Fallout Equestria: Brotherhood

CHAPTER 27: REMEMBER ME

"He's lost it..."

Black vultures circled the group of ponies from above. Nearly a dozen encompassed them, looking down eerily, eager to feast on any dead ponies that fell behind. There was no sun in the dark sea of clouds in the sky above, yet a humid heat beat down on all of the ponies. The gatling stallions trudged on tiredly, feeling their weapons begin to grow heavy as fatigue, and dehydration settled in.

All of the ponies felt this, except those that the group had captured and Scooter. Scooter went about walking, giving off an energy that could only be matched by a foal happily receiving a long awaited gift. A slight skip was in his step, with a grin reaching ear to ear that had plastered itself onto his ragged skinny face.

Neo kept close to his brother and watched Scooter carefully from afar while they marched on against the uneven terrain. Merrily, Scooter bounded toward Whopper, whose tongue was hanging dryly from his mouth as he panted. Sweat ran down the gatling stallion's purple fur profusely, with his head hung lowly to the ground.

"Eh, Whopper," Scooter nudged Whopper’s foreleg gently, "guess, what? Can ya? Can ya guess?"

"No, boss... Ah can't..." Whopper wheezed.

Scooter went in front of him, and trotted backwards still addressing him, "Aw, c'mon. Ah know ya can guess? Guess, c’mon guess."

Whopper rolled his eyes, "You're going to get rewarded... Right?"

"BINGO!" Scooter cheered going to the front of the group, "An' the best part is, we're almost there! Ooh, ah can hardly wait fer that promotion!"

Clapping his hooves together he closed his eyes, picturing his long awaited fantasy finally becoming a reality, "Ah can see it now... General Scooter... Oh, ah like that." He mumbled to himself.

Lucy groaned, lowering her ears, "Please shut up before I kill myself with a rock."

Scooter glared at her, "Shush, you, or ah'll get one of m'ah boys over here to help ya with that. Maybe, ah'll even cut your ears off. How's that sound?"

"Yes, do it! End the torture, you self centered obnoxious ass!"

Scooter’s merry grin faded, and stomping toward her furiously he shouted, "Shut up! Ah'm gonna get a promotion!"

"Sure you will pal." Lucy snickered at him sarcastically.

After climbing to the top of a hill, one of the stallions near the front of the group pointed out into the distance. "Boss, we're here! Look!"

Scooter's massive grin returned, and after dashing up the hill he shouted, "Whoo-whee! There she is! Home sweet home!"

Each stallion that guarded the group felt their spirits lift as they mustered the last ounce of strength they had to see their home. Some of the guards pushed Neo and the others forward urgently. A look of great relief spread across each of the gatling stallion's faces. Up the rough, rocky hill they went with the rest of the ponies and from up at the top they could see their captor's home.

From left to right, a massive twenty-five meter high concrete wall stretched off as far as the eye could see. Some minor sections of the wall were cracked along the top or chipped off by explosive weapons. Barbed wire was tied in loops all along the top of the wall, accompanied by empty watch towers that lined the top section the wall all the way down. From where everyone stood, it appeared as though the whole thing stretched into infinity.

However, there was something else that caught the group’s attention. A town was located near a gate along the wall. It was a small settlement comprised of two-story brick buildings, refurbished to house ponies, and metal shacks held together by sheets of metal bolted to an iron frame. Unlike every other settlement they had visited before, this one did not have a wall or a means to protect itself from outside attackers. The only thing keeping the small town from invasion was a shallow river -- no more than ten meters wide -- with only a single red wooden bridge to cross over it.

Lucy was slightly taken aback by the town. After all, she was in no way expecting the provincial border to be so rugged. "Well, it's a lot less magnificent than I had picture."

Scooter turned sharply to her, glaring just as viciously as he had before. "An' what did ya expect? A large cass-el in the middle a' nowhere?"

"Well," Lucy hummed, "yes. Yes I did."

Grunting in frustration, Scooter stomped onward without saying another word to her. "Let's move out!" He called to his group. "The sooner Ah get this here lot t' the boss, the sooner we get our rewards!"

The gatling stallions cheered, thinking not of the rewards they might receive, but of the food and drink they'd enjoy when they arrived. Pushing the group they captured along, everypony went down the hill toward the red bridge that crossed over the shallow river. Stepping closely to both Neo and Adam, Wester cautiously checked that the gatling ponies around him were properly distracted before turning his attention to the brothers.

"Listen," Wester whispered to them, "I have a plan to get us out of here, but it won't work unless all of us work together."

"What is it?" Adam asked.

"I'll relay it to you once we're under less surveillance," Wester said, keeping an inconspicuous posture.

Wester watched the the guards carefully while not turning his head towards the brothers as he spoke. "I'll go tell the others that I have a plan, once we have the right moment this should all be over."

A gatling pony near the three of them took a distracted glance at Wester’s general direction. Instantly, Wester straightened himself. "Remember. I have a plan. We'll get out of this. It’s my objective to see this promise through."

Both brothers did not reply, but nodded to confirm that they understood. Wester nodded back, and went after Lucy and Ally to inform them of his intentions. While the brothers saw Wester quietly and in the most secretive way he could, relay the idea he had formed in his mind; the whole gang of gatling ponies and their prisoners approached the old oak bridge that passed over the shallow running river.

Two large, green-armored stallions stood at their posts on both sides of the bridge. Their dark, bloodshot eyes following the group as they crossed. The loud, hollow sound of hooves clopping upon the warped wood of the bridged rattled as the mass of ponies crossed over.

The first posted stallion on the right smirked at the group, exposing his sharp blackened teeth. "Aye, Scooter, that's a fine catch you've got there!"

"Aye, very fine indeed," The second guard agreed. "You still lookin' for that promotion?"

Scooter smiled at them, blushing a faint red. "Hell ya, son. Well, ah do hope the boss likes this here lot ah caught. Ah've been workin' hard all month fer that sweet, sweet promotion."

"Don't get your hopes too high," Said the first guard, "you know how the boss feels about you, and your beggin' for promotions."

Nodding toward the guard, Scooter and his group walked off of the bridge, and into the main gravel coated street of the town. A giant orange road stop arrow, that once belonged to an old drive-in diner, read in dirt stained white letters, Jurkytown. Tall chain-link fences lined the outer perimeter of the settlement, with large roughly configured metal watchtowers made of old scrap metal welded together. Guards, bearing green Legion armor, stood attentively at their posts in the towers -- all of them keeping a watchful eye on the Wasteland through the lens of their sniper rifles.

Carts, trash cans and dumpsters were tossed over: Jurkytown was a true mess. Trash and litter scattered itself around the ground upon which the ponies walked. All around the group, burly ponies of nearly every race and gender looked disgusted at the mere sight of them. The tattered, and filthy ponies of Jurkytown occasionally threw a rock, or some other piece of garbage at the group Scooter captured. Usually, the harsh gesture was followed by a profane remark about how they looked, or a disgusting accusation involving the female members of their family.

As they continued onward; they passed a large concrete building, with barred windows and soldiers that patrolled along its concrete roof. Turning sharply towards the huge structure, Scooter trotted to the entrance that was guarded by two masked Legion soldiers standing on opposite sides of the blue battered entrance.

Halting his group right outside of the door, Scooter charmingly smiled at the stallions. "Gentlecolts!" He shouted to the guards. “May we see the boss? Ah have here in mah custody a couple of fine, strappin’ pickins' from the wastes."

"Heh," One of the guards chuckled through his mask. "Are you still hoping the boss is going to give you a promotion?"

Scooter stood silent for a moment, slightly puzzled by the guard's remark. "Well... Ya..."

Both guards looked at one another briefly, before bursting into hearty laughter. "What is this," The guard continued laughing, "the seventh time you've brought some ponies here? And you're still hoping the boss rewards you. That's rich!"

Frowning at them, he stomped his hoof on the dusty gravel ground furiously. "Ah will get t' promotion! An’ this time, ah can feel it!"

"Look here," Scooter said pointing a hoof at the group he capture, "jus' look at them. I's got mahself a freelancer, some stablers, an' a Coalition guardian. Along with a beaut-y-full mare, to boot! So you stop laughin' at me!"

The guards laughter faded. "Listen, Scooter, we like you. So we'll let you go in and see the boss." Said the first guard.

"But just know, you're not going to get that promotion with this lot." Said the second guard.

Glaring at the two guards with a contemptful stare, Scooter grunted and frowned. "Ya’ll jus' wait an' see! Come on, Whopper, get 'em inside so's the boss can see 'em."

Whopper pushed Ally and the others to move on. "Come on, let's go." He said, pushing them along.

"Boss, what about the rest of us?" Asked one of the gatling ponies.

Scooter paused, and looked at the stallion who addressed him. "Ya'll can jus' sit out here an' wait. Ah won't be long."

The two guards posted next to the old blue door to the concrete building opened the doors for Scooter, Whopper, and the ponies he had captured. A deep feeling of excitement bloomed inside Scooter as the group entered the building. Finally, the promotion he had wanted for so long might actually be within his grasp.

Lucy eyed Whopper angrily, gritting her teeth she hissed at him as he tried to push her along. "Don't you fuckin touch me!"

Despite his large size, Whopper backed off from the mare as she shot him the same, furious look. Behind them, the doors closed; leaving them in a narrow, dark hallway with only Scooter, and Whopper as the prisoner’s guards. On both sides of the group there were dozens of narrow hallways leading into old offices, and storage rooms. Along the walls, Adam could faintly see the faded letters of the building's name. Ironhoof Postal Storage.

Besides that single sign, there were no other clues that spoke of the building's past. This didn’t bother anyone too much, though. The only thing that mattered was what would become of them once they passed through the double doors at the end.

Wester found that this, of all times, might be the best moment to strike. To free them. But where would they go? Down the halls there were no exits, and the entrance would only greet them with nearly a dozen murderous gatling ponies. Patience, He thought. This was the key to escape. But, an odd feeling of nervous anticipation rolled in the further regions of his mind. The feeling was odd, as it was something he, of all ponies, hardly felt at all.

Pushing the two doors at the end of the hallway open, bright light filled the eyes of everypony. As they squinted and blinked, all of the ponies continued their march into the next room. Every image inside was slightly blurred and bright. But in mere moments, all of their vision returned, focusing into the crystal clear image of the room.

The room was a long storage room with a high ceiling. Pillars of old steel acted as support beams holding the roof overhead aloft. Large, black ceiling lamps hung from above, and a wide red carpet ran straight down the center of the room. Oddly, the room smelt of a sweet peaches, baked with cinnamon, and smothered in honey. The aroma alone sent Neo's senses ablaze, as the overly-sweet smell graced his nose.

Looking faintly pale, Lucy waved a hoof in front of her muzzle. "What is that awful smell?" She grunted nauseously.

No pony paid any mind to her comment as they continued on to the end of the room. Several grim-faced ponies stood behind the steel supports, staring at the group. A pony of every sex, race, and size was present in the hall; only the appearances of the pony’s hidden faces disturbed the group as they passed on by them. Each pony who stood at either side of the carpet had large, black shadows around the lower parts of their eyes. Red, pulsing veins showed brightly, like the red light of the new moon, in what would normally be the whites of their eyes.

All of these ponies were clothed in regal, puffed, blaring pink clothing. From head to hoof, the clothes covered their fur. For the males, their shirts, and leggings were tight. For females, their manes were styled fashionably. Some had their manes tied up in large curled buns, and some had their manes braided down their backs. Upon closer inspection, Adam found that each pony was wearing a tight metal collar that was attached to what looked like a small box-shaped device.

Images of hearts, teddy bears, and vibrant pink flowers were painted neatly across all of the walls. At the end of the hall was a few, short steps leading up to a small platform; where a huge black leather chair sat. At the chair's side, two large Legion armored ponies stood guard -- their faces straight with pure focused discipline. Another pony stood at the chair's side. This pony was a massive black stallion, with two powerful mechanical forelegs, dressed in a simple, clean tuxedo. The flag of the Legion -- the green flag with the crimson horseshoe and star -- hung at the back wall behind the dark, ominous chair that had its back turned to the group.

Scooter halted his advance, and bowed graciously to the chair. "Yer radiance." He purred sweetly.

Neo and the other's looked slightly confused at his statement. A small hoof protruded from the chair's side and gestured the dark, tuxedo dressed stallion to spin it around to face Scooter. Obeying the pony in the chair, the stallion slowly spun the chair to face Scooter. In the large, black chair sat a pony, whom the group had not expected. It was a small, pink filly, with eyes that sparkled like the waters of a clear sea. And a smile that not even the goddesses themselves could not match. Upon her large, curly golden-blond mane was a shimmering red ribbon tied neatly into a large bow.

She, like many Legion officers, wore the dark iron plated armor. However, the color was very different. Instead of the dark mundane, green that was standard for the Legion, her armor was a beautiful light shade of baby blue. A tiny red cape draped itself behind her back, and as she looked down upon Scooter her charming smile faded.

An awful look of disgust formed upon the filly's face as she addressed the ragged pony. A hint of disappointment could be heard in her tone. "Oh," She groaned, "it's you. I thought I smelled your awful odor when you came inside. Well, what is it? You must have brought me something if the guards let you in."

Scooter spoke to her subordinately, keeping his gaze away from her own fearing her wrath. "Ah'm sorry for the sudden arrival, yer radiance. But I was on patrol, ya see. An-"

She raised a hoof, silencing him. "Don't speak so much, I can't stand your voice. Skip to the point, and spare everypony's ears from having to hear your god awful voice."

Scooter chuckled nervously. "Ya see... Ah've brought these slaves for yer radiance. Ah found them in the wastes, an' ah thought they were a good catch."

Big Lot motioned her hoof for him to move to the side. "Let me see them." She commanded.

"Yes, certainly, yer radiance..." He nervously chucked, shuffling to the side.

The filly peered at the group for a moment. Putting a hoof to her chin she rubbed it gently as she hummed a lullaby to herself. She thought hard about the ponies Scooter had brought to her, and, with an energetic leap from her large chair, she trotted down to Wester.

Wester looked down at her as she stood in front of him. Was this Big lot? He thought. A filly? How could I... But, my objective is to kill- There was a stiffening realization that pulsed through his armor-plated body.

Her massive blue eyes sparkled tenderly up at him. "He's a big one..." She awed.

Big Lot tapped Wester's foreleg with her hoof, causing a faint metallic ting to echo softy. "Hmmm," she purred, "does the armor come off?"

Lucy was about to burst into a sudden deranged frenzy. At that moment, she felt as though not even the large guards at the end of the room could stop her from tearing them apart. But she tired to keep her temper low, regardless of how passionate her anger was.

"Ah... Ah," Scooter stammered unsurely. "Ah'm not sure, yer radiance..."

"I want it off. I want to see what he looks like!" The filly demanded sternly, stomping one of her hooves on the ground.

Deep and plainly, the neatly dressed stallion who stood stiffly by Big Lot's chair, spoke, "Ms. Lot, would you like me to remove it now?"

She tapped Wester's leg once more. "On second thought, I don't want to break the pony inside. Not yet, at least."

The stallion nodded to her, "Very well, Ms. Lot."

Big Lot elegantly trotted over to Lucy, who gave her a strong, heated glare of contempt. "Hmpf!" Big Lot grunted at Lucy.

"I don't like this one. She's too feisty, and mean!"

Scooter gulped, while beads of sweat ran profusely down his brow. "Ya.. Ya don't like her?"

Lucy snarled at the filly, "Don't you dare touch me, or any of them if you value your life."

Big Lot smiled devilishly at the furious pegasus. "You know, I might actually have some fun with you yet. I'll keep you too."

A radiant grin sprouted onto Scooter's face. "Ya like her?"

"Yes, yes, she'll do fine. A few days in the pit will fix that sassy attitude." Big Lot answered, moving uninterestingly past Ally. "That one I can find a use for."

She did the same to Adam, who sighed quietly to himself as he felt a wave of anxiety roll off of his shoulders. The horrid anxiety returned as the intimidating filly approached his older brother. The matter, unfortunately, was only made worse by the huge, intriguing stare she gave Neo.

As she scanned Neo, a massive, pleased grin spread itself across her face. Hopping in the air twice she clapped her tiny hooves together, giggling merrily. "This one! This one! I like this one!"

"Ya do?" Scooter asked, smiling hopefully.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Him!" Big Lot shouted as she bounced up and down pointing at Neo.

Neo felt horribly nervous. He had no clue what she wanted him for or what it was about him that she liked so much. What concerned him even more was that the pink dressed ponies in the room were crying. This made a greater, more firm feeling of dread burrow itself deep inside of his chest. Why hadn't Wester acted yet? Was he still waiting for the right moment?

Scooter stepped up to Big Lot, diverting his gaze, and rubbing the back of skinny neck restlessly. "So, yer radiance... Ah was hopin'..."

"You were hoping for what?" Big Lot asked turning to him, frowning slightly in disgust by his presence.

"Well, perhaps ah can get a promotion,” Scooter paused nervously, ”Ya know, seein' as this'n is a good find."

Big Lot burst into loud laughter, "You still want a promotion? Bwahahaha! This group wouldn't give you a promotion! What are you? Stupid?"

A great coldness came over Scooter as he stood there in front of Big Lot listening to her piercing laughter. All feelings of hopeful optimism were gone. And in its empty space filled sadness.

With a dumbfounded look, he stuttered, "Ah... Ah don't understand... Ah thought..."

"You thought what?" The little filly laughed. "That just because you brought a few nice looking slaves over to me I'd be swayed by your cheerful, stupid charm? Ha! That's rich, Scooter, even for you."

"But, ma'am, ah implore ya to reconsider-"

"No! I won't reconsider it, or must I remind you of how you managed to get your last promotion? Remember? I made you cut out that stupid eye of yours, and still even after that you want more!"

Scooter got low on his legs and pleaded desperately, "Please, yer radiance! Please! Ah work so hard for ya! Please, ah'll get some others, you'll see! Ah'll do it! Ah-"

"Shut up!" Big Lot interjected. "If you want to live and see the next day, leave. Now! I'm getting a migraine from having to listen to your awful voice."

Scooter's one eye was wide, and filled with heartbroken sadness. He stood silently for a moment and eventually nodded. A plain, shocked expressing plastered onto his face he replied to her. "All right, ma'am... Ah'll leave ma'am..." He muttered under his breath as he made his way to the door.

