Snow began to lightly fall over the land, and as Annie, Gilda and Flash Sentry bent away from the edge of the riverbank and going eastward around the mountain, the roaring rapids were replaced by the serene breeze as it carried the snowflakes through the air. Annie’s hands were deep within the pockets of her hoodie with her hood placed over her head. Despite some shivers from Gilda and Flash Sentry, they managed to tread through the snow without issue.

“You know,” Gilda joked, “you should have packed some gloves for yourself.”

“Frankly,” Annie hissed, “I was planning on being inside that train for the rest of the time.”

“Relax! I was just kidding.”

“Well, you have a very poor taste in humor.”

“At least I know how to smile,” Gilda shot back.

Annie slowly breathed out, finding some bitter truth in Gilda’s words.

“Gilda,” Flash Sentry scolded, “I think that might have been uncalled for.”

“It’s alright, Flash,” assured Annie. “I’m just a little short from the cold.”

“You’re right,” Gilda added in. “You really are short, ya’ pipsqueak.”

Gilda’s chuckling and well-timed remark began to tickle Annie somewhat. Covering her mouth with the bottom of her hood, she let out a light chuckle.

“Gilda!” Flash Sentry exclaimed. “Stop it!”

“You stop it,” Annie demanded. “I have to admit… that wasn’t too bad there.”

“Well,” Gilda proudly scoffed, “it seems one of us has a good sense of humor.”

Annie smiled slightly again, knowing her words were directed right at her. Gilda certainly seemed to be a very tough pony heart-and-soul, but she seemed to mean well by her. The feeling that someone respected her despite her position was very heartening. It was almost as if the biting air felt a bit more tolerable.

Passing over another hill, Annie and Gilda recognized another set of train tracks that went north and south. Stopping atop the hill, Annie looked about the tracks and thought intently. As Gilda and Flash Sentry passed her, they too stopped upon realizing her stillness.

“What gives?” asked Gilda. “Aren’t you coming?”

“This is where we’ll stop,” Annie responded.

“Stop?” Gilda asked. “Why stop? Ponyville is only about another three hours away.”

“This is where we’re going to wait for the next set of Fates.”

“Here?” asked Flash Sentry. “Why here?”

“These should be the tracks that connect Canterlot with Fillydelphia and Baltimare. Unless the Vanhoover Slicer also damaged this railway, the trains will still be running through here. To them, it will appear as if we’re waiting for the next train to take us to Canterlot. It will appear less like a trap waiting here than at another random location.”

“So you’re really set on this? You really want to lure a bunch of trained killers to us?”

“That’s not the only reason. We need to get some rest, and we can have another opportunity to eat and drink before they find us.”

Annie came down the hill, passing Flash Sentry and Gilda as she came upon the crest, kicking away as much snow as she could and making a small circle of grass for herself.

“Annie,” said Flash Sentry as he followed Annie to the bottom of the hill. “There has to be a better way to bring these killers to justice.”

“Then name one,” challenged Annie as she sat down. “If you think we can safely arrest them all and bring them all to Canterlot for questioning, I’d very much like to hear your ideas.”

Flash Sentry seized up, knowing there was no real way to answer given Annie’s other reasoning beforehand.

“Flash,” Annie said, “I know you’re a rookie, and the going into something like this can be frightening, but you must also know, that as a guard, you have to make this choice, no matter how hard it is: kill one pony, or let hundreds more die by their hoof.”

Flash Sentry winced, realizing the moral dilemma he found himself in.

“Furthermore,” Annie added, “if you want to ever spend another Hearth’s Warming with your family again–”

“Yes!” relented Flash Sentry. “I get it now. It’s just that not all of us are used to killing somepony as you are.”

“Y’know,” Gilda mentioned, her curiosity piqued as she turned back to Annie, “I’ve always wondered, how did you get to be such a good fighter and… y’know, killer?”

“I’ve done some things I’m not proud of where I come from,” Annie answered simply.

“That’s another thing,” responded Gilda, lying herself down in front of Annie, “what is it even like where you come from? How bad were things there that made you into what you are?”

Annie could see Gilda’s comfortable stance, knowing that she was expecting a tale.

“I asked Flash Sentry this before I told him,” asked Annie, “but do you really want to know?”

