Annie woke up to find herself riding an animal. With her eyes adjusting to the quickly darkening landscape, she could tell by the orange coat and blue mane that she was rested on Flash Sentry’s back. Annie also felt that her arms were held behind her back and bound with rope. Feeling her slight struggle, Flash Sentry turned his head to look at her.

“Don’t even try and make a run for it,” Flash Sentry warned. “I don’t care what Commander will do to me; do not force me.”

Annie sighed, knowing that Flash was right. Turning her head back as her body would allow, she watched as Doctor and Black Glass walked side by side with each other, Gilda, now awake, draped over their backs. Her wings held down with rope, and her talons and paws were tied together.

Annie winced shamefully for the fate of her friend. Looking to the south, she made better acknowledgement of her surroundings: a large expanse of snowy fields with a sparse number of trees. Much further down the hill was the eastern river that ran along Ponyville. Surely enough, further south from the river was Ponyville itself. While still small enough that it looked like a large speck, she could still see the town and its colorful holiday lights clearly.

“Look, Annie,” Flash Sentry taunted. “It’s Ponyville. You were so close!”

Annie took a sigh, watching as their safe haven was off in the distance, and she was now powerless to get her and Gilda there.

“Gilda,” Annie spoke, turning her head towards her. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, Annie,” called Gilda. “You did more than anyone should have for me. Before we die, I just want to say… I really consider you a true friend. Thank you.”

Annie gasped, never having heard Gilda mutter those words before. It was true that she couldn’t fight her mutual feelings for her, but to have them returned by her almost felt like an inconsolable pain in her heart. Annie’s eyes began to water as she began to feel her end approaching.

“Aw,” gushed Flash Sentry sarcastically, “isn’t that adorable? And now you two lovebirds are gonna’ die together.”

Annie, her anger towards her former partner returning inside of her, quelled her oncoming tears and furrowed her brow.

“We’re not dead yet,” Annie stated, “and the longer you let us live, the better our chances are for killing you.”

“Wow!” Flash Sentry exclaimed. “You really are one dense broad. You’re going to be a riot when Commander cuts you down.”

“If he cuts me down.”

“What… why you– ugh. Just shut up.”

“Or what? You’re going to kill me?”

Gilda couldn’t help herself as she snickered to Annie’s egging.

“No,” Flash Sentry snapped, “just shut up. We’re here.”

Annie shifted her neck to look past Flash Sentry’s own neck. Over the hill, a grand, massive, but abandoned looking hotel was nestled into the side of the mountain, overlooking the hill that led to the river that separated the rest of the land from Equestria. Off to the left of the hotel was a large plateau where a sizable hedge maze covered the entire area.

“What is this?” Annie asked.

“It was the Equestria Overlook Hotel,” Black Glass explained. “It was one of Equestria’s most lavish hotels and tourist attractions. However, with the construction of the Canterlot Hedge Maze and the founding of Ponyville, business sharply declined and it was forced to close its doors.”

“This,” spoke Doctor, “is where you and your friend shall be executed.”

“Look on the bright side,” Flash Sentry snarled, “it’s certainly a much better place to die than where you killed the rest of the Fates.”

Annie snarled back, knowing that talking would neither prolong nor bring their deaths sooner. After a short, silent walk, Flash Sentry, Black Glass, and Doctor finally approached the large, wooden double doors. Using their magic, both Doctor and Black Glass opened the doors, the creaking making a resounding echo inside.

Despite it being relatively dark outside, lit torches lined the walls and provided ample light to allow Annie and Gilda to observe their surroundings. They found themselves at a large lobby with an upwards staircase that split off to the left and right and continued to the next floor, which wrapped around the walls and lead to two hallways at the left and right of the front.

On the left side of the room next to the staircase, was the check-in counter, and to the right, a collection of beaten and torn sofas and couches sitting around a chipping piano. At the back of the room were two large double doors that led to what appeared to be a glass-domed ballroom which could be seen through the windows in the back above the staircase. The entire place was scattered with cobwebs, many of them bunched and/or strewn about the floor.

