"You two there! Yeah you two, the one in orange and the one in white and black! Halt!" came a resounding roar of noise and static as we approached the front gate, doing as asked, we slowed to a halt and stared ahead at the no longer distant outpost. The pony responsible for all the noise was one on top of the gate, who was holding a small object to his mouth while pointing in our direction.

"State your identity and purpose for coming here!" The gate pony's voice reverberated throughout a speaker system to us, and we looked to each other. At this distance not even shouting would reach his ears. That and with our mouths covered in protection against the snow... well... we looked to each other, and neither of us came up with an idea on how to state our intentions. After a bit of no response, another pony appeared on the distant building, checked us out in the distance, more than a hundred meters away, and then whacked the microphone operator upside the head.

A much deeper and older voice spoke up a moment or two later, "Sorry about that travelers, come on up to the gate first, then state your intentions."

It gave me a strained smile, hidden underneath the guise I wore as it was. As we trotted up, the microphone pony continued on, "Be ya travelers or merchants alike, you'll be welcome in the province of Frozenhoof!" the two distant figures then proceeded to get in a small argument until we entered earshot of the structures that made up the overall wall.

As we approached the metal gate that made the front entrance, we got a clearer view of the two who had been shouting through the megaphone. A pair of stallions, one tall and scrawny, almost my height, wore a variety of cold resistant coats and gear alongside a mouth mounted pair of guns built into the helmet. All of his suit was tinged in white and blue camouflage whereas the other was much more visible, easily recognizable as the older one, with a more well set barrel like frame, had a lot less on. Sure he wore the coat, and had a rifle attached to a battle saddle, but he didn't wear a helmet or any additional protective gear, "Alright, close enough you two, what's your buisness all the way out in these artic wastes? Don't see no brahmin, so ya can't be traders, nor are you dressed like the occasional raider we get round here."

Pumpkin shot back, "Scavengers, searching on the winter waste since we have some supplies, though we've been finding a lot of strange ghouls since we've first started, cleared out a pack a bit south west of here."

"Ah a Sleeper Pack." the older stallion called down, "Haven't heard from one of those in a while, most scavengers typically leave them alone. Come on in, there's plenty of warmth to be had as long as you manage not to stir up trouble and keep your hooves to yourselves, would love to hear more about it. Though what happened to your companion?"

"Burned in dealing with the 'Sleeper' pack as you called them." Pumpkin replied, "They really didn't like the molotov's we brought with us, lucky for her, shes a doctor."

"Lighting Sleepers on fire? Now that is a novel idea. Can't say most ponies would part with whatever booze they had on them 'cept to drink it, glad somepony has a lick of sense around here." The older stallion nodded as the younger one pressed a switch and the gate began to open, "We have a few shops if you're willing to trade for something or other, but beware old buck Thunder-kick, he's been in a foul mood for the last few weeks. Ah, my manners, names Kick, Great-kick. This here's my boy Door-Kick."

"You're family?" Pumpkin asked, it wouldn't be that unusual, they did look a bit alike from what I could tell.

"Well yeah, though everyone in town who lives here is named something with a kick to it." Great-Kick answered in turn, "Come on inside, and I'd be happy to tell you with some introductions in order."

The gates came open with a grinding whine, of ice being shattered and pushed aside while the heavy metal doors slowly slid open, it made sense in a way considering where it was located, swinging doors would be constantly blocked by snowfall, but what was more surprising was the numerous walkways above, and the sheer amount of landmines placed around town, a curious glance and he told us, "Don't worry none about the mines, they're built by Boom-Kick to go off on the damn snow-hounds and frost-ghouls that occasionally try to dig their way in. They have downward proximity sensors, so don't worry none about tripping them. 'Bout as harmless as a smoke bomb unless you're under them."

"That is a very interesting tactic." Pumpkin replied, "But how do they know when somethings under them, let alone discharge their blasts?"

"There's several holes drilled into the ground for that, Boom-kick called em 'Funnels' or something, you could talk to him to know more 'bout them if ya want."

Pumpkins face brightened up a bit, and mine grew a tad bit more worried. Though underneath the bandages as I was, neither were able to gauge my response that well and he continued on, "Now don't go messing with the mines though, best not to mess with our security grid ya hear? Now if you want a nice meal there's lodgings and our mess hall on the right, a merchant to the right of that, and then a few public buildings as well as our mines here in this arctic wasteland."

I spoke up, "How do you keep supplied in the winter wastes? Scavenging?"

"Bit of that here and there, but the mines are not just for mining," Great-Kick replied earnestly, "With a sheltered cave system, you'd be surprised how many mushrooms can grow in there, as well as a few brahmin here and there, and other plants. Just stay out of the storage sheds and mines and you'll be just fine here with security, not all the Kicks like curiosity and this places well being is their top priority. Why, we were elected first place in all of Equestrias vast expanses on the best village in the nation for over twenty years running!"

