Fallout Equestria: Wounded Hare

The dripping of water pitter-pattered against the dark concrete, only drowned by the trotting of my hoofs against the steel rails that lined the ground. As I trotted down the metro line with a dying flashlight in my magic, I felt a jolt of pain in my front right leg, causing me to lurch forward. Jutting my left hoof forward, I caught myself from crashing into the crumpling rail ties. “Fuck!” I exclaimed, stopping to check myself, the cause of this pain escaping my fogged memory. Pushing the flashlight's beam onto the pulsing appendage, I froze at the sight. Not only was my knee bleeding, but so was a good portion of my right front leg.

Following the trail of blood and scratch marks, The glime of a blood-caked knife jutting from my flesh met my vision. I was dumbstruck by the sight; how long had I been walking in this maze and never realized this?

With a trembling hoof, I grabbed the handle, feeling the numbed pain send a shock to my body from the mere touch. I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath, preparing for the pain that would rack my body. I exhaled the exact moment that I tore the knife out of my shoulder in one swift motion; pain coursed through my body and straight into the base of my skull as I fell to one knee, dropping the knife to the ground with a clatter. Taking a haggard breath, I pressed my hoof against the gushing wound as I looked down at the knife with a flashlight.

The blade lay in a pool of blood that came from my wound. I studied the blade in the light to see it was a very bright, shiny silver; the razor-sharp edge started wide at the base before gradually curved back to a pin prick edge. The handle was made of the same material, twisting down to a blunt point, each groove wrapped in some leather; above the bare hilt was an engraving of nine. The wicked curvature of its blade gave me the sense that it wasn't ever used for anything good. The further I looked at the blade, the more it made me uncomfortable.

Then, I saw the blood pool begin to ripple and recede towards the blade; the blood drops on the blade shrunk and disappeared as if it were drinking it. This caused the blood in my body to run cold with fear, yet with unbridled curiosity, I tried to reach out with a trembling hoof. “What in Tartarus?” My breathing was still haggard from the pain that laced my shoulder.

But, what truly terrified me was when my hoof made the briefest contact, it began to melt away. It was not in red heated metal like I initially thought, but it fell apart and dissolved into a vicious black goo that seeped from the ground. “That isn’t yours, my little pony. But, I do appreciate you returning it to its rightful owner.” A deep, raspy, yet charismatic voice flowed from the darkness, followed by the distant echoes of hoofsteps that bounced off the walls, unable to explain which direction the sounds came from.

Quickly looking in both directions, the flashlight’s beam weakened with each pass before it reflected off a silvery white object. I tried to focus on it, but the weakened beam flickered around it. The beam went out the second after it landed on the object as if the light was devoured. I banged the dead light with a hoof and began to back away in step with whatever was before me. "Piece of shit..." I muttered, the dread building as I heard the distant hoofsteps approaching closer. “W-who… no, what are you!?” I shouted, letting the flashlight clatter to the ground to draw a pistol that wasn’t there, my magic only grasping air.

A deep chuckle sounded from behind me as if amused by my reaction. This dragged my attention to my back, a chill running down my spine. My shuffling legs kicked the fallen flashlight across the floor until it landed slightly upwards. The light flickered back on, casting on the once indistinct shape that had shown what it was: an unknowable shape of darkness with a large, sharp, toothy grin; I felt the hot breath waft onto my face, and the faint scent of mint lingered. The presence of whatever this terrified me to my core. Its slitted yellow eyes bore through me as if gazing into my soul. “I am a friend.” It said, pausing between the words, its voice coming from everywhere yet nowhere. Its teeth were unmoving, and its eyes were unwavering; I swallowed. “The bridge has been built. Will you cross it, Mister Rabbit?”

I quickly sat up, gasping in my bed, my body drenched in sweat as I sat holding my head; the nightmare I had quickly faded away from my memory. I could only recall the metro tunnel; my groggy mind chalked it to the metro under Stalliongrad. I let out a disheartened sigh, tired of the nightmares that continued to plague me.

Blinking a few times, I looked around the room I was in. It smelled of sweat and a few other things that I had difficulty placing. My hips felt sore when I uncovered and tried to get out of bed. That’s when the events of last night replayed in my mind, which etched a wistful smile across my lips. “Wasn’t the hearth’s warming gift I was expecting.” I said to myself, getting out of the empty bed. I sauntered over to my bag and rummaged around for the MRE.

Taking several bites of the now non-frozen meal gave me the small amount of energy I needed to begin stretching; joints popped with a satisfying groan. Shaking out my limbs, I lit a cigarette on my lips as I did my morning gear check.

As always, the food department seemed lacking; I still had the self-heating baked potato, considering I don’t often eat dinner. It was better to have the energy during the day anyway. But other than that and the MRE, I needed more; I’m not sure how long I’ll be with these three ponies, but it never hurts to be cautious.

Completing the gear check, I sat down and ate the potato. I wasn’t sure how to use this product, but it said to pull a tab and wait. Seeing the tab, I pulled it and sat it down once it started warming my hoofs. Once done, I opened the box with my magic, based on the smell of the heavily preserved vegetable, which overtook the scent of sweat and shame that previously occupied the room.

I quickly ate it, hoping that nopony would interrupt my meal like what happened yesterday. Crumbling the metal foil into a small ball and throwing it into the corner, I noticed something I hadn’t done before. Next to the discarded potato wrapper was a red feather. Curious, I walked over before picking it up with a raised eyebrow. It looked freshly preened; not much dust was on it, and it hadn’t begun the process of rotting away. Maybe it was in my head, but Serenity's story was starting to make less and less sense. Sure there might be Pegasi in this city, common enough where ponies here didn’t pay much mind. But, this was supposed to be a safe house that the ‘Applejack Rangers’ only used, but it looked very recently lived in, outside of the mess I had made while staying in here myself.

My train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door, pocketing the feather. I went over to the door. To my surprise, it was Fuze. I gave the cybernetic pony a raised eyebrow. “Fuze? What are you doing up here?”

He kept his face neutral and emotionless, but I could tell he didn’t sleep well last night. “The zebra known as Ziya has instructed me to come fetch you. As if I’m some mere hound.” He scoffed, his eye shifting above my head to the room behind me. “Do you need time to get ready?” He asked.

“Just give me a moment,” I said, leaving the door open to get the rest of my gear on. I put my bandoleer over my head and chest, feeling each pocket to check that their contents were still in their proper place. Throwing my back over my back with my magic, I grabbed my rifle and headed to the door. “Alright, show me the way.”

Fuze led me down several floors without a word until we got to the fourth. Stopping, he looked down the hallway. “Ziya is down the hallway, somewhere, " he said before continuing down the hall without letting me say a word. Confused, I followed him until we heard some rummaging from one of the open doorways down the hall.

