The day began calmly, as any other would. I woke up to the sound of an alarm and got ready for work. Brushed my teeth, put on my gear for work at the factory, and out the door I went.
I didn't see anyone right away, naturally. It was too early in the morning for most ponies to be up and ready for the day. I passed some of my work-buddies in the hallways of the apartment building I live in. To them I gave only a short nod, then a quick pat on the shoulder to the ones that I favored a bit more. It wasn't awkward at all.
Well, to call them my work-buddies would be inaccurate. They're more like acquaintances that sort-of grew on me over time. I was always a bit of a lone wolf, meaning I prefer to work on my own instead of with a group. But my line of work doesn't care if you want to stay alone.
I walked up onto the roof of my building and took a look around. The clouds were piling over the city today, and it hid half of the sights from view. They still somehow maintained their puffiness despite being broken by land. The sun shone down strong and reflected off the whiteness of the fluffy masses. It will always amaze me how that works, but I'll never take the time to learn why.
No, of course I won't learn about clouds, my passion is machines. The complex work behind them and the infinite possibilities that are presented when we open our minds to such a thing. There's a whole world out there just waiting to be discovered. The world of industry was one that I wanted to be a part of.
And that was why I applied for this job, working as an assembler in a clockwork factory. Working for the company that shared my interest, "Skyline Corp." or just Skyline for short. That's what it said on the business card, and the stock headlines gave us the abbreviation of SKY.
The Skyline Corp. arose at the start of the new era, the history books say around year 900. It has done nothing but improve and create since then, and I'm glad to be a part of it. The first invention it released, thought up by its CEO, a unicorn named Handsome Masquerade, was called the Fet-Hook. It was met with an overwhelming success, and the stock shot up by about 150 points on the first day. The invention itself was very simple. It was a mechanized hook that was attached to a metal band. The band would be slipped over your hoof and the hook itself was retractable. It almost makes me laugh, thinking about how it was something nopony thought they would need, then you suddenly couldn't live without it. The only reason it was so big was that it just gave an extra option for holding and handling objects. Who would've thought that a blunt hook would turn out to be so big?
Over time, the Fet-Hook users grew in number, until it seemed that every pony had one. It was almost government rationed by that point. And Skyline just sat back and reaped the benefits. They slowly began to achieve economic dominance by buying out smaller businesses that couldn't stay afloat. They just got absorbed and assimilated into that juggernaut of a company.
Then the market was struck again by Skyline's next contribution to history in 913; a line of mods for the Fet-Hook. The original design had kept open slots on the mechanized portion of the band, and we all realized that they had done that on purpose. The modifications ranged from hedge clippers to dining utensils, but one thing was guaranteed; it would always come in handy.
But the mod that sold the fastest among the non-flying population, which was and still is most of it, was the Rolling Hook Mod. It would attach in one of the open slots on the band and connect with the clockwork that retracted the original hook. The design of the mod itself was very similar to the original hook, except that the straight piece of metal led to wind-up mechanics that spun a series of four hooks instead of having a stationary one. It wound up just like any other clock, you wind a winch and the kinetic energy keeps it spinning for the rest of the day. But, part of the band's design blocked the spin, so it only rotated when it wasn't retracted.
Why, you ask, would the ponies need something like this? Well, part of Skyline's contribution with this invention was the proposal of a sky rail system that would work like train tracks. It would cross all over New Canterlot and allow for speedier delivery of cargo and, after a bunch of adolescents were witnessed doing it, ponies. There were some ramifications that needed to be cleared, but the general idea was that any member of the populace that possessed the Rolling Hook Mod would be able to use it to literally roll through the sky.
Naturally, pegasi didn't buy this mod, as they had no need for it, but the rest of the population ran through it like water.
The sky rail system that was proposed went under review by the monarchs of the city, King Levity and Queen Harmonics. It was passed immediately, and it went into construction within a week of it going through Parliament. It actually finished about four years ago.
But, while Skyline had its focus primarily on the business class and the industrial side of the economy, another company began to grow in the background. It started to release its own set of modifications for the Fet-Hook, which wasn't illegal, considering how Skyline had overlooked filing a patent for the creation of mods. The funds from their own modifications gave them enough money to buy into the trade of goods and other necessities of everyday life. They've changed names many times since they first entered into the public's eye, but the one that they go by now is Everclear Enterprises.