Big Lot snickered at the sad, grief-stricken stallion as he left. "As for the rest of these ponies..." Bit Lot announced, glancing at the group Scooter had brought to her.

"Dungeon! Two weeks! No trials! It will give me some time to think about what to do with them."

The guards next to the chair stepped down from their posts and pointed the end of their rifles at the group. "Get movin'!" One of the guards shouted.

Lucy growled, and sneered. "Go on! Hit me! See what happens, you large fucknuts!"

Beside Lucy, no other pony resisted the guards as they lead them out of Big Lot's hall. The filly merrily took her seat in the large chair and waved at her new prisoners.

"Make yourselves comfy! This is your new home now, and I can't wait to play!"

Lucy shouted a loud "Fuck you," in response. But the filly just snickered at her, and returned to sitting regally upon her large, leather chair. There was a great sense of uncertainty spread amongst the group. Wester had said he had a plan to escape, so why hadn’t he acted on it? There had been numerous times that he could have done something to free them, but he had remained inactive. While the group was being lead to the dungeon, one question rolled around in the everyone’s mind. How would Wester free them?

The loud clang of iron bars slamming shut echoed throughout a long, dark concrete dungeon. The iron bars made up a majority of the corridor walls, with prisoners sniveling, crying, or humming in the damp, behind them. Drops of water leaked from old rusted pipes along the top of the ceiling, dripping into small puddles of murky water that had gathered in the corners of the cells.

A guard dressed in a green, iron breastplate locked the cell Lucy, Wester, and Ally were in by using a red keycard. The same guard turned to a cell directly across from their own, and using a different keycard of a similar color he lock both brothers together inside. Lucy rammed into the strong iron bars fiercely. Slamming both of her hooves against them, she shouted madly at the guard while they trotted off down the hallway.

"Get back here! I'll tear your fucking faces off! Let us out! Now!"

There was little light in the damp, chilling cells. Only the dim, glimmering orange glow of a few old lamps upon the wall provided illumination. The flames danced and swayed as gentle drafts pushed them around. A stallion farther down the hallway loudly hissed back at Lucy.

"Oi, lady! Shut it! Some of us are trying to cope with our time here! And it isn't helping that you're shouting like a mad bitch!"

Lucy grunted, and went back further in her cell with a frown. She kicked a small pebble on the floor into one of the dirty water puddles. "This day has been fantastic. Real fan-fucking-tastic!"

Ally was sitting on an empty wooden crate against the wall, watching Lucy kick more tiny stones around. Wester was in a corner, looking down into one of the puddles of cell. His reflection looked back at him as he stared at it. Neo went up to the bars of his own cell, and leaned against them. Sticking his muzzle through the space between the bars.

Whispering to Wester, Neo said, "Hey, Wester? What's that plan of yours, again? It's just, I think now is a good time to go over it."

Adam sat next to his brother and nodded. "Yeah, what's the plan?"

Wester was quiet for a moment, and during his brief silence, he didn't move. He just sat idly, gazing into the water. "She's a filly..." Wester muttered.

"What?" Ally asked.

"She's a filly..." Wester repeated softly.

Lucy removed her fedora, and scratched her blond mane slightly puzzled by his answer, "A what?"

"I said she's a filly!" Wester repeated angrily.

"So?" Neo added. "I thought your plan was something large and awesome. Plus, you don't have to harm Big Lot, not as long as we get out of here okay."

Wester sighed, "My plan involved killing Big Lot... That was until I saw he was a she, and she was a filly..."

"We can still make it out of here, right? I've still got my foreleg blade, and we've got your strength." Neo added.

Wester paused a moment before responding, "I'm calculating the chance of our success..."

Neo sighed, and rested his haunches heavily onto the cold stone floor. "Take your time, I guess. It's your plan."

Ally hopped off of her box and looked at the leaking pipes above her. "Maybe we could do something with those pipes."

Adam looked at the pipes in his own cell, and, just like his friend's, they were the same, rust coated pipes leaking tiny glistening droplets onto the ground. "Yeah, maybe we could..."

"It won't work." A deeper stallion's voice called from a cell near the exit.

"And why's that?" Neo asked.

The tone of the stallion sounded tired and heavy. "Because it's been tried. The pipes, bribing, attacking the guards, it's all been done sometime or another."

"So you've already given up? Just like that?!" Neo shouted aggressively in response.

"Heh," The voice chortled, "I don't have to worry about an escape plan. I've got my place in line with M."

In each of the group's cells, everyone walked to the bars to clearly hear what the stallion had to say. "Who?" Lucy asked the stallion in the far off cell.

"M," The stallion said. "She's the one who get's ponies like us out of here. And I'm next in line."

A sudden strike of realization hit everypony. This M, whoever she may be, could be their chance to escape. Even if Wester's plan didn't work, this pony the stallion spoke of might help them.

"How do we get in line? Will she help us, too?" Lucy ask desperately.

"Next time she shows up, ask her. I'll give you fair warning, though, every bastard who's locked up in here wants to get out. So you might end up waiting a while."

Suddenly, a metallic click rang loudly from the end of the hall; sending every prisoner shuffling to their cell bars. Mares dressed in mud stained pink dresses, and stallions clad in pink suits stuck their muzzles through the spaces in their bars to see who was coming. A mix of despair and anxious excitement filled the air in the corridor, which created an energy of panic that everypony in the dungeon could feel.

"Who is it? Is it M? Please let it be M!" The ponies in the cells shouted as they tried desperately to see through the bars.

The pony at the end of the long hallway was an purple, older mare who was dressed in a long dusty robe with a sagging hood that covered her red and dimly glowing horn. A shadow, created by both her hood and the light behind her, covered her face. On her side, she levitated a brass lantern that had its handle encased in a red aura.

"It's M, everyone. It's M!" The ponies shouted in a frenzy.

M took a moldy broom that leaned against the thick iron exit, and walked over to the cell of the stallion who had objected to the group's plans of future escape. Unlike all the other ponies, the stallion did not make himself seen. He was resting in the corner of his cell and hidden by a blanket of shadows. M knelt down to the lock, activated it with her keycard, and pulled forth a small red glistening card from her cloak.

The stallion stood up, left the shadows, and shuffled tiredly into the light. "M!" The stallion cheered as he approached the bars dividing him from his rescuer.

Just as M had stared to move the keycard to the lock, she gasped and dropped the card, stepping back in shock. The pony she was trying to free was horribly mutilated. Fur was torn from his body, leaving bare, filthy skin exposed; cuts and bleeding lacerations covered most of his exposed flesh; and his yellow eyes were bloodied and darkened due to exhaustion.

The pink suit which he wore was torn, tattered, and caked with dried blood that also covered what was left of his white fur. Yet, despite his ghastly appearance, hope could be seen in his poor eyes.

M raised her hoof to her face as the stallion’s harsh stench assaulted her nose. "Wha-what happened to you?" she gasped, appalled.

"She put me in the pit, be-be-because," he stammered heavily as he remembered Big Lot’s absolute cruelty.

Tears developed in the corners of his yellow, blood-shot eyes. "Because I didn’t work hard enough for her..."

M reapproached the cell slowly, and placing a hoof on the bars of the cell, she looked at him with a warm tender glare. "Don't you worry. I'll get you out of here." She cooed to him in a hopeful, angelically soothing voice.

"Are we going now?" The stallion rasped as a few tiny tears trickled down his bloody cheeks.

"Yes," she cooed with a smile, "we are."

M picked up the card from the ground and slid it through the key slot on the lock. A faint ting sounded, followed by the opening of the cell door. From a saddlebag underneath her cloak, M pulled forth a dusty, ragged old linen cloak.

"Here," she said, "take this. It will hide your face and body from the guards as we head to the warden’s den. I saw one of the collar keys on the counter earlier. So if we move quickly, you can hide till later this evening."

The stallion took the cloak and smiled as he felt the warm, dry cloth touch his wet and exposed skin. "Thank you..." He whispered thankfully.

"There will be a time for thanks after you've left. Until then, we need to lay low and get that collar off of you. If you leave the compound..."

"Yes," The stallion said, feeling the tight iron collar around his neck. "I know."

"Can I be next?" whispered a voice a mare’s from one of the cells.

"Yes! Please, us next! We need to get out of here! Please, me next! Me next!" All of the voices begged M.

M walked away from the voices, and down the hallway, with the stallion at her side. Very quietly, and very sincerely she replied, "I know you all want to get out of here. But please, listen to me. You have to wait. Big Lot suspect that somepony in the area is freeing prisoners. I can't have her find out its me."

"But if we stay any longer we'll suffer! Please, take us with you! Please!" the ponies cried.

"Can you take us, too?" Neo called down to M clearly.

M paused for a moment, and looked curiously down the hallway to see where his voice had come from. The sobs of the desperate prisoners made it impossible for her to place Neo’s voice, so she quickly shouted, "Quiet, everyone, please!"

Sobs and cries of pure anguish could still be heard, but the pleading had stopped, as did the rest of the noise blocking the new voice from her ears. "Say that again?" M asked while leaning her head to find Neo.

Neo spoke out again, but with more uncertainty in his voice than he had before. "Uh... could you get us out of here, too?"

M located his cell and swiftly trotted down the hallway. When she arrived in front of Neo, M peered at him and spoke with a hint of confusion in her voice. "You're... new?"

Neo stuck his muzzle through the bars of his cell and nodded. "Me and my whole group just got here."

"Where is your group? How many of you are there?" M asked as she scanned Neo’s cell in search of his allies.

"The rest of us are over here." Lucy called out from the cell behind M.

M looked back at Lucy, but quickly returned her attention to Neo. Adam too now poked his small blue snout through the bars. "I'm his brother," Adam said, "and is there any way you could get us out? Preferably soon."

From where M stood in the hall what little light there was aided the shadow in protecting the upper part of her face. This made it hard to tell what she was thinking, or even if she was thinking at all. The only thing Neo, or Adam could use to detect any emotion from was her body movements, and yet even this was hard as the grimy cloak she wore masked a great deal of her physical movements.

"Everypony here wants to be free. Big Lot spends a lot of her time torturing and humiliating these ponies. I can't say when I can help, but I'll let you know if I can."

The hooded mare looked to the door of the dungeon for a moment, before saying, "I need to go before somepony notices I've left. Hold tight. Be strong. I'll return as soon as I can."

The mare did not give them even a moment to respond. Neo, and the rest of the group watched as she dashed off to meet the stallion she was rescuing. Opening the large iron door with gentle care, the stallion slipped through, followed shortly by herself. And just as softly, just as gently, M closed the door. There was a great sigh of sadness that sounded throughout the dungeon from the prisoners. With their rescuer gone, they returned to their torturous, silent existence.

Wester had been thinking while M was there. Perhaps there was a way he could save not only his group, but the whole of the dungeon too. That was, of course, a plan that would only work if the prisoners agreed to his idea.

Adam sat in his cell, pondering what Wester was thinking. Adam could see that, with the help of M and Wester, everyone in his group could escape. But then a troubling thought slithered into Adam’s mind. What about the other prisoners? From what he had seen of Big Lot’s cruelty, Adam knew that they couldn’t be left behind. But how could they escape? They had collars which prevented them from leaving the settlement. After considering his options, Adam realized that he needed to ask for more information regarding, well, anything.

"Uh, hello? Is anyone willing to talk for a bit?" Adam asked, his voice echoing faintly off of the rough concrete walls.

"What do you want?" a mare's voice replied from a cell further down the hall.

"I wanted to ask about M. That is, if you're willing to talk about her."

The mare sounded broken and sad. As though all hope from her had been whisked away by months of cruelty. "If you’re planning to get her to let you out, then you're a stupidly optimistic child. She wants to help all of us, but she only comes once a week. Most of the time, she doesn't even free any pony."

"That may be so, but at the very least I want to know more about her." Adam replied.

"Fine," the mare continued, "but it won't do you much good."

"Thank you." Adam courteously said to her. "I want to know is who she is. Why is her name M?"

"I don't know anything about her name, but what I do know is that she was a slaver that was turned into a slave. Not by Big Lot, but by some greasy slaver that betrayed her and used her for,” the mare paused briefly, “comfort."

"Is there anything else that you know about her? What's her role here?"

"I see her clean out rooms sometimes. She feeds the guards, too. Besides that, her life here is a mystery. To us, though, she's an angel. The only pony who even tries to help us."

Wester inserted himself into the conversation. "You said she comes by every week, correct?"

"Yes, but she usually just tries to find out who she's going to help next."

"How long would you say we have until she decides to do something with us?" Wester added.

"After seeing her take a special interest in you guys, she may have already decided. Why did she say something special to you, anyways?” Before anyone could answer that they didn’t know, the nameless mare asked another question that, this time, was laced with fear, “Did Big Lot single out anyone in your group?"

Neo answered, "She did to me. She started jumping around, said she liked me the most."

There was a pause as the mare sighed mournfully. "I'm... I'm so sorry for you."

Neo felt a cold fear that poured through his veins. "What does that mean? Am I going to die or something?"

"No," the voice said. "It means she's going to turn you into one of her toys. She’ll dress you up in those clothes she likes and play a game with you. While the games are always different, she's going to make you do horrible, horrible things. If you’re lucky, she might force you to beat another slave until his head is nothing but mush. But if she’s feeling bored, she might just shock, shoot, or cut you until she says otherwise. And if you think you can handle it, it doesn’t matter. When there are new favorites brought in, she'll kill you. We're all expendable here, just like toys..."

Falling down onto his haunches Neo stared at the ground, wide-eyed and shocked. "Wha-what? I-I..." He sputtered in disbelief.

"Then we need to get out of here soon. And we'll take all of you with us when we do." Adam said with determination in his voice.

"Is it possible to disable the locks? Or get the card to unlock each cell?" Wester asked.

They could hear the mare sigh. "Each of the locks has a special card that goes to each cell, and you wouldn't believe how hard it is to get them. I'm actually surprised M helps us in the time she does. I heard Big Lot keeps the cards under her bed. Sometimes, the keys are left out in the warden’s den in the compound. But besides some of the maintenance ponies, and a select few she chooses, no pony goes into her room or the warden’s den."

"Perhaps we could speak to M about it. Or maybe we could have one of you get a key card." Wester said.

"You can try anything you'd like. It won't work."

Adam felt, despite her comments, a sincere sense of determination. "We'll get out of here! I know we will! All of us!"

His assured conviction faded as the sound of the large iron door at the end of the hall opened. Followed by the frightening sound of heavily armored hooves marching thunderously down the hallway. "They're here," the ponies whispered, "they're going to take some of us away..."

There were two unicorn Legion guards approaching Adam and Neo's cell with a keycard at the ready. "You, whitey! Get out!" One of the guards commanded sternly.

"See..." The mare down the hall muttered, "you're next..."

One of the guards turned sharply to the mare. "Shut it, you! Or I'll come over there and shut you up myself!"

The other guard opened the brother’s cell, only to be met by Adams hoof forcefully hitting his head.

"Don't you touch him!" Adam screamed.

The guard had staggered back, but quickly recovered. "Why, you little bastard..." The guard bellowed rubbing the side of his head.

The second guard came into the cell, his rifle was readied. As Adam stood in front of his brother, teeth gritting and with his posture low to the ground as he prepared to strike, he said, "Don't come near him! Or I'll get you too!"

"Oh shut it, you little blue fuck!" The second guard barked, quickly hitting the side of Adam's head with the stock of his gun.

Adam yelped, and fell to the ground. Neo felt furious, and lunging at the guard he shouted. "Don't you fucking hurt him!"

Like Adam, the guard took the stock of his rifle and hit Neo firmly against the head as he had tried to jump at him. "You shut it, too!" The guard commanded. Neo fell the ground and now moaned in pain.

Letting the rifle hang at his side, the second guard motioned his head for the first to help him with Neo. "Come on, Big Lot wants this one ASAP. Let's drag him. It'll save us the trouble of having to push his sorry ass to her room."

"Right," The first guard replied.

They slung both of Neo's forelegs over their shoulders and drag him across the damp concrete floor. Adam’s vision was obscured by the severe pain that pounded on the side of his head, and all of his other senses were dazed. Ally, Lucy, and Wester beat against the bars of their cell as the guards dragged Neo off to his fate.

"You sad fucks! Open the cell right now, you bastards! Open it and fight me for him!" Lucy screamed.

Ally shouted equally as loud at the guards who were now halfway down the hall. "Let him go! Take me instead! Please, don't do this!"

Wester ran to the back of his cell and charged at the iron bars. With every charge, he put more and more effort into breaking the bars. But the more he tried, the more he realized that the bars would not break. After what seemed an eternity for everyone in the group, the guards finally reached the iron door at the end of the hallway.

As they left, the door closed and a loud, metallic bang coursed through the dungeon. The ringing sound faded throughout the hall, but all of Neo’s friends could still hear it. It was a sound that signalled the danger that everyone was in, and it was now an anchor for their need to escape. However, above all the other ponies, it was Adam who heard the ring the most clearly. He now knew that he, and every pony that was imprisoned, would escape from this terrible place.

Cool Blue and L'amour were having a very busy day. Inside his sound booth, Cool Blue sat in front of a black microphone and on a cushioned, velvet seat. With a pair of dark headphones perched on top of his head, Cool Blue read the neatly written lines that on the script that rested in front of him. Flipping one of the many pages before him, he did his best to sound enthusiastic while delivering the news.

"In other news, the settlement of Maneton has been fixing itself up. That's right, kids. According to our sources, they've got themselves fixed up real nice. And the good news doesn’t end there! The citizens of Maneton have decided to give the all-clear for traders to start comin' on in. If you're a caravanner in need of some extra cash, look no further. Maneton is once again open for business!"

Now, here’s one of my all-time favorite songs, Wonderful Wonderful by Johnny Manethis."

A charming beep rang softly in Cool Blue’s headset as two ponies, a stallion and a mare, entered his congested sound booth. A red light above the booth's exit read, "Music On" as the faint voice of Johnny Manethis sang in Cool Blue's headset.

Removing his head set, Cool Blue turned to meet the two ponies. "Was that too fast? Sometimes I move too fast when I finish an announcement."

The stallion dressed in a pinstripe shirt and vest shook his head, "Nah, you did good. Though, that was the last paper of the script right?"

Cool Blue and the two ponies stepped out of the sound booth and walked into the busy info room. "Yeah," Cool Blue replied downheartedly, "that was the last page. How soon can you get the next one out?"

"Real soon," the mare added. "We'll just play some longer songs to give us time."