Both of us entering, we saw Ziya giving the place a reasonable search as if she was looking for something specifically, mumbling under her breath when she didn’t find it. “I have acquired Jack’s presence like you requested, Ziya.” Fuze stated as if robotically.

She looked up, caught off guard by the sudden words. “Oh, thank you, my little colt. I think I found a few things you two could help me with.” She said, opening a drawer with slight frustration across her features when the contents came empty. “Tsk.”

Fuze and I momentarily glanced at each other before I spoke up. “What exactly are you looking for, Ziya?”

Ziya sighed, looking around the torn-apart room. “I’m looking for ingredients and materials for my potions.”

I raised an eyebrow and said, “And you want us to help how? I don’t know the first thing about potion ingredients.”

“That’s not what I brought you two here for.” Ziyz retorted. “Follow me, my little colts.” Ziya said, the large Ziya pushing Fuze and me apart with her muscular bulk as she walked past the door. “I found something one of you two could help me with.”

“One of us two?” Fuze said questioningly.

“Yes, my dear Fuze. Just follow me.” Ziya cooed the frustration from a moment ago gone like morning fog. We followed her to another room on the floor, at the very end of the hall, the cold frigid air wafting through crudely placed boards. Inside the room sat a terminal on a desk, and next to it was a safe.

Fuze gave a smirk, the first sign of emotion that I’ve seen him display; good to see he wasn’t just cybernetics in there. “I see what you needed my intellectual prowess for. Stand aside, my dear Ziya.” He said, cockiness riddling his voice that was mixed with an air of confidence. I shrugged at this; computers were outside of my wheelhouse. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about hacking.

Stepping forward to the terminal with Ziya and me close behind, we both looked curiously. Fuze began to rapidly press the keys on the terminal with his red magic, his eyes darting from side to side before he got to a screen with many words and symbols mixed together. “Show time.” He said, clearly excited to show off his skills. After pressing a few more buttons, the terminal let out a monotone beep. Fuze cursed under his breath, clearly feeling the eyes on the back of his head while he worked.

“I thought you said you were good at this, Fuze.” Ziya said, looking a bit apprehensive as the terminal beeped a second time, indicating a second failure.

“I am if you would stop breathing down my fucking neck.” Fuze retorted, frustration taking over as he went through the lines of decoy code. “Just need one more…” Fuze said, trailing off as his magic pressed the enter button before it beeped again; the screen turned black before a message appeared. ‘Locked out.’ Fuze started cursing a storm that would make Luna blush at the obscenities, his mask of stoicism long gone. “Alright, fuck this.” He said, snorting a hot breath from his flared nostrils.

Ziya and I glanced at each other, taken back by this turn of events from Fuze as his crimson eye began to glow a bright crimson. The terminal started to shake and rattle from what I had assumed to be Fuze, trying to force his way into it. Then his face dropped. “Uh oh.”

“What do you—” I said, interrupted by the terminal bursting into flames. Shards of glass and circuits clogged the air as the parts flew around us.

After we uncovered our faces to see the burning remains of the terminal, Ziya and I quickly hefted the terminal off the table before shuffling towards an open window. “What are you doing!?” Fuze exclaimed as the terminal sailed through the window, plummeting down to the icy depths of the alley. The terminal's crash sent rad roaches scattering all around. Fuze came flying past us and leaned through the window. “You fucking imbeciles! There were valuable parts in that!”

ZIya and I looked at each other with a mixture of concern and confusion before looking back at Fuze. “Fuze, what the fuck are you talking about?” I said while I scratched the back of my head with a hoof.

Fuze pointed a hoof out the window. “What else would I be talking about, the perfectly good components of that terminal!?” He huffed, clearly agitated that we threw ‘good’ scrap.

I rolled my eyes, walked to the now-severed safe, and began working on the lock. “I thought you were good at this.” Fuze mocked at the snapping of a second bobby pin.

I turned my head to him deadpan. “And I thought you were a computer wizard. Guess we both thought wrong.” Which got a snort from ZIya.

“Come on, my dear Fuze. Let’s go downstairs and meet up with Serenity.” Ziya said before Fuze could make another comment.

Fuze groaned. “Fine, If I must.” He said, turning around to follow her out the door. Their hoof steps grew quieter, but I could hear Fuze ask. “What’s that stain on your muzzle ZIya?”

I tried to stifle the cough that tried to escape my throat at the question; the motion caused me to snap yet another bobby pin. “Fuck me.” I muttered, taking out another. Putting it inside the scratched lock, with the quiet, I could click it open after a few minutes, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips. “Let’s see what’s in here.” I said to myself, opening the cracked door with my magic.

My face fell at the contents that were placed inside of the safe. “Who the fuck puts a spoon in a safe?” I muttered, tossing the spoon to the side before I gathered the rest of the loose contents. Managing to grab a med-x and some caps for my troubles. “This wasn’t really worth all of that trouble…” I grumbled to myself while I headed downstairs.

As I descended the stairs into the main lobby, I heard some shouting; I initially thought it was because we were being attacked, but I realized it was Serenity yelling at someone. “Why the fuck would you break it!?”

“Because such technology would cause nothing but trouble. That is what all of the ministry mare’s work does.” Ziya’s voice responded as I made my way onto the landing.

I saw Serenity's neck pulsing with veins on the verge of bursting from his rage. His blue features turned a bright red like a lightbulb. He would notice me coming up; his eyes were nearly pinpoint. “What is going on?” I asked, confused.

Serenity grunted in frustration as he pointed with a wing at his hoof. I looked down to see the shattered remains of glass and circuitry. “This dumb cunt destroyed what could be my ticket to a good life!”

I raised an eyebrow back down at the pile and back at him. “So this isn’t about the terminal we threw out the window?” I asked nonchalantly. I didn’t care about whatever he was screaming about; it was too early for this noise.

He looked at me with bewilderment, then rage as he stomped on the ground with a hard hoof. “You fucking what!? You dumbfuck grounders don’t know wh-”

“Grounders?” I interrupted my eyebrows slowly narrowing. “What do you mean by that Serenity?” The question prompted everyone to go quiet and look at Serenity, waiting for his answer. An answer that I already suspected, one that I knew from the beginning, but I tried to believe it wasn’t true.

The anger that Serenity had on him faded away like melting snow, to be replaced with slight fear, his eyes darting between us. I felt my body tense, preparing for a potential fight depending on his answer and action. The air stilled as we all held our breath, my heartbeat pulsing in my ears. Then, the silence was broken, with Serenity sighed. “I…Fuck. Listen.” He pleaded the accent I had grown used to drop to that of a city pony, his hoofs coming up to show that he didn’t mean any harm.