“Yeah,” Gilda pressed, “I’m genuinely interested.”

Annie found Gilda’s answer to be quite somewhat childish, but sincere and genuine. With a deep breath, Annie prepared to recount her story a second time.

“Where I come from,” Annie began, “there was a war that went on for over a hundred years between the humans, like me, and these giant monsters called titans. However, I did not fight for the humans. I was on the side of the titans.”

“Whoa,” Gilda said. “So you were… a bad guy?”

“Yeah… I certainly was. I was granted the ability to transform into one of these titans. You joke about my size back then, but in my titan form, I was roughly fourteen meters tall, and housed the strength to level a row of stone buildings in a single kick.”

Gilda stayed silent, finding Annie’s story unbelievable, but captivating. Flash Sentry looked at Annie oddly, noting the amount of detail in Gilda’s telling of the story over his.

“Six ponies from Equestria came to assist the humans as the titans pushed their backs into the wall. At this time, I, along with two others, had infiltrated the human Military and joined their ranks. For a while, these ponies saw me as their friend, until they discovered who I was.

“After a fierce battle, the humans and ponies worked to finally defeat me, also managing to rid me of my titan abilities. However, instead of killing me right then and there, like anyone with sound-mind should have, the ponies forgave me and convinced the humans to let me fight with them in exchange for my exile here. And as part of my condition, I was to join the Royal Guard under Princess Celestia’s command.”

“Whoa,” Gilda gasped, both haunted and mesmerized by the story, “whichever pony got sent to your world must have had some connections.”

“Of course. Celestia was the one who sent them in the first place. In fact, they live in Ponyville, so I’m certain they’ll help us out when we arrive.”

“Right… Ponyville…”

Annie couldn’t help but note the reluctant and somewhat bitter tone of Gilda’s voice upon saying Ponyville. As Annie was about to question her, Annie’s stomach began to grumble.

“Sounds like that granola bar wasn’t enough,” Flash Sentry said. “There are some potato chips in the bag. I’ll get you those.”

Annie huddled her legs close to her aching stomach, making the cold feel even chillier. Gilda noted the shivering breaths that escaped from Annie’s mouth as they escaped her mouth in repetitious puffs of vapor. She watched as Flash Sentry approached the freezing Annie with a bag of chips and the decanter of crystal.

“Here,” cooed Flash Sentry. “The crystal will help relax you.”

Gilda stood back up to her talons and paws, putting attention to her as she began to approach Annie.

“This might also help,” Gilda said.

Gilda walked around and right behind Annie so that her right side brushed up against the side of her hair. Setting herself back down onto her stomach, Annie’s back lying across her side, Gilda unfurled her right wing and held it up. Her wing folded back in, but with Annie’s body tucked in between the wing and body, snuggling her into Gilda’s fur.

“Comfy?” Gilda asked.

Annie was suddenly struck by the warmth of Gilda’s body and wing, feeling much more comfortable and calm.

“Yes,” Annie said. “Thank you. Flash? Those chips?”

Flash Sentry approached Annie and Gilda, placing the bag and decanter on the snowy ground next to Annie’s thigh. As Annie grabbed the decanter of crystal, Gilda pinched the bag of chips with her talon and dragged it along the top, ripping it open. Gilda stuffed a talon-full of chips in her mouth while Annie pulled the top off the crystal decanter and took a greedy gulp. Annie panted exhaustedly, wiping her lips with her sleeve.

“Careful,” Gilda warned, passing Annie the chips, “even if you can swallow a mouthful of crystal like that, you should do with some food in your body.”

“Right,” Annie agreed, reaching in for a handful.

As Annie ate the chips and Gilda stole a sip of crystal, still unable to keep from squirming from the strong taste, Flash Sentry looked upon them and smiled, his heart warmed by their companionship.

“Guys,” called Flash Sentry, “I’m going to keep watch for the other Fates, alright?”

“Yes,” Annie said, “thank you, Flash.”

Flash Sentry nodded as he walked closer to the tracks while keeping a safe and reachable distance from Gilda and Annie.

“So tell me,” asked Gilda, “where did you get the stomach to drink that much crystal?”