"How does that work?" Pumpkin asked, "Do you and the other settlements have some method of communicating and holding that sort of thing every year?"

"Why, whatever do you mean? We hold a vote, and we're the ones who win it!" Great Kick responded.

That rose confusion to myself, if they went around places voting, in which case who voted, and the like. Did they get votes from everyone? if that was the case The Hole would win over this arctic easily if only for sheer population. If it was restrained to local voting, which was my assumption, that would explain why this icy mine rigged land was voted to the top instead. I kept silent as we continued through the winding streets and onto the brief stairs to the second layer of the town, as Pumpkin was drilling Great Kick for answers to various questions she had on this place, I caught from the corner of my eyes an elderly buck in a window, gesturing that I come quickly towards him.

He looked...scared. to say the least, eyes wide with fright. His fur was an off-white color, and was built rather scrawny for a stallion, as if he was deprived of food. It showed through his thick matted fur, and a similarly colored mane that was unruly as though poorly taken care of. As I bid Pumpkin a quick goodbye, with a promise to catch up in a bit, I trotted up to him, head tilted.

"Get out of here!", he said, "Don't you know what they do to traveling ponies out here in this place?!"

"Uh... pardon? My names Aria, and.... you are?" I asked, "What do you mean 'what they do to other ponies'?" I asked, confusion evident in my town of voice.

"Oh for Celestias sake," The stallion said, "I'm Kicker Tick, and to answer your questions bandaged one, take a look around you! This place is a deathtrap, yes, but notice something odd about the type of explosives or the lack of dead bodies anywhere around the compound? There's a good reason for it! I recommend you and your friend get out of town as fast as possible, especially before meal time!"

"Not exactly the best at keeping track of dead bodies," Wasn't quite getting what he was saying, didn't bodies just get... like... buried, or left around on the ground outside someplace like grotesque warnings of ponies who messed with the wrong band of wanderers? "Don't they just like, vanish from random scavenging animals or get thrown out?"

"No, those mines are Incendiary for a reason woman, they cook whoever intrudes and get rid of the bodies in the most brutal way possible." seeing my expression of confusion he deadpanned and continued, "By eating them."

Oh.

Oh goddess no. Just no. Why would somepony do that? Thats just wrong to eat somepony? I mean, I ate ponies, well figuratively speaking, not literally! Dear Luna that was not okay, "Oh... Oh my goddess."

"Exactly!" He said, "And they have a particular nasty habbit of fattening up their guests before killin' em too. So you gotta hurry and get your friend out of here!"

"Wait, what about you? Do you need help getting out of here?" I asked, it was the first thought that popped into my mind after this information, to my evident surprise, Kicker Tick made a negative gesture.

"No, no. I'm far too old to leave this place. I've used to be a rather enthused... well... cannibal of sorts, and I couldn't live with myself if I left here to let more ponies fall unknowingly into their grasp. Just leave, you don't have the firepower or sway to do much here. Save yourselves! Whatever you do, don't go into their shed or cave!"

He all but shoved me back out of his doorway and slammed the door shut at that point before I could get another word in, and the steady sound of locks clicking into place was heard on the other side of the door, leaving me to my own panic, thoughts being driven into a corner by the instinct to do something. Mentally the thought of burning ponies brought the image of the rangers base, where Cait died back to mind, and I had to withold a whimper of confused panic and remerging sadness again. Followed by a darker emotion of anger.

Of course the first settlement out here just had to have something majorly wrong with it. I butted my head into a nearby wall, letting the cold touch of freezing metal sink through the bandages. Focusing on that feeling I gritted my teeth and bonked myself in the head once before moving on. No time to dwell again, just follow my gut and mind rather than the heart. so fire based landmines and a system rigged to explode those beneath them... I wasn't no Cait or Jewel but maybe Pumpkin would have an idea... Oh goddess, Pumpkin.

I started to run across the metal pathways in the direction I last saw them. Navigating the icy path as fast as I could manage without looking like I was outright in panic. Grey's voice faintly ringed into my mind as I continued, Act as if you belong where you go, and you'll blend in more often than a person acting out of place by sneaking around. Wise advice, but time was also a matter of great importance.

Moving forward I cut through the relatively small rail system to the more central square of the compound, a circular place of metal themed towards a multi-level arena like format, only instead of gates to various forms of prisoners it was homes and shops that held entryway along the street walls. Scanning about I quickly spotted pumpkin's namesake colored fur across the street and made my way towards it, easily identifiable from the grey and white backgrounds or blue to dark green colored ponies. She had walked out of, what seemed to be, a general goods store, Great Kick next to her, engaged in conversation as I approached, my eyes widened though at what the mayor was passing with a hearty chuckle, having just missed some unheard joke, a wrapped sandwich with what looked like meat in it, "I'll tell ya what, Pumpkin, you're quite a treat to talk to when ya' open up. Can't say I've heard of a mare with so much knowledge of, what you called it? Thermal Dynamics?"

