“Got my goggles, fuck yeah, yeah, fucking goggles, yeah!”

Silver Feather pranced along at the back of the group, his goggles nestled firmly above his eyes, his good wing flared and tail bouncing as he sang.

Moon Dream looked to Dissero, glancing back at Silver awkwardly. “He’s, uh… excited.”

“Tell me about it,” Dissero muttered.

Concrete and brick passed by on their sides as they made their way through the city, the rain now a light drizzle.. After leaving the Open Blossom they’d seen over a dozen griffons approaching, flying low over the rusty metal rooftops as they rushed for the tavern. It was easy to hide in the confusing maze of shacks, and it wasn’t even an hour later when Lupus declared that they were safe from further pursuit. After Lupus decided to head over and speak more with Cell Ghoul, Salvo had taken the responsibility of leading them all back to the hideout.

And Silver had been dancing and singing nearly the whole time.

Cleaver seemed to take it well, his usual stony front cracked only by a little smirk which was no doubt due at least in part to the crate filled with Blossom Brew Vodka lovingly balanced on his back. Salvo had a similarly high tolerance, trotting at the head of the little group with the type of determined silence reserved only for seasoned military commanders and high school librarians. Dissero had a certain built up immunity to it as well, something he had learned over many years at Silver’s side. Or at the very least, he could persistently ignore him and would be damned if he let Silver get to him.

Moon Dream wasn’t quite as lucky, and it was starting to show.

“So are they, uh, special goggles or something?” the young pegasus asked, one ear twitching.

“They’re my lucky goggles!” Silver explained. “I can’t fly without them!”

“Yes you can,” Dissero said with a roll of his eyes.

Silver ignored the comment. “I got them on the same day that I earned my cutie mark.” He lowered his voice dramatically, pointing with a feather at the wings and propellers on his flank.

Dissero smirked. “You got them just before you were kicked out of the Academy.”

Once again Silver pretended he didn’t hear, the story flowing forth. “After two years of practice and study, I was finally given the chance to step into an airship’ cockpit, allowed to take up the reins, finally able to spread my wings and soar, and that was the day that I truly knew what it was to be alive!”

“You broke thirty-five regulations, two speed limits, four classrooms, and a killswitch.”

Silver reached out with his good wing, drawing Moon Dream closer. “It was a happy day, Dream. The happiest day of my life.”

Salvo peeked back, frowning. “You don’t sound like a very good pilot.”

“Well it’s not my fault the Academy had so many regulations, speed limits, and classrooms.” Silver pushed Moon Dream away, flicking his tail. “And all so close to the course, too.”

After a few thoughtful moments, she looked away. “C’mon, we’re almost there.”

When Dissero climbed down the ladder into the hideout a few minutes later, he was surprised to see the cramped little underground for more active than before. The rebels moved with renewed vigor after the night’s rest, refusing to be held back by their bandaged wounds. They climbed in and out of the tunnels with bags of supplies, they disassembled and cleaned rickety muskets, and they stopped by with Nix to have their wounds checked and bandages changed. They all looked up as the small party returned, immediately noting the three stallions who they hadn’t yet gotten acquainted with.

First to approach the trio of airponies was a calmly smiling unicorn mare with a light teal coat, orange eyes, and a pale blonde mane. Her smile grew a little wider as she drew closer, speaking with a light, friendly voice.

“Hey there, I’m Spindle Silk. You guys just joined, right?”

Dissero gave the mare a curt nod, brushing past her as he spoke. “That’s right.” If everything went according to plan he’d be out of here within the month, and he would rather avoid getting to know the other rebels as much as possible. With the high casualty rate they seemed to suffer, he had to keep his distance as much as possible. Hopefully they wouldn’t be stuck here too long.

“Oh, well, uh…” Spindle’s voice faltered as the the stallion walked past, clearly intent on avoiding conversation as they headed for the barracks.

Silver Feather stopped at her side. “Aw c’mon, Dissy, why don’t we get to know the others?” He offered a friendly smile as he looked at the mare.