As badly as Flash Sentry wanted to listen in and join their conversation, he continued to look across the tracks, waiting for the next fates to come after them.
________________________________________________________________________________________

The Manehattan Fates emerged from the forest in a brisk trot. A wrapped up, bloodied sack was carried on the back of Bruiser, who looked furious as he was led by Black Glass. Likewise, Slicer was angry as well, her face fixed into a snarl. Both Doctor and Black Glass looked rather stoic, continuing on their trek.

Finally, they came to the large river, and standing along the edge of the cliff before them was a black coated unicorn stallion with a grey mane and tail. His two saddlebags strapped to his sides were filled to the brim. Upon his head over his eyes, he wore a pair of bright, shining glasses that looked like they were made entirely from mirror.

Upon recognizing him as White Glass, the four Manehattan Fates galloped up towards him. Hearing their hoofsteps come closer, White Glass turned to greet them, allowing them to stop. Immediately, White Glass’s head turned towards the bloody sack on Bruiser’s back.

“I assume she didn’t make it,” White Glass asked.

Bruiser walked up ahead of his other Fates and turned around. Lowering his back, the sack dropped off into the snow, unraveling to reveal the cut-up corpse of the White Slicer. White Glass sighed disappointedly, lowering his head.

“It’s a shame that she did not gain the experience of fighting her like you have,” White Glass spoke.

“Experience hardly has anything to do with it,” Slicer hissed. “She was a great fighter, and that ape killed her like a dog!”

“I suppose you’re right, but I also suppose you’re wrong.”

Slicer cocked her head, unsure of what White Glass meant.

“She was a great fighter, but do not mistake yourself, she fought a valiant battle; at least, the Slicer I know would have. Even with the warnings you gave us, it still wasn’t enough to clearly express how dangerous this human is.”

“The way she charged at us back there,” said Bruiser, “it was as if we were nothing more than foals at a playground; no fear at all! She’s a monster I tell you!”

White Glass sighed once more, again in the same disappointed fashion.

“No,” he disagreed, looking at the White Slicer’s corpse, “she is merely a very skilled killer, just like us. She just so happens to be more skilled than others.”

Bruiser huffed, unnerved by White Glass’s logic.

“White Glass,” spoke Black Glass, “why have you come alone? Where are your other Fates?”

“Looking for them, I presume,” White Glass answered. “Commander is still awaiting the death of Gilda and the human at the hands of the western Fates. Seeing as she’s already killed one of them, that leaves our Bruiser and our Doctor.

“Commander has said that if they manage to kill Gilda and the human, we will dispose of their bodies, wipe our hooves of this, and pretend that these twelve hours never happened. If Gilda and the human manage to kill them, then he has ordered that we all go out at once and capture them and bring them to him alive. I assume that he would like to have the honors.”

“What about that Royal Guard?” asked Slicer. “What are we supposed to do with him?”

“Ah, yes… him. Commander has specifically requested that we capture him; whatever the outcome of Gilda and the human might be. Understand?”

“Yes,” spoke Black Glass. “We understand.”

“Good. However, we should still make our way out. I predict that my Bruiser and Doctor should be finding them very soon now. Now, if I could just have your assistance Black Glass. We need some way of getting across this river.”

Black Glass nodded, coming towards White Glass. Doctor, Bruiser, and Slicer all came closer as well as they surrounded Black Glass and White Glass. Touching their glowing horns together, Black Glass and White Glass’s auras began to turn a bright white. An orb formed from their magic and began to encase the five of them in a large bubble. At once, the bubble popped, leaving no trace of anyone inside.
________________________________________________________________________________________

The snowfall had begun to increase, and as Gilda and Annie stayed close to each other, Flash continued to be on the lookout. Annie and Gilda would occasionally look behind them as well, unsure if the Manehattan Fates would arrive before the Vanhoover Fates. Gilda shook her body lightly, shaking the small sheet of snow that was dusted on her fur. Annie’s hood was tight around her head, keeping her even warmer.

“Yo, Flash!” called Gilda. “See anything?”

“If I did,” he responded, “I would tell you.”

Gilda settled herself back down, her groaning vibrating her chest, which Annie could distinctly feel.

“Patience,” advised Annie. “For the most part, we’re still out in the open. It might still take some time for them to find us. It certainly helps that we’re by these tracks. One of the branches, whether it be Vanhoover or Manehattan, are going to take these tracks straight to us.”