“There are no Applejack Rangers, is there Serenity? The fake accent, the safe house, and the fact that no one has heard of them. Nothing. You’re Enclave!” I exclaimed, pointing an accusing hoof at him. I felt rage building inside my chest as my tongue wanted to sharpen its edge.

“What the fuck is the Enclave?” Fuze spoke up quizzically.

I kept my gaze on Serenity as Ziya piped up. “I’m not quite sure what that is either, my dear Fuze. Maybe we should hear him out, Jack.”

Serenity gave a bit of a sigh of relief. “You followed me this far. My mission is true; the names behind it are the only difference...you'll still be well compensated. And I've kept my word this far.”

I gritted my teeth, mulling over what he said; my gut told me not to trust him. Enclave scouts nearly killed me in Stalliongrad for being near them, while the circumstances weren’t abnormal. Many ponies shot at me for simply being near them, but the Enclave had a reputation. I sighed, relaxing the tension in my grip before I looked at Serenity. “Then tell me this. Who exactly are we risking our necks for?”

Serenity’s eyes lowered, and his ears flattened before meeting my gaze. “The pony we will search for is my wife, Aces High. She went missing, like I said back at the bar, and I volunteered to come down here to take up her mission. They already wrote her off as dead, but I know she is still out there. I need to find her.”

Hearing this, my heart softened, and anger flowed away; he genuinely looked like a worried husband looking for a wife. That face of longing and worry is a familiar mask I’ve seen all too often. I sighed, rubbing the back of my head. “Alright, I’ll still help but don’t try to pull anything on us. What about you guys?” I said, turning to Ziya and Fuze, both looking unbothered by the exchange.

“I’m still willing to help the poor fellow.” Ziya responded with a nod of her head.

“As long as I’m justly compensated, that is all that matters,” Fuze said, his monotone voice returning.

I turned my head to Serenity. “Let’s not burn any more daylight than. Lead the way.”

The rest of the journey to the city wasn’t as arduous as the road towards the theater; it wasn’t that long either—maybe an hour or so. The town that had grown around us was shaken as the cityscape consumed more of the skyline; even its morning shadows were beginning to envelop us.

Turning down a road, the faint scent of barrel fires hit my nostrils through the scarf. Fire meant ponies, and ponies could be trouble. I was about to get my rifle ready before Fuze placed a hoof on the barrel, keeping it down. “No need to worry; we are in friendly territory for now.” Fuze said, his eyes keeping forward while he walked to the front of the group.

I was curious about what he meant by that, but judging by his mannerisms, he was a local, so I decided to trust him without saying a word.

We came around another bend to see an outpost made of scrap metal sheets and sandbags with a wooden watch tower with a heavy machine gun emplacement pointing towards the long open bridge behind them. The sandbags were arranged in two half circles that went up to chest height, again pointing toward the city. Shell casings, trash, and other debris bellowed around in the wind towards the ponies huddled together by the fire barrels that I smelt earlier. Others were gathered around a table playing a card game, maybe poker.

In the middle of it all was an old lamp post used as a makeshift flagpole. On it was a stained brown flag with the dark shape of some hound; I couldn’t tell what it clearly was, but the rest of the ponies here had the same symbol on their armor and clothing.

It didn’t take long for the ponies to notice us; one got up, throwing his cards on the table, mumbling something to his compatriots. “Let me handle this.” Fuze said, stepping forward. His horn flared with his red magic, his red magic to unclasp a button from his winter cloak to reveal more of his armor.

Fuze met the stallion halfway, and they began speaking, yet it was hard to hear what they were saying from the wind using my ear canals as a flute. While we stood there, I started shivering from the cold wind gusting through my body as if I wasn’t there. It took a few agonizing minutes for Fuze to return after exchanging something with the guard. “So what’s the verdict, Fuze?” Serenity asked.

“The Jackals have agreed to let us through, I paid for the toll, but that was the last of my caps. What comes next might be more complicated.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Just trust me. Let's go before they decide to ask for more caps that we don’t have,” Fuze said, quickly brushing my question aside, which caused a ping of annoyance.

Grumbling, I walked behind the group while we made our way through the outpost; I could feel the heat of eyes on us while we left. I wasn’t sure what to expect on this bridge into the city, but an entire minefield coating the outside edges of the road wasn’t it. Each mine was placed perfectly in a checkered pattern on both sides of the road outside the middle, leaving a strip of road wide enough for a caravan cart to be pulled through with a pair of brahmin.

Seeing the mines, Serenity gave a low whistle but said nothing. While I wasn’t initially worried about the mines, the apparent path increasingly grew narrower, causing us to go two abreast. A strong gust of wind would send me sailing into a mine, and I don’t think even my level of luck would save me from that.

“What’s with all of these mines, my dear Fuze?” Ziya asked, being careful to avoid the lethal explosives.

“It’s the border between the Jackals and the Ravens.” Fuze answered, not elaborating further as his voice sounded condescending. I was starting to like it better when he didn’t speak much.

We traversed the narrowing pathway to see a makeshift metal gate, more well-built and fortified than the previous one with similar frozen sandbags and watch towers. Still, these were set onto a ledge on the gate itself, giving them the high-ground advantage over the constricted movement caused by the minefield. These ponies knew what they were doing. The pony that manned the watchtower rotated the thick barrel of a heavy machine gun, at least half an inch thick enough to get through power armor. “Halt! Who goes there?!” The mare shouted, their features hidden by a uniform of grey and white. This caused other ponies in the same uniform to pop over the ledge, numbering five or six, pointing various small arms at us.

Serenity walked up, showing his hoofs and wings free of weapons. “My name is Serenity Showers. We only seek passage into the city.”

The mare on the HMG scoffed. “Yeah, and why would you want to do that? I bet you nimrods are a part of the Jackals trying to sneak in or Tartarus; I bet even those two fuckhorns with you are from those Crescent schmucks who are trying to push their weight around. I should-” I tensed, thankful I didn’t have any indication of my former affiliation with the Crescents.

“That’s enough, Violet. Open the gate.” An authoritative voice boomed behind the gate, causing the mare on the HMG to turn.

“But-” Violet tried to question before getting interrupted once more.

“Shut your trap and open the gate; we have protocols. We don’t shoot everything that moves; we aren’t those savage Jackals.” The commanding voice echoed out. I noticed that Fuze’s good eye slightly narrowed into a glare at the insult towards the Jackals.

“Y-Yes, ma’am. Open it!” Violet said before the sound of creaking hinges and cables screeched against their rusted bearings, long past their maintenance period.