Dissero paused mid-stride, frowning as he searched for a valid excuse. “Because… because… “

“Because it’s time for training,” Salvo said, stepping in front of him.

“Oh, okay!” Spindle Silk said, stepping away. “I understand, you guys go ahead and we can talk later!”

Dissero turned to Salvo, who was watching him with a stern frown. “Follow me,” she said. “Maybe if you pay attention you’ll survive your first raid.”

Far, far above the laborers of the Inner City, Robber Baron took a sip of wine.

He allowed himself a smile as he looked down upon the thick flock of airships, all scrambling to reach a skypier and conduct trade in his own personal city. He recognized many of the larger vessels by heart: there was a Minotaurin freighter carrying heavy machinery, there a Gryphos hauler laden with rare metals, and there a Zebrican airship, holding… perfumes, was it? Chemicals of some kind, he was sure.

He leaned back in the seat on his balcony, in the highest room on the tallest tower for thousands of miles around, and simply enjoyed the sensation of being above.

Another sip of wine, this time letting it sit on his tongue. It wasn’t the taste that spoke to him, no, Baron did not care about that. It was the sheer price of it all, the fact that the bottle had cost more than a Canterlot condo, and that he could afford to simply throw away these funds, that really satisfied him.

Baron’s ear flicked at a polite “ahem” behind him.

“What is it, Pen Knife?”

A voice spoke behind him, professional and refined. “Sir, Industry reports that she’s having problems with the prototype. The moonstone is not acting as predicted.”

Baron frowned, stopping mid-sip as he lowered the glass from his lips. “Has Research any comment on the matter?”

“Yes, Sir,” the voice responded, accompanied by the sound of shuffling paper. “Research responds that he can solve the issue, but he will require additional test subjects. Pegasi.”

“I see.” Baron looked down, peering past the airships and to the surface of the Inner City itself. He had been trying to keep his private industry strong lately, pushing his overseers to squeeze every ounce of energy out of the laborers. Things he’d set in motion long ago were starting to come together, and the loss of more workers would be inconvenient, to say the least. His recruitment rate had faltered as he funneled more resources into other things, he couldn’t simply toss thirty bodies to Research or execute a dozen as an example anymore.

Still, the prototype was crucial. The lost output would not be missed nearly as much as the potentially failed project. And if there was any one of his Ministers that he trusted to get results, then it was Research.

“Very well,” Baron waved a hoof dismissively. “Give him what he needs, and tell him to make it quick. Have Relations ask Gryphos about another shipment of penal workers, as well. Oh, and would you mind…?”

Baron held his glass up, waiting patiently as the bottle, caught in a yellow aura, levitated into view and poured out its remains.

“I’ll have it done, Sir.”

“Thank you, Pen Knife.”

With that, Baron was left alone again. He looked to the Cloudwall now, into that narrow corridor where the massive perpetual hurricane ran over the land, where its old pegasus magic had faded just enough where, bereft of its oceanic fuel, the storm weakened.

He knew how to get ships through, one or two at a time. He’d been trading for certain materials with the Outer World for decades now. But soon he would be able to fit more through, to truly start expanding.

Robber Baron allowed himself another smile before draining the rest of his wine. He tossed the crystal glass off the balcony, sparing the thought of where it might land only a moment before he rose to his hooves. It wasn’t easy having your own private city, after all.

There was always work to be done.

For the next few days, the three air ponies spent nearly all of their time out in the shanty with Salvo, taking part in her lessons. She worked them hard, teaching them how to construct simple weapons from what could be found in the Inner City. She had them pick through the junkyard where old airship parts were left, and with her help were soon able to make small shivs and simple blunderbusses.

“The guards are equipped with deadly ranged weaponry,” she told them on the second day, showing them the strange runed musket she always carried at her side. “This is a rune gun, and every guard carries at least one, most two. If you’re smart, and lucky, you might get your own.”

Balancing the gun on a barrel, she lined it up on a thick piece of metal. She muttered something under her breath, and at her command the gun began to glow a soft purple, the glow beginning near the stock before suddenly jumping up the length of the barrel, peeking out the series of rectangular holes carved into its tip. A small grey sphere shot out of the gun with a startling silence, enveloped in its own purple glow, and punched straight through the metal target.