Flash Sentry jerked his body to the left, dumping Annie to the floor with a hard thump. Annie despite the sharp pain in her head and stomach, managed to roll to her knees. Black Glass and Doctor lifted Gilda off their backs and set her down beside Annie. Black Glass stepped up ahead of the two of them and upon the stained red rug that led to the staircase.

“Commander!” shouted Black Glass. “We have come with Gilda and the human!”

The echo rung throughout the hotel for what felt like hours. Annie could only sit quietly and wait for this Commander’s appearance. Soon enough, the sound of hooves came towards them from inside the ballroom. What struck Annie as odd was that they were too hard to be human feet, but whomever was coming was certainly bipedal.

The right door opened, and now visible before them was the true identity of Commander and the leader of the Fates. It was a brown, female minotaur who looked slim, but intensely lean. The very short hair on her head was a much darker shade of brown, nearly appearing black.

Her breasts, appearing on the same spot as they would a human, were covered by a steel bra. Her lower region was concealed by matching metal undergarments that went around her lower back and between her legs, a slot making way for her long, waving tail. Strapped to her left side looked to be a sheath for a medium-length, but wide-bladed sword.

Doctor, Gilda, and Annie were both stunned by her appearance, completely unsuspecting a minotaur be their leader.

“Commander is a minotaur?” Doctor whispered to Flash Sentry.

“If you wish to speak, Doctor,” Commander boomed, “you can do it before me now. Now, what is it you wished to know?”

Doctor actually appeared nervous in front of her, something that Commander seemed indifferent to.

“My apologies, Commander,” responded Doctor. “I was just unaware that you were a minotaur.”

“And female, I presume?” wondered Commander. “I’m certain that Black Glass has referred to me as ‘him’ and ‘he’ to you, hasn’t he? I assume it’s to be expected. Why would a bunch of strong ponies want to take orders from someone who isn’t a pony and isn’t male? Perhaps that human that killed most of you off could serve as a reminder.”

“Reminder?”

“That females can be just as fearsome as males. But I digress, I see you brought her and that griffon to me.”

“Yes,” Flash Sentry said, “we have.”

“Human,” Commander asked Annie, “would you mind telling me your name?”

“My name is Annie Leonhardt,” she declared, “soldier of the Royal Guard.”

“You know, you’ve killed a lot of my very good stallions and mares.”

“Don’t pin it all on her,” Gilda spat back, “I killed a few of them too.”

Commander made an amused huff, smirking at the bound griffon.

“Even when tied up and about to die,” Commander spoke, “you still have quite the tongue. Perhaps I should cut it out and let you bleed to death.”

Gilda winced, frightened by the painful prospect.

“It certainly would be symbolic, though.”

“Why?” Annie seethed. “Why would you go and start something like this? Preying on innocent ponies like you do?”

“Innocent?” Commander laughed. “Annie, darling, no one is ever completely innocent. Judging by that griffon over there, I think you and I can certainly agree that ponies can be just as cruel as anyone.”

“But they haven’t killed anyone.”

“Don’t go off being high-and-mighty yourself there, Annie. You clearly have had your share of drawing blood by your blades, so to speak.”

Annie sat back down on her knees, knowing that an argument was pointless.

“As for you,” Commander said, redirecting herself to Gilda as she walked towards her, “you’ve really caused me a lot of trouble. From killing one of our clients to killing several of my Fates.”

“Don’t act all innocent yourself,” grunted Gilda. “I only killed them because your sick little group almost got my friend killed.”

“Friend? You still consider that rainbow-maned freak a friend? Do you seriously think that she’d welcome you back after what you’ve done, or what you’ve become?”

“Annie certainly has. And if she can, so can Dash.”

Commander leaned her face close to Gilda’s, although the latter showed no signs of flinching or retreating.