I tried to flag her down with negative gestures but neither of them noticed me as I kept approaching, reaching them they heard my approach and looked from each other towards me, "Ah your bandaged friend returns! Got a bit lost in the side alleys did we?"

"Y-yes, you could say that, thought I saw something rather nice in a formation of icicles, when I looked back... was alone..." I made a slight panting motion, lying smoothly. Pumpkin rolled her eyes, "You're missing out then, Great-Kick sure knows a thing or two about cooking Rad-Hog, though those caves must be really spectacularly laid out, could swear there's a stable down there with all the stuff the general goods store was selling." she began to raise her sandwich and I had to come to an immediate term of action. I activated S.A.T.S. in panic to give myself a moment to think as time slowed to a crawl.

She was going to eat that meat. I had no idea if it was indeed 'Rad-Hog' or if it was a pony who had become cut meat. Medically speaking, cannibalism, in most cases, was bad for the bodies health. Ponies who partook in each others flesh only did so in extreme emergencies since it was rather ill fitting both mentally and physically for a body to consume another. It wasn't like a changelings ability to sustain themselves off others emotions like a true vampony did blood. The medical implications were simply too vast in this wasteland. For one, the individual she could be eating could be the healthiest specimen of its kind, which is still wrong but less risky, but more likely this had been a diseased scavenger or some other poor unfortunate. Grey always said to prepare for the worst.

That meant that I had to stop her, my first thought came to magic, or shooting it, but even with the 72% chance to shoot it out of her hoof, to what end would that accomplish? It'd set up the red alert and we'd have to fly out of here while dodging gunfire. Would I be satisfied with risking our lives like that? Their snipers had spotted us from a long way away earlier, and I didn't want to have to make us fly that far away with little to no cover in the arctic wasteland. That meant I needed to interrupt it without causing a massive scene or engaging hostilities.

Magic? out of the question, I was simply not well practiced enough, so without getting violent how would I make her not eat the meat? My minds drove back to infiltration training. Neck snapping? no. Hypnosis? couldn't cast that in the first place, let alone now in the middle of broad daylight. Song spell? Still can't do... I focused on her lips.... Lips? Another idea on how to interrupt her eating forming from a changelings most basic form of training.

Mentally I begged Pumpkin to forgive me, as I highlighted lips and exited S.A.T.S.

Time resumed as I moved forward, pushing my face pass Pumpkin and kissed her squarely on the lips, even through bandages they were.... Surprisingly soft. I looked up with apologetic eyes to Pumpkins face.... It had gone cherry red with surprise and embarressment. To the side Great Kick was letting out a whistle.

As I parted I whispered, "Its pony meat." to her.

"We need some alone time Kick." Pumpkin said after a few breathes. Steam visibly coming out from under her coat. I briefly wondered how violently I was going to explode. Probably megaton balefire bomb.

"No need to tell me twice, I'll be in the mess hall," he chuckled, picking up the dropped sandwich, "I'll get this cleaned up, no need to waste perfectly good food." he smacked his lips and trotted off.

Wordlessly Pumpkin grabbed me by the coat with her mouth and all but nearly threw me into a side alleyway before entering it herself. After checking the coast was clear, she glared, "Aria, what the bucking asshole of Cerberus's toilet do you think you're doing?!"

"Well I was trying-" I started out but got a kick to my chest hard enough to knock me onto my back, the rest of my words drowned out in an surprised 'eep' followed by a lot of groaning.

"Seriously?! Stealing my first kiss like that, all you had to do was smack it out of my hoof if you wanted to tell me that." she snorted and the glare continued, "I should make bug steak out of you." she kicked me in the stomach, another thought process interrupted again for a brief second before I could quickly spit the words out.

"I was trying to prevent several major diseases and from you eating pony meat without arousing suspicion." I groaned, "Please stop kicking me."

"No." she said, and gave me another hearty kick, "Okay, now I'm done. Though seriously, kiss me again and I'll set you literally on fire."

"I'll... take your word for it." I groaned, getting back up onto at least my haunches.

"Now what is this about my sandwich being pony meat?" Pumpkin spat out, still red, but not nearly looking like a roasting fire but rather frustrated, like she wanted to kick the hell out of me still but had some idea to why I was being a bit reckless in doing so.

I began to fill her in, to everything that I had heard from Kicker Tick

Xp Footnote: 40% until level up.

Sorry bout the long delay in chapters. Literally got stuck for so long on this, that I decided that I'd never finally get happy with it, that I just decided to actually finish it just so I could finally work on more pre-empire stuff instead of endlessly being on Haitus. >.< Thank you for your patience.