"Good. I'm going to get L'amour. It's her turn next, right?"

"Yes, sir." The stallion said, trying to maneuver through the constant flow of ponies dashing about the room.

Nearing his living quarters on the other side of the info room, Cool Blue asked, "Do you know if anything big happened in the new script? You know, Legion sieges. Coalition strikes. That sort of stuff."

"I heard that the Legion has been shipping more materials from the Quantum mines. But besides that, I'm not sure what's going to be mentioned in the new script." The pinstriped stallion answered.

Arriving at his door, Cool Blue put a hoof upon the door handle and sighed. "It's not really important, I guess. It's just, out of the few shorter scripts we go through, I usually don't get to hear the news L'amour reads."

"We know, sir." Said the stallion.

"It really is dispiriting, sir," the mare next to the pinstriped stallion chimed in.

Opening the door so that it was partially ajar, Cool Blue looked at the two ponies behind him. "Anyways, I should go get her. Remember to come get me if something pops up and she's on the air."

The stallion nodded. "Right, sir."

"We'll be sure to do so, sir." The mare finished.

Both ponies parted ways and went back to finishing their pre-ordained tasks in the info room. Cool Blue shut the door, muffling the sounds of his workplace. Cool Blue’s room was dark, with a lamp next to the large, turned back, and luxurious couch being the sole provider of illumination. A heavy cloud of smoke hovered above the room, and the light that was caught in it created a golden halo.

On the couch, Cool Blue could see his wife's head, while a stream of clicking and clacking emanated from her direction. Occasionally, the sounds would stop, only to be followed by a loud cha-ching. She was writing, and it had seemed as though she was unaware of his presence. Cool Blue seized the opportunity, and crept carefully over to the couch.

He tread lightly, making little to no noise as he advanced onto her position. A large, devilish smirk found its way across his face while he prowled behind the couch. He could already imagine the surprise on her face. ’Oh, it's just my luck! She won't know what's coming!’ He thought with foalish glee.

Now standing on his hind legs, Cool Blue slowly looked over the top of the couch. L’amour was indeed typing, and swiftly too. A pile of typed paper was stacked next to her old typewriter, and an ashtray filled to the brim with cigarette buds and smoldering ash was precariously close to the papers.

Cool Blue’s smile grew as his hooves moved closer to L’amour’s neck. With a single poke he would do it, he’d even throw an outrageous scream just to make sure he surprised her. Getting ready to strike, the anxiousness inside him grew.

’I gotcha'...’ He thought fiendishly.

"Hey, honey buns." L'amour said, continuing to type.

Instantly, Cool Blue’s excitement left him; he knew there was no point to a prank if, for whatever reason, his wife already knew he was there. His smile dropped and he rested his head on his hoof. "How did you know I was-"

L’amour cut him off. "The door."

"Hmpf." He grunted, moving around the couch and over to her side.

Heavily, Cool Blue slumped onto the soft leather of the couch. After relaxing for a few seconds, he looked down at his wife’s typewriter. "Is that some of the new script? Or is it something else you're working on?"

L'amour typed the last few characters onto her paper. Removing the paper from the machine, she placed it on top of the other papers. Using her magic to lift the stack up, she tapped them against the table's flat surface, straightening out the thick pile.

"Well," she hummed, resting the papers down on the table now neatly straightened, "that page I just finished was for this evening's announcements. We'll be going over the freelancer movements, recruitment ads, and some new caravan paths."

Cool Blue was shocked by her response. "Those few things make up that huge stack?"

She looked to the stack of papers, and shook her head. "No, no. We've got a whole lot more to talk about in those. Some of the stuff is just announcements from merc-groups, or towns."

"I see," Cool Blue cooed, a playful grin spread across his face, "well I got some news for you..."

L’amour’s eyes tracked her husband’s hoof as it crossed the soft leather cushions. He closed his eyes and moved his muzzle close to her lips for a kiss, but his advances were stopped as her hoof pressed against his chest.

She smiled at him, gently pushing him back to a decent distance. "Let me guess, it's my turn, huh?"

“How did you guess, my sugar dumpling?" He giggled.

Raising a single eyebrow at him, L’amour said, "Why else would you be here at this hour? Surely not to try and kiss me all day."

He playfully nudged her side with his hoof. "You're no fun. Besides, the next few songs won't be done for another ten minutes. We've got time."

"We wouldn't want to take that risk, would we?" she asked.

The mischievous stallion's smile returned. "I don't know. Would you?"

L’amour smiled as she saw a twinkle in her husband’s eyes. She leaned next to his ear, and said, "I guess we can spend a few minutes..."

Within moments, their lips were close to one another's. Before they could kiss, however, a hoof beat furiously upon their door. Both ponies flattened their ears in annoyance.

"Great. Right when things were getting good." Cool Blue sighed.

As the thunderous knocking persisted, a voice called out to them. While the pony's voice was muffled, and softer the words he spoke still held a fair amount of clarity. A desperate sense of urgency could be heard in his tone as he spoke, "L'amour! Cool Blue! Hurry! I have some information that I think you two would want to see!"

"Don't worry, hun. I'll get it." L'amour said as she hopped from the couch and trotted to the door.

Opening it, she caught the pony standing frozen looking back at her with his hoof raised in the air ready to knock once again upon their door. Like most of the other ponies that worked in the upper floor, he too was dressed in a clean pinstripe vest. As he fumbled to straighten out the emerald buttons on his vest, sweat profusely trickled down the stallion’s yellow coat.

"Ma'am..." he choked timidly.

"Yes?" L'amour asked, leaning against the wooden doorframe.

The poor stallion was completely overcome with stress and worry. "O-our freelancer outside of the northern outskirts of Silvermane City reported that o-one of our guardians found a pack of rabid hellhounds twenty miles away from Ironstead."

L'amour cocked her head to the side slightly and looked at him curiously. "So? We'll just include them in the announcements, and tell ponies to stay clear of that section of Silvermane City."

"I know, ma'am. But..." The stallion stuttered.

"But what?" she asked.

"You asked for some of us to keep an ear open for information regarding those ponies that came through the other day, and, well, aren't the outskirts near the northern border?"

"Yes, but I hardly see how that-" Like a flash of lightning, a sudden realization hit L’amour.

L'amour's eyes widened, and panic welled inside her chest. "The kids..."

"Y-yes. That's what I wanted to tell you, ma'am."

L’amour now addressed the pony with urgency in her voice. "How many were there?"

"Uh-uh..." The stallion struggled to remember the exact amount.

"Damn it, how many?!" She grabbed the him by his ears, causing the already nervous stallion to flinch fearfully.

"Thirty!" he screamed.

L'amour released the stallion and pulled herself back. Quickly, she calculated the odds of Neo and Adam's survival. No matter how she looked at it, their outcome was grim. Now groveling, the stallion flattened his ears and looked up at her apprehensively.

"M-ma'am, did I offend you?" he asked softly.

Cool Blue opened the door; rubbing his eyes as he stepped out of the dark room. "What’s going on, babe? What's with all the yelling?"

She ignored the pony in front of her and directed her attention to her husband. "We have to help them," she whispered distantly, still trying to fathom the news she had just received.

Cool Blue raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

She pointed at the pinstriped stallion, and shouted, "You!"

"M-me?" The stallion replied with a cringe.

"Yes! I want you to go to the script writers. Tell them to put this info in between every song that comes on for the next few days!"

Cool Blue scratched his brown, fluffy mane. "What the actual hell are you talking about?"

L'amour spun back to her husband, and leaned closely to him. Just to where he could feel her heavy, stressed breath blow gently against his fur. "It's the kids! Her kids! They might be in danger!"

Cool Blue pushed her back, and raised a hoof to her. In a calming tone, he tried to talk to her. "Whoa there! Slow down for a second. What's the problem?"

"It's her kids," she huffed, "they are in danger. There are hellhounds gathered outside of the northern outskirts of Silvermane City. If we don't do something, they might run straight into them!"

Cool Blue's eyes widened, panic filled his mind. "T-then we'll have to broadcast the message for days, they have to hear it if we keep playing it again and again, right?"

"Right." She nodded in agreement.

Both of the DJ ponies looked at the pinstriped stallion who had brought them the news. "Go!" L'amour told him urgently. "Tell them to put that in the script. If they don't, I'll add it myself!"

The stallion gave them a weak salute, and dashed off to the script writers. L'amour sighed, trying her best to relieve the horrible stress that infested every muscle in her body. With the use of her hoof, she messaged tiny circles around the side of her head. "I don't know if we should finish what we started, hun. With this suddenly popping up, life here just got a whole lot more-"

She stopped speaking as soon as Cool Blue gently placed one of his hooves over her lips. "It's okay. We've got time. Go get ready for the next announcements. The kids are depending on us."

She gave him a faint smile. "You're right. Just remember these pieces of information when you go on air. Thirty diamond dogs. North Silvermane outskirts. Stay away. Can you remember that until they get it in the script?"

"Babe," he chuckled, "there ain't no way, no how that I'll forget it."

She hugged him warmly as she felt a great burden lift from her shoulders. "Thank you, hun..."

Cool Blue put a hoof around L’amour, and spoke sweetly to her. "It ain't nothin, sugar cakes."

A unicorn mare, accompanied by a large stack of floating papers, came out of the recording room and shouted to gain L'amour’s attention.

"L'amour! You're on in ten!"

"Coming!" L’amour shouted back.

Turning her gaze back to her husband, L'amour kissed Cool Blue on the cheek, and batted her eyes at him. "Remember, honey. Thirty hellhounds. North Silverma-"

"Silvermane outskirts. I know, babe." Cool Blue finished the sentence with a smile.

L’amour left without a word. There was nothing more she needed to say. Not a word. Both she and her husband knew that for the next few days they would have to broadcast their message nonstop in the hope that Neo and Adam would hear it in time. Cool Blue and L'amour were, without a doubt, going to have a very busy week.

Distant, deep voices bellowed, that echoed unevenly in Neo’s ears. Who were they? Neo wondered. There was no feeling in him. Only these few, haunting noises teasing the only sense that seemed to work. He could not see a thing, nor smell or taste the air around him. Just the sound. As moments passed, the muffled sounds became voices. The voices were unclear at first, but they gradually gained tone and clarity. The more he listened the more the voice became deep and masculine. Based on their pitch Neo could safely assume that they belonged to the guards that had fetched him.

Then the questions started rolling in Neo’s mind. Where was he? Did his brother get hurt in the cells? Neo had many more questions, but he quickly realized that he didn’t have a single answer. Instead, all he could do was hear what the guard’s voices had to say.

"You hit him too hard." One of the guards argued.

"What did you expect me to do? Let him hit me with that metal limb he's got?" The other guard countered.

"Well, no. Not exactly. But you could have kept him conscious."

"Does it even matter? You said it would be easier this way. Besides, he'll get to Big Lot. One way or another."

"You sure about that? You sure Big Lot won't get mad about this? She said she liked this one."

"Nah, she'll be fine with it. Besides, we'll just drop him off in her room. She's still in the hall, so she shouldn't even be there when we get there."

"But what if she is there, though?"

"Shut up! I'm already on edge about knocking him out, so I don't need you breathing down my neck about it!"

"Fine. Have it your way. I'm just saying..."

Another sound, the sound of something being dragged, interrupted the voices. Then a faint horizontal glimmer appeared before Neo. Light? he thought. Was his vision finally returning? The little line of light, his only source of light in the whole world, grew. Neo was, fortunately, correct. His vision was returning.

With his sense returned, pain spread itself in his head and hind legs. And the dragging sound fit perfectly with the pain in his legs. Yes, he was being dragged. Like some dead animal that was being taken to the butcher. As hard as he tried, he could not move. And even though his vision was returning, it was still obscured by a thick blurry haze.

Neo peered as carefully as he could to see the surrounding area. He was outside. Chain-link fences were on both sides of him, and above his head was a chain-link ceiling. The ground upon which his legs were dragged was dirt. Dry, powdered dirt, infested with sharp and tiny rocks that dug into his skin.

Neo heard a stallion scream. The stallion, who sounded no older than him, was desperately crying for mercy. "Please, not the Pitt! I'll make sure the dolls are sitting up straight this time! All of them, I swear! Just please don't send me in there!"

From the corner of his eye Neo saw a blurred figure; clad in pink and surrounded by what looked like armored Legion soldiers. "Shut it!" a soldier shouted.

There was a large circular hole right behind the pink stallion. One of the blurred soldiers pointed a rifle or a spear, Neo could not tell, at the stallion. "Go in! Now!"

"Damn, that's the third one this month,” one of the soldier's carrying Neo whispered.

"I know. Sucks to be him." The other replied with a feigned tone of indifference.

Before the pink stallion went into the pit, Neo was dragged past a dark wall. However, he could still hear the stallion’s dreadful howl of fear as he went into the Pitt. Neo was dreadfully curious as to what evils could possibly be in the Pitt to make a pony so terrified of it. He wanted to think of more questions, he wanted to ponder the possible answers, but Neo was growing tired. His will to ponder questions like this, and to even see the world around him, began to diminish.

"Great," one of the guards sighed in relief.

"Tell me about it. This bastard is heavy."

The sound of hooves tapping against a solid surface let Neo know they had finally arrived at the entrance of a building. "There's her room,” one of the guards said hesitantly. “let's hope she's not there."

"You hope she's not there. I'm not taking the blame for something you did. I'm not ending up in the Pitt like pinky back there."

"And you call yourself a soldier."

"Hey, I'm just looking out for my own well being."

A heavy, metallic noise that was followed by the groaning of metal sounded in Neo’s ears. Could it be a door that was opening? Was it Big Lot's door? The damaged entrance of Stable 142 didn't sound nearly as loud. Just what did she need a door so large and heavy for?

The guard’s hoof-steps were muffled now as they stepped on a soft floor. Against his legs, Neo could feel a silky, smooth texture brush tenderly against him. The pain of the tiny stones biting into his skin no longer tormented him.

He was then placed onto something soft. A mattress or a pillow, perhaps. Whatever it was, it felt much better than being dragged by the guards.

One of the guards bid Neo farewell. "Enjoy your time with her!"

"Or not." The other guard chuckled. “Doesn’t matter to us.”

Their hoofsteps became distant as they left him to his fate. By the two goddesses in the heavens above, Neo prayed for his strength to return. When his strength failed, Neo then started praying for just a glimpse at his new surroundings. If he could see, maybe he could find a way to escape. Eventually, time would grant him both strength and sight. But it was time that bothered him. In his current state, time seemed to pass by so quickly, or did it move slowly? It was impossible to tell.

A few light hoof-steps approached him. The hoof-steps stopped next to him, and a familiar filly’s voice said, "Wake him up."

Ice cold water splashed onto Neo. Instantly, his senses burst back to life. Neo's eyelids shot open, allowing the room’s bright, blinding light to fill his gaze. As his eyes adjusted, he could see two figures come into focus. It was Big Lot, smirking down at him from atop a black, tuxedo clad stallion that held an empty bucket in his mouth.

Big Lot jumped off of the stallion’s back she sweetly gave him an order. "That will do, Minion. Be a dear and put the bucket away."

Bowing to the filly, the stallion, evidently named Minion, agreed with a low, rough, and loyal voice, "Yes, Ms. Lot."

The filly turned her large eyes to Neo, "Have a nice nap did we?"

Neo coughed and tried to stand. "You could hardly call it a nap..."

His legs quaked as he tried to ignore the biting cold water that now made his clothes stick to his coat.

"You're silly. I'm going to have lots of fun with you." Big Lot giggled.

Neo now noticed the room he was in for the first time. It was infested with pink. The pink was occasionally offset with different colors such as white stripes on the wall paper; or the crude, red drawings of ponies bowing to what looked like a princess that were drawn at the bottom of the walls. As for the furniture, there were massive, cloud shaped pillows stacked in huge piles across the room. The only real seats were were four chairs that were located at a small, circular blue table; two of the seats had large teddy bears sitting in them. The oddest, and by far the most unsettling thing, was the gigantic red, heart-shaped bed at the end of the room.

The whole room made Neo sick.

"Do you like it?" Big Lot asked as she watched Neo look around her room.

"It..." Neo murmured unsurely.

"Leave's you kinda speechless.” A smug grin formed on the filly’s face. “Don't it?"

She let Neo inspect her room for a few more moments, but it was not long before her patience ran thin. "Why don't we sit down. You must have questions, right?"

"Yeah..." Neo said, still staring at her room.

"Good, we'll discuss it over tea. Come! I will introduce you to my guests." Big Lot announced before running to the table with the teddy bears.

Neo found it difficult to walk. His legs were still in pain from being dragged across the unforgiving ground of the Wasteland. Staggering to the table, he noticed the entrance to Big Lot’s room. As he had guessed, the door was made of thick steel. It was bolted tightly to huge iron hinges, which made it impossible for him to escape in his condition.

Taking her set at the tiny table, Big Lot motioned for Neo to sit on one of the chairs. "Sit. Before the tea gets cold."

Neo blinked at the chair. Big Lot fit in her's perfectly, but a full grown stallion like him trying to sit in such a petite chair would be difficult. However, he tried anyway. His flank barely fit in the tiny seat, but after a few seconds of struggling, he finally adjusted.

"I'm sorry about not having any live guests right now. They looked so sad today in the hall, so I sent them to the dungeon. Hopefully no food for a few days will make them more happy next time they see me."

Neo looked at Big Lot with disgust. "Why would you treat them like that?"

"Like what?" She asked, giving Neo a massive grin that reached from ear to ear.

"Like animals. Why?"

The massive steel door opened, and the stallion that Big Lot called Minion entered. With one hoof, he effortlessly closed the massive door. "Oh," Big Lot cooed. "Minion is back. And he put that bucket away, too! He is such a good boy."

Neo hesitated to say anything to Big Lot. Clearly, there was something wrong with her, and even the smallest mistake could be his undoing.

"Ah!" Big Lot gasped, putting both of her fore hooves to her cheeks. "Where are my manners? The tea! I almost forgot about the tea!"

Big Lot pulled an empty, cracked, porcelain teapot from under the table and pretended to pour tea into a tiny cup that waited in front of Neo. After she finished pouring the non-existent tea into Neo’s cup, she began pretending to fill her own cup.

"Let’s start with names. My name is Big Lot. But you will call me Master from now on."

"Okay. My name is-"

Big Lot slammed a hoof onto the table. “Your name is Sir Bartleby Von Cuddle Pants now."

