Lesser of Two Evils

Chapters

The Six
Loud Silence
Arson
Derpy
Short
Change of Clothes

The Six

Nothing but the sad reality of her predicament had been plaguing, Fluttershy's mind for almost two months. Or... at least it felt like two months... the only way to tell time was when she and her fellow captives were fed. What she had assumed was once a day. These people weren't exactly fed extravagantly. But that's part of being a slave isn't it.

All Fluttershy could remember before being taken was arriving at her hotel in Bavaria. A rather slummy Building like most in that country. Despite it's high crime rate, and all around 'shitholedness' the sprawling countryside was so beautiful it drew Fluttershy in, anyway. However she was there more for the diversity of the animals. She spent that day in the countryside wandering threw the thick forest, taking in the beauty of life. Fucking irony. Now she was in a shipping container headed for Celestia knows where, probably to some old perv, to live the rest of her life with her mouth on his... You get the the idea.

She sat in silence hiding behind her light pink hair, in this very, large yet constricting box. Everything ached. She hadn't been able to sleep for days. Her stomach cramped from hunger. Her eyes, sore from crying. She wanted to die. She would have prayed to Luna for her demise, but why did it not come?.

Suddenly the doors that separated the slaves from the rest of the ship were yanked open. Then all were blinded by light masking a silhouette. "Everyone up," an aged and gruff voice yelled. Most didn't hesitate but Fluttershy was in no hurry to become a sex slave. She was the last to exit. She wasn't expecting rain to assault her as she tried to walk on her wary legs. As she passed the man she noticed not only an ever so frightening gun but a face that looked wolfish and hungry for blood.

"Over there" he pointed to the far side of the ship.

Most got the message. Fluttershy was not not among them.

"move dammit, MOVE!"

She got the message. She ran to join the other's among the band of slaves fighting wind and rain alike to keep from falling. They had gathered near a man directing them down a ladder onto a boat. In the distance She could hear something. Screaming and gunfire. She grew worried at this. But before she had time to think anymore of it, a cold hand had entwined itself in her hair. It pulled her face to meet another, ugly, face staring back at her.

"Down the fucking ladder cunt!"

She had never been treated so harshly. It was petrifying her with fear. But she forced herself to the ladder anyway. Slowly making her way down the slick, wet metal. She almost slipped, more than once. Damn rain.

Finally her feet found the boat, But they were soon taken out from under her. She had been pulled to the floor.

There was only so much more of being bashed around, she could take.

"Keep low and, shut up," a thick, male voice ordered.

She did so muffling her crying with her arm. All she wanted to do, was die.

It was the thrill. The pulse. The defiance of death, was like the defiance of a god to RainbowDash. That was why she raced. And that was why she lived. She was a street racer even if she didn't dress the part.

She zoomed past the leading car. It wasn't much further now and ten grand would be all hers, and the better reward of victory. The red lights of Los Pegasus began to zip past her like, a light show in motion, until it was time for her trademark drift into the finish line.

She slammed the brakes, whilst simultaneously turning left. It ended just after her car did a 360 degree spin, in to the pre-determined destination, screeching all the while.

"Fuck yeah!"

She emerged from her sun roof to gloat, gleefully displaying her middle finger, to all that passed her. The warm air of los pegasi greeted her. She could hear insults being yelled back at her, but she didn't give a damn. As a matter of fact she enjoyed the hate sent her way- Almost sexually. She always had this glow after a race. It happened every time she won. And she always won. She could have stayed until the world ended. But she had to sate another vice. Greed.

Miles away in forest usually in peaceful splendor, another pursuit of money unfolded. AJ hoisted a man with her rope. The man was not at all happy at this, since the only thing connecting them was a line of hemp around his neck, hung over a hardy, though dead, tree limb. The man was bound like an animal. Applejack was being paid to make him suffer. She killed to live. Finally she let the rope free. It was time to move on, as his suffering was far from over.

She looked at him. his face purple, covered in blood and sweat. "D'yuh know why yer bout to die," she asked genuinly.

He, coughed blood, giving her no attention.

"Didn't think so,"

She unsheathed her nightmarish, tribal knife, and grabbed him by his hair. It was now that his voice came back. As soon as the large knife made contact with his head, he began crying out like a newborn.

"Hold still dammit," She, said jerking him, showing her annoyance.

It fell on deph ears. He couldn't take it, he had never hurt like this before.

When she was finally done she simply tossed his scalp aside. She only removed it to cause him pain any how. Besides that, it was time to end her game.

"P-please, k-kill me," he pleaded, blood cascading over his fearful face. The grass around him becoming tainted by his blood escaping, from where his neon blue hair used to sit atop his crown.

AJ looked at him, tipping her stetson to cover her eyes. "That's the plan."

She pulled her trusty beretta from under her worn poncho, and followed through. Stoically like some cliche angel of death. Usually this clearing held a zen like peace to it. But not today.

"Smile!" She twisted the blade in the strangers hand. "I'm not takin' it out until you smile, dammit, SMILE!" The subdued woman finally mustered enough strength to give a weak grin. The assulting woman, a pink haired ball of energy, let go of the blade and punched her hard, in the nose.

"GAH! Fuck! Y-you broke it!" The victim screamed, through clenched teeth.

She stood, from her kneeling position, and slammed her knee into the others face, staining her white shorts with blood, "Smile! not a grin, a full fledged motherfuckin' smile!"

"Alright, alright just please stop, hurting me," She held her face with the hand not pinned to the wall with a knife, "Just hold on,"

Growing impatient, the pink haired assailant stomped, "Now!"

She finally revealed the treasured smile, for the abusive bitch who had been beating her, so remorselessly. It was by all means the most remedial smile, one could conjure, but a smile none the less.

"Finally," The aggressor said, pulling the knife that pinned the beaten ones hand to the wall, free. Blood was all around them. On the floors, on the walls, and inevitably covering them (though, most of the blood on the walls were, from previous nights of fun) in the foul liquid.

The bloody, mess of a female looked up at her hostile breathing heavily. "N-now please let me go. Money I can give y-you lots of money, just-" She was cut short, by the knife re-entering her body. Only this time it found it's way into her chest nestling in her heart.

How could it all have come to this? A straight A student attending not one of, but, THE best college in Equestria, drops out and becomes... a 'candy' cook. (Candy being a very illegal drug.) Twilight Sparkle spent every day producing all the 'candy' her resources would permit. Why? Basically to cling to her own pathetic existence. Her once beautifully pale skin had turned almost yellow from, her time "cooking".

She toiled away, working with dangerous chemicals day in and day out. Wearing only her respirator and underwear. In her dark musky basement, In a desert far from civilization.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The sound almost made her drop the cup of phosphate in her hand. Which would have been... catastrophic.

"W-who is it," She stuttered as loudly as she could, fearing it might be the police.

"Your best assistant," was heard.

"Come in," She replied with relief.

Hastily she finished the final step in her operation. In walked her only real, assistant Spike.

"Uh... is it done yet, Twi?" He asked timidly.

Twilight wiped sweat from her forehead, " It will need to harden over night, like always."

Spike looked over Twilights production set, "Awesome, I've already got a few deals lined up." He sold at the high school he went to (Though it was really just another place to doze for him.) Twilight decided now was as good a time to rest as any. (But not before washing the stink of "candy" off.) She took off the respirator, put on a T-shirt and headed up stairs, to the lonely, depressing, hardly standing house she called her home. Spike, too headed up stairs behind Twilight, averting his eyes from her... bum, out of respect for her. She was his superior after all.

Despite this emotionless, encounter, she was the only real mother figure for him. She was stressed, however. And when she was stressed she seemed more robotic than human "bye," Spike said breaking the silence. Twilight only gave a curt wave, before heading to her bathroom. Spike headed outside to the waiting junker, driven by his only real friend, and partner. ( His deadbeat parents couldn't be bothered buy him a car) It was time to go back to his depressing life. He relished every moment with Twilight Sparkle. Had it not been for her, he would have blown his head off long ago.

Everyone loved diamonds. Especially Rarity. Of course, most wouldn't, deprive other's of basic human rights, to satisfy this lust for a shining jewel. She did. Her job in the eyes of the public was to run a string of jewelry stores, and designer clothing stores. But no one ever asked where the exquisite diamonds came from. Not that any one of any real importance cared. Rarity was definitely kind hearted, and generous. But her greed had a far longer arm. An arm that would always receive what it reached for.

Every day she sat in her lavish, mostly white, Manehatten office basking in the spoils of inhumanity. Making business calls, and obsessing over her purple, and highly stylized hair for hours on end. She was undoubtedly subject to many, male (and some female) fantasy's. Good genes and wealth often ended in an attractive person. She was clearly no exception. On one long binge of hair obsession her, 'crime' phone (a disposable, phone she used for discussing her more illicit activities) rang. Quickly she grabbed it, and answered, "Good evening."

A short moment passed, before a response came in a thick Bavarian accent, " I am calling to let you know I've knew worker's soon to be arriving at your haremstov mines. By ne-"

"Pardon, me," Rarity stopped him,"how many?"

"Apologies. The usual 'generous' amount," The Bavarian said, annoyed that had been interrupted.

"Excellent," She said feigning glee.

"I know," He hung up.

Rarity, did so too. The more 'workers' that filled her mines, the more people bringing in diamonds for her. And that meant more profit. Her system of business was horrible, and deep down she truly hated herself for it. But not enough to stop creating the pinnacle to so many nightmares. Not enough to quit ruining lives. Not enough to stop.

Loud Silence

One Year ago

A pink frilly, curly haired women sat in a silence much unlike her. Though what was more interesting was 'where' she was sitting. She was sitting in your average wise guys biggest fear. The interrogation room. Five years of serial killing across Equestria, had seemingly caught up with her. Of course she would consider it "ridding the world of sad sacks" or "killing Mr. Frownee Face one punk ass at a time."

Unbeknownst to her two cops, one with an aura of newbie about him, discussed her freely beyond the one way window. (They come standard with any interrogation room)

"From what Clover pried she's some vigilante killer," The newer one drawled.

The older one, looked up at the unseated one, " When we caught her, she was castrating a priest," he retorted,"How da' hell does that fit in with 'vigilante' killer."

"Father, De Rais?"

"Yeah."

"Charged with Rape twice, acquitted of all charges both times. I did some diggin'."

The older, sitting one looked down rubbing his chin as if it held a genie. "There's gotta' be more than this, I'm gonna' see what I can get from her."

Slowly, waddling he made the short transition between the rooms. Slowly, because he was quite fat. To put it bluntly. He casually plopped across the table from her in a chair, probably straining to hold him up.

"Well Mrs.-"

"I am and always will be a Ms, good sir," she said feigning regalness.

"Right," he nodded,"You are aware you could get the death penalty...right."

She nodded happily,"Where's a stunt double when you need one," she waited a moment before doubling over in laughter.

The man sighed before attempting to make progress again. "We couldn't find any records of your existence, ma'am. I would say by your hair color your a native Equestrian, but still: no records. Care to enlighten me?"

She looked at him still giggling,"Well you took my knives, so I would have to say 'liposuction'." Now she cackled with laughter.

"I'm sorry,"she extended her arm towards him,"Bad joke."

He grunted in affirmation,"My answer please."

"Okay, okay," her hyena esque laughing declined,"I'm illegal."

He raised a brow,"Elaborate."

"well according to my, father ,great man, I was born in Bavaria, to an Equestrian couple. They brought me here when I was two," she swapped giddyness for sadness,"I was put in a kennel to avoid the ever so high prices of plane tickets, for a child."

Silence crept in, as subtle, as a pedophile into a child's room. The man broke the silence, "That explains a lot," he stood relieving the chair of Excessive fat. The girl looked down, her hair seemingly unfurling from its tangled mass of keratin. "What now," she muttered unheard, as the man waddled to the door. As far as he was concerned his job was done. He didn't give metaphoric fuck about her.

The man was now back with his partner in the viewing area."You got that didn't ya'," the words came out flat and emotionless.

"yeah an' I gotta say I'm feelin' a tad sorry for that girl," The rookie answered.

"Well don' get attached, she'll probably be bein' dep-"

The loud crash of a chair, going through the only window interrupted, him and any thought in the room. The younger officer fell to the ground more out of fright than the impact of the chair into his side. The girl bounced over to the lack of window, tossing a pair of hand cuffs into the room. Her hair was as frumpy as ever, and her smile as cheeky as ever,

"I said, what now?"

The officers only stared, until the younger of the two spoke still on the ground, "Scratch that."

Three months. Three months of horrible, laborious work, breaking rocks in the search for diamonds. Even though it felt like a search for nothing. The mines, Fluttershy worked, stank of death. Where she and the other slaves were permitted to sleep, they spent more time cringing in starvation. Large wooden shacks filled of the starved wretches whose live's had been stolen, lined the parameter, of the camp they stayed, surrounded by tall metal fences guarded, by men with identities born of hate. Fluttershy waited a week before hunger drove her to actually eat the meager food they were given. Not because it was foul, but because it was meat. She had sworn off meat at an early age.

Of all the time she had been here she was only able to form on single relationship. And it was formed more out of necessity than simple common interest. They worked bound next to each other in chains. Everyday they would tell each other of their lives before. Ergo slowing the emotional decay. Though all things come to an end.

"H-hey Mac," she hardly whispered, past the clicks of pickaxes against the grey mine wall.

"Eeyup," he said quietly, still slamming his axe into rock.

"Why are we here?"

He looked up placing his labor on hold," You got conked on the head recently, girl?"

"N-no I mean Why would someone do this? Who could do this?" she stopped working all together. He continued, his.

"Does the name 'Rarity Stone' mean anything to you?"

This revelation almost made Fluttershy drop the suddenly weighted pick axe in her hands.

"Rarity," she raised her voice,(though it was still hardly above a whisper) "The mogul?"

Keeping quick pace Mac replied,"I thought you might have heard of her.

"I've met her."

"You really have been hit in the head haven't you," Mac glanced up from his work.

"I-I'm serious, she wanted me to m-model, for her company," she said sullenly forgetting she was having a conversation.

Mac looked over to her,briefly, as he worked. He had never noticed before (Being a slave puts a lot on your mind) but a little prep, would make her above par when it comes to modeling. Even if she was modelling the old worn denim jacket and yellow pants. Even if she kept the dirty bare feet.(The slaves weren't aloud to wear shoes, because with them they could run faster, and further if given an opportunity.) He still didn't believe her though. Flutter spoke up yet again, she rarely did that.