The company claimed to be founded by, and ran by, a pegasus pony that goes by the name of Strong Steed. There is still no concrete evidence as to whether or not he truly exists, but rumors float around town constantly, most concerning his past. The only reason I know that they're rumors is that I've never heard the same one out of two different ponies' mouths.
One thing that's true though is that the two companies have been vying for economic dominance since they were created. Each have been trying to one-up the other in different schemes for years now. Every time Skyline releases a new mod, Everclear finds a way to reverse engineer it and then improve upon it. It's a bitter, endless cycle, and it's been going on for about four years now, ever since the sky rails were completed around the city.
But, Everclear recently released a ground-breaking new technology. It was a chemical bio-enhancer that could rewrite the consumer's genetic code to give them fantastic powers. They were called Kicks. Each Kick was fueled by the amount of Salts in one's body, Salts being another product from Everclear. They were just released on the market, so there aren't that many yet in circulation, and I have yet to see one. Rumor has it that earth and pegasus ponies that possess Kicks will become even more powerful than unicorns
I took a deep breath and stepped to the edge of the roof I was on. Time to go to work. I fell.
The wind whipped around me and tore at my uniform. I spread-eagled, slowing my descent by a fraction. My eyes stung, and I reached a hoof up to bring down the copper-lined goggles that I always wore. I struggled to keep my mouth shut because of all the air I was rushing through.
I looked down at my left foreleg. The Fet-Hook sat there, gleaming in the slight amount of sunlight that reached me. I scrutinized the mechanics on it, making sure that the correct mod was selected. The Rolling Hook Mod was, of course, selected. I never really take it off.
I flicked my hoof and the four hooks extended and began to rotate as expected. I smiled in preparation of what comes next. I looked down to see the sky rail coming into view. It looked like a rounded train track, with a second rail running parallel to it. Each one was necessary for ponies to ride on it going opposite directions, and having both was needed to transport cargo. I aimed for the right rail.
I extended my foreleg, preparing for the slight jolt that comes from falling that great distance. I don't know how they mitigate the impact of the hook striking the metal, but I don't question a gift like that.
It hit with the clang of metal striking metal, and off I sped, hook trailing sparks, in the direction of my factory.
I rode for a few minutes in peace, trying to get a glimpse through the clouds I was passing through to look at the tall buildings around me and the other sky rails that curved around the area. I and soon heard the sound of a ringing bell coming from in front of me. Two red lights made their presence known. Two red lights that signaled a slow-moving cargo box.
My eyes scanned the city around me, looking for a way to get past the cargo unharmed. I spotted another rail not too far off on my left. I swung my legs back, then forward, building up momentum for the jump. After two repetitions, the lights were right in front of me. My hook left the rail, and I soared through the air with fantastic speed. Even though everything's magnetized, I didn't want to risk not getting momentum on my rail jumps.
My hook landed again on the other rail, going in the same direction. I breathed out a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that everything's magnetized. Even so, I didn't want to risk not getting momentum on my rail-to-rail jumps.
I looked forward once again and scanned for danger. Nothing was present to interrupt my ride.
I ground along in peace for a few moments, then I passed out of the cloud and got a look at the main building of the factory that I worked in.
It was huge. It took up half the mountain, and was made of dark gray bricks that gave it a solid foundation. It took up a large part of the mountainside, and I could see sky rails crossing all around and through it, each leading to a different section of the factory. The rail I was on lead towards a balcony that functioned as the workers entrance. Well, those that favored sky travel at least.
I passed over the threshold and my vision was enveloped in darkness.
Naturally the workday ended with me almost catching on fire again, much to the amusement of my few acquaintances. We gathered around the exit and chatted for a few minutes about the political and economic scene around us. A half-friend pulled a newspaper out of one of the pockets of his blue worker's overalls. The headlines were the same as they had been for some time now.
Strong Steed's Done it Again!
"That Everclear is gonna run us out of business someday, I tell ya!" A grey pegasus next to me exclaimed.
"Nah, that'll never happen!" Retorted a dark brown earth pony.