Forgetting who he was dealing with, Neo spoke out of turn. "But, my name is-"

"NO!" Big Lot screamed. "Your name is Sir Bartleby Von Cuddle Pants!"

Neo reeled back in shock at her sudden outburst of rage. But just as quickly as it had arrived, the rage in Big Lot had seemingly disappeared. "Now," she said calmly, "the next thing we'll need to do is get you some new clothes. And -- for safety, of course -- a slave collar. Just in case you ever think of some nasty-wasty ideas like quitting."

She looked over to the stallion standing at the door. "Minion! Do we have any more collars and suits for Sir Bartleby Von Cuddle Pants?"

"No, Ms. Lot," the stallion answered.

"Aww. Wait a minute!” An idea sprang into Big Lot’s mind. “Go find some of my older toys and break them! Take their collars and clothes for my new plaything."

"Very well, Ms. Lot." The stallion replied, standing stiffly.

Big Lot sipped her tea. "I love Minion. He's been so nice since I broke him. He was a mecher, you know? One of the best. I heard of another pony like him. I think that pony was called Iron Fist. If only I had a pony like him. Now that would be a real prize."

At the mention of a pony being a prize, Neo couldn't take any more of Big Lot’s blatant disregard for life. "Listen, ponies aren't prizes you can keep like toys is some game. They're real-"

She shushed him. Raising a hoof to her ear, Big Lot leaned in close. "Excuse me, Mr. Cuddle Pants, I couldn't hear you. It sounded like you told me to listen. You couldn’t have said that, though. I mean, can you imagine what would happen if you said that? What games I would want to play because of that?"

Neo fearfully noticed Big Lot’s left eye twitch. Before she could continue making Neo regret his decision to speak, a knock came from the door. Minion opened it and a Legion soldier ran in. Plates and teacups flew as Big Lot furiously slammed her hooves on the table. “What is it?! If you didn’t notice, I am trying to have tea!"

The soldier took a few steps back. "I'm-I'm sorry, ma'am. Did I come at a bad time?"

Big Lot was panting heavily. Fury burned in her eyes. "Speak! Now!"

The soldier cleared his throat and mustered all the courage he had to address her. "Ma'am, it's one of your personal ponies. He tried escaping. We caught him, of course, but we figured you would want to see him."

"Oh!" Big Lot exclaimed, the rage subsiding. "Why didn’t you say so? Is he with you?"

The soldier nodded. "He’s in the hallway, ma'am. We’re just waiting for you to tell us what to do with him."

"Okey-dokey, Loki." Big Lot answered cheerfully before leaving the table. "I'm sorry, Mr. Cuddle Pants. Master is gonna to break one of her bad, bad toys for a little bit. You wait right here."

Big Lot skipped to Minion. "Minion," she said, "watch Mr. Cuddle Pants while I’m gone."

Keeping a mundane expression, Minion answered, "Yes, Ms. Lot."

"Good," Big Lot said merrily, patting one of Minion’s metal forelegs gently.

As she went into the hallway, Neo was left alone with Minion. Going through the door is out of the question. Neo thought as he studied Minion. His eyes moved all over the room. From the bright pink walls, to the piles of fluffy cloud-shaped pillows that littered her room and all the way to her bed at the end of the room.

Appalling cries of pain and sadness erupted from the hallway. Followed shortly by the sound of flesh being beaten by something metallic. Neo could even hear Big Lot's screams clearly from her room as she punished the pony outside.

"You BAD, BAD PONY! You thought you could escape? Huh? YOU! You can’t escape! Not when you're nothing! NOTHING!"

Neo felt a wave of fear course down his spine. He now knew for certain that he couldn’t let his friends fall victim to Big Lot. He needed to get them out of this horrible place, by any means necessary. Neo scanned the room for anything useful to aid in his escape. Eventually, something odd caught his eye.

Minion was curiously peeking into the hall to witness what Big Lot would do next. As the punishment was being carried out further, the stallion's interest grew more and more. His brief glances had now become a stare at the chilling scene.

Big Lot’s screams were louder than thunder. "This behavior is unacceptable! UNACCEPTABLE!"

"Please, stop! Please!" The voice of the tortured soul pleaded desperately."I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Finally, Minion’s attention was completely focused on the pony outside. Now was the time to act. To try and escape, or, at the very least, find a way to make any escape attempt easier. Neo thought hard about what he needed to do. Looking around the room frantically, he searched the deepest parts of his memories for a clue, a hint, an idea that could help him. Then, like a powerful wave crashing against the sharp rocks of the ocean shore, it came to him. The mare in the dungeon had mentioned the bed.

Treading lightly to the bed, Neo tried his very best not to draw attention to himself. Once he the heart-shaped bed, he lowered himself, lifted the draped red sheets that hung over the space underneath the bed, and looked for something that might help. He saw a box. A nice, small cardboard box painted with silver glitter, covered with vibrant red hearts, and surrounded by a bundle of old stuffed bears.

Neo reached out to grab the box, but stopped himself when he almost touched one of the bears. For all he knew, the bear could have been enchanted to make a sound if it was touched. Yet, that box could be the key out of the mess he was in. Quickly glancing over the top of the bed, Neo checked to see if Minion was still distracted. Just like before, Minion's eyes were locked on the happenings outside of the room. Minion, despite his rough exterior, would occasionally flinch at some of the harder, more brutal hits Big Lot inflicted upon the stallion.

Neo returned to the box under the bed, and reached for it. He fully extended his hoof, but the box was too far. Sighing, he pulled back his foreleg and tried something else. Neo activated his levitation attachment and the box began to move. Neo bit his lower lip, feeling a nervous sweat build upon his brow as he tried to move the box as silently as he could. The box popped out from the pile of plush toys it was buried in.

The box hovered to Neo, and he gently rested it in front of him. Neo inspected the box for any traps, but it had no visible locks or alarms. He removed the top, and looked inside.

Most of what was in the box was junk. Old photographs, marbles, rusted toy cars, and other useless items. There were, however, three small items which stood out from the rest: three round pieces of metal. All identical, with notches all along the sides. He wasn't sure what they were, or if they were even worth taking. But his thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as he heard the terrifying sound of a filly’s voice.

"You know," Big Lot panted heavily as she finished the beating, "I think you've had enough. Take him to the Pitt. After a few days there, he'll learn some manners."

Neo needed to decide now. Take them or leave them. Should he risk his safety by stealing from Big Lot, or should he take his chances with the mysterious objects. The weight of the situation made his heart race and the sweat run profusely down the sides of his face. Taking a deep breath, he decided. Picking up two of the small round objects, he closed the box and put it back under the bed.

The faint pitter patter of Big Lot's tiny hooves emanated throughout the room. Neo stepped lightly back to the table, before placing the objects inside his duster pocket. Sitting down at the table, he straightened himself out, and brought on the most calm expression he could.

Big Lot entered the room, her mane was wild. She puffed tiredly as she walked back to the table. Neo noticed that every step Big Lot took was exhausted and slow. "Thank you, Minion, for holding the door for me. And for watching Mr. Cuddle Pants."

"You're welcome, Ms. Lot." Minion replied, shutting the massive metal door.

Big Lot took her seat at the table and sighed with relief. Using one of her hooves, Big Lot brushed aside her chaotic mane. "I do apologize, Mr. Cuddle Pants. Sometimes, there are ponies that need to be punished. Take note of that while you stay here."

"I-I'll try." Neo said with a great deal of anxiety.

"Now, where were we?" Big Lot asked, still fixing her mane.

"Questions, I think."

"Oh, good. Make them quick, though. That little incident took the energy out of me and the only cure is a good nap."

"Ah," Neo murmured. He wasn't sure what to say now, so all he could do was stutter weakly. "Uh... Well... I..."

"Well?" Big Lot asked impatiently. "Ask something! I don't have all day."

Neo quickly thought of a question. A question he had been wondering about since he had first seen the powerful filly. "How is it that you became the leader- I mean princess, of all of this?"

She smiled at him mischievously, resting her hooves down on the table-top. "Somepony's a little curious about his new master. Very well, I'll let you know. Just because I find you so cute."

Neo felt disgusted at having Big Lot call him cute. "You see," Big Lot began, "I'm Vladimir's favorite little filly. My uncle, Cyrus, put in a good word for me when the old ruler of the border got killed by a... certain stuffed bear he cuddled too much."

She giggled as she remembered when her uncle had died. "That was a few years ago, but Vladimir said I was just like my uncle and that I was a good leader. So he made me the princess of this place for all of forever."

Neo wondered if Big Lot honestly didn’t care about her uncle’s death. Although, judging from her glee and explicit acts of sadism, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she actually felt happy when her uncle died. "Can I ask another question?"

Big Lot yawned, stretching out her forelegs, "No. I don't think you can. Minion! I'm tired. Take Mr. Cuddle Pants back to the dungeon. And remember to tell the guards to get him and his friends clothes and collars."

Minion approached Neo, and with every step he took, his massive, powerful forelegs hissed and clanked. "Oh," Big Lot added, "make Mr. Cuddle Pants take a nap, too. Just so it's easier to get him home."

Quickly turning to Big Lot, Neo asked, "What?!"

Minion’s monstrous hoof slammed onto Neo’s head. Neo’s limbs went numb and he fell to the floor, darkness slowly taking his vision away. Big Lot walked over and looked down at him.

Smiling, she waved a hoof. "Bye, bye, Mr. Cuddle Pants. Don't worry, we'll see each other soon enough. I promise."

The darkness took away all of Neo's senses and he finally slipped into unconsciousness.

The sound of droplets of water falling into the cold, murky puddles inside of the cells was the only sound the dungeon. It was cold and dark, with nothing to warm the shivering prisoners but the clothes on their backs. Lucy sat on a wooden crate inside her cell, watching the water drip from the pipes. Wester leaned against the freezing iron bars of their cell, deep in thought. Ally, thought, was the only one actively searching for a way to escape. She trotted everywhere, examining the tiniest of details in everything. She would poke the tiny cracks in the walls, or stand on a box and tap the pipes.

Adam was in his own confined cell. Alone. Pacing back and forth, Adam wondered what he would do to escape Big Lot's town.

Lucy turned to Ally, who was still inspecting looking for weaknesses in the cell. "You know that's not going to do anything, right?"

Ally took a pause from her search. "What won't work?"

"Trying to escape by poking at cracks and puddles. You're just wasting your time." Lucy answered.

Frowning, Ally returned to observing the cell. "You're just grouchy because you can't think of anything better."

"No," Lucy replied, "I'm just a little confused. Just think about it for a moment. If dozens of ponies have been in here and none of them have escaped without M's help, how are you going to do it? Especially if you’re just poking things."

Ally sighed. "You’ll never know the structural weaknesses of a building until you search for it. Who knows, this place is pretty old, and it sounds like the building isn't settling well."

"Fine, go on. I'm just saying it's not going to get you anywhere." Lucy replied, returning to the falling droplets.

Fear festered inside of Adam. The only thing he wanted at that moment was to tear down the cell door and storm Big Lot’s room to find his brother. But he knew he couldn’t. He knew he was powerless and it hurt. To make up for it, thought, Adam kept trying to think of a plan.

Stopping his rhythmic pacing for a moment, Adam turned his attention to Wester. At the edge of his cell, Adam stuck his muzzle between the iron bars and whispered, "Hey, Wester."

Wester turned his crimson visor towards Adam. "Yes?"

"I've been thinking about ways to escape, but they all involve M helping us. Do you have anything?"

"Negative," Wester responded, "I've been pondering various routes of escape. None have a very high chance of success. All of the more favorable options require the aid of M."

Adam sighed, discouraged. "Great. Then our only option is to wait, I guess..."

Lucy hopped down from her box, and joined the conversation. "You holding out okay, Adam?"

Adam looked at the ground in shame. "I'm just scared. I’m scared for my brother, I’m scared for you guys, and I'm scared about what that psycho filly might do to us."

"Hey, it's alright to be scared, Adam." Lucy reassured him. "It means you care."

The deafening sound of screeching metal sounded as the door to the dungeon opened. The stallion who stood in the doorway was large, and dressed in a neat, clean black suit. Upon his back, laying limp and still, was Neo. Minion, a keycard firmly held between his jaws, trotted over to Adam's cell. Adam felt a sense of uplifting joy build and swell inside him. But as Minion came closer, the sight of his unconscious brother created a harrowing dread that washed away his joy.

"Brother! Brother, are you okay? Answer me!" Adam shouted urgently.

The rest of the group gathered to see Neo. Ally gasped and placed a hoof over her mouth while Lucy and Wester slammed their hooves vigorously against the bars, spitting out vicious threats at Minion.

Lucy growled, "What the hell did you do to him!? Answer me! I'll fucking kill you if you did anything to him!"

Wester was even angrier than Lucy was. "Let me out of here if you value your life! I won't stop hunting you if he is dead and there is no place where you could hide from my wrath. Celestia spare your soul if he's harmed, because I won't when I'm out of here!"

"Quiet! All of you!" Minion shouted with the card in his teeth, approaching Adam's cell.

Swiping the keycard into the locking mechanism, the lock clicked open. Pulling the cell door open, Minion let Neo roll off his back. Catching him with one of his large, mechanical forelegs, Minion tossed Neo into the cell.

"Mr. Cuddle Pants is just unconscious. Though, I'm sure Ms. Lot has much planned for him." Minion said as he put the keycard in his pocket.

Slamming the cell door shut, Minion walked out of the dungeon. The dungeon door slammed shut and the everything became dark as the prisoners were left alone once more. The other prisoners shuffled to the backs of their cells and silence, that was broken by only the dripping water, returned.

Adam rushed to his brother’s side. A desperate urgency filled Adam's eyes as he shook Neo with his hooves. "Wake up, brother! Are you okay? What happened? Brother? Brother!" He cried out desperately.

"Adam," Lucy called from her cell, "get him to one of the puddles. Throw some of the water on him. See if that wakes him up."

Keeping his eyes on his brother, Adam slowly nodded. "Okay, I'll try."

Slinging one of Neo's forelegs around his shoulders, Adam dragged his brother to the murky pool of water. When he reached it, Adam gently placed Neo on his side, and moved his brother's face closer to the water. With a single hoof, Adam splashed the frigid brown liquid onto Neo.

It only took a few splashes before Neo let out a few, heavy coughs. Adam smiled and held back tears of joy as he saw his brother blink. Moaning quietly, Neo asked, "Wha-what? Where am I? Did Big Lot send me back to the dungeon?"

Adam hugged his brother as tightly as he could. "Brother!"

"Hey, Adam! Don't leave us in the dark! How’s Neo doing?" Lucy shouted.

"He's fine!" Adam answered joyously. Adam turned and hugged Neo as tightly as he could. "You're okay. Thank Celestia you're okay..."

Neo coughed hoarsely. "Sorry about having to leave so suddenly."

Adam let go of his brother and grinned at him. "It's alright now. All that matters is that you're okay. Here, let me help you up."

"Thanks, Adam," Neo replied, trying to stand.

Wrapping Neo's metal foreleg around his shoulder, Adam helped his brother stand. Once Neo was sure he wouldn’t fall, Adam let go of him. Stumbling around the cell, Neo tried to get regain his balance. The aching pain radiating from his head made it hard to concentrate at first, but it did not take him long to finally walk without error.

Taking a few, careful steps, Neo came to the cell bars and leaned against them. "So then," Neo groggily asked, "did anything turn up while I was gone?"

"Nope. Nothing." Ally answered.

Adam sat down and sighed. "Me and Wester have been thinking of ways to escape, but without M's help it looks like we won't be getting out of here any time soon."

Neo chuckled. "That might just change..."

Everypony’s ears perked up and they looked at Neo hopefully. Neo levitated the two grooved orbs from his pocket.

"What are those things?" Adam asked.

"I'll be honest with you guys," Neo coughed. "Either they’re something really good, or they’re absolutely worthless."

The darkness made it hard for anypony to see the tiny objects clearly. "Let's see if one of the ponies here in the dungeon knows." Wester recommended after he failed to identify them.

"Alright, let's see what they know." Lucy replied.

Lucy called out to the cell next to hers, "Hey. Hey, neighbor. You there?"

Hooves clopped against the concrete floor, and a skinny face emerged from the darkness. Like all the other ponies, the mare who had come out of the dark corners of her cell was dressed in a filthy pink puffy dress.

"What is it? Some of us are trying to sleep, and it's bad enough you've just stood there and talked all day." She complained.

"You can go back to sleep in a moment. But I want you to tell me what my friend's doohickeys over there are." Lucy said.

The mare looked at Neo cynically. "What are you talking about? We're stripped of all of our possessions when-"

The mare was stunned when she saw the metal orbs. Her eyes went wide and pools of tears built up. An odd mix of happiness and terror could be seen in her face. Whatever the round items were, the emotion they inspired was overwhelming.

"Where did you get those?" She whispered, rubbing the collar around her neck.

Neo looked at the tiny round objects that floated next to him. "I took them from Big Lot's room. What are they?"

She laughed weakly, "Those, my friend, are Big Lot’s keys for the slave collars!"

Whispers and murmurs spread around the dungeon. Ponies curiously shuffled to the bars of their cells to see the fabled keys.

"Is it a collar key?"

"Is it? Is it true?"

"Did M do this? Has she brought us something?"

"No. M didn’t bring them," said the mare, a few happy tears rolling down her powdered cheeks. "It's the newcomer! He brought them from her room!"

A positive murmur fell over the ponies of the dungeon as they talked to one another. Wester spoke up, silencing the low whispers. "If he those are truly the collar keys, I know how we can get out of here. It will take some time, but M said she would be back. What I need to know now from you ponies is when she'll be back."

"Why are you asking us?" the mare next to their cell asked. "Sometimes she comes at night, sometimes in the mornings. But her visits are rare, unless there are new ponies who really interest her."

"Then she might come tonight, right?" Ally asked.

"Your chances are better, I'll tell you that. But I wouldn't keep your hopes up."

Neo put the keys back in his pocket, and sighed. "Then I guess we're going to have to wait then."

Lucy shook her head. "Damn, I swear, today was going so nicely until that stupid, skinny bastard showed up. At the very least, Neo, could you tell us what she might do with us? You met her after all."

Lowering his head, Neo shamefully admitted what happened, "She plans to use us as toys. Make us do horrible things to each other, just like them. The only reason she wanted me was to visit. She named me... Mr. Cuddle Pants."