The gates opened towards us, scraping away snow and ice that had built up in the days since it last opened. Out came a trio of ponies, all in the same grey and white; two had their faces covered while their Leader kept their face in the cold. It was a mare of average stature, dark grey coat with a light faint purple, yet what was odd was the slitted pupils and tiny fangs that protruded from her upper jaw. Then I saw the leathery wings resting on the side of her body, once I noticed those. I realized the others also had the same wings.

“Bat Ponies?” I muttered to myself, astounded to see one, let alone a group of the species. I’ve only encountered a few in my years, mostly loners in towns across the wasteland. They weren’t exactly that common of a race.

The trio came our way until they stopped about fifteen feet away from us, the Leader stepping forward. “State your names and business in the city, " the Leader demanded. My heart quickened. What if they recognized my name from the posters? Yet, they said they weren’t on friendly terms with the Crescents; nevertheless, it made me feel on edge.

Serenity stepped forward once before the Leader raised a hoof to stop him. “Well like I said, My name is Serenity Showers. This is Ziya, Fuze, and Jack. We are heading into the city to find work. What is this all about?” Serenity asked, clearly taken back but unsurprised by the ponies’ standoffish demeanor.

“We are here to make sure you all aren’t raiders. We have enough of them as is. You two.” She pointed a leathery wing at Ziya and Serenity before motioning for them to move. “You two may pass, but the choroids stay put.”

“Hornoid?” I muttered, not daring to make a scene. I was genuinely confused about what they exactly meant by that. It didn’t feel great to be called such a thing. I looked over to Fuze, he was trying to keep his calm, stoic demeanor, yet the clenching of his jaw gave away that he was pissed.

Ziya and Serenity looked at the Ravens for a moment before Ziya spoke. “Why do our compatriots have to stay put?”

“Because they are liable for search, we want to ensure they aren’t running chems for the raiders or those cone dome Crescents. Now, if you want to make this difficult, we can turn you all away, and you can try your luck through the eastern bridge into the city, but that is a mighty far walk.” The Leader said a sly smirk etched on the side of her muzzle, clearly happy that she was in complete control.

I sighed. “It’s fine. All I have is a syringe of med-x; going to bust my balls for that?” I said, levitating my pack off my back to chuck it on the ground with a thud, letting it slide on the side a few feet.

The Leader then looked at Fuze, motioning with a wing for him to do the same. “If I must.” He said through gritted teeth before following suit.

The Leader motioned for one of her cohorts to search the bags, keeping an eye on Fuze and me while we stood there. After a few moments, the Raven members looked at their Leader. “They are clear.”

The Leader smirked. “Welcome to Vanhoofer, my little ponies.” I relaxed, letting go of a breath I didn’t realize I was holding; I walked forward with everyone else to pick up my bag. “Only after you pay our toll, of course.” My face deadpanned as I looked at the Leader. “Twenty-five caps each for the double dongers.” She said, holding out a hoof.

Grumbling, I patted my pockets, realizing I didn’t have any on me, remembering that I had given them to Caramel back at the Inn. I internally cursed. “Don’t worry, my little colt, I can get this for you.” Ziya said once she realized I didn’t have the caps on me for the toll. Two small pouches landed in the Leader’s hoof, who weighed it with a couple tosses.

Seemingly satisfied, the trio stepped aside. “Have a safe journey in the city, and watch out for the creatures that lurk in the snow.” The Leader giggled, putting off a mocking bow.

Pushing past them we all made it through, I was grumbling the whole time about being extorted; Fuze didn’t look happy about it either. As we walked in silence, I looked up to the buildings that reached towards the heavens. I was absolutely astounded by the marvels Pre-War ponies achieved, the intertwined metro skylines that weaved between the buildings like strains of mane. Yet, even with the engineering might, it couldn’t save them from the weather and their creator’s hubris.

The sense of being swallowed by the jagged grey teeth of the city gave me no comfort as we pushed on. Horizontal pillars of ice stuck to some of the windstricken buildings like stuck food Same goes for any city left to rot, especially this far north; some of the buildings had ice and snow covering them in near horizontal pillars of ice that connected them. Yet another stark similarity to Stalliongrad, I shook my head, trying to forget once more just as I rear-ended Ziya in front of me. Which got me a sly grin from the zebra for a brief moment. “Um, sorry,” I said, chuckling.

“No worries, my little colt,” Ziya responded.

“If you two are done flirting, we must figure out where to go from here.” Serenity said, looking down the streets that branched off the intersection that we stood in. “Ziya, does that Pip-Buck of yours work?”

“Indeed it does. Where are we looking to go first, my feathered friend?” Ziya answered, raising her left foreleg and unraveling the straps that kept the device hidden.

“The Ministry of Arcane Sciences building, where she last checked in. We will check there to see if she made it in.” Serenity stated.

Ziya started clicking in the coordinates Serenity provided her; as they did that, I looked down the empty white streets. Outside of the faint footprints of ponies traversing, I assumed to the outpost there wasn’t much out here. There were the occasional gunshots in the distance, barely audible through the wind that gusted through the upper levels of buildings like a flute. Anything more couldn’t be heard, muffled by the soft snow on the ground. It unnerved me; quiet always did.

Being in a city like this made my body feel tense as if it remembered the danger it could hold. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was repeating myself, heading once more unto the breach.

Ziya coughed, getting Serenity’s attention. “Ok, I believe I found it.”

“Well?” Serenity asked, his eyebrow rose upward. “How far is it?”

“I’m afraid that it is quite the arduous journey, being on the western side of the city near what used to be the University of Vanhoofer. It would take us until nightfall to get there if we didn’t get into trouble.” Ziya said, showing her screen to the rest of us with the map zoomed out. She wasn’t lying; the dotted line from our location stretched nearly straight across the northern part of the city to a peninsula. Even if it wasn’t across the lower part of the city, the distance was at least a dozen miles of walking along the roads.

“Luna, damn it.” Serenity muttered, pacing in a small circle as he thought. “Alright, we will make our way there regardless. But, if it gets too dark, we will set camp and start in the morning. Sounds good to everypony?” All of us gave various forms of acknowledgment. “Alright, let's head out.” Serenity commanded, leading the way, keeping close to Ziya for her navigation.

As we traveled through the streets, I slowly felt myself return to old habits; keeping more towards the sidewalk instead of the street center and spacing away from the others. I would be damned if we got ambushed and taken out by a single burst of machine gun fire or a single grenade. The others didn’t notice, huddled as if trying to keep warm. An internal ping of professional annoyance hit the back of my mind, but I kept it at bay; these ponies weren’t the Crescents. Outside of Serenity, they weren’t soldiers; I shouldn’t expect them to behave as such. Yet, the annoyance remained.