“A wise assumption!” called a voice beyond the blizzard and down the tracks.

Flash Sentry jerked his body to the source of the voice while Gilda and Annie both shot up from their spot, looking along the tracks to see who was coming. Two ponies walked along the tracks towards, them, neither Gilda or Annie recognizing them.

The pony on their right was a burly black earth stallion with a short light brown mane and tail. Beside him was a tan-colored unicorn stallion with a brown mane and tail. Both of them were each equipped with their own saddlebags which were stuffed with whatever contents were inside. Both arms of the black earth pony were covered in a thick, but flexible metal armor. Two sheaths also stuck out from behind the tan colored unicorn, two swords visible out the front.

“It’s the Vanhoover Bruiser and Doctor,” Gilda deduced out loud. “They look nothing like the ones from Manehattan.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Annie said. “If they’re going to try and kill us, we kill them first.”

“Right.”

“You take the bruiser, Flash and I will take on the Doctor.”

Annie and Gilda walked down towards the tracks, Flash following them, keeping his eyes on their two assailants. As Gilda stopped on the left track before the Black Bruiser, Annie and Flash stepped before the Tan Doctor.

“Hey there!” exclaimed the Tan Doctor. “You haven’t let us introduce ourselves!”

“No need,” Annie said, drawing both swords out of her sheaths. “You’re here to try and kill us, but we’re going to kill you first.”

“I see. In that case…”

Using his magic, the Tan Doctor drew two sabers from his sheaths, each dripping with translucent blue oil off the blades.

“…let us skip the formalities.”

Both the Tan Doctor and the Black Bruiser ran forwards at their enemies. Annie jiggled her swords in her hand, preparing for her opponent’s first strike. Gilda reared back, ready to intercept the Black Bruiser. Flash Sentry scooted away, allowing Annie and the Tan Doctor room to fight.

The Tan Doctor’s swords flew towards Annie in a swing from the left. Annie swung her blades at his swords to deflect, only for the force of his swing to lift her off her feet and throw her towards Gilda. The Black Bruiser, seeing this, slid to a halt and let Annie collide into Gilda. Annie rolled off of Gilda as both tried to get up. Gilda’s preparation was stopped when the armored right foreleg of the Black Bruiser kicked her in the gut, putting her back into the ground.

Annie, back on her feet, charged at the Black Bruiser. Thrusting her swords forwards at his chest, the Black Bruiser swung his arm to the right, blocking Annie’s attack. With another quick movement, the Black Bruiser’s arm swung left, ramming the side of his armored hoof into the side of her head. Annie was left flying once more, her stomach landing on the left rail of the tracks.

Annie, despite her head bleeding above the ear, shot her head up to see the blade of one of the Tan Doctor’s swords thrusting at her. Annie rolled to the right, the blade colliding with the track in a ring and burst of sparks. Unbeknownst to Annie, both the thrusting sword and the second sword were had lifted up and were ready to swing down on her. Before he could, the Tan Doctor was struck by Flash Sentry, who tackled him to the ground and broke the concentration of his spell.

The Tan Doctor’s swords fell over Annie as she rolled away another time. As she tried to get up, the tips of one of the swords caught the left edge of Annie’s left hand, making her hiss in slight pain. Shaking the blood off of her hand, she picked herself back up and grabbed the Tan Doctor’s swords. Turning back, she tossed the Tan Doctor’s swords out and over the hill and away from the fight.

The Black Bruiser approached Gilda, who was now able to stand up in time thanks to Annie’s distraction. Gilda took a pounce upon the Black Bruiser, who stood up and blocked Gilda’s talons with his plated arms, picking Gilda up. Swinging her back paws forwards, her claws came out and latched to the top of the Black Bruiser’s abdomen. Pushing out, the claws tore deep within his flesh. Before Gilda could follow through, the Black Bruiser threw his body and arms forwards, slamming Gilda into the ground as she made a piercing shriek.

Annie picked up her own swords from the ground and turned back to the Tan Doctor, who was wrestling with Flash Sentry as he tried to pin him down and hold him in a lock. Using his magic, the Tan Doctor threw Flash Sentry off of him and down back into the snow. Just as Flash Sentry got up, Annie ran across the tracks and swung her swords down at the seemingly distracted Doctor.

