation Riley needed.

“Look he’s a dangerous pony and we need to know if you’ve seen him. We’ve already found several disguises he was probably gonna use, along with several small swords, maces, daggers, and books about monsters and spells. We need to find him.”

Riley’s eye twitched at that, and she had to fight off the urge to break out into a fit of laughter.

“He’s talking about his costumes, oh my goodness. His props, his tabletop adventure stuff, they’re actually trying to use it against him. You couldn’t hurt a foal with any of that stuff. Oh I’d be livid if it wasn’t so ridiculous.”

Try as she might, she couldn’t prevent a smirk from creeping across her face, and she spoke through gritted teeth.

“So why are you looting his apartment?”

“We’re uh…cofisa-confiscate,” The mutt took a moment, trying to rack his brain. ”…con-fis-cating evi-dence!” He proudly stated, wagging his tail in delight, like a child who’d just answered a test question right.

Once more Riley had to hold herself back. Now with more molten rage to poison the well, but an equal amount of astonishment at the soldier's display. So much so she found herself speechless, at a loss for what to say next. With each sentence his vocabulary broke down now that he was speaking freely.

“The boy’s so dumb he either doesn’t understand the difference between confiscation and theft, or he does but got told it’s okay and to use big words when questioned.”

Her eyes drifted to the other soldiers, wondering if their mental acuity was as sharp as this one.

“How is the town still standing?”

“Yeah, so, the pony is bad because he’s not paying bills, and he had a bunch of dangerous stuff we have to take away.”

Riley stared at him wide eyed. Conflicted between anger and amusement at every sentence he spoke.

“I’m sorry if this has come as a shock to you,” He gestured, noting her expression, “But we gotta find him! Just last night he beat up a pair of teenagers near the uh…where that big bell thing was?”

“Church…it’s called a church.”

“Right! So to help prevent that, we’re preparing to put up this thing called a curfew tonight. Think of it like when you’re parents would make you go to bed at a certain time. Everycreature has to go inside past ten PM so we can keep-”

There was a brief yelp as his mouth was suddenly covered by Riley, who glared at him with a growl.

“I know.”

She let go and turned away, storming off without another word.

It wasn’t enough for them to deface Gale’s home, but to rob it in broad daylight under the pretence of protection? And claim him a criminal for daring to evade them? It wasn’t even Gale that had to defend himself from the two mutts last night, that alone would’ve been enough to set her off on a good day.

But everything that had happened only confirmed more of what she thought.

“They don’t know where Gale is, so that’s good. It won’t be long until they find him though, and who knows how bad things are going to get.”

Her pace quickly started to pick up, a location already in mind.

“I need to move fast.”

Rini followed behind the Labrador leading her through the Rustbucket, occasionally flinching at the sudden spikes of pain coming from her face. The swollen length of her muzzle and cheek still hot and angry from the night prior.

Painkillers and ice packs helped, but the coppery tasting cavity where one of her teeth once was, left her constantly aching.

Of course, even with such an injury she was still expected to come in and work. Such was Snapjaw’s policy. On the bright side, she was at least promised a bonus for putting herself through the grind like this. Maybe she’d be able to afford a false tooth?

“Please for the love of the sky gimme a gold one. Wood sounds…bleh.”

The two engineers stopped after entering the engine room. Finding it relatively quiet with only a few of its machines running. Pipes pumped exhaust fumes and fuel through the various frames and into the bowels of the Rustbucket. Internal lights blinked and shined the only light within, and the smell of oils and metal thankfully didn’t overwhelm her. In part because she only had one clear nostril.

“Ah take it you didn’t bring me here for the view, huh Cole?”

The other mutt raised a clenched fist, rubbing his index with his thumb as he turned around to her. “Soooo…are you familiar with K-12 engines?”

Rini shook her head. “Mm hmm, don’t get much industrial stuff around here. Mostly fours or fives. Worked on a K-9 once though.”

“Good enough, you’ll know the basics then. If you need to shut down or start up any of the engines there’s a control panel in the bridge, and the master control panel right over there.”

Cole then pointed towards a bulky desk nested within the wall, right in the middle back section of the bay. Laden with enough buttons, levers and lights to make any gearhead blush. Even from here she could tell how complex the thing was and part of her hoped she’d never have to interact with it.

“Each engine should each have their own manual ignition and shut off key in case both of those fail.” He then pulled out a thin booklet and passed it over to her. “This contains a list of common components that work well with the engines. Mostly industrial stuff, but heavy vehicles like trucks also work.”

Rini looked down at it, giving the pages a brief flip through before looking up at all the engines around her. By her count, there were about eight in total. All within wall compartments lining the room. Almost like a giant set of draws with a pulley system anchored on the ceiling, where a large hatch could give way to the roof.

“Must be how they got the engines inside. In case one of them breaks down beyond repair they can just lift it out.”

She turned back to the compartments they were nested within.

Each engine itself was big enough to take the center stage of a showroom, or fill out the space of a small room, let alone eight of the things. A complex network of pipes, boilers and brass parts only navigable to somecreature who’d spent their life head deep in cogs and gears.

If such contraptions were pony made.

Instead, when Rini looked upon the few engines that were pulled out to be worked on, she quietly identified the parts that made up their being. In what ways the pipes flowed through the system and where the tangled messes of wires linked together. Almost as if she could see through the machine itself and watch its intricacies play out.

In a way, it was like a puzzle lacking all the pieces. She could see the picture even if it wasn’t complete.

They were the kind of engines she’d expect to see fitted into a monster truck or a small ship. Not that she’d ever seen either before, but Gale’s tales only left so much to the imagination.

So to see so many brought to mind a question of hers.

“Say, how much fuel does all this consume?

“Alot, I’ll say it right now, a lot. Chances are not all of them will ever be running at once but even then you’d better believe their hungry.”

Cole then moved over to the control panel, pointing towards several gauges that read out the vehicle’s capacity. List all but two fuel tanks as full.

“As you can see, her belly’s full but we only have two of the engines running to keep the lights on and the ice out.”

“Just that?” Rini mumbled, careful not to challenge her pain tolerance.

“Well, that and the machines. From the toys in the workshop to the crane on the roof. Everything runs off these. There’s a lot more I’m skipping over, and even I’ll admit I don’t know every trick ol’ Rusty has, but there’s a readout panel to let everydog know where she’s hurtin’.”

Rini looked to where Cole gestured and saw a secondary panel beside the main one. It was full of different lights and indicators reading out the different systems and how they were doing.

Only a few of them read green.

Most were amber or red.

In fact, it was quicker to read off the number of things right with the vehicle bay then the number of things wrong with it. The whole idea of the machine’s required existence aside.

“By the looks of things, we’re gonna be a couple of very busy dogs.”

Rini stared in awe at the panel, and the many, many problems it listed.

She replied slowly with a nod. “You can say that again…”

CH 12

Rini dug through the half exposed guts of yet another machine, this time an engine block from a tractor.

Despite starting a little late, she’d been able to make good time and filled up quite a few boxes of spare parts. Now said engine dangled from the rusting hull of its host, largely disassembled it looked as if something had taken a large mechanical bite out of it.

She panted and wiped her forehead, taking a step back to appreciate her work.

It was only a small victory, but one she took pride in. Like a reassuring pat on the back, or a warmth in herself she couldn’t quite explain. A special warmth she wanted to cling to before it eventually went away.

With where she lived, she’d take any kind of warmth she could, real or metaphorical.

While she was but one scrapper among many, it was nice feeling she was special somehow.

That moment of respite was interrupted however by the mechanical groaning of something large and heavy, working overhead. A shadow swept across the side of the scrapyard and Rini quickly saw it was just the Rustbucket’s crane.

It wasn’t the crane itself that gave her that nervous smile however, it was who was atop its cargo that did.

“I can see the whole scrapyard from up here!” Yelled a shrill voice.

“Damn it Brambles! Please don’t let this be another bird cage incident.”

Rini’s smile became increasingly forced as she watched him slowly swing atop a cargo crate. She couldn’t fault him, he liked being useful, but at the same time seeing how high up he was wracked her nerves. No helmet, no harness, just Brambles being himself…

Again.

“At least he’s enjoying himself. Skies above, I’d be terrified of that kinda height. Here’s hoping he doesn’t get hurt.”

The crane swung back and forth as it lowered and ascended its cargo, loading and unloading everything from bolts to boilers. Its cables looked sturdy enough, and the crew took their jobs seriously.

Well, as seriously as Diamond Dogs could. Brambles wasn’t setting a high bar.

She turned away and whistled, waving one of the soldiers over to come pick up the parts as she moved to another wreck.

This one was a little more interesting. It was some kind of auto-wagon made for the snow, and not a small one at that. The thing was massive, easily the size of a truck with treads in place of wheels behind it, and a huge pair of skis to its front.

Ballpark estimates put the thing at about fifteen hooves high, twenty five wide and just under double that in length, though that included the skis which stretched out far in front of it.

Its hull was painted a mixture of snowy whites and dark navy blues, a kind of camouflage. Rini quickly identified it as a military vehicle, an Equestrian military vehicle. No Diamidian workshop would put something together so…completely. There were no gaps in the welding, no missing rivets in the plating and no component exposed to the elements.

“Well…this’ll be a first.”

She set her toolbox down beside the beastly machine and moved to its rear, finding a pair of doors with thin, tiny windows and some handles. Pulling on them they stood fast, eliciting a disappointed sigh.
“That, I’m familiar with.”

Looking over the door it quickly became clear the crowbar wasn’t going to work again. The steel frame wasn’t going to buckle and the gap between the door and its housing was far too small, paper thin even. Moving around the driver’s door revealed the same issue and she took a few paces back to look over the vehicle further.

“Okay buddy, I see how it is. Want me to work for my wages don't ya? Well I got news for you.” Rini then dug around her toolbox, taking out an angle grinder with a few different saw blades and some goggles.

“I don’t play fair.” She smiled, as she slapped the goggles on.

Rini then levelled the angle grinder up against the driver’s door, the angry roaring of an electric motor greeting the hundreds of teeth that now span before her. With a deep breath, the saw blade connected and sparks flew off in droves below her. Rattling her grinning teeth and shaking her bones, as she pushed on, adrenaline flooding into her.

Yet as the grinder went to work, she didn’t feel it depressing into the armour of the vehicle.

Instead, only a few seconds later, she heard a sharp crack and let go of the trigger. Freezing in place, she had to take a moment to register what exactly had happened. A piece of metal impaired her vision and her blood ran cold realising what it was.

Slowly and shakily, she moved a paw up to her goggles and pulled them off. A chunk of metal equal in length to a table knife had embedded itself into the frame, and nearly pierced her skull.

The saw blade on the angle grinder had broken. A chunk of its form was missing from its body, now resting within her safety equipment, which truly had lived up to its purpose.

“Holy…” She turned and twisted the now broken goggles, seeing the web of splits and cracks running through the glass.

Nervously, she began to chuckle at the sight. “And that’s why we have safety equipment! HA!”

Putting the angle grinder back into her box and pulling out a welding mask, she again looked up to the visibly marked armoured door. Her efforts having done little more than ruin the paintwork and damn near cost her an eye, if not more.

“Alright bozo, you win this round. But I got plenty more where they came from!”

This time, Rini produced a cutting torch and fastened the mask over her face. The world grew dark as she approached…

And she tried, tried and tried again.

The door withstood the flames of the cutting torch. Its letterbox window was far too small for even a contortionist to slip through. She tried drilling into the lines between the plates only to find her own drill bits blunting. Sledgehammers would see their handles break before the armour buckled, and even sticks of dynamite left little more than scorch marks upon the armoured transport.

More than an hour after she’d begun her initial assault, she was now standing atop the thing bashing it with a crowbar.

“WHAT-”

CLANG!

“ARE-”

CLANG!

“YOU-”

CLANG!

“MADE OF!?”

CLANG!

Rini barked and growled as the steel prybar bounced off the hull, only managing to scratch the paintwork as she vented her frustrations. The crowbar now looked more damaged, much like most of her other equipment.

This wasn’t exactly the highlight of her day she’d wanted. Trying to crack this armoured nut had drawn more than a few curious eyes, especially after she’d tried controlled explosives. But as she began to calm down and finally rest from her rant, now laying down upon the vehicle’s roof, another Diamidian decided to approach.

It was Cole again.

“Hey, having trouble up there scrapper?”

Rini’s only response was to annoyedly growl.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The black and brown labrador then produced a large, polished disk of metal similar to a hockey puck. “Here, this should help.”

She turned to look as he approached, holding out a paw to take whatever the disk was. Bringing it up to her face she examined it, raising an eyebrow. “Aaaaand what exactly is this?”

“It’s a magnet! Stick it on the door.” Cole tapped the handle area to indicate.

With a sigh she sat up and jumped off, landed before turning to the door where she stuck the magnet.

There was an audible click that made her ears perk up, and she glanced at a Cole who wore a smirk, before turning back to the door.

“No way.”

Rini reached for the handle…and pulled the door open.

“HOW?!” She snapped back to Cole, who by now was laughing under his breath. “Mother-It’s just a piece of metal!”

“Ahh not quite. The Equestrian Army locks tend to use powered magnets. Prevents lockpicks, magical or otherwise. If the battery is out or the lock’s depowered, a magnet big enough can open it up.”

“Wait, so the lock uses a magnet…but then can it be opened using a magnet?”

“Yes, while the lock magnet is depowered.”

“So…is your magnet powered? I don’t see a battery.” She looked all over the tool for some kind of power source, but it really was just a hunk of metal.

“No, magnets themselves don’t need power to be…magnetic I guess?”

“Then, wait…huh?” Rini looked back and forth between the engineer and the vehicle, her prior anger giving way to confusion. “How do magnets work?”

Cole shrugged. “I dunno, they just do.”

Rubbing her face from frustration, Rini groaned and turned towards her prize. Still off put at her inability to deal with it alone.

“I hate magnets.”

She pulled the door open all the way and climbed inside, Cole moving to begin work on the engine seated under the driver’s compartment.

From where Rini was, Cole had to poke at an access panel under the vehicle to get to it, with her above him.

Now finally able to begin work proper, Rini rummaged through the driver’s compartment. The seats were definitely meant for ponies. Positioned more akin to how one would ride a motorbike, which given the stark difference in anatomy between them and Diamond Dogs, which only made sense.

Some time passed as she unscrewed panels and hull parts from the interior. Cole drained what fuel still remained inside the inactive boiler and the two worked in tandem. Doing such routine work though let Rini’s mind wander, and she began asking herself.

“I can’t be the only one affected by these soldiers, but can I risk asking around?” Rini’s tongue once more felt the gap between her teeth, immediately feeling the painful sting of regret for doing so. “Nearly had my ass served by those two mutts the other night. Fact the War Dogs here didn’t put me on the spot about it is really suspicious.”

For a brief moment she let her eyes dart about, cautious eyeing for anything amiss.

“Am I being watched? I’m I on a list somewhere? Or did I actually beat those two so black and blue they couldn’t tattle tale on me yet?” Rini emerged from the compartment and looked around the area, suddenly a little paranoid of the former. A quick gloss over didn’t reveal any obvious watch dogs but the question lingered within, and she turned towards Cole.

“I should at least try. Ask him something simple, try to feel him out first…yeah, good plan Rini.”

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves before speaking out loud. “Hey, so I know this is kinda out of nowhere, but I gotta question.” Cole paused from his work, almost elbow deep in a box of parts he was filling.

“What are your thoughts on the War Dogs?”

Cole looked away, thinking as he stood up with grease covered gloves.

“They’re alright, I guess. Pay’s good but they’re all really demanding sometimes. Why?”

Rini cringed and slid back into the compartment, resuming both her efforts and the conversation.

“Well, they did just kinda…impose themselves upon us and our work, and I’ve got friends who’ve had it rough.”

Cole moved to the front of the snow-wagon to keep pace on its innards. “I know the feeling, got dragged along myself to work on her when she launched. Ain’t seen home for weeks.”

“R-Really?!”

“Yeah, didn’t tell me where I was goin’, only what I was doin’.”

Rini laid awestruck as Cole retold his story, his voice low and heavy. The mutt stood up and looked at her through the front window, showing the bags around his eyes. “You a ponylover?”

“I’ve been neighbours with em’ since they started settling years ago. Depends on your definition.” Rini retorted, almost on instinct.

“Heh, don’t you worry, I ain’t the kind to judge.”

“Should I tell him?” She glanced towards and away from Cole. “He seems okay, try being vague just in case.”

“I have one friend, a pegasus, got hurt not long ago and when the soldiers arrived everything went downhill for him.”

“Oh? How so?” Cole stopped working, attention focused on Rini.

“He uh…got billed, a lot. In only a couple days he got hit with so many so fast he may as well have thrown his life’s savings into a river.” Cole’s eyes widened as his ears perked up, seeing his attention drawn Rini took her chance.

“Tell me Cole, how many ponies have you seen since you arrived in Cherrywood?”

The Labrador brought a paw up and began counting, one, two, three…and pausing there.

“Right, and bare in mind this town had a roughly even split before the army rolled in. Where’d they all go?”

Clenching into a fist, Cole’s expression quickly shifted and Rini could see the cogs turning within. The onset of horror painting his face. “I…dunno…huh.”

In that moment, Rini looked up and saw a glove compartment, at the same time Cole looked away just as she’d opened it.

To her surprise a revolver and cylinder of bullets then dropped and fell from the compartment, and Rini fumbled with it briefly before shoving out of view just as Cole turned to her.

“Thanks for uh…telling me I guess, had no idea.”

“It’s alright!” She squeaked, her eyes wide as dinner plates and forced a smile big enough to impress a clown.

“I’ll try to keep what you said in mind, I’m not big on ponies but I can understand why a lot of dogs are.”

“Yeah sure!” Rini hastily nodded. “Ponies aren’t bad, they're just, ya know, different?”

Cole nodded in turn as she did. “Neither are we really, and us dogs are a lot more varied, at least in terms of breeds.”

“Mhm hm!”

“Alright, I’ll get back under and work on the piping. Thanks for the talk, Rini.”

“No problem!”

And steady as he’d came, Cole went back under, leaving Rini alone with the gun.

CH 13

Rini stared down at the revolver now nestled in her lap, with its bullets scattered across the driving compartment floor.

The revolver lacked a traditional handle and trigger, not to mention was far too small for even her modestly sized paws even if a mechanical trigger was added. Instead, it featured a strap and a small, dimly glowing crystal fastened within the frame.

Rini wasn’t a gunsmith, nor was she particularly well versed in arcane arts, but she could tell such a weapon had a vastly different operation to what she was expecting. She could piece some things together. Like how to open the ammo cylinder or that it was double action, as evidenced by the hammer already being cocked. Thankfully it wasn’t loaded, that much she could take some semblance of safety in.

“What should I do with it?” She slowly picked it up, turning it around to examine the inert gun. “Should I turn it in?

She thought of all the soldiers and scrappers outside, how they’d react if they’d caught her with a pony weapon. Likely, they’d ask questions, perhaps make some accusations and cart her off somewhere. If beating those two mutts up didn’t get her in hot water, carrying this with her surely would.

At the same time, she laid a paw on her swollen cheek, remembering the pain she’d felt that night. The fear, the threat facing her home, Gale, her friends…

“Okay, but how would I even use this thing? I don’t see a trigger. Am I gonna have to fan the hammer over and over?”

While that sounded cool in theory, it basically meant she’d have to reload or recharge the thing over and over again, which obviously wasn’t practical.

Rini turned it over, probably the tenth time she’d done so by now in an effort to find something, only to turn up short. “Maybe Gale knows more? He is a pony…”

After thinking her statement over for a few seconds, she immediately facepalmed.

“Real smooth Rini, just assume the Pegasus who’s injured and on the run knows how to use a pony gun.”

She turned to look around, finding nobody peeping at her and so with one last look at the strange weapon, she stowed it within a coat pocket, its ammunition along with it. “I’ll keep a hold of it and take it to mom. This requires some experimentation.”

As Rini finished up and prepared to continue her duty. A loud, shrill howl broke her train of thought and she quickly checked herself, ensuring the gun was hidden.

She knew only one mutt that could make such a high-pitched, scratchy scream, and it filled her with dread.

Because she knew what she was about to witness.

Jumping outside, she looked up to see Brambles holding on for dear life to the netting covered cargo crate. Two of the four ropes holding it up had snapped with him dangling by his forelimbs. Swinging from side to side as the crane creaked and groaned.

With how high he was, Rini doubted he'd survive if he fell. And even if by some miracle he did, he’d likely be crippled.

Instinct turned to action and she looked around the yard for anything she could use. Though most of everything was hard, jagged metal, steel frames and rusted auto-bodies. The next best thing to turn to was the crane itself, maybe she could signal the operator?

There was a cockpit for somecreature to control it, though it was nestled directly to the Rustbucket’s hull and not further up. To compensate, there was a set of large mirrors attached to the crane’s frame that might’ve been able to let the operator see past the roof, but Rini doubted they were in good condition.

After all, who’d want to climb a crane to wash a few mirrors?

The operator fumbled about as Brambles howled in terror, trying in vain to climb back up the netting. It didn’t take long for others to notice and mutts, both military and blue collar, began to watch.

Rini kept looking, her desperation growing as time ticked by and her friend’s countdown crept onwards. She only found yet more broken bonnets, wrecked wagons and caved in steel canopies.

Even the one good bed mattress she found was frozen solid, as if to add insult to injury.

Her hopes were waning when another sharp sound hit her ears like a freight train. Instead of a scream, her senses were assailed by the shrieking of a worn loudspeaker, a megaphone.

Never before did she think Snapjaw could be so loud.

“Operator! Please lower the crane!”

Rini snapped towards him and saw the foredog standing atop a pile of crushed wagons, before turning towards the crane and seeing the crate be lowered…

At far too slow a pace.

With its current pace it would be at least a couple minutes before Brambles was safely lowered. It was something at least, the closer to the ground he was the better, but the mutt was struggling and Rini could see it plain as day.

He was going to fall, no two ways about it. Now it was simply a question of how many injuries he’d sustain once he hit the ground.

That didn’t mean she was going to give up however, and looking over the many stacked up wagon bodies gave her an idea.

Rini raced over towards Snapjaw, moving on all fours and scaling the crushed metal carcusses. “Snapjaw! Sir!” She called out, nearing his side.

He faced the panting scrapper and moved the megaphone away, careful not to accidentally deafen the crowd.

“Kind of a bad time Rini, what is it?”

Rini huffed, panting between words as the effects of her frantic searching quickly came back to bite her. “I…the…the wagons-”

“Spit it out girl!”

“Use the wagons! Drop him over them!” She blurted, quickly pointing in the direction of the vehicles.

Snapjaw looked at her in confusion, slow to the uptick. “Could you repeat that?”

“The crane, it’s too close. Have him moved…over the wagons, he’ll fall from less height.”

“Sorry Rini, but the crane can only move down or rotate, it can’t do both at once.”

“What?!” She barked, looking up at him.

“Ya heard me, I know what I’m doing.”

“B-But it’ll take too long! He could drop any moment!”

“Yes and the closer he is to the ground the better, want him to fall mid-swing and land Eudora knows where?” The foredog gave her a hard glare, with weathered, worn eyes and a tone both tired and torn by time.

“I know you hate my guts, but have some damn faith in me Rini.” He paused, now switching to some more solemn. “It’s not just his neck on the line anymore.”

Rini stood still. Now both speechless and powerless as she watched Brambles slowly inch towards the ground.

Before hurling towards it, the crate coming loose as more of its rigging tore away.

She watched in horror as her friend hit the thinly snowed ground, before being crushed by the cargo he was attached to. Disappearing under its weight with a scream cut short.

The world grew quiet and stiff for Rini Burrows. Her sight tunnelled upon the crate, and the single outstretched, twitching limb that came out from under it. Words become noise, moving figures became shadows and colour lost its power.

So many memories flashed before her, over a decade’s worth of friendship and fun pulled over her eyes in an instant. The past few days of constant work and toil afforded her no time to sit and talk to him, not even for a laugh.

Dull ringing echoed in her ears and her fur lost sensation. Her jaw agape and her eyes unblinking, the cold aura of death dulling her mind.

Snapjaw was talking or more likely yelling, but she didn’t hear anything.

He even grabbed her shoulder and shook her, but she felt nothing.

Not even her tail moved.

Numerous figures moved to pull the crate off him and drag Brambles away, his form limp and bloodied. Placed on a stretcher and carried away from view as Rini slowly followed them with her head, before being unable to follow any more.

With limbs like jelly and blood cold as ice, she began to move unsteadily. Snapjaw was trying to lead her somewhere and she trailed without conscious thought.

Everything felt stiff and rugged, her senses only greeted by her own haggard breathing and frost burnt lungs. The two made their way towards the front gate before being stopped by an armed soldier, who Snapjaw seemed to argue with for a time. It even descended into outright shouting, but none of it reached Rini’s conscious mind, it was all noise to her, everything was.

Everything was noise, everything was a blur, nothing felt right.

He turned around and brought Rini back inside, back into the warmth of the garage and onto a poorly kept couch. She sat down and laid against the cushion but her thousand yard stare persisted. It was like a weight had shackled to her mind, forcing her to drag her thoughts around.

Snapjaw moved something in front of her. It was a grey object with a handle and some kind of image on it’s front, with a clear liquid inside. It didn’t matter though, nothing did, nothing but-

A splash of ice hit her face and washed over her, soaking her fur and dampening her coat.

Rini let out a panicked bark and flared about briefly. Suddenly able to think straight she turned to glare at Snapjaw holding an empty cup.