"What?!" Lucy laughed, "She named you what?!"

Neo lowered his volume, "Mr. Cuddle Pants..."

"Damn, that's funny." After another quick chuckle, Lucy quickly apologized. "But sick. I’m sorry that had to happen to you."

"It's nothing, Lucy..." Neo replied agitatedly.

Adam got closer to his brother, and sat down. The group didn't speak, and as the quiet voices of the other imprisoned ponies dimmed as the loud echo of water dripping persisted. M was their only hope to get out. Wester knew that with her help they could leave, and from there he could get his revenge. Big Lot, no matter how many guards, could stop him from giving her what she deserved.

The sound of crickets chirping in the low, dry brush filled the dry air. It was nighttime in the border settlement of Jurkytown, and the only ponies outside were the ones that warmed themselves by the dancing flames that burned in ancient pre-war barrels. Them and an old mare that walked along one of the dusty road that slithered throughout Jurkytown. She was known as M, and she carried a mop and bucket at her side.

As she passed by an old two-story tavern, M avoided a group of soldiers from the Iron Legion who eyed her cautiously. She ignored them and briskly trot on. Her destination was the dungeon and the leers the soldiers gave her wouldn’t stop her. Nearing the concrete storage building, she turned sharply and made her way to a smaller structure connected by a pathway of chain-link fence.

M reached an old, green door that was mainly used for maintenances ponies and soldiers to get inside easily. Striding closely to the cracked, graffiti-coated walls, she entered the building. With the use of her horn, the green door was enveloped in her magical aura and M shut it as carefully as she could.

M had entered a long, dark hallway, with a three rooms beaming light into the darkness. M could hear that most of the rooms in the hall were currently occupied by guards, mostly talking to their friends about how their day went. Halfway down the corridor was the pathway leading to the dungeon. M grew nervous; in order to reach the pathway to the dungeon, she would need to pass all of the guards rooms.

Taking a deep breath, M calmed her beating heart. Trotting lightly, she paused near the doorway of a room as something the ponies inside were discussing caught her attention. Moving tightly along the wall, she put her ear close to the edge of the doorframe and listened.

Scooter grumbled as he paced back and forth frantically. Sitting at a small table was Whopper, who rested a hoof on his massive gatling battle saddle that sat upon the table. Whopper's eyes followed Scooter as he moved around the room.

"Ah swear, ah don't understand! Ah jus' don't!" Scooter pouted.

"Ya still mad about not gettin' that promotion?" Whopper asked.

Scooter glared at Whopper. "What do ya think ah am? Happy?"

"No... But ya really should let it go, boss. It's not healthy."

Shaking his head, Scooter continued his pacing. "Not healthy? Not healthy!? Ah'll tell ya what's not healthy, workin' fer that gosh dern slave driving Big Lot!”

Scooter continued his tirade. “Years, Whopper. Years! That's what ah've given this here settlement. Not jus' that, but my eye as well!"

Lifting his foreleg, Whopper planted his hoof onto his face. "Ah think yer just upset, boss. Ah think we should head down to the bar and cool off fer a bit. All t’ boys are down there."

Rage filled Scooter's bloodshot eye, as he stared down at the muscular stallion. "No! Caus’ this here needs addressin' now!"

"Oh, great..." Whopper groaned.

"What was that!?" Scooter snapped at Whopper.

Flinching at the angry pony Whopper put up both hooves to Scooter, responding to him in a reassuring tone. "Okay, okay, boss. Ah'll listen. Ah'll listen."

The fury started to evaporate from Scooter's mind, and taking a seat at the table he lowered his head, and sulked. "Ah don't know, Whopper. Here ah was, thinkin' these ponies ah brought in were somethin' special. Ya know, fer a while I thought that them ponies we found were actually the ones from Arkcannon. Those two, ya know? The blue an' white ones."

M's eyes widened as a bolt of realization struck her. The conversation that had initially interested her had now grabbed her complete, undivided attention.

Whopper patted his boss on the back lightly, trying as he could to comfort him. "There, there, boss. You'll get it one day. Ah know ya will."

Scooter burst into tears, while his friend comforted him as he sobbed. "Really? Ya actually think so?"

"Sure, boss. Anything is possible."

Scooter sniffed, rubbing away the tears that ran down his dirt stained cheek with his hoof. Looking up to Whopper, Scooter asked, "Even gettin' that promotion?"

"Eeyup. Even gettin' that promotion." Whopper replied with a smile.

Massaging Scooter's back in tiny circular motions, Whopper added, "Ya still don't wanna go to the bar? Ah'll get ya yer favorite drink."

"Ya will?" Scooter choked, still sobbing.

"Sure, boss."

Sniffing loudly, Scooter rubbed his soggy eyes. "Okay then. But then we get t' talk about it some more, kay?"

Whopper nodded and helped Scooter up from his chair. "Of course we can, boss. Ah'm sure the boys would love t' hear ya out."

M retracted herself swiftly from the doorway and hid herself in the shadows. Both ponies stepped out of the room, and into the dark corridor. Scooter was still weeping but he was now muttering words of vengeance to himself. Whopper, trying as hard as he could, attempted to comfort him. Trotting right by M, they exited the building.

M waited a few minutes to make sure that the duo had truly left. After she was sure Scooter and Whopper would not return, M decided to look inside their room. Poking her head around the doorway, she scanned the room for any other unwanted residents. Thankfully, there was only an oil lamp sitting on a wooden table. At the opposite end of the room, M saw a counter littered with trash. One item, however, stood out from the rest. It was a long linen sack that looked as though it was stuffed with long, solid items. Protruding from the top of the sack was the barrel of a gun. M could not see what kind of gun it was, but she could guess who it belonged to.

’Perhaps’ She thought. ’They might belong to the new prisoners. But... maybe they’re weapons that belong to the Legion, or maybe it’s just scrap that Whopper found in the Wasteland.’ M didn't know, and the more she contemplated it, the more possibilities spawned in her mind. Shaking her head, M cleared the thoughts from her mind and walked away.

Each step she took toward the chain-link pathway was careful. M moved like an alley cat prowling silently through the night. The walkway to the dungeon always puzzled her. The chain-link which made up the roof and walls was weak, rusted, or worn by the elements. Still, she moved on toward the dungeon.

M saw the Pitt when she got closer to the walkway. Through the wooden, diamond-like patterns of the lid that covered the pit, she heard the distant sounds of painful moans. There was little she could do for them at the moment, but she felt that it was her duty to help those in the dungeon, no matter the risk. Sadly, many of those who went into the Pitt never came out. The few who did were scarred, mutilated, and were, more often than not, mentally broken by the experience.

M felt a massive amount of grief as she remembered a truth she had learned a long time ago. Not every pony could be saved. While M knew this all too well, the feeling that she had not done enough for these victims persisted. Reaching the large bolted door to the dungeon, M checked her surroundings. From left to right, behind her and in front of her, no other ponies were there. Taking the opportunity, M gently pushed the door open.

Holding the door slightly ajar, M made sure that it was opened wide enough for her body to easily slip in and out of. Sliding through the opening, she closed the door behind her delicately. The few oil lamps which hung along the walls provided enough dim light for her to see. With the addition of nightfall, it was even darker than it had been during the day. The few small areas around the lamps where the light did not reach was completely consumed by darkness.

She crept through the long hallway, passing by cell after cell to where the newcomers were held. Quickly glancing at each cell as she advanced, M reached the cell where the newcomers were. Neo and Adam sat in their cell quietly. It was too cold to sleep, and the few crates in their cell were too weak to sit on, so they waited on the cold, damp ground.

Lucy paced herself back and forth in her cell, while Wester drew out a mental map of the compound in his mind. Only each time he seemed to have the map drawn correctly, he would find some mistake and start all over again. It was oddly enough the same numbers and statistics that ate at his thoughts. ’Objective: Kill Big Lot.’ The numbers would say. Was this harsh cruel mechanical curse making him think this way? To kill her? Once the numbers said a command, an almost primal urge developed inside compelling him follow them. ’My... Objective...’ Wester heard echo in his head.

Ally sat on the only stable crate in the dungeon. Letting her legs sway off of the edge she waited, staring down toward the ground.

M approached Neo and Adam's cell. Lowering her cleaning tools down onto the floor, M cleared her throat. Turning their attention to M, both brother's eyes grew wide with joy as they rushed to bars of their cell.

"M, it's you!" Adam exclaimed.

Putting a hoof to her lips, M shushed him to stay quiet. "Not so loud," she whispered, "somepony might hear you."

"Oh," Adam returned softly. "Sorry."

Lucy and the others put their hooves against the bars of their own cell. "Well, holy shit you weren't kidding. It is M, isn't it?" Lucy commented.

"Shush!" M added sternly.

"Right, sorry about that." Lucy said, lowering the volume of her tone.

"It's alright, you're excited I know. But I don't know how much time I have to get all of you out, and if I'm going to do it, I'll have to do it tonight." M stated lowly.

"By tomorrow," M continued, "she'll have issued you collars, and by then it will make freeing you harder. I'll have to wait until they do collar maintenance before I can get you out again."

"So, we're leaving tonight then... Right?If we are, what is it you need us to do?" Ally asked.

"Nothing at the moment. I just wanted to make sure all of you were fine."

“Well, none of us are dead if that’s what you mean.” Lucy commented.

"Indeed, we are all fine. But if you intend on helping us that would mean you have a plan then, correct?" Wester queried.

M looked to Wester, and nodded. "I do. Though, it may or may not work..."

A confused look spread itself across the faces of every pony in the group. "Why is that?" Lucy muttered.

Laying a hoof on the lock of Neo and Adam's cell she explained, "Sometimes, the guards leave their key cards out after they're done using them. When they do that, I sneak in and take them. I finally free the prisoner, and put it back before anypony can notice."

"So what? It's like a fifty, fifty chance of getting out of here." Lucy stated.

Wester shook his head. "No, it's more along the lines of a twelve, eighty-eight percent chance."

Lucy frowned, and lowered her ears. "Thanks Wester. That just lifted my spirits right up..."

"You're being sarcastic, aren't you?" Wester replied.

Shaking her head, Lucy responded in a sarcastic tone. "’Nope’. Not at all."

Despite the conversation between the two ponies, M continued. "Anywho... If they left the keycard there I can get you out. If not, well you'll have to wait. And hope Big Lot doesn't do anything."

Adam paused, and thought hard for a moment. "Where do they keep the other key cards?"

"In a black safe about," M raised her hoof off the ground and stopped it near the middle of her other foreleg, "this tall. It's got a standard lock on it, but I was never one to lock picking things. And to this day I don't know where the keys are."

"Based off of the predicted probability, if you free Adam, Neo, or Ally, they could pick the lock to the safe. It doesn't matter if you get one key, or the other. We can still send a pony to get us out." Wester said.

"Right," M purred thinking about Wester's plan, "what then? What will we do with all those keys? I can't free the other prisoners. If they take two steps outside this settlement it'll be boom, no more head."

"I think I've got that part covered." Neo smiled reaching into his duster pocket.

Raising his hoof to the bars, there resting neatly in his hoof was the two keys to the slave collars. "I have these. Aren't they the keys to the collars."

M's jaw dropped, as her eyes widened. She was completely taken back by what he was holding, rendering her nearly speechless. "I.. I... How? How!"

Neo put the keys back in his pocket, and grinned modestly rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, it’s an interesting story to say the least... But, will it work? The plan, that is."

"Hmm," M hummed rubbing her chin, "it could..."

Wester poked the tip of his armored muzzle through the bars. A deep sincerness filled every word of his voice, "We have a high probability of success. That is only if the keycard, or keycards are there. Once we're free, we need our weapons, and supplies. Then, I'm off to make Big Lot pay for this."

"Wester," Lucy whispered to him, a faint curious tone hovering in her words, "I know she's bad but.. She's a filly, man. You can't kill a filly."

Pausing Wester thought for a moment, while Neo glanced uncertainly at him. "I know she was an asshole to me, but don't you think that's a little far?"

"Negative," Wester declared firmly, "it is my objective to protect you. Big Lot has eliminated any mercy I will have on her. After we are free, no pony will suffer by her hooves again."

"But first we need to focus on actually getting out first." M commented in a firm tone of voice.

"Agreed," Ally said, "but Wester is right. We need our supplies and weapons. You don't by chance know where any of our stuff is, do you?"

M thought back to what she saw coming to the dungeon. "I do remember seeing the stock of a gun poking out of a bag Whopper had. I'm not sure if they're your guns, or just scrap though."

Lucy nodded, grinning with devilish satisfaction, "Oh, those are our guns alright."

"Unfortunately," M continued, "I don't know where your supplies are. I'm guess they might have taken them to the warden's den. That's where the keycards are."

"So that's our plan then, right?" Adam asked. "You'll get the keycard for one of our cells, and then we'll help you get the safe open."

Lucy continued after Adam. "When it's unlocked, we'll grab the keys, and unlock the collars."

"Right, and you'll grab our weapon's too." Neo added, a determined look in his eye.

M nodded, "If your bags are in the warden's den, I'll tell you."

"So, it's a plan?" Lucy asked.

M nodded at her. "It's a plan."

Putting up the hood of her tattered linen cloak, she faced the door. Just as she was about to depart, M paused, and looked toward the brothers. In her eye, a faint, almost saddening mournful emotion fluttered about. "Before I go. I need to ask you something. You two especially."

Adam blinked at M, "What is it?"

"I overheard Scooter and Whopper talking, and they said that you two might be the ponies that saved Arkcannon."

M diverted her eyes from their faces. "Is it true? Are you two the guardians who saved them?"

Neo nodded, a candid look in his eyes. "I would want to say yes. But I'll be honest, we didn't save anything. If anything, we tried and a few fortunate souls made it. If we truly had saved them, their town would still be around, and most of the townsfolk would still be alive."

M gave him a petite smile that was blanketed by the shadow of her hood. "Did you save a pony named Breeze Heart?"

Adam's ears perked upward, and he nodded earnestly. "Yes, Breeze and I were-"

"You don't need to say anything else." M interjected softly, in a warming tone.

"I'd understand if you didn't believe us." Neo said.

M turned her gaze to the two brothers, and retaining her small, almost joyful smile she remain silent. Returning to her cleaning tools she picked them up. And, dashing down to the end of the dungeon to the heavy steel bolted door she left. Many of the imprisoned ponies sat silently, sobbing. Tears of joy rolled down their cheeks as they pictured the liberating sensation of freedom and the joys it brought.

Adam and Neo sat there in their cell, smiling sanguinely. Even though M had not replied to them they could practically feel what she had thought. Perhaps. Just, maybe she did trust them. Perhaps. Only perhaps.

M stopped at the end of the chain-link outdoor pathway. She breathed in deeply, as the unnerving sensation of anxiety escalated in her chest. As she stuck her head out from around the corner, her heart began to beat more rapidly. ’Calm down, M, it'll be over soon. You can do this.’ She thought, reassuring herself.

No pony could be seen down both ends of the dark corridor, only the bright orange light beaming through the three doorways down the hallway. The furthest doorway from her, near the very end of the hall, was the warden's den. Gathering her courage, she strolled down the hallway. Keeping a calm, inconspicuous complexion in her face. The worst thing that could happen was if suddenly she turned pale or clumsy. Especially if a soldier was around her.

Coming to the end of the hall, she looked inside the warden's den carefully. With her cleaning tools levitating at her side, she checked the interior of the den. Against the left wall two tables, resting side by side sat with several large saddlebags laying on top of them. On the right wall was a Legion soldier. His head was lowered, and his eyes shut tightly. From what she could see the Legion officer was snoring softly, as he lay back leisurely in his small wooden chair.

At the end of the room was a counter, and behind it were three massive silver computer towers, all connected by an entanglement of various colored wires that ran along their tops. A larger-than-average gas lamp was perched on the countertop, providing light to the whole room. Next to the lamp, a small terminal, which appear to have a set of wires connecting to the towers, sat beeping an almost inaudible beep.

Focusing her magic on the bucket at her side, she moved on toward the counter. Stepping lightly, she moved like a gentle breeze. Not even her bucket moved, nor did it made so much as a sound. Gently resting her cleaning tools down she gazed upon the countertop. Like she had hoped, a red keycard marked in black with the words, Cell 43 was marked on it. Though it was unclear as to which cell it was. Was it the blue and white ponies cell? Or the other's cell?

At the current moment, only a slight relief came over her. For at least there was a keycard, and that was all she needed. Floating the card into a pocket on her cloak, she crept out of the room as the soldier continued to sleep soundly. Leaving back into the hallway she moved back silently toward the dungeon.

Through the outdoor pathway she went, and once more, opening the large dungeon door open only enough for her body to move through, she went inside. All of the other imprisoned ponies were pressing their hooves against the bars of their cells, watching M trot down the dungeon to where Neo, Adam, and the others waited for her.

Sticking the ends of their muzzles through the spaces in their cell bars every pony had a beaming, joyful smile. "Did you get it?" Adam asked M.

M nodded, and removed the card from her pocket. "Yeah, I did. Though, I'm not sure whose cell it unlocks."

"Just try both cells, see which one works." Lucy suggested.

M came to the lock of the brother’s cell door, and prepared to swipe the card. "You know," She said swiping the card through the lock, "I don't think I ever caught your names."

"Heh," Neo chuckled, "I don't think you did. I'm Neo, and this is my little brother, Adam."

Adam waved at M briefly before Neo continued on, "Over there is Lucy, she's the one with the fedora. And then next to her is Ally and Wester."

"Well," M muttered, "it's nice to meet all of you. But I've got some bad news. It looks like this keycard doesn't belong to this cell."

"Here," Ally said pointing to the lock on their cell, "try this one."

Turning toward the next lock, M swiped it through the thin slot. A tiny red light indicating the status of the lock changed to a dim green. And, no sooner than it had, a loud click came from the lock.

"Hell yeah!" Lucy exclaimed exuberantly.

Wester pushed open the cell door, and stepped into the walkway that divided both sides of the dungeon. Lucy, and Ally followed him out, and turned their attention to M. M smiled at them, and put the card back inside her cloak pocket.

"So, what now? Do you still want me and one of you to get the other keys?" M asked.

Lucy rubbed her chin. "Sure. You should take Ally though, I’m only okay at picking lock. And out of the whole group, she’s the best at it. While you and Ally do that, Wester and I will get the guns."