“They shoot rune slugs,” she continued, “and unlike the bullets that a normal musket or cannon shoots, the slugs have spells inside of them.”

There was a loud, sharp bang! from the other side of the metal, and a dozen shards of shrapnel blasted into the air, all with their own purple glow. The metal was torn to pieces as it was peppered with the fragments. Dissero’s eyes widened in amazement at the sight, and he suddenly realized why the wounds he’d seen had been so severe.

“The average slug will simply explode,” Salvo said, slinging her rune gun onto her back. “I’ve seen them hang in the sky and provide light, curve in mid-air, release poison gas, and burn straight through a pony and then the floor under them.”

It was at that point that Silver spoke up. “Well how the hell do they work? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It’s some material that the Baron mines out from under those rocks,” Salvo explained. She pointed towards one of the spires of dark black stone that was spread across the Inner City. “His ponies call it moonstone. They carve these runes into it, and somehow they get it to cast spells. We don’t know how it works, but I can tell you that they’re deadly weapons, and you should never underestimate a guard. Understand?”

The three stallions each nodded as she looked to them in turn, and she continued.

“The guards are crack shots, and they can aim in an instant, but they’re too stiff to fight effectively at close range. Standard procedure is to bait their fire, then rush in and hit them with muskets. There’s not much else besides their own guns that can get through their armor from a distance. Once you get close, and I mean point-blank, you’re going to want to aim for their weak spots…”

She spent the rest of that training session covering the guard’s armor and its weaknesses, making sure it was drilled into their heads with constant repetition and questioning. Dissero could feel his skin crawling as she described with robotic clarity the best way to kill a guard, how you should never take on more than two at once, and the most important things to grab off of a rebel if they went down in a fight. Don’t bother with the body, she said, just grab their bags and weapons. Stay away from the guards after you kill them, their guns are set to self-destruct. Stick to the shadows and, whenever you can, run instead of fighting.

Everyday Lupus seemed to grow more impatient, pacing back and forth in the main room, looking over the map of the city. Dissero caught him grumbling to himself about “coward Ghouls” and how they worked so slowly. His impatience was contagious, and Dissero began to wonder if maybe he wasn’t working fast enough, if maybe the Ghouls wouldn’t find his crew in time.

Despite his best efforts, Dissero couldn’t help but get to know the other rebels. When they weren’t busy maintaining the hideout, out gathering supplies, or scouting the city, they would pass the time in the “armory,” which was almost totally empty but for a few crates of scrap metal and gunpowder. Most of the rebels kept their weapons in the barracks, leaving the armory open for use as a social room. While Lupus fussed over his map and his plans in the main room with Salvo, the other rebels relaxed in the armory, eating food given to them by their supporters.

Skystrings, a pegasus with a soft purple coat and matching mane with cool green eyes, would sit on one of the crates and provide music with the guitar he’d made out of scrap and his own mane hair. Zastaflash, a unicorn with a brown coat and green mane, would complain about the rain while his sister Rainy Day, a pegasus with a green coat and brown mane, would insist that the weather was pretty nice, actually. Fizzle Snip, a lime green unicorn mare with bright yellow eyes and a curling yellow mane, told funny stories about her life before Harmony. An orange-maned, yellow earth pony stallion named Open Book would sit quietly off to the side, usually only speaking up to correct one of the other Bloodhounds. All the while, Moon Dream would continue to pester the airponies asking for stories from when they were smugglers, Nix and Spindle Silk listening with varying levels of interest as Silver told completely exaggerated stories. Occasionally Lupus’s unicorn cousin Canus, who had painted himself completely red, would interrupt to tell them to do something, but he mostly kept to himself, prowling the streets on his own.