"How doe's no body know she doe's this?"

"They don't care. Besides that no one ever escapes."

Out of no where a guard approached holding a gun Mac recognized as a Skorpion. Savagely he slapped Fluttershy down with his free hand, then raised the one holding the gun to Macs face. Mac slowly lifted his hands in submission. Fluttershy was almost afraid to look up at the scene above.

"You don't talk, here!" He yelled in a strained voice, "You work, and die, those are the damn rules and you damn-well know it!"

Mac only looked at him with a scowl. That alone lit a volatile fuse inside the gunman. Fluttershy looked and could tell he was about to end the poor, foolish man. She when't against her nature and bolted to knock the gun from his hand. She pushed his arm to the left, but the bullet still ripped through Macs ear, sending him the ground clutching his wound. The clicks of pick axe breaking rock ended as on lookers were garnered. The guard grabbed Fluttershy by the throat, and pressed his gun, still not fallen, against her temple.

"If you were a man I would blow your head off," She only struggled against the vice grip holding her throat,"But worse things can happen to pretty lady like you."

Angel was down but not out, he saw where the man was headed with this conversation.

"Y-you fuck, you do anything to her, an' ah'll-," A trinity of bullets sped from the gun and buried themselves, into Angels chest shutting him up once and for all. Now he was down and out.

Tears, Fluttershy was holding back suddenly had nowhere else to go, as she began crying for her lost friend. Her only friend. The guard never took his hungry eyes off her.

"Yeah, I think you'll be a favorite with the boys, once we get you cleaned up a bit." But with that, another voice joined.

"Put her down fuckwit!" A angry snarl was heard. The one holding Fluttershy looked over to his superior, and promptly complied.

"Sorry sir, I-It was discipline, I-"

"Bullshit, you know your not suppose to kill 'em 'less they run! And I'm pretty sure that bleeder isn't gettin' back up."

The lesser, guard turned completely towards his overseer,"He mouthed off!"

"Then beat him a bit but don't fuckin' kill 'em!" His scowl turned even more grave, "The fact of the matter is less workers, less money."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't h-"

"Just, fuck off."

Their conversion ended abruptly, as the more whelpish man obliged, disappearing into the long caverns. The other lingered a moment adjusting his dark grey, Kepi style hat. He looked down at the crying Fluttershy, "Get back to work." He left not even bothering to unchain her from the corpse of her departed friend. A piece of her died. She had never even witnessed the death of an animal and, here was an outright murder, in front of her. How could she be expected to function properly?

With the fear of being maimed instilled in her she picked up, her fallen axe with shaking, hands moist with her own tears, and worked like nothing had happened. If one listened closely to the banter amongst the slaves you could hear an unmistakable voice, whisper,"Poor, girl looks like they already broke the poor thing."

Present day

"The people hailing, from Adromadas were looking for new land, to help set the natives on the right path and spread the absolute power of the king, supposedly chosen by God," the history teacher sipped her coffee,"What they found here in Equestria were three, squabbling coalitions, of natives. But what was most interesting about them were there hair, and eyes. You see Equestria is the last place where magic was before it disappeared, and so their hair and eyes, were unaturaly colored. This can obviously still be seen today, for example my ha- Sean... Sean... SEAN!"

Spike woke, to the sound noise of snickering teenagers and the later syllable of his real (though not his preferred) name, yelled by an annoyed Ms.Cheerilee.

"I'm up," he borderline yelled.

"Sean, do you not sleep at night? You are depriving yourself of an education, young man."

"Its not depriving if I all ready know what happened." The words practically cracked with dryness.

"Oh, really? Why don't you teach, us? I insist."

Spike leaned back in his chair still groggy, "The Andromadytes spent about a thousand years, trying to integrate the natives into their society. King Blueblood used the 'They're godless savages' excuse to steal their land but claimed to be saving themselves from themselves. The tribes were no match, for the advanced weaponry of his empire, and the only coalition that resisted were the people of 'Raket' or the 'sky'. They were lead by a warlord named 'Orkan', or 'Hurricane' in our language. They failed mainly because of the lack of support they got from the two other tribes. needless to say, most died. However there were also many other-,"

"That's enough Sean." Ms. Cheerilee interrupted. Spike mentally thanked his mentor(Twilight) for giving him the means to be a smart-ass. His teacher was quite honestly surprised that Sean knew all of this, despite this being part of the eleventh grade curriculum. But she still had to discipline the pungent, disrespect of sleep.

"I'm glad some things seep into your mind Sean. Why don't you remember that during detention."

Spike groaned collapsing his head back into the arm of his purple and green, plaid shirt. As if on que the final bell rang prompting, most other children to leave, with the exception of Spike and two of his dimwitted classmates. The sound of desks alternating and sneakers hurrying to the door filled his ears. He only looked up when the sound was gone, leaving him, the teacher and two others alone with the usually nice, and honestly quite 'milfy' Ms. Cheerilee. Fuck. I almost got through. "Well shit," he said under his breath.

"No, talking," Ms.Cheerilee corrected his infraction.

An hour later, the detention bell rang releasing the more delinquent of children. The three were barely out of the room when the the shorter, pudgier of them spoke up.

"Hey, ya Spike, way to make Ms. Cheerilee look like, a noob!"

Normally spike would dismiss Malik's dribble, but... noob? "What the hell is a noob?" he questioned.

Malik (his atquintence) only laughed that childish laugh, of his. Spike looked at him. "Seriously." But it only made Malik laugh even more. Spike turned around to take his leave of this dreaded place

"Whatever."

With that he made his way to the front exit of the school, his classmates following side by side each other through the dim hallways. Spike walked past the front office, and out the building with the metallic creak of the door following him in place of the two that had prior. "Idiots,". He thought, "They probably got lost." Slowly he made his way home. This being a small town everything was situated close together. But it was still a small town in a desert. And deserts are scorching when its crossing from Spring to Summer.

He trudged home letting his mind wander, hoping his parents wouldn't be home. Thinking of how much he loathed every minute in that house. He texted Twilight asking to pick him up early to optimize, his chances of not sharing air with his parents. This occupied his mind until his feet found the cracked, worn path leading up to the front door of his simply depressing home. Unfortunately his useless parents were home, as per the beaten sedan in the drive way. Even more so depressing no twilight. Normally he would just call his friend, Nate, to drive him, but he was in the hospital. Something to do with a beating.

He opted to wait at the steps of his house. Hours passed, yelling and the sound of violence emitted from behind him. all Spike could do was think, "Where the hell is she?"

"Goddammit, you lil' fucker, where the hell is Sparkle!?" AJ slammed her gloved fist into Dash's sternum adding emphasis. After a groan of pain she finally replied.

"Up, your ass," she said forcing a grin.

AJ rubbed her left cheek with her right hand, while looking away. Then she swiftly, kicked Rainbow in the gut while she lay on the ground, sending her into a world of hurt. However unbeknownst to AJ the very woman she sought hid not ten feet away. Twilight peaked under the door in the only closet in her living room, (a surprisingly nice closet considering the state of disrepair that pulsed through the rest of the house) clutching a bat and biding her time.

AJ took out her dagger and pressed it to Rainbow's face, "If you don't give me the answer I'm lookin' for, yer gonna regret it, " she said through clenched teeth.

"Okay, okay... s-she skipped tow-."And that was all it took for AJ to quickly pull the blade away leaving a deep wound on the right side of Dash's face.

"You stupid fuck-head, I know she's in here somewhere! Her Goddamn cars outside!"

"That's mine."

"Then Why'd Ah tail you here in a differant car?" AJ sheathed her knife and grabbed Dash's throat, slowly applying more and more pressure

"Mine too," Dash lied. AJ couldn't stand lying.

"Ah'm gonna pull every one of them, piercings out'a yer face, an' ground 'em into your eyes!"

The only response was a gurgled slur, showing AJ that she was applying to much pressure. She squeezed ever so harder until letting go completely, sending Rainbow into another coughing fit. AJ stepped over her, and turned so that her back faced the closet on the far side of the room.

Twilight stood up, from viewing under the door. The sounds were much more disturbing, now that there was no visual link to them. Coughing, and the sound of boot slamming against flesh. She placed her left hand on the door-knob, and tightly gripped her bat in the other. She opened the door, to hear AJ say,"Stop squirmin' dammit," pulling at Dash's black, lip ring with a pair of pliers, Dash trying, but failing to fight back. She held the bat with both hands and, bolted to the poncho wearing assailant. She raised it above her head, closing her eyes poised to strike, but just as she was about to follow through, a sharp pain rocketed through her side. She let go of the bat mid swing sending it across the room.

"There ya are," a much more elated AJ said.

All twilight could muster as she fell clutching her bleeding side, were a few quasi-childish vulgarities. She looked down to it to find AJ's needle-nosed pliers that had been stabbed in to the pivot. AJ promptly kicked the younger women in the gut, sending her to the floor along with Rainbow. She then took the beretta hidden under her poncho and placed it to Twilights for head.

"I ought'a kill ya for that," she said receding back into the grimness of her previous mood.

"Th-then make i-it quick."

"Ah, aint' exactly known fer that."

Twilight Sparkle gave, only a pain filled sigh, now tightly holding the entity that had invaded her body. Blood began to join the purple of her tank-top. AJ put the gun away, and in place produced a pair of dull and rusted handcuffs. She proceeded to roll the grounded woman over on her back, to cuff her. Sparkle tried to resist, but all that earned her was an, elbow to her temple. All escaped her.

She awoke, feeling groggy and in motion. Of course she had been knocked out and shoved in a van so these feelings were to be expected. She thought of speaking, but decided against it. Her captor had made the mistake of cuffing her hands to her front, not her back. She had to think fast, she had to act, and she had to escape. She tried to raise her self, and was reminded of the wound she sustained to her side. She winced, fighting the urge to groan. It was pitch dark in the van, but towards the front she could easily make out a hatted silhouette driving. This alone made her fear for the sake of her counter part.

Twilight crouched, feeling the course carpet of the van on her bare feet. Slowly, but oh so surely she approached the driver. The radio blared music that seemed quite unexpected for her attacker to be listening to. It held an up beat reggae tone. Though no lyrics had sounded yet. Twilight knew she had to act fast despite the speed at which the van was going. At least they were on one of those long ass desert roads, leading to a lonely town (known as Rottaler). She pulled her cuffs so that the metal links were taught, and pounced upon the shadow behind the wheel.

Twilight pulled the chain digging into the other woman's throat, earning a struggled 'gasp' ending abruptly. The van swerved, and screeched before ending perpendicular to the road. Now twilight realized just how much she had bitten off, and that she couldn't chew it for shit. Two hands gripped the cuff links, and began prying it off of the throat they had claimed. Suddenly the stetson fell off of the drivers head revealing the messy, rainbow of hair that adorned Dash's head. As if on que the radio spoke, in a melodic tone,"Don't worry... about a thing,...'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."

"R-Rainbow dash?, what the fuck?''

"Damn bitch, I save your Goddamn life and you, try to choke my ass out," Dash stated after a fit of sputtering.

"W-well, you w-were wearing, the s-same hat as the woman-"

"Trophy! bitch, Goddamn!"

"Oh, okay because I was totally aware of the events unfolding before my unconscious body, that led to your apparent success, in over coming what would have been the death of us," Twilight retorted. Dash didn't reply, only rubbing her sore throat, with her black, fingerless driving gloves. For a moment the only sound that filled the air was the smooth reggae, and the old engine of the van.

"So, uh... now that we've escaped maybe we should go get Spike... Dont'cha think," Twilight broke the silence.

"Are we leavin' town with him?"

"Well... yeah."

"Why?"

"People knew about you so chances are they know about him. His life's in danger. Plus he hates it there."

"Well... okay you're the boss."

"Alright lets go."

Dash's reply was to, put the van in reverse and get back on the road. Into the all encompassing night they went. An annoying silence filled the air once again as Twilight turned the radio off.

"Why?" Rarity could only think. Not only was she tied, blindfolded, and stranded, but she was in the middle of the dessert. Had she not been spared the fear of the actual kidnapping she would surely be in tears. But some how she awoke here. Somehow. It began to chill. Then it began to get down right cold, like a freezer. Only a freezer that was dessert. And to top it off she was getting her white, business suit dirty. What a day this was.

The silence she heard was unlike anything she had felt before. All she could hear was her own breathing. All she could see was the fading light of the sun through the thin strip of red silk. It felt beautiful, and would be, in almost any other circumstances. It reminded her of cloth she would often use back when she was but a simple dress maker, in a town who's name she could not quite recall. Nostalgia began pulling for tears to claim. She fought the need, nostalgia of course was a weakness to any drama queen, and no matter how much she would attest she was certainly that.

The sun had now lost it's hold on the world, and had it's space in the sky claimed by the moon, (Or as the ancient Equestrian religion would claim, Celestia was now taking her leave, and letting her sister take over) while a dark, night sky took it's place. As with any dessert, the San Palimino dessert came under an icy embrace at night. This embrace wrapped itself around any and all that found them self here at night. Rarity was now truely worried. "What in the world could those godless heathens be planning," She thought to herself, finally begining to worry about something beyond her appearance, "Surely those brutes won't just leave..." She caught her thought realizing that if anyone 'really' knew her, they would likely see this as a fitting punishment. But who could know?

As the last celestial hint of the sun left, the sea of sand. A faint noise could be heard. In the silence Rarity, clearly heard it. It was a rumble. Slow and quiet at first, but getting louder. No, closer. It got closer, and closer, while Rarity began to shiver not only of cold, but of fear. Her mind wasn't trying to figure out what it was,(Though it was evidently a car) but instead it tried to keep her from releasing the hold on her bladder.

It couldn't be ten feet away, now. The light that passed threw her blind fold, replacing that of the sun, gave her the indication of red lights staring her down. A moment passed, and she could hear car doors creak open, but not close with footsteps soon pursuing the noise. The feet made their way closer to the kneeling woman. Rarity distinguished three sets of feet coming towards her, but just as she did a pair broke from the rest, as the other two stopped. This pair continued to Rarity. A hand reached, behind her head to grasp the knot of Raritys blindfold, and lightly pulled once it had its hold.