"Oh!" M exclaimed as she remembered the bags in Scooter’s room. "Speaking of which, I saw some saddlebags in the warden's den. I'm not sure how many there were, but I think there was five, or maybe six."

Lucy smirked, and whispered lowly under her breath, "Excellent..."

Pointing to the door, Ally whispered, "If those are our bags, my tools to pick locks should be there. If they are, I can unlock the safe before you know it."

"Good." Wester added affirmatively. "Then let's move out. The quicker we move the better the chance we have to get the others out of here undetected."

'Right," M agreed. "Let's hurry. When you've got your guns, meet us back here. If Ally and I can, we'll grab the saddlebags as well."

With a confirming nod from each of the ponies, the four dashed to the end of the dungeon to execute their plan. Neo and Adam watched their friends rush to the outside world. The brother’s then wondered that if M could sneak around with no difficulties, surely the could as well. Then again, she was used to sneaking around the compound. But it didn’t matter what they thought at that instant, all the brothers could do was wait.

Holding the door ajar with her magic, M motioned the three other ponies to move on. Wester, Lucy, and Ally trotted quickly across the walkway that lead into the main compound building. From there, M gently closed the dungeon door and walked to the group of ponies that waited for her. In the distance, the four ponies could hear guards laugh and chat about the previous day's work. It was fortunate that no soldiers had stumbled upon the escapees, and it was even luckier that the few guards who did stay in the central compound building were out drinking in the tavern.

M waved at Wester and Lucy and pointed her hoof at the room with the weapons. Responding with confirming nods, Wester and Lucy went to retrieve the group’s gear. Ally moved up the hall with M, and Wester and Lucy moving down the hall. Each pony did their best to remain quiet. The constant threat of a soldier stumbling upon their operation loomed over them like a malicious specter.

Lucy came to the first door that, as M had described, lead into the room that held their weapons. Poking her head around the doorway, Lucy looked inside. Wester kept his eyes locked on the exit as she looked inside, wary of any that might walk in.

Finishing her search, Lucy confidently whispered. "It's clear."

Both ponies went into the room. The dim light from the single gas lamp inside provided the only light to see in the whole room. Lucy approached the linen sack M had mentioned and as suspected, she picked it up. The weight of the sack was almost overbearing. Jingling, and clattering around the guns shifted in the bag. Removing the rope holding the sack shut, Lucy inspected the bag's contents.

A large, overjoyed smile that almost reached ear to ear grew on her face. "Hey, Wester? Guess what?"

Wester responded as he approached the massive gatling gun battle saddle resting on the table. "What is it, Lucky?"

"Guess whose guns are in the bag?" Lucy cooed, in a sing-song manner.

"Hmm," Wester hummed. "Is it my rifle and revolvers?"

"I don't know. Let's see!" Lucy exclaimed before grabbing the bag with her teeth.

"Ah," Lucy sighed merrily, removing one of Wester's large python revolvers from the bag. "Here's big ass gun number one."

Wester took the revolver and analyzed the weapon with a careful eye. "This one is still loaded." He said, placing the gun inside one of the holsters along his foreleg.

"And," Lucy continued pulling another identical revolver from the bag, "here's big ass gun number two."

Levitating the gun to his crimson visor, Wester inspected it attentively. "This one is also loaded." He commented before holstering the pistol.

Pulling a massive, folded anti-armor rifle from the sack, Lucy sung, "Aaaand, here's big ass gun number three!"

Taking the leather strap of the gun, Wester slung it around his body. "Are the other weapons in there?"

"Yep," Lucy said. "Even my baby girl."

Removing a sniper rifle from the bag, Lucy smiled as she pressed the cool metal barrel against her face. She coddled the rifle and spoke to it as a mother would to a foal. "Aw, don't worry, baby. Mama’s here and she's not gonna let those mean old ponies take you away again. No, she isn't. No, she isn't!"

Wester placed a hoof to his helmet's mouthpiece and coughed, disrupting Lucy’s tender reassurances to her weapon. Lucy grew silent and looked at Wester, the weapon was still pressed against her face. She blinked. Her cheeks were set aflame as a bright red blush spread. Putting the gun on her back, she cleared her throat nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Uh, sorry about that. I got a little... Oh, never mind..."

Shaking his head, Wester did not say anything. Instead, he turned his attention toward the gatling gun upon the table. Placing a hoof on the cold, dull steel, he traced his hoof across the long barrels of the gun. Focusing on the ammo bins attached to the saddle's side, he gazed at the amount of ammunition the gun held. To his surprise, the gun itself had been repurposed to hold not one single load of ammunition, but three. The catch was that this also meant the weight was significantly greater than it would be initially.

Lucy saw him eyeing the battle saddle. "You like it?" She smirked.

Wester nodded, admiring the rifle further. "What's saying you can't take it? If the pony who left it there had half a brain he would have took it with him.

The gun was consumed in a shimmering aura of magical energy that lifted it up into the air. Moving the folded rifle on his back, he rest the saddle on the top of his duster. Tightening the saddle, he could feel the heavyweight press firmly against his body.

Lucy circled around him a few times, nodding and humming to herself as she did. "Wow, that thing looks good on you."

"Yes. I like it." Wester stated proudly.

"Well, it's good you found something you like," Lucy said, slinging the sack with the remaining weapons on her back. "But we got to get back to the dungeon. Neo and Adam will be happy to know we’ve got the guns."

"Yes... The guns..." Wester murmured as he stared the gatling gun.

Lucy shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Stallions and their guns..."

The guard inside the warden's den snored uneasily while Ally and M tip-hoofed their way into the room, making no sounds as they moved. Ally tapped M on her shoulder and pointed at her own eyes. M nodded and pointed to a bag on the table at the left side of the room. Ally crawled to bag, but she stopped as the horrifying yell of the guard sent a chill down her entire body.

"STOP! I'LL GUT YOU!" The guard screamed.

However, something didn't seem right. M and Ally readied themselves for an attack, but the guard immediately returned to his nightmare after he had bombastically announced his gruesome threat. The two mares sighed with relief. Ally then carefully floated the bag in front of her. She opened the bag as quietly as she could, and searched for her bobby pins and screwdriver.

Pulling out both of the required tools, Ally whispered as low, and as softly, as she could. "Where is the safe?"

"Over here, follow me." M replied, motioning her hoof toward the counter.

Together, the two mares bent their legs and crouched low to the ground. From in front of the counter it was difficult, if not impossible, to know that there were two mares moving toward the safe. Ally was happy to see that it was exactly as M had said, for right under the counter was a small black safe.

"Just give me a sec," Ally whispered, readying her screwdriver and bobby pin. "I'll be done in no time."

M nodded, and peaked over the counter to keep an eye on the guard's activity. Placing the pin in the lock and the screwdriver positioned above it, she jiggled, and turned the two tools in search of the lock's sweet spot. While she worked the soft sounds of metal tinging, and clanging vibrated in the air. With each sound Ally made, the guard shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

All the while, the terminal on the counter beeped a rhythmic pattern that was almost maddening.

Beep... Beep... Beep, it echoed throughout the room. The sound agitated Ally. The stress of unlocking the safe quietly and the constant beeping of the terminal had now combined and made her ears throb with pain. Stopping her work for a moment, she sighed and nudged M gently.

"What is it?" M asked.

Ally pointed to the terminal above her on the counter. "Can you check why it's beeping? It's really starting to get on my nerves."

M briefly checked the guard's status. Like before, he shifted occasionally in his seat, licked his lips, and snored loudly. Standing up, M leaned over to reach the terminal. Two words were emblazoned on the terminal’s dark screen -- New File. In an attempt to dispel the repetitive noise, M clicked the escape key. The words were replaced with the image of a map and brief summary about the location it presented to her.

"Yes!" Ally whispered triumphantly to herself as the click of the lock opening sounded.

"Did you do it?" M asked, still leaning over Ally.

Ally nodded, "Yes. Now, let's get the key cards so we can get out of here."

M moved and Ally stood up, gazing at the large green-lined image on the screen. Squinting her eyes, she studied the map. It was a map of an underground tunnel system, a mine, possibly. Directing her eyes to the summary below, she read through it. M watched her anxiously as a horrible feeling churned in Ally’s stomach.

Suddenly, that feeling intensified as Ally's eyes grew wide and her mouth went agape. "What is it?" M asked urgently.

"This is the map of the dark mines... It's where they're holding project Iron Hammer!" Ally whispered loudly to M.

M had a look of bewilderment about her. "Project what?"

"It's something the Coalition has been looking for, for a long time. Now I can see its exact location in the mine!"

M raised a perplexed eyebrow at the mare. "Why would they send something that important to this terminal?"

Ally began to type on the terminal softly, "It says that they want some slaves from here to work there, and they sent a map of where the slaves would work in the mine."

"Does it say what the project is?" M asked.

"No... It doesn't." All replied.

"Here," Ally said, "watch the guard a little longer. I'll see if I can download this and put it on the holo-recorder in the terminal. The coalition is going to need this."

An uneasy sweat ran down M's brow, while every other second she checked the sleeping guard near them. "Could you please hurry up then. We need to get out of here and get the key cards and saddlebags to your friends."

"Right," Ally hummed lowly, "I'm... Almost... Done..."

Protruding from out of the terminal's side was a small square-like device. Ally levitated it, and the key cards from the safe into her bags. "Alright, that's it. Let's get the bags and get out of here."

"Right." M agreed, stepping out from behind the counter.

Together, the two mares moved toward the tables. Pointing at the bags with their horns, they focused their magical energy on the saddlebags. With the bags hovering peacefully beside them, they stepped lightly toward the exit. As they left through the doorway and back to the dungeon, the guard shifted in his chair, merrily fighting something in his troubled dreams.

With one of his armored forelegs extended, Wester held the dungeon door slightly ajar. Peaking through the crack, he waited for the mares to return. Like shadows in the nighttime air, Ally and M silently came rushing through the walkway, the group’s saddlebags floating at their sides. Whispering down the dungeon hallway, Wester called to the brothers who waited further in the dungeon. "They're coming.

Lucy stood at the door of her former cell, waiting for Ally and M. As the two mares entered the dungeon, a look of static exuberance illuminated Ally's face. The moment M passed the doorway, Wester gently closed the door behind her and followed the mares to Adam and Neo's cell.

Lucy smiled as she saw the bags levitating around the mares. "Hell yeah! You did it! But did you get the key cards, too?"

M nodded at her. "Yes. All of them."

"And that's not all." Ally added merrily.

Neo leaned against the bars of his cell and blinked curiously at her. "What is it?"

Ally and M levitated each saddlebag to their owners. As everypony received their gear, Ally explained what had happened. "There is a small terminal connected to large computer towers. Well, sometime earlier today, the Legion sent the map of where they're keeping Iron Hammer."

"Really?" Adam said, impressed. "Do you know what the Coalition would do with that information?"

"I do," Ally nodded. "That's why I downloaded it onto the holo-recorder in the terminal. And, when we find the next Coalition outpost, we'll give it to them."

"They'll go crazy," Lucy added. "They've been looking for this since, well, forever. When they couldn’t find it in Ironstead, the Coalition was pissed off majorly."

M cleared her throat, halting the conversation. Pointing to the last two remaining bags floating at her side, she said, "I know that is a big deal, but we still need to get all of these ponies out. Including those two still in there."

"Yeah," Neo grinned, feeling embarrassed. "It would be nice to get out of here."

Ally went through her bags quickly, trying to correct her mistake. "Ah, right sorry about that. Here, let's get you out of there."

Digging through her saddlebag, Ally pulled out a red keycard and floated it to the lock on the brother’s cell door. Sliding it through the lock, the little light indicating the status of the door switched green, followed by the wonderful sound of the lock clicking open.

Lucy opened the door for them. She smirked as she tipped her hat to the brothers. "Welcome to the the outside world, boys. Did you have fun in your cell?"

"It could have been better," Adam replied coming out of his cell for the first time in over a day.

Neo followed closely behind his brother and soaked in the sweet feeling of freedom. After stepping out of their cell, Lucy shut the door behind them. M floated their bags onto their backs.

"Hope I didn't mix them up. I was deciding who had which one based on their size," M said.

Neo felt the weight of his bag, as did Adam. Patting the sides of each bag, both brothers gave M thankful smiles. Though, it was Adam who answered her, "No, you gave us the right ones."

"You're also gonna need these," Lucy said, tossing the bag of guns before them.

Neo removed his shotgun from the linen bag. "Thanks, Lucy."

Adam took the bag himself, and searched it. Fishing at the bottom of the sack for the few items left Adam took his weapons as well. Each pony holster their guns. From letting them hang at their side, to holstering them along their legs every pony was now equipped and armed.

"Now what?" M asked.

Ally gave her a determined smile. "Now, we free these other ponies."

Each of the imprisoned ponies had wide hopeful eyes. Beaming smiles were on every single face as they sobbed tears of joy from behind the cold, confining bars of their cells. From her bag, Ally pulled out the key cards to each cell. Half of which she gave to M, and half of which she held on to.

Pointing to the farther end of the dungeon, Ally told M, "You take those cards and free those ponies. I'll take my cards and free the other half."

Focusing her magic on the half Ally gave her, M took the cards and dashed to the end of the dungeon. Ally took her cards, and moved to the other end, stopping at the steel-bolted door. Moving to each cell on both sides they checked each card, and swiped them through the locks. One by one the sound of mechanical locks snapping open echoed throughout the corridor. And, with each new cell opened a pony beaten and bruised came trembling out of the cell, smiling widely. Some of the imprisoned ponies found it hard at first to step outside of their cell. In their tattered pink outfits they cried embracing one another as, for what seemed like the first time, they were at last free to roam where they please, when they pleased.

Neo gave Adam one of the two collar keys, and like the mares had done, each of them went from one end to the other freeing ponies. Collars left, and right fell to the ground, clattering, and banging against the damp concrete floor. A clean, bright area around where the collar had once been was imprinted onto their fur. While dirt, grime, blood, and sweat gathered around the collar it never truly made it to the skin and fur underneath it. For the ponies who wore the collars however, the feeling of not having something around their neck was rejuvenating. Almost as if a great weight had been lifted from their very souls.

Removing the last, and final, collars from the former prisoners, Neo and Adam regrouped with the others near the dungeon's center. "You know what to do now, right, M?" Neo asked, putting the collar keys back into his pocket.

M nodded and started off toward the door. "I do. But I'll need some help doing it."

"That's what we're here for, cupcake." Lucy said to not just M, but everypony in the dungeon that was following her.

M stopped at the door leading out of the dungeon and faced the crowd behind her. At first she did not say a thing. Not a word, nor sound. She simply scanned the mass of ponies before her, and sighed. "I know you're all happy to be free, but despite what you think, you're not. At least, not yet. We still have one last trial to go through. One last obstacle to traverse before we leave this damn place."

M turned her attention to the brother's group, who stood near the crowd's center. "Out of you five, I need somepony to distract the guards. While the others with guns help me get the ponies out of the compound."

Wester stepped up. "I'll do it."

Neo and Adam looked at him unsurely. "Are you sure you can do it on your own? Do you want one of us to help you?" Neo asked.

"Negative. It was my weakness that got you in here. It will be my strength that corrects my error. In addition, I have this." Wester pointed to the massive gatling saddle on his back.

"Whoa." Adam’s jaw dropped as he awed at the wonderful weapon.

"If that's the case, you might as well know where we're going." M continued dismissing the previous conversation the three ponies had.

"There's an alleyway behind the tavern that all of you will sneak through. Now, right under, next to the fence, is a small ditch I've dug that is big enough for a pony to slide through. One by one you'll go under it. Once you've gone through you'll go across the shallow river to the nearest hill. Wait there until me and the others here show up."

M gulped, feeling a great nervousness swelled inside her. Yet, despite her anxiety, she retained a firm, confident look to avoid scaring the former prisoners in her care. "Now, I've never had to take this many ponies to the gate. So, please, whatever you do, remain as quiet you can. If you your part right, we'll all be out of here in no time."

A faint, positive murmur fell over the crowd. "Now," M said. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

Agreeing heads from everypony nodded, and M opened to the door. While the door swayed slowly open, the prisoners cautiously stepped out in single file. The slaves crept down the outdoor walkway and into the main compound. M had initially expected their behavior to be lively and hard to control; this was, for many of them, the first time they had been free in years. But to M’s relief, they acted cooperatively and carefully. Everypony, including the brother's group, moved on through the compound building and past the green door that lead to the outside.

Across from the door was the alleyway, which lead, as M had mentioned, right to the chain-link fence that surrounded the compound. Holding the door open, M gestured one pony to move through the door and into the alleyway. As she did so, Ally and Lucy dashed across to the edge of the alleyway, keeping low to the ground. With their weapons readied, they helped each pony who crossed the open space inside the alleyway.

Wester and the brothers waited in the hallway, helping each slave move along in an orderly manner. Like the bullets of a loaded gun firing rounds, one by one the slaves sprinted across to the alley. M turned her head and faced Wester with the door pressed firmly against her back.

"Once we've got them all through, you know what to do, right?"

From where Wester stood, he glanced out of the doorway briefly before returning to M. "Affirmative."

"Good," M continued, "we'll need that distraction if the slaves have even a slight chance of making it."

Only a few of the slaves remained inside the compound and, as the number shrank to only hoof-full, M nodded at Wester. "Okay, Neo and Adam, come with me. We'll get the slaves out through the fence. Wester, you said you knew what to do."

"I do." Wester responded surely, unholstering the massive python revolvers from their holsters.

"Right," M said, motioning her hoof for Adam and Neo to follow her. "Let's finish this."

When M had let go of the door, she went to join the slaves in the alley. Wester and the brothers were now alone in the dark hallway. Now, just like at Arkcannon, the nerve wracking feeling of fear set in. As the brother's readied their weapons, they smiled the most confident smiles they could to combat their anxiousness.

"Well," Neo started, "try and be careful, Wester."

"I will." Wester responded, the barrels of his gatling saddle now began to rotate as he tested their condition.

Adam stepped closer to Wester and, peering into the single crimson visor, he spoke to the armored stallion with worry in his voice. "Listen, Wester. I know you want to punish Big Lot for what she did to us. But we really need to go. To move on. My mother used to say-"

"Negative." Wester interjected, the intimidating hum of his gatling saddle grew. "It is my programming, my objective, to protect. I must continue to protect until the threat is eliminated. Even if I die."