“It’s too bad you can never find out for sure,” she answered.

Stepping back to the center rug, Commander looked at Annie, who looked furious with her.

“What’s the matter, Annie?” Commander asked. “You look troubled.”

“In what way do you think this is going to work for you? All of the cops of Manehattan will soon know about you, they’ll find you, and they’re going bring all of you to justice. And Flash… you stupid sack of shit…”

Flash Sentry began to glower at Annie, but her face read that she was not done by a long shot.

“What story do you think you’re going to tell Celestia when you go back to Canterlot without Gilda and I?”

“Simple, dummy,” Flash Sentry spat. “I’ll just tell Celestia that after the tracks were blown, the Fates got the better of you and Gilda and I got away.”

“How are you going to explain that you lived? You ran away? I wonder how Celestia’s going to look upon a coward within the ranks of her Guard.”

Flash Sentry’s face began to contort in anger once again.

“They spared you?” Annie pressed. “Why spare you of the three of us? Do you really think Celestia’s going to buy that dumb excuse?”

Flash Sentry felt his hoof rising above the ground, struggling to keep it planted as he tried biting his lip as his brow furrowed.

“There’s no way this is going to end well for you, Flash,” warned Annie. “Sooner or later, the Manehattan police are going to discover that you’re working with them, and then you’ll be running for the rest of your life. So… who’s the fucking dummy now?”

Flash Sentry couldn’t hold himself back any longer. Turning to Annie, he raised his hoof up and drilled it into her face, sending her flying into Gilda, making her grunt from the force. Flash Sentry made a gallop back to Annie, hoping to strike her again.

A tug on his tail pulled him away as he turned to look into Commander’s glare above him. With a low hook, Commander’s fist drove into Flash Sentry’s cheek, sending his helmet flying off his head and his body to the ground. As Flash Sentry woozily brought himself to his feet, Commander wagged her hand.

“Don’t blame her for your poor judgment,” Commander demanded. “Yes, they will know who we are. All we can do at this point is what we’ve always done: keep in the shadows and not be seen nor heard.”

“And look at how well that turned out,” Annie hissed. “Where do you hope to hide? Before me, no one knew you existed, but now that there are others looking for you, do you think that you won’t be found now? You and your sect of murderers are done, and you will spend the rest of your lives running like the dogs you ar–”

*PTT*

Commander’s hand slapped itself across Annie’s face, silencing her. Annie stretched her mouth open to try and override the sting on her cheek.

“You shouldn’t concern yourself with us,” said Commander. “However, I’m really getting sick of both of your mouths. I believe it should be time to end this. Black Glass, Flash, Doctor? Come.”

Commander turned back and headed towards the doors to the ballroom. Black Glass picked up Gilda with his magic while Doctor picked up Annie with his. With Black Glass placing Gilda on her back and Doctor placing Annie on Flash Sentry’s, the three ponies followed Commander to the ballroom. Commander held the door open for the ponies as they stepped inside.

Like the lobby, the ballroom looked equally run-down and desolate. Each of the tables were set to the sides and back of the room with the chairs stacked upside down on top, large white sheets placed over each table. The bar to the left was barren and dirtied, and the stage was scattered with litter with its curtains torn and stained.

Commander walked her stallions further into the room and onto the dance floor, which was caked with dust from years of isolation. The only thing beautiful about the room was the glass dome up on top, which provided a great 180° view of the hotel behind it and the snowy mountainous wall ahead of it.

Commander stopped, prompting Flash Sentry, Black Glass, and Doctor to stop. Black Glass, using his magic, lifted Annie and Gilda off the ponies’ backs and set them down on the ground before Commander.

“Now,” Commander asked. “Which one wants to volunteer first for the chopping block?”

The silence only made it more uncomfortable for Annie, leading her to open her mouth to speak.

“I’ll go,” Gilda suddenly blurted.