The sight before Rarity now, both calmed her nerves and filled her with questions. Before her was, her sister. "S-Shamaya, it's been a while. I suppose I am here for intentions more grim, than you would like?" Her little sister, a woman of only about twenty, smiled and looked Rarity in the eye. "Sorry, a job's a job." Rarity wanted to cry, now as opposed to shiver in fright and algitidy. She looked down, as her sister turned on her heels and walked back to the other two. Rarity sat, just knowing, her end was near. Just knowing it was off to the pits of Tartarus, Hell, or whatever happens to the scourge of human kind when they die.

She only looked up when, she heard a struggle come from a now opened trunk to the white sedan they drove. From the trunk a girl was pulled, a girl to young to be out of high school, and cast just beyond the ground hued red by the cars break lights that seemed to paint two huge V's into the ground. "What's this," Rarity asked, with growing concern."The job," One of Shamayas 'partners' answered, wearing a suit. Come to think of it they, all wore suits and sunglasses. The one who spoke had skin, that was darker, than just tan. This was a genetic dark. Considering this it was odd her hair was suck a dull, shade of purple. The next girl was paler than Raritys sister, and either had red hair or hair tinted by the car's light.

The girl before her was the only one showing an inkling of emotion. It came in tears, and a look on her face that said, "I know my end is now." She looked up to Rarity, one eye covered slightly by her red hair before she was hoisted to her feet by Shamaya.

"According to who-ever-the-hell, hired us, your trust has come under question, sis," Shamaya said, keeping reserved.

"W-what... I have always executed my end of, every deal to the lett-"

"That's none of our concern. If you really want to keep, that 'partnership' alive then you're gonna have to... kill her... I'm sorry," her voice got ever so softer with each word, "If you don't than we've gotta kill both of you. And I dont want to kill my sister." Shamaya produced a switch blade and made her way behind the older woman. With a quick cut, Raritys restraints were gone. She rose cautiously to her feet, legs weary . When she stood at her full height, she was handed the same knife that had just set her free. Shamaya only looked at Rarity, with a look of sincere empathy. "W-what did she do?" Rarity asked trembling.

"Nothing," Her sister said flatly, turning to join the other two wearing suits. How could she kill someone, personally? She had never thought of doing such. It was easy, to end life on an entirely differant continent. But, to do so to someone standing right in front of you? And to someone so young. Rarity put her hand on the young girls shoulder. Tears flowed forth from both their eyes, as Rarity clutched the blade as hard as she could. She closed her eyes and asked the girl, "H-how old, a-are you?" The girl tried to answer sooner, but only stuttered, "Fif-Fi-" Blam!!!

Rarity felt a warm splatter of, liquid hit her face. She opened her eyes, from their clenched state. The girl's head, was literally half of what it used to be. Time seemed to slow as bone, and other gore left her, now, lifeless body. Rarity was dumbfounded. Her mouth was now agape as the body slumped to the ground. As it did a quick splash of sanguine fluid hit the sand. She looked up and saw her sister lowering a smoking pistol. She looked back at Rarity. She spoke simple words,"I'm gonna need my knife back." Rarity knew her sister was a killer but she had no idea she could go this far, (But then again Rarity wasn't far from a mass murderer) to shoot a teenager point blank. She only dropped the weapon, as her muscles began to weaken with shock. A silence as loud as the thunder of a God settled in.

"You're welcome," Shamaya picked up her switchblade, closed it, and put it into her suit jacket.

"What do you mean?" Rarity's mind finally caught up.

"I mean, I killed her so you won't have to."

"Why?"

"Why? Because even though you're a monster you're still my sister," Shamaya punched Rarity as hard as she could. Rarity, was out cold. Physically, and figuratively. She proceeded to drag her unconscious sister to the trunk of the car. The trunk smelled strongly of urine. She could only guess it was the fear of the dead girl. "Hey Anne, can you help me out over here?" The dark red haired, women approached slowly like she had been asleep. "Ah may," she drawled. The third woman walked to the driver's seat and got in, ready to go. "Can you hurry up?" She whined. "Probably," Shamaya responded contently. Soon, after securing Rarity in the trunk with ductape around her mouth, ankles, and wrists. They then joined the dark skinned one in the car ready to end the night. Finally they fucked off. The silence still loomed, like a fog that wouldn't let anyone leave.

Arson

Spike had long since given up hope that Twilight, would be picking him up, and retreated to the old dirty wreck, of a building, he was forced to call his home. He was greeted, as always by insults, from his father, but a serenity of absence from his mother. No doubt she was being the lazy cunt she was, and lounging about in her bed.

"Goddammit Sean, detention! Again! How many times I gotta' tell your dumb ass not ta' get detention," His father bellowed, as Spike made his way up stairs to avoid the barrage.

"How, many times did you get detention!" Spike retorted, stopping to hear the bloated mans reply.

"It don't fucking matter how many times I got detention, It matters how much you do, you brat!"

"Oh, that's some logic," Spike turned.

"Stupid assed kid, you're gonna fucking fail in life."

Those last few words infuriated Spike beyond the useless old mans usual insults. They made him scream, in his head. They made him hate his father more than he ever had. If there was one thing This seventeen year old hated more than the day he was born, it was the slime of hypocrisy his parents wallowed in. He walked back down the few stairs he had ascended, to look his father in the eye. His cold glazed eyes. He stood inches from his face. He yelled, "Why don't you take a fucking look around you fuck face! You're an old useless, fat piece of shit, who opts to draw a check, you don't need, every month! How dare you even mention how well you perceive my future to be!" He turned from his fathers speechless stance to go to his room upstairs, "Take that statement and go fuck yourself with it."

He slammed the brown door as hard as he could, and sat on his bed by the window. Maybe some sleep would calm him down. Probably not, it never did but it was worth a try. He stripped to his boxers, and laid down, letting a dreams of, fictional, better times.

Nine months ago

Fluttershy sat disconnected with the death around her in her own thoughts. She was chained, and beaten. Forgotten in a cell for some reason. Maybe she had been too used. Maybe they would just let her die in peace. She wished so much to be back home with her love. The reason she came to Bavaria in the first place was so each other could have their space. They hadn't seen each other in months when Fluttershy had been taken. Her lover may have been a criminal but, she had a heart almost as pure as Shy's own, despite how well the woman hid it. Like it was in cased in layers of stone. Flutter just wanted love. She didn't care, about the pain she felt. The cuts on the soles of her feet. The dried blood in her hair. She only wanted love.

Some of the slaves around her turned to their religion for comfort. Whether it be to the so called 'pagan' gods of Equestria, or to the christian god of the Andromadytes. Fluttershy didn't have the strength, willpower, or the personality to call them out on it. After all the hours she had spent breaking rock, and stone. After all the times she had been forced to her knees to pleasure some bastard, and after all the hours she had spent sobbing on an old and used mat, she could only believe in hell. Because she was in it.

Fluttershy had contemplated suicide everyday for weeks. Was it depression? Not really. Just a reaction to an action. Most people found the thought of gouging their wrists with their own finger nails to be unsettling, on their worst days. But each day that thought became more and more comforting to Shy. The moonlight from the only window, in her cell was the only comfort, even if it was barred on the outside. It was barred only to show the slaves that they were property now. As if being made a sex toy, and a vessel for profit, all the while being in heavy chains didn't do the trick.

The creak of the cell gate startled her. Foot steps that she had not previously heard, followed suite. One of the grey and black clad guards entered the scene of Fluttershy's current torment. Here for 'fun'? Here to deliver a beating? He aimed his gun, a sub-machine gun, at her head very lazily from the hip. "Bring her in," he said turning his head to the door behind him. Two men walked in dragging a woman in a vermilion shirt with a crossing scythe and hammer, seemingly asleep. Asleep with a smile plastered on her face. How could anyone be here and smile? Maybe she was recently abducted. Maybe she was insane. They tossed the girl lazily three feet from Fluttershy, and against the wall Flutter sat huddled against. Fluttershy looked up the gaurds with dead, bloodshot eyes. This earned her spit landing in her hair. She didn't flinch. "Slut," the man berated under his breath. She didn't respond. She sat dealing with her real problems. Starvation, and the likes.

The men left. The girl stayed. Suddenly the cell in which Fluttershy was, became an Ice box. She slid next to the girl, with fluffy, and very fuzzy pink hair. Hair much brighter than her own. Her body was in no way fat, but very soft. She was fortunately very warm too. She smelled a bit stale, but Fluttershy hadn't been aloud to bathe in who knows how long. This, was by all means a small victory for her. That night almost cuddling the woman was the first night Fluttershy slept, peacefully in months. And it probably would be the only time she sleeps peacefully for the rest of her life.

She woke when her head hit the stone floor of the cell. She looked above her to see a silhouette stretching in what little sunlight the small window offered. Her hair almost blotted out the light completely giving it a penumbra effect in Fluttershys sight. The woman before her cracked a few joints before giggling out,"Snap, crackle, pop." For some ungodly reason Fluttershy wanted to smile. The pulling of her muscles around her lips, felt unnatural to her. She hadn't smiled in almost a three months now. But apparently the banter of some, lightly crazed woman had consoled her. The bright pink haired woman turned in the light to reveal a pale complexion and a glowing smile. "Howdy," She squealed. Fluttershy hadn't had the luxury of a civil conversation since her friend Mac was shot down in front of her last month. She didn't respond. She only lie on the floor grinning, holding herself up on her arms.

"Hello? Anyone home?" The jubilant woman leaned closer to Fluttershy.

"Uh . . . yeah," she muttered.

"Mmmkay, I think ya' used your ellipses wrong. I don't mean to be a grammar tyrant but-"

"My what?" Fluttershy asked, confused.

"Your, ellipses, silly minx," she cleared her throat,"An ellipses is-"

"Shut the hell up!" a guard yelled into the cell. The insane woman, cocked her head to the side,"I never opened Hell, how can I close it?" For a moment the man, and woman were caught in a, trance like, mutual, stare. Fluttershy thought she knew what was coming. She tucked herself into a ball, covering her ears, "not again," she muttered. Shy could feel the tension rising, so thick she was almost blinded by the fear it pulled out of her. "Fuckin' weirdo," the guard grumbled before walking off.

Hours, went by in a manner more like minutes. The unnamed woman seemed almost like an opposite to Fluttershy. Where Fluttershy was timid, she was not. Where Fluttershy was sorrowful, she was eternally gleeful. And the most apparent of all, Fluttershy was sane, while her new friend was a complete lunatic. Despite all of these differences they had one thing in common, that made these differences obsolete. Both wanted freedom above all other things.

"So, ya' think about breakin' out much?" The nameless, seemed to pluck this question out of the air. Fluttershy had almost been content up until now. A realization that she would likely, spend the rest of her days here robbed her of that feeling, though.

"H-how, would I even do that," Fluttershy asked holding back tears.

"Very, carefully," She bent over laughing still sitting cross legged.

"Uh, yeah. I guess," Flutter, replied not seeing any humor in the others joke.

"No, no, j-just jokingI I set you up for that," she stopped giggling, and put on a more serious face,"We've got to get out of here."

"We're in a cell. One that's heavily guarded, being kept here for who knows why. I was trying to sleep when they dragged me off here."

"If I had to guess, I would say that we're here to be executed, or audited," she paused,"Hopefully audited."

Fluttershy shed a single tear,"Audited?"

"Yep, if I'm new, and I'm in this cell, than that must be the reason. Cuz' you don't exactly look like a trouble maker, and if ya' were, well they probably would have just shot you down."

"That's,. . . logical I guess. But why did I only get put in this cell the other day?"

"Two, things. One: No, fucking clue. Two: You're using your ellipses wrong again."

"S-sorry." Fluttesrshy suppressed her frustration.

"Kay let's not get, too off the top," she looked to the cell door, no guard to be seen between the bars, "Alone, you'll die and alone you'll never have a chance to get out. But If you can help me, I can help you."

"I doubt we could even then," Fluttershy said, hiding the sliver of hopefulness that peeked out of her.

"Girlee, all I need to break outa' this hole is, a friend and a plan," the woman said abandoning her more, more cryptic persuasion technique, for something more uplifting.

This woman, was by all means crazy. That much Fluttershy could tell from the start. But she couldn't help but to feel in some way comforted her. This place is Hell, if you're alone. But with a friend as giddy as this woman, it just seemed so much less enduring. It was final. Not only did Fluttershy lack a personality to keep denying the other her plan, but she lacked the desire to do so. So she didn't.

"Okay," the words were a release of mental strain equal to a ton.

The next action from the strange woman before her, was the most simple, and the most, cherished to Fluttershy. A hug. Almost all of the corrosion her spirit had faced in her time of servitude, had evaporated. She hugged back, not caring for the tears washing over her face, as hard as her weak arms could, she squeezed, and bore her face into the crazy's fluffy cotton-like hair. She was so warm. It only added to the strange sense of love she felt from this woman. She could have stayed there forever, crying on her shoulder. But alas the cotton maned woman pulled away.

"Please, don't cry. It makes me sad! And right now we've got bigger problems," the woman pleaded to, Fluttershy.

"I-I k-know," Fluttershy shoved the words through her tears.

"Like if they decide you're too weak to keep working, you'll be killed. Ya' know, if we're really just being audited."

"I-I know." Fluttershy repeated, teary eyed.

"So uh, don't ya' wanna, not die?"

"N-not really," she spoke truth, giving up her hope of escaping. This the other woman knew, despite them hardly knowing each other.

"Yes you do," she put a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder, "I promise, you'll get out alive. I pinkie promise."

Fluttershy didn't know what that meant, aside from promising, but regardless, the happy childish nature of this woman made her smile. And a smile made her new comrade smile. Every time.

Present Day

AJ, woke covered in sweat, and heat. Her eyes slowly peeled open, to find the roof above her cloaked in a cloud of dark smoke. She tried to get up, but upon movement, a sharp pain on the back of her head, made it self known. She slumped back down, muttering several vulgarities. Quickly her hand felt for the apparent opening in her skin. When it made contact she let out a slight hiss of pain. When her eyes made contact with that hand she saw blood. Too much blood to be comfortable. Suddenly she remembered, the preceding conflict.

She was just about to finish off, Twilights, buyer? Employee? Loan shark? What ever their relationship, her name was Rainbow Dash. Dash was lying on the stained carpet of the targets house, beaten and bloody. The blonde was just about to pull the trigger of her beretta, to send a bullet through the head of the grounded woman, when something hit her booted ankle. Hard enough to make her falter. It must have been a kick from Rainbow, since Dash pounced the same instant. They fell to the floor, fighting for control of the gun. There was a brief struggle, with Dash. Apparently, she was tougher than she looked, seeing as she was able to snatch the gun away from AJ. After which Dash cracked the hit-woman on the back of the head. Why the hell didn't she just shoot her?