“Ring ring, calling Rini Burrows, can ya hear me?” Snapjaw said, waving his paw in front of her face for emphasis.

“Real funny Snap,” Her voice trembled. “What happened?”

“Saw you weren’t doing alright and figured I’d send ya home, then ol’ loud an proud at the gate had other ideas.”

“W-What?”

Snapjaw turned and placed his cup back under the water cooler, refilling it. “They’re not letting me just send you home anymore. Need to be sick or injured and they figured you weren’t neither.”

“B-But…you’re the foremutt, you run this place don’t you?” For a brief moment the accident that just happened was forgotten, focus instead on this change to the status quo.

“Not entirely, not anymore.”

He turned around and sat upon a desk chair opposite Rini, occasionally taking sips from his cup. Snap had lowered his voice, now hushed and downtrodden as he avoided her gaze. “Caleb’s been busy. While you’ve been digging around a building sized block of steel, he’s been going around talking to a lot of dogs.”

Snap paused and took a long sip of his cup before he continued.

“I’ve heard gossip from his mutts that he went to town hall, the bank, the jail a few dozen times, and of course our scrapyard.” He paused, taking another swig.

Rini sat up and tried wiping herself off, thankful to be inside where her fur wouldn’t freeze. “I’m sensing an “And.”

A smile graced the foredog’s face briefly, before he set the cup aside.

“I didn’t want to admit it but…I’m getting a lil’ sick of him. Some things I can tolerate, like disallowing ponies from working here or cutting a few corners to pad his own pockets. Then there’s the…other stuff, like his constant requests to increase work hours, or calling our town Cherrywoof instead of its actual name.”

“Cherry…woof?” Repeated Rini, confirmation of intentions echoing through her thoughts.

“Yep, and he’s got all his War Dogs doing it too. You’re a smart bitch Rini, I think you know what’s going on here.”

Her only reply was to slowly nod, shivers running through her shoulders.

“If you’ve got problems with the place I don’t blame ya. Seeing Brambles drop like that didn’t sit right with me either, especially not after seeing them cage you here afterwards.” Snap then got up and moved behind his desk, taking out a fresh, clean mug and gestured towards the cooler. “Need a drink?”

She again nodded, and in short order Snap filled the cup and gave it to her. It’s chilled grace helping her wake up from her stupor.

“How much more of this can I take?” She wondered. “The soldiers, Gale, the thugs, Brambles…Cherrywood isn’t safe anymore.”

She kept her head down as reality knocked on her door, unkind to her internal pleas for mercy. She knew what had to be done, what was to come next, but she didn’t want to say it. Not even to herself.

Her whole life she’d spent here in this little corner of the world, and if she had her way it would be here she’d stay. No matter how much she wanted to deny it however. she knew the town would only get worse and furthermore what grim reality had to follow.

“We have to leave Cherrywood…”

Snapjaw walked over to the door, giving her another look before he left. “I’ll leave ya alone for now. Military mutts might’ve stopped me from sending ya home, but they haven’t capped how long a break I can giva ya.”

“T-Thanks…”

With a click the door shut, and Rini was left to her own devices. Free to work through her conscience and weigh the heavy decisions for the days ahead.

CH 14

Rini sat in near silence, only disturbed by the ever present hum of machinery outside but easily drowned by her breathing, if she paid it any attention.

Bramble’s fall wasn’t even half an hour ago, and her mind replayed it over it and over. That fateful moment he watched the cables fail and the crate fall, sandwiching the Diamidian between it and the ground.

She knew him for being an enduring spirit, one that could roll with the punches and put on a smile at once. It wasn’t the first time he’d been the focus of an accident, or had even been buried by his workload, literally in several cases.

Despite that however, Rini’s confidence in his ability wasn’t absolute and there was still an aura of uncertainty to whether or not he’d recover, let alone survive.

“At least Snap’s understanding, as many times as we stick each other with needles.”

Rini took another sip from her cup, allowing the cool freshness of the water to help sooth her head. She had to be careful not to let it spill over her cavity or it would have driven a fresh spike of pain into her, but she managed.

“I guess we’ll see if Brambles makes it. He probably will, he’s the type to forget what pain is and ignore it after all.”

She glazed over who to blame and quickly pinned it on the soldiers. They’d brought the Vehicle Bay here afterall, and if they were more strict with their safety measures this could’ve been avoided.

Of course they’d voided such practices for the sake of time. Only wanting to get the thing back in peak condition as quickly as they could so they could leave.

They needed the Rustbucket, it was the only thing keeping their trucks working. Sure they could leave now, but Caleb wanted it in the best possible shape.

“But why? How far is the next industrial town that could service it and their vehicles? With how much they're putting into it, it’s like they're expecting to make a big grand trip, but where? And why?”

Rini stared into the ceiling, cranking her mental cogs as she collected the puzzle pieces.

The military was going around covertly evicting ponies from their homes and dismantling their lives, but where would they go?

Several memories then flashed by her, ones of a newspaper her mom had bought home followed by a letter, both regarding her brother and one of the fabled, “Elements of Harmony.”

A foalnapping.

She remembered that day, how shocked she was, how red with anger her mother was and the letter of apology that followed after.

Some things were better left forgotten, but sometimes, even a buried memory could be worth its weight in gold.

At once, everything clicked into place and her eyes went wide. The mentions of a community centre from the letter Gale read, how they were going to draft him if he failed to pay bills and of course that poster hailing, “The Great Diamidian Community.”

“The ponies shall be put in their place.” Rini whispered, recalling how much those words sickened her.

“Slavery…”

Eyes grew wide as the realisation finally hit her.

“They’re going to put all the ponies into slavery.”

She knew it was all window dressing. She just didn’t expect the view to be so big.

“State…sponsored…slavery…”

Rini arched her head back towards the ground, her paws covering her face as she was once more struck with realisation. It’d become a recurring theme at this point, only this time the terrible truth had hit her in full force.

Was she the only one? Diamidians weren’t known for being particularly bright. Most were likely taking what the military said at face value or were warded off by their wording and terminology. Community service was a much nicer term than slavery after all. And most Diamidians would rather accept such a thing rather than raise a fuss.

“I…should do something, I need to do something. They can’t get away with this, not on that scale.”

Yet that left one question, was there anything she could do? Rini thought back to all the vehicles they had. The trucks, the armoured cars, all the sleds and of course the vehicle bay.

Without the proper facilities to create or fashion spare parts, they all required one thing to keep them running properly: The Rustbucket.

“They’d be stuck here without it. Unable to transport all the captured ponies to their slave camps.”

Once again the pieces were falling neatly into place and a plan was starting to form in her head.

“I have to talk to mom, get her angle on the idea. It’s not the vehicle bay itself they need, it's all the machining equipment inside it. No way I can just break all that and make it look accidental, even for a Diamidian that’s too obvious.”

Rini looked down at herself, her greased, black stained work gloves and the small tools that lined her padded work overalls.

“I’ve proved myself an asset here, they trust me. If anything they want me to work more, overtime around the clock. Snapjaw doesn’t like them, and maybe I can bring Cole into the mix, depending on his experience.``

With one more deep breath she picked herself up and turned towards the door. A new sense of purpose burning within her, ignited by the spark of rebellion.

From this point forward, her work was about more than a simple paycheck.

Rini arrived home late that night.

Not as late as when she’d overworked, but a couple extra hours would help ease her in she figured.

With weary eyes she turned the knob and walked through. “Mom! I’m ho-Errk!”

Before she’d finished announcing herself, Riley jumped from seemingly nowhere and bound her within a tight hug. Taken by surprise, Rini groaned from her mother’s loving grip.

“Rini my little pup, I’m so glad you’re back!” She said, her voice quiet and trembling.

“M-Mom!” Rini barely managed to get out as her lungs were slowly compressed.

“Oh, right.”

Riley relinquished her grip and the two separated. Rini caught her breath while her mother took a few steps back, her tail anxiously wagging. “S-Sorry dear.”

“It's…fine,” She coughed, patting her chest, “I know I was late again, it's gonna be a running theme.”

The two locked eyes and right away Rini saw her mother’s distress, in case her desperate hug wasn’t enough. Riley assumed a more neutral expression a split second later and turned away, attempting to hide it.

“What’s wrong mom?” Rini asked, following her into the living room. “Is Gale alright?”

When the two walked inside Riley raised a paw and looked up at the mounted clock, quietly closing each digit as she counted down.

The moment it struck nine o'clock a sharp, a distant horn sounded out.

Rini turned as if to look in the direction it came from. “What was that?”

“Curfew Rini, they’re running curfews now.”

She was about to reply, but her mother’s reveal killed her voice and her mouth was left agape. Instead, Riley gestured towards the couch and fetched herself a cup of water.

“You’d better sit down dear, I have the feeling we might be together for a while.”

Giving up on words, Rini just nodded and did as requested. Riley sat down next to her a minute later, cup to the side.

Both Diamidians sat in quiet silence, with their auras a cocktail of various emotions. Anger, grief, dread, sorrow, a hundred different knives hovering around their minds. Neither felt fit to speak first and for a brief time they simply sat, basking in the other’s presence.

Such tranquillity had to end eventually however, and Riley rose to the top.

“So…you wanna know how Gale’s doing?”

Rini nodded.

“Well, good news, they haven’t caught him yet. Bad news, he’s effectively homeless. Found them looting his place under the guise of an investigation.”

Riley looked onwards as her daughter slowed turned to face her. Eyes as wide as plates and pure horror overtaking all else. Yet she continued, her blank stare apathetic to even her own thoughts.

“Everything’s gone. All his furniture, decorations, personnel items, even his costumes got taken. Mutt I was talking to didn’t even know half the words he was saying, but at least he told me about the curfew.”

Now she turned to face her, and was greeted by Rini’s trembling lip. Her shoulders slumped and her breathing became erratic, the tell tale signs of what was to come.

Riley once more embraced her as the dam broke, and a river of tears streamed down her face. Slowly she rocked back and forth to help comfort her troubled pup, who endlessly struggled to utter a single word.

“-B-B-Bramb-b-b-bles…”

Once it’s been croaked out, she cried proper and buried her muzzle into her arm. Riley maintained herself and kept to the practice, one she’d played out a thousand other times. Patiently waiting for her to vent it all out.

“It’s alright, I’m here for you my little pup.”

Rini poured into her, soaking her sleeve and ruining a half dozen tissues before she’d come close to finishing. Whimpering and whining with her tail tucked away all throughout.

In the end, she was left panting and heaving. Every breath drawn with the effort of a mountain climb, her eyes pink and raw with worry and pent-up stress. In only a few short days she had our whole world flipped upon its head and such wear was taking a toll on her.

With a weight of her own, Riley watched as Rini drew away into her own corner of the couch.

She offered her that cup of water and for the second time that day, Rini took it and downed it. After shedding so many tears she needed to refill her glass.

It wasn’t often she let herself go like that, and deep down, Riley dreaded what she had to say.

“Brambles…he uh…” She struggled with words, each gravelled and quiet as mice. “Accident…there was an accident.”

Riley’s fear began to surface as she continued, taking gulp after gulp to help ease the passage.

“He fell, got crushed by a crate. They took him away…I don’t know if he’s okay.”

Riley cringed as light was made of her daughter’s breakdown, only able to reply simply. “Oh…oh no.”

Rini gulped down the last of her drink and looked towards her. Paws shaking as she clutched the cup.

“We have to leave. The mutt in charge of the soldiers…he’s going around foalnapping ponies, wants to rename the town to something more Diamidian. The military is running state sponsored slavery mom! And once they’re ready they’ll takeeveryponywiththemandmoveontothenexttown!”

“Okay! Okay, one thing at a time Rini! Try saying it all at once and your tongue will trip itself.”

Rini let out a nervous whine as she fidgeted with the cup. Breathing slowly and pacing her speech.

“Gale’s not an isolated case. Captain Caleb’s been going around quietly foalnapping all the ponies. I don’t know where they’re being kept, but they can’t leave Cherrywood until all their transports are ready.”

Her mother nodded and moved closer, patting her shoulder all the while she talked.

“They have this massive mobile workshop they’re using to fashion spare parts. Without its equipment they can’t leave, but I can’t just sabotage it. It’d be too obvious and the most I’d likely do is delay them.”

“Right, and you said you wanted to leave?” Riley was still trying to process everything that was being said.

“I-I don’t want to leave mom. I’ve lived here my whole life, grew up with the rest of the town. I don’t know anything outside.”

Riley sat up and gave her a solemn smile as she rested her arm around her shoulder.

“That’s not true dear, we both still know where your brother lives, and you know plenty about the wild. It's true I didn’t take you away from town or travel much, something I really should’ve done more, but I have every confidence you’re prepared for the wider world.”

Still tear stricken, Rini felt her words soothed her a hundred fold more than any promise of payment or pleasure. After so many changes, so many life altering actions and ill fates befalling her friends, Rini needed this.

And it couldn’t have come from a better person.

“You’re shown you can handle yourself just fine, Rini. Your father would be proud, I’m proud, and you should be too.”

“Your…not gonna protest?"

“I knew I couldn’t hold onto you forever. One day you won’t have me by your side guiding your actions, but I vowed that until that day came, I’d watch over you like a hawk.”

“T-Thanks mom.” Rini croaked.

“Don’t mention it. Now get some rest, you’ve had a long day. Don’t worry, we’ll plan this out together.”

The two hugged and just when Rini thought the well had run dry, she found yet more tears to shed. Not of sadness or sorrow, but of gratitude for her mother.

Much like the day, it would be a long night.

CH 15 - Act 3, Rebel?

Walking into the Scrapyard the following morning, Rini felt very different about her surroundings.

Whereas before when she looked over all the rows and rows of military trucks, she did so with a mix of frustration and annoyance. Now though, the very idea that she was now some sort of rebel or rogue actor had sparked a very different kind of awareness.

All around her, every dog in uniform stuck out to her like a spot of yellow in the snow. Every pair of eyes was a potential spy, waiting to catch her in the act. Yet Rini remained calm. “They’ve got no reason to be suspicious.” She thought. “Just another gearhead clocking in for her shift, a single face among a crowd.”

Quietly, she pulled out her notebook from days prior and performed another round of state-of-maintenance checks.

It was a double move, she’d be able to gauge how close the military was to being able to leave, whilst making it look natural. Rini had begun counting and sorting the vehicles into different categories. Fuel trucks, transports, trucks meant for heavy cargo, how many were in working condition, how many needed repairs extensive or otherwise. All the while checking over her shoulder as if to spot some watcher in the wind.

If it weren’t for her efforts examining them the day they’d arrived, her confidence might’ve buckled.

As Rini went around examining the trucks however, she soon noticed another odd sight.

There was a freshly made building on the far end of the Scrapyard. Nested within a freshly cleared area among the mounds of debris. Its walls were corrugated steel giving it the appearance of a cargo container, but with windows, piping and an external boiler on its side.

She paused for a moment and squinted at it. Watching as a soldier exited the big metal box whilst downing his morning medication.

“How in the heck did they set that up so quickly? That wasn’t there when I left last night, right?”

Rini thought back to the night prior, remembering how she’d buried herself in that Equestrian snow-wagon to forget the troubles.

“Maybe I just didn’t notice it? I suppose a lot can happen when your attention is drawn elsewhere. Still, to build it all THAT quickly.”

As she continued to think on it however, she suddenly had the nagging sense she’d forgotten something. She drew her eye back to the book as she went through her mental checklist, running through the night prior.

She’d worked on the wagon, did overtime even, went home and talked to Riley…

Her eyes went wide and she snapped the book shut. Placing it against her chest where a hard object stopped it.

“Oh crap I still have that gun on me…”

Senses quickly went on high alert, every sound practically sending her into a panic.

“Son of a bitch I still have that gun on me. The pony gun, the gun I’m carrying bullets for.”

Her eyes again darted to one of the many guards present nearby, now viewing them with considerable worry.

“The gun I can’t use and would get arrested for it if I’m searched.”

“That gun.”

Rini swallowed a lump and pictured herself howling her lungs out in panic.

“Stay cool, act natural, you belong here after all!” She opened the book back up, near forcing herself to continue. “No you’re just another greaser girl doing a round of checks and…adjustments let’s say. Nodog will notice! Don’t draw any attention to yourself.”

The act of categorising and marking every vehicle wasn’t in itself a straining task for her. She’d already done this before and could see some others already working, ready to give her the rundown, but having to do it with the extra element of espionage was stressful.

Thankfully, if anydog noticed her condition they didn’t voice it or speak up.

Besides what happened to Brambles, there were a hundred reasons she could give with some more truthful than others.

She did eventually settle down and assume a more relaxed state, but that sense of unease never went away. If anything, having that item that was definitely a water canteen, no shuddup, shaped object in her chest pocket made her feel less safe.

So when she began to overhear a conversation starring none other than Captain Caleb himself talking to a subordinate, she really had to juggle her thoughts.

“Should I try being nosey? Of all the war mutts around here he’s the one I shouldn’t play with.” Rini leaned against the canopy wall of a transport, hearing the Captain talk about parking tickets of all things. “Then again, he could spill something really helpful…”

Rini battled with herself and looked towards a nearby vehicle marked for a maintenance check. She sighed and went to work before somedog saw her getting caught up in her thoughts. With her tools she took her time and worked slowly to ensure the sound of her antics didn’t drown out the Captain’s speech.

“-So without competition, it’ll be even better!”

“I dunno sir, I’m all for planning things out, but a junkyard?” A nameless dog spoke, who Rini didn’t bother to remember, focusing on the Captain speaking.

“Well not as a junkyard obviously, but give it a few years time and everydog will own an auto-wagon. Have you seen how few homes around here have garages or drive-ins? I’m telling ya, there’s some real potential here.”

“Caleb? How are you even gonna clear the place up? Won’t everydog need to throw their old broken stuff somewhere?”

“Yeah, yeah, but we can just make a new junkyard for that. One much further away from town.”

Rini slowly turned her head towards the two as she checked the truck’s engine. More confused than anything by their ramblings.

She didn’t know what exactly she was expecting, troop numbers or what they were planning with the ponies maybe? But not this.

“Is it code for something? He can’t seriously be banking his future on a parking lot.”

The Captain was also a lot younger than she thought. He sounded more like a naive kid in his early thirties then a grizzled leader in…whatever the appropriate age range was. Rini wasn’t some military nut or even an enthusiast, but she certainly knew you needed to be pretty seasoned to get up in the rank…unless you were related to someone already high ranked who could grease the wheels.

By the sounds of things, this guy must’ve had a dad or uncle who soaked those wheels in oil with how dense he sounded.

Sadly, she was so caught up in her thoughts about it she hadn’t even noticed the shadow looming over her.

“Hey there!”

Rini nearly jumped in place and snapped around, now face to face with the Captain. He kept three paws planted on the ground with the fourth having his signet ring, which he kept firmly close to his chest. His collar sporting red and purple gems as opposed to the greens of his bodyguard, and a fancy hat with a silver pin in the shape of a crown above its brim.

She stared for a moment before answering. “Uhm…hello sir, anything I can do for you?”

Caleb smiled “Eh not really, you’re already performing an exemplary service!” He gestured with a paw, almost throwing it up in the air. “Though I am curious, what were you doing last night?”

“Working,” She answered quickly, “I was salvaging a vehicle.”

The captain nodded before pointing towards her cheek. “And what happened there?

Rini rubbed her still swollen cheek, having forgotten about it now that she was used to the dim pain. “I uh, had an accident. Happens all the time around here sir, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet. You heard about what happened yesterday, right?”

He again nodded in agreement, his head subtly twitching and his digits unable to keep still. As if a waking limb struck by pins and needles.

Some were better at hiding the behaviour than others, but by now Rini had become keen to the signs.

“I understand, what happened the other day was truly horrible. Though, would you mind telling me what you’re up to now?”

Rini reached for her notebook and carefully pulled it out, not wanting to draw attention to her other coat pockets.

“Maintenance checks sir. Talling up what needs fixing and working on what I can.”

“Hmm, between salvaging, working on Ol’ Rusty and now this. You like doing a little of everything don’t you?” He spoke, surprisingly impressed.

“Yes sir!” Rini smiled, her tail wagging. “Work here is freeform after all, and variety’s the spice of life you know?”

“That it is, that. It. Is.” He paused for a moment to look over the truck, before glancing at Rini’s notebook. “Will you be staying for overtime?”

“Of course! So long as I’m still able to return before curfew.” Rini smiled, trying her best to sound as excited and enthusiastic as she could.

“Good girl, you make me proud. With more like you we’d have this place cleaned up by summer. Carry on!”

Satisfied, Caleb smiled and patted her shoulder, then turned away. The unexpectedly young captain leaving Rini to her own devices.

She stood still with shock, her heart beating like a hammer as the captain walked away.

Rini had seen a little of him when he gave his tour, but that paled in comparison to a personal meet & greet. The questions he asked while nothing special, or even specific, concerned her given Rini’s history.

“Does he know? Did those two mutts describe me to him? Did he notice my chest pocket?”

She swallowed another lump that dropped into her stomach, weighing her down like a ball of lead. Of all words she could use to describe the Scrapyard, “safe” wasn’t one of them. She looked back at the truck she had intended to sabotage and second guessed herself.

“Should I get started on this? Just after that little encounter? If he’s watching me It might be better to just lay low.”

Rini sighed with discontent. No matter what her choice was, it felt like the wrong one.

“Oh who am I kidding? Of course I shouldn’t, not unless I’m smart about it. Cut fuel lines? Broken breaks? Dead batteries? Any gearhead with half a brain will pick that up during a routine inspection, then point to the bitch that spent all day working on the things.”

Taking a moment to think clearly and let a few ideas come to mind, a plan formed.

“No if I’m gonna do this, I gotta be creative.”

CH 16

By now nearly everything that had even a semblance of significant value had been taken off Riley’s shelves.

Every time the soldiers came in for another bulk purchase, Riley fully charged, even overcharged them for it. They simply threw more cheques at her and left with the goods. Of course she was practically overflowing with Jewels but that was never the point of her post.

It was nice, she’d admit, but she’d never be caught reaching for every loose coin she could like some depressionist era Griffon.

At least she was able to clear up her backlog of stock and get the shelves neat again. Though it also meant she was putting away more than a few select items for safe keeping.

Store policy be damned, she wasn’t about to give away her non-perishables to the military mutts, even if they offered her a literal king’s ransom.

Especially anything Rini might need…

“I hope she’s okay, poor girl’s had it rough lately.”

The sound of the door bell ringing broke Riley from her day dream and she straightened herself up. She was greeted by a short, practically tiny dog in his mid twenties, carrying a huge backpack nearly three times his size, filled with all kinds of rolled up clothing attached to it. Such was its weight that he struggled to even stand, and had to shimmy his way past the shelves lest the bulk knock something over. Riley almost got up to offer him a paw, before he reached the counter.

Setting the pack down he looked ready to fall from exhaustion. Panting like he’d just run a marathon.

“Hi!” He sqeaked, giving her a grin. “So a friend’s leaving town, and he gave me all his clothes to sell. I heard you buy so I thought I’d ask.”

Riley squinted at that, and turned to look over the numerous rolled up articles. Immediately suspicious of their origins she looked back at her customer.

“Rini said the soldiers sometimes dress normally, which likely means…”

His tail wagged vigorously from side to side, enough to give his torso a slight shake and he looked up at her intently. Putting on the biggest set of puppy eyes he could and blinking frequently.

Against Riley’s stone cold stare however, all it took was one slip up.

She only had to wait seven seconds before his elbow twitched.

Riley had to suppress a growl as she looked upon the shorter Diamidian (who was head height with the counter). Her anger from the day prior came back to haunt her, undisturbed by the confusion of the moment. Yet unleashing it here and now was more than unwise.

But that just meant she had to be more subtle.

“I’m gonna wrap this mutt around me like a damn scarf.”

With a quick stretch and a confident posture, she put on a fake smile. “Sure, I can take em. Ten Jewls a set.”

“Ten? Oh come on!” He growled annoyingly, “Sure it’s all pony stuff but there’s like, metal armour and shoulder capes! Twenty-five at least.”

“Yeah about that. What was the name of your friend?” Riley asked, trying to sound casual.

“Uh…” The mutt’s eyes danced around briefly, clenching a paw from the nerve. “Quilted…Kindeyes?”

Riley looked at him unamused.

The brown furred mutt in turn forced a smile.

With a deep breath she let out an almost exaggerated sigh. “Listen here. You can’t just go around taking what you want and selling off what you don’t. I know where those came from and I know what you’re doing, so if you think you can walk away from here with a small fortune with stolen items, you’re dead wrong.”

Riley crossed her arms and frowned at the un-uniformed soldier. Careful not to growl or clench her muzzle.

In response, he shrugged and picked up the weighty backpack again. Riley watched as he nonchalantly shimmied his way towards the door. Likely to look for another place that'd take them if they bothered, but just as he reached to grab the handle, she barked.

“Damn it fine! I can do twenty a set.”

He froze in place and turned back, almost knocking over a set of oil lamps as he grinned. “That’s more like it.”

“I don’t have the change for a big purchase, but I still have something.” Riley ducked down under her counter as he returned to her. She reached for a pair of short, loose floorboards and pulled them open to reveal her floor safe.

It was still very much hidden from prying eyes thanks to the counter, so all the pint sized pooch knew she was messing around a few shelves.

Opening it up, a selection of small items were inside. Her private stash of goodies she didn’t feel comfortable keeping on the shelves. Some more mundane things like a bag of ground coffee, some stacks of paper money and high value jewellery she couldn’t put a price on, while others were more…exotic in nature. A pair of rings with glowing, enchanted gemstones, a bar of magic soap and a roll of tape with several glowing runes.