Right as the swords would hit him, a blue shield appeared before the Tan Doctor, the swords hitting and sliding down it. Annie noticed that the force had knocked her sword from her left hand. Annie bent down to pick it up, only for the sword to slip out of her grasp. Annie panted nervously, noticing that her hand began to feel numb and would not move. Annie then noticed that blue veiny lines began to appear around her hand, making her panting grow louder.

“Do you like it?” the Tan Doctor asked. “It appears that one of my swords got you after all.”

Off on the other side of the tracks, Gilda fought off the Black Bruiser as he pinned her paws down with his back hooves, trying his best to hold her talons down with his front hooves.

“What is this?” Annie asked.

“It’s oil from the Cockatrice Lilac,” explained the doctor as he approached Annie, making her back away. “It spreads through your body, paralyzing you until you’re still as stone. I’ve never thought I’d be able to witness its effects on a creature as rare as yourself. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to wait…”

The Tan Doctor began to charge his horn, while Annie prepared herself to dodge. Flash Sentry galloped to the Tan Doctor and spun around on his front hooves, thrusting his legs back to buck. The Tan Doctor spun around to face Flash Sentry’s back hooves, his horn glowing and a shield appearing front of his face. Flash Sentry kicked back, his hooves hitting and bouncing off the shield. Flash Sentry’s body was covered in blue sparks as his body was sent limply flying back into the snow.

The Black Bruiser headbutted into Gilda’s face, bloodying her beak and face. Disoriented, Gilda could only cough and heave as her face collided with the Black Bruiser’s once again. With another thrust, the Black Bruiser brought his face down. Gilda quickly shifted her neck left and opened her mouth, catching the Black Bruiser’s mouth on the right side of the jaw.

Annie, using Flash Sentry’s distraction, placed her right sword back in her left sheath. Bending down, she yanked the wire to her left sword towards her, picking it up with her right hand. Annie held her sword up defensively as she came towards the Tan Doctor.

Noticing her, the Tan Doctor turned to Annie and blasted a spell at her chest. Annie, with no way to block it, was thrust off her feet with her back landing on the right rail of the track. Annie squirmed and shouted in pain, but found herself unable to move. Annie grunted as she realized that her entire right arm, and the right side of her chest and neck were already numbed by the poison.

Gilda continued to hold on to the Black Bruiser’s mouth as he yelled in anguish. He thrust his head left, but Gilda held him down, resolving to bite even harder, blood pouring from the wound and into and onto her beak. The taste of his blood in his mouth compelled Gilda to bite even harder, waiting for him to try another method to free himself.

Annie turned to the left, seeing smoke billowing in a pillar not far off from the distance and coming towards her. Realizing what was coming, Annie moved her feet to the left rail while trying to push off the right rail with her still working hand.

“No, no, no,” chided the Tan Doctor.

Using his magic, three blue auras covered Annie’s calves and forearm, lying them flat on the tracks and pinning her down.

“Now,” said the Tan Doctor with a happy sneer, “let’s sit back and watch your final moments.”

Annie could see the headlight of the train as it came forwards, the whistle blowing loudly to try and warn Annie to get away. Annie hissed through her teeth, feeling the imminence of her death approaching.

The Black Bruiser, raised his right arm up to punch Gilda off, but with her own arm freed, Gilda thrust her left talons at the left side of his neck and placed the tips on. With a forceful arm, Gilda’s talons dug into the Black Bruiser’s flesh and tore through his neck in a bloody splatter.

Gilda sat herself up and pushed the fast-bleeding Bruiser off of her, where he landed in the snow, weakly gurgling his final breaths as his blood cascaded from the three wounds and down his neck to the ground.

Gilda turned left upon hearing the whistle, seeing the passenger train come closer. Turning right, she watched as the Tan Doctor pinned Annie down to the tracks. Flash Sentry weakly got up, seeing as Gilda ran to Annie in her predicament.

“ANNIE!” she cried.

Hearing Gilda’s voice, Annie aimed the front of her operational device at the Tan Doctor with her wrist. Pulling the trigger, a puff of gas escaped from the main body of her Maneuver Gear and a hook shot out towards the Tan Doctor. Unable to see it even coming, the hook pierced through his neck and exited through the back where it latched on.