She called on all of her strength, to ignore the pain throbbing in her head. It was a brutal feeling. After all the times she had been struck it was like, this one decided to kill her. But no, she was far too stubborn to let some minor blood loss kill her. She could feel her heart pound in her head. She rose to a sitting position, then gradually to a standing position. She tried balancing her self, but fell to her knees. Hurry the hell up, she mentally prodded herself.

She rose, yet again being much more careful to stay balanced. She almost succeeded, but this time smoke was her deterrent. She fell back down on all fours in a sputtering fit. She looked around. She saw that the door was only a couple yards beyond her. She also saw that the fire was spreading from the open door, leading to the basement. Like a disease it spread to the living room, adding to the smoke in the house. It spread alarmingly, as if some accelerant was in use. Of course accelerant was used, Applejack knew arson when she saw it.

Applejack began to crawl, her head pounding harder, her breathing becoming more laborious, every inch of the way. It was truly grueling, but she got to the door. She shifted to one knee. The door was locked! All hope left her, for a brief second. But she had come to rely on her stubbornness in a way. It had kept her from death many a time. That being said she reeled in her hope of survival.

She clutched the knob for support. Bracing her self as best she could, holding her breath. As soon as she stood at her full height, she took a step back, and kicked the knob as hard as she could. It remained shut. She was getting dizzy. She kicked again, this time the door almost came unhinged. She was on the verge of losing consciousness. She kicked again, this time the broke free of its hinges, and landed in the sand, as did Applejack. When she did, it felt like all the force of the landing went straight to her head. Specifically, the open laceration. Regardless the cold night air of the Palimono desert was a welcome relief to the woman. Despite the sand that also greeted her face.

A smile cracked her freckled face knowing she would live another day. It quickly withered, as she became known to the bareness of her crown, save for her blonde hair. Quickly she stood, ignoring the pain she felt, feeling for her hat. It was gone. She quickly stood and looked to the house, now too ablaze for reentry. Now she was utterly pissed. Not only had that rainbow headed bitch slipped through her fingers, but she had also deprived AJ of the only thing she ever had any real love for.

She kicked the sand, then let an absolute slew of vulgar insults regarding Rainbow Dash into the silence of the night. Ranging everything from her, deception to her being a ". . . multi-colored piece of shit . . ." After a good twenty minute, pacing rant Applejack had finally calmed herself down, to slight simmer of extreme rage. She coldly turned to where her van should have been. She found only tread marks. And beyond that two cars, both on fire. Most likely to keep her from using them if she did come across the miracle she did, and pull herself from the burning wreck of a house. Before the first "Goddammit" could be said she smiled again. She had a laptop in that van. And she could track that laptop. At least after she got a hold of her techie cousin that is. Twilight and the Rainbow headed menace, were fucked and they didn't even know it.

She let her hand find its way back to the pain, under her golden locks. This time when she pulled it back there was only half of the blood there was after the first time she checked. Which was still quite a bit, but not enough for her to continue giving a rats ass. With an almost content sigh she sat down, cross legged, in front of the burning skeleton of what used to be a house. Moments passed. She sat thinking. Calming her nerves. Her doctor warned her about getting angry. Whether or not he was legitimate didn't matter. He was the one with the degree. Not Applejack.

When she opened her eyes again, the house collapsed in on its basement. She was still angry. Her employer would be too. But at least now she had a plan. From under the bloodstained and slightly ash tarnished poncho she wore, she pulled an old disposable flip phone. She punched her sisters number, quickly thanks to an overbearing memory.

"Yep," the woman on the other phone answered.

"Hey, uh, 'Bloom' I'm-"

"Why, ya' callin' me Bloom fer'?" The younger one interupted, "You know my name's Abby."

"Dammit, Abbs what if someones keepin' an eye on you!?" Applejack snapped in reply.

"Ah, kill 'em an' leave their body in the dessert, for vultures ta' eat on," Abby replied leaving a heavy trace of sarcasm.

"Yeah, cool. Anyway Ah'm in a bit of a fix," AJ coughed, "Ah, hate ta' ask this, but can you and the girls help me out?"

"What kind of fix?"

"I'm stranded on an old desert road fix."

"Ah, c'mon, walk far enough, an you'll get somewhere eventually!"

"Think 'bout where you'd be if Ah, treated you like that Abbs."

"But, we're doin, a job!" The other protested.

"Oh, so work before family is it?" AJ retorted

"Fine. Where are you?" She submitted

"Heading, err, uh North. North on the I-40, South of Rottaler."

"Kay, Ah'm lil' ways south. We'll pick you up, jus' don' be a bitch."

"Ah, aint a bitch, sis," she closed her phone,stood, and headed south along, the long stretch of asphalt.

When Rarity, finally woke up two things were very apparent. One: either she had wet herself, or someone else had pissed in this cramped space. And two: Who ever is singing Marty Robbins-Big Iron, should have their vocal cords removed. Then the fear of reality stabbed her like blade. She was in the trunk of a car, in a desert, headed for God knows where. She began to feel around. Maybe there was an emergency release on the trunk. Of course there wasn't her sister was always professional. Next the hopelessness of reality stabbed her harder than the fear did. She lie there trying to count the voices she heard.

Rarity had only counted three people when her sister had shot that poor girl in the head, but four now. Had she missed one? Had they picked someone up? The later seemed much more likely. Rarity always had a discerning eye. She hardly missed anything. Why the hell would they pick someone up when they've kidnapped a woman? Now there were two problems running about in her head. Trust her sister, or start screaming for help. Yes her sister loved her, that she did not doubt. But greed ran strongly in her family, and her sister was being paid by an absolute psychopath. No, she would have to trust her. Screaming could get both Rarity, and this fourth person killed.

What felt like hours crept by. The trunk began to get warmer now. maybe it was daylight outside. No matter. Rarity's mind was thinking of less direct problems. Such as the woman, she had paid no small amount of money (and to an uncouth brute for that matter) to have abducted. Was she okay? She certainly wished her no harm. At least not until what she was needed for, was finished.

The hours kept creeping by slowly. Unbearably slowly. If that weren't bad enough, the heat in the trunk had began rising, with every moment spent in the trunk. First it only added to the discomfort of having less room, to move than your body height. Then it became the discomfort. Not only that but the stench of urine was making its self very known thanks to the heat. In short, there was an assault on Rarity's senses. An assault that she crumbled against. Her sister was going to get quite a tongue lashing when she finally got out of this thing.

Like a God send, the car came to a rolling halt. A moment passed and the doors opened. Footsteps were approaching. They couldn't get to the trunk fast enough, Rarity was practically pushing herself against the trunk hatch. Keys jingled, and found their way into the trunks locking mechanism. Rarity couldn't hold back her rage anymore. She finally let it slip

"For the love of all things in the land of Equestria, open the Goddamn trunk!"

It, opened. Rarity sat up gasping for air, before falling out blinded by the light. The four figures gathered round her, some covering their noses at the stink of heated piss. One instant Rarity was cursing herself for looking like such a full, in the dirt. The next she was standing, her finger inches from her sister's face, ready to release all of her anger.

"Do, you know, what it's like to spend hours in a trunk that, feels like an oven filled with urine!?" She asked Shamaya redundantly, all staring at her.

"Uhh n-" Shamaya tried to reply.

"Of course you don't! Well, let me tell you, young lady, It is the most vile thing! I would not wish it upon my nemisys!" Rarity hissed, hardly maintaining her composure.

"But-"

"No buts! How would you like it if I slapped the sense out of you and locked you in a moving, metal box, headed somewhere you have no idea, as to where it is! Why I-I should-" Applejack grabbed Rarity by the shoulder and pulled the woman to face her. At first Rarity was surprised to see the same brute she had hired to kidnap Twilight. Then she was surprised to see that brutes fist headed for her face. Then she was out cold, again.

All of the women in suits, stared expressionless at AJ. This lasted a fair minute, until AJ's little sister spoke up, "I said, don' be a bitch, Apple!"

"Ah, aint! She was bein' a bitch an' I punched her!" Applejack defended.

"Ergo, you were both being bitches," Shamaya interrupted, annoyed someone else had hit her sister.

"Ah'll knock you down too, if you don't shut up!" Applejack, yelled in reply.

"Oh, assault the woman with a gun, please explain your perplexing logic," Shamaya replied with apparent sarcasm. Applejack, never one to lie, took one step forward, readying her fist. The third, dark skinned woman, leaning against the car, called out, "Twenty bucks on AJ!" Though before anything exciting happened Applejack's little sister, stepped to the plate, holding her back.

"Lemme' go Abby, Ah aint afraid to hit you either!" Applejack said, pushing against her kin.

"Yeah, Abbs, let her hit me. It's alright, I gotta' gun," Shamaya said, patting her jacket breast,"and a knife, I might add."

"What ever," Abby said finally letting go of Applejack. AJ was like a spring loaded machine. As soon as she was released, it seemed she had punched her target right in the mouth.

Shamaya and AJ both fell to the ground, struggling for the control AJ had a much tighter grip on, than the other.

"C'mon AJ," the dull purple haired woman yelled.

"Oh, cut it out Sandy," Abby drawled.

Shamaya, in some stroke of luck, got her foot pressed against AJ's chest. With one push, she able to pry her off. Applejack fell to her bottom, but was back on her feet in flash. When she locked eyes with the other woman again, she had withdrawn a switchblade, from her jacket. "Guess ya' wern't kiddin," Applejack muttered, pulling out her own wicked knife. Shamaya glanced at it, then struck. AJ caught her by the wrist, and with a devious smile tried slamming her blade into the other. But deja vu had struck instead, as Shamaya had caught Applejack by the wrist too. The struggle was on again, and just like last time Applejack was winning.

Abby, and Sandy stood by, giving protest, in Abbys case, and encouragement, in Sandy's." Stop fightin' already," Abigail would scream, in which Sandy, now at her side, would add, "Unless you're AJ cuz' I've got money on you!" But to the women fighting, there was only the grunts of the struggle, between the two. To a reasonable person it would seem as though it were an impasse. But killers are seldom reasonable.

Applejack, kicked the side of Shamayas foot, sending them both to the ground again. She raised her dagger high into the air. Just as she was about to send into Shamayas face when a sixth voice was heard, off from the large wooden house that sat at the base of the cliff.

"Abby! Joyce! Aint it nice of ya'll to come! Ya should a' called!"

A few glances met AJ before, all turned to see, a handsome young man, strut out to meet the group. The man wore a pink button up shirt, and white pants, that favored him, oh so well. He stopped before Applejack, and Shamaya, as they both stared up at him. He placed a hand on AJ's shoulder, "Now, Joyce get off that girl an' give yer' cousin a hug," he said, chipper, and oblivious to the conflict between the two.

"Err, okay Bryce," she stood letting Shamaya go, "uh, well okay," she put her arms out indicating she was ready for the uncomfortable embrace. The hug was warm for him, yet awkward for her. He turned on his heels to see AJ's redheaded sister, still standing next to Sandy.

"You aint gettin' away Abby, Come on, gimme a hug!" Bryce said. Abby complied.

"We missed ya' Bryce," she said a bit awkwardly.

"Well ya' should've missed me! It's been months since Ah last seen ya'll!"

He turned his attention to, the four other woman, three standing, one still on the ground, tipping his hat. "Now, ya'll pretty things must be Abigail's friends," he bowed, "Now, c'mon all a ya' lets get outa' this heat." He turned back to face his house, some fifty feet in the distance. He began his strut back, stopping about ten feet away from them, before turning around. "Well, come on ya'll!" He hollered.

Sandy, and Abby flicked their eyes to Rarity, then in unison they both said, "Not it," before taking off to the house. After a brief argument over who was to drag Rarity inside, Shamaya, and Applejack followed, both carrying her. When they were all inside Bryce spoke up again. "Now, then," he rubbed his hands together, "Ya'll can put yer' friend down, on the couch. Ah'm gon' get us somethin' ta' drink." Shamaya and Applejack dropped Rarity on the sofa. Rarity's sister, wiped sweat from her for-head, and put her sunglasses in her jacket. AJ plopped down on the love seat next to Sandy. "So, Joyce?" Shamaya said looking in AJ direction. The only reply, was Applejack's middle finger being put on display for her.

Bryce, appeared yet again, still as cheery as ever. With him he brought a bottle of applejack, and several glasses. "Where's abby?" he asked. "Said something about pissing," Sandy replied. Bryce nodded, sitting down in the chair, across from the two-seater. "Well, she ain much of a drinker any how," He broke the silence, pouring four glasses of booze. He put the bottle down, on the table, then slid two of the glasses across to the two women. He then handed one to the standing Shamaya, who took it while leaning on the couch where her, sister lay. When his attention was back to the girls in front of him, he heard a startling roar. The sound of a glass sliding back in his direction. It stopped, inches from the tables edge. He looked back to AJ. "Well don' stare, fill it up," She says, almost sternly.

Rarity woke again around noon, not causing a stir. This time three, not two, but three, things made themselves apparent. One: She had a splitting head-ache. Two:She was in a house, with four, maybe five killers. And three: her hair, must be an absolute wreck, beyond comprehension.

For nearly an hour, all Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle heard was the fuzzy static, that held itself firmly around the music they had decided on. Twilight sat on the carpeted floor in the back. Occasionally Twilight would pick through the clutter in search of something to cover her bare legs, finding only guns, and blades that found themselves almost everywhere in the dark inside, of the van.

"Could you have at least got me a pair of socks, Dash?" Twi asked. Rainbow Dash looked down at her phone, grunting, before replying, "No. Oh and ,uh, we're here so, yeah."

"Good I guess. Who are you texting? Spike?"

"Yeppers. His little ass better be up, and ready," Dash said, only hinting at humor.

"Yeah well, he likes to sleep."

Rainbow Dash didn't directly respond, she simply turned to meet eyes with the woman in the back of the vehicle. She, gave a sincere look as if to say, "Really?" Twilight smiled and shrugged.

For the next few minutes the radio, was the only noise, again. They, at last, parked in front of Spike decreped, humble, home. "Should I honk?" Rainbow asked. Twilight looked at her, "Mother of Celestia no! Just call him. Besides you've been texting him, have you not?"