She wasn’t the type to play around with weird magical items so she kept them there, unsure of their function or purpose. How she’d acquired them had long since been lost to fading memory, but she didn’t dwell on that as she reached for a silver and sapphire necklace.

The silver was genuine, and so was the craftsmuttship that had went into it. A beautiful piece of fashion that she found far too flashy for her tastes, and could only give a ballpark estimate to the full value, though she was confident it would be sufficient.

Experience had taught Riley a few important things, the subjectivity of value being one of them.

To the tiny dog bearing such a heavy burden, it was a steal.

To her however, she hadn’t spent a coin.

As she watched him rush off through the door with his tail threatening to thrash the frame, she smiled as she looked down at all the rolled up costumes. Happy her little plan had worked.

“I don’t do that often, but OH you deserved it!”

There were so many of them, with so many masks, hats, small props and emblems. Curious, she picked up a small chest shield that had been attached to some chain mail, the fiery emblem of a phoenix upon its surface.

“Even if these don’t end up doing much, I’m sure Rini would appreciate me saving them for her. She’s a sucker for this kind of stuff.”

As she put the shield back however, she found something coated across her paw. Speckles of black, hard debris comparable to dandruff.

She gave it a quick sniff before shaking it off, noticing more of it dotting the costumes. It wasn’t coal dust or dirt, she’d have smelled it otherwise, but it did give her pause for thought.

“By Eudora what is this stuff? Bits of old leather?”

Riley shrugged as she pulled the pack into the back of her store, ready to take it home when her shift was up. While she could tell it had been handled quite a bit by others, she was familiar enough with Gale to pick up on his scent.

“I hope Gale’s got a plan. A good tracker could trail him for miles with this alone. Masking his scent would be critical.”

There were ways one could evade even the keenest of Diamidian noses, and of that field Riley was much more knowledgeable of. Her inability to act however meant the most she could do is look towards the storeroom clock with concern, seeing every second tick by.

Maybe they already caught him? Perhaps Gale was sitting inside a cold cell somewhere alongside some others?

Until further developments however, Riley could only wait and watch with the weight of a world on her back.

The evening sun casted a bright twilight across the scrapyard, with Rini once more returning after another five minute warm up break.

By now she’d worked on several trucks, at least two of which were dedicated to the transportation of coal.

Balancing between her “creative adjustments” and actual mechanical upkeep had been a strenuous task, demanding more thought than usual for the gear greased Greyhound. Somehow she’d managed and, as the normal work hours came to a close, she found herself among the few that decided to stay.

The military however had other ideas.

Before she reached the trucks, she took a moment to look towards the main gate and saw an almost comedic sight. That of a soldier in a parka holding up a big sign promising several benefits of overtime. This included, but not limited to, half off lunch items from the food truck, a letter of gratitude from queen Eudora, the addition of an Engineer’s amber gemstone to one's collar, pet insurance and paid toilet breaks…

Just to name a few.

However, the dog holding the sign spun it around in an attempt to make himself more noticeable, but in doing so made it difficult for the benefits to be read and so many just ignored it.

Not wanting any part in it, Rini slinked away towards the new multi-purpose building she’d eyed earlier that day.

By now, not only had it been expanded with a few new rooms, but it had been surrounded by a mess of tents all heated by a crude system of pipes. All of which lead towards a large, imposing tower of steel and brass. A pair of mutts shovelling coal and charcoal into its fiery mouth with many stay around external heaters to stay warm.

The military had erected another Steamhub. This one exclusively meant for the operations at the Scrapyard.

Rini stood stunned at the sight, her jaw slightly ajar in disbelief. “Rini Burrows, you really need to work on your perception.” She scolded herself, “How the dime did you not notice that?”

One look at the giant, loud and very much obscuring multi-story garage on treads answered her question.

“Oh, right.”

Looking back at the Steamhub, she wondered how they’d built such a thing, and was able to pick up on more throughout her second inspection. The growing darkness dimmed the details but many of the pipes lining it looked…misaligned, mismatched and discoloured. Instead of the uniform dark grey bordering on black from the town’s own Steamhub, this one was noticeably smaller in size, and had many more brassy accents and sections.

She almost laughed out loud when it hit her.

“A Diamidian made Steamhub? Oh that’ll end well.”

With that little revelation, she reckoned it best to steer clear of the high pressure super boiler made from scrap and dreams. Seriously, how is it ponies were better at building things out of literal clouds, then they were at building things with metal?

Instead, she avoided the tents as best she could and made way for the centre building.

Still, even such crude replicas required a Steamcore to output power required to heat such a large area. That alone was worth her time but she had her sights set upon that building, and whatever secrets lie within.

Such an idea would’ve been unfathomable to her several hours ago, and she still felt some nerve walking by all the tents even now, but time was a great doctor and her work a good therapist.

She’d already thought this though, knowing most Diamidians were like Brambles…

“Or Rover, he wasn’t very bright either…him and dad both.”

Rini stood near the entrance, guarded by a puffy sheepdog with his eyes unseen from overgrown fur. He didn’t have a rifle but a grip peeked from his pistol holster, and a whistle hung from his neck.

With a deep breath and some carefully prepared (as in, fifteen minutes of thought) words, she approached.

CH 17

The scruffy sheepdog turned to her, lifting up some fur to better view her. “Sorry, this is off limits to workers.”

Rini smiled as the two met eyes, and she fell back on a confident tone as she unleashed her secret weapon.

“It’s alright, I’m an engineer, coming in to check on the heaters.”

“Errr I donno,” He whined, any intimidation factor drying up, as he turned towards the door. “Boss didn’t tell me you were coming.”

“Well duh, it’s just a maintenance check. If something’s wrong It’ll take like, ten minutes? Not even that.” The guard glanced between her and back again, still unsure. “Wanna be the one to explain why the heating suddenly stopped?”

The guard dog stared at her intently, narrowing his eyes as if to evaluate her claim. Seconds ticked by as Rini agonisingly waited for his response. “Is he…actually going to think about this? Oh crud.”

Rini’s bluff was suddenly put in question, and her mask of false confidence threatened to crack under such scrutiny. For a moment it seemed she’d need to prepare a retreat.

What were the odds she actually got stuck with one of the few actually competent guard dogs?

Suddenly, the guard relaxed and gave her a casual “nah.”

The guard dog stepped aside and pulled on the handle for her, forcing a smile as his fur once more obscured his vision.

“Gale you’re the best O&O gamemaster I’ve ever met. I can’t believe that actually worked.”

Once inside, Rini felt as though she’d walked into a public house as she was immediately hit by the foul stench of cigar smoke and alcohol.

Simply not breathing through her nose wasn’t an option either as she could taste the sensory assault just as well. So she bought her scarf up and used it to help filter out the scent before anything else. The burning smoke also forced her to dawn her goggles, which would’ve blinded her had the lights been off.

How any creature would work in these conditions she’d never understand.

All around her, soldiers of all breeds stood about having taken little to no notice of her, and in turn she did her best to avoid bumping into any. It wasn’t hard to find a heater she could pretend to work on and used the opportunity to look about.

Seeing everything through a pair of welding goggles did obscure some details, but it was better than the smoke.

She was inside the main room, but a few doors had little nails in signs displaying their intended uses. A break room, storage room, an officer’s quarters, armoury, just to name a few.

Mental notes of all were taken, but in the back of her mind she still wondered something.

“How the heck do they have this much booze on tap? Did they raid a distillery or something?”

Time and time again they each held cups and sometimes tankards in their grasps, taking swig after swig. Some even took pills with them which caught Rini’s eye.

“Okay, I’m no chemist, but I’m pretty sure it's recommended you don’t mix alcohol and drugs.”

That’s when it struck her, the shaking, the diluted eyes, the twitchy behaviour. Once she saw it she couldn’t unsee it. Everywhere she looked she found glimpses of the likewise act. Some exchanged pill bottles, taking theirs with water or whiskey, sometimes pawfulls of pills at a time. A few were even swallowing them like literal candy, it was a miracle they didn’t drop dead right then and there.

Out of nowhere, a familiar voice jumped out at her, one she’d hoped not to hear at a place like this.

“Oh! Fancy seeing you here young lady!”

Rini snapped around to face Caleb, his eyes were tiny pinpricks compared to when they’d last spoken and his body visibly twitched. Like some tensely bound arrangement of springs ready to explosively come apart. His fur too stood on end and his lip quivered.

The only indicator he was lucid to any degree was his welcoming tone, yet even that was suspect and she wondered how much he’d indulged in already.

“What brings you here?”

“Working,” she answered on instinct. “Just making sure your heater’s up to snuff, don’t want it suddenly breaking right?”

Rini’s voice cracked near the end there and she’d heard it, he heard it, they all heard it.

Her quite literal mask hid the nervous, scared face underneath. Now knee deep inside a den of liquored up and drugged up wolves, facing the manic grin of their alpha. The only defence being a thick wrap of cloth and a pair of welding goggles.

“Good one Rini, you’ve made a horrible mistake…”

Caleb slowly blinked and held his clenched paw against his chest as if attempting to crush a diamond. “You seem tense.” He said, not so much a reply as it was an injection. “A bottle o’ joy outta help!”

That paw suddenly thrust into his pocket, and pulled out a small metal tube with enough force he could’ve ripped a hole through his coat.

He presented it to her with his arm outstretched, a label with a smiling doctor giving a thumbs up proudly displaying, “Dr. Patch’s Wonder Drugs! For when you need a boost to your day! (Warning: Side effects may vary).”

Rini looked down at the tube and back up to the company captain, who’s teeth became visible from the corner of his mouth.

“Uh, come again?”

Just like a faucet turned on high, Caleb didn’t just speak his words, he hosed them. Speaking so fast his speech became an audible blur and it was a miracle he didn’t bite his tongue.

“Oh it’s this neat little thing we got prescribed to help us do our jobs better! It reduces hunger, fatigue, pain, the need to use the bathroom, andmakeseventhedullestdaybrightagain! You should try it!”

She looked at him, the stare of a joyful mad dog that dared her to say no. Fear had her in a tight grip and she found herself rubbing her thumb from a need to fidget. Her world narrowed in on that crazed face and thousand yard stare.

The captain seemed loopy, quick to agitate but so far hadn’t indicated any recollection of her. “He’s gotta talk to a hundred dogs a day, can’t remember everydog can he?”

If she took her mask off there was no doubt he’d recognise her, but if she didn’t comply he might get upset. Faced with a double edged sword she found the prospect tempting.

“I mean, it’s temporary right? It’ll wear off.”

Rini looked around at the other dogs in the room, now seeing many of them in states of questionable lucidity. For all she knew the moment she swallowed she could wake up just about anywhere.

“Inside a room filled with half drunken dogs?...”

A quick mental image shut that thought down.

“Oh no, definitely not.”

That thought was the leverage she needed to fend off her temptation, and her gut came to guide her.

“Change the subject.”

Only a few seconds had passed in real time, but to Rini, it may as well have been an eternity.

“Hey so what kind of drinks do you have here? Just booze or?...”

“Oh!” Caleb recoiled almost excessively, and glanced at the break room before turning back to her, seemingly forgetting about the pills. “Yeah, I think so. Not a drinker?”

Rini slowly shook her head.

“I can talk to my requisitions officer if you’re looking for something specific, anything you want!” He smiled, even as his mouth and eyes continued to twitch.

“Look I just came in here to check on your heater and now that I’m done uh…I think I’ll be going!”

With a slight spring to her step Rini hastily made way for the door, Caleb waving with the drug tube held high. “Don’t forget to pay your parking ticket!”

“I-I don’t own a car!”

“You will soon!”

Without a chance to utter another word, Rini slammed the door behind her and ripped off her scarf and goggles, nearly collapsing right then and there with her mouth wide open. Her heart raced and her lungs burned, tail bouncing from stress.

“I shouldn’t have gotten away with that, I shouldn’t have gotten away with that, by the sky I shouldn’t have gotten away with that.”

The mental images that plagued her mind showed all manner of horrible, elicit things that could’ve happened to her had she succumbed to the pressure. Her in a back alley or basement somewhere with her mother frantically searching for her or worse.

Why exactly did she want to go in there again? Information? Curiosity? Both? Idiocy seemed more appropriate now.

“Are you…okay?” Slowly spoke a voice-

Rini almost jumped in shock, having forgotten about the doormutt in the heat of the moment. She caught herself from falling over and met the guard’s gaze.

The sheepdog had the fur over his face lifted, revealing his concern for the similarly aged Greyhound.

His eyes weren’t diluted, his tone wasn’t off, nor did any part of him twitch or shudder at any time. After the experience Rini had gone though the thought of a Diamidian in uniform with a clean blood system seemed…off to her. It really shouldn’t have yet here it was, perhaps it was just adrenaline still playing its part?

“Did the others give you trouble?” He added, noting her hesitation.

Rini took a deep breath and exiled slowly, her voice trembled as she did so. “N-No, but your boss did.”

The guard’s eyes widened with horror, doubly so for her next statement.

“He tried to put me on pills, promised me anything if I did.” Rini spoke, while mentally wondering why she was saying these things.

“He’s…not meant to do that.” He began, letting his hair down a moment to pull out his own, very much unopened bottle. “He might be the company captain but those pills are strictly for military use, we’d run out too quickly otherwise.”

Rini turned to look over the camp and its many tents, all surrounding that makeshift Steamhub. There had to be…twenty? Forty? Alot of soldiers. Were all of them on those pills?

“How do the pipes not have bite marks yet?”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, name’s Alpine.” He smiled, extending a paw.

Forcing a smile of her own, she shook her paw unsteadily. “R-Rini, are they…usually like that?”

“They weren’t, not until they gave us those meds. Suddenly it's the super new way we’d be fighting our wars! Only nodog is questioning how we’re gonna get more and forgetting just how rural we are.”

“Heh, is that why you’re not on them?” Rini felt her heart rate start to return to normal, again grateful for finding a dog not off his rocker.

“Nah, didn’t start for different reasons. I think I’m the only dog that can still string three numbers together.” Alpine huffed, his frustration clear from the need to vent to a stranger.

That momentary weakness however showed some disturbing implications. If they were already this fixated on the pills, with no promise of resupply, then it was only a matter of time until they ran out.

“Especially if they get stuck here…”

As her mind had that thought, a new, far darker one entered her mind that left her cold.

“Oh…oh they’d tear this town apart…”

“Rini was it?” Alpine asked, receiving a short nod from her. “If you need anything, say somedog tries to screw with you, let me know alright?”

She didn’t reply, instead staring at him with her traumatic frown.

“We’re here to help you, or at least I am. I…I’m not so sure about them anymore.”

“Yeah…yeah…” She nodded, trying to balance an invisible weight on her shoulders. “I…need to go, sit down for a while.”

CH 18

Rini power walked through the lamplight streets of Cherrywood.

It was remarkable that she had much of any energy left after an extra few hours of strain. Even now she checked over her shoulder to ensure she wasn’t followed. The events of the attack were still as fresh as an apple, despite her healing cheek and her recent revelation with Caleb and his dogs didn’t help either.

Scattered packs of Diamidians made their way through the streets with equal haste, most keeping to themselves.

Not a single pony walked among them.

With the streets so sparse it felt odd, empty, void of life. The consequence of cutting a town’s population in half. It might not have been a big, sprawling city, or even a large town, but that only enlarged the effect. Nameless faces she was so used to seeing were no longer part of the picture.

She had to take a moment and breathe. While physical exhaustion held little power over her, stress was another beast entirely.

Rini remembered seeing Gale’s diner the night of the attack. She remembered how Riley told her about it being picked clean the morning after, and all the history and fun memories pried at and auctioned off by a band of vultures.

No, not vultures, predators. At least vultures had the courtesy to pray on the dead.

Then there was the accident with the crane…her meeting with Caleb…her encounter with their captain…

“Breath Rini, Breath. Inhale, wait three seconds, exhale.”

Slowly, gradually, the lead weight pulling on her head lessened and her rolling shoulders relaxed.

“By the skies, forbid the day that becomes a regular thing.”

It was a small, preventative measure, but it’d already worked wonders in keeping her head in check. It was a far better alternative to some of the other options she may have been presented with. Booze, drugs, cigarettes, she wasn’t one for vice via substance.

With the moment behind her she prepared to continue her trek home, but as Rini idly looked around her she spotted something.

Nested on the side of a back alley wall was an emblem, painted in bright yellow.

“No way,” Rini’s vision locked onto the symbol, a hundred bells ringing off in her head. “Gale you sly fox.”

A smile crept across her face as she discreetly made her way behind the buildings. An hour was all she had but curfew could wait for all she cared.

Quickly, Rini followed the trail and found a series of emblems, some so similar they could’ve been mistaken had Rini lacked a keen memory. Decoys that led nowhere but she kept to the path and checked over her shoulder at every turn.

“How did he escape? He had to have hidden his scent somehow. Gale wouldn’t have had access to his shower.”

Rini came upon a T-junction and looked about, unable to find another clearly visible symbol. In a moment however she began looking and her eyes quickly fell upon a dumpster which she looked behind, finding another symbol with an arrow.

She smiled. “Have to admit, wasn’t expecting my sessions spent as a rogue to come into play like this.”

Checking and double checking, Rini sniffed as best she could for any sign of Gale, only finding the smell of brick, snow and the subtle perfume of sooty smoke greeting her. So much so she had to raise her scarf and blow some air around to warm her nose up. A sense of gleeful joy creeping in at her crippled friend’s achievements.

“Seriously, how did you do that Gale? I’m no bloodhound, but damn you were thorough!”

The whole trip was roughly ten minutes, give or take, but she eventually reached a dead end without a symbol. There was no back door, no dumpster or trash can, no air con unit or chimney stack. The three walls surrounding her were featureless brickwork with no windows nor light to illuminate them.

It was yet another of Gale’s little tricks, Rini knew this, but this time she had to stop and pause to look about.

With how dark it was, getting a good look was difficult, and Rini began trying to feel out the bricks. Her eyes had already adjusted to the darkness but the colourless, fuzzy nature dimmed the details.

There were no loose bricks or hidden switches, none she could depress or pull upon. No pattern she could exploit or make sense of. Whether or not Gale had altered the area somehow or if this tiny sliver of town had always been like this she couldn’t guess.

The only clue Rini could pull on was how deliberately bland and uninteresting this particular spot was. “No gamemaster worth his salt would dangle a carrot but keep it from reach, not unless he didn’t…want…”
The solution practically slapped her; it was so obvious.

“This is a red herring isn’t it? Oh you want me to get bored looking for ghosts and leave, don’t ya?”

Rini stepped back and restarted. She drew her gaze upward towards the second and third stories of the building she stood behind up at the chimneys and smokestacks. No piping nor window lined the walls even that high. No flaw or loose brick adorned the walls, or any other detail.

It was uncanny to say the least, like a picture of a place that shouldn’t exist.

“Oh yeah, you’ve thought this through. Am I even in the right place? No, it wouldn’t make sense, you didn’t lead me here for nothing.”

Her mind quickly worked itself ragged trying to put the pieces together into something cohesive.

“If I were a paranoid pegasus on the run from Diamond Dogs, where would I go?” Rini cupped her jaw, lightly rubbing her chin. “If I were Gale, he’d probably try putting himself in their paws, ask himself what they would expect. They’d hear “Pegasus” and expect him to be high up somewhere, broken wing be damned.”

“So what they wouldn’t expect,” She turned to look towards the floor. “Is to be underground, right?”

Cobblestone bricks lined the cold, hard ground. Covered by a layer of crunchy snow that only showed her boot prints. Thinking for a moment, she turned and checked around the corner to make sure she wasn’t being followed again, having been reminded by the trail she’d left.

Only to see no trail existed…

“Huh?” She said aloud. Rini turned and found the ground around her still held marks of her presence, but there was nothing leading into her location.

Her trail had simply vanished, denying any ability to follow her sure, but unsettling her in the process.

“Okay Gale, this is getting creepy now. Just how are you doing this?”

Rini resumed her investigation and drew her attention towards the floor. Whatever Gale had done to achieve that had to be magical, but Rini had no capacity to sense magic. Arcane arts were something Diamond Dogs simply couldn’t ever draw from, being nonmagical creatures.

With no ability to see the cobblestone through the snow, it fell to her senses to pick up the pieces. She tested the ground around her on all fours, feeling it through her gloves. Her eyes lazily closed as she focused on gliding through the cracks in the cobble, each brick none different from the last.

She had to be there for a while, five minutes, ten, fifteen, at this rate she’d might have to run the gauntlet to get home.

Rini’s persistence paid off as eventually, she found something. A depression buried within one of the bricks, almost like a handle.

“Gotcha!”

With a mighty strain she pulled with both paws, and a heavy trap door disguised by stone brick flew open. Snow piled onto the space beside it and the passage revealed a hidden stairwell below, leading into a steel door.

Once more she stepped back, taking in the reveal (and also huffing from the lift) with a smile.

A quiet chuckle escaped her as she flicked her wrist, the euphoria of a puzzle solved alike that of a job well done.

“Gale, you certainly know how to make a girl earn her bread, I’ll tell ya that.”

Without further delay, Rini descended down the stairs closing the door above her, hoping whatever effect Gale has conceals its presence. Pitch blackness engulfed her and she made careful work on the stone cold stairs, if she slipped there’s no telling how she’d land.

Rini’d slipped down enough stairs already, she didn’t need to build a record.

When she got to what she was sure was the bottom, she searched for and knocked on the door.

Much like she’d come to expect from Gale, there was no immediate response. Unlike last time however she wasn’t left to dry, and the sound of a metal hatch sliding open met her ears alongside the murmuring of voices. The smallest amount of light outlining a vague shape on the other side, but all else was obscured.

“Password?”

“Gale, open this door before I beat you to death with a copy of the third edition.”

"Yeah, that's Rini."

The hatch shut and several locks, chains and bolts were undone from the otherside. A full half minute’s worth of security was shifted through before the door creaked open, and Rini was let inside.

She was treated to a darkened room scarcely lit by candlelight. The gentle hum of machinery and the quiet hissing of pipes sounding all around. A boiler sat in the back of the room, its closed furnace providing some amount of light and warmth to those inside.

Bedrolls, bread baskets and bookcases full of unknown articles lined one of the walls. A chalkboard full of pinned pieces of paper and lists upon lists hung from the other. In the centre of the room, a table with a map of the town and neighbouring area sat with all manner of small objects littered across it.

The highlight however, was the sheer number of ponies all tucked together inside. Many were asleep, whole families hidden under blankets or atop crude bunk beds. Most lay undisturbed by her presence but some stood cautious of Rini.

All she could do is offer a nervous wave as she turned towards Gale, who’d since fitted a new wing brace.

“I have several questions.” Rini raised a digit. “Where did you get a safehouse from? How did you do the magic stuff above? Was the dead end always like that? Or did you mess around with it somehow? And how the crap did you evad-Mphm!”

Gale jammed a hoof over her mouth with a smug grin. “All in good time Rini, ah can’t explain everything but who knows? If you're observant ya could piece it together yourself.”

He then stepped away, letting go of her. “Thanks for your help that night, ah can see it wasn’t easy.” Gale added.

Rini unconsciously rubbed her chin as she met him by the table. “So you’ve been hiding here? Pretty elaborate, I gotta say.”

“Storm Shelter’s big, but not enough to fit a whole town. Some ponies had to make due and renovate.”

A quick glance revealed a couple ponies in the middle of said renovation, seemingly adding more rooms and space with their own magic.

“We’re below a charcoal kiln, I’m good friends with the owner, he won’t sell us out if it bought him a mansion.”

Rini turned to see who said that. A dark yellow earth pony with a pinetree green mane stood beside the main table, giving her a smile upon sight.

“Oh! Rini, that’s Corn Kernel, he’s the one that let me in after I fled.”

“Thirty-second horseshoe infantry, reservist anyway.” He added, his military background obvious by his voice.

Shortly after, a few more ponies emerged from the crowd. All giving her friendly smiles and the occasional wave.

“That’s Two Bits, banker. Pencil Sketch, artist, and Rad-”

“Radiant Path?” Rini finished, turning towards the bright white clergypony, who nervously pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “S-Sorry about what happened.”

He didn’t speak, but met her gaze with an accepting smile.

She mirrored him and gave a wave to the others around them before turning back to Gale.

“So, much do you wanna know?”

CH 19

“The army is rounding up everypony they can without being loud about it.” Gale explained, not that it was news.

What was news were the numerous stories they began telling shortly after, Pencil Sketch, a local artist, was first and already Rini could tell the Unicorn’s emotional struggle from his face alone.

“They set fire to my house while I was at work. When I got back they lied to me and tried to make me sign stuff.” He trembled, voice cracking. “All my drawings, my equipment, my family photos…I ran right then and there.”
Rini frowned and looked to him in sympathy, ready to provide a word of comfort only for Two Bits to step in and cut her off.

“I’ll say, both mine and my late father’s account were seized, not frozen, seized!” He declared, sending those around him a few steps back with his voice. “Property of the crown this, inheritance tax that, and the nerve they have to literally charge me for verbal assault? Honestly it was a miracle all they sent after me were Chiwawas.”

Her gaze snapped between both him and Pencil, struggling to address either as Path spoke up.

“The practice of prayer’s practically been penalised!” Radiant proclaimed. “First city hall tells me they have no plans to rebuild the church or establish it somewhere else, then they prevent me from organising public prayer, and then declare those of the Harmonic Faith a cult?”

He shook his head and wiped his brow. “It’s madness.”

Rini gave up and stayed quiet as more shared similar horror stories. Each remarking the many ways in which the military or its control over the town had dismantled their lives. Every time ending with them being offered a way out if they simply did as instructed.