“What?” Annie shouted. “Gilda, no, let me–”

“I’m not scared anymore. I don’t want to watch you die knowing you did so for my sake.”

“No,” Commander reasoned, “I agree.”

Commander walked over to Gilda and grabbed the ropes bounding her arms. Annie watched with streaming tears as Commander dragged Gilda across the floor away from her.

“That way,” Commander stated to Annie as she set Gilda back down, “you can watch her die, and realize your failure in saving her.”

Annie tensed her hands as Commander reached for the handle of her sword.

“That,” Gilda agreed, “and so you can have more time to try and save yourself.”

“Zip it,” hissed Commander, drawing a gladius from her sheath. “There’s nothing that can save you now. Now, Gilda… say goodnight.”

Flipping the sword in her hand so that the blade aimed downwards, Commander held grasped the blade in both hands, savoring her kill as each finger wrapped around. Annie knew it couldn’t come to this. If she was going to die anyway, it might as well be done trying to save her in whatever way she could.

Right as she began to stand to her feet, a glass panel of the dome shattered. Looking up, Annie saw as a white pegasus stallion with a blue mane and tail equipped with gold armor and a Maneuver Gear swooped down and towards the shocked and confused Commander. Flipping his body back up, he bucked Commander in the gut, sending her flying down the dance floor.

With Flash Sentry, Doctor, and Black Glass confused by the sudden appearance of the guard, Annie sprung to her feet and ran to Gilda.

“Hey!” Flash Sentry shouted.

As Black Glass charged his horn, a second pegasus guard with a Maneuver Gear flew in through the hole created by the first guard. With equal swiftness, the second guard swooped down towards Flash Sentry and flipped his back hooves forwards, bucking Flash Sentry in the wing, launching him at Black Glass. The added force also knocked the two of them into Doctor just as he was firing his spell.

With his aim thrown off, Doctor’s spell was now aimed at the bar to the left of the room. Striking the back of the counter, where a plethora of half empty liquor decanters sat, the magical explosion broke many of the decanters and set them alight, producing a large fire behind the bar as it spread inside.

With the three Fates and Commander incapacitated, both guards landed beside Gilda and Annie one keeping their eyes on Commander while the other watched over the three remaining Fates. Annie and Gilda both looked wondrously at their impromptu saviors.

“You alright there, Annie?” asked the guard watching the Fates.

Annie gasped, recognizing the voice.

“Gauntlet?” she asked, facing the guard, then turning to the one watching Commander. “Spearhead? What are you both doing here?”

“Got word from the Manehattan police about your troubles,” Spearhead responded, “and then heard about the Manehattan tracks going out. Celestia sent us down to help.”

“Well,” Gilda spoke, “you couldn’t have come at a better time!”

Flash Sentry weakly stood to his hooves, facing Gauntlet. His the feathers of his wing were bending off in different directions and was twitching like mad.

“Gauntlet?” Flash Sentry responded in a feigningly betrayed voice. “You broke my wing! Why would you–”

“Zip it!” Gauntlet snapped. “We know all about your involvement with this group, thanks to the fine stallions and mares from the Manehattan Police Force. You’re an absolute disgrace.”

Knowing his bluff was called, Flash Sentry grunted, realizing his predicament. Behind the bar, more decanters broke, spreading the flames outside the bar and towards the tables. As the flames reached the cloths covering them, the fires spread over wildly.

Flash Sentry quickly turned on his hooves and ran to the exit. Annie, feeling her rage return, sprinted off towards him. Gilda and Gauntlet, seeing her out in the open, quickly ran after her. Doctor and Black Glass aimed their horns at Annie’s head, knowing that he wouldn’t let her escape again.

“Stop!” Gauntlet shouted, jumping his front legs up, reaching towards his sheath, and inserting a blade into his operational device shoe.

In the same stride, Gauntlet flicked his arm and ejected the blade out, sending it flying in the air towards Doctor’s horn. The end of the blade pierced inside with a sickening crunch and splatter of blood, stopping the aura surrounding his horn. As Doctor screamed in sheer anguish, Black Glass kept his aim up, completely unaware as Gilda leapt up and towards his head.