They were an interesting group of ponies, Dissero had to admit, from all different walks of life. Librarians, musicians, chefs, tailors, and weatherponies. Most of them spoke passionately about their old lives, and how they couldn’t wait to tear the city down from the inside, and it was that very talk that had Dissero laying in his bunk alone, or going out on extra supply runs, or endlessly inspecting his weapons. They were all so like him, so clearly not belonging in this city, he didn’t want to befriend them. Already he’d seen two rebels die here, and it hadn’t even been a week.

Which is why he was so relieved when a Ghoul showed up at the hideout again, declaring that her cell had discovered the location of Stormslider. She was being held in an outpost on one of the spires, something which had immediately sparked an argument between Lupus and Salvo.

“We can’t go break her out of there,” Salvo said, her voice calm and quiet.

“Who’s in charge of this cell, huh!?” Lupus shouted, pacing back and forth. “Is it you? I think that it’s me, and I’m ordering you to help me lead this raid!”

Salvo shook her head firmly. “We can’t, Lupus. We’ll lose too many ponies. We should set up a rotating watch on the outpost and wait for them to move her.”

“And what if we miss it?” Lupus demanded. “They could slip right under our noses, stick her down one of those damned holes in the ground, and then we’ll really be fucked!”

Dissero, who was watching the debate along with his crew and a few other rebels, turned to Nix curiously. “What’s he talking about?”

“The Baron has these underground facilities,” Nix explained. “Ponies get moved from the outposts into those facilities and… well, nopony that’s ever gone in one has come back before.”

“We won’t miss it,” Salvo insisted, looking down at the map. “We can put scouts here, and here, they can see everything from there. The instant she appears they can alert us, and we can head them off here—”

“No!” Lupus shouted, cutting her off. “This has to be done now! If you won’t come then I’ll just have another Hound lead the second team!”

The two ponies stared eachother down, the other rebels watching cautiously from the sidelines.

With a heavy sigh, Salvo backed off. “Fine, but I pick my team.”

Within an instant, Lupus switched from an angry snarl to a confident, excited grin. “Excellent! Meet me up top, ten minutes! We’re storming a spire!”

He spun around, magically slinging his rune gun around his neck as he climbed up the ladder, leaving the remaining rebels in a cautious silence.

Salvo wasted no time in selecting her team, immediately announcing her selection to the surrounding ponie. “Nix, Moon Dream, Zastaflash, Dissero, Silver Feather, Cleaver, you’re with me. Rest of you are with Lupus. Get your gear and head up top, ten minutes. You know he doesn’t like to wait.”

Sounds of agreement passed around the room, broken only by Rainy Day’s high-pitched voice. “I want to be on the same team with Zastaflash!”

“Yeah!” Zastaflash added. “We stick together!”

Salvo leveled her gaze on the two siblings. “Did I stutter?”

Seeing the futility of their protests, Zastaflash and Rainy Day backed down. The hide was suddenly full of energy as the rebels trotted about, grabbing their gear. Gunpowder and shot was passed about as each pony grabbed their makeshift muskets. Ropes and grapple hooks were passed out to all the pegasi but Silver, who looked on silently as the flight-capable ponies wrapped the climbing gear around their barrels. They all layered on thick clothes made of wool and airship fabric, with Salvo and Spindle Silk also firmly strapping metal plates to their chest.

Within ten minutes all of Cell Bloodhound was amassed in the alley and separated into their two squads. After a brief conference with Lupus, Salvo approached her team.

“Stick to the shadows, let’s move,” she said, already making her way out into the street. “I’ll cover the plan once we get to our position.”

She took point, and Zastaflash motioned for Moon Dream and the airponies to fall in behind her as he brought up the rear. Dissero found himself near the back of the line, his chest tight as they stepped out into the heavy rain. He scanned up and down the street nervously, straining his ears to catch any hint of ringing chainmail lurking beneath the thunder, but all he heard was Zastaflash grumbling about the weather behind him.

There was a sudden peal of lightning, and Dissero’s heart jumped as he saw an armored silhouette in an alley. He twisted, opening his mouth to alert the others, but the shape was gone. There was nothing in the shadows but a lonely metal barrel.

Silver looked back, arching a brow. “You feelin’ okay, Dissy?”