"Oh yeah? And why not?"
"Have you seen the stocks lately? Or checked our company's income reports? How about comparing employee wages? The Skyline's over Everclear by at least 65 points, we've been in the black by a margin of 40%, and our wages are damn-near double what Everclear's paying. We have it great here! If anything, Everclear's going under."
The pegasus snorted and looked away, clearly upset at losing the argument to a pony that was more knowledgeable.
"But what about Everclear's latest release?" I asked.
The earth pony fixed his eyes on me, as if suddenly acknowledging my presence. "I don't expect that to get very far, all things considered. Unicorns can already do all of that stuff anyway," he replied.
"And have you heard about the threats to the throne?" said some pony in the back of our huddle.
"Threats? Psh, those are just rumors. Nopony would be crazy enough to even attempt taking the throne. They all have too much respect for the rulers before our time." The mood darkened as he spoke about our past rulers.
We know almost everything about the disaster. The Elements of Harmony overcharged from mana gain, and set off a blast that totaled Canterlot. Most of the mountain was consumed in the explosion; the only place left untouched was the Economic District on the far east side, the farthest away from the palace. It took the lives of thousands, including those of the Princesses Celestia and Luna. They are still honored even now, almost 100 years later.
The statement was undoubtedly the conversation killer, and ponies began to disperse. Right before I hopped on the rails to go back home, I heard a voice call to me, "Copper Bearings! Where do you think you're going?"
A small smile grew on my face as I recognized the voice of my good friend and mechanical engineer, Rusty Joints.
I turned to face him. Rusty was dressed in the industry standard for Engineers, blue coveralls that were mostly dominated by metal armor. The forges that they worked at could be extremely dangerous, and the armor protected against not only the heat, but also machines that could be very . . . damaging to one's health. The light-blue and blonde maned pegasus and I had met a few years back. We were both applying to the Skyine Corp. and our applications had somehow gotten mixed up. I'll never truly understand how they messed up the different names and jobs forms.
"Rusty, how goes things up in the shop? And what are you doing down here on the 'Workers' Level?" I added that last part with a nervous smile. The social norm wasn't usually to have a mix of job status on each floor. The Workers hung with the Workers, the Engineers with the Engineers, the Crafters with the Crafters, and the top floor was reserved for the Chairponies only.
"What? Am I not allowed to pop down a level and say hi to my hard-working companion?" He asked jokingly.
"Well, not really. See those two over there?" I gestured with a nod of my head to two ponies behind him.
He turned to look. "Yeah?"
"See the stare they're giving you?"
"....Yeah?"
"That's not a good stare."
"Oh."
I cuffed him on the shoulder lightly and said, "Let's get out of here."
He turned to look back at me. "Alright," he grumbled.
We hopped on the sky rail and rode the rest of the way back to the apartment building in silence. The screech of metal on metal grinding makes it a little hard to hold a conversation.
When we made it back, we left each others' company with a short, "See you later," then I headed down the stairs back to my apartment.
Thoughts spun through my head while I laid down in the darkness of my room. Will things ever change? This battle Skyline and Everclear are fighting seems to have no end in sight. And as industry develops, how far is each going to go in order to get the upper hand?
I rolled over onto my side. And what about the differences is factory class? The look those other workers were giving Rusty didn't exactly speak of kindness. Should things change? Is that good?
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. So many questions to know what to do with. All the questions and none of the answers.
The next day was a carbon-copy of the one before. Same routine, same schedule, same work at the factory. It wasn't getting boring, no. It just can seem repetitive sometimes. That's just life I guess. Ponies weren't made to do the same thing over and over again without tiring of it.
One thing was different though. The usual posse, instead of chattering loudly, had each of their heads buried in newspapers. Each face displayed some form of shock, and I rushed over to see what was the matter. I muscled my way into the circle and peered over the shoulder of the dark brown earth pony from yesterday.
DEATH ON THE THRONE!
