Equestria: The Days of Blood and Steel

Chapter II of Part II

“Mother?” Crimson shouldered past Night and wrapped his hoofs around Derpy closing in for a hug.

“What are you doing here mother?!”

“I just needed to see you again.”

They broke their hug and entered the room,

“It has been so long Night, i’m glad to see you again.” The mare smiled at Night who just awkwardly returned the smile.

Night had no memory of this mare, he also had no idea how she could know him... Unless she had known his mother. Also the grey pony’s eyes had gone askew at least once or twice and she talked slow, Night had never met a pony like that, and it was strange to him.

“Crimson I brought some things, a blanket and some pillows for you two, I also brought you some parchment...”

Leaning close to Night she attempted to whisper, even though Crimson could still hear her, a quiet remark,

“He has been wanting a lot of that stuff recently, something is fishy.”

“Oh mother, i’m just taking notes on everything I see and do, you know... Notes.”

“Oh! Why didn’t you just say so?!”

Derpy perked up now that she thought she knew what was happening. Little did she know that her son was lying to her, and holding back huge news, which Nightwing knew had to be broken to her sooner or later, and sooner was better.

“Crimson, I think you should tell your mom what happened. Just before she arrived.”

Nightwing then started down Crimson in case he decided to protest, but Crimson must have decided that it was a good idea, sighing he turned to his mom,

“We were told that we had to leave or be arrested-”

“Leave? Leave the city?!”

“No, no Mrs. Whooves, just here. As in this ‘house.’”

“But... But why? What happened?”

“We can’t tell you the whole truth right now, but the Government is displeased with us, so we have been cast from it’s protection.”

The ponies stood in silence, after what felt like ten minutes but was only a few moments Derpy broke the silence,

“Your father misses you, you know.”

“Ha, I doubt that.” Crimson let out a low sigh,

“I’ll write as much as possible. I love you mother.”

“But where will you go? How will you eat? What will you do?” Worry and concern etched her face as she asked these questions. Crimson, not really knowing the answers himself, answered the best he could,

“I don’t know mom, we have friends who will help us get everything we need, and even shelter us for a while.”

Crimson sighed but tried to smile as he looked his mother straight in the face. Derpy brought him into a tight hug and said,

“I wish you would come home... even if just for a while.”

“I can’t back down now mother, I might come home sometime soon, but I have to take care of this first.”

“I understand... I’m proud of you.”

She broke the hug, and sighing picked up the saddle bag she had brought, newly emptied by Crimson. As she reached the door she turned to Night, who had remained by it ever since she had arrived.

“Please care for each other, especially Crimson, he is new to this part of town.”

“Of course. I never let... friends... yes, I never let friends down.”

Derpy smiled and wrapped her hooves around his neck,

“Thank you.”

    Breaking the hug she walked out and slowly closed the door.

The next day Crimson and Nightwing headed to work like usual, as if the looming threat of yesterday had never happened. Once they arrived those still clocking in greeted them with cheers and hoofshakes, but even Crimson wasn’t feeling it today and only meekly returned the gestures.

“I think it would be best to tell Silver what happened.”

“Yeah, that would be a good idea. Why don’t you tell him, and we’ll meet up after work here.”

Crimson nodded and went to find the pony in question while Night kicked off the ground and flew away to begin the daily grind. But as Crimson headed into the factory, he realised that nopony was at their stations. He scanned the factory and looking up saw Nightwing flying around, in confusion as well. But then a cheer was heard from a far corner of the factory, and nodding to Nightwing they headed in that direction, Crimson walking, Night flying.

As crimson rounded a corner he came to where the sound had come from. Almost everypony who worked in that factory was gathered and seemed to be plotting something. Night, landing next to Crimson, yelled out,

“Hey! What’s going on?! Where is Silver Dust?”

One of the workers answered, a jubilant grin on his face,

“We don’t know where he is, but we are tired of waiting! We are refusing to work, until somepony takes note of what we want!”

Crimson scoffed,

“You mean a strike?”

“Is that what it is called? Well then yes, we are on strike!”

The ponies there cheered, they didn’t want to hear more speeches or wait for more ponies to join the movement, they wanted action to be taken now. And they were ready to take that action.