Bakers burned out of business, writer’s works were written off, and the livelihoods of labourers shut down.

The majority of ponies present had anticipated what was to come and preemptively fled. Their gut instinct weary from the apocalyptic weather, while more recent cases like Gale and Two Bits were lucky.

She quickly became numb to the tales, and such fatigue soon prompted them to stop. Rini didn’t blame them. This was the first time they’d probably gotten to vent some of their frustrations since they’d arrived here. The fact it was to a dog sympathetic to their plight also likely played a part.

“Okay listen, I understand, and I wanna help.” She then turned to Gale and Corn, standing behind the map table. “It’s risky, but if we pull it off, not only will we escape Cherrywood, but we’ll do it in a way in which the military can’t follow us.”

Gale smiled. “We’re listening.”

“When they arrived, the War Dogs parked this massive mobile vehicle workshop at the Scrapyard. It’s the only thing they got keeping their motor fleet running. Without it, they can’t fashion spare parts to fit their stuff and everything would break down within days.”

“What?” Scoffed Corn, “What kind of backwards engineering is that?”

“Diamidian engineering,” She replied, giving a smirk. “They’d have to cannibalise their vehicles for parts, but with everything already fitted with second or third-paw parts, and modifications made to have them fit the vehicles, they are barely being held together. I doubt the spares from one truck would even fit another of the same model.”

“Sweet Celestia.”

Murmurs arose from the crowd as more and more curious sets of eyes were drawn to her. For a moment Rini thought back to her encounter with Caleb, and felt the weight of so many souls gazing upon her. Gale however was quick to act and moved up beside her, patting her on the back.

The weight suddenly lessened, her mind cleared of incorporeal conflict and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Rini looked at him and shared in his reassuring joy.

Their moment was soon broken by Corn Kernel, who’d raised a few questions.

“So how do you reckon we steal it? Must be half a garrison protecting it if it’s so important.”

“Can it really fit everypony? You said it was massive, right?” Spoke another. “What about everypony else in town? Are we going to try helping them?”

Rini braced as question after question was thrown at her, each more difficult than the last. A relentless assault that came after her blow after blow. Yet she didn’t buckle, she didn’t feel threatened or nervous, not with Gale by her side.

That was until one question in particular was asked.

“Hey! Aren’t we jumping the gun here? Can we even trust her?”

Suddenly, the dozens of eyes set upon her stared like pointed daggers and she felt herself shrink. Ponies weren’t a malicious kind per say, heck friendship was the basis for their culture, but they had a nasty habit of falling to herd mentality all too quickly. Typically the only two things that could wrangle back control was either a big, flashy sign, or strong leadership…..or a song and dance routine but she wasn’t pulling that off.

So as they began to close in on her with increasingly suspicious glares, she feared her time would be cut short.

A sharp whistle cut through the crowd like a hot knife through butter, and all turned to a thoroughly unamused Gale.

“Was Corn Kernal the only pony ta get the memo?” He asked, panning his gaze. “Rini’s ma friend, she has been for bucking years! Why do ya think she was let in?”

Like a vice being loosened, Rini felt her ability to breathe return.

“If we’re gonna get through this we need creatures on the outside, and Rini’s a good girl. At least hear her out.”

The crowd settled and many backed away, their heads hung in shame while others returned to her expectedly.

It was honestly a little creepy seeing them switch tracks so fast. One moment they were an angry mob, the next they were listening.

With a deep breath, she rose and turned to them with newfound confidence.

“Look, I’m not gonna have all the answers, I’m just some scrapper!” The crowds quieted, themselves checked by reality. “I’m no leader, I’m no hero. I’m happy to do my part but I can’t hold up half a town on my back. Not alone.”

She paused to take a breath, pacing herself between words. Rini couldn’t describe it, but somehow she was managing to keep her nerves in check. Stage fright still struck her, no doubt about it, but there was no stutter or crack in her voice as she spoke.

“As much as I don’t like it either, we can’t hide forever. When the military is finished with their preparations we’ll all lose the ability to escape. They’ll take everypony they’ve captured to some far off slave camp and move onto the next town, probably leaving some kind of force here to pick up stragglers.”

Rini finished and stepped back, resisting the urge to let her tongue out and pant from the heat.

After a moment of quiet, only a single voice aired over them. “What’s our time frame?”

Rini pulled out her notebook and flipped it open, presenting the page with her notes towards Corn Kernel. “A few days, I think. They’re amassing a good stockpile and by now many of their trucks are in working condition. The landship also needs work but it’s good to go as is.”

“Can you slow them down?”

“Eh, sorta.” This was one of the parts Rini wasn’t completely sure of. “I can’t just straight up cut fuel lines and breaks, even for a Diamond Dog that’s too obvious. I’ve got a few ideas though, and I might be able to turn some of the workers to our side. I know my mom will help.”

At the mention of her mother, another important detail reared its head.

“That reminds me, Gale?” Her eyes lit up and she turned to him. “There was an accident, a pretty bad one. Brambles is in the hospital and I don’t think he’s in any condition to come with us. Heck, I dunno if he’ll even make it.”

“An accident? What kind? We both know Brambles Rini.”

Rini reached across the table and grabbed a chess piece and an empty tin can. She held one over the other and let go, allowing the chess piece to hit the ground before being “crushed.”

Gale’s face went white. “Oh…that kind.”

“Yeah, it wasn't pretty, I tried to help but the foredog had other ideas.”

Pacing back and forth in place, Gale rubbed his chin as if lost in thought. He processed the shock much faster than Rini expected as he then went under the table. There were several boxes and containers underneath it, likely a collection of personal possessions if she had to guess, and Gale pulled out his.

It was a small chest with a lock on it, only here lay a gemstone where the keyhole traditionally was. “Well, lucky for you, I like to stay prepared for these kinds o’ situations.”

He blew into the gemstone, Rini watched as it glowed and the lock clicked open. Inside were a number of items, some Rini recognised from Gale’s apartment like his ring of warmth, and the bit bags she’d given him before they split. Others she wasn’t so knowledgeable about, like a seemingly random bar of soap she spotted, or a knife with a gleaming, icy blade and metallic handle with a strap.

Gale rummaged around before taking out a large, corked bottle. The kind she’d expect to see sitting alongside several brands of beer in a bar somewhere. Its contents consisted of a crimson red liquid that dimly glowed against the room’s darkened backdrop. A label on the face of the bottle advertising it as the stuff of fantasy.

“Is that a healing potion?” She asked, awestruck. “Like, an actual, Zebrican made healing potion?”

“It's Equestrian made but close enough.” Gale stood up and set the bottle next to Rini, locking eyes with her to emphasise his words. “This is potent stuff Rini, the real deal. If Brambles really is hanging on by a thread, he’ll need…maybe half a bottle? Three quarters? Depends on a lot of factors.”

“It's…really that powerful?” She stared at it, briefly reminded of the bruise on her back and the gap in her teeth, tempted to try a sip. “Why not use it to heal his wing?”

“It's really that powerful. I only have one so don’t waste a drop.” Gale replied, unintentionally answering her question.

Rini looked between him and the potion, prepared to say something but catching herself last second. She opted to give him a simple thumbs up and smile instead. With a quick nod she grabbed the bottle only to find something else occupying her pocket.

“Oh…yeah…that…”

She padded her coat and looked over the others, hesitation mounting as she cast an eye over the reservist. “Do I really want to enable potential murder?...”

By now Gale had caught on to her pause, and she could feel the pressure climbing. At the same time, the mental image of a dead soldier- “Screw it, it’s not like the war mutts will give us the same courtesy anyway.”

“Let’s make it a trade, I got something I think you're better off with anyway.” Rini then slowly pulled out the revolver from her coat pocket, placed it on the table alongside its ammunition, and turned to Corn who stared at her wide eyed.

With equal sluggishness he picked up the weapon, inspecting it. “Girl, where in the field did you find this?”

“You find a lot of things in the Scrapyard, you’d be surprised what creatures leave in their storage compartments.” Pocketing the potion, she turned to Gale, equally stunned by her concealed carry. “As nice as it's been, I have to go Gale. Mom’s waiting for me but curfew isn’t.”

Shaking his head only to then hastily nod, he gave her a smile. “Y-Yeah! Think we can meet up tomorrow? Come up with a plan?”

Rini nodded as she reached for the door. “I’ll bring my mom with me, we’ll think of something.”

Closing the door behind her, she was once more drowned within darkness and had to navigate the stone steps. After lifting the trap door she was bathed in dim moonlight, the half clouded gaze of luna light casted upon the dull brickwork.

Once Rini had got her barings it was a race against the clock.

She didn’t know how long she had until that horn blew, but she wasn’t about to take the chance after meeting Gale’s little resistance. Getting caught this early would’ve been downright embarrassing, among other things. At least this time she wasn’t being chased by a pair of thugs.

By the time she reached the front door, she was exhausted.

A day of stress and labour, an exercise of the brain followed by a pleasant reunion and now a home run.

She heard Riley call to her in relief just as she entered through the door, to the blaring of bells and whistles as if to announce her.

Her mother halted in place when those horns blew, but not because of the audio shock. Rini looked like a royal mess as the door closed, yet gave her a smile all the same.

“How was your day?” Asked Riley, more concerned than cheerful.

“Let’s just say I ain’t doing overtime tomorrow.”

CH 20 - Act 4, The Calm

Riley stood in front of a large, modern building.

Large stone bricks held together via cement, coated with white paint held up its lofty structure. Numerous windows lined its first and second stories, with a pair of very clean looking entrance gates on opposite sides. Chimies bellowed stacks of black and white smoke high into the skies, and the second floor balconies meant for pegasi drawn ambulance carts now remained firmly shut.

Above, a large, brightly lit sign displayed the establishment’s name.

Cherrywoodwoof General Hospital!

Why they replaced the whole word with a crudely drawn wooden sign instead of only replacing a single letter was beyond her.

Riley shrugged and made her way inside, patting her chest to ensure Gale’s gift was still there.

Thankfully Riley had never had to visit the hospital often. A few times as a result of an accident she didn’t have the time or patience to treat herself, but for the most part she was largely fine without it. Until it opened a couple years ago the town mostly had its own doctors.

However, things didn’t quite feel right.

Gone were the colourful murals meant to calm children, gone were the friendly reminders from nurses to take flu shots, and gone was any sight, sound or even smell of Equestrian staff. In place of all that were snack machines, pharmaceutical advertisements and directions to the nearest cafe.

“Was it like this before, or after they arrived?”

Pushing that thought from her mind Riley met with the receptionist, a sandy blonde pug having to stand on her chair to reach the papers. The two locked eyes and Riley rested a paw on the desk.

“Hello? Riley Burrows, here to visit Brambles Ballbaring.”

“No problem, miss, that’ll be ten Jewels.”

Riley recoiled briefly. “I’m sorry what?”

The receptionist pulled out a folder and from it, a bill of some kind. “Economic reforms, a few of them are quite recent.”

With the paw she had rested, Riley covered her face in annoyance and groaned. “I swear, these dogs are gonna bleed me of all the money they gave me and then some.”

She reached for her wallet and paid the receptionist, before being given a numbered ticket and a room location. Riley stormed off without another word and breathed deeply, passing by doctors, nurses and the occasional patient. All Diamidian of course, not once did she hear the twinkle of magic, nor the flap of a wing.

The few times she had come here, it was usually filled with ponies. Now it felt…empty.

Just like the streets outside…

Riley entered Brambles’ room and lost her breath, nearly tripping over herself in sheer shock.

The Terrier was clad in a full body cast partially suspended in the air, with all manner of medical apparatus attached to his form. The only two parts of him that saw the light of day were his eyes and mouth, but otherwise he was a few wads of tape short of being mummified.

She covered her mouth and backed up into the wall, eyes wide as moons and limbs shaky as windswept frames. Riley hadn’t even noticed the retriever to her side asking if she was alright, such was her heavy heartbeat.

All she heard was noise until a chair suddenly shifted under her, and she fell into it. Woken from her gaze into the abyss, she turned towards the nurse smiling at her.

“I take it you weren’t expecting this?”

Riley tried to muster words but her voice fell short, nodding instead.

“Family? Or a friend?”

“Friend.” She mouthed the word. A glance at her tag identified her as Goldy Roselock, and Riley took the chance to lay back a moment simply to breathe.

Sensing her shock, Goldy mirrored her movement and drew her own seat, patiently waiting for her voice to recover.

It wasn’t long before Riley’s heart settled, longer than she’d like by no means enough to read a book over.

“What happened?” She muttered, watching as the nurse reached for a clipboard at the foot of the bed.

“In short? He broke nearly every bone in his body. Except the tail.”

As if on queue, Riley turned to see Bramble’s spiked tail wagging back and forth excitedly.

“Well, at least he has that going for him.” Riley felt a slight bit of relief.

“When he arrived he was in a really bad way,” Goldy stated, sounding not too bothered. “Ribs had pierced his lungs leading him to cough up blood, internal bleeding like no tomorrow, and with all the muscular bruising and soft tissue damage we really doubted he’d survive surgery…”

“So that’s exactly what we did!” She smiled.

A very short, concerned whine escaped Riley as she glanced at Brambles, still wagging.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“Maybe, the fact he survived surgery at all is a miracle. Larger breeds are known for their toughness but he’s no mastiff sooo…luck I guess?”

Riley kept her eyes on the entombed Terrier. “Luck’s got nothing to do with this…”

The nurse continued, reading from the clipboard. “We expected his recovery period to be a few months. If he’ll still be able to walk however is still up in the air. Too early to tell.”

“Right.” She replied, again rubbing her pocket, looking to the doctor. “What about the medical bill? Let’s say he somehow stood up and walked right out, what would it look like?”

Goldy flipped through a few pages before arriving where she wanted, squinting her eyes she tried mouthing the words, practising, her own eyes holding a mix of pity and stock.

“Oh that’s not good.”

“Uh…this number?” Goldy presented the clipboard to her, the number easily visible in large black letters.

Three-thousand, seven-hundred and fifty-three point ninety-nine Jewels!

Riley’s jaw dropped as she clutched the wooden frame. Almost forgetting to breathe as she slowly looked up at her. “You're serious? For just the surgery and a couple days stay?”

“I think that’s the projected cost of his treatment and months of recovery? I don’t make these prices, the medical director does.”

“Who’s the medical director?” Riley asked, her voice hushed, trying not to shoot the proverbial messenger.

“I don’t know, some new dog. The old one stepped down a couple days ago.

Riley’s eye twitched. “You’ve gotta be kidding.”

“Well of course we don’t expect him to pay it all off at once. We’ll be taking payments over time.”

“Okay but to ask again, what if he somehow recovered in the next ten minutes? How much would he pay?”

“I dunno!” Goldy squeaked, recoiling away from her. “I’m here to look after a patient’s emotional wellbeing, not do maths.”

Riley grumbled to herself and rubbed her forehead.

“Alright, can you leave me alone for a minute? I wanna have a talk with him.”

With a quick nod Goldy left the room, prompting Riley to stand and walk over to Brambles’ side.

She let off a quiet sigh as she looked over him, his eyes shut despite his wagging tail. “Perhaps an unconscious habit? Some dogs do wag in their sleep.” Riley opened her coat and reached for a flash, its metal shell concealing the medicinal contents within.

“How much did Rini say? Half a bottle right? But didn’t she measure it when giving me the flask?” Riley glanced between him and the bottle, unscrewing the lid with a thumb. “Should I be safe and just give him the whole thing? Rini did mention side effects…”

A nearby clock ticked as Riley swirled the bottle around, becoming increasingly frustrated by her own indecision.

She sighed as she put the lid away, levelling the flask over his mouth and lifting his head with her other paw. “Screw it, I ain’t gonna half-ass this. Besides, not like it can heal him too much right?” Riley poured the potion into his open mouth, slowly and carefully so as to not cause a convulsion or make him cough.

Bit by bit, the bottle got lighter and lighter. The fact the nurse didn’t return even after what felt like a full five plus minutes gave Riley cause for both concern and thankfulness.

If she got caught doing this, who knows what could happen.

Miraculously, Brambles hadn’t once coughed throughout the process, allowing Riley to feed him every last drop of the bottle. Once emptied she stood back, twisting the cap on whilst keeping an eye on him.

“Brambles? Hey Bram Bram? Can ya hear me?”

There was quiet within the room, only broken by the ticking of a clock.

“Did it work? Or does it need time-”

His eyes suddenly shot open, cracks formed along the lengths of the casts as he attempted to shoot upright. Plaster peeling off in chunks as his arm tore itself free from its confines, and grasped the side of his caged face. His claws dug in and with a strong yank, the whole front section of plaster was ripped off.

And he was smiling.

“Brambles? How do you feel?”

“I drink aftershave!”

Riley looked at him with concern, turning to the bottle as if it were to shrug back. “I’d forgotten just how unusually high his voice was.”

An audio gallery similar to what one might hear when cooking popcorn was present as Brambles moved to sit up. His joints popped and cracked in all sorts of semi-sickening ways as the plaster broke off. A veritable mess of debris gathered around him and the more he did so, the more Riley found herself glancing at the room’s door.

“How much do I wanna bet they’ll still throw a bill big enough to choke a dragon at him? A bill in the hundreds is still far too big for either of us to pay off.”

She then turned to look at the window, unlocked and unopened. “Unless…”

Riley wasn’t typically one to break the rules, but with everything that had been going on, and the indenturement they were about to inflict upon Brambles, the window suddenly became very apparent to her, appealing even.

The newly healed mutt began pulling himself free of the medical apparatus he’d been attached to. Needles that had fed bottles of liquid into his body scattered to the side, yet no blood was spilled in the process. Fresh scar tissue sealing over the punctures before fresh fur sprouted up.

It was almost surreal seeing him rise up like this. Granted, Riley’d heard tales of his toughness, but to go from deathbed to doorstep within a minute’s notice was something else.

He sat up, medical grabbing his collar from the bedside before turning to her with a giddy grin. “Hi Riley!”

“Hey,” She gently waved, holding the clipboard, “So uh, you’ll probably hate what I’ve got to say next.”

Riley passed it over to him to look, and Brambles gave it a skim before turning back to her. “Is this another story? Where’s all the pictures?”

“Huh?” Riley starred at him for a moment before memory came knocking. “Oh right. It’s your medical bill Brambles, and right now it’s in the thousands.”

Brambles bought a paw up and began counting digits. Riley gave an eyeroll and batted his paw aside. “It’s a bill for your hospital stay. It’s too much for either of us to pay.”

“Ohhhhhhh” Bramble nodded while taking another glance. “So…whaddya we do?”

“Well, I was thinking you could leave through that window-”

Before Riley had finished her sentence, the alchemically stimulated mutt dashed past her. She turned to grab him but failed and barked in panic as he smashed through the second story window. Somehow forming a hole near perfectly shaped to his outline.

There was a mighty crash as he hit the ground, and Riley rushed over to view the damage.

“Brambles?! Say something!”

“Hospitals suck!”

She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing him move in no less health. “The potion must still be active, thank Eudora.”

With no more reason to stay, Riley stepped back and made note of the mess. Pitying the poor janitor that’d have to clean up the surreal sight. Her first thought was to try making a rope using the bed sheet but Bramble had beat her to it.

Goldy was waiting within the hall outside, leaning against a wall with a newspaper in paw. Riley quickly closed the door behind her before she could catch a glimpse of the carnage.

“Hi miss! How’d it go?”

Riley smirked. “It went well, even if I did drop in on him…”

CH 21

Never before had Rini’s job felt so liberating.

She’d informed Snapjaw on her way in that she had no plans of sticking around after dark this time, but she’d make up for it tomorrow.

Today however, she went in with a plan.

Rini channelled her inner gremlin and worked tirelessly, and eagerly on as many trucks as she could. There was no other feeling like it, to get a dastardly idea and then act upon it was bliss, joyful bliss.

She mixed labels around, unfastened a few bolts or made them brittle via her blowtorch. The scrapper even went so far as to “creatively re-organise” a few wiring systems, though made sure to not go too far.

Rini wasn’t a killer, she couldn’t bear the thought of rigging fuel tanks or messing with the brakes, but that only meant she had to be creative.

Could engineering be considered an art? If it could then this was her canvas, and she was inspired.

Seconds turned to minutes, then hours and before she knew it dusk had settled upon the town. Occasionally she’d been called to assist on the landship but she’d made sure not to spend too long within its bowls this time.

Yet the usual bells and whistles that’d signal an end to the shift didn’t sound.

Curious, and perhaps a little frightened, she put away her tools and made for the gate. “Maybe they just forgot? Or is Snapjaw having issues with the bell?”

Rini would get her answer but in the way she wanted, as when she caught sight of the situation, she was greeted to a crowd at the front gate. A line of armed soldiers barring it from opening, with Captain Caleb in the middle holding a megaphone.

“Work hours are not over yet, please resume with your shifts!”

A crowd of howling discontent and barking outrage replied to his statement. So much at once picking a single cry from the crown became near impossible. A protest in progress.

Rini quickly looked around and found no sign of Snapjaw. Not as part of the pack, nor among the guards.

“Okay, this is bad,” she thought, recalling their efforts to encourage longer hours. “Looks like they got tired of playing nice.”

She backed away and hid behind a stack of rusting autobodies, now noticing the new guard towers nested around the gate. Both were just about big enough to accommodate two mutts.

“Front gate’s a no go, need another way out.” Rini reached into her overalls and pulled out a pair of sharp pliers. While the towers were tall, and the weapons they wielded were worrisome. At the end of the day the only thing between any of them and the town was a chain link fence lined with barbed wire.

So with a little finesse, she slipped away into the depths of the Scrapyard, making mental notes along the way.

“Chances are Corn and the others will need a route to the vehicle bay, best make use of my time here.”

Plotting a safe (or at least quiet) route towards the fence wasn’t hard. It was the number of guards and workers they’d need to navigate around. All it’d take is one howl, a whistle or gunshot, and the entirety of the yard would descend upon them.

Rini could think of a few ideas on her way to Gale, and already she did have one idea, patting a coat pocket. She’d push that to the back of her mind however as she approached the fence, pliers in paw.

She went to work cutting a large section of fence, large enough to comfortably crawl through. As she did so her mind began to wander, specifically to Gale.

“If you're observant, you could piece it together yourself.” She mouthed the words, musing over them. “Way to be vague Gale, always did like your secrets.”

He had a bar of soap sitting in his chest, which could explain how he covered his own scent. There were so many other smells inside that room she couldn’t pick out a single one, and certainly not Gale’s. That led her to another question, one more pressing.

“Just where did he get all those magical doodads? Or a healing potion? I can see him paying for a few of them owning a business, but if mom’s taught me anything it’s that availability’s just as important.”

Like an itch needing to be scratched, she quickly began racking her brain for a possible explanation.

“Did he travel to another town? Or did some wandering merchant stop by and-”

A bright light was suddenly cast upon Rini’s form just as the cutout came loose, a voice roared over her.

“Freeze!”

Her blood went cold and her limbs locked up, lungs going still. “Oh crap,” She thought, “This is it.”

In a flash she imagined all manner of horrible things to proceed, assuming a gunshot didn’t wasn’t in the cards for her. A cold, dark cell where no light could be found. The door to Gale’s hideout being kicked in and a gallery of gunfire painting the walls rest.

Her mother crying her eyes out as she’s dragged away from her stolen home…

And her distant brother being none the wiser.

“Turn around, now!” Rini was ripped back to reality and she slowly complied. Raising her paws in the air as she turned to face the bright light, unable to see who was behind it.

“He’s by himself, maybe I could-no no, I got lucky with the church. This guy has a gun!”

The soldier approached her and grabbed her forearms, trying to restrain her. Rini tried to fidget in a token effort to resist the larger mutt, which led to him barking in her ear, his steel grip doing the rest.

At once she was plagued with equal parts anguish and anger at the injustice, yet she was held in place by fear, and primal instinct. “This isn’t right damn it!” She spat, “You can’t force us to work!”

He suddenly froze, just as still as Rini had.

Quiet permeated the air for a moment as she wondered what was going on. The sounds of distant protest and the occasional creak of metal meeting her ears.

The soldier brought a paw up to his head and a moment later, she heard his voice, devoid of ill-will.

“Rini?”

It was then it clicked in her head, she’d heard that voice somewhere before and she slowly turned towards him. Finding the familiar face of a half blind sheepdog, her memory foggy from adrenaline.

“Alpine?!” She gasped before pointing at his face. “You seriously need to get that cut!”

He stood up and softened his eyes, hesitating. “S-Sorry, grows back faster than you think.”

“So what now? Gonna bring me in?”

“No actually,” Alpine stowed his pipe-like gun and moved to her side, “You’ve got a point.”

Rini breathed a sigh of relief, yet still the fire within her burned. “What about them? You could’ve just ignored me.”

He opened his mouth but caught himself, glancing away before going back to her. “I didn’t know what I was looking at, for all I knew you could’ve been trying to break in.”

She only hardened her glare.

“As for them,” He turned to look away, in the direction of their camp. “I ain’t doped up like the rest of em, but I can’t just turn my back on my buddies. I made an oath, to queen and country.”

“And what country goes around foalnapping whole towns? Or forcing its workers into overtime?” Rini pointed to her cheek, still slightly swollen but no longer angry. “See this? I got this from a couple of your “buddies” for trying to help a friend of mine. The worst he’d ever done is forget to pay me back five bits.”

Alpine groaned and looked back at her. “R-Rini they’re-”

“No!” She stood up, unable to reach his eye level but casting a vicious gaze all the same. “Remember what you said? That they’re here to help us? Look around you, think this is something you’d do if you had the common dog’s interests at heart?”