According to flying police reports last night, our fair rulers, King Levity and Queen Harmonics were found dead in their chambers at approximately 2:41 this morning. Early analysis reveals evidence of strangulation. The murder weapon was found not ten hoofs from the bodies, a strip of rope taken from one of the drapes hanging nearby. Who could have committed such a deed? Our survey says- [Continued on page D12]
My jaw was on the floor, just like the rest of those who surrounded me. The news was devastating. I knew government would choose replacement rulers for the time until we could choose new ones, but it was still shocking. My mind flew to the thoughts of who could do such a thing. Who would instigate the collapse that's sure to follow the deaths of our rulers?
Looks like change is going to happen after all. Whether for good or bad, change is change.
I went to sleep that night with my mind racing. It was shocking, to say the least, to hear that supposed immortals were so viciously murdered. Of course, I went back to who killed them. A Griffin assassin maybe? Possibly a zebra from Zebracia? Hmmph. I don't know what to think. All I know is that tomorrow won't be the same as other days.
Minutes passed, and I felt no more tired. I checked the clock on my nightstand, the brightness of the moon providing just enough light to make out the numbers on its face. It read 2:32, presumably in the morning. I sighed and tried to calm my mind down.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, I was jolted by a crashing sound coming from far below, followed by the deep rhythm of beating drums. I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. To the window I flew like a flash.
I tore open the shutters and threw up the sash, and looked down to try to catch a glimpse of where the noise was coming from. I couldn't see down to the street, due to the angle and position of my window, but a red glow was cast on the face of the building facing mine. Shadows of ponies holding various . . . items were dancing along its walls.
Something's wrong. Something's very wrong." I raced to the exit of my room, fearing the worst.
I entered the hallway and sprinted for the stairs. Just before my hoof reached the knob of the door, it burst open and knocked me back. I rolled back and got up immediately, preparing myself for any situation.
Now that I was up, I got a better look at who opened the door on me. Two ponies wearing similar clothing, very pale green suits over a white shirt coupled with a green tie, stepped into the hallway. The one on my left was a stallion, and the one on my right was a mare. The only difference in their clothing was that the mare was wearing a skirt.
"Oh dear," said the mare.
"I believe we've startled him," added on the stallion.
"We can't have that, now can we?" the mare looked towards the stallion.
"No, we can't. What do you suppose we do about it?" the stallion asked.
"Umm..." the mare lifted a hoof to her chin in thought. My eye cringed from the strange display in front of me.
"Maybe we should just let him be on his way," the stallion suggested.
"That sounds like a plan," the mare said. Then, to me, she said, "Carry on, good sir."
"Uhh . . . thanks." I managed to walk past the two and began to make my way up the stairs.
After a few flights taken in stride, I heard the mare's voice echo faintly up the staircase. "He wasn't supposed to know about us until Chapter 3."
The stallion's voice replied, "Not much we can do about it now, I guess. After all, change is change, and change is coming."
Before I could ponder what she meant about the chapter comment, something about the stallion's last sentence made me stop mid step. What was that he just said? 'Change is change?' Suddenly, my head began to throb painfully, and I reached a hoof up to my face. I touched the edge of my snout and my hoof came back away bloody. A nosebleed?
I wiped away the blood and continued running up the stairs. When I reached the roof, I sprinted to the edge and looked down and around. Plumes of smoke rose over the tops of buildings, and the streets below were in chaos. Fires burned in several motorized carriages, and mobs of ponies were running around like mad. Papers were scattered all over the place, and one dark-coated mare stood on a box, calling out to the masses.
"You see what's happened! You've witnessed the lies and deceit with your own eyes! This is the last time we are monopolized by a corrupt economy! THIS HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH!" That statement rallied several cheers. "THE TIME IS NOW!" More cries could be heard from the mob now. "TAKE BACK YOUR CITY!" The mob frenzied with calls for justice and other ludicrous things.
I was stunned at the scene playing out below me. Lies and deceit? What is he talking about? All I knew was that the mob below was going to resort to extreme violence soon. A crowd like that only formed out of bloodlust, and I wasn't going to be anywhere near there when that time came.
I turned to exit the rooftop and run back to my room to gather my necessities. But, before I could open the door, a low note played out across the air, its tone similar to that of a foghorn. Oh, no.
I spun back around and looked around frantically. Who is it? My eyes caught on the light of the moon reflecting off of metal. Metal that was slowly rising over the the tops of the buildings around me. The sound of fiery jets made itself known to my ears, and they folded back against my head. Oh shit.