Dissero nodded, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

From behind him, Zastaflash’s grizzled voice spoke up. “Cool down, buddy. Salvo almost never loses a pony.”

“Quiet back there!” Salvo hissed, somehow clearly audible through the rain and thunder.

Dissero glanced to the front of the squad, lowering his voice to ensure she wouldn’t hear him. “What do you mean?”

Zastaflash flinched irritably as a particularly large drop of rain landed right on his eye. “Agh, fucking rain… look here, nearly every pony we lose is with Lupus when it happens, so as long as you’re on Salvo’s team and you listen to what she says, you’re pretty safe.” He sighed, looking over to where the other team had headed. “Rainy’d better be careful…”

“So why is Lupus in charge, then?” Dissero asked.

Zastaflash answered with a low chuckle. “You’d have to ask Salvo about that, mate.”

The squad came to a sudden stop, Dissero nearly bumping into Silver’s tail. He looked forwards to see Salvo making a hoof motion, one he recognized from his recent training as ‘Guard spotted, heads down.’

Immediately the six rebels were hugging the street, squeezing themselves against the nearby building as they strained to blend into the shadows. Dissero was alarmed to hear the ringing chainmail so close already, it must have been hidden under the sound of the storm.

Eyes forwards, Dissero saw a column of ten ponies being marched down the street, their hooves all connected by a series of steel chains and cuffs. Four guards surrounded them, two stationed at each corner of the formation. At the front of the formation was a dark grey pegasus with cool blue eyes, his leather barding stained a dark brown by the rain.

Dissero’s eyes narrowed. Ashfall.

Scanning the group of chained ponies, Dissero could just barely make out a flash of red in the darkness, and as the group drew closer to one of the street lamps, his suspicions were confirmed. There was Stormslider, near the back of the group, her face hidden beneath her limp, drenched mane.

He’d found her.

Part of him wanted to get up right there, to yell for the rest of the squad to charge and free his friend, but the rest of him knew it wouldn’t be smart. Four guards, plus Ashfall, against six rebels, most of which were rookies? No, to show himself now would be death for him, the rest of the squad, and his crew. Slowly, he reached a cautioning hoof out and laid it on Silver’s tail. He could see the pegasus trembling, and he knew that Silver was having the very same conflict inside him.

The ponies marched out of sight and, as the sound of chainmail faded away, Salvo stood up again. The other rebels followed suit, all gathering around her as she beckoned them close.

Silver immediately spoke up, cutting Salvo off as she began to speak. “That was Stormslider, she was there! We need to go get her.”

Salvo raised a hoof, signalling for silence. “No, we can’t take them on our own.” She turned to Moon Dream. “Go and find Lupus, quickly. Tell him to set an ambush at the entrance to the underground. Our target’s been spotted. Leave your rope.”

With a curt nod and a strong flap of his wings, Dream was airborne. He paused to drop his rope and hook on the street, shooting a nervous smile towards the airponies before he set off. He flew low to the ground, diving into the alley between two buildings and out of sight.

Nix wrapped the rope around her barrel, tying one end around a hoof. “What’s your plan?” she asked.

“We’re gonna go get her, right?” Silver asked.

Cleaver put a calming hoof on Silver’s shoulder. “Let her speak, da?”

Salvo gave a brief nod of appreciation to the large stallion. “We’ll set an ambush along their path, cut them off. With the whole cell assembled and surprise on our side, we should be able to handle it. Let’s go.”

They moved at a brisk pace through the city, frequently ducking into the alleys and cutting across streets as they rushed to reach the ambush point in time. Salvo, Nix, and Rastaflash were together at the front, the more experienced rebels scanning the city carefully as they moved. Meanwhile Silver Feather, Dissero, and Cleaver brought up the rear, each of the airponies lost in their thoughts.

Dissero glanced between his friends, gauging their mental states. Silver was clearly more worried about Storm than anything else, his good wing flared and the bad one twitching within its wrappings, as if itching to stretch free and carry its owner into the skies. Cleaver… well, Dissero could never really tell what the big stallion was thinking. Probably something involving vodka.