Neo's expression grew cold as he glared at Wester. "You don’t have to though, you’re a pony, just like the rest of us-”

“But it is my purpose!” Wester declared. “There is nothing else I can do... I... I must kill her....”

“Fine. Kill her.” Neo snorted disapprovingly. “But remember that she's just a filly. I know she's crazy, but killing her won't solve a damn thing."

Remaining silent, Neo walked through the door. Adam, though, stood still, looking up at Wester. Lowering his head, Adam sadly trotted after his brother, leaving Wester without saying a single word. Wester didn’t notice, a fire of wrath now kindled inside of him. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for to correct his mistake. Nothing in heaven nor hell could stop him. No pony, no matter how strong, could stop him from killing Big Lot. This was his goal: this was his promise.

Wester emerged from the green, rusted door on the side of the compound. In the alleyway across from him, he could see the slaves and the rest of his group go through a tiny space below the gate. With both pistols drawn, and the barrels of his gatling guns spinning rapidly, he marched forward. Viciously, the gatling saddle growled as he approached the tavern. From the inside of its thick wooden walls he could hear the various soldiers inside sing, laugh, and talk merrily.

Walking down the road near the tavern's entrance were two Legion unicorn guards with their rifles slung on their sides. Wester approached them and, at first glance, the guards didn't seem to pay him any mind. Once he had come in full view, a light in the distance shimmering off of the redness of his visor, they cocked their heads curiously.

Pointing their rifles at Wester, they approached him. "Hey!" One of the guards called, "You're not a guard. Who the hell are-"

Both guards went silent once they caught sight of Wester’s spinning gatling saddle. "Oh shit!" One of the guards screamed as he turned to run away.

Before the guards could retreat, Wester raised his revolvers and aimed for their heads. With deadly accuracy, two bullets pierced through the thin gas masks of each soldier. The shots rang loudly as both soldiers fell down to the ground, lifeless. A pool of blood gathered around the large grotesque holes that perforated the faces of the once living soldiers.

Stepping over their bodies, Wester kept moving. With each step another ounce of rage grew inside of him. Never had he been so angry. Never had he been so compelled to kill. Inside the helmet were statistics telling him the best, and most efficient ways to go about killing the ponies around him. For the moment, the only ponies he could see where a few soldiers laying on old blankets, completely intoxicated. Ignoring them, he paused outside of the tavern, Wester glanced at the structure, analyzing its finer details.

Like most taverns he had seen, this one had a swinging set of short wooden doors. Inside, he could hear the ponies romp and cheer festively. It was clear to him that the uproar of merriment inside managed to cloud the sound of the two shots he had fired before. But it didn’t matter if they had heard him or not, he was ready to purge the world of their presence. His gatling saddle ached to release its barrage of metallic death as he advanced into the tavern. However, the moment he stepped in front of the tavern’s entrance, a soldier poked his head out of the doors.

The soldier's face was pressed right against Wester's. From his blank, and drowsy expression it was completely clear to Wester that the pony before him was drunk beyond belief.

"Hey," the soldier moaned with a faint slur in his voice. "Did anypony that? It sounded like a gunsh-"

Without giving the pony a moment to speak further, Wester took one of his revolvers and brutally beat the side of the soldier’s head. The disoriented soldier collapsed to the ground. Stepping over the pony, Wester slammed the two wooden flapping doors open and barged into the tavern.

All activity, of any kind, stopped instantly. It was as if time itself had froze, and the sound of the doors swinging back and forth was the only thing that proved it had not. Ponies hoof-wrestling stood still, and scantily dressed mares on the second floor held their breath as they looked down at Wester. Even the bartender, who had thought himself jaded to all manner of events after his the years he had spent working in the tavern, was shocked by the sudden intrusion. Wester's gatling gun hummed loudly while the eyes of every pony stared, completely perplexed at the mysterious armored stallion standing near the entrance.

With each passing second the flaps of the door slowed.

Fwap... Fwap... Fwap...

As soon as the doors went still, a soldier arose from a round table at the farthest end of the tavern. Pointing to Wester, he angrily asked, "Who the hell are you?"

Wester answered by unleashing the powerful metal bullets that had been waiting so eagerly to be released. A furious typhoon of fire and metal swept across the tavern. Broken glass, and wooden debris scattered and flew across the tabletops. Soldiers howled in pain as the bullets tore through them and red mist flew from their bodies. Destruction and mayhem spread across every inch of the tavern's interior. Limbs were torn from their bodies as chunks of flesh grotesquely splattered against the walls.

After what seemed an eternity, the rain of glowing metal halted. The end of the gun glew a dim red while smoke calmly ascended from the slowly spinning barrels. Once again, the tavern was silent. Only the unnerving sound of a mixture of alcohol and blood dripping from the walls and tabletops could be heard. From the first floor to the splintered railings of the second floor, nothing was left. Not a single soul. Only the soldier Wester had assaulted at the entrance lived.

The drunken soldier struggled to stand. The pain in the side of his head throbbed, him into an out-of-balance, disoriented turmoil. Placing a hoof over the sore section of his head, the Legion soldier struggled to find his footing.

"Wha-what happened?" He muttered, raising his head.

Turning around his eyes locked at the horrifying scene before him. His eyes were wide as the shredded, mutilated corpses of his fallen comrades lay torn and lifeless all around the tavern.

"I-I..." He stammered in shock, his mouth widely agape.

Turning his gaze to the armored stallion, the soldier pointed at Wester shaking violently. "Did... did you do this?"

Wester faced the pony and slowly approached him. The soldier was too fearful to run away. Lowering himself, the soldier shielded his face with his foreleg as Wester stood over him, casting an intimidating shadow over his entire body.

"P-Please," the soldier begged, softly sobbing. "I don't want to die."

Staring down at the soldier, Wester asked fervently, "Where's Big Lot?"

"Sh-she's in the main storage building..."

There was a pause from Wester before he announced his satisfaction. "Good..."

Removing the straps that were wrapped around his lower body, Wester let the empty gatling saddle roll off of his side and land onto the hardwood floor. Leaving the soldier to his own fate, Wester walk out of the bar. From behind one of the flipped tables, two heads peaked over the edge, scanning the room for Wester.

It was Whopper and Scooter who peered at the destruction from behind the table. Together, the two completely shocked ponies were appalled at the gruesome scene before them. From where they stood, staring wide-eyed at the horror before them, nothing; not a even a whimper escaped their mouths. Stepping out carefully from the safety of their table, the two stallions stood silently in the center of the room.

Wester trotted down the main street of the Jurkytown, feeling more enraged than ever before. The whole settlement was quiet as the few civilians who lived within the confines of the scarce amount of normal buildings hid; only peaking outside through their windows to see if it was safe. Wester hadn't realized it, but the majority of the soldiers that guarded the town spent most of their off-time relaxing in the tavern. He could have cared less; for he was on a mission. Like an armored beast of war, he prowled through the street with his pistols at the ready.

Lucy and the others waited near the alley's entrance, scanning the area for their friend. They had managed to keep low and avoided the local population's attention. Ally trotted up to the group from further down the alleyway.

Whispering, Ally said, "M just left with the last few slaves. Whatever Wester did, it did the trick. We didn’t see a single guard."

"Good," Lucy said, continuing to scan the area for her friend. "Once I see Wester, we'll head out. Hopefully, we can talk him out of killing Big Lot, and just go."

Neo shook his head disappointedly. "I don't know. He seemed dead-set on finishing his objective."

"Brother's right," Adam added. "I'm not sure how easily it'll be, if it’s even possible, to convince him to stop."

"We can always hope," Ally countered.

Lucy's eyes moved around the visible area, until she caught a pony marching through the street in the corner of her eye. Quickly, she diverted her attention to the pony that was prowling like a mad dog to the main storage building. If there was any way to see Wester’s eyes, they would be narrowed, filled with anger, and pure stubborn determination.

"There he is!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing toward Wester as he walked on the street.

Neo put a hoof to the side of his mouth, and called out to Wester as softly as possible. "Wester! Over here! Come on!"

Wester paused, and looked at the group. Everypony motioned their hooves for him to come with them. To leave the settlement once and for all. Rather than move onward, or trot toward the group he loudly, but evenly, called out to them in a normal tone of voice.

"You can come out. I took care of most of the guards."

Instantly, their gestures stopped and they were left puzzled stares. Lucy was the first to stand up, leave her hiding spot, and walk to Wester. Her rifle was hanging loosely at her side as she approached her friend. Wester simply looked down at her, silently.

Ally, Neo, and Adam followed behind Lucy. The three ponies were completely astonished. Wester was right, there was not a single soldier in sight. Truly, whatever he had done worked incredibly well.

"So," Lucy began, "are you coming, or what?"

Wester shook his head at her. "No, Lucky. I'm completing my objective."

"You don't have to do this,” Lucy told Wester sorrowfully. “She's just a filly. You know that."

"I thought so... yesterday," Wester replied loudly. "This is now. And now, I will complete my objective. It is what I must do."

Lucy poked Wester in the chest, glaring at him. "It is not you, Wester. That stupid program that works in your suit is not you. Just forget about killing her and let's go-"

"NO!" Wester yelled. "I-I have to... I need..."

Lucy's expression turned sour. "Makes you feel what? Hmm? Like you have purpose? You're our friend.”

Pointing a hoof to the brothers she continued, “Your purpose is not to kill a young filly, it's to help those two over there get to their mother!"

A battle raged in Wester's head. One fought by his mind and soul. "My... My objective..."

Lucy pushed him away as tears escaped from her eyes. "You don't need objectives! If your stupid objective is worth more than a young life, then what's left of your soul?"

Stepping closer to Lucy, a voice, the likes of which no one in the group had heard before, came from Wester. It was low and sorry. Regretful in pitch and saddening in tone. "Lucky, I have a soul... I have objectives, and-"

Lucy pushed forcefully against Wester, causing him to stagger backward. "No! It's clear you don't know what to do! You don't know what to care about! You don't even remember about us! Why? Why don’t you remember?"

Frozen. Wester, was completely frozen. No words could express the mixture of grief, pain, and regret that Wester felt. As the emotions simmered, anger started to burn. One that quickly erupted into a sudden blast of pure rage.

Wester hid this rage, turned around, and marched onward to kill Big Lot. Lucy stood there, eyes wide, appalled by his response. Gritting her teeth tightly, she growled like an enraged lioness. "That's right! Run away! Don't say anything to me!"

Collapsing onto her haunches, she cried softly. "Yeah, run away. Leave me, and forget who you are..."

Neo rubbed the back of his neck unsurely. As he carefully approached Lucy, he used a kind, reassuring tone to address her. "Lucy... I don't know what to say..."

"He’s lost it..." Lucy muttered, her tears falling down onto the dry dirt.

Placing a gentle hoof upon her shoulder, Neo continued to try and reassure her. "Maybe there's still a chance. You know, to reach him. The real him..."

Adam tried to smile reassuringly in the hope that it might brighten her spirits. "Brother's right. There's still a chance."

Ally joined the them, feeling that the extra positive energy would help. "They're right. I think we've still got a shot. What do you think, Lucy?"

"What do I think?" Lucy choked quietly. "I think you're all silly for thinking we can change that... thing! He's gone! Gone... Gone...”

Lucy continued to cry mournful tears. Neo straightened himself and placed both hooves on the Lucy's shoulders. Forcing her to look at him, he moved his muzzle close to her. Close enough to where Lucy could feel Neo's warm breath brush against the small hairs of her nose.

Staring sincerely into her wet, pooling eyes, Neo declared, "You listen here! I know he might have given up on you, but we're still his friends. And that means we can’t give up on him!"

With his metal hoof, Neo nudged Lucy’s foreleg. "So, let's be there for him. Let’s help him make the right choice. He's not lost. No, he's just upset. And as his friends, we need to be there to see him through it."

Rubbing her running nose with the sleeve of her duster she nodded, sobbing. "I-I-I guess we could try. I'm just-"

Lucy placed a hoof on one of her forelegs, and looked down uncertainly. "What if he's forgotten everything? What if there's not even a Wester left in there? I..."

Ally stepped up, resting her own gentle hoof down onto her shoulder. Smiling a motherly sort of smile, she said, "We can still try. The only time you've truly given up is when you stop trying right?"

"Here," Neo said. "Let's go help him. Together."

Both Ally and Neo helped her get onto her hooves once more. As they lifted her up, she looked at Neo. "You know, I don't think I've seen you act that way since, well, since that time you first helped me in Maneton."

Neo smiled. "That's what friends are for."

The moment Lucy was on all fours, everypony chased after Wester. Who, by now, was already near the front entrance of the storage building Big Lot called home. If time was favorable, and their words chosen carefully enough, there was a chance Wester could be stopped. It was Lucy, though, that had the most determined resolve. And, as the group neared the enraged stallion’s position, Lucy pondered the things she could say to dissuade him. Because right now, it was them, and them alone, that stood between Big Lot and the bullets of Wester's guns.

Big Lot rested peacefully in her well protected room. A projector near the side of her bed filled her ceiling with a sea of white, glittering, animal-shaped lights. As she lay in her bed she snored sweetly. The only thing that could disrupt now was the knock of somepony at her door. Which, inevitably, happened.

Knock. Knock. Knock. The the door went.

Big Lot's ears perked upward. Yet, she tried her best to ignore the annoying knocks that rang in the deepest parts of her ears. Then the knocking started again. Only it was faster, and more urgent in sound than it had previously been.

Knock knock knock!

Opening her heavy, sore eyelids, Big Lot sat up and rubbed the tiredness from her eyes. "What is it?" She grumbled, fixing the tangled mess that was her mane.

The bolted door to her room opened slightly, as Minion poked his face through the door. A deep, sincere urgency was in his voice as he frantically looked back into the hallway outside to check his surroundings.

"Your radiance," Minion started whispering, "I'm deeply sorry to have awoken you. But we must go. Before he comes for you."

Cocking her head to the side, Big Lot stood up on the covers of her bed. "What? Who? What's happening?"

Minion opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it behind him carefully. "Your slaves have escaped, and those new ponies helped them breach the fence."

It took a moment for the message to process in Big Lot's mind, as the disorienting mixture of tiredness and confusion clouded her mind. The moment her mind she did process the full picture, a light switched on and clarity filled her mind.

"WHAT!?" She screamed.

Minion, in fear of his master's wrath, lowered his head and diverting his gaze. "Yes," He mumbled, "and there is a pony coming to kill you right now. He's been attacking the compound, and he's on his way as we speak..."

Giving Minion a smug smolder, she asked in a taunting tone, "And who is this pony coming after me? Hmm?"

"The... T-The... The armored one, your radiance."

"Ha!" Big Lot laughed, hopping down from her bed. "Get the guards! Kill him! What are we worried about! And where's that idiot, Scooter? Get him to bring me back my toys!"

Minion gulped, "I'm afraid most of our soldiers are..."

Big Lot stood before the massive stallion, pouting at him and tapping her hoof impatiently against the ground. "Aaand? Where are they?"

"They're..." Minion hesitated as he tried to find the courage to answer Big Lot, "...dead, your radiance..."

Bewildered, Big Lot raised an eyebrow at the cowardly stallion. "Are you telling me that most of my soldiers are dead and my compound is under attack?"

"Y-Yes..." He replied quietly.

Glaring at Minion with a stare so contemptful it could pierce the soul of anypony, she screamed. "Incompetent! Useless! Stupid ponies! All of you!"

Minion flinched, and readdressed her. "What is it you wish to do, your radiance?"

Big Lot planted her hoof firmly upon her face. "What do you think, you oversized numb-nut? We need to kill that stupid pony!"

"But, your radiance..." Minion insisted.

"NO! I want him dead!" She declared, stomping her hooves fiercely.

As her tantrum grew, Big Lot stomp and screamed wildly. "I want his head now! I want it! I want it! I want it! I want it!"

Minion gulped, and felt intense anxiety attack him as he bowed to Big Lot. "A-as you wish...”

Once the cooperative response graced Big Lot’s tiny ears, her intense fit ceased. In its stead, a wicked, cruel smile formed as she chuckled to herself. "He'll be dead! Yes! Dead! We'll go to the hall where the rest of my soldiers will be waiting. And when he comes in, BANG! Dead pony! Dead pony! Hahaha!"

Regret stirred in Minion. There was no doubt in is his mind, he was terrified. "Let's go!" Big Lot commanded, rushing out the door of her room.

"Summon the rest of my guards! Today, that pony dies!" Big Lot yelled, as she ran off to play the most dangerous game she would ever play in her life.

The double weathered doors leading into the old storage building were bucked vigorously inward by Wester. A deep, crimson, sparkling aura coated both python revolvers as they floated in front of him. The triggers of both weapons were ready to fire at anypony, anyone, or anything that would dare stand in front of him. Entering the first dark hallway of the building, Wester was spotted by three Legion soldiers.

Before they could draw their weapons, or even say a word to him, the heavy and loud bullets ripped through their flesh. Accurately, each shot Wester fired tore straight through the armor of the ponies sending the guards to the ground blood spitting profusely out of their wounds. Down the hallway Wester went, as he felt the coming encounter approach, a faint feeling of refined anxiety was stuck in his chest.

Feeling the beats of his heart increase in speed, he walked past the bodies and towards the next set of doors that lead into the room where he believed Big Lot was. Behind him, Wester could hear the echoes of his friends shout out his name.

"Stop, Wester!" They cried out. "We can still leave! Stop this!"

It was Lucy's voice that rang out the most distinctly above all the others. Unlike all the other voices that shouted his name, her's was the most heartfelt. The one that was filled with the most sincere dread, and the most earnest worry. He channeled out the voices, focusing only on the objective ahead.

"I must fulfill my objective..." He mumbled to himself, "I must... Fulfill my... Objective..."

With his hind legs, he positioned himself only feet away from the next set of doors. With a single decisive kick, he bashed the doors wide open. Throughout the hall, several soldiers were positioned behind steel supports columns. Rifles of every kind were pointed at Wester’s general direction.

"Wester, stop!"

As soon as he heard Lucy’s call, every gun in the room fired. Together, rifle’s blasts created a thunderous symphony accompanied by a show of hypnotizing muzzles flashing. Wester deftly rolled to the side and took cover behind the nearest steel column he could find. As a downpour of brass casings fell to the ground and bullets flew past Wester’s head, a young filly laughed.

Big Lot’s laugh was high and maniacal. Almost positive in tone and blissful in pitch. "Die!" she guffawed, "DIE!"