The Airship floated down above the crowd. The light of the fires allowed me to see that the metal was colored black, with highlights of gold running down the length. Police ponies gathered on the flat surface of the top, each wearing heavy armor. Riot control. The cabin at the back holding the pilot's room was lit up, and I couldn't see inside. I made out an Equestria flag flying on the back of the cabin. A missile turret could be seen poking out the bottom. A metal column jutted out the center of the topside of the airship, and two hooks hung out of either end.
[A/N: Picture is missing the hooks. Use your imagination.]
It hovered for a moment, then the missile turret fired a single shot into the crowd.
The projectile lodged in the ground, fracturing it deeply. Steam hissed out of its joints, and something that looked like a electric coil clanked out of the opening top. It beeped rapidly a few times, then a giant blue sphere spread out from the top, consuming the entire crowd and the lower half of the building I was standing on.
The crowd was shocked into silence, then it exploded into a frenzy. Ponies ran back and forth, looking to escape by any means necessary. I watched as several unicorns stopped and concentrated for a moment, then their mouths opened in surprise as their horns didn't light up in a teleportation spell.
It was complete, utter, chaos. Then, the Police Airship flew down, and the ten or so ponies on board jumped off. I watched as mods flicked out of their Fet-Hooks. They were nothing but long shafts of black metal. They were soon put to use on the crowd.
I looked away, but I could still hear the cries of pain below. I have to do something. Those people down there don't deserve this. The Police shouldn't be beating up on them. There's gotta be something I can do.
I looked back down, but not at the masses of ponies. My eyes were on the rails that were attached to the buildings around me. I clicked out my Fet-Hook and looked at a rail that curved upward to my left. My eyes followed its path down to the streets and directly above the crowd. That'll have to do.
I ran forward and jumped off the roof. My hook connected with the line just a few sickening seconds afterward. I ground along the line and raced towards the street below. My eyes scanned the streets, and I noticed a Police pony whaling on an older stallion trying to protect a graying mare directly below the sky rail I was on.
My eyes narrowed in immediate hatred and I leapt off the sky rail, front hooves first, aiming right for the Police pony. The Rolling Hook Mod was still extended, and still spinning dangerously fast.
The Police pony looked up at me right before I made contact. His eyes betrayed fear and he lifted his hooves up in a pathetic attempt at defending himself. My Hook connected with his face, and his body was sent flying away by the force of me punching him.
I stood there, panting for a moment as the full realization of what I just did hit me. I looked over at the body of the Police- no, the stallion - that I probably just killed. No, no, no, that's not what I wanted to happen! I didn't want to kill him! My mind silenced itself for a moment as I looked at the chaos around me. Did I?
I was broken out of my thoughts before I went into denial and shock by the ponies that I had saved. The stallion ran up to me and grasped me in a bloody hug. He was bruised and bleeding from multiple places on his body. "Thank you so much! My wife and I were only passing through here, trying to get away from all this insanity when the police intervened. I tried to explain to the stallion that we weren't a part of all this, but he wouldn't listen." His eyes focused on the mare, his wife, beside him. "I don't know what we would've done if you hadn't come along!"
"Did I kill him . . .?" I asked quietly.
"What?"
"Did I kill him?" I met his eyes and repeated my question louder.
He looked back at the unmoving body of the Police pony. After observing it for a few moments, he looked back at me. In a mixture of pity and confusion. "Yes, son. Yes you did."
The words struck straight through me like a hot knife through butter. I suddenly couldn't breathe. That was a living creature that I just put an end to. He probably had a family. Wife, foals, the whole deal. He probably didn't think much of his job coming over here. I couldn't tear my eyes off of the motionless body.
The old stallion put a weak hoof on my shoulder. "Easy now, calm down. I can see the panic in your eyes. Just breathe and try to think of something else."
I refocused my mind and closed my eyes. I thought about my job, my friend, and my past. I thought about the ponies that I had just saved from a certain death. That put my nerves at ease much more than I thought it would. I opened my eyes and looked back at the stallion.