Then, I remembered one thing I hated about being in a city like this. The buildings all looked the same, blending like a never-ending grey wall, only broken by the streets and alleys between them. The blocks seemingly never ended, feeling as if they were at least a couple hundred meters long each, with the roads being not much better being wide open at about thirty meters across; all of it looking the same with the never-ending snow that slowed our travel to a crawl. While it was nice to see that there wasn’t any recent activity. I looked behind us to see that our trail was quickly buried in the wind, furthering my paranoia that we were being watched.

I couldn’t tell you by whom, but I had the burning sense that eyes were on us. Raiders, monsters, or Tartarus, even the Crescents who are well versed in fighting in frozen hell holes like this. I wanted to leave the streets; I don’t like being this exposed without any cover outside the rusted husks of wagons that couldn’t withstand a radroach fart. Seeing everyone else remaining calm did calm the paranoia, but again, their apparent lack of concern isn’t something I should trust. For all I know, these ponies could be waiting to turn me in after we find Serenity’s wife, if she even exists.

The sense that I needed to keep myself ready to run and leave these ponies, killing them if I had to, wouldn’t leave me. Just because they were kind to me once doesn’t mean they won’t put a knife in my back the moment the opportunity arises. The voice in my head challenged the thought that they even knew about the bounty and my connection with the Crescents. I haven’t necessarily expressed my concern.

“Take a turn here through this parking lot; it should let us skip a block or two,” Ziya said, referring to her Pip-Buck.

The parking lot had a sign saying ‘valet ten bits,’ whatever ‘valet’ meant. Cars and wagons whose owners never arrived to pick them up were parked there. Snowdrifts made perfect ramps onto the rusted bumpers and hoods of the vehicles, coloring the snow a dim orange.

We began to trudge our way through the shin-high snow, leaving small canyons in our wake. I looked around, trying to keep my mind busy and off from the cold, when I noticed mounds of snow between the cars. At first I didn’t really pay them mind, believing they were nothing but old remains long buried.

The mounds all at once exploded with movement, sending white powdery snow into the air to fall a second time; in their place came feral ghouls. Their leathery patchwork skin was blue and purple from the frostbite, their joints creaking from the sudden movement before they let out a cold, gritty rasp from their throats. The cold freezing their vocal cords to that of dull piano strings that it could’ve been mistaken for howling wind if they weren’t currently lunging for our throats.

I quickly brought up my rifle, sending a salvo of 5.56 rounds into the chest cavity of the closest ghoul, sending the now limp popsicle into its friend, causing the still-live ghoul to flounder. I’m glad my paranoia of cities made itself useful because I was the quickest on the draw, as it took a moment for everyone else to start sending their own versions of weaponized hate into the frenzy of frozen flesh.

Ziya brought forth her long-poled weapon; I believe a halberd is what I heard ponies call those weapons. Standing on her hind legs, she swung the weapon with practiced grace around her body, leveraging the pole around her waist and neck as she gave it speed to slice through the nearly frozen flesh of a ghoul’s neck. The decapitated ghoul staggered as if confused about what happened as dark black ichor spurted from its stump before it fell onto the ground while its body gave out its last death throes.

Serenity and Fuze sent bursts of rifle fire into a trio of ghouls that tried to run into pouncing range. Serenity’s burst managed to take out two of the three, his shots mainly hitting center mass. Fuze, on the other hoof, could use some much-needed practice as his shots weren’t hitting anywhere near the lumbering ghoul; bullet impacts sparking off the rusting wagons, even took off the one remaining side mirror.

It rather annoyed me to see the waste of precious ammunition; my father would scold me for ten minutes straight for missing a target, let alone an active threat. As Fuze brought up his rifle to fire once more, I turned my attention back to the still-living ghoul who managed to scramble out from underneath his dead friend. I let my rifle bark once more, sending high-velocity rounds into its skull; chunks of blackened grey matter and skull sailed across the snow.

My gaze returned to Fuze who managed to waste another trio of rounds into the pavement before Serenity took up the slack and put the monster down. I sighed in relief before I heard a loud, raspy growl from behind me; I turned in time to nearly be muzzle-to-muzzle with another ghoul. My heart dropped as my eyes saw the hunger in its long-vacant gaze; I could smell its rancid breath through my scarf; I was fucked. I had gotten careless in judging those around me when I should’ve been paying attention to my back, a rookie mistake.

As soon as the visceral imagery of its teeth biting into my neck came to mind, the ghoul’s head exploded in a mist of gore and skull fragments that was shortly accompanied by a loud thunderous roar bellowed through the area. The radiant heat of my scarf, which I hadn’t noticed prior, began to cool as I stood there trying to recover from the shock of seeing my life nearly ended. It never got easier.

The shot had garnered everyone else's attention, Serenity leveling his rifle upward at every visible window, which numbered in the hundreds from where we stood. “Where did that shot come from? Is anyone hit!?” Serenity exclaimed; his own training seemed to kick in at the prospect of a sniper firing down at us.

I didn’t say anything, staring at the headless corpse mere inches from me. Then, a whistle came from a building where half the wall facing us was missing. An earth pony sat on the ledge of the second-story floor with a big goofy grin, the barrel of his large caliber sniper rifle smoking on his battle saddle. “Ghouls almost got you there! Glad you found them before I did! Ha!” The gray earth pony laughed, his smile not leaving his face. “I wished I could’ve given you a warmer welcome to my fair city.”

Everyone but me pointed their weapons at the stallion. “Who are you!?” Serenity barked. Fuze and Ziya remain at the ready to fire and move if needed.

With a cocked grin, the stallion raised his hoofs a small amount. “Hey, that’s no way to thank the pony who saved your friend’s life, now?” Fuze’s eyes shot in my direction for a quick moment before returning to the stallion. I felt the heat of embarrassment hit me, once again reminded that I had been careless. “If you want a proper introduction, let me come down and say hello properly.”

His accent told me he was indeed a local, but I didn’t expect such a pony to have that large of a rifle. Overkill if you ask me, but it would take care of any doubt if you landed the shot. “Alright, come on down, but no funny business!” Serenity responded.

The stallion quickly got up and went to a fire escape that had survived the wall's crumbling. He carefully climbed down before jumping off the last step, resulting in a plume of powdery snow dancing around him. He glided through the snow with a lifetime of experience towards Serenity while I made my way to the rest of the group.

With him being closer, I could see his face better. He was a stallion around my age, gray coat, and blonde mane, yet when I looked into his eyes, I noticed that, like Fuze, he was too partially cybernetic. Except it looked sleeker and more professionally done. The area of his left eye looked like a ceramic white plate was implanted into his skull, but his left eye looked like a camera shutter as it moved around; the soft noise of whirring sounded when he moved his gaze. The rest of his body was covered in a thick jacket and pants, but I saw a similar white technology covering his left leg. “Name’s Maple Wood; thank you again for dealing with the ghouls. I’ve been tracking them for days, but that last storm really threw a wrench into my plans. Who might you ponies be? Most of you don’t seem to be around here, except you miss.” Maple said, referring to Ziya.