Alpine took a step back, letting his fur down and frowning. Contemplating her words as best a dog in his position could. Rini could see the cogs twist in his head, neither certain about the other.

“I’ll think about it, okay?” He hesitantly answered, rubbing his shoulder. “Maybe I’ll try sticking around after they leave, try to keep the town out of trouble. But you’re asking a lot of me Rini.”

Rini scowled and held back a low growl, unsatisfied with his answer. “I…I shouldn’t push it, having somedog back here might be for the better.”

Cooling her head for a moment she tried to form a new plan.

“Then again, what’s he gonna do when everydog runs out of meds? Organise a support group?”

Rini mused over the idea. It was unlikely one war mutt could make a significant difference if the town descended into chaos, but even if he could save one dog, one family, that might just be enough for her.

Sometimes, one good soul was all it took. He was letting her go afterall, and she was helping plan an exodus.

With a slow, relaxed sigh she returned to the present. “Thank you. It’s probably all I can ask at this point but thank you.”

Alpine smiled a little, nodding in return. “You’re welcome, now get going, before anyone else catches you.”

Without another word she nodded and scrambled through the hole and away from the fence. Out into the town with her head pounding just as much as her heart.

“I need to keep an eye on him, we’ll need all the help we can get.”

Putting Alpine in the back of her mind for a moment, she shifted back to the more pressing matter. Namely the incident at the scrapyard.

“The soldiers are getting impatient, we might need to leave earlier than expected.”

The trip back to the hideout was a mercifully short one, and while Rini had to fumble around trying to find the entrance again, she at least remembered vaguely where it was.

From this side of the door she could already hear an increased level of noise, akin to the quiet mumbling of a crowd. A wave of hot, humid air rushed past her as she was let through the steel door and into a world of noise and colour.

Everywhere she looked, Rini saw more, and more, and more ponies. So many packed into one place that a photograph could’ve been mistaken for abstract art. The visual alone was enough to cause some sensory overload, and that was before accounting for all the new smells.

Some were flying around, serving food, taking care of their kids or sorting through luggage. Such was their number that large shelves had to be installed onto the walls just to provide that little extra space. A few pegasi even created some clouds to serve as beds to make use of some of the free space.

It was because of all this visual chaos that the forms of her friends and family almost went unnoticed, lost to the artist’s pallet. Flashes of them could be seen gathered around the table, like Gale and Riley. More were present but she needed a closer look.

Rini pushed her way forward and through the crowds, with some more nervous than others at her presence. A friendly smile helped disarm them but it felt somewhat akin to wading through a room full of powder kegs.

If one went off, they all did.

“Just keep moving Rini, just keep moving.” Between her encounter with Caleb, and this, she was really starting to dislike crowds. “By the sky this doesn’t get any easier.”

Eventually she reached the table, which was covered in small representative objects and notes.

None of that held her interest however.

It was who she was facing across the other side.

“Brambles?!”

CH 22

“Hi!” The brawny terrier waved over to her.

Rini let out a small laugh as equal parts relief and joy washed over her. Tail wagging with glee and her eyes swelling with painful delight.

Yet what was supposed to be a pure, unchallenged moment of joy for her was tainted by something else. Butterflies gathered in her stomach, her head span and the vivid memories of the accident came creeping back.

She’d seen him fall, heard him scream, and felt the crash.

Now he was just…here. In front of her. As if nothing had happened.

It felt so surreal, to be staring her friend in the eye so soon.

She turned to Riley, her voice trembling with emotion as her mother stood up. “It…actually worked?” She returned a grin and nodded.

“Went dumpster diving through a closed window right after waking up, but yeah, it worked.”

Rini’s smile waned and she looked back at Brambles with concern, whom thankfully she read as unharmed, healthy even. “I thought the trash bags would break my fall! How was I supposed to know they’d frozen?” He shrugged, sensing her judgmental gaze.

Wordlessly, Rini manoeuvred around the table with a smile, big and bright. Quickly she enveloped Brambles in a tight hug that caught the comparatively large dog off guard.

“You dumbass.” She sqeaked, stress welling up and streaking down her face. “Don’t scare me like that again, please.”

Brambles nodded and patted her back with a free paw. Returning a smile of his own. “I’ll try Rini, I’ll try.”

Gale climbed and rested both front hooves onto the table beside Riley, speaking just loud enough to be heard over the room. “A whole half bottle huh?” He playfully spoke.

“Wanted to play it safe, didn’t think it’d make him go wacko.”

“That’s what happens when you get high off magic. Though I guess it worked out in the end.” He turned to her but she didn’t make eye contact, instead continuing to stare at the two. “You know, he could’ve probably had his heart pop or his lung collapsed, and the aftereffects would’ve taken care of it.”

Now Riley turned to him, stricken by awe. “Seriously? I didn’t realise pony magic could be so powerful.”

“Speak for yourself!” He smiled, “If half o’ what Rini’s said is true, Diamidia could be roaming around in giant moving cities within a few years. They already have that landship.”

“Moving cities?” Riley snigged, trying in vain to hide her smile. “They can barely keep that thing running!”

“I’m just saying, magic’s no longer the go to problem solver anymore.”

The brief joy that surrounded Riley quicked faded, and she prepared to respond only to cut herself from doing so. After everything that’d happened, everything she’d seen and all the machinery that now surrounded…

She wasn’t so quick to abject, not anymore.

Instead, she hung her head low and turned away. “Yeah…I guess you're right.”

Gale set a hoof on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her, also sharing in that momentary sorrow of days gone. Riley would soon turn to him however, her voice low and wanting. “You…uh, wouldn’t happen to know more about magical items, would you?”

“Plenty Mrs. Riley, have something specific for me?”

She’d nod, ducking under the table to pull out a lockbox before inserting a short code. Inside were a few loose items but the one of interest she presented was a pair of rings with glowing gemstones.

Gale’s eyes widened and he grinned. His reaction promised Riley some emotional reprieve. “So what are they?”

Just as he opened his mouth and prepared to speak, he was interrupted by a pat on the back. Gale turned around and saw the other two Diamidians smiling at him and Riley.

He snapped his head in both directions, torn between Riley and Rini for attention before conceding with a sigh.

To his credit Rini wasn’t giving him her full attention either, at least not yet. Instead she was bouncing her gaze between him and the planning table.

Two homemade maps lay upon it, the first being that of Cherrywood’s town jail and the other of the Scrapyard. The jail map had its pieces cleared away and moved to the other map, which Corn Kernel was adjusting. That one she was paying more attention to but quickly turned to Gale.

“Been busy?” Rini stood on her side. “Place wasn’t this packed when I arrived.”

Gale turned to her and his expression soured, now more sheepish suddenly. “Y-Yeah, you can say that.”

She raised an eyebrow and glanced over the crowds, a veritable herd of colours. “Right…is this eveypony in town? Or do you have plans to stage a breakout at the jail?”

He suddenly winced and his ears drooped, the air suddenly changing like a light switch. “This…this is everypony Rini. Everypony from the jail.”

“W-What?...”

She casted a second gaze over the room. The entirety of half a town’s population stuffed into this overcrampt cellar, or rather, the remains of that half. All the kids, the elders, the bakers, farmers, carpenters, all of them.

Yet they were still too few.

“N-No, this can’t be it, this can’t be all of you.” She snapped back to Gale. “This can’t be half of Cherrywood!”

“It…it..” His voice cracked, horror washing his coat white. “It is. The jail Rini, they were already s-sending ponies away. W-We saved who we could but…” He turned to her, yet refrained from making eye contact. “N-No, no, It’s too much.”

Rini lowered her voice and hunched over the table, trying to look him dead on. “Gale? What is it?”

“I…I’d rather not say. Ya don’t need to hear it.”

She raised an eyebrow but pulled back. Whatever happened was troubling him just thinking about it, and after her brief shock with Brambles’ crate encounter, she figured it best not to pry. Still, it unnerved her to see Gale like this just from bringing it up.

Nevermind him helping a breakout with only one wing.

“Whatever he found, it can’t be good. The soldiers are up to something dirty.”

Part of her wanted to press further, to know how far this whole thing went…yet she also dreaded the answer.

“Probably best I let him tell me in his own time.”

“Rini?” Corn Kernel called, stood across the table. “Think you can help with this?” He gestured towards the map.

With a nod she stood tall and addressed him. “Right, what do you need?”

“Information for starters. What’s going on at the Scrapyard?”

Ponies were gathering around them. Some curious, some nervous, others gently flew overhead and observed. For a moment Rini felt the crowds close in and had to steel herself, trying to keep her past experience behind her.

“They’re just ponies Rini, they're not trying to pressure you into taking drugs.”

She looked between Riley and Brambles, taking a deep breath.

“Okay, where to start?” She looked over the map, taking a few tiny wooden chess pieces and placing them around. Marking down guard towers, the camp, the multi-purpose building and its Steamhub. There were many more details she cleared up on the map, rubbing out some areas and drawing her own, as crude as it was.

The Rustbucket was represented with an actual metal bucket, the small fancy kind she’d seen used to serve fries. Toy soldiers in place of actual soldiers, wooden blocks to help mark pathways through the scraps, and sticky notes with all kinds of information listed upon them.

And she still wasn’t done.

“-And lastly some mastiffs use them for heavy labour. Haven’t seen them running around with guns so I reckon they’d be using clubs.”

Corn nodded and rubbed his chin, contemplating. “After our stunt they might bump up security. We were able to subdue all the guards and get everypony out without any fuss, but I doubt they’ll be happy walking into an empty jail.”

“I dunno, they’re all doped up on some kind of wonder drug. It does all kinds of things so I think it depends on the breed, but most commonly, makes em relax.”

Corn raised an eye at that, but little more. “We’ll have to treat it as an absolute. Counting on the mistakes of others won’t be enough.” Rini nodded, he was very matter of fact and she couldn’t argue.

If anything it proved what she said next.

“That reminds me, the military’s gunning to leave town soon. For days they’ve been encouraging us to work longer hours and today they’ve had enough. They’re forcing workers into overtime now.”

Several of the ponies around them grimaced, Corn being one of them. “Damn it! How much time do we have?”

Rini rubbed the back of her head, recalling her notebook and her efforts from that day. “Vehicle bay’s fully fueled and mostly repaired. I’ve tinkered with a lot of their stuff but now only a pawful of auto-bodies need work. At their current rate?...”

She grimaced and took a deep breath, hesitant to state her claim but knowing full well she had to. There were so many eyes upon her, so many souls banking on what she knew. Their futures lay uncertain otherwise.

It almost crushed her to say it.

“I think we'll have to leave tomorrow night.”

A series of audible gasps filled the air around her, followed by a silence as they switched from her to Corn.

“That’s absurd!” One pony said aloud, “We’re nowhere near ready! What if there’s still others in town?”

“And what if we get caught down here? No way we’ll get broken out a second time.” Another objected.

“Do we even have enough supplies to go anywhere? We’d never survive out there on our own.” A third raised further concerns.

Voice began to rise, emotions swelling up and all kinds of arguments and counter arguments aired across the table.

Corn Kernel let out a loud whistle to regain control, likely moments away from the emotions of the few spreading beyond his efforts.

“Listen!” He called out, “I know it’s not ideal, but it’s our best option. If we don’t take this chance we might not get another like it!” He raised a hoof into the air and glided it across the map, countless others fixated upon him.

“First off, the guards. There’s clearly too many for everypony to sneak into the Rustbucket. We’re going to get noticed. Even if we somehow get in, the moment we start moving the whole town will be after us.”

“Oh come on,” Riley spoke, in an almost mocking tone. “You could grab any of these guys, throw their brains down a razorblade and it’d look like a marble rolling down a four lane highway.”

A few quiet snickers rang out around them, but Corn seemed none too happy. “Not helping Miss Riley.”

Rini raised a paw. “I can help with that!” She then turned towards Riley, grinning. “But I’ll need your bag of ground coffee.”

“W-What? Why?”

She dug into her coat and from her pocket, slowly withdrew a large bottle, just enough to show off before putting it back.

All parties connected the dots and stared at her wide eyed.

“Miss Riley?” Spoke Corn. “Your daughter is devious.”

“Runs in the family.” She replied, equally shocked. Her frown slowly twisted into a likewise grin similar to Rini’s, and she looked over to Corn. “There’s gonna be a lot to pack up, think your folk can handle it?”

He nodded to her and turned back to Rini. “I don’t suppose you’ve got a plan for all the auto-wagons they’ll send to, right?”

Only for Gale to tap his shoulder and nod, confirming it. “Forgot so quickly?”

“Ehh…” He found Rini giving him the most cheeky of grins, complete with squinted eyes that only promised the gleeful torment of others.

At that moment, it didn’t matter if the ponies actually trusted her, or if this plan had any actual chance of working.

Because Rini was going to be such a bad girl.

CH 23

Rini rushed around her bedroom musing over her personal possessions. An open backpack sat beside the door already half full with a few essentials.

She wasn’t one for material possessions and thankfully so, as her list of items was mercifully short.

It wasn’t any single item or piece of personal property that agitated her however, it was the walls around her that pained her so. The knowledge this would likely be the last time she could lay eyes upon this little cottage again. The place she’d grown up in and lived practically her entire life.

Every step was heavy, each grip tight as iron and every breath drawn laden with emotion.

The air was silent, only disturbed by the occasional, quiet whine.

“This isn’t fair,” she stuffed another bundle of wrapped up birthday cards into her pack. “I shouldn’t have to do this.”

A silver plated trophy of a cog followed suit, three more picture frames alongside it. “Why couldn’t the war mutts just stay in their own lane?”

It was a cruel injustice, and righteous earned rage. Rini should’ve been ready to leave her home on her own accord, instead, it was the world who was ready for her leave.

“At least I’m getting the chance to say goodbye, right?”

She turned to look around her, viewing the cobblestone walls lined with wood panels. Bundles of pipes and wires hanging overhead, a less than recent renovation to keep up with the times.

Yet at the end of the day, the walls within were still just as old, if not older than her.

It was quite possible that this one, tiny cottage was older than the town that was built around it, people included.

That fact harmed her more than anything, the memories, the quiet pride, the joy she had. It all had been left behind for not just her sake, but for the sake of those around her. Her gut twisted and her lip trembled.

“Home is what you make of it, right?” She turned to the pictures, the cards, the little wooden toys her dad had carved for her growing up. Even the stuffed plush toy she’d had since she could remember.

It was as if the emotions of years upon years of memory had been compressed, squeezed and juiced into this one moment. This one horrible moment of anguish.

She was leaving her home, she was leaving home, and with no promise to return. Would it even be standing in a year’s time? Would it be demolished in favour of one of those cheap, tacky houses Bramble’s lived in?

Probably…

Definitely…

Rini was going to lose her home.

“N-No, home is where the heart is. If home is what you make of it then…” She looked around, the world a colourless grey blur of shapes. Everything focused down onto the little stuffed doll she held up. The only object of colour to her. “Then my family is my home, my memory is my home. Four walls and a roof, that's what a building needs to be a home.”

Now her eyes panned around the room, drawn to what gave her back those nostalgic moments. The world in rose tinted light.

“But what a home is…is safety, comfort, the ability to rest and be with those you love.” She looked back down at the doll, tears welling up, its button eyes met hers. Her first gift, her first companion, her first friend.

The floodgates broke and she embraced it as though it were flesh and blood. Quiet whimpers echoing throughout the room and into the hall. A moment she spent weeping in silence, knowing it wouldn’t last forever.

She would miss this place, but moving on was more important.

With an unsteady grip, she released the doll and added it to the growingly full backpack. She had her pictures and photos, her relics and treasures, memories and experience. Irreplaceable tokens of lived experience.

Now all that was left was to meet Riley downstairs. Work would begin soon, everything had to be in place.

“My last shift, better make it one to remember.”

With a heavy heart she took one last look at her room. The air filled with the joyful echoes of ages past, echoes she committed to memory as much as she could.

She stepped out, pack on back, and closed the door.

Never did she think the simple act of packing could be so straining.

When she entered the living room and set her pack aside, she found her mom checking and double checking a large, brightly coloured box. Looking to the fireplace, she found both the shelf and the area above it empty. The shotgun and the rifle laid upon the couch, their breaches open and devoid of content.

Meanwhile, a trunk laid upon the floor. Filled to the brim with all manner of items. Tinned food, memorabilia, camping equipment, some spare cloth-

“Are those Gale’s costumes?!” Rini looked inside, then back to Riley who was counting bullets from within the metal box. “Mom’s really not messing around, how did she get Gale’s stuff back?”

It was too much too fast, she had to slow down and focus on one thing at a time. “First, the guns.”

“Are you uh…sure that’s necessary?” Rini couldn’t take her eyes off the firearms.

“Rini, my sweet, sweet lil’ pup…” Riley then turned to her, a disarming smile across her face. “Of course it is.”

The motherly mutt reached for a bandolier and began inserting rifle rounds into it, one by one. “We already know the moment the engines get loud, so will the town. We need something to dissuade them.”

“W-Won’t they fire back?”

“You're assuming we’ll shoot first.” Riley spoke coldly as she finished loading her bullets.

Rini bought a paw up and slowly levelled it, pointing at her. “Good point,” The scrapper then drew her digit towards the trunk, with Gale’s costumes inside. “Where did you get-”

“One of the dopes came in looking to pawn it all off.” She cut in, nodding to the trunk. “Tried to pull my leg so I dangled something shiny. Worked well enough.”

Rini kneeled down and picked one up. It was Gale’s pirate costume, which depicted a seasoned sea captain keen to keep up his flashy appearance. Complete with a big hat lined with feathers and glittering (glass) gemstones sewn into his suit.

“Never thought I’d see this again.” Rini remarked, still able to smell the salty sea air he’d somehow imbued the clothing with. “I have no idea how he does that, but he goes above and beyond for his acts.”

Pleasant memories came creeping back, the echoes of the past lingering in her mind.

A darkened room lit by oil lanterns, with the curtains drawn to block out the sun. A gramophone quietly playing an ambient soundscape of waves and sea life, the occasional crows of gulls in the distance.

“I can see it now lass! We’ll be swimmin’ in more gold than our kids will know what ta do with!” The captain cried, Gale exaggerating his Trottish accent to a cartoonish degree.

“Captain, we're still in training! Don’t ya think we should save the small talk for later?” Rini spoke, trying in vain to hide her smile behind her character sheet.

Brambles meanwhile sat, occasionally taking mouthfuls of snack foods from his side of the table.

“Oh come on ma lady, we gotta prepare fer the future! Ah can already see it now. You as cabincolt, Sir Rocky as first mate, an a crew ta rule to the seas.”

“Does that mean I’ll get more money?” Brambles asked between bites.

“All the money in the world lad!”

“Captain please! Can we just focus on dealing with this rogue vessel first?” Rini spoke, trying to stay in character.

There was a moment of quiet as Gale turned to her, a fake curly moustache sat above his mouth and a smile just barely suppressed. Rini likewise only showed the upper half of her face, least she die of embarrassment first.

Though it seemed that was exactly what Gale wanted.

“When I was thirteen, ah had meself a lil’ tug boat with me pa, and drunk uncle joy. Wanna know why we call em’ that?”

Rini struggled to contain a deep throated laugh on par with a hyena in pitch. Brambles wasn’t so restrained and began quietly chuckling.

“N-No?”

“Well, t’ was because the stallion was a rum runner! Always taste tested his cargo first ta make sure t’ was worth it’s weight in gold!...Shame he went blind though.”

“Sir, please…shut up.” She barely squeaked out.

“A lil’ rude cabincolt but ok!”

Rini mutted only two more words under her breath as part of a sigh, just loud enough to be heard.

“Thank you.”

All three bursted out into hysterical laughter at that. Filling the room with joyous exaltation that may have threatened to disturb the neighbours, had the windows been left open.

Rini smiled as she returned to the present, giving the simple costume a little hug before folding it back up with respect. “Thank mom, really, thanks.”

“You’re welcome, dear.”

She stood back up and turned to her, time ticking by as surely as the clock above. “Do you have the coffee? I need it.”

“Right here,” Riley grabbed a small bag from behind a pillow, which Rini took, “And please, don’t screw this up. There’s a lot of folk out there that can’t imagine living without this stuff.”

The scrapper nodded and hid the bag away, but her mother wasn’t quite done. She also presented a ring with a bright, glowing gemstone atop it and a moment later she noticed Riley was wearing one like it, just above her existing wedding ring.

“And take this, Gale said it’d allow us to talk to each other.”

Rini held the ring up and inspected it, a little thrown off. “Huh?”

“Magic, don’t ask.”

“Riiiiiiiight.” She slid it on and felt something…change. Like an element in the background suddenly came to light. Akin to noticing the ticking of a clock suddenly stop, without having acknowledged a clock was present.

Riley blew into the ring, and suddenly Rini heard that blow as if it were directly into her ear. It took her by surprise and she fought off the instinct to turn to her side, knowing no invisible spector would greet her.

“Does it make sense yet?”

“Yeah, I get it, talk to the ring.”

Riley nodded. “Gotta say, wasn’t expecting Gale to be so knowledgeable. Thought I’d have to seek out some wizard to explain these things.”

“Heh, well Gale has…had a lot of tabletop books. You’d find some of the stuff in his games are based off real world magical items.” Rini smiled. “Great isn’t it?”

Her mother mirrored her joy and set the bandolier aside, now looking at her straight on. “It is, but before you walk out those doors dear, I need to ask you something.”

She turned to face her, ears pointed upwards.

“Do you remember when you went hunting with me? Or your father? Do you remember how to protect yourself?”

“Y-Yeah, I can still shoot straight.” Rini turned towards the guns and grimaced, her ears folding down. “I’d rather not, if I can help it.”

“I just want to make sure dear, things are gonna get intense out there.” Riley jumped off the couch and moved towards her. She placed a reassuring paw under her good cheek and was careful to avoid causing her pain this time.

“You're my everything dear, all my hope, my dreams and my joy. What mother would I be if I can’t prepare my own daughter?”

Rini looked up at her, giving a sincere smile with a wetness to her eyes. A warmness resonated from her chest as she leaned into her mother’s comfort and before long the two came together into a soft embrace.

The day had only just begun, yet Rini already felt tired.

“We’ll get through this my little pup, I swear I’ll never leave you.”

“T-Thank you.”

And the two embraced, for only a moment in time yet lasting an eternity. Ignorant to the clock’s endless march.

CH 24

For years Rini took pride in her ability to arrive at work on time.

Today however, she was forced to break that streak.

“No way they’re still expecting me at this point,” She thought, “Why does mom have so many oil lanterns at her shop? I mean seriously?! Was she expecting the sun to burn out?”

Rini mushed on all fours down the street, plumes of steam huffing from her open mouth like some kind of engine. Her lungs the bellows, her heart the pump and the walkway her rails. A train running down a track.

But like any train, she wasn’t so good at changing directions.

When a mutt pulling a large cart appeared from an alleyway, she was moving far too quickly to skirt around or stop. Instead, instinct turned to action and she threw herself forward to slide under. Her slim frame narrowly avoided the weighted wheels.

Rini didn’t bother looking over her shoulder at the confused mutt. She had to get to the Scrapyard, before they did something stupid like close the gates again.

It wasn’t the idea they’d reject her efforts and send her home for being late, she knew they wouldn’t do that. It was the fact of all days to be late, it just had to be today. Over two hours too late.

Soon her athletic prowess brought her to the front gates of the Scrapyard, which thankfully remained open. As she slowed down the exhaustive effects took their toll on her body and she stopped. Fit to collapse and wheeze like an accordion.

“Third time’s the charm, right?” She thought to herself, her heartbeat banging in her ears like drums. “Milkbones and Mastiffs, I hate running like that.”

Ironic given all the heavy lifting she did as a scrapper. Sadly sprinting was never her forte.

Rini rested for a minute or two until she’d finally caught her breath. Arms and legs now aching from such an exercise. On the bright side she was at least used to it by now, and pushed through the pain towards the gate.

It took…maybe less than thirty seconds for her name to get called?

This time however it wasn’t Snapjaw, it was a high pitched voice she didn’t recognise.

A uniformed, red face chihuahua emerged bearing his teeth, no taller than her elbow but angry enough to boil an egg with his presence alone.

“Rini Burrows! Where have you been?!”

“I-I had a family emergency, there was-”

“I don’t fucking care! For the rest of your shift today and tomorrow, you will report to my office every hour, on the hour! Do you understand bitch?!”

“Alright listen here you lil-” Rini stopped herself before the words came out. Her tail wagged with agitation and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. With a punishment like that tonight's plan was as good as shot, that wouldn’t fly. She had to be smart if she were to survive.

Thankfully, this wasn’t the first time she’d been in hot water.

“Time for a new plan of attack.”

Rini looked down at the angry little dog and spoke slowly. Every word delivered with confidence without sounding too condemning.

“Okay, where’s Snapjaw? I’m not a member of the military so you can’t just punish me like that.”

“Oh? The old foredog? The one that got that Terrier crushed? He doesn’t work here anymore, he’s gone.” He stared back at her. Where Rini’s voice was stone strong, his was laced with poison and years worth of scorn.

That revelation however made her eyes widen, and her ears stand on end. “Didn’t get the memo?” He sneered, “I’m in charge now, Staff Sergeant Percy. You would’ve known that if you were here this morning!”

A shot of panic ran up Rini’s back, threatening to break her expression and signal her moment of weakness. Percy had seen her reaction and played it off once already, but she remained calm and kept a straight face.

She wasn’t going to give him any more ground. “No way Snap would’ve left on his own terms. He’s too stubborn for that.” Thought Rini, her brain working overtime. “He doesn’t have power over me yet though.”