Gilda rammed into Black Glass, throwing Black Glass’s aim as his spell whizzed just behind Annie’s head as she made her way to the exit. Doctor continued to shout out as Annie left the ballroom and went after Flash Sentry.

Gilda pinned the disoriented Black Glass down on his back and bit down on his horn with her beak. With a strong bite and twist of the neck, Gilda heard it crunch under the pressure, forcing Black Glass to scream out as he tried to produce magic, the only things coming from his cracked horn were sparks and spurts of blood.

“Let me show you how a real griffon kills their prey,” Gilda growled.

Grabbing at the shoulders and digging her talons into his flesh as far as she could, Black Glass shrieked as Gilda tore all the way down the arm, taking long, thick, bloody chunks of meat with her. The exposed bones in his arms were quickly concealed by a torrent of blood as Black Glass’s body shook and convulsed to the pain and shock, his body shutting down with the sheer loss of blood.

Lifting her right talon out of his left arm, Gilda swung at his chest, slicing in deep and revealing his rib cage. The pain and blood loss was too much for Black Glass to handle, his body ceasing to move and lying forever still. Gilda shot up off of Black Glass and panted contently, her vengeance exacted.

Gauntlet pulled a pair of cuffs from the side of his armor as he pinned down Doctor onto his stomach with his arms folded behind him. As Gauntlet managed to get the first cuff on the right hoof, Doctor flicked his left molar out of its socket with his upper jaw where it and a capsule landed on his tongue. Swishing the capsule around to the right side of his mouth, Doctor bit down, breaking it and releasing the powder inside.

Doctor’s body began convulsing as foam escaped past his lips and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Gauntlet, seeing the foam escape his mouth, pushed off of him, knowing there was nothing else he could do. Turning back to Spearhead, he watched as he put himself in a fierce standoff with Commander, who held her gladius with both hands, awaiting the opportune time to strike.

Flames engulfed the entire left side of the ballroom, filling the area with an uncomfortable, bright heat.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Annie chased Flash Sentry up the lobby stairs, each one of them bounding up several steps at a time. Flash Sentry stopped at the middle of the staircase, unsure of whether he should go up the left or right staircase.

Hearing Annie’s footsteps come closer, he began to turn left, leading Annie in the same direction. Making a lunge towards him, Flash Sentry pushed off to the right staircase, evading Annie and running up the steps. Undaunted, Annie pushed off as well and continued to chase him up the stairs.

Turning right into the walkway towards the front and left into the hallway, Flash disappeared. Annie followed the same path, keeping her eyes peeled for him. Flash Sentry continued to lose Annie as they both ran down the hallway. Reaching the end, Flash turned left into the next hallway. Picked up her pace, knowing that sooner or later, he’d reach a dead end.

Turning left into the next hallway, Annie found the hallway empty, but spotted another hall on the right which led into the hotel’s eastern wing. As she ran towards it and prepared to turn right into it, she was met with Flash Sentry’s right back hoof as it struck her face, sending her flying into the left wall, her head smashing up against it.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Commander charged up at Spearhead, who pulled two blades out of his sheaths with his operational device shoes and raised his arms over his head. Falling back down, Spearhead brought his blades down on Commander. Commander matched his strike by swing her sword upwards, catching both blades.

With her strength plus the strength of her weapon, Spearhead’s blades shattered from the force, shocking him. Following her momentum, Commander spun her body to the right, flipping her sword to hold it upside down, allowing her swing to stab at Spearhead’s neck, slicing into the exposed front and slitting his throat. From the back, Gauntlet widened his eyes in shock as Commander continued to advance, running towards him and Gilda as his partner and friend fell dead to the floor.

“Gilda!” shouted Gauntlet. “Run!”

“No!” she protested. “I’m not going to run away!”