"Yeah, but he didn't respond to any of 'em."

"Well, call him."

"Well, fine then," Dash pulled her phone, out from her worn, black cargo pants, selected 'squirt' from her, contact list and waited impatiently for Spike to answer.

Spike woke abruptly (though waking up, at all is abrupt to him) to his phone, ringing. He looked at the screen, looking for the name, of who would dare wake the slumbering Spike. He found the name of the perpetrator, R.D. Of course the only other person who slept nearly as much as Spike would be waking him up in the middle of the night. He answered with the same amount of hospitality as he saw in destroying his, ever so divine nap. "Yeah what the hell do you want?"

"For you to, take a bunch of clothes, put 'em in a sack or some shit, and meet me in the van across the street. Oh, and bring that pistol I gave you last month we, might need it."

"Dash is this another one of your cruel jokes?"

"No, this is serious, We're fuckin' off."

"Why the hell are we doing that?"

"Because, if we don't It's likely that one, very psychopathic mother fucker, will cut us all in to lil' bits and scatter us about the desert. In short we like you, but we don't need you."

"What, about my parents?" Spike asked, faltering on the last word.

"Piss on 'em," Dash said a matter of factly.

"I'm guessing we aren't coming back then," Spike said catching on.

"Nope."

"Not ever?"

"Never."

"Good. I'll be out in a few minutes, just hold on."

"Just hurry." Rainbow Dash hung up. Spike looked briefly at the phone Twilight had bought him, before pressing 'end call' on the screen. For a moment he sat on his bed thinking. After that he stood, as it was time to follow through with what Dash had ordered of him. It would seem as if he was escaping from this horrible little town a year before expected. He, dressed himself then, filled his old, green duffle bag full of clothes from his closet, then with socks from his sock drawer (along with the Vis type pistol, and a fashion magazine sporting a scantly clad Rarity Basile on the front)

The young man then, carefully, opened the door separating his room from the hallway. He carefully made his way through it, then down the stair case. A stir was not heard all through out the house. He crept even more, carefully to the kitchen. More specifically the two bottles of absinthe on the cluttered table. He slipped one into his bag. The other, he uncapped. Picking it up with one hand, and withdrawing a box of matches from the other he, made his way to his parents bedroom door, located near the bottom step of the staircase.

Slowly, so as not to cause noise, he poured the green liquid under just before the door. Joyfully he snaked his way through the living room to the front door. He unlocked, and opened it, leaving it ajar, cold night air momentarily gracing him. Quickly, he crept back to the puddle of liquor on the wooden floor. He lit a match. With a gleeful grin flashing from the only light sources constant flickering Spike, tossed the blazing twig into the small pool. Spike stepped back as the flame grew, soon to consume the door that lay inches away. He grabbed one strap of his bag, to keep it still, and made for the door. His smile only grew as he heard his parents yelling. Soon that yelling would morph into the screams of agony, brought on by the flame. So much time fantasizing about this, and now it's happening. He left the house, cold night air accepting him in its embrace.

Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle, sat in the van, right where Rainbow said they would, eyes glued to the front door of Spikes home. "C'mon Spike we don't have all day," Dash complained. Twilight, being in the back, could not see anything. It didn't matter though. Unlike Rainbow Dash patience was a one of Twilights remaining virtues. "Oh! Door just moved! Is he- No, dammit he isn't." Rainbow Dash, was growing more agitated by the minute. Spike had better hurry up. Rainbow, sank back into her seat, trying to keep her mind from wandering. When her mind wandered she remembered, when she remembered she thought of her lover. Her 'best friend' as she would've described to her father. Dash, had to live knowing she had ran off, because of her own faults. Had to live knowing, she had ran off one of the only person she ever had any positive emotions for.

The relative silence in the night was destroyed with the yelling of two individuals. The screams were coming from Spikes home. Both women in the car were now roused. Dash, turned in her seat and saw a jubilant Spike racing to the vehicle, duffle bag over his left shoulder. "Shit, um- shit, he's coming," Dash spouted clumsily, leaning over to open the passenger side door, looking back for a moment. Twilight glanced at Dash, "That's grand," she moved directly behind the two seats, just as Spike quickly pulled the door open and entered. The females, both looked at him drawing a "What? I thought we were leaving," from his mouth, his smile just now fading.

Rainbow Dash, shrugged and put the van into drive. "What was that yelling all about Spike?" Twilight asked, the automobile beginning to move. Spike grinned a moment more, flashing his white teeth. "Arson."

Derpy

Joyce, was much more happy now that a sizable amount of booze was in her system. Sometimes it seemed like the only thing to ever make her happy. And that wasn't far from the truth. She sat with a foot on her cousin, Bryce's table. He didn't mind. They were family after all. She had long since, taken off her poncho to reveal the rope over her shoulder, and the wicked belt she wore underneath. A belt fit with knives mostly. Though she prefered the use of her fathers hunting knife, it always helped to have eight knives hanging from a peice of leather around your waist in a pinch.

The three other guns-for-hire were unseen at the moment. The only two in the room were Rarity, and the aformentioned. Applejacks drowzy eyes scanned over, Rarity. The manner in which she lay, and the style in which she dressed were of two different worlds. Applejack shut her eyes just as the ither stirred. This nap was far over due.

Rarity sat up, holding the side of her head. At first she wondered why it hurt so much. Then she caught a glimpse of the lumux who seemed to be in the frows of slumber. The recent events concerning her head rushed back to her. She would've given the woman a peice of her mind, but she decided it would be best to let this slide, after a short visual inspection of their waist. Rarity gace a feminine groan as she stood., knowing her hair was an absolute wreck.

After a brief ponder on the situation she realized why she even associated herself with the brute to her left, in the first place. This woman owed Rarity one Twilight Sparkle, and she would be damned if she didn't pay up.

"Applejack," Rarity said, loud enough that the other should have heard.

There was only the faint buzzing of a fly to answer her.

"Applejack!" She approached.

"I'm ignorein' ye," came a curt response.

"Well unless you plan on missing out on the second half of your payment, I suggest you quit 'ignorin' me." She put her hands on her shapely hips.

"Well, shit, I guess ah'm up." AJ opened her eyes looking up at the fashionable woman.

"We've a strategist to abduct."

Applejack stood, swaying drunkenly, "Ah got my boy Bryce on it. He's my everything man. I come to him for, guns, 'n' computer shit, 'n' uh, uh, all type a shit."

Rarity shook her head in disbeleif, "Are you drunk?"

"Drunk's an ugly word, ah, ah, prefer," she paused, and with a flick of her hands added, "Happy."

Rarity pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm her nerves. No doubt Twilight was fleeing. They had to get to her before she slipped through their fingers.

"Now, don't ta'll fret, in a lil' while I'll stop all of this swayin' and I'll just be a clear minded as ah need ta' be. I work better when I'm drunk any way."

Rarity sighed and shook her head again. She was just about to insult the alchoholic when in barged a very handsome, and chipper young man.

"I got it," he rubbed his hands together.

Applejack pointed in his direction, "cool."

"Now ya'll take yer time, cuz' the slippery sons-of-bitches is close buy, just a ways east. So why don't ya' come to the basement with your sister, an' pick you out somethin' nice, on me."

"Wouldn't has it no other way, Brae, Brae, Bu-"

"Bryce."

"Yeah, Bryce."

Applejack took her leave, dissapearing behind a door, leaving Rarity, and Bryce alone.

"Aint' you gonna' go fetch yerself some ordinance?"

"Me? Oh, no I'm sorry, I've never even shot a gun."

"Huh."

There was a long and awkward pause, between the two, until Bryce broke it.

"Well, ya' know there's a bathroom up, the stairs, if ya'd like ta' fix yer hair."

Rarity's attention was all his, "How much product do you have?"

"Lot's. How ya' think I keep mine so fabulous," he smiled, brushing a hand through his hair.

Rarity thanked him, dearly, and sped up the stairs in search of the bathroom. The man she left behind simply sat on the couch shaking his head, smiling.

Applejack stepped off of the last step into the basement to find her sister, scouring the floor in search of something, while her friends looked at her smiling. Applejack could only assume she knew what the younger one was in search for. She chuckled, lightly, to her self as she sauntered over to a large walk in closet, still swaying drunkenly. She walked to the back of it, spreading a pair of jackets, and stepped pass into a room concealed by them. "Abbs, you can keepa' seachin' but if you really want them guns, they're over here!" Applejack called.

Abigail grumbled something, but joined her sister any way. She found her sister in a similar search along the wall, though it was cut short when she flicked a switch, stirring trace of irony. The lights, came to life revealing an amount of guns, and other general contraband that could get their friend Bryce, three life times in prison. From shotguns, to hand gun, he had it. All along the white brick walls, and some on table and work benches that lay about the long hall.

No body spoke. They let their actions speak for themselves, as they began their tour, selecting just what they would be bringing along. "We had best hurry the hell up, who knows where them bitches could get to," AJ added to the sound of shifting metal.

"What the hell should we get?" Sandy asked almost hushed.

"Probably nothing big. Jus' some hand guns." Jack responded, her drunkenness settling.

"But like, what?"

"Ah just said, get a hand gun."

"But there's so much to choose from!" Sandy said show casing a sawn off shotgun.

"But I doubt we gonna need any of that."

"You don't really need all those scary assed knives on your belt but you carry those where ever you go! And that stupid poncho!"

"Do I need to cut down on yer pay, or cut down on yer fingers?"

"Fine." Sandy submitted, hiding her fright.

Abby, and Shamaya almost laughed at the fool-hardy display of their friend, even stopping their search just to stand and listen to her whine. Applejack searched in every corner. Finally she heaved a box, setting it on a table in the middle of the hall. She opened it up, and was delighted a the lack of disappointment that she had found what she needed.

"Okay girls set your guns down, I got what ya' need."

"But I want this one!" Sandy said, waving around a desert eagle.

"Well look at these first, I think you'll like'em." Applejack retorted, showing disdain.

All three of the girls approached Applejack at the table. Inside the box lay three chrome plated colts. Each one shining bright. Each girl smiled, Sandy even dropped the gun in her hand.

"Apple, ya' found 'em!" Abigail said, expressing great joy.

"How did you get them?" Shamaya asked, shifting feet.

"Does it really matter? Just take 'em. I'm as about as nice as I keep sober."

All three girls reached in at the same time, removing a pistol each, and loading them with the clip that also lay with in the box. Just as the last ensuring click was heard the ring leader, the attractive Rarity, stepped in, her hair looking better than a models.

"Oh, hello. Are they here to help you Applejack?" She asked.

"Yep," the one in question replied, putting a gun in the back of her waist band.

"I suppose I will be the one paying them?"

"Aint gonna be me."

"Very well then. Let's make haste then shall we."

They all followed her out of the room. Though she would never admit it, Rarity was very much so, afraid of the group accompanying her. She would have denied them the chance to help, if she weren't so desperate.

She walked up the stairs, her high-heeled shoes, making muffled clicks all the way up, and heavy thuds directly behind her. At the top of the stairs they met the smirking Bryce, leaning against the couch.

"I never told you where they was at." He said, a matter of factly.

"They just a ways east, you done said that," Applejack said from behind Rarity.

"They, just north, of the gas station."

"The, gas station?" Applejack asked.

"The gas station." A long pause found them, "Well hurry on now, and here's your poncho Joyce."

They took their respective belongings, and left the house, forming a plan all the while.

"Oh, shit." Shamaya feeling her chest, "I left my damn jacket," she added hurrying inside.

"Hey AJ," Abby said, the two of them lingering on the porch.

"Yeah," she replied.

" Ah hit that."

Applejacks face contorted, "What? I didn't know you were-"

"I aint," she laughed, "I just like getting licked, thought you should know."

Applejacks, face contorted again, "do ya' really think I care 'bout yer fuckin' conquests?"

"No, ah just wanted ta' see the look on yer face," she said still chuckling.

Shamaya stepped out of the house, putting her jacket on, shifting her eyes between the two. "Are we going," she asked.

"Yeah, as soon as you idiots get in the car!" Sandy yelled, opening the driver side door.

The three hurried to the car.

Before leaving they felt it wise to devise some plan for their activities. They would abduct them, and bring them back to a hide-away of Applejacks, she used for business. Applejack made it clear she wanted alone time with the one named, 'Rainbow Dash'. With that they drove off, leaving a cloud of dirt, and dust behind them.

It was the afternoon. Twilight and gang had made it far into the desert stopping only once to find rest. And now once more to fill up the vans tank, and refill their stomachs. Rainbow Dash stepped into the gas station, a high pitched beep greeting her. She adjusted her blue tank top to cover up the beretta, hanging in the back of the waist band of her pants. Slowly she walked past the man, probably not old enough to drink legally, his face plastered in acne.

She made her way to the chip isle. She picked up a few bags of 'Emerald' chips, and relayed to the counter. Placing the bags of chips in front of the absent minded teen. An awkward moment found the two as he simply stared, obviously not used to seeing prismatic hair, atop a woman, remotely attractive.

"Err, uh s-sorry, ma'am, I-I uh, that'll be," he scanned them into the system, "twenty, two fifty three." He waited a moment, tapping the top of the cash register as if to remind Rainbow Dash.

"How, about I keep all my marks, and you give me yours," she pulled the beretta out, of her pants relieved at the lack of metal poking her ass.

The boy did not respond. He only, put his hands in the air.

"Well what are you waiting for? Gimme' all the money you got or I'll fucking kill your dumb ass!"

The boy whimpered again. He let out a pathetic apology, opening the register.

To Dash's dismay, her cell phone began to ring. "God-fucking-dammit," she grunted, pulling the thing from her pocket, silencing it, then putting it back. Not five seconds passed when the shrill tone of her phone attacked her again. She repeated, with twice the annoyance. The boy pulling money from the register, smiled briefly, pausing his forced task. He could practically feel the anger radiating from behind the robbers black sunglasses.

"Don't you fucking stop," Rainbow yelled.

The beep of the sliding door, stopped both of them. Rainbow Dash turned. In walked a dark skinned woman, clad in a black suit, and dull purple hair. They both stared at each other, the man behind the register, shifting his eyes between the two. In a single, fluid motion the suited woman, pulled a chrome plated .45 colt from her jacket. Dash, took to her name, and found her self over the counter, as the other woman took cover behind the shelves to the left, shooting her gun in Rainbow's general direction.