“A military mutt? In a civilian job? That…doesn’t sound legal.” Rini found herself tiptoing with her word choice.

“Uh, it is actually, and if you don’t shut up already I’ll have the commanding officer bark at ya!” Percy dismissively waved a paw and turned around, prepared to leave.

“Do it then!” She retorted.

The sergeant froze and slowly turned around, casting her a cold glare. Rini didn’t even need to hear him say it to know what he was thinking. “How dare you.”

“What?” He said quietly.

“Go ahead, bring him here. Have him fill me in.”

The chihuahua’s eye twitched, a low growl resonating from his throat and his fangs on full display. “You take one step and your cleaning the fucking toliets.” He pointed at her.

Rini simply nodded and remained still, watching him stomp away.

The whole ordeal felt less like she was being punished by a superior, and more like a big kid couldn’t get his way and had to call their parents. “I don’t think he’s on the wonder drug, he’s too active for that. Or maybe he is and it’s making him more aggressive?”

He was a chihuahua after all, they weren’t exactly known for their patience or decorum.

“How did he even become a sergeant in the first place? He’s got the kind of mouth not even a mother would kiss.”

She sighed and panned her gaze around. Soldiers were practically everywhere by now, every corner, junkpile and half dismantled wreck. The Scrapyard had towers and a line of barbed wire spooling atop its fences, home repaired transport trucks and ice-ridden armoured auto-wagons with gun turrets. Not to mention the tents!

It now resembled a base more so than a simple auto-body graveyard.

“Poor Snap, sure we didn’t get along but at least we saw eye to eye at times.” She huffed and turned towards the garage, specifically the corner of it that was his office. “What did they do to him? Giving out the rabies treatment doesn’t sound like them, would’ve heard it for a mile.”

Her mind quickly became awash with all kinds of scenarios, some more grim than others.

“Best case scenario he’s just unemployed. Maybe he’ll get the yard back after we leave? Or become a repairmutt somewhere else? Plenty of leaky sinks in Cherrywood.”

Rini stood alone, lost with her thoughts as the denizens of the Scrapyard went about. She could see some inspecting and working on the various vehicles she’d tinkered with not long ago. For a moment the worry they’d found her additions crossed her mind, but those still held her mark of completion and hadn’t been moved an inch.

Besides, it was likely too late for them to correct the crossed wires now.

Soon enough the sar-”No way he’s getting that much respect,” -Percy came back with Caleb right behind him. The captain was his usual mellow self. Complete with a smile and semi-dilated eyes.

“Yup, he’s still on the pills. Great.”

Rini fixed her posture and forced a smile of her own, her argument prepared.

In fact, now that she looked at them side by side, neither seemed all that much older then the other. If anything they were probably only a couple years ahead of her. Which, much like her first time meeting Caleb, struck her as strange.

“How can a staff sergeant and a captain be the same age? Would’ve thought Caleb needed more wrinkles first.”

“That’s her sir,” Percy began, “The bitch that failed to show up this morning. Thanks to her poor Cole had to pull double duty.”

“Is that so?” He turned to her, not nearly as aggressively. “Rini was it?” She nodded, “Mind telling us why?”

“I had a family emergency captain, involving my mother.”

“Was there anydog else who could’ve taken care of it?” He spoke rather calmly, despite the visible twitches on his face.

“No sir, my father passed away a decade ago and my brother lives elsewhere.”

Caleb turned to look down upon Percy. The smaller mutt panning between the both of them with a look of realisation. “Now sergeant, I know you’re eager to do your new job and do it well, but you need to understand your dealing with a completely different crowd here.” He calmly explained.

“But she was late, and not just late. Over two hours late! And she talked back to a superior!”

“Well, if you were to check my attendance records, you’ll find I’m usually very good at coming in on time.” Rini added, holding back a gleeful grin.

Her interruption only served to make Percy even angrier, yet barking out loud in front of his commanding officer wouldn’t help. Not in the slightest.

“Right, I think that going forward, Rini should not be subject to whatever punishment you had prepared for her sergeant.” Said Caleb. Percy looked up at him wide eyed, but before Rini could celebrate the captain turned to her. “However, I believe it only fair that Miss Rini makes up for her lost time, will that be a problem?”

“No sir, in fact, I already had my own way of apologising prepared.”

Both mutts’ attention were now firmly planted upon her as she dug around her coat pockets, which thankfully, were quite large. A bag of ground coffee emerged and Rini held it with a paw, their eyes fixed upon it as it swayed back and forth.

“I wanted to share this, as a token of appreciation. I’ll even brew the first batch!”

“Brilliant!” Caleb cried, “There should be a kettle and coffee pitcher at the main building, go nuts!”

Percy’s jaw dropped at that, with Caleb turning around and walking away without a second thought. Rini simply stood and waited for his response. “And don’t forget to pay for parking!” The captain added as he strolled off.

The seargent’s facial features twitched and a low growl rose from within him. It took nearly every once of Rini’s willpower to maintain the subtle smirk upon her form. An act only made more difficult by Percy’s rising rage.

“And that everycreature, is the face of somedog put in their place.”

If only she were allowed anything more than a tiny smile.

“You win this round bitch, but I’m keeping a close eye on you.”

“Mhm.”

Percy got right into Rini’s face, anger and suspicion visible on every brow. “Step out of line again, and no force of nature will protect you from the wrath of a hardened drill sergeant!”

“Yep.”

“Now get back to work!”

Rini gave a small nod and turned around, set towards the modular building the captain pointed out. She breathed a sigh of relief having dodged that bullet but the threat remained real. Of all the dogs to catch onto her, Percy had suddenly become the most likely.

“Of all the mutts that could’ve replaced Snap, why’d it have to be this little rocky biter? Caleb’s a creep but at least he’s not a dick about it.”

She looked over her shoulder and found the mutt staring at her in scorn. His eyes squinted as if trying to catch her in the act before it’d begun. “Yeah, no way he’s not becoming a problem.”

Rini shrugged and continued on, now allowed to smile as wide as she wanted with her face out of his view.

With a deep breath she readied herself as she approached the modular building. Already she could smell the dense haze of smoke and odour and preemptively drew her scarf up.

“Here we go again.”

CH 25 - Act 5, The Heist

Long ago dusk descended upon the town, and twilight gave way to darkness. Street lights beamed their golden glows upon the descending and settled snow, coating their surfaces with gold. Where rubble and debris once clogged up walkways and allies had now since been cleared.

By now most houses and homes had shut their lights off, leaving the town dim and blissfully quiet.

All except for the Scrapyard that sat on the town’s edge. Engines hummed and flood lights flickered, with figures going to and from different amalgamations of metal bodies. Cutting and welding and tearing and scrapping. The centre of which held the focus of their efforts, a multi-story monster of constructed creation.

Most who could have gone home, having run the lengths of even their extended shifts.

But for Rini Burrows, the night had only just begun.

As it turns out, being punished with extra work hours was exactly what she needed. Rini made sure to pace her efforts and not strain herself too much that day, least she would not have the energy for what was to come. Brambles helped her on that end and took care of the heavier lifting.

Only a few hardy workers remained, either out of desire or because they’d been poached by the military.

Now she stood by a mechanical heater within the garage, goggles shielding her eyes from the flickering flames. Try as she might, she still had to take breaks to prevent freezing up. Everydog not wearing an overly bulky parka like the soldiers did.

Every moment of that day she’d felt an odd sensation in the air around her. A nervousness in anticipation for later, and fear for what could go wrong.

Perhaps what they were about to do was foolish? Perhaps it would all be for nothing, maybe there was nothing for them out there in the big wide frozen world.

“We still have to try,” She thought to herself, “We’ll get chewed up otherwise.”

She relaxed and leaned back a little, blowing into her gloved paws and rubbing them together by the fire. Rini had performed this routine enough to get a sense of when her warmth break was over and it felt like she had…three minutes left?

Something like that.

She turned over her wrist and looked at her new watch, an investment from after her episode with the Rustbucket.

“Yeah, three minutes, and another ten until twelve.”

“Hi Rini!”

The scrapper let out a panicked bark and snapped towards a snow coated Brambles. Who waved as he joined her by the fire.

“Gah dammit! What is it with everydog and sneaking up on me?”

“I dunno,” Brambles shrugged, “Maybe you're just not very attentive?”

Rini glared at him for that, like he was one to talk. She went as far as to pull up her goggles just to do so and inspect his form.

“Anyway, ready for later?” He added, smiling.

“First off keep your voice down, and secondly?...I-I don’t know.”

Rini rubbed the back of her neck, briefly panning her gaze around the area. “Have you ever had that feeling where you’ve done all you can, but you’re still not sure it’s enough?”

“I know I can be slow sometimes Rini, heck you know that better than most, but even I know how important it is to believe in yourself.” Brambles moved up beside Rini, reaching a comforting arm around her shoulder. “You’ve got this, we’ve got this, and if all else fails then there’s no better thing I’d have rather died fighting for.”

The two locked eyes and a smile slowly grew across her face. Morbid word choice aside, a warm feeling resonated within her chest, and sure enough Brambles mirrored her joy.

Was it just the barrel fire? Or was she feeling something else?

Rini let out a small, barely audible laugh and curled her hair for a moment, panning her gaze downwards.

“T-Thanks Brambles, I didn’t know how much I needed to hear-” She then spotted something poking out of his coat, a handle of some kind. “-Thaaaat’s your gun isn’t it?”

“Uh…”

Rini reached for and pulled on the handle, withdrawing his revolver and opening the cylinder.

“It wasn’t just loaded, it was full.”

She looked back to Brambles with an unamused frown. Brambles audibly gulped and his ears flopped to their sides and he prepared himself for whatever vocal punishment she’d inflict.

However, no such assault came. Instead, Rini gave him a subtle smile.

“Do you mind if I keep this for tonight?”

The mutt stood silent, taken aback by the unexpected request. Slowly he nodded and Rini pocketed the gun before anydog could notice. She then leaned in and gave an affectionate hug to the confused Terrier.

“Y-You know I might actually need that, right?”

“I’ve got better aim, and mom’s bringing a shotgun.”

With that in mind Brambles’ expression slowly shifted into an acceptant joy, and he wrapped himself around her. The two stayed there for a time, quietly embracing each other’s warmth. “You're just trying to warm up Rini, you're just trying to warm up. Nothing else to it.”

She could deny it all she wanted but it did feel nice, it felt safe. Like for a moment she could forget everything wrong with the world and simply enjoy herself here.

But she knew all too well that reality would come knocking, and a glance at her watch confirmed that.

Midnight.

Taking a breath to steady her mind she let a confident smile form on her face.

“Okay Rini, showtime.”

With a deep sigh she pulled away and shook herself awake. Brambles likewise as she turned towards the fence and nodded to him. “It’s time, ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

The two ventured off into the darkened trenches that separated the piles upon piles of twisted vehicles. Distant lights occasionally illuminated those lanes but the spaces behind them laid vacant. Without watchers to capitalise on the vision they provided.

Night time winds had managed to overtake the low hums of engines and the shrill cries of angle grinders. Such was the lack of activity from the few that still worked the machines, with only the most dedicated or the most desperate to carry out their labours.

Even the watchtowers that now lined the corners of the fences laid still. Their searchlights ignorant to all.

It was perfect.

In short order the duo reached Rini’s gap in the fence, and soon figures began to emerge from the darkness. Ponies by the dozens led by a trio of their own. Corn, Gale and Riley were the first among them, with Rini’s mother kitted out as if she were to take on an army.

“Not exactly wrong, come to think of it.”

They converged upon the fence where Rini knelt down and pulled on the wire. The strings keeping her loosely held cutout coming undone. Brambles kept watch as they ducked and crawled through the gap one by one. Each pulling a rucksack or container with their belongings.

“We’re doing this group by group, less chance of being caught that way.” Corn stated.

Rini nodded. “We still need to capture the vehicle bay. She’s all fueled up and ready to go.”

“Where is it? Trying ta find something in this dark’s like trying to find a scrap o’ beachwood in the ocean.” Gale asked.

She pointed towards the big outline in the distance, who’s silhouette rose above all others. A monolithic landmark all could view no matter where they were.

“Is it inside?” Gale asked.

“No, that is it.” She unamusedly replied.

Every jaw bar Brambles’ dropped and they stared at the sight in abject awe and horror. It took a moment for Rini to remember they hadn’t gotten used to such a behemoth like she had, and the memory of her first reaction came to mind.

It brought a smile to her face, not a big one but it was worn with pride.

“And here I thought we’d have ta form a caravan.” Jested Gale. “By the seas it’s massive!”

“Told ya, why do ya think I suggested stealing it?”

“Yeah well points to ya Rini. For a while ah was doubting just how big it really was.”

“Hold your grain Gale, we still need to move everypony first.”

“Hey mom? Could you give Brambles the shotgun? I’ve got his revolver.”

Riley did as requested and Brambles smiled as he quickly walked through its operation. Meanwhile, more and more ponies slipped through the gap with bulky backpacks and luggage cases. The first of many groups getting ready to make for the monolithic machine.

Tension stirred as they gathered themselves and huddled behind the wrecks. Their attention directed between the vacant towers and the shadowy presence of the vehicle bay.

“Hey! About the guards? How many are there?” One of them asked.

A wicked grin spread across Rini’s face as she once more reached into her coat, pulling out the now empty bottle of laxatives she’d found days prior. “By now, every bathroom within a two mile radius should be occupied.”

Her infectious smile appeared on those nearby and several muffled chuckles met her ears. A job well done.

“Path should be clear, but I doubt there is enough for everydog.” She added.

Riley sighed as she rejoined the group, with Brambles playfully aiming around with the weapon unloaded. “Funny, you never realise how much you love something until it’s gone, right?”

Rini rubbed the back of her head, suddenly brought back to reality. “Right.”

Her moment of lucidity was cut short by Corn Kernel, trying to stay on task. “Come on, enough chit-chat. I’ll stay here and organise everypony coming in. You go make sure we have somewhere for them to go.”

They all nodded and began moving in on the Rustbucket, with Rini leading them through the winding trenches of the darkened Scrapyard. A series of dimly lit lanterns were left in their wake as the first group followed behind. Far enough not to disturb them but not so far they’d get lost.

Between the distaint towers, the smokey stacks that rose into the air and the gloomy lights that now threatened to expose her just as much as light the path. The once friendly and familiar facade of Rini’s workplace had taken on a new menace. One that didn’t promise safety nor sanctuary.

No, she was neck deep now. This wasn’t her home, this wasn’t her place of labour or anywhere she recognised.

It was hostile territory, just a kind she knew very, very well.

Things were going well for the moment. The usually well patrolled circle around the vehicle bay was practically non-existent for how few actually enforced it. With how many had to leave for “medical reasons” it stood to reason that even fewer cared to wander in the cold.

However, that meant those that did were likely the most dedicated and loyal, regardless of their conditions.

She could hear them before she saw them. A pair of soldiers were about to round the corner with their glow lamps out. The rest of the group quickly picked up on it and they all moved to cover. Hiding behind frozen engine blocks, loosely held doors or within the wrecks themselves.

A larger Great Dane walked down the left, with Rini and Gale side by side, while a shorter Bull Terrier hastily power-walked on the right where Riley and Brambles hid.

It quickly became clear they’d bypass them without notice, but all too late did Rini realise where they were going.

If nothing was done, they were going to bump into the pony group following them.

CH 26

Rini panically snapped between the three of them from her hiding place. Her blood ran cold as the war mutts approached.

She wanted to say something and try to let Riley know where they were going. Maybe organise some kind of takedown, but she knew with how close she was their canine hearing would pick up her words, even if she whispered.

So instead, she desperately tried to find her mother’s visage from the blackened shadows that lined the path. For her scrambled efforts she was only met with darkness, so oppressive she wasn’t even at liberty to wave.

The scrapper felt alone.

Pressure built within her as the sets of snowy boots crunched ever closer to them. Her fear not for herself but for the ponies waiting just around the corner for them, unaware of the danger encroaching upon them.

The moment the soldiers laid eyes upon them, they’d all be done for.

“WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo?!”

Rini brought her paws up and clasped the sides of her head, forcing herself to breath slowly. Her pulse was too quick, she was panicking too fast, she had to calm down before a real panic attack set in, then they would be doomed.

It was so loud, never before had her own lungs ringed so much in her ears. Even as her heart began to calm the constant bellows of her own pants blew like horns and agitated her tail. Such breathing wasn’t in rhythm with itself and she struggled to understand why.

Until she heard her own mother speak, as if next to her.

“Dear, please pick up.”

At once things clicked into place and she turned her paw over, seeing the magical ring dimly glow.

Her ear twitched and she took a deep breath in, before whispering into the jewel.

“Y-Yeah, I’m here. Can Brambles deal with the little guy?”

“Mhm, what about you and Gale?”

Rini nodded and turned to her side, “Right, Gale I-” Only to find the pegasus absent.

The sound of a metal creak and a gush of wind met her ear. A shape jumped overhead and slammed into the larger dog’s back just as the two walked by them. Rini could only watch in shock and awe as the brute hit the ground hard, causing the smaller Terrier to twist in likewise shock.

He raised his comparatively oversized weapon towards the darkened figure, only for a rifle stock to sweep his hinds out. Brambles emerged alongside Riley and their combined efforts overpowered the soldier, with her mother delivering a knockout blow to him via her rifle stock.

That just left Gale, who stood over the limp dog with his hoof planted on its neck.

He flicked his wrist and Rini heard something snap, before rising up and stepping off.

She didn’t move, she didn’t speak. Rini found herself paralysed as the reality of Gale’s action sank into her with each passing moment. The way he’d just walked away was so casual, nonchalant, as if another day serving fish and chips by a table.

His quiet, visible anger being the only difference she could see before the one-winged assassin turned towards her.

That stare was the only thing that drew her back to the present, just lucid enough for her to shakily speak.

“D-Did…you…j-just?-”

“Rini? Before ye start, they’ve taken my home, my belongings and they’re fit to take my friends if it suits em.” Gale then casted a wicked glare at her, uncharacteristic of the usually cheery pony as he adjusted the knife handle that stuck out from his hoof. The blade broken but steadily regrowing with a chilly glow.

“Consider it an occupational hazard.” He then turned to walk away, leaving her to sit in silence and stare at the body.

He’d killed somecreature, Gale, her gamemaster and friend, had just killed somecreature.

“What were you expecting Rini?” She told herself, still shaking, “Mom had brought guns, and you're preparing to steal from the military. Did you think it’d be all sunshine and rainbows?”

“I-I donno! I-I thought, maybe, he’d knock him out?” Her more emotional side tried to offer some counter, only for logic and reason to beat it down.

“Knock him out? You think he went through the whole jail back in town rescuing ponies, doing so by knocking out the guards? With only. One. Wing?”

No counter argument was made, it was simply a cold hard reality she had to accept.

“Get a grip with yourself!”

Harsh was the hammer that reality often came knocking with, and Rini’s was no different.

A low whine unconsciously escaped her vocals and she had to force her eyes shut, even if seeing that the image was now burned into her eyelids. The memory of the frosty blade from Gale’s stash haunting her all the while, just as much as his ability to use it.

“What the scrap are you Gale?!” Rini huddled in on herself, ready to curl into a ball if she could. “You’re not…this!”

Weight wore down on her shoulders, her hinds heavy and liable to give way. She didn’t want to move, but knew staying wasn’t possible. Even then, she wanted to shut herself away from the world and go home, which wasn’t an option either.

Everything at once felt so undeniably wrong. She was damned no matter her choices and so were her friends.

All this talk, all this planning and preparation, but not once had she sat down and seriously considered what she was getting into.

There was a very real chance somecreature, possibly her, could die today.

“Just like the Great Dane now laid on the ground.”

She felt something touch her shoulder and she immediately jolted to the side. Her flight or fight kicking in as she snapped to view-

“B-Brambles?”

“Rini, a-are you okay?” He hesitantly asked, a paw outstretched.

The shorter dog stole a glance at the body and quickly turned back, her lips sealed. It was enough for him to gather and Brambles slowly approached her, comfortingly sitting to her side.

Rini didn’t stop him, and Brambles made an attempt to touch her again. Despite that however, she felt somewhat soothed by his presence. The weight upon her mind began to loosen and her breathing rangled back into rhythm.

Just beyond her sight meanwhile, she could hear some background conversation between Riley and Gale. Words were hard to make out but her mother didn’t sound happy.

“So uh…I take it this is a first?”

“It isn’t for you?” She replied, looking up at him.

“Nah…third time actually!” Brambles raised a few digits, smiling despite the bags under his eyes.

Rini however wasn’t anymore uplifted, her thousand yard stare only reaching further.

His smile waned and he balled his paw into a fist. Now more sincere as he met her gaze. “I’m sorry, you…well at least you still have your mom.”

“W-Why didn’t you ever tell me?” She spoke, quietly but with the weight of a thousand words.

“I…I donno I guess, didn’t seem important.”

“Not important?!” Rini once more held her tongue, instead taking note of his downtrodden face. It was a lie and they both knew it, but under the surface she could tell something was eating at him just as much as this was for her. Only now numbed by time.

She wanted to say more, she wanted to talk about this and get through things, but the pressure in the back of her mind only doubled when the pony group entered into view. All of them sharing a mixture of emotions upon seeing the cadaver.

“Later Rini, you have to deal with this later.” She cursed under her breath and turned back to Brambles, visibly frustrated. He seemed to understand though and climbed back to stand, helping her do the same.

From there they rejoined Gale and Riley, who’d cut off their conversation upon seeing them. “Everything okay?” Asked Brambles.

“Yeah,” Riley crossed her arms, turning to Gale. “Just a difference in opinion.”

He nodded and flicked his wrist to find the icy blade had reformed, before retracting it back up his sleeve. A sight that sent a shiver up Rini’s spine as he looked up at her. “Can we uh…try being a lil’ more bloodless? Please?”

“Oh by all means, if ya can catch a fish with a blunt hook be my guest. I ain’t takin’ chances though.” He said, returning Riley’s cold glare.

Rini sighed, it was the best she could manage for the moment and she shook her head. “Come on, we don’t have all night.”

A trio of nods followed and the group continued to pathfind through the winding wrecks. The vehicle bay’s shape becoming ever larger as they drew closer to the brass plated beast. At least one of its engines was already on, keeping its pipes and internals from freezing up.

Though that likely meant they’d have guests inside.

For a moment, Rini contemplated just how lethal Gale could be. Was having the element of surprise a requirement for him? Or would seeing him enter the vehicle bay be like watching a fox rush through a henhouse? She quietly hoped for the former over the latter and made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

For friends she’s known for years, she’s learning a surprisingly large amount of new information about them.

Her thoughts would soon be interrupted however, when she came upon the main clearing behind the Rustbucket. The back ramp was open and its rear flood lights casted bright, far reaching golden rays across the field of whites and greys. Cargo crates with all kinds of material lay scattered around, likely to be loaded inside come morning.

Even the new food truck they’d brought in was still present, locked up and quietly waiting to re-enter use.

More pressingly however was a trio of soldiers patrolling the perimeter of the vehicle bay. They’d circled it so many times that a slight trench had formed that went up midway to their forelimbs. Their glow lamps shined brightly against the dark, making it near impossible not to miss them.

Rini hid behind a pile of debris and the others followed suit, quietly cursing to herself. “That’s gonna be an issue.”

“How bad?” Riley moved up to her side.

“Think these guys popped a few extra pills instead of taking caffeine. I don’t think we can jump em.”

“I could help!” Brambles stood up above the two Greyhounds with a smile, only for Gale to slip in and watch from his own spot. “Maybe a distraction? Best kinda bait’s live afterall.”

“Hey! Girls?”

“I donno, I need to stick around for the ponies and they don’t know you and mom.”

Gale rubbed his chin and glanced back at the patrol. The two Diamidians above him likewise contemplating what to do.

At least until Brambles placed a paw on their shoulders, arcing his head back.

“I’m right here! I wanna help!” He cried.

The two turned to him and then to each other, sharing a wicked grin before Rini twisted her body around. “Alright Brambles, but I don’t think you can keep that shotgun with you if ya do.”

His expression soured and he stepped back, unconsciously cradling the break action with a soft whine.

“Oh come! I haven’t even got to use it yet!”

“And ideally you won’t have to.” Riley began, standing to match his height. “Look if you can get them away for a while we can work on getting folk inside. You can have it back when we leave, alright?”

With a defeated sigh the Terrier slung the longarm off and gave it over to Riley. He shifted past the two and forced a smile, venturing into the clearing and towards the patrol.

“Think he can pull it off?” She asked Rini.

“Oh yeah, can’t spell Bramble without ramble.”

CH 27

Brambles walked forward, weaving past cargo crates and smouldering fire barrels.

He was excited because he was going to be helpful to his friends! He loved being helpful! And all he had to do was simply just talk to a few soldiers for a while. It was so dead simple there was no way he could screw it up...

Right?

“Hey guys!” Brambles waved as he approached, the patrol continuing their march ignorant of him. “Guys?”

All three mutts persisted in their walk unslowed, their glow lamps bathing them in bright orange and allowing him to see their faces. Pupils the size of pinpricks sat heavy above rolls of darkened fur ridden with bags. Their cloth-wrapped mace-like tails wagging and occasionally bashing the hull of the vehicle bay.

His expression dropped for a moment as they trudged past like a set of unhearing automatons. If only for frustration to quickly overpower his anxiety.

“Oh no, you don’t get to ignore me!” He rushed forwards in front of them and to their sides, waving and snapping his digits all the while. “Hey! Anydog in there? Scrapper Brambles to air control? Hello!?”