Ziya gave a quizzical look. “What makes you say that, my friend?”

Maple would give a soft shrug. “You seem the most comfortable here; I’ve been watching you for the past hour.”

“So you’ve been spying on us.” Fuze accused.

Maple shook his head. “No, I was observing. You can’t be too careful out here with the raiders and other bastards who turn my city into a warzone. But you didn’t answer my question. Who might you ponies be?”

Serenity seemed to chew on a cheek before he sighed. “My name’s Serenity Shower.”

“You can call me Fuze.”

“Ziya Alcoraad, my friend.”

Then Maple turned his head towards me expectantly. I tried to think of a way to change the subject or lie, but I was never good at that. “Name’s Jack Rabbit.” I finally said.

Maple raised an eyebrow at the name. “Huh, where have I heard that before?” Maple muttered to himself before he shrugged it off after a momentary thought. “Oh, well. Nice to meet you, ponies. Where are you ponies heading?”

“Who says we are going anywhere?” Fuze interjected.

Maple shrugged. “I figured you were since you constantly looked at that fancy Pip-buck on the nice mare’s foreleg every block. You weren’t exactly being subtle with it.” Maple pointed out with a hoof at Ziya’s foreleg. Fuze didn’t respond. “So where are you heading? I know my way around these parts, so I can be of some assistance.”

Serenity looked at me silently, asking if we should tell the quirky pony. I shrugged before Serenity returned to face Maple. “We are heading towards the Ministry of Arcane Sciences building.”

“Oh, that’s on the street leading to the University of Vanhoofer ruins, about eighteen kilometers from here or so. With the pace you ponies were going at, you’d make it there by nightfall if a bit later.”

Ziya looked at Serenity with a bit of a smirk. “See, I told the truth.” Serenity rolled his eyes in response.

“I wouldn’t recommend doing that; staying out here at night is not a good idea. If the temperature drop doesn’t get you, then whatever hunts at night will. How about this, for doing my job for me, I’ll put in a good word for you all at one of my favorite bars.”

“Why would we go to a bar?” Serenity asked, getting slightly agitated at yet another possible change of plans.

“Well, I think sleeping in a warm bed is better than cold ground. It’ll be halfway to where you want to go anyway. What do you all think?” Maple asked the rest of us.

I thought about it for a moment. In a city like this, a warm bed would always be preferable. “Sure, keeping our strength up when we get there is better.”

“I agree.” Fuze said in his monotone voice, emotionless as ever.

“I would say so.” Ziya agreed.

Serenity sighed with agitation. “Alright, fine. We will leave the first light tomorrow. Lead the way, Maple.”

We set off again, and this time, we were more on edge, not only by the ghoul ambush but by the fact that Maple admitted he was watching us for a good while before he showed himself. He could’ve sniped us one by one if he wanted to; it was only by his good nature that he didn’t. I thank Luna for that. We walked silently for an hour before Maple piped up again. “So why are you going to the ministry building? You know those places are no good, right?”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, without thinking, while I kept my eyes on the windows above us, searching for any sign of movement.

“Do you not know? Surely you’re joking, right?” Maple said, slowing to look back at me.

“I’m not a local, Maple.” I replied.

“Well, I got that. Your accent sounds funny. But, surely, you must know some of the things that the Ministries got up to before the bombs fell.” Maple added.

“Well, yeah. Everypony has heard the rumors and stories. I don’t believe in half of them myself.” I responded.

“Then why ask the question?” Maple said.

I sighed. “Because I’m more concerned about living, breathing beasts or raiders in the area than stories of long-dead ponies. Like, is the building open?” I asked, annoyance starting to build in the back of my mind, but I kept it from entering my voice.

Maple shook his head. “Been locked up tight since I was a colt, though from what I remember, it’s not from a lack of trying.”

“Alright, so there isn’t anything to worry about then.” I said, going back to my scanning of the upper windows.

“But you didn’t answer my question.” Maple insisted.

“We are looking for somepony, and that’s their last known location.” Serenity said, saving me from dancing around eggshells to avoid talking about Serenity’s goal here.

“Oh.” Maple said, taking us around a corner. “Well, I hope you find them. The city tends to take ponies and never give them back.” Maple said with what seemed like genuine care. “Oh hey, we made it! Just in time, happy hour is about to start!” Maple pointed with a hoof down the street. If it wasn’t for the glow of lights showing where he was referring to, I would’ve thought he was going mad.

We walked down the street's sidewalk; there were more obvious tracks in the snow; even parts of it were shoveled away. As we got closer, I got a better look at a sign hanging from its mount. An old wooden one that didn’t look to be the original. ‘Nettle’s Kiss’

Maple took us down the alley next to the brick building, where a colossal stallion stood beside a fire barrel. He wasn’t shivering, but the snow buildup on his clothes told me he had been out here all day in that one spot. Once he saw us, he raised a hoof to us. “Show your teeth and hooves.” The deep, rough voice sounded behind the face mask.

“Oh, you know me, Raisin!” Maple said with a cheery smile.

“I know you but don’t know the ponies behind you. Did you check to see if they were raiders?” The large pony said to Maple as if he were a colt bringing home a dog he found.

“You think these ponies are raiders? Need to get your eyes checked, bud.” Maple joked.

“You go on ahead, Maple. Brandy still wants me to check all newcomers.” The lumbering giant said, turning to us. His head rotated to each one of us in turn. “Show me your teeth and then your hoofs.”

“If you say so, but these ponies are clean. Otherwise, why would they follow me?” Maple said before heading towards the door. “I’ll meet you all inside, I’ll go talk to Brandy.” He opened the door, and a wave of warmth hit my face before it quickly disappeared with the closing of the door.

“Why must I put myself through such scrutiny?” Fuze asked, oblivious to the implications.

“Teeth and Hoofs.” The giant known as Raisin replied.

“If I must.” Fuze said, lowering his face mask, then opening his muzzle to show off his teeth that looked well maintained for someone who lives in the wasteland. Guess he had gotten into a toothpaste warehouse when he was younger.

“Hold out your hoofs and keep them as steady as possible.” Fuze complied, which seemed to satisfy Raisin with a grunt. “Head inside. Next.” The stallion barked.

I went next, peeling the scarf off my face to show my teeth and raising my hoofs. “Steadier than most I’ve seen. Head on in, next.” Raisin said, pushing me to the side towards the door.