Gauntlet had no time to argue as Commander held her sword back and swung around and down onto him. Gauntlet, with no blades in his device shoes, tucked his head in and tackled Commander, her elbows striking the back of his armor and making her drop her sword and land at Gilda’s talons. With a desperate swat, Gilda slid the sword across the dance floor where it slipped under one of the tables, the handle slightly sticking out.

As Gauntlet tried to bring Commander down, she wrapped her arms around the top of his neck and jerked back, forcing her to her back and Gauntlet’s face to the floor, where his momentum flipped him to his back. With her grip still on Gauntlet’s neck, she twisted his neck to her right, snapping it and rendering Gauntlet motionless.

Gilda flew out at her, ready to land on her talons first. Commander thrust her legs up, kicking Gilda in the bottom jaw with her hooves, making her roll down the dance floor and away from her. Both Commander and Gilda rolled up and to their feet, standing before each other, the last two survivors.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Annie tried to get back up, only for Flash Sentry to mount her on her stomach and reel back for a punch. As Flash Sentry’s hoof was brought down, Annie tilted her head to the right, making Flash Sentry punch the ground. Reaching in between his forelegs and placing her hand on his left side, she pushed out, forcing Flash Sentry off of her and making him land on his broken right wing.

With a grunt, Flash Sentry began to stand on his back legs. Annie, twisting her body to the left, kicked the tip of her right boot at Flash Sentry’s knee. The force of the kick snapped Flash Sentry’s leg in towards the right, making him yelp and cry in agony as he was forced onto his broken wing again.

Annie somersaulted backwards and rolled onto her knees and feet, standing over Flash Sentry as he tried to get up on both forelegs. Annie, her fury undying, performed a fast sweep at Flash Sentry’s upper arm, breaking it in the center as he buckled back onto his sides, the pain running tears down his face.

“Annie,” rasped Flash Sentry weakly, “please, sto–”

*PTFK*

Flash Sentry’s words were ceased by Annie slamming the sole of her boot down on the side of Flash Sentry’s face, spraying blood from his nose and mouth. Flash Sentry’s head bobbed in a disoriented fashion before Annie’s foot was brought down on him again, this time knocking him unconscious.

Annie slammed her foot again, this time, making blood leak through his ears and eyes. Annie continued to stomp repeatedly, each footstep sounding less and less like hitting flesh and more and more like crunching bones. Annie huffed through her grit teeth on each stomp, feeling Flash Sentry’s skull eventually cave in under her foot, spraying blood all over the floor.

Annie refused to let up, grunting louder as Flash Sentry’s face was systematically flattened on the floor. Soon enough, the crunching of bone was replaced by the squishing and sloshing of brain and blood on the carpet, allowing her to stop and breath. Annie looked down and saw nothing but a scattering of eviscerated flesh, fur, and muscle lying in a small pool of blood, resembling nothing of her former partner.

With her deed finished, she backed away slowly, unable to keep her gaze off of the unforgivable bastard. With a slight, triumphant chuckle, Annie turned around and ran down the hallway back towards the lobby.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Gilda charged at Commander, who stood perfectly still as she awaited Gilda’s arrival. With outstretched talons, Gilda jumped towards Commander, who simply sidestepped left, grabbed Gilda by the right talon, and roundhouse kicked Gilda in the gut. Gilda fell back to all fours, clutching her stomach with her talon.

Using her pain to her advantage, Commander swept her leg to Gilda’s face, knocking her to her side and rendering her unconscious, her right wing weakly unfurled and spread out on the floor. Panting, Commander walked over to Gilda and stood above her wing. Stepping down on the bar with her hoof, she pressed her full weight down, crunching it, twisting it in for good measure.

“Burn well, Gilda,” Commander ordered Gilda.

Turning to the exit, she saw as right exit of the ballroom was already engulfed with fire. Commander ran to the left set of double doors, exiting them and resigning Gilda to her fiery fate.