The man was crouched next to Rainbow Dash, almost crying. Dash, and the woman exchanged fire, shortly leaving cover for each spray of bullets they sent each others way. It wasn't long when before Rainbow Dash's spray and pray style of shooting left her gun dry. She ducked down, below the counter. She heard a whimper next to her when she was reminded of the store clerk next to her. He was bleeding, from a bullet wound that punctured through his torso somewhere Dash couldn't see. She grimaced slightly, knowing he would be dead soon.

Rainbow Dash, prepared to run for her life, waiting for a break in the sound of pops, that emitted from her adversaries pistol. When the other woman ceased fire, she ran for the sliding door. It didn't open fast enough, and she knocked it free of its place, finding that the desert was still as, hot as ever, as she emerged from the store sun bearing down on her.

The woman saw the van, still where it should be, next to the pumps. What she expected, a feeling of relief, ended up breaking. What she saw, was a blonde headed woman aiming a gun at the heads of her two friends who, both sat on their knees. The blonde woman, took the hat from her head, and waved still holding it by its crown. Next she heard foot steps approaching from behind. Rainbow Dash normally didn't know when to let up, but she couldn't risk those two getting hurt. For once in her life, she relented, putting her hands above her head.

The van was a lot less comfortable when there's two crazy women, one who you know wants to kill you, and is pointing a gun at you, and two others. It's down right unsettling when the one holding the gun is telling you about all the things she wants to do to you. But Rainbow Dash really couldn't judge the blonde. It's what she would do.

"Ah want to make it real clear, that ah haven't killed you because my boss says she wants all of you alive, but she definitely don't need all of you alive," the psychopath drawled in an unfortunately familiar accent.

"So, where ya' taking us?" Spike asked, unfazed by the pistol in her hand.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the purple headed driver said, sarcastically.

"Why, yes I would. S'why I asked."

"Well, we aint tellin'. Trust me though it's better than what blondie had in store for you.

The blonde woman smiled at that.

Rainbow Dash, sat sullenly in the corner of the van. Upset that not only had she been bested, but she had also been captured again. Twilight how ever was almost freaking out. It was made abundantly clear that she wasn't used to captivity. Not a moment she sat still, despite the demands the blonde woman made.

"Who sent you?" Twilight almost yelled.

"You'll find out eventually, just settle the fuck down," AJ was getting annoyed again.

"Are you going to kill us?"

"I wish."

"No, no ,no, no, this isn't good," Twilight was now holding her head.

Time, went by. The only noise was the tasteless banter, one would expect from kidnap victims. This banter, often being retorted with threats, yells, and all around nasty behavior. But Dash sat just drifting in her thoughts, and drifting into a coma-like sleep.

As you might expect, it was to every ones relief when the van stopped moving. The door Rainbow Dash was leaning against was suddenly opened, dropping her onto the desert floor like a bag of hammers. A boot, covered mostly by pin striped pants, and dirt then came into view next to her head. It didn't take much to realize that this foot belonged to the maniacal blonde. "All of you lil' fuckers get the hell out of my goddamn van." This line, little more than a shout, confirmed it.

Rainbow Dash rose, groaning. Twilight, still shaking, and Spike stepped out. The slam of the driver side door told them all that the other captor, was due to join them. Rainbow Dash looked up at the building before them. A warehouse, probably out of use for over a decade. She could tell, as it seemed rusted and decayed. If they're in a town then there must be people right? Dash thought to herself. She looked to the fence. Just beyond it lay paved roads, and even farther a building. And that is were all intelligent thought died.

Dash stood next to Spike. Applejack looked at her almost sneering.

"Ah, really can't wait 'til I get the go-ahead to skin yer' ass," the blonde said, frighteningly honest.

Twilight almost fainted

"Now get the hell inside before miss genius here has a heart attack, and miss fag hair, gets you all killed!"

They did as they were asked, walking into the darkness. AJ stopped, Rainbow Dash, to the other woman's dismay. She lowered her gun. "I owe ya' this much," she said almost sympathetically. Dash turned her head, and instantly reeled as Applejacks fist made contact with her nose.

"God-fucking-dammit," she screamed trying to nurse her bleeding wound.

Applejack laughed, a highly facetious laugh, pushing Rainbow Dash into the warehouse.

"You bitch, my fucking ring stabbed me!"

"Maybe you shouldn't keep steel in your face 'en," AJ retorted.

The warehouse was, an extremely dank, and musky one. The smell was worse than burning flesh, and had a tinge of gasoline. The air was thick, and hard to breath. If one had asthma this place would easily be their demise. The lights were out, and it was as dark as it was outside. Rainbow Dash would have made a run for it, if the blonde one hadn't been pressing her pistol against the back of her head. "Stop." The blonde woman drawled. They stopped.

A scratching, like metal against concrete, was heard. Then it stopped, and was heard again. Then once more. "Sit," the blonde ordered again. Spike and Twilight complied, but Rainbow Dash still stood. Applejack forcibly yanked her down to the seat behind her, by her shoulder. Dash only grunted. Next a rattling of chain replaced the foreboding silence. The three, sitting, hostages, were promptly cuffed, all excepting the chain restraints.

For a moment a shuffling of feet took place, as the blonde and her accomplice moved freely. More feet joined, one a soft click of high heeled shoes. Then the feet stopped. The blonde struck a match revealing all the people that had taken places around Rainbow Dash, and gang. A splotch of blood decorating her face and shirt.

In front of them stood a third purple haired woman, in a fashionable suit. One Spike easily recognized. On either side were two more suited cronies to go along with the one who had aided Applejack. One with red hair, and theother with pink and steel streaks.

Applejack tossed a match into a barrel filled with with nothing useful and suddenly the inside of the warehouse was filled with flickering source of illumination. She then took her place on top of a cage with some whimpering wretch inside, that was just out of the horizon of sight, the fire gave off. The suit wearing, goon, took her place next to the suit wearing boss.

"Good evening you three." The one with the most class spoke.

Rainbow Dash spit, a mixture of blood and saliva to the side.

"I'm sure your heads are filled with questions you are too fearful to ask. And with good reason. Beside me are four, sociopaths they have been ordered to shoot you if you don't do as I say."

"Cept fer' you color head, I'm'a kill you any way's," the blonde interrupted.

The original speaker glared at her. "As I was saying that only goes for you Twilight, and you're young friend, what ever his name may be."

"How d-do you know my name?" Twilight asked.

"Pardon?"

"M-my name, how do you know it?"

"Oh, we went to collage together. I noticed how commendable you were in almost every aspect, and I have need of your intellect," she cleared her throat,"You see in this world, no matter how you think you are there is always some one in control of you. And sometimes you simply need to do away with that person. And you'll probably need help with that. You, my dear, are my help. If you help me, I will let you live. You don't and I'll still get my help, through force and pure brutality. And trust me, I have experience in forced labor."

"I don't have much of a choice than do I?"

"That's what I just said."

"Well alright then. Take us away."

The woman clapped her hands together,"excellent," she exclaimed. "Girls, un-cuff Twilght and her green haired friend."

"What about the rainbowy one?" Sandy asked concerned.

"You heard what I said, I'm'a kill 'er." The blonde spoke again.

"Too bad." She uncuffed the two allowed to accompany her current employer.

As Twilight, and Spike left with the four women, to somewhere unknown, the lavender headed woman exchanged a final glance with her, briefly seeing a look of fear on her face, as both were concerned for the rainbow headed woman's life, whether they showed it or not. And then she left the others field of vision, maybe for the last time. She tried to feel sorry for her, but in her line of work it was sometimes hard to feel sorry for even Spike.

The blonde lit a cigarette, still sitting on the cage. She took several slow drags, all the while a shadowy figure moved about beneath, making their fear known. After a long moment passed, she stood twisting her back, sounding off a few pops. "Gettin' too old . . .," she muttered.

She approached Rainbow Dash, her boots scuffing across the cement floor. She stopped just before her, still smoking her roll of tobacco.

"Yer gonna wish hadn't run." She said, a devious smile cracking her face.

Rainbow Dash glared at her trying to appear strong, trying to keep her crumpling ego from shattering completely. First her career racing is ended being reckless, now her life is ended being reckless.

Applejack took a slow, final drag on her cigarette and discarded it. She put her hand back within her coat, pulling a match box out.

"Ah, always like to make sure folks I'm gonna kill, know how they gonna die." She said.

With an aching pace she approached the cage she had used as a place sit.

"Ya' know that smell of gas, you smell?" She patted the cage. "Right here."

With her un-occupied hand she dragged it so that it was not but three feet away from Dash's feet. She looked in horror. Inside the cage she saw a face she knew, not a stranger, a face she had seen before. The face looking at her through the black steel was a face plastered all across Equestria. The face of a girl, younger than Spike, who had been kidnapped. Rainbow Dash had seen her face countless times, on the internet, on flyers, there was even a news story about her on a nation wide broadcast channel.

What set her apart from all the other missing persons cases, was the fact that this girl, despite her autism, had been a source of inspiration to many with her care free attitude, despite her handicaps. Always kind, and always trying to help people that let her in to their life. And now here she was. Unwashed. Naked. Beaten. Starved. And pleading for Rainbow Dash to help her the best she could. It hurt Dash to know she couldn't. Applejack sat back on top of the girls cage, blocking her face from view, with her legs.

"I call her derpy, 'cuz she's a fuckin' retard." Applejack laughed to her self. She looked down."Aint that right?"

No response.

She bashed the cage with her hand, "Aint that fuckin right!" Applejack yelled.

"Uhh-huhh, I'm-I-I'm stupid," came a pathetic and heart wrenching reply from beneath her.

"What are you?" Applejack held a hand to her ear as if to listen.

"Stupid," the poor girl said.

"What?" the sadist raised her voice an octave.

"I'm-I'm a, I'm re-"

"Re? Re- what stupid? You know what you are tell me."

"Retarded," the one in question answered. Streams of tears, exposing her sadness, fear, and hopelessness all at once.

"That's what I like ta' hear," Applejack stood again, "Someone that knows their place." She spit on her. "Almost makes me regret doin' this," she scraped a match across the side of the box, eliciting a flame.

"No! You can't be serious! Do-" Rainbow Dash pleaded.

It was too late. Applejack had done the most cruel thing any one could do. She tossed the match into the cage. Just like the barrel, it went into flames instantly. Dash tried to look away from the girl, her screams piercing her ears, her body thrashing and contorting, turning to ash, all within the cramped steel cage. The youngest of them tried to expand her body to help deal with the skin melting, pain, but she could not, as it was far too small. Rainbow Dash, did try to look away, but the blonde bitch held her eyes open, ensuring she saw the flames consume the young teenaged girl. extinguishing a life. Forever.

Three months ago

This is how it ends. Last in line, to be beaten, shot, and then cast down a hole at the end of some unmapped cave, abandoned by her only friend. They had only been audited yesterday. Poked and prodded by guards for hours until they decided she was too weak, and passed her friend on to work in the mines. They had the courtesy to give one more day of her miserable life. She was sure it had more to do with scheduling than actual kindness but still. She didn't sleep the entire time they had left her in the cell. She only thought of her misery that would be ending soon. How they were going to do to her what she didn't have the courage to do to herself.

Every time the group of executioners shot, she twitched. The sounds of their guns echoed all along the cave, and she would take a deep breath in some attempt to console herself. It'll be over soon, she told herself. It did not help. No matter how much she knew she wanted it there was still that glimmer of hope that shined at the bottom of her cesspool of emotion. That hope that the hurricane of pink hair had showed her. That hope that will not be smothered.

She stepped up, it was time of reckoning now. They did not beat her like they did the others. perhaps the sadists were becoming bored. She took a brief look at the bottomless hole her body would be cast down. The entire cave smelt like rot. Looking forward at the men holding her death. There were three, but she noticed more feminine features of one. They reloaded, dull clicks of metal making her even more jittery. One looked at the rest before, aim and opening his mouth to speak, in a raspy, emotionless voice.

"One."

Fluttershy closed her eyes. Maybe her hope could be smothered.

"Two."

Fluttershy could hear only her heart thumping, now. This is the end, she assured herself.

"Three."

Fluttershy heard no gunshots. What she did hear was the struggle of one man, and the snap of a bone. Her eyes opened now, and the sight before her was a shocking one. The person in the center, the smaller, more feminine one, was strangling one of the others, while one lay dead in the floor. Fluttershy almost fainted from this surprise. She let out a breath of air she did not know she held, and sank to her knees. She vomited.

The treacherous guard was now beating their former comrade in the face with a rock. They stopped, breathing heavily now. Her back was turned to the girl she just saved. She stood popping her neck. In a flurry of party like energy, she turned, whipping off her hat that had concealed her eyes, and her hair, and curtsied, face plastered with a giddy smile.

"I fuckin' told you I'd get you out," she said, maintaining her smile.

Fluttershy wiped her mouth, still nauseated, but now stupified.

"I pinkie promised you, and I never let a pinkie promise go. Nuh-uh, not once. When I set my mind to something I . . .,"

Fluttershy stopped paying attention. She was teetering on unconsciousness, while some fool babbled on. But then again this fool saved her life. This fool saved the iota of hope left from being stamped out. Sometimes it takes a fool.

The woman poked Flutteshy on the shoulder, "You okay?"

"Wh-wa, yeah. Err,yeah. I'm just reeling from a near death experience."

"Oh, that's cool, but we had better hurry. Because I don't know about you, but I don't wanna spend another minute in this place."

Fluttershy nodded, as the woman helped her to her feet.

"I know a way out, just follow me," the insane one said, putting her hat back on, and picking up the gun she had just dropped.

Fluttershy followed the other woman, not really caring where they went. They went through the caves, turning so much she was sure that she would never be able to find her way out if it were up to her. However her savior seemed to know precisely where they were going. It didn't matter though. Who else was she supposed to have faith in? Herself? No. She was pathetic example of a human, and she knew it.

The time came when they made a turn into a leg of the cave that ended, with a blur of light, as cliche as it was. They slowed their pace, to only a cautious walk. When they finally emerged, Fluttershy shielded her eyes from the assault of sunlight. For most of her enslavement she was kept underground, or at least away from sunlight. When her eyes finally adjusted, they met the eyes of her friend, a smile hanging under them. "We're out," she said, simply, then stepped out of the way, revealing the ocean in all its glory.