He smiled, and said with kind eyes, "I know, the first time isn't easy. I worked in the military force when the Griffin Kingdom tried to invade in 973. I was a foalish young stallion back then, but I was taught to never think about the lives of those you had just ended. With the way things are progressing out here, I say that you do the same as I did."
He was right, I realized, there was no good on dwelling on something that horrific. It was a path that lead to nowhere. I looked around. 'Progressing' is one word for it.
Several ponies were fighting back against the force of the Police. Crates were being tossed, and a few pegasai were doing battle in the air just above us. I knew that I was going to have to join the fray again. I said the all-important "Thank you," to the old stallion, then I ran across the street to jump onto a hook that was hanging over the sidewalk.
I leapt up and secured fast to the hook. I looked amongst the chaos of the battle, searching for the ponies in the most need. I quickly spotted a few places were the mob members were struggling to fight back against the Police force. I chose the one closest to me and sprang into action.
Just as I did before, my hoof connected solidly with the Police pony, sending him- or her, rather - skittering across the street. The mare had a friend, apparently, because I noticed swift motion out of the corner of my eye. My hoof shot up and metal collided with metal as I blocked the attack of the Police stallion.
His baton stuck fast in the spinning hooks of my Mod, and he obviously wasn't getting it out very soon. Without thinking, I took advantage of the situation and brought my hoof down to the ground, jerking the Police pony forward a bit. Then, I retracted the Rolling Hook Mod, allowing the baton to slide free. But, before he had time to swing again, I spun right around and bucked him hard in the face.
He was unconscious immediately, and he was sent flying back against the wall. His limp body slid to the ground in a almost-comical fashion. I vaguely picked up on the "thank-you's" that were being called to me by the pony that I had just saved before I jumped back onto the sky rail I had rode in on.
I began to roll back up towards the roof before slowing down drastically and looking around at the scene below me. Several skirmishes were coming to a close, and there were only about three Police ponies left standing. The mob of rebels had just overwhelmed them by number, and they were pushing them into a triangle in the center of the street.
I saw my opportunity.
I jumped and spun around on the sky rail, looking for the Police Airship that had flown in a few minutes ago. I spotted it hovering above the streets, a little bit lower than the rail I was riding on. With little effort, I jumped from the rails to one of the hooks that hung on it.
From my position there, I easily detached onto the surface of the ship and calmly walked over to the pilot's cabin. I kicked in the door with a strong buck, betting that it was locked. Judging by the way it swung open, it was, in fact, unlocked.
The pilot jumped in his seat, startled by my sudden appearance. His eyes jumped around frantically, before settling on a spot on the dashboard to his right. To my horror, he happened to be looking directly at what looked like a Pistol Mod. Quick as a flash, he slammed his Fet-Hook down on the Mod, instantly latching onto its mechanized system. Before I could stop him, he fired at me in a panic.
I felt something sting the side of my right foreleg, then I rushed forward in a haze of red pain and fury. I unsnapped my Rolling Hook, then threw my hoof forward. The colt's neck caught between two of the hooks, then I cranked up the speed to three quarters max. It rotated quickly and snapped his neck.
I retracted the Mod and the colt's body fell to the floor, obviously dead. I looked at the body for a second in thought, then I made up my mind. I lifted his foreleg and unsnapped the retractable Pistol Mod. These were usually Police-regulated, and one sold on the streets would probably be hard to come by.
Having made modifications similar to this one at Skyline Factories, I knew exactly how they worked. I unsnapped the magazine and checked its loadout. It held twelve shots and worked on a basic firing system. I could probably work at it a bit to increase bullet speed and penetration. I could probably "borrow" some special ammo from the company too.
My analysis of the pistol done, I slammed it into one of my four empty Fet-Hook slots, selected it and then tried to extend and retract it. As I had expected, it worked perfectly. I selected my Rolling Hook Mod again.
I looked back up and moved to walk towards the dashboard. On my first step, I stumbled a bit. Looking down to see what was the matter, I noticed a gaping, bloody hole in the side of my right foreleg. Oh, shit. So that's what that sting was. I wasn't extremely concerned, given the fact that I've sustained worse injuries at work.
I tore off a sheet of blue fabric from the police pony's uniform and tied it tightly around the wound. That should stop the bleeding for a bit. Good.