Looking back at him, confused about what that was all about before I pressed a hoof against the wooden door. Swinging the door open, I was greeted with a wave of warm air and noise; the smell of food and alcohol was blended with the sounds of ponies talking. The place was brightly lit and lively, starkly contrasting with the Inn that Rock Candy sent me. The bar floor to my left was wide open with wooden round tables dotted about, with booth seats lining the walls. Ponies of all shapes and colors were intermingled, Earth ponies, Unicorns, some of the bat ponies, and Luna be damned, there were even some other Pegasi. The diversity felt like a shock, no matter how often I’ve seen it here. The sounds of a jukebox levitated through the air as it sang the tunes given to it.

To my right is where the bar was, a long and curved oak countertop nearly going from wall to wall, with a door leading to where the kitchen was. The bottles that decorated the shelves behind the bar shined in the lamplight, each polished as if it was made yesterday. Then, my gaze went over to the bartender himself. The large stallion had a brown coat as if taken from the countertop, his dark mane combed and kept. The barkeep stood in front of Maple, who was talking about something.

The conversation halted when I approached, taking a seat next to Maple. “Where’s Fuze?” I asked.

“Who?” Maple asked, raising an eyebrow before it dawned on him. “Oh yeah, the guy with a sour attitude. He went off to the bathroom or something.” Maple said, waving a hoof. “I want to introduce you to somepony. Brandy Barrel, this is Jack Rabbit.” Maple motioned a hoof toward me when he glanced at the bartender, who seemed disinterested.

The stallion glanced up from the glass he was cleaning and raised an eyebrow. “Nice to meet you, kid. I heard from Maple that you and your friends removed the ghouls causing us problems.” He raised the glass and huffed a breath into it before cleaning it, a squeak coming from the rag.

I nodded. “Yeah, we just happened to stumble on them and managed to take them out. Maple, here is why I didn’t get my neck bitten open.”

“Hmf. Consider yourself a lucky stallion; few ponies get a second chance like that.” He said, putting the glass underneath the counter before resting his forelegs on the wood, giving me a good once over. He cocked an eyebrow once more. “You look familiar. Have you been here before?”

I shook my head. “No, this is my first time even inside the city.”

His eyes darted quickly to his right before returning to me. Before he could say anything, the others arrived inside, shaking off the snow and frost. “Luna’s tits, the snow is starting to come down hard.” Serenity said, primarily to himself than to anypony else.

“Told you all that it was a good idea to come here instead of walking halfway across the city,” Maple added.

Ziya sat beside me, and Serenity was on her other side. She didn’t need to lean over to look at Maple, my short stature letting her have a clear line of sight. “Maple, my dear friend, does this establishment have rooms for rent?”

Brandy nodded. “We have four rooms available upstairs. Twenty caps a night. Water is included, so if you need to take a bath, it’s there.”

Ziya and Serenity both forked over the caps for their rooms, and Brandy looked towards me. “Sorry, I’m tapped out,” I said, patting my empty pockets.

“You said your name was Jack Rabbit, correct?” I nodded. “I’ll cut you a deal if you can promise that your Crescent friends won’t barge down my door again, then you can stay the night.”

My blood ran cold, I wanted to shrink inside my gear like a turtle and let this wash away, but I couldn’t. I just stared as Brandy waited for an answer. I could feel the stares from the others. “What does he mean, Jack?” Ziya asked.

I turned my head away, feeling the shame of the association; the shift in my gaze showed a bounty poster on the wall. My face was professionally drawn onto the parchment with a large number beneath it. ‘5000 Caps, Wanted Alive.’ My heart fell through my body without thinking; I got up before snatching the bounty poster off the wall and stuffing it into my pockets. Fuze came in as I did. “Looking for work already?” He asked.

I didn’t reply, heading back to my seat, trying not to let more panic overtake me. My heartbeat was thumping in my ears. “Jack?” Ziya said, putting a hoof on my shoulder. I didn’t want these ponies around me to know about this, to give me up to the Crescents. My mind raced, going through an exit strategy. Every idea that came to mind ended with me getting taken down by Raisin, who was outside or shot by a pony in the bar.

I heard hoofsteps come from behind me, most likely Fuze. “What’s wrong with him?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Ziya said, gazing at me. “Jack?” She shook my shoulder, trying to get my attention.

“Jack’s looking like a Dashite who just got caught.” Serenity commented, putting a bottle in his mouth.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. “Look, the Crescents are after me, alright.”

“Who are the Crescents?” Fuze asked.

“Bunch of new fuckers on the block who rolled in before winter set in. They mostly kept to themselves until the last couple weeks, disrupting my business and plastering posters for one Jack Rabbit.” Brandy answered. “Whatever you did to them really got them riled up. Offering a pretty big amount of money for your hide intact. That’s never a good sign.” He added.

“Yeah, it isn’t,” I muttered, waiting for them to pounce on me. I felt trapped but powerless in what I could do in this situation. I accepted the fate that would befall me.

“Any pony who can piss off those pompous pricks is a friend of mine, in my personal opinion,” Brandy said with a hearty chuckle. "You're safe here." His voice was filled with kindness I wasn't expecting.

“I’ve heard nothing but bad things about those ponies since they arrived.” Serenity added. “Besides, it’s not like we will turn you in. I hired you for a job. Until it's done, nothing will happen to you. What happens afterward is your problem.” Serenity said, finishing the beer in his hoofs.

“I have no interest in the affairs of such ponies,” Fuze said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m heading up to my room.” He added, taking a key from Brandy before he left to go upstairs.

“I’m going to do the same. We need to start bright and early tomorrow.” Serenity said, putting the caps he owed for the beer on the counter. “Keep the change.” The large blue pegasus got up and followed Fuze up the stairs.

“Well, that was a bit awkward,” Maple said with a chuckle. “But, anywho. Since you all are well acquainted now. I’m hitting the hay myself.”

Maple departed from the bar and went upstairs, leaving me and Ziya alone. “Worry not, my little colt. If you need a room to stay in tonight, you’re welcome to stay with me.” That sultry edge to her tone caught me off guard. I swallowed. While the prospect was appealing. My mind was racing too much to be her midnight snack.

I shook my head. “No, thank you. Not tonight. I need to figure a few things out. You have a good night, Ziya.”

“If you are sure, my dear friend. If you need a place, my bed will always be open~” Ziya said, taking her key before leaving her seat to head upstairs, her tail brushing against my flank while she walked by.

I’ll be honest, it did make me smile a bit, seeing that they were indifferent about the bounty, but if they knew about my true affiliation with them. I’m sure they would’ve sung a different tune. I look at Brandy, rubbing the back of my head. “I’m curious.” Brandy looked back with a quizzical look. I looked towards the stairs to see Ziya out of earshot.“Is there anypony that buys or sells information?”