In shock and pain, the Tan Doctor’s magic disappeared off Gilda’s body, but Annie looked to see that the train was too close for her to escape. She let out a confident smile, consoling herself with the fact that he would go down with her.

Just then, Annie felt her body pulled off the tracks by the hood of her hoodie. The Tan Doctor felt the wire in his neck tugging him towards the tracks, seeing Gilda quickly shuffling back with Annie's hood in her beak. With Gilda’s strength outnumbering his, he was forced onto the tracks just as the train came speeding towards him.

With a raspy, weakened shriek, the Tan Doctor’s head and body was rammed into the train, blood exploding out his face and chest. Annie clicked the bottom trigger, retracting the wire from his neck just before she could be pulled along with him. Annie turned her neck right to the train’s cowcatcher throw him back onto the left side of the tracks as the train continued its way down the line.

Flash Sentry brought himself to his feet as the back end of the train passed, allowing him to run across the tracks to Gilda and Annie. Flash Sentry, stood beside the panting Gilda, both looking at Annie to see if she was hurt.

“Is she alright?” asked Flash Sentry.

Gild looked at her left hand and her neck, seeing as the blue lines were spreading.

“No,” Gilda shuddered, fearing for her companion’s life, “that Doctor poisoned her. Where is he?”

Gilda turned to find the Tan Doctor’s corpse lying in the snow further down on the other side. Gilda sprinted towards his body, leaving Flash Sentry alone with Annie. As the lines spread over her neck and towards her face, she began gasping for air, feeling her body begin to shut down to the cold.

“Gilda!” shouted Flash Sentry. “Get back! She’s not going to make it!”

Gilda tore the Tan Doctor’s saddlebags off of him, dumping the contents to the floor, which appeared to be wooden boxes with various labels on them, half of them broken and shattered from the train.

“Shut up!” Gilda shouted back. “I know what to do!”

Panicking as she scanned, she found an unharmed box featuring a turquoise flower resembling a lilac and a bold, red cross below it. Gilda breathed a relieved sigh as she picked the box up and ran back to Annie with it.

“What is that?” asked Flash Sentry. “What’s happening to her?”

“It’s cockatrice lilac,” explained Gilda as she opened the box, revealing a prepared syringe with a clear liquid inside of it. “The doctors always bring an antidote of these poisons in case someone tries to use it on them.”

“And that one you have there will save her?”

Gilda took the syringe from the box and slid the cover off the needle.

“Let’s hope.”

Gilda carefully lowered the needle towards Annie’s neck, inserting it into one of the lines in her neck. Pulling the plunger out, Gilda was relieved to see blood pulled into the syringe, allowing her to inject the rest back into her body.

Gilda and Flash Sentry watched as the lines began to recede, Annie’s skin returning to a normal color. Annie’s erratic breathing became more controlled as she regained strength and consciousness. Annie looked to Gilda and Flash Sentry, who both looked gladdened for her safety.

“Gilda,” whispered Annie. “Good job, there.”

Gilda couldn’t help but chuckle, flattered by Annie’s compliment. As the last of the blue lines disappeared from Annie’s Hand, she suddenly tensed up, her teeth grit in what appeared to be pain.

“Now what’s happening?” asked Flash Sentry.

“The blood’s coming back into her arms,” Gilda said. “It’s like her arm fell asleep. Nothing wrong at all.”

“We should get moving. The rest of them are probably not far behind.”

“I thought we were supposed to wait here! Annie’s not even healed yet.”

“No,” objected Annie. “Flash is right. We barely just survived that encounter. If we run, we can scatter them; take them on one by one. Flash, help me up.”

Flash Sentry lowered his upper body down, allowing Annie to swing her arm around his neck. Sitting up as he stood back up, Annie was brought back to her feet. She quickly placed her blade and operational device back in her right sheath.

“Let’s hurry,” Annie said, “they’re probably not far behind.”

Annie, Gilda, and Flash ran across the tracks and into the woods ahead. Gilda took one last glance at the Black Bruiser before the trees could block him. Spitting out a ball of blood and saliva, Gilda turned forwards once again and followed Annie and Flash forwards.