With my leg taken care of, I looked back at the dashboard. It was an array of buttons, meters, and levers. A wheel dominated the center of it, sticking out in front of the chair the colt was lounging on.
I stepped forward and grabbed the wheel. There was a lever to my right, and I guessed that it controlled the vertical movement of the airship, while the wheel obviously steered it. A handle to my left looked like it would be the thrust, while a giant lever sticking out of the ground seemed like the brakes.
"I have no idea what I'm doing . . . But, I'll do my best."
I spun the wheel to the left until I believed I was facing the trapped Police ponies. Then, I grasped the lever on my right and pushed it down. As I had hoped, the airship started to point downward. I knew that this last part required finesse, and perfect timing.
Which is why I made the brilliantly cunning decision of slamming the throttle down, sprinting out the door of the cabin, and leaping onto the closest sky rail. I latched onto it and turned to watch what I had done.
The Police Airship, not possessing any autopilot whatsoever, flew straight into the ground in a flaming mini-explosion. It crushed the three remaining Police ponies in a cloud of black smoke. The still-burning fires lit up the deadly attack with a flickering orange glow, adding a sense of beauty to the display.
I jumped off the sky rail and landed next to a few cheering rebel ponies. When I landed they stopped and backed up suddenly, startled by my appearance. Now that the fighting had stopped, I got a good look at the ponies that I fought to protect.
One of them was dressed in everyday work clothes, similar to the ones that I was wearing now, but his were a bit more tattered and torn. He seemed weary, like he had seen better days. The other ones were all dressed in different variations of scraps of clothes that had been sown together. It was like they had scavenged each piece of clothing separately and then put it all on together. Some had just red shirts on, while others had vests, jackets, overcoats, and some criss-crossing straps of faux-leather across their shoulders. The straps had many pockets sown onto them, their purpose unknown to me. Only a few of them had bits of metal plating covering various parts of their body, providing a little extra protection. All of them had red war paint decorating their faces in some fashion.
They looked at me and I looked at them. Once I had decided they would attack me, and I wouldn't attack them, they went back to their original positions around the raging fire that was once an airship, albeit the fact that they were tense.
I looked at directly at the pony to my left. "So what was this all about?"
He looked at me strangely. "You didn't know, but you joined in anyway?"
I nodded. "I saw ponies in trouble, and the Police were the problem. So I removed the Police." My voice didn't sound like my own when I said that, like I was somepony else.
The stallion shook his head. "If only we had more like you . . ." his gaze returned to the fire.
"'We?'" I asked.
He looked back at me, as if remembering that I was still present. "Yeah, 'we.' We're the Vocea Poporului."
He said that to me like it were something I should know about already. "The what?"
"You don't know much, do you?" He asked with a bit of a sneer. "The Vocea Poporului are a freedom-fighting group opposed to tyranny and oppression." He said it off like it was rehearsed. "Now that the monarchy has fallen, the Vocea has chosen this time to take back New Canterlot. That's what this," he gestured at the destruction around him with a hoof, "was all about. It was supposed to be a recruitment rally. The Police were expected, but not in this large of a number." His eyes softened as he looked at his fallen comrades in sadness.
"The Vocea Poporului, huh? That sounds like something I could fight for." I said, not entirely believing the words were coming out of my mouth. "But, I do have a few questions first."
"Mmm, mmm," he shook his head, "I can't answer any of your questions right now, too much to get done here. If you want answers, then here." He extended his hoof, a card held in it. "That's where you can find what you want."
I took the card from his hoof with a slight hesitation, then I looked down at it. It was a business card for a company called De Guarda Insurance. There was an address typed in underneath the company name and logo. It seemed to be based in MountainSide Parks.
"Thanks. I'll get going right away." I said, extending a hoof.
"No problem," he replied, bumping my hoof.
I turned and hopped onto the sky rail behind me, moving towards MountainSide. As I crested over a building, I heard the pony call to me, "Change is change, and change is coming!"
The statement echoed in my ears as I looked towards the sun rising from behind the mountain. My pupils dilated from the sudden light, and I wondered about the meaning behind those strangely-familiar words.