Elsewhere, Rini and Riley looked at each other with concern.

Brambles moved up beside them and dug into his coat pockets, searching. “Okay, I didn’t wanna do this, but you’ve left me with no other option!”

The Terrier dug around and soon pulled out a large, blue rubber bone with several ageing bite marks and a pair of initials inscribed on it. From the distance Rini struggled to contain her laughter whilst Riley shook her head and facepalmed.

“Does he seriously think that’s gonna work?”

With a clench of his fist the toy made a high pitched squeak. Each soldier’s ears stood up and they turned to him, as if a spell had just been broken, again making Rini struggle not to laugh while Riley just looked stunned.

Many sets of laser focused, pinprick eyes may have shaken another mutt. It certainly gave Rini cause for concern, but the discomfort of the moment was lost on Brambles as he rested his arm.

“Now that I have your attention. Do you guys like milkbones?” He smiled.

All three’s tails suddenly began to playfully wag and they let their tongues loose, panting. In the distance Brambles could see his friends make their moves and race towards the Rustbucket, and all he had to do was keep going.

He already had several ideas, at least one of which related to his stomach.

Back with the group, they stopped by a pile of crates and watched as Brambles led them away. The path towards their escape now cleared, but more work was to be done.

“How are we gonna get in?” Riley turned to her daughter. “Ramp’s too exposed, too well lit. Some dog would see the ponies coming.”

“Look around, vehicle bay’s got to have plenty of hatches and extra doors. Should be a few ladders on the treads.”

“Treads? This thing’s got treads!?” Exclaimed Riley.

“Yep, how else do you expect to get a building moving?”

She turned back to the vehicle bay and once she saw it she couldn’t unsee it. Huge, gigantic treads the likes of which could overshadow any pick up truck. Were the ground any less frozen they’d have surely sunken into the earth from their sheer weight.

Climbing to stand and approaching, the stark difference in size became all the more apparent. To hear about it or see pictures of the beast was one experience, but to be physically present, and able to take in the humbling sight was another.

It was the first time in years, no decades, that she’d felt this small. Not insignificant, but small, tiny even.

Riley turned back to Rini who stood still beside an equally stunned Gale. Her expression a knowing one.

“Weird world we live in, right?”

She weakly nodded and turned back to the giant armoured skirt that covered the wheels, quickly climbing a ladder. Rini and Gale followed suit, with the refugees shortly after. All staying low to the plating where they’d be difficult to spot from below.

Rini explored around and dimly shined her glow lamp across the battered hull. It didn’t take long for her to find and pry open a hatch. She turned to the others as she prepared to enter. “Wait here, I’ll let ya know when it's safe.”

A round of quiet acknowledgement followed and she took a deep breath, before diving inside.

It was mercifully temperate and Rini gave herself a proverbial pat on the back. Whether or not it was because of the air conditioning or the night’s natural cooling, she didn’t care. Her environment didn’t boil her in her jacket and believing she had a part in that gave her some pride.

Any amount of psychological relief was worth its weight in gold at the moment.

Rini quickly found herself inside one of the maintenance hallways on the port side, already the hum of machinery and the grinding of gears ground on her ears. Brass, iron and burn wafted through her nostrils and were it not for her Glowlamp, she’d have been enveloped in total darkness.

“You’ll keep the engine on sure but the lights? Oh no!” She groaned and looked both ways, checking corners before banging on the hatch for the others, addressing them as they entered.

“Stay quiet, sound carries in here.”

Both nodded and she continued onwards, her mind scanning its memory for anywhere she could hide the ponies, at least until they left the town.

“Okay, chances are hiding them within the engine’s maintenance ducks will get them roasted. What about the crawl space near the front? Second floor should work, at least for now.”

Rini skulked around, peering from behind each corner, her nerves on edge. It was almost like playing a game of hide and seek trying to find whoever else was aboard before they found her. Every corner, crawl space and vent cutout a host to a potential onlooker.

Riley and Gale followed close behind, both equally unnerved if not more so by the claustrophobic halls.

Soon however her journey would be interrupted when she reached a door, and heard mumbled speech from the otherside.

She cracked the door open ever so slightly and peered inside, finding the familiar visage of Cole knelt over an exposed mess of tangled wires. Beside him, a much leaner dog spoke aloud, occasionally passing him a tool or two.

“-So now they’re opening up this new barbecue joint opposite it. Advertised their menu on the scaffolds and it looks pretty good.”

“Mhm.”

“I’m thinkin’ of going once it’s open, never even heard of half the stuff they got on offer. Kinda sad the other place shut down but eh, what can ya do?”

“Yep.”

“Huh, you know you're a real mutt of few words, ya know that right?”

Cole let out a soft sigh as he sorted through the disjointed wires. The internal lights of the room casting an orange gleam across the both of them and even from here Rini should see dark rings around the hound’s eyes.

“I’m tired, okay?”

“Tired? Shouldn’t you call it for the night then?”

“N-No, not that kind of tired. I’m just…tired, in general.” Cole’s voice sounded almost hollow, actually making the other dog shiver a bit.

“Oh? Well I know a guy who could-”

Rini shook her head and stood up, turning towards Riley and Gale gesturing to stay quiet. Pulling the door open she steadily walked inside and where both mutts paused to look at the new arrival.

Surprise sent their jaws agape, the taller dog more dramatically than Cole who gently set his wrench down. Rini forced a smile as she met their gazes, switching off her Glowlamp as she did so.

“Hi boys, everything okay here?”

“Didn’t think I’d be seeing you here this late, they got you on all hours too?” Asked Cole.

“Kinda, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“Oh!” The other dog butted in, raising a paw. “You're trying for those benefits they promised, aren’t ya?”

Rini glared at him unamused, while Cole seemed more disappointed than anything else.

“No…not at all.”

“Free lunches?”

“N-No, I-”

“What about medical insurance? That’s a new one.”

“Agh-that’s not what I-I mean no!-J-Just shut up okay?!” She howled at the mutt, managing to catch Cole off guard also.

Rini took a step back and rubbed her forehead. Her prepared argument was now derailed by the engineer. “Who even is he? Seen him around but I never bother asking for names.”

With a deep breath she settled herself and turned to the black and brown labrador, now with room to speak.

“Cole? Remember what I said the other day? Just before the accident?” He nodded, blinking with eyes wide and tired. The mental toll of acknowledgment plain as day to the both of them.

“Well, I’ve had enough, and so have a lot of other creatures I know. We’re leaving, but we’re gonna do it in the worst way possible.” She let out a soft laugh in jest, but her words carried too much weight to be vain.

Cole stood up and stared at her solemnly, his broad shoulders contrasting the thinner dog to his side. Yet the way they were slumped spoke of an untold pain Rini could merely sense, but not comprehend.

“Need help?”

Her eyes went wide and Rini almost recoiled, unexpectant of the response. “Y-Yeah, what we’re doing is big, probably dangerous-No definitely dangerous.”

“Does it involve our girl here?” He knocked against the wall, to which she hastily nodded. “I…I think I know what you're doing.”

“Yeah…as I said it’s kind of dumb, but if there was another way that didn’t result in the military chasing us I would’ve picked it.” She bowed her head and played with her coat, anxiously hoping to get through. “Please Cole, I wouldn’t be taking the chance reaching out like this if I didn’t care.”

“Oh please Rini ya don’t have to beg girl, I’ve had my own lil’ trial.” Cole spoke, fire returning to his eyes.

She snapped her head back up at him with eager, hopeful eyes.

“Uh, what’s goin’ on?” The other mutt glanced between the two as they talked, now becoming nervous from the subject matter.

Cole turned to him with a smile, “Oh, nothing you need to worry about. I think our friend Rini here’s just taking Ol’ Rusty out for a drive.”

“Y-You mean she’s stealing it?” He took a step back, pointing at her.

“Now now, I think that’s a strong word to use here, Pinch.”

“I-I donno about this.” He replied, backing towards a closed door. “Isn’t that…kind of illegal?”

“Pinch, take it from me, not every law’s a good one.”

“R-Right, but…they’ve been so nice, they brought us a new food truck. They resupplied the town, and gave out work benefits like candy!” Both Rini and Cole took a step forward and began encroaching upon the lone dog. Rini could see Cole easily overpowering the thin mutt but whether he could actually catch him beyond the door was another question.

A single mutt screaming and howling would be heard throughout the vehicle bay, something she couldn’t afford.

Not this early.

“What you're doing isn’t just wrong, but like…really wrong!” He continued to backpedal, almost to the door.

“Pinch, come on, don’t do something you’ll regret.”

“Y-Yeah!” Rini added, “We don’t wanna hurt you, or anydog for that matter. You can walk away from this, just don’t tell anydog, okay?”

His only response was to gently shake his head, seemingly determined to escape. Rini grimaced as the talkative mutt refused to keep himself busy with chatter.

Pinch grabbed the pushbar on the door and threw it open, twisting around ready to break into a full mush-

“No!” Rini shouted.

-Only for a navy blue blur to grab him and yank him inside, his cries muffled and cut off.

Both dogs froze in place. Eyes wide as moons and horrified faces that had seen the swing of the reaper’s scythe.

The world grew still as Rini’s mind raced with what her friend had just done, again. “Fuck me running. What are you Gale?!”

Cole slowly turned towards her, speaking quietly. “Friend of yours?”

“I-I think…”

CH 28

Gale had made the right call, as disheartening as it was for Rini.

While he couldn’t put names to faces, Cole confirmed there were others aboard the landship. Pinch would’ve damned all of them had not been stopped. Even so, Rini couldn’t linger and chose to stay on task, using the past hour or two to keep herself busy.

Clearing out any would be troublemakers was sound at first, and something Gale was happy to assist with. After that however, the last thing Rini wanted was to see his face again that night. Instead he was delegated to guiding groups towards the Rustbucket.

Threats to them be damned she’d deal with them herself if it meant preventing more blood from being spilled.

In the time since she’d worked tirelessly to find and allocate hiding space within the vents and maintenance ducts. Behind wall panels, below floor tiles, within any amount of unused space. If it could fit a pony they’d get crammed inside, and if not their luggage would.

She’d managed to smuggle several ponies inside by this point, at least a few dozen groups if not a few more then that. The scrapper lost count a little while ago but no matter how many she hid, more were always ready.

It was becoming a problem, as now she was having to explore more and more to find space for them.

That meant skirting around the more populated areas of the vehicle bay.

Rini rounded a corner and peeked down a hall, with a group of five huddled behind her.

She scurred across and tried the door, only cracking it open just enough to peek inside. She was met by the shrill voice of a certain chihuahua, the same one that had hounded her earlier that day and hardened her temper when the memories came back.

There was also the smile from when she wiggled away from his would be punishment, but that was irrelevant.

He was talking to somedog but Rini couldn’t get sight without opening the door up, and such a risk wasn’t worth her curiosity. The mutt, short in both temper and stature, was mouthing off about something, mostly frustrations about the day, which did include her at some points.

“Is that who I think it is?” One of the ponies spoke up, it was Two Bits, “By my mother’s jewellery case, that’s the ruffian that tried to chase me down!”

Rini quickly moved to cover his mouth and quiet them. “Shh! This way is a no-go.”

She closed the door and peeled away, now going down the hall towards the other far off door.

It was well lit and she heard no muffled conversation of muted mumbling. Then again the Rustbucket’s internals did a fine job filling the air with meaningless noise, even without Percy’s help.

“Huh, the upper deck break room. Not a bad place actually, as long as they stay quiet I bet I can fit them in here.”

Rini opened the door slowly and crept inside. To her delight she found the place empty and signalled to the others who followed. She got to work popping open panels and moving maintenance doors. When that wasn’t enough she shifted the seats around, finding the spaces under the pillows hollow enough to fit a young colt and their brother.

All of this didn’t even account for the easier, if more detectable spots. The kind of places Rini could see herself hiding were she still little.

She’d managed to hide up to about half of the group before her heart suddenly skipped a beat. Her blood ran cold as she heard the flush of a nearby toilet. She turned and stared at the bathroom door and saw the red “occupied” sign under the handle.

“Oh crap.”

She need not say anything more, as the ponies still exposed ran for hiding spots. Pegasi perched above ceiling fans, a pair ran behind a powered down vending machine and others ducked behind a wooden counter in front of a built-in bar.

Two Bits even pulled a disproportionately large fancy table cloth from his coat and laid it atop a table, which he and a couple others slid under. The fabric overhanging enough to conceal them.

By the time the door opened, Rini found herself standing alone in the centre of the room.

Out walked a mutt she’d hoped not to encounter that night. One that made the air around her heavy and hot, like the stench of a hundred cigarettes.

Captain Caleb “The Dopehead” Gnash.

Rini stood up and fixed her posture. Maybe she could just pass herself off as busy and he’d leave? For a moment it seemed that way when she turned but the captain caught her before she had the time to make another move.

“Oh! Good evening, Miss Burrows!” He called to her, wearing that same comforting smile she’d met him with, same twitching body too.

Rini tore her eyes away and began making for the door. “H-Hey.”

“How convenient, I actually wanted to talk to you.”

“You did?” Rini felt a twinge of fear set in.

“Yes, so turn to face me please.” She cringed but did as instructed, already anxious as he continued.

“This is about the coffee. I’ll admit it's been a while since I’ve had a caffeine high, but I’m fairly sure it doesn’t give you the runs like it just did for me.” Caleb’s smile then dropped, and in its place raised a cold, hard glare upon her as he pulled his trousers up. “Or anydog for that matter.”

Rini took a step back. She raised a paw towards her face to scratch her cheek and held it there as she spoke. “Well! I don’t typically drink coffee so maybe I didn’t make it right? None of your soldiers offered to help me brew it.“

“Hmm, maybe, but it has made me curious. Just what was that family emergency you had? The one that involved your mother?”

“Oh uh, she had an accident.” Rini felt panic start to set in as she struggled to stay coherent.

The captain only hardened his glare and crept forward. He pulled open a nearby fridge door without looking inside and Rini held herself as a very chilly pony pushed forward a water bottle into his extending grip.

Caleb continued but bestowed a layer of steel into his voice. “What. Kind?”

“Uh, that morning. We got up earlier than usual so, I uh, helped her at her shop…she slipped inside the break room while the stove was on, and got burnt real bad.” She kept scratching the side of her neck as she spoke, not once pulling it away.

Caleb narrowed his eyes and twisted the cap off. Rini found frozen in place with a proverbial bead of sweat rolling down her head. She watched as the captain took a swig, not once taking his suspicious gaze off her.

He wasn’t buying it.

“Miss Burrows, do you mind turning around for me? I’d like to quickly search you.”

It was in that very moment that she realised two things.

One: She had Brambles’s gun, and two: She had Brambles’ s gun!

“Think fast Rini!” She looked at the water bottle and back at the bathroom door, before turning to him.

“Uh sure, but did you wash your paws first?”

Caleb snapped his digits, “Oh right!” He then turned around and almost left the stunned Diamidian. Rini shook her head from surprise and quickly dug through her tools, withdrawing her trusty pipe wrench and sneaking up behind him.

“Hey wait a second!” He looked down at the water bottle and pulled the cap off with his teeth, before wetting his mits and rubbing them together under the cold, crystalline liquid.

“Y-Your not gonna use soap?”

“Doesn’t the dirt just wash off by rinsing? You use soap for like, dishes and stuff.”

Her face contorted and cringed at that, and Rini brought the wrench down on the back of his head. Her short size however meant it didn’t become the knockout blow she was hoping for, and the captain let out a pained howl upon impact.

Now things got serious, at least for Rini.

“Gah you flank steak!” Caleb whipped around and hit Rini’s face with a backpaw. Her semi-swollen cheek positively exploded with pain and she was sent reeling.

The Greyhound managed to maintain balance, and the adrenaline kicked in. “What’s this about huh? Tryna take me out?” Caleb got on all fours and charged towards her, with jaws opening wide to flash gnarled sets of teeth.

Rini was faster and dived out the way. He tried pouncing upon her some more but each time her smaller size proved her too slippery for him to catch.

“Oh I see how it is, you wanna steal all the parking money for yourself!” He cried.

“Nope! Just Rusty!” Rini ducked under another strike and belted the mutt’s chest with her wrench. Managing to knock the air from his lungs, but as she raised her weapon to slam his head Caleb shoulder bashed her into a nearby cabinet.

Rini recovered quickly and dived away from another would-be strike. Now running around the main table with Caleb close behind, circling the room before extending her arm out to spill over several loose objects upon the room’s bar counter.

Caleb skidded to a halt before slipping and crashing upon the rolling bottles and spice grinders, instead turning about face to circle around.

However the circling had caused some level of dizziness and he struggled to run how he wanted. So seeing him come her way Rini prepared herself with the wrench and batted the captain as he ran past. He slammed into the table in the room’s centre pulling some of its cloth downwards with him.

For a brief moment, Rini could see the terrified look in Two Bit’s eyes from where she stood, a reminder of what she was fighting for.

With a glare, she hardened herself as Caleb got back up and charged her, only to once move away and see him smash into the counter where the ponies opposite it ducked down even further.

“Come on Caleb, war dog captain can’t beat some scrapper girl?”

A fire danced in his eye at that and as he rose, he grabbed a nearby chair by its upper frame and hoisted it above his head.

“Oh shi!-” Rini moved aside as the furniture piece narrowly flung past her and into one of the fridges, denting it.

While she’d managed to avoid the chair, Rini wasn’t left with the time needed to then avoid Caleb’s follow up and found herself thrown up against the vehicle bay’s wall. She scrambled to slip away but Caleb wouldn’t have it, and slammed her over and over again.

Rini could only flail about as the captain punched her head in over and over, his other paw pinning her in place.

She howled and barked in pain, shrill cries echoing throughout the room as the enraged hound then pressed both paws around her neck.

Her own strength had no chance of overpowering his and she kicked her hinds in vain. With no other options she tried to reach for the weapon in her pocket and raced against her own diminishing resolve. Rini turned her vision skyward and watched within her darkening sight as a vague shape then descended down upon her foe.

Moments later she felt her windpipe open up and she slumped to the floor. Caleb thrashing about as a pegasus harassed him from above.

She heard a voice call out and saw Two Bits emerge from under the table, galloping toward and ramming the mutt. “Come on everypony! We can beat this brute!”

Things fell to chaos as more ponies emerged from their hiding places to confront the captain. Unicorns hurled bolts of magic at him, earth ponies charged into his sides and at least two more pegasi raced to attack him.

Despite all of that Caleb wouldn’t go down easy, and his drug fueled ferocity was put on full display as he fought back.

For every bolt that hit him an earth pony was sent flying, and for every kick, punch or buck he’d return the favour two fold. Ponies were slammed against walls, pummelling with furniture or bitten and thrashed around like chew toys caught within his red ridden jaws.

Rini pushed on through her haze and climbed to stand with shaky limbs. Adrenaline making up for her lack of oxygen as she reached for her firearm just as Caleb did the same, now reaching his own limits.

The two met eyes and drew their guns…

And fired.

Author's Note

Happy Halloween! Kinda funny how the dates lined up with me posting this. Hope ya'll are enjoying the story so far, we're getting close to the end.

CH 29

Pain.

That was all Rini felt.

So much pain.

She laid slumped against the wall, barely able to draw breath. A rod of cherry red metal had been threaded through her chest. The worst case of heartburn she’d ever felt in her life, with her friend’s smoking revolver laid flat upon the floor.

Yet, Caleb’s own crimson splatter hadn’t come from his back…

It had come from his front.

In Rini’s exhausted mind everything took a second to process. Her once rapid thoughts were now slowing to a crawl. Part of her wanted to scream, cry out and howl from the pain but she simply didn’t have the energy or will to.

She was weak, her entire left side numb and cold. Not like the shocked kind of cold but genuinely, deathly cold. The only warmth she could feel came from her own sicky red river bleeding into her clothes and soaking her fur.

Desaturated yet colourful shapes danced around her vision, all mumbling things her ears understood but she didn’t. She heard words but not sentences, only able to gather intention by tone. They were panicking, all of them were.

Suddenly a single voice cut through the thicket. One she was familiar with, that rang enough bells to piece together an orchestra.

“Rini!” It was her mother’s, one of abject horror and indescribable panic. “No no no not my little pup!”

What she could only guess was her mother moved to her side, setting something large and tubular down as she knelt there.

The pain she felt, the numbness in her body and the panic of those around her. It was slow and sluggish but her mind soon pushed the pieces into place.

“Am I…dying? The…captain…he shot me.”

That momentary realisation gave her mind the slightest jolt, just enough to process the truth.

“I’m dying…I’m going to die…well shit…”

Ponies gathered and some tried putting their hooves upon her, maybe they were trying to help? Others pulled them away and spoke. They were saying things about a heart, she heard a bullet at one point and a bottle at another.

Something was also happening in the background, a larger shape and a smaller one doing…something. She couldn’t tell what, only that they were crashing into one another.

It didn’t last long, as her ears were met the deafening sound of something sharp yet short. A firecracker maybe? It was enough to give her a jolt and briefly return some clarity to her sight. Two Diamidians, one standing over the other, but anything more she couldn’t make out.

None of it mattered, not anymore. She’d done what she could, it was up to them now.

It was a shame really, she’d hoped she could play at least one more game with her friends…

“Maybe...another time…later.” Rini forced a smile that quickly became genuine, likely her last.

Just as she felt the corners of her vision darken, and the tiredness of a cold embrace reached for her. She suddenly felt something pressed against her mouth and a paw tilt her head upwards. Then, a rushing tide of something smooth fell down her throat. The taste was some cross between something sweet and angelically soothing, like a kind of thick cream.

Her digits twitched and her eyes went wide. A tingle flowing down her spine that rippled throughout her body. The power of an indescribable force racked her core and she felt awake again.

No, not just awake, alive.

Tears welled up as the last of the liquid left the bottle. The pounding of a dead heart willing itself to life again and rising like a phoenix. Fire burned through her veins and thousands of pins and needles brought back so much sensation she couldn’t handle it all at once.

Every breath drew from the heavy air around her. The colours of the world lit up brilliantly and danced like Hearth’s Warming lights, every sound crystal clear as were the words formed from them. It was as if she’d just woken up from the best nap of her life, full of energy unbothered by her burdens.

“Rini?!”

She turned to face her mother, who’s desperate smile contrasted the bags under her teary eyes.

“Mom?”

“Y-You’re back!” She leapt forward and pulled her into a tight, loving hug. “Oh my sweet lil pup you’re back!” Such was the relief in her voice it cracked, and Rini patted her back as they hugged.

She was prepared to ask what happened but her memory of moments prior, and Caleb’s bloodied corpse spelt that out for her.

A soft giggle rose from her throat. “Should’ve gone for the head. Hot damn those healing potions work well!” Rini wasn’t wrong in that regard. She didn’t just feel like herself again, she felt great! Fantastic even! Like the exhaustive efforts of the past day had entirely vanished.

It made her wonder what a whole bottle would’ve done to somecreature.

She peeled away from her mother with a twitch to her eye. “So, did we win yet?”

“R-Right, we’re not done yet.” Riley stood up and turned, only to freeze in place.

The both of them found themselves staring at another Diamidian soldier. Rini quickly recognised him as Alpine and by the looks of things he’d been through the ringer. His front was tainted red, as was his right arm, with his gaze staring a thousand yards through the duo.

All the ponies nearby kept a good distance from him, fearful.

On the ground beside the sheepdog was the body of a comparatively tiny chihuahua, who’s neck leaked a pool of sick crimson around him. The sergeant's gun still smoking in its barrel.

“Hey Rini.” He spoke calmly, maybe too much so. “So uh…fucker was gonna shoot the both of ya…dying daughter be damned…”

She glanced back at Percy’s body and while It took a moment for the sick smell of blood register with Rini’s nose, it hit her like a frying pan when it did and she gagged. “T-Thanks Alpy!”

“Did…you just call me “Alpy?” He pointed at her, a bit surprised and amused.

Both mother and daughter spoke at once.

“She’s high on healing magic.”

“I nearly just died okay!”

Alpine let out a soft laugh and looked down, his blood covered paw shaking as his claws glinted in the light. “Welp, there goes that promotion.”

His comment got the others to laugh a little, a nice reprieve from the dark situation.

“Come on, everydog in the yard probably heard that.” Riley extended a paw and helped Rini up. She knelt down and picked up the shotgun before breaking it open and replacing a spent shell. Alpine however was still processing things, his clean paw rubbing his forward just as much as it was keeping his fur from obscuring his view.

“When ya told me about having the common dog’s interests at heart. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.” Alpine panned his gaze across the room, looking towards the various ponies dotted about. “But you know what? You're right, these dogs aren’t the ones I signed up with, not anymore.”

The sheepdog let his fur down and picked up his former sergeant's weapon, which seemed too large for him anyway. For Alpine however it wasn’t a problem and he turned to Riley. “Where to mam?”

“We’re tryna steal the landship, me and Rini will get the controls, try to keep the war dogs out of the place.”

“H-Hey!” Rini cried, waving a paw. “Brambles is still outside! We can’t leave without him!”

“Ya mean the Terrier that got crushed the other day?” Rini nodded, gesturing towards the potion. “I’ll work on that.” Alpine threw his army jacket aside, then turned tail and sped through an open doorway into the bowels of the Rustbucket. She could only hope he knew where he was going as she picked up Bramble’s revolver.

“Alright dear, lead the way.”

Brambles took another bite of his freshly fried hot-dog. His senses savouring the flavours of the late night meal.

All three soldiers from the patrol sat outside, around a table with a few chairs happily munching on their dinners. He quickly found out hunger suppressants only worked for as long as the user’s will not to eat, and they’d been walking for a while.