For the first time, in a long time, Fluttershy felt free. A feeling she was unfamiliar with. A feeling she didn't expect. A feeling, that felt no where near as good as she had expected. She looked at the ocean again, it's length consuming the entire horizon. On the far side lay Equestria, and one responsible for her time here.

"What's the matter, why you lookin' so blue?" The woman to her right asked.

"Nothings wrong. I just- I don't know." She looked back to the ocean, "Do you even know how we're going to get back to Equestria?"

"No, but it's probably going to involve a boat," she smiled, "don't worry, madame has it all figured out. Aint nuttin' I'sum caint handle."

Fluttershy looked on at her, unimpressed with her ridiculously large smile, growing wider by the second.

"I'll need your help though. You can swim right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Because I can't. I'm gonna need something to hold on to while we find our transportation. "

"How is that gonna work?"

"I hang on to you while you swim, and I keep a diligent eye out for a vessel," she said mimicking a sentry.

Fluttershy cocked a brow, "I'm not that good of a swimmer."

"Yeah well you're better'an me."

"Guess I can't really argue with that."

"Damn skippy you can't! Now turn around. I gotta change out of my weapon. We'll need ta' keep quiet, so this gun isn't gonna be too useful."

Fluttershy furrowed her brow, while turning, thinking of the woman's awkward choice of words. She heard a faint rustling of clothes, and the jingle of a belt. After a brief silence, she heard it again, and when she turned back around the woman of questionable mental health,was twirling a striped green thong around in one finger, smiling.

"Well get in the water," she said, still happy.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest, but decided there would be no point. She reluctantly slipped into the icy water. It was a refreshing experience to feel a liquid other than the piss of a man simply trying to degrade you, or his spit hitting you in the face. She noticed the grime washing off of her as she waded deeper and deeper into the blue.

She sighed a moment, before the other pounced on her back, clinging. "Mush," she yelled. "Or what ever you're supposed to do."

Annoyed, she complied. You could argue with insanity, but in the end it's a lot easier to accept it. She began swimming, barely able to do so with the wait of another on her back. In the distance they spied, a fishing boat, bobbing in the water. The woman raised herself on Shy's back, and said, "Set sail me matey," almost pushing the other's head under water.

Fluttershy did. Very annoyed. When you weren't trying to deal with the meaningless sentiments of everything, and not having been loved in months, this woman was nothing but annoying. Fluttershy was getting tired, unsurprisingly as it had been a while since she last had any rigorous exercise, having been locked up in her cell for so long. She struggled to keep her head above water. Often she gasped for air, she was deprived of. It didn't take long before her muscles started aching. She would give out if they didn't get to the boat soon.

Then they did, thank God, Celestia and every other imaginable deity. The weight on her shoulder was lifted, as the frizzy haired one, climbed aboard. It was like she could breath again. She waited, floating the ocean, listening to the struggled last breaths of a man on the boat, then yelp of another, and then the same audio as before.

Before she even had time to board the vessel herself a happy face appeared, startling her, causing more ripples in the water. A hand joined the familiar face above, and took her own, as it aided her to get on top of the boat, in a very unceremonious manner. She sat looking down on her wet clothes, before looking at the bodies not yet dumped. They were not the bodies of the vicious men that had abused her for damn near a year. They were the bodies of two, very usual, fishermen, trying to make a living.

Short

Fluttershy's eyes opened, slowly, stiffly, and reluctantly. They met the red lights of an alarm clock, taunting her with the statement, 5:52 AM. Too late to go back to sleep. Too early to want to get up. She sighed, letting her icy blue eyes cover themselves again. Why did people have to work? Just as she was about to fall back into the trance she had just come out of the alarm clock, didn't go off. Instead a well toned, though feminine arm wrapped its way around her, and nuzzle attacked the back of her neck.

She rolled over, smiling. She found her, very best friend, as some would say. She too was smiling. The other used her arm to pull them closer together, into a deep kiss. Fluttershy struggled to get free.

"I have work," she argued.

"It's Saturday," the other replied.

Fluttershy rolled back over, glancing at the clock. 6:01, it read. It was indeed Saturday. A day for sleeping in. Tending to her plants, maybe a trip to the zoo. And as the roaming hands of her friend would suggest, some more 'mature' activities. Fluttesrshy found her self underneath the other, being kissed, and drowned in affection. Her partner began her decent. Fluttershy lie waiting for the great pleasure another could bring her. Its euphoria. But above all else, to feel cared for. Those feelings did not come.

She realized that she was not staring at the top of her special someones head. She was staring at the white floor, of the boat. She sighed, sinking into the chair she sat in. She looked up, at the sky. Everything was grey. The sky grey, the water grey, her skin, grey with the grime accumulated by months of hard labor. The woman who had sprung her, was at the wheel inside a drivers cab, in a chair operating the boat. Singing a most random of songs, something to do with genocide. Fluttershy looked at the far corner, a cooler set almost seeming humble.

She made her way over, landing with a slide, on her knees ripping open the lid. Inside was exactly what she had hoped she would find : food. She picked up the wrapped sandwich, and tore away the only thing keeping her from her feast. As she was about to sink her teeth into the ham and cheese, she realized that not only was there meat on this sandwich, but it also belonged to the two fishermen her savior had murdered, and tossed overboard. She hesitated, but reasoned that she was starving. She ate the entire sandwich in a matter of seconds, before doing the same to the other one she found inside. Leaving none for the madwoman.

She felt ashamed now. She had abandoned one of her own, personal beliefs. Eating meat, that is. It was different in captivity, she had to eat it. But the feeling of being free, as new as it was, shriveled now. She almost felt nauseous. The other woman emerged from the cabin, sporting a smile as always.

"We oughta' be in Equestria soon!"

Fluttershy nodded, leaning against the stern wall, next to the cooler.

The flurry of pink hair, zipped back into the cabin.

Fluttershy felt like crying. She didn't know why, she was out of the death camp. Almost home free. But she felt like all the hope in the world was still beyond the horizon. She sighed, a whimperous sigh, as she fell her head between her hands. She could only wish she could see the happiness the crazed one could see. Joy seemed worth giving up to Fluttershy.

Twilight was taken down a most narrow of hallways, stretching long, and reaching far. The only illumination was the dim light bulbs hanging from cords, and the only sound was the sound of her cold, bare feet against the dirty tile floor, and the clicks of the shoed feet of everyone around her. Including Spike. They finally reached a door, old, and hardly clinging to its hinges, that appeared to be an office of sorts. The woman with pink and purple swirls in her hair opened the door, letting everyone enter, Twilight still extremely nervous.

They all stepped in and found the office to be just as dimly lit as the hallway. Only difference being a light fixture gave this room its light. Rarity sat behind the desk in front of them, she locked her manicured fingers together and asked Twilight, and her assistant to seat themselves in the seats provided. They did.

"It's been a long time, Twilight, how have you been keeping?" Rarity asked seeming genuine.

"Poorly, broken, failing, loosing hope." Twilight replied, trying to ignore the three armed women in the room.

"That's quite sad," Rarity glanced down at her entwined hands, "Any who, on to business I suppose. This may take some explaining, but please bear with me."

Twilight nodded.

Spike tried to hide his gazing at Rarity's bosom. He failed.

"Alright, I, as you probably know am at the head of a very successful franchise. Selling the most glamorous, and over the top-"

"I get it," Twilight interrupted, slightly courageous.

"Yes well, what you don't know is just how I have come to get the gems, diamonds, and the likes. As I'm sure someone as astute as yourself would have guessed, that would take quite a bit of money to acquire these stones legally." She stopped to clear her throat, letting her voice grow grim, "But I don't get them legally. I get them through various means. The most unfortunate, and prolific of which, is through forced labor."

Twilight hid her surprise well, the only thing giving her away was her pupils dilate.

Spike glanced up from his bosom watching.

"I'll spare you the details, as to how I came to this sort of low. All you really need to know is, that I wish to end this, and I require a bit of your time. I've a contact, an absolute psychopath, and I must see to it that he is, 'removed'."

Just as Rarity finished the final word in her explanation, a blood curdling scream shot out. Reminding Twilight of the 'friend' she had left behind.

"Yeah, about Rainbow Dash, could we have her, maybe live?" Twilight asked, almost stuttering in fear.

"Well would she really be an asset? I mean if it's help you need I have several people that I'm sure are just as competent, if not more so. And to be quite honest she seems incredibly reckless from what little I've seen."

"I'm very sure. No matter what your plans might be, I need her alive," Twilight said, gaining confidence.

Silence filled the room. The faint buzz of a fly was heard, and aside from that and the shifting of the purple haired crook, there was no noise in the room. Twilight, though she hid it, was rife with fear. Fear of death.

"Jack's not going to be too happy, I mean giving her the privacy to do what she wanted to that poor girl was the main reason I dragged you back here in the first place. But then again, she's not the one helping me redeem myself. Oh, what can I say, deal."

Twilight let out a muffled sigh of relief.

Rarity stood again.

"Come now, lets make haste. We've places to go, and plans to form, and what not."

Her entourage followed, out the door, and in to the grey, hopeless hallway, again.

Rainbow Dash, walked past a crowd of other low-lives, a smirk on her face. In her head her head the song, 'Engel' played. She walked slowly, pridefully, to her prized car. Almost as prized as the girl she left, pleased in bed that morning. She had woken up early, by pure chance that day, and decided that there really wasn't much of a better way to spend the few morning hours of the others day off. Plainly put, that morning she had had some of the best sex of her life.

She stepped to the side of her customized muscle car, before dawning the sunglasses she always wore at these events. She opened the door, and sat down. Letting the swath of surrounding people get one last look at her before closing the door of her car. They may have been ghetto trash, but praise is praise right?

from under her seat, she produced a small vial, filled with a white powder. She placed the opening to her nose, and snorted. While she wouldn't admit to her addiction, she was clearly dependent on the drug. Dependent enough to get caught on base, with a kilo of it. She put the glass vial back underneath her seat and started her car, revving the engine. Her car roared, as her challenger pulled up next to her. Though tinted windows masked their faces, they glanced at each other. Blood starting to trickle from Dash's nose, only to be wiped away.

A green haired woman to the side of them held three fingers up. After a moment she brought one down. After one more, she left only one finger up. After what felt like an hour, people cheering, around the cars, in the cul-de-sac, she waved her arm down, motioning for them to go.

On que, both drivers slammed the gas pedals, speeding off leaving smoke, and other fumes to linger with the crowd. Rainbow Dash entered that trance she did when she raced. Nothing else mattered. Only the road, and the man in the car next to her. Nothing could stop her. She sped down the asphalt, cutting people off, narrowly avoiding pedestrians, and most importantly, leaving the other racer in the dust. No big dealt hough. Just another day of her proving she's better at her own game than other's. The dumb ass should have known better than to challenge her.

In the distance, she saw the pre-determined destination. She would with out a doubt beat him, and probably gloat like she had never before. She sped down a street, small buildings lined either side. Color becoming a blur. She would have looked at her speedometer, but didn't for fear of a collision stealing her victory.

It did not matter, as in the next instant a car pulled out in front of her. She swirved in a vain attempt to thwart the wrath of the inevitable. When she made contact with the other car, her body was flung forward the console of her car slamming up preventing her from being ejected. Glass flew everywhere, many shards riddling her arm. The other vehicle skid into the street, its right tires almost came off of their wheels.

Rainbow Dash slipped into unconsciousness, as her door fell from its hinges and the screaming of a child roamed about her ears. Shrill and painful. Moments later awoke, pinned against her blood covered steering wheel. The shrill screams had died to a whimper. A man rushed to her side, scratchy voiced he spoke to her, though despite his obviously frantic demeanor she could not decipher what he said. She pulled herself from the wreckage, holding her arm which bore the most prominant of her many injuries close. His mouth stopping its babble. She leaned against the heap of twisted metal that now only carried resemblance of a car, grimacing.

She turned her head in the direction of the other car, what she saw she did not believe at first. A woman, middle aged, hair white with scarlet streaks. Slumped against the jagged edge of the broken, driver side, window. Her mouth agape. one eye open and unmoving. Blood slowly dripping down the outer side of her teal car door. Then it occurred to her that those streaks in her hair must be blood as well.

On the other side of the car a woman hugged the child who had screamed. Blood staining the young girls pure white shirt, while tears stained her face as she pushed it into the shoulder of the person carrying her. One of her arms hung limp. The woman cradling her coaxing her into tranquility as best she could.

Rainbow Dash mouthed the word, "fuck" as she turned her head forward again, closing her eyes in another cringe of agony. "Are you okay?" a frustrated voice asked. She looked up, breathing heavily, and nodded. The man rushed off to the child, leaving Rainbow alone. She knew it would be many years in prison if she lingered. She fought a battle with her conscience, deciding she would rather live with guilt, than toss salad in prison.

When she felt no eyes upon her disheveled frame, she took off on foot down the very street that the car she had collided with had come from. Limping, and hobbling as fast as she could. She held her arm close, blood slowly pumping out of her. She knew where she was headed.

Applejack's fist slammed into her face again, and again. Bringing her out of the flashback she had just been through, and back to the crisis at hand. As the fist drew back, a thin strand of blood seemed to reach for it as it came back and landed another blow. This went on until the agonized grunts coming from Dash's mouth transformed into a slop of muffled noises. Applejack rose from from Rainbow Dash's lap, breathing heavily a moment. She thought back to her first incounter with the belittled woman in front of her. A smirk appeared across her devilish face. She tossed the side of the poncho across her shoulder, exposing her tank top, and belt. From her belt, she pulled a pair of needle nosed pliers. She sat back on top of Rainbow's lap.

"Ya' know, ye never told me where Twilight was." Applejack said, raising her voice above the crackling of the fire.

Rainbow Dash looked up at her, face bloodied thought murky.

"Ah never lie," AJ violently grabbed the side of Dash's face, "and I always keep promises."

Rainbow Dash winced, "Th-then why aren't i-i-n the f-fucking cage!"

"Cuz' sweetums, that's how I'm gonna kill ye. This here's just the foreplay."

Applejack grabbed the thin black ring in Dash's bottom lip with the pliers, slowly pulling back. She could see her begin to bleed from a new wound, as her lip started to split. She began to smile. Dash began to cry. Death was here. She would surely die, never having seen her lover again.

Just as Applejack was about to give a final jerk, when a practiced voice spoke from behind her accompanied by several feet.

"Oh, Applejack I'm quite sorry, but there's been a change of plans." The clicks of stiletto shoes approached her, "We're going to need her alive."