“Why?” Brandy asked.

“Because of my predicament, I need money, and I have information that could be useful to the right pony,” I said, keeping my voice lower than only Brandy could hear.

Brandy motioned with a hoof towards a booth where a lone pony sat, writing in a notepad. “That’s the stallion you’ll talk to. As for your room, you can give me the caps when you get them unless you want to share the room with the zebra who seems to like you.” Brandy said, slightly smiling as he slid the key across the counter.

I nodded, ignoring the comment while I took the key. “Thanks, Brandy. I appreciate it.” I turned in my seat for a few moments staring at the stallion. A feeling of apprehension filled my legs as I slid out of the seat. I took a deep breath trying to calm the nerves that were starting to unravel. I trotted over to the booth where the trenchcoat-wearing pony sat writing scribbles into his notepad.

He looked up at me then, a yellow smile etched across his face. “Good Evening, Mister Rabbit.” The friendliness of his voice gave me the feeling that I was talking to a serpent.

I cocked an eyebrow, sliding into the booth seat opposite the stallion. “You know who I am?”

The stallion clasped his hoofs together and slightly nodded his head. “Of course I do. It’s my job to know many things, including the going ons inside the city. Raider activity, drug rings, Jackal and Raven conflicts, you name it. Including the newest bounties and the ponies they pertain to.” I had a sinking feeling about where this was going and regretted taking this seat. He leaned in halfway across the table, that snake-like smile staying put. “That means you, my little friend. Honestly, I thought you would be taller.”

My face deadpanned at that, always disliking when a pony pointed out my stature. “And what do you know?”

The info broker chuckled. “Almost as much as anypony. You’re not a local, so information on you is scarce.” He leaned back in his seat and brought forth his notepad, licking a hoof to flick through pages until he got to the right one. “Ah, there it is. Jack Rabbit, age roughly 25, small stature, crystal blue eyes, light gray coat with jet black mane.” He glanced up a bit, studying me. “Near jet black, cutie mark unknown, bounty posted by the Lunar Crescent Army Corp three weeks ago, wanted alive with an award of an astounding five thousand caps.” He gave off a low whistle. “Big money for a small stallion. Now, the question remains: why.” He pointed a pencil at me in his mouth. “What did a stallion such as yourself do to get such a rather large group of religious fanatics to want you not dead but alive.”

“It’s complicated.” was all I could muster in reply, the confidence of this stallion telling me that he knew more than what he was letting on.

“Typically, the case with most bounties, it usually is never black and white. But, If I may ask.” He said putting the pencil down and dawned a more curt smile. “Can you give me some details of what caused you to be in such a predicament?”

I mulled on the question, not expecting this to turn into an interview. I leaned in, keeping my voice low. “I used to be one of them.”

“Oh, so either a deserter or a traitor? They don’t seem like the bunch to let ponies out of their ranks often.” The broker commented leaning back in his seat balancing the pencil on his foreleg as if he was a colt; his eyes focused on it for a brief moment. Then, they flicked up to meet mine, that yellow smile sent chills down my spine. “So which is it?” The info broker asked, trying to worm the answers out of me. He certainly wasn’t pulling punches.

“Like I said, it’s complicated. Now, I came to offer you something, not to be interviewed,” I stated. The prodding was starting to get under my skin which caused annoyance to overtake any apprehension. I don’t need this sleazy pony to know everything about me. Info brokers care not for the information they share, be it true or false; only the caps that line their pockets.

“And what would that be, my small friend?” That grin of his unrelenting as he tapped the pencil against his chin.

“For a modest sum, I can give you all the information I know about the Crescents operating in this area. Estimated troop numbers, supplies, armaments, etcetera.” I said, putting on a poker face. Even saying it, my chest began to feel heavy and hard to breathe. I made a mistake, sure, but if I do this…

He continued to tap the pencil against his chin, his eyes locking with mine. “So, you’re offering me information that could get your former brothers and sisters-in-arms killed for some caps? Quite cold, Mister Rabbit.” The broker smirked. “I’ll put my caps on you being a traitor, " he added. I felt my legs get numb. It was almost like he knew the indecision coursing through my head, but the last word stuck with me. Traitor.

He was right, I hated the fact that he was right. That fact is what drove me past my indecision. I wouldn’t make it out here long with no money even with the caps that Serenity was offering; if what he said was true. “The circumstances aren’t irrelevant to what I’m offering.” I shifted in my seat, feeling the heat of his piercing purple eyes. “Are you interested or not?”

The broker pulled his pencil into his mouth, his demeanor becoming more professional. “I’ll offer a thousand caps for what you have, Mister Rabbit.”

“Deal.” So then I told him everything, from the estimated troops here to the supplies, vehicles, logistical support, and armaments. Everything that I saw in the cargo trucks, many of them heavy machine guns and fortifying equipment. The number of troop transports that carried the reinforcements, along with the tactics about possible patrols with their usual number, and a mention of the Vultures. With each word, it felt like a stab in the gut; I knew they wanted me for the blood on my hands. The killing of the hunting squad was a heat of the moment, but this was a conscious decision. A conscious decision to betray the ponies whom I fought and bled with for the last 8 years of my life.

“Vultures?” The broker asked curiously.

“It’s the Crescent equivalent to the Pre-War Equestrian military special operations. I don’t know much about them, and if I did, I wouldn’t be here talking to you. They are exceptional in stealth, recon, espionage, sabotage, etc.” I said bluntly, already wishing for this conversation to be over.

The broker let out another low whistle. “Sounds like a nasty group of ponies, but I know a few who would love this information. You’ve earned your caps, Mister Rabbit.” He said, placing the hefty chunk of caps in a bag onto the tabletop. “Pleasure doing business with you. Have your next drink on me. Treat it as a toast to the ponies not long for this world.” The broker said, getting up and placing a few extra caps on the table before he exited.

One of the Nettle’s Kiss servers came up with a bottle of Applejack whiskey and a glass. She placed both on the table, taking the caps with a well-practiced motion, and left me to my own devices. The last words left me thinking. I had just further entrenched myself against the Crescents by giving information that would be used against them. I know not all of them are bad ponies, shit my first friends in this world I found amongst their ranks. But, they were merely the exception, not the rule, especially with those born inside their ranks. Bad ponies often outnumber the good ones in formation. Yet, like wheat being cut down with a scythe, that information doesn’t care about who is good or bad; only the harvest will happen.

I felt torn on it for a few moments while I poured a glass of the amber liquid, and then a thought crossed my mind as the burning liquor hit the back of my throat. I know the evil the Crescents can cause in cities like this one, which made the decision easier yet the thought wouldn’t go away. Was I right to give trade the lives of ponies for a mere thousand caps?