Now he sat within the comfort of the brass and steel plated food truck, with his favourite inanimate object to accompany him. A little sitting pony garden gnome now with a spider’s web of cracks, of which a thick glue filled the gaps.

Everything was going just swimmingly! Good food, company, warmth, a nice atmosphere. All he needed now was an extra large milk bone to chew on. Though it had been a while since Brambles had heard anything.

He took another chomp out of his food and turned to the giant garage, idly peering inside.

“I wonder how Rini’s doing?”

As if to answer his question, a loud crack met their ears and all four mutts turned in the direction of the Rustbucket.

“Was that a gunshot?” Asked one of them.

“Might’ve been a misfire, safeties don’t always work on these things.”

A second crack rang out and the soldiers all turned to each other, their eyes going wide. Moments later they all pushed away from the table and drew their weapons. Shotguns, auto-guns and sidearms flashing under the amber floodlights.

Brambles leaned over the counter, his gaze alight with concern. “Does that mean somedog’s in danger?”

“Maybe! We’re gonna check it out!”

“Rini might be in trouble? I gotta go help!”

Brambles hastily stuffed the last of the hot dog into his maw and turned to grab the garden gnome. Before he did leave however, he looked at the front of the trailer, where a large lever was located.

Within, the countless electrical connections fired off as something rare and spectacular happened. The kind of thing that only arises from true inspiration.

He had an idea.

A mad grin crept across his face as he pulled the lever, causing the whole trailer to shift as he moved to and closed the shutter. Outside, he threw up the garden gnome and chomped down on it as it descended, he’d need his paws free for this next step.

He grabbed a tow cable and followed the soldiers up the open backramp. None stopped to question him as he ran inside and attached the hook to one of the vehicle bay’s own reels. He vaguely remembered he’d be leaving town tonight on the landship and he really wanted to keep having hot dogs.

Before he could do much however, an ear splitting crack forced him to bow. His canine ears elicited a sharp whine.

Brambles turned to see the war mutts raise their weapons and fire upon something in the back of the bay. It was murder on his ears, but he managed to trace where they were shooting it.

There was a pony hiding behind a bulky crate of spares, and a sheepdog spraying lead from behind an open doorway.

Confusion plagued the mutt for a moment as he asked himself why there was a pony inside. At least until memory led to realisation.

He suddenly turned to the three soldiers lined up beside him. “Wait a second, these are the bad guys!”

With a quick jab the reel lever groaned to life and started pulling on the food truck. Brambles meanwhile took the gnome from his mouth and rushed towards the nearest soldier. The mutt only had enough time to turn to him before the mini-fridge sized block of hardened clay struck his head, sending him groundward and out like a light.

Neither of the two remaining war mutts had noticed what happened over the air of gunfire, as they poured layers of lead into their target’s direction. The high capacity of their auto-guns drums coming into full effect as they crept closer and closer, keeping their heads down with burst after burst.

Brambles observed the situation and looked down at the gnome, before he then turned to the mutt firing at Corn. He stood on his hinds and arched his arm back, before letting loose a mighty throw.

The gnome flew through the air and smacked into the middle mutt. His balance compromised he couldn’t keep the reservist's head down, and Corn peeked out with extended his hoof.

A couple gunshots added to the choir of chaos and the Diamidian fell, blood pouring from his chest.

“Way ta go Mr. Tibbles!” He shouted, raising his arm in the air.

The loss wouldn’t go unanswered however, as the last soldier snapped towards and fired a spray of bullets at Corn. Red sprayed from his front leg and the pony let out a shrill scream, only answered by Alpine peering around to return fire.

By some horrible chance however his weapon refused to fire, and a loud crack signalled its malfunction.

With a wicked smile the soldier raised his auto-gun only to be met by the same, poorly timed sound.

Both dogs stared at each blankly for several moments.

“Well that’s awkward.” Brambles muttered.

CH 30

Rini pushed open a door and nearly tripped over herself entering the bridge.

Riley flipped the lights on and both were presented with a wide room coated in a mixture of different painted panels. The room’s amber lights bathed it in warmth, yet much of it was left shadowed by the questionable quality of the bulbs.

Two chairs sat behind the main bulk of the controls, each nestled within a semi-circle of different panels and a steering wheel facing the front. Secondary or backup panels and extra readouts were displayed elsewhere, such as below the framed windows.

From the front, they gave a wide view of the outside world. The scrapyard darkened and shadowbound by the night.

Just from looking at it, the Rustbucket was clearly intended to be driven by a crew. Not a duo.

“Oh my, this is…a lot.” Riley turned to her daughter, who was already moving to examine the panels. “Think you can handle this dear?”

She sat down and looked over the controls. Rini gave a sigh of relief and thanks as many of the various dials, control and other buttons were clearly labelled, with plenty of crudely drawn notes clung to them. It took a moment, but the gears in Rini’s head grinded into overtime as she pieced the puzzle together.

“I-I think so, just need a moment.”

The Greyhound peered over a status panel. Most of the engines were active, the fuel tanks were full and the boilers ablaze. Cole had been busy.

“Okay next thing…breaks!”

Rini pulled on a lever and felt the entire vehicle suddenly, if briefly, shook. Less of a rumble and more like a momentary tremor of the earth. One that would’ve knocked over any coffee cup.

She let out a nervous laugh and glanced at Riley. “I’m about to drive something ten times the size of my house…”

“Our house.” She smiled. Rini rolled her eyes and went back to work.

“Right, now how do I make this thing actually move?” From the outside it certainly looked complicated. All the various dials, buttons and switches led to all kinds of things. The more Rini examined them the more her smile began to widen.

With the flick of a switch, flood lights across the Rustbucket’s hull sparked to life. Dozens of times more potent than the searchlights mounted across the watch towers. The whole scrapyard, from fence to front window, was lit up for her to see.

Next, she grabbed a sliding lever marked “throttle” and pushed it upward. If the earlier shake was a tremor, now Rini was in for the earthquake. The beast of a machine awoke from its multi-day slumber and the treads stirred to life.

She could feel her teeth rattle in his skull-”Oh hey I have my tooth back!”-as her tongue involuntarily danced around her mouth. Her senses alight with jubilation as the Rustbucket’s function clicked into place. “Thank the skies for Diamidian engineering!” She cried.

Riley took a position near the windows, looking out. “If the gunshots hadn’t woken them up, I’m sure that will.”

Rini’s exaltation was cut short as concern suddenly crossed her mind. “Hey uh, mom?” She swivelled around to grab the steering wheel, but looked to her. “Just to make sure, all the ponies did get aboard right?”

“Saw Corn helping the last group climb the treads when you called.” She turned back to her. “So I’d hope so!”

With that, Rini grabbed a hold of the throttle and pushed it further upwards, the roaring of a mighty beast followed suit.

“Then I hope your aim is good, because I have a town to navigate.”

Meanwhile, Brambles sped through the cramped copper halls of the engineering section. Amber lights and open doors painted his path forward as the world around him shook.

The noise wasn’t nearly as ear splitting as the gallery of gunshots from earlier, but now the loud, mechanical churn of countless cogs, gears and pipelines drowned out most others. Oil, brass and iron clogged up his nose and threatened to drive him mad.

Because unlike Rini, this was his first time inside Ol’ Rusty.

And he was already beginning to hate it.

On the bright side, the war mutt he was chasing made no effort to conceal his movements or to throw him off. He left doors open, light lit and while it was nearly drowned out, Brambles could still pick up his salty scent of body odour.

He followed that trail until he came upon a doorway which led to a very loud, very brightly lit room. Even before he reached the door he could hear the half drowned echoes of some argument.

When he reached it and looked inside, he found the soldier pointing his auto-gun at…some kind of engineer. A black and brown mutt with broad shoulders. He didn’t know a name but he’d seen him before…at some point.

“Shut off the engines!” Shouted the soldier.

“You know I can’t do that pal, not now.”

“What? I can’t hear ya! Shut em off!”

Brambles didn’t voice it but he was inclined to agree, it was loud in there. Several large bulky machines lined the room, with ladders and walkways between them. Pipes of all kinds flowed in and out of those living hulks of metal, and for a moment he questioned why they were on.

On the other paw however, he was one of the bad guys so whatever he wanted was bad, right?”

Yeah, probably.

Brambles reached for the revolver in his pock-”Oh right, Rini has it.”

Instead, he then reached over his back for-”And Riley still has that shotgun.”

He let out a frustrated groan that might as well have been mouthed for how drowned out it was. The soldiers back at the bay had guns, Mr. Tibbles was back there too, but in his haste he hadn’t grabbed any of them.

There was only one thing left he could do, play nice.

With a deep breath he marched into the room and waved, prompting Cole to point past the soldier at him. The war mutt turned around and aimed his gun, which had Brambles freeze. He was careful not to make any sudden movements as he raised a paw up to his mouth.

“Hey!” He shouted, “Can we like, talk about this?”

“Huh?!” The soldier replied.

Brambles pointed towards his ears then towards the doorway, maybe he’d get the message and they could talk outside? The soldier however didn’t seem impressed, if anything he looked quite angry as he squinted his eyes.

“Wait, you're the damn mutt that led us away from the landship! You piece of-”

What he said next was lost as the engines scaled up in power. The room rumbled accordingly and the three of them shook about. Impressively, the soldier kept his gun trained on Brambles and violently barked at him with an eye full of anger, and a voice promising vengeance.

BRRRRR-”With a garden gnome!-”RRRRRR-”So help ya nan-”RRRRRR-”Loved Buckball! And you-”RRRRRR

While his attempts were falling upon quite literal deaf ears, Cole appeared to be making the most of it. The roar of the engines masked his steps as he slowly crept up behind the dog.

Brambles couldn’t exactly put his paws up without losing balance, and not knowing what he was saying was putting a real damper on things. He persisted though and forced a nervous smile, even as the enraged mutt waved his gun around with a digit on the trigger.

At any moment he could turn his chest cavity into a block of hole ridden cheese, and he wouldn’t even get to say goodbye to his friends!

That thought was perhaps the one that forced him to take a step back, just as Cole was getting within reach.

He was nearly there, just a little more!

But then the mutt raised his gun at Bramble’s head, his digit ready to clutch the trigger.

This was it, the flash before his eyes…

Suddenly, a shadow dropped from above and crashed into the unknowing mutt like a bolt of black lightning.

A mighty thud managed to reach Brambles’ ears as he hit the ground hard. An equine figure with a black cloak pinned him down and grabbed the mutt’s head. They pulled it up and before smashing it back down against the hard brass.

Rivers of red leaked from the unconscious dog’s nose as the pony stood up and let their hood down. It was Gale, and he turned his head toward Cole and extended a hoof. The pegasus flashed his ice knife and nodded to the mutt, which Cole replied by shaking his head.

Gale walked off the limp soldier and strolled past a speechless Brambles, where he left back into the halls.

For the second time that night, Gale had saved his hide and whilst thankful, both mutts stood wide eyed.

“Damn Gale, where’d you learn that?”

Brambles looked down at him, then up to the engineer who shakily gave him a thumbs up. Quietly and nervously he laughed and nodded, before turning around to leave the engine room, wanting to get away from the noise and smell of blood.

With that taken care of he had to go make sure the food trailer had been reeled in. For all the things he’d forget, the needs of his stomach wasn’t one of them.

When he got to the garage bay Brambles was met with a warzone.

In the time since, ponies had come in. Some unicorns had picked up the fallen soldier’s guns and were hiding where they could. Gunshots ringing out like bundles of firecrackers in tune with the rumbles of machines and rush of wind.

A pony doctor was tending to Corn’s bloodied leg. A unicorn held up a violet shield with her magic as bullets scarcely pot-marked the wall behind them.

Outside meanwhile, auto-wagons and armoured vehicles with gun turrets chased after the Rustbucket. The food trailer was nearly in but the War Mutts were quickly closing, much faster the trailer was being reeled. As magnificent as it was monstrous, the monolithic machine wasn’t fast.

They were still in town too, whoever’s driving had to be careful not to demolish any buildings and could only take the biggest, widest roads there were. At this point, it was likely the War Mutts probably already had their route mapped out.

Something was happening to them however.

Several of the vehicles were breaking off and squinting his eyes, Brambles could kind of see why. One driver accidentally tore off his steering wheel and sent himself tumbling to the side. Another hit the throttle and just as he got close, his airbag triggered and he was forced to veer off. Even the armoured ones weren’t safe as the one chasing them couldn’t stop their turret from turning in one direction.

It was chaos.

It was exactly what they needed.

And Brambles grinned. “Way to go Rini!”

On the opposite side of the bay, he could see a large lever with big, bold text below it. Some of the ponies, mostly Pegasi, were trying to reach it. Their attempts were sent back, however, by gunfire, despite the numerous neon bolts flung their way by the unicorns.

Maybe the lever was important somehow? Why didn’t they just grab it with their magic? Too far maybe? Either way he could tell there was a problem by seeing it.

How was he going to get across? There was gunfire everywhere, anycreature not hiding behind something was getting peppered. Brambles needed something…like…

The Terrier turned to his side and looked at the rust covered metal panel that separated him from Rusty’s guts. With a smile and an absurd amount of strength, the mutt grabbed and tore off the panel. Rivets and screws protested in vain as it slowly peeled off the wall. A pipe bursted and putrid fumes of black smoke bellowed from it.

Before finally popping off.

“A shield!”

With little time to lose he turned to and dashed across the open bay. He held it up with a paw and mushed with the others as bullets bounced or dug fruitlessly into the dense slab. It was heavy as an anvil and the most he could do was drag it across the floor, but it protected him.

He managed to get halfway across before he spotted Mr. Tibbles laying on the ground. The limp body of a dead Diamidian having stopped him from rolling off. “Oh hey!”

Brambles picked up the garden gnome and turned towards the switch. With how shaky everything was, the sounds of chaos all around and the distance he’d have to cover, a throw was questionable at best.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle from behind caught his attention and he turned to see a trio of pegasi, all collecting and warping a huge cloud of thick, black smoke.

“Hey Diamond Dog! Hit the switch with this!” The three released a mighty buck at once and the cloud was sent barreling towards him.

He held a deep breath as it enveloped him and Brambles ditched the shield, now intent on making the most of the visual cover. Bullets whizzed by as he bounced to and fro, before he suddenly slammed into the bay wall.

Brambles gagged as he gave up that breath, and hit the switch with the bulk of Mr. Tibbles. The smoke cloud slipped off the side wall and off the ramp, managing to catch onto the gun turret which fired wildly.

Sirens and horns blared as the ramp began to lift, the food trailer only halfway on now rising with the brass.

The internal lights kicked in as the headlights from the various war dogs were cut off, no longer able to shine inside. For a moment Brambles was worried the truck might’ve gotten caught or that it would be snapped in half but Rusty’s jaws, instead there came a point where the reel, assisted by gravity, saw it slide in.

Brambles braced against the wall to avoid being hit by the oncoming vehicle and breathed a clean, fresh sigh of relief as the gunfire ended.

“Phew, well that was fun!”

“Could we get a lil’ help over here!?” Spoke the Pegasi, all now trying to stem the blackened, bleeding gas.

CH 32 - As One Door Closes...

The bright morning sun casted scattered, violet rays across a vast snowy desert.

Mountains, hills and frozen forests made up the bulk of the horizon, beautifully illuminated by the dawn.

Yet the desert wasn’t empty. Somewhere inside, a rusty brown blip broke up the greys and whites. The smoky stacks of a town now little more than thin wisps miles away. Not even enough to extend beyond one’s thumb should they take the distance test.

Within that tiny blip however, life resided and resumed. Hallways stuffed with backpacks and suitcases. Sons and daughters singing songs with their loved ones. Games and drinks shared by a pool table and conversations held by the most distant of occupations. All united by a common tragedy, a common identity, and common family.

All was not right within the mighty machine though.

Rini sat alone inside the Rustbucket’s bridge, staring mindlessly at the now empty spot still stained with dried blood, the majority of which had been cleaned.

A while night of travel and turmoil had taken its toll upon the poor girl, and such was evident with a simple look at her eyes. Darkend rings and bags burdened by stress weighed heavily upon her eyes. Still they refused to close, refused to let go, to drift into that peaceful slumber.

Too much had happened for her to simply shake it.

It had all went by so fast. The storm, the military, Gale, Brambles…

Riley

She felt a hole in her gut where something should’ve been. Where somedog should still be, sitting right beside her offering words of comfort and congratulations. Instead, only the empty void of her inner thoughts were there to pay her any mind.

How long had she been there? Time seemed meaningless for all the power it held. Rini remembered driving, and driving…and driving…then stopping at some point. Now here she was, and what did she have to gain from it?

She wasn’t sure…only the weight on her shoulders brought her any sense of familiarity.

When the door opened she didn’t pay it any mind. Her ears picked it up but…what was the point?

The heavy steps quickly led to her identifying it as Brambles, even before his scent hit. The Terrier sat down beside her and remained quiet. A minute later and the mutt placed a paw on her shoulder, which she neither protested nor acknowledged.

For a short time, the two just sat. Loose cloth seals over broken windows flapped in the wind, alongside the rumbles of Rusty’s engines. Eventually though, Brambles broke the quiet with a soft, sombre voice.

“I get it.”

“Hm?” Rini shifted her eyes but her head held in place.

“I miss her too, Rini. Even if I didn’t know her as well.”

The Greyhound’s mouth moved and twitched, but she struggled to form words. Her body still waking from the stillness. “I-It h-h-happend…s-so fast…s-still feels like…she’s here.”

“Yeah…I know. You’ll have a lot to work through.”

“W-What’s h-happend t-to them?” Rini asked, hoping for something to distract her for the moment.

“Steel coffins in storage. Ground’s too frozen to dig graves so…best we got until we find somewhere better.” Finally, Rini drew the strength to pry her head and turn to him. Brambles sat with a comforting grin and gently rubbed her back. “Unless ya don’t want her to come along?”

The ghost of a grin graced Rini’s cheeks, and she glanced back at that formally bloodied spot. “I…I-I dunno.”

Brambles nodded. “Give it some time, we’ve been through a lot.” He gave her a reassuring pat and Rini felt…better would be too generous but it helped. Despite everything she felt calmed, comforted, more collected by his kind words.

She had to remind herself it was Brambles she was speaking to, normally he was all over the place.

Here however, she was seeing a side she’d only ever caught glimpses of.

“Y-Yeah, s-still crazy to think. Half a t-town…just like that.” She replied.

“You’ll at least be happy to hear Alpine’s talkin’ to the dogs we napped, and Cole’s keeping the lights on. Some of the ponies are even helping!”

Brambles climbed to stand and offered her a paw. “Why don’t we go for a walk? Gale’s waiting outside.”

She turned to him and glanced at the offer. Slowly, shyly, she grabbed it and he hoisted her to stand.

Methodically he moved to open the door and led her through the rusted halls of the Rustbucket.

Rini still heard the low mechanical growls of the engines, the grinding of unseen gears and the bubbling within pipes. But she also heard the cries of playful children, casual conversation and the relief in voices too numerous to pick out. Like an orchestra of strings, none louder than the others.

Even if the bar was already set pretty high.

“I never told you what happened to my parents, did I?” Rini shook her head as he looked at her.

“I remember saying we’d talk about it…I think.”

He smiled and slowed down, now almost bumping shoulders with her.

“When I was fourteen, something happened to my mom’s brain that made her forget things. It started small, dates, street names, the things she bought. After a couple years though it got so bad she couldn’t speak, let alone remember my name. I can still remember our last real hug together.”

Rini grimaced and turned towards him, but Brambles carried on with only a soft smile upon his face. Likely lost to a good memory.

“Then my dad…he actually encouraged me to move to Cherrywood. That was…I think a couple weeks? Before a fire at work burned him to a crisp.” Brambles smile waned and he rubbed his neck, his breathing audible.

“Oh…Brambles…” Rini spoke softly. “I…I-I’m sorry I asked.”

“I’ve gotten over it by now!” He turned back to her, his smile wide again, “But I’ve learned something: Good things don’t happen to good people. Things just…happen. Since then I’ve spent every day like it was my last, and I haven’t looked back.”

A shockwave reverberated through Rini’s system as she saw her friend from a new light. Her own loss not overshadowed, but now mirrored by the emotions of another.

Somewhere inside, she was able to take some comfort in that. Her burden no longer solely hers to bear, and shoulders no longer so heavy. She quietly nodded in agreement and forced a smile, having little to add.

They passed through the breakroom and found it full of life. Ponies of all kinds shared drinks (mostly water) and played with the few amenities on offer. Board games from home, darts upon a crude drawing, and the pool table was full of spectators. It was some confetti and balloons short of a real party.

At least by pony standards anyway.

It still warmed her heart to walk through such a place. A rising tide of butterflies gathered in her stomach and her forced smile quickly became genuine as she watched them all gather.

She’d done this, Rini Burrows had enabled this.

It was a team effort of course but she'd played her part and played it well. That in itself was reward enough and she knew were Riley still around, she’d be singing her praises.

Something had come and filled the hole in her being. An inextinguishable warmth that burned brightly, and one she clinged to.

Peering through the window onto the garage bay, even more were out and about. All enjoying breakfast by the food truck Brambles had wrangled with them-

Rini had to rub her eyes to make sure she was seeing things correctly. “How did he manage THAT?” She turned to meet Brambles half confused and glanced at the truck again.

“What? Think I was gonna leave without something for our bellies? I think they’re mostly serving soup right now. But hey! Plenty of spices!”

She shut her eyes and bowed her head in a half-decent attempt to conceal her laughter, but knew all too well how that worked. “Damn it Brambles.” She sqeaked.

“I’ll get you a hot-dog afterwards and we can play something. Come on!” He patted her back and headed through a door, the hot air briefly vented from the room as Rini followed suit.

After a quick ladder descent they navigated the packed garage bay, now littered with makeshift tables and a rainbow of colours. Rini could make out a small crowd gathered in the corner praying with Radiant Path, Pencil Sketch was helping a few fillies and colts draw, and Two Bits was shifting through all kinds of lists taking stock of the Rustbucket’s inventory.

A hundred other things went on likewise, too many for her to pick out. Each their own little world bumping into another’s, and she stayed close to Brambles who at some point picked up a large trunk he began to carry with him as they reached the ramp.

Once more she reminded herself that she had enabled this, along with all the others that worked with her.

It was a warm feeling, and she loved it.

Outside, she quickly descended the ramp behind Brambles and glanced towards a herd of kids playing in the snow. It was enough to make her cringe with glee but in a good way, it was so pony it hurt.

Wrapping around the tread she caught sight of Gale taking to an earth pony who worked on a large, boxy camera. All kinds of wires, glass vials and copper casing lined the device, with a small tray of gunpowder and a pull fuze nestled on the side.

Gale saw them coming and excused himself. As the two walked towards each other Rini could sense the stallion’s discomfort from looks alone.

He approached and rubbed his shoulder with a hoof, his voice subdued to that above a whisper. “Hey Rini…I uh…” Then subtly shook his head from side to side, unable to meet her eyes. “Ah know things got a lil’ hectic last night, and I wanna apologise for my behaviour. Ah just…too much was on the line, an I was angry.”

Rini was about to speak but thought back to the moment Riley had been shot. She remembered her own rage, her own anger, and the knowledge of what she’d done on impulse stole the air from her lungs.

There was a rise in her core that wanted to be angry and to condemn him but…she’d arguably killed more from that one act alone.

If there was something she never wanted to be, at least knowingly, it was a hypocrite.

Her unspoken words gave way to a deep, knowing sigh as she rewrote her script.

“As much as I don’t wanna admit it, I understand. I’m not innocent anymore either, but it doesn’t make things right. Now Riley’s gone.”

“I’m so sorry for yer loss Rini, she was a fine woman. Helped me out on more than a few occasions.” He forced a faint smile that quickly vanished. “Is there anything ah can do ta help?”

“Weeeeeeell, you didn’t lose everything. Mom’s left a little gift for you.”

Rini nodded to Brambles, who stepped forward and planted the trunk in front of the pegasus. His eyes went wide as he leaned forward, poking the handle.

“No way, she didn’t.”

Both dogs smiled as he pushed it open and like a colt on Hearth’s Warming, watched his face light up with delight. “Ma costumes!? How in the buck did she save em?!” He laughed, holding up the one of the pirate captain.

“One of the mutts that looted your place came to her to sell them. Same couldn’t be said for your books.”

“Ah that’s fine! There’s copies, ya only get one Captain Lake Legend!” Exclaimed Gale, his voice more grandiose as he spoke the name.

Rini smiled as he closed the trunk, his good wing fluttered with joy as he turned up to her.

“So…what now?” Asked Brambles. “Where do we go? Can’t stay out here forever.”

“I think…we should take a moment, settle and relax. We can make a plan tonight but for now, I think we’ve all earned some rest.” Rini smiled as her friends nodded in agreement.

All three suddenly heard a whistle from the camera pony, who pointed towards a spot beside the Rustbucket.

With a shrug they ventured over and took positions. They each forced smiles as Rini’s mind raced with thoughts.
“Rover, I don’t know if you're still out there, but I’ll come find you…no matter what.”

“I promise.”

“Say cheese!”

FLASH!

Author's Note

This was a ride. I'd like to say thanks for reading this far and going all the way through. I'll admit I originally planned a lot more for this story but time, budget and motivational constraints held me back. I'm unsure if I'll make a sequel so I wanted to end on an open, but nice note.

It's a crazy world out there and I have to pick and choose what I give my time. So thank you for deciding to spend yours reading my story. I hope to get back to this eventually, but it might be a while.

Happy remembrance day.