Applejack released Rainbow Dash, and threw the pliers across the the way.

Rainbow Dash, though beaten and bloody smirked.

Applejack hit her one last time, letting conciousness slip away from the seated woman.

"Why?!" Applejack turned facing Rarity, face almost glowing with rage.

"Because Twilight, has swayed my judgment."

"I thought we were the ones in charge? We should be the ones decidin' who lives and dies!"

"Jack," Rarity peeked over her shoulder assuring no one else was near, "After your services are completed you can dod what ever you please with that ruffian."

Applejack sighed, "You fuckin' promised me!"

"Things change AJ, think progressively."

Applejack shook her head, muttering something about "bullshit."

The others were joining them at this time, each in the group Rarity intentionally left behind.

"Well, I must think you all for your time but it's time for us to part ways." Rarity shook the three suited women's hands, hugging her sister while shaking hers.

"What about the pay?" Sandy asked the furious Applejack.

The woman produced a wallet, withdrew a sizable amount of bills and harshly pressed the stack into sandy's chest.

Sandy counted it, and distributed it among the other girls. The trio left, leaving in Sandy's car.

"To the van?" Applejack asked, gruffly

"Yes, we shall depart now. We've a bit of a trip ahead of us. Back to my house that is."

"That's all the way in Manehatten." Applejack reasoned.

"Yes, and we need to hurry."

"Fine."

The group started off to the van, Applejack having slapped Rainbow Dash awake. By the van Twilight looked at the sun, its glow on the horizon, releasing the shroud the night had left on them. Rarity took out her cheap disposable phone, dialing a number she had memorized. Rarity knew Rainbow's reckless nature would be something that would need a counter. She knew the woman she was calling was the only one who could act as such.

Change of Clothes

According to Rarity, they only need to head across town. The town, was more cesspool than town. Its streets were nasty, the few people up this early looked sketchy, and no one really hid their activities. So, really, the group fit in quite well.

Twilight looked over to Spike, "You haven't said much lately."

"Yeah," Spike replied, "My mouth gets me in a lot of trouble, so when a psychopath with a gun tells me to shut up, I shut up."

"Oh."

Spike looked across from him. Slumped over, still unconcious, was Rainbow Dash. Both drool, and blood dripped from her face. He decided a question couldn't hurt. "Hey, where exactly are we going?"

"To get you three some more appropriate clothing." She glanced at Spikes bag, "Well, I suppose maybe not you, as it seems you've brought some of your own, but your friends seem to be in dire need of some. There's a store, not far from here, that will suffice. Not much to look at, but it will." She turned forward again.

Spike leaned his head back. He felt sleep dragging on him. He wanted it, but he doubted he should doze just yet. He wasn't sure why, he had always fallen asleep when ever he pleased before. But it must be the crazy in the front seat, he found unsettling enough to prevent a closed eye.

The van pulled up, next to a dingy looking store. Inside, various racks of shirts, jackets and pants were visible.

Twilight tapped Rarity's shoulder, "Don't you think it would be a bit odd to some of the towns people, if two girls stepped out of a van like this?"

"What do you mean?" Rarity's brow raised.

"Hu- wha-what do you mean, what do you mean? I'm almost naked, and dash looks like she just had her face period."

Rarity ignored the crude remark, and instead pointed a manicured finger at a man wandering the streets wearing nothing but a patients gown, and pulling an IV pole.

Twilight got her point, and promptly shook Rainbow Dash awake.

With that, Twilight, Dash, and Rarity stepped out of the van, and into the store that probably has a drug den in the back. Leaving Spike alone, with Applejack. He scooted back against the door towards the back of the van, Applejack glared at him from the rear view mirror.

She pulled a lever, letting the seat slide back, then produced a cigarette, and a box of matches. She said nothing nothing, only leaned back smoking. Spike felt safe, for once in a long while, and fell asleep, his back against the door.

Rarity showed the two girls inside, and instead of a happy, chirping beep, they instead heard a malfuntioned garble of technical slur. At the register, instead of someone actually working, was an old man, either asleep, or dead, slumped over on the desk. Somewhere an old radio droned an eary, dreamlike song that opposed this place in every way.

Dash rubbed her eyes, still asleep as she were. It hurt to blink, and when she inhaled, it felt like her ribs were stabbing her. She looked around her. Nothing but scrappy cloth, and tacky, yellow wall paper. She raised her arm, sniffing below it. All that found her, was a rank odor. Her arm fell back to her side. Off on the back, she saw a sign that said "restroom". Well I certainly need to piss, she thought. Rainbow looked down at her blood caked shirt. She sighed, grabbed it from the hem, and pulled up, taking it off, and leaving it in the floor where she stood. The looks Twilight, and Rarity gave her as she walked to the restroom, would have been funny, if in a differing situation.

In the restroom, Dash looked over herself in the mirror. Her nose ached, her eyes were black, and there would surly be new scars forming. She didn't need a doctor to tell her she was a wreck. She wet her hand in the sink, and began wiping away the crusty, dried blood. There, in all honesty, weren't many things Dash would willingly kill for. But at the moment, she decided, a shower was among the few things she would.

Carefully, she examined her nose. One nostril felt pinned to the septum. Upon examining it, she found that it was. The ruby red stud in her nose was visibly sticking through. She pulled, and tugged at it, wincing. Finally, it came free. More blood came out of her nose, but it stopped soon enough. She dropped the stud down the drain, not caring if it aided in clogging the pipes. Rainbow Dash wiped the blood from her face once more, before turning towards the toilet. Suddenly she felt like she could hold it.

Rarity sat, legs crossed, in a chair adjacent to the counter, watching Twilight pick through the different clothing. In her hand she held a pair of ripped pants, and the whitest socks she could find. Rainbow Dash soon joined them, still topless. She started looking through the shirts too, ignoring the look Twilight gave her. The most appealing things she found, were a multicolored flannel shirt, and a denim jacket lined with fur. She put them on, quickly. Twilight looked back to the clothes in front of her, and shook her head slightly.

About fifteen minutes later, Twilight had found a nice pair of purple sneakers that fit as well as she could find, and a pink and purple sweater vest. She picked it only to feel more modest than her singlet would allow. On their way out, Rarity reached inside her blazer and withdrew an uncertain amount of money. She looked over the, hopefully, sleeping old man, and shrugged, putting her marks back in her jacket. Twilight put a hand on her shoulder, just as she was about to leave.

"If you really want to change for the better, you have to take the initiative to change." Twilight looked at Rarity, a blank expression on the highly stylized woman.

Rarity did not respond. She simply withdrew the stack again, this time sliding it under the old mans hand. She then glanced at Twilight, just before leaving.

Rarity circled the front of the van to reach the passenger side door, while Dash, and Twilight went to the back. Upon opening it a sleeping Spike fell out, hitting his head, hard. He pressed his hands into the forming knot, grimacing. Twilight kneeled to help him up, and slowly he rose.

Rainbow simply looked at the sight before her, cold wind forcing the collars of her coat and shirt to slap her in the face. She looked up, a shabby elevated transit platform blocked the sun from her view. Everything seemed gray, and cold. Because everything was gray and cold. She heard Applejack snicker out, "Dumbass," and Rarity asking him if he was okay. He seemed rejuvenated as soon as she was in sight. Rainbow rubbed her eye, wincing at the pain her bruise caused.

Now that they were each in the van again, silence settled with them. Rarity must have disliked it, as she felt a need to break it,"You know Jackie, you could do with some knew clothes. Besides, you're going to need some, once we're in Manehatten."

"What, why?" The blonde said, perking up.

"Well, most people in Manehatten, or really anywhere, don't run around in a poncho. Even less people keep an assortment of blades hanging from a belt, under said poncho. Moreover, you haven't changed out of those clothes since I've met you."

Applejack grumbled, "Fine."

So Manehatten it is then, Rainbow Dash thought, trying to slide the flashback of the poor girl being burned. It grew harder, and harder.

Three months ago

The two pink haired women walked down a road, rolling hills on one side, an ocean on the other. The more timid of them had thanked the other for the rescue, and insisted that they split up. The more spontaneous of them, politely declined insisting that she had nowhere else to go. So they simply trekked down this old road. Nothing but the banter of their words to hear. Hoping for a car, truck,or anything really, to find them, and take them somewhere. Anywhere but here.

During their conversation, it struck Fluttershy that, not only had the woman next to her killed the two innocent men on the boat, but it was also her that aided in the execution of every slave that was in front of her before she rescued her. This would certainly prove an interesting topic.

"H-hey, y-you know when you saved me, d-didn't you help kill some of those slaves?" Fluttershy asked, softly testing for potential landmines in this new topic.

"Yeppers, sure did." Her Frizzy hair bounced, under her hat.

"W-why?"

"To save you, funny duddy." She said it, as if it were the most obvious of things.

Fluttershy almost froze. Innocent people, dead because of her? She had pushed the death of the two sailors, as completely on the the other woman. But this felt different. She had, of course, become some what desensitized to death. But this still felt like her fault. "Couldn't you have done something else?" She asked, voice cracking half way through the sentence.

"Probably, but that was the easiest. 'Sides that, I didn't make a pinkie promise to the ones I killed."

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"How do you choose life and death for others on something so petty?" Fluttershy's tone bordered on anger.

"Petty? My daddy always made sure I knew that a pinkie promise, was the most important thing to uphold." The woman said it, so simply.

Fluttershy didn't answer. It was easier not to.

The two continued. They hoped a car would come along, but they also felt that that would be in vain. Because it was. This road had always been abandoned. They would have to walk almost ten miles before they would be anywhere resembling civilization. Regardless, they kept walking. And walking. And walking.

Fluttershy noticed how much her feet ached. Then she realized that she was still bare foot. She had grown so used to it, she hadn't noticed. That was only the first thing she noticed. Finally being away from that slice of Hell, and back to the hills of western Equestria she noticed a foul odor. Hesitantly, she sniffed herself. It was her, but she was not surprised. After spending so long in chains, the closest thing she had had to a bath was the swim she had yesterday. She told herself that the other woman stank too, but it did nothing to hinder how self conscious it made her to know what she smelled like.

Fast approaching them was a semi, its roar well heard by the two girls. A glimmer of hope touched them. Maybe they wouldn't have to walk. The more erratic one shot a thumb up, prompting the vehicle to slow itself. It came to a rolling halt next to them. The one whose action slowed it, leaped up the steps leading to the passenger side. She looked in, through the window. Inside was the stereotypical pervert. A fat, short, greasy man, who was in almost as much need of a bath as the two women were.

"Howdy, ladies. Ya'll need a ride?" His voice chilled Fluttershy, and she hadn't even seen him yet.

"Yeah, mister we do." The girl hanging from the truck said, "I swear, I'll make it up to you if you get us to the closest town."

The driver gave a crooked, creepy smile. He took his cap off, and wiped his forehead. "I'm sure you will. Now, uh, get in."

The girl leaned away, opening the door, "Hey girlie, get in!" She smiled at Fluttershy.

Reluctantly, she did. The metal steps scraped her feet, but that was just another pain to endure. She looked inside. Behind the steering wheel sat a man who must have taken tips from the creeper handbook. His glasses sat on the end of his nose, and his fingers ended in dark, black, grime. He gave a small wave, and Fluttershy returned it. She continued inside, making her way into the sleeper. After she sat on the crusted sheets of the bed, her comrade sat in the seat next to the driver, shutting the door. "Sorry 'bout the smell," she said, "We haven't really had a chance to wash in a while."

"S'alright, I like the smell of a sweaty pu-passenger, passenger." His words felt like they had been dipped in cyanide, as he caught his mistake, accelerating his truck.

These two may have reeked, but their smell had nothing on the rank, musky, and all around frightening scent of the Semi. It reminded Fluttershy of the death camp she had just escaped. She almost puked from the disgusting scent. She looked around the sleeper. She was disgusted further. Almost every bit of space was taken up by a pin-up of women doing terrible things. Some things to animal, some things to other women. Her hand dropped to her side, her pinkie finger touched something wet and sticky. She shut her eyes. She knew what it must be, it was all too obvious. She wiped it off on her pants, not looking as she did so.

Some time passed, made obvious by the sun setting in the distance. Fluttershy worried slightly. The last place she wanted to be at night was with this creep, who spoke so surely to Shy's friend. She seemed innocently oblivious. The man pried so much information from her, it was alarming. Information Fluttershy didn't even know yet. Her height:5'7. Her age: 26. Her name (or rather, what she called herself): Pandora. Fluttershy had known her for some time now, and still hadn't known any of this until just now. Then again, she didn't ask.

The semi slowed down, just infront of an L-shaped motel Pandora had pointed the greasy man to. He parked, not far, just off to the parking lot for vehicles the size of his own. The town was serene. It held a place, just flat enough for a town. Across from the motel was a large gas station, and further on was the town its elf. It was simply placid.

Pandora patted the creton on the shoulder and thanked him, as she opened the door of the semi. Fluttershy stood up to follow, but sat back down when she saw the man grab The other woman's arm.

"Not so fast missy, you swore you'd make it up ta' me, if I gat ya'll where you needed to go. I done my end of the deal, an' I think it's time for you to do your end, your friend too." He smiled like a wolf.

Pandora smile. She shut the door, and glanced at Fluttershy, who was sweating with fear. "I thought you'd never ask," the Frazzy headed woman made her words sultry, and added a smile to match them. Fluttershy heard a zipper unzip. She saw the woman lean over towards the man, her head getting closer, and closer to his crotch. The man sighed in pleasure as she covered the last distance. Almost ten seconds passed.

He screamed, trying to beat the woman off of his manhood, but she grabbed his arm. With a jerk, her head shot up, her face covered in smile, and blood. Inside of her mouth, it was clear to see something fleshy, something that belonged to the creeper.

"God damn it, fucking, my dick, whore, you fucking bitch-cunt, you ate my dick!"

The woman pulled it from her mouth. She giggled, flopping it around in her hand. She grabbed the screaming mans head, the one on his shoulders, and stuck three fingers in his mouth, keeping it open. He tried to push her away, but she was too strong. She took the severed member, and crammed it down his throat, laughing manically.

Fluttershy held her knees to her chest, crying tearfully, and almost feeling sorry for the man. His screams began to die down, until they had entirely, and he with it. Pandora was wiping blood from her face, still laughing to herself. Fluttershy had grown used to death, yes, but not to such frightening madness.