“You are idiots. You know that? Don’t you think we know that action must be taken? We know perfectly well that action must be taken, but we can’t jump blindly into it! We must plan and think, before we attack! Unless you want somepony to die?”

Nopony said anything, one of the workers lowered his head as he thought about what Crimson had just said and walked away, the others followed suit mumbling to themselves, Crimson just shook his head and said to Night,

“Why are these ponies so arrogant? Why-”

“Arrogant? We are the arrogant ones? The workers are arrogant because they know nothing but work? The workers are arrogant because we do not have an education or the same foods and living styles as you citizens do?”

As he stressed the word citizen, Nightwing spat on the ground, but Crimson attempted to revoke the insult,

“Look Nightwing I didn’t mean-”

“No, just no Crimson. I’ll talk to you later.”

    He kicked off the ground and flew away, he never felt so angered, or stirred like he did,

‘Is this what it is like for Silver Dust, these speeches and the feeling of pride?’

Once work finally dragged to a close after a normal hard day of work Nightwing found Crimson waiting. As he approached Crimson turned around and said,

“Silver Dust didn’t come in today. Maybe he received the same threat we did?”

“That is possible. Let’s check in with him after we get back home.”

But before either could move the ruff voice of the factory supervisor called from behind them,

“Nightwing! Crimson! Come to my office!”

The two turned and saw the supervisor waiting, as they approached he turned and lead them to a side wall were a narrow metal staircase climbed the side of the wall and came to a door of an office. They followed the pony in and saw that it was a good sized room, almost as big as the apartment they shared. The walls were painted a dull yellow and old green carpeting covered the floor, it had stains dotted around on it, and rips where pale concrete was seen underneath.

“Sorry about the shitty carpet, I need to get rid of it.”

Nightwing and Crimson just nodded and walked in as the supervisor shut the door behind them.

On the wall they had climbed up a large window overlooked the factory so the supervisor could see the whole factory and each pony working, on all the other walls were tons of photographs of the stallion when he was younger. Nightwing had only one photo, it was of his mother just before she had given birth, she had a weak smile and suffering was on her face, but Nightwing thought she looked beautiful all the same.

“Please take a seat.”

The supervisor indicated two worn rolling chairs in front of his wooden desk which had a missing left corner, why it was missing, neither Crimson nor Nightwing knew. As he took a seat the stallion across from the two started talking right away.

“As you both know you have been evicted from your home by order of the Government by threat of death. They have requested this to be extended to work as well. If I see you here I am ordered to kill you, or report you to the peacegivers. Now-”

“Did the same happen to Silver Dust?”

“Yes. But unlike you two he decided to not show up today.”

Nightwing nodded as his question was answered. The other stallion continued,

“Now Nightwing, I like you. You have worked hard these last years, and your mother is missed.”

He then paused as if stressing that he missed Nightwing’s mother. Nightwing became uneasy.

‘He misses my mom? Did he even know her?’

After a few seconds though he went on,

“So with that in mind I would not kill you should I see you, I may even forget that you were here the first or second time you break the ‘No Return’ law. I can’t say the same for your friend here, but I can only do what I can.”

Nightwing and Crimson shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

“I’m afraid that is all I have to say... Go now.”

The two got up and walked out the door, Crimson leading, but just as Nightwing reached the doorway the supervisor said,

“Nightwing!”

“Yes?”

“...Good luck.”

The black pegasi nodded and shut the door behind him as he descended the metal stairs. Left alone the blue stallion sighed and threw off his sunglasses, he rubbed his eyes as he felt how tired he really was. Pushing himself out of his chair he went over to a file cabinet on the far wall and pulled out a bottle from the top drawer.

“A 12 L.R. huh? I hope this can kill me...heh. Who am I kidding, I can’t die.”

The station went back to his desk and throwing himself in his chair poured himself a glass of the alcohol and tried to drown out his pains in it. As he drank the glasses his eyes veered to an old photograph of a young him, just when he was a kid. Well not a ‘kid’ he was a ‘teen’ than, but still a kid. In the picture he stood there with his hoof wrapped around the neck of a smiling light grey unicorn, the mare he had loved, even after they had drifted apart. Sighing he said,

“Nightwing you could have been mine... What went wrong Rarity? What went wrong?”

And with that he drank himself into an alcohol induced sleep.