Breathing in deeply, Wester knew what needed to be done. He could either take a chance and try to shoot the soldiers, or he could wait to die. He listened carefully to the direction of the gunshots. When the barrage stopped as the soldier’s reloaded, Wester took a chance.

Wester dove from the cover of his pillar, and quickly aimed his pistols. Wester fired shot after deadly shot at the soldier’s heads. At the end of the grand hall, Big Lot poked her head over the top of her large, black leather throne. Her eyes were wide and twitching with excitement as she screamed for her soldiers to kill Wester.

But nothing, not even the soldiers before Wester, could stop his advance. The bullets grazed and dented his armor served only to drive him further. Desperate soldiers fell as Wester’s bullets tunneled through their bodies; some tried to cover their wounds from spilling more blood with their hooves; a few others tried to crawl away; and a desperate minority tried to heal their severed limbs by drinking a sip of a healing potion; but no matter what they did, they all died, and they had failed to even slow Wester down. It was as if everything around Wester moved in slow motion. From the loud blasts of the guns to the dying cries of pain from the soldiers, everything was slow and dragging.

Halfway through the hall, Wester darted off to the side, emptying the spent shells in his pistols as he moved. When he was in cover, Wester found that his pistols were nearly out of ammunition. Undeterred, Wester latched onto a dead soldier’s rifle, and leapt back into the fray. One by one, the last of the soldiers fell until Big Lot, Minion, and two soldiers were all that was left.

The once peppy and sadistic laughter of the filly was gone, for Big Lot had learned a valuable lesson -- losing a game wasn’t very fun.

"Quick!" She screamed, panic-stricken. "Shoot him! Shoot him!"

Minion charged at Wester like a massive, powerful ox. The two soldiers behind Minion abstained from shooting Wester in order to avoid friendly fire. Using the last bullet inside his left pistol, Wester carefully aimed at the furious stallion’s head.

Wester fired and Minion’s eyes went wide as a single bullet lodged itself between his now lifeless eyes.

Crashing to the ground, Minion slid off to the side. The final two soldiers now stared at the body of the only pony that could have stopped Wester. Now looking at Wester, the two threw down their guns and ran straight for the bashed-in doors.

"Fuck this!" One of the soldiers exclaimed. "I want to live!"

Wester let the two soldiers leave the room, he was too focused on Big Lot now. Tears pooled in the corners of Big Lot’s wide, fearful eyes. The filly's jaw was dropped as she looked looked at the destruction Wester had wrought.

Glancing to the bodies of her fallen guards, Big Lot whimpered. "Guards?"

Looking to her now fallen servant, Minion, tears gently started to roll down her tiny cheeks. "M-minion?" She sobbed, realizing just how dangerous of a situation she had fallen into.

Wester stood silent for a moment. Covered in a series of dents, bullet scratches and dots of fresh blood. Ominously, his single crimson visor stared at her, as she too looked back at him, terrified.

"Pl-please..." She mewled, stepping down from her chair, and backing away from Wester in fear.

Climbing the few, short stairs leading up to her throne, Wester closed in on her. Fearful for her own life, she backed away. Soon, her flank touched the wall as she had reached the end. The enraged armored monster was just a few feet away from her now. In his right revolver, Wester saw that he had one bullet left. One single bullet was all it would take. It was all he needed to end Big Lot’s reign of slavery and bloodshed.

Cocking the hammer of the pistol back he placed the end of the barrel firmly against her small forehead. Tears poured down the sides of her face as she quivered and shook, feeling the cold steel against her flesh.

"Wester!" Neo shouted from the other end of the hall.

Wester ignored the group and prepared to end Big Lot's life. The group dashed from the end of the hall, but they halted immediately when Wester sternly commanded them to, “Stop.”

The could only watch Wester in horror. Ally stepped forward and called out to Wester. "Please, let's go! There's nothing left for us here!"

"Listen to her, Wester!" Neo added. "Forget about your objective! She's just a filly!"

"I need to do this!" Wester exclaimed pressing the barrel harder against her trembling head.

"No, you don't, Wester." Lucy said, softly.

Wester froze. And turned his head slightly, to glance at the group from the corner of his visor. Lucy walked past the group, and more closely to Wester. "It's my objective! My purpose is to kill her and save you!" Wester cried.

Lucy kept an almost unnerving straightness to her face, as she stared a soul-piercing glare of determination at him. "Wester," She cooed warmly, "this isn't you. This isn't the Wester you were."

"It is my purpose! She will die!" he shouted furiously.

Lucy looked down to the ground, a mournful shadow cast over her eyes. "Then, before you kill her and destroy what you once were, could you do me one last favor?"

Wester was silent, and did not respond to her. "Could you remember me? Remember the times we spent together and who you were. Just try. That way, I know the old Wester is still, somewhere in there..."

There was nothing he could do. He couldn't move, or speak. Like a solid, frozen mountain, he could not move. Would he even bother to remember Lucy? Could he? What did she mean by that, anyways? Who was he before? Despite the hate that festered and boiled inside him, he tried to think back. Try as he might, his focus only got him so far. Not a single memory came to him.

Lucy was on the verge of tears, as she stood there in the hall mumbling to herself quietly. "Try... For me..."

There was a flash. A blanket of pure, blinding light that surrounded his body. An feeling of weightlessness followed and an he felt an incredible sensation that he had not felt in a while: a breezy wind calmly blowing against his fur. ’But, how could I... My whole body is encased in armor...’ Wester thought.

As the light slowly faded, Wester found that he was somewhere that wasn’t Big Lot’s throne room. In fact, he was outside, in the middle of a cool, breezy day. Like everyday in the wastes the dark, thick grey clouds blanketed the sky, and the chilling wind blew gently against him. The ground was loose and dusty. However, he noticed a blurry object in front of him.

Suddenly, the object before him came into focus. Taking shape and form, Wester could see a small, trembling, grey, and dirt covered pegasus filly sitting in front of him. The filly looked up at him as she firmly pressed her back against against a small rock. In place of his gun, Wester extended his foreleg to the cowering little filly. It was an unarmored, normal foreleg with crimson fur that was only covered by the sleeve of a brown coat.

She hid her face with her tiny hooves, protecting herself from him. Wester was confused at first, but he kneeled down and gave her a reassuring smile anyway. "Hey," he said tenderly, "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

The filly continued to shield herself from him, and refused to reply out of the fear of stranger.

"Are you alone?" Wester asked.

She did not reply. "Do you have a mom? A dad? A brother or sister, maybe?"

Upon realizing that asking these questions was futile, Wester tried a different tactic. Taking a seat next to her, and placing his back against the rock, Wester sat down on the cold, dry floor. He hummed a song as she remained shivering next to him. Wester noticed this and removed the long brown trench coat on his body.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

She moved her small hooves from her face, and looked up at him. Without saying a thing, she nodded briefly. Once again, he smiled at her affectionately as he wrapped the warm coat around her small body.

"There," he declared with accomplishment. "Much better. Don't you think?"

She held the warm coat and snuggled it, feeling the warmth come onto her. "See?" Wester chuckled, "Nice and warm."

For a moment she kept her eyes off of him as the two listened to the wind howl in the distance. "Soooo," Wester sung, "What's your name? My name is Wester. I'm a traveler."

"Aaaand..." He hummed leaning closely to her placing a hoof by the side of his mouth, "I'm a part-time pirate." He whispered to her.

She giggled at him. "You're not a pirate."

Wester gasped, and reeled himself back. Moving his hoof over his heart he replied in an exaggerated and stuffy voice, "Why, I say! See here, young miss! I'll have you know, I am the most feared pirate in the land! Captain Wester is what they call me!"

"But," He started whispering to her, "you need to keep it a secret. I can't have just any old pony know that I'm a famous captain."

The filly giggled at him, "You're silly..."

Wester grinned, "I try."

"My name is..." The filly tried speaking, only to find it difficult at first, "Lucy. Lucy Luck."

"Huh," Wester said with a sigh, "that's a Lucky kind of name."

"Hey!" Wester declared merrily, "How do you like that name, Lucy? Lucky. You know? I think it suits you better. Or would you rather have me call you Lucy?"

"No," Lucy muttered, "Lucky is fine."

"Then so it shall be!" Wester declared in a comedically dramatic way. "Lucky it is! So says I, Captain Wester!"

Wester laughed for a moment before returning to the filly at his side. "So then, Ms. Lucky, where's your folks? Surely a nice little one such as yourself has a mom and dad."

Lucy closed her eyes and buried her face in the coat warm coat around her body. "Was... Was it something I said?" Wester asked apologetically.

"No..." Lucy murmured sadly.

"Then, at the very least could you tell me what a little thing like you is doing out here?"

"I-I..." The little filly stuttered, trying to find her words. "I was trying to get to my uncle's."

"All by yourself?" Wester asked.

She looked at the ground mournfully, tightening the coat around her. "Where does your uncle live?"

"He lives in Silvermane City. It's so far away, though. And I'm all al-alone..."

She was at the verge of crying. Seeing this, Wester put a reassuring hoof over her shoulder. "Hey there, don't cry. It'll be okay."

"Listen, kiddo," Wester proposed, "I was heading on my way there anyway. How about you come with me? That way you don't have to be alone anymore."

"I don't know. I'm so scared. I just..."

"Don't worry," Wester said giving her a kindly smile. "We'll go together."

She looked up to him with hopeful eyes. "Do... Do you know where Silvermane City is?"

Wester nodded. "I sure do, kiddo. And I know the fast route. So we'll get there in no time!"

Lucy smiled, enjoying the thought of seeing her uncle in Silvermane City. Ruffling her shaggy blond mane, Wester smiled. "Don't worry, kiddo. We’ll get you to your uncle’s. I promise..."

Then the world submerged him in a bright, shining white light, again. A repetitive beeping sounded in his ear, followed by an electronic mare's voice that commanded him through his helmet.

"Objective: Kill Big Lot. Objective: Kill Big Lot. Objective... Objective... Objective..." The voice faded as Wester saw what he was doing.

It was as if he had never left, Big Lot stood petrified as Wester’s pistol was pressed against her head. Horrified, Wester immediately holstered his weapons. A new feeling came over him. It was a rejuvenating sensation of freedom. A feeling, at least, that he could not recall ever having. Turning away slowly from Big Lot, Wester stepped down the few, low steps leading up to the leather chair Big Lot had once sat upon.

Looking at the group silently, Wester approached Lucy, her eyes were red and moist. "W-Wester?" Lucy muttered.

Wester stood before Lucy. Looking down at her, he used one of his metal hooves to gently wipe away the tears on her cheek. He wrapped his hooves around her, hugging her. There was a respectful silence from the group as they watched the two embrace.

"I'm sorry, Lucky..." Wester said softly.

“I am sorry too, Wester. For shouting at you...”

His hug tightened slightly, “Can you forgive me? For what I’ve done here. For the way I acted...”

Sniffling, Lucy smiled. "It's okay, you big oaf. I still love you."

Letting go of Lucy, Wester turned his attention towards the group. In a low, sincere voice he spoke to them. "Come on, let's get out of here. There’s nothing else left to do..."

Kind, heartwarming smiles were spread around the group as they trotted off to the exit. As they departed, Big Lot felt a fury rise inside her. Gritting her teeth, she yelled at the group as they strode off.

"That's right! Run! I knew you couldn't do it! You're weak! Weak!"

A deep, blazing orange brightly coated the cloud covered sky above like a vibrant mural of watercolors. In the far distance, and nestled against the wall that spanned for miles was the dark and silent border settlement of Jurkytown. Not a single soul stirred in the streets, and everypony that was left hid in their houses. Silence. Complete, tranquil silence. Waiting in the rolling was the group of slaves that had escaped.

Tiredly, they shuffled about, kicking rocks and gazing at the blazing, twisting sky above. M stood impatiently amongst the group, tapping her hoof and biting her lower lip. One of the slaves, a stallion, approached M.

"Do you think they're okay?" The stallion asked.

"I'm not sure," M muttered nervously.

Gently patting M on the back, the stallion he reassured her. "They're a brave bunch. I'm sure they're on their way back as we speak."

"Yeah," M sighed, gazing off into the distant settlement. "As we speak..."

The stallion trotted off to rejoin the other slaves, leaving M alone to look out for the group. M saw five, tiny figures advancing from the hills below her. It was difficult to tell who or what the five figures were. Perhaps they could be soldiers Big Lot sent to recapture them. Or perhaps they were a pack of wild dogs.

Placing her hoof to her brow, she squinted tightly peering carefully at the quickly approaching figures. With each moment that passed the dark, formless characters took shape, and soon their bodies could be seen in full detail from her position. A grin of exuberant joy formed onto her formerly despaired face. As, to her surprise, it was the group she and the others had waited for. Bolting across the hills, a trail of dust picked up behind them.

"It's them!" M called to the group of slaves. "They're back!"

The everypony's ears perked up at the mere mention of such good news. Gathering alongside M, the slaves watched the small group of ponies approach them.

Putting a hoof against the side of her mouth, M called out to them. "We're over here!"

Watching the ponies come closer and closer intensified the feeling of hope M had. When the group arrived, they were greeted by the thankful hugs and overjoyed praise of the slaves. Beaming smiles and warming comments touched the hearts of each member of the group. Rubbing the back of his neck shyly, Neo blushed faintly.

"Hey, it's okay, guys. Honestly, it was nothing."

Adam shook other ponies hooves, greeting them. "Yeah, what brother said."

M stepped up to the group, tenderly smiling. "To them, what you did was more than just nothing. It was everything."

"Well, I'm glad to see they're enjoying their freedom." Lucy added.

M nodded, looking to the bright, joyful faces of the former slaves. "They are. Only, now that we're free, we don't know where to go. I don't know a place that wouldn't turn us back into the Legion."

"You could try Silvermane Tower." Ally suggested.

"Affirmative," Wester agreed, "they will take you in. The freelancers and owners of the establishment will treat you fairly, despite the guardian's crude laziness."

"I've heard of the place," M said with a slight twinge of uncertainty in her voice, "but how far is it? Which direction do we go?"

Wester pointed towards the direction of Silvermane Tower. "Go west for a few miles. It is a large structure. You can't miss it."

"I guess that's our best bet then." M said thankfully, as she stared into the west.

The gentle breeze of the morning wind brushed against the fur of everypony. In a way, it was calming. Feeling the coolness gave them a sense of freedom.

Returning her gaze to the group, she added, "But how can I repay you? Your group did so much for us. I mean, you told us about a place to live. Helped me free these ponies, and stopped Big Lot. I'm... I'm speechless..."

"Heh," Neo chuckled, "you don't have to do anything. You helped us get out of there. And that’s good enough for us."

Adam stood next to his brother, and looking up into Neo's hopeful eyes he nodded. "And we have to go on with ours. We still have somepony to find. Somewhere out there."

"Well," M replied, "I guess this is the goodbye then..."

"Yeah," Ally sighed heavily, "just make sure you stay safe on your trip, okay?"

M nodded, "We will. These folks have been cooped up in that settlement forever. I bet they're just itching to start walking."

Lucy chuckled. "Well I know we're not looking forward to it. We've still got a long way to go after all."

M turned from the group and whistled loudly to the liberated slaves. Waving her hoof in the air, M motioned for them to follow her. "Come on! We've got a lot of ground to cover!" She shouted.

As they pooled behind her, M started to lead them westward. Watching her and the other ponies march off to the west made the group smile. A tingling gratefulness filled the chests of each pony. They were free. Each and every one of the ponies they helped. And now they could live how they wanted, for all of time. Before M made it to the next hill, she looked back at the group.

Calling out to them, she said, "Take care!"

"You too!" Adam called back in response.

While they couldn't see the sun, its bright orange light seeped through the clouds behind them. Leaving the group alone on the top of the hill watching the slaves and M wander off into the vast distance and out of sight.

"Well, where are we heading?" Adam asked, looking to the east.

"Same place we were heading to before," Ally replied smiling.

Neo patted Wester on the back wholeheartedly. "Yep! And with Wester and Lucy all friends again, there's nothing that can stop us!"

Neo yawned loudly as soon as he finished his sentence. "However, a lack of sleep might stop us."

"Nah, we'll be fine. You're a tough pony, ain't ya, Neo?" Lucy smirked at him.

"Oh, and by the way," Lucy added, leaning closely to Neo, "don't bring up that I cried again. If you do, I'll sock you a new one."

Neo gulped, and smiled nervously. "Heh, sure thing, Lucy."

Wester, looking at the east, said, "I believe that if we wish to reach the eastern provincial mountains, we'll need to travel through the northwest outskirts of Silvermane City."

"How far is that from here?" Ally asked.

"About ten miles. It is devoid of raiders and has little to no Legion influence." Wester answered.

"Great, once we get there we can rest, right? I'm beat after last night." Neo moaned, feeling the lack of sleep slowly effect his body.

"Affirmative. We can all rest."

Lucy nudged Wester playfully in the foreleg. "I thought you didn't sleep much?"

Wester ignored the question and cleared his throat. "...Let's move. The sun is moving, and we’re wasting time by remaining stationary."

For the first time in years, Lucy something new in Wester. Something that showed he wasn't just a computerized soldier whose purpose was to mindlessly follow programs and orders. No, he was something more now. Though, she could not put hoof directly on it she felt what it was, she didn’t mind. For now, the feeling alone was good enough for her.

The group trudged off into east. It was the dawn of a new day, and regardless of their mishaps at the border, they felt happy. It was a joy that, for the longest time, none of them had truly felt. And for once, the new day looked brighter than it had ever been before.

Footnote: Level Up

New Perk: Through Hell and... Somewhere: Because of your hardships traversing the wastes, you now receive a +20 XP bonus for every new location you discover. Additionally, you will receive a healing boost that lasts for ten minutes with each discovery.

Footnote: Level Up

Would you like to level up Adam as well?

Yes-

No

New Perk: There Comes a Time...: If you wait for a day (from morning to the dawn of the next day) you will receive a health and healing bonus for 25 minutes. This perk becomes inactive if the player waits less than 2 hours in the day. Once the day/night cycle restarts, the perk will reactivate.

Proofread By:

Noakwolf.

LyonAzakura.

Dannykat.

Thefullmetalbrony.

(AN: Wow, long chapter, right? Despite its long length, I really liked writing this one. I especially enjoyed writing Big Lot and Scooter. I can guarantee the next chapter won’t be as long. Anyway, see you in the next chapter!)