They came to a stop in an alley near a small circular plaza. In the center of the plaza was a small, squat stone building with little features besides the single metal door set in one side. Salvo made a hoof motion, ‘Up and over,’ and Nix immediately began to unwrap the rope around her barrel. She grunted as she tossed the grappling hook up, the metal prongs travelling almost all the way up the length of the two story building besides them before it began to slow. It glowed green as Zastaflash caught it in his magic, nursing it the rest of the way onto the roof.

Nix gave it a firm tug and, satisfied, signaled for the others to start climbing. One by one the rebels made their way up the side of the building and onto the roof, Nix coming up last.

“Keep low,” Salvo said. “Don’t silhouette yourself.” She crawled up to the edge of the rooftop, carefully scanning the plaza. She pointed to the airponies, then to an alley across the street. “You three head over there. Nix, Zasta, to the opposite alley. I’ll draw fire from here. Move.”

A round of nods passed around the group as Nix rappeled back down into the alley. The rest of the rebels followed soon after and, once Salvo tossed the grappling hook down to them, rushed to take their positions.

Just as the three airponies splashed to a stop, the sound of thunder faded away to reveal the ringing chainmail hidden beneath. Dissero shivered as the rain sunk through his layered clothes and into his coat, his heart ticking away the seconds as it grew steadily closer.

“Augh, fuck, where’s Lupus?” Silver muttered. “We barely outnumber them without him.”

Dissero shook himself, looking to Cleaver and Silver besides him. “Alright, just like Salvo showed us. Once they fire we all, rush in, go to the same target. Fire and run out before they can reload.” He was pleased to hear his voice come out clear and strong, not betraying his nerves. He was the captain, he had to be the stone, the fixed point for his crew to anchor themselves to. Just like in the stories.

“Yes, Kaptain.”

“Same target, right.”

The chainmail grew closer, steadily ever closer, the ringing keeping that same dreadful rhythm. Dissero couldn’t help but look behind him, scan the other rooftops, searching. Where was Lupus, and with him the rest of Cell Bloodhound?

“I’ll go out first,” Dissero said. “You guys follow my lead.”

“Yes, Kaptain.

“We’ve got your back.”

Images of the guards turning on him filled his mind, of one of those softly glowing rune slugs punching through his flesh, digging their way into him before exploding, blasting him to pieces. Salvo wouldn’t bother with his body, she’d just take his weapons, leaving him broken and alone. He clenched his eyes shut, driving the thoughts out. He had to go first, for his crew. If anything was going to happen to them, it had to happen to him.

He took a deep breath as he opened his eyes, the butterflies going out of control in his stomach. The ringing was close now, and just as Dissero thought he could make out the scraping of steel plates, he saw the front of the column march into view. Ashfall led the way, and even through the wet Dissero could pick up the scent of leather coming off of him. He grit his teeth, his fear being partially replaced by anger.

The column was right in front of them now, directly between the two alleys where the rebels lay on wait. Dissero looked up to the rooftops, seeing no sign of Salvo. Had something gone wrong? He scratched at the ground, wondering if he should pull back, or charge forth on his own.

But no, there! A soft purple glow from the roof! Almost immediately the four guards swiveled around, their own rune guns starting to glow as well. Ashfall was a little slower, following the guards’ aim as he looked up to the roof where Salvo was perched.

Thunder rolled over the city as Salvo’s gun ejected its payload, the slug hurtling forwards and punching through one of the lead guard’s armor. She ducked back just as the guards fired, narrowly avoiding the six purple glows that soared right through the air where she once was.

The hit guard stumbled, his own slugs traveling far off target. With a muffled pop! the slug within him detonated, filling him with deadly shrapnel. He fell to the ground heavily, the water turning red around his body.

“Rebels!” Ashfall snarled. He turned to the remaining guards as he flared his wings, and Dissero saw the two rune guns nestled beneath them. “Send an alarm!” He took off, flying straight for Salvo.

Dissero took a breath. My turn.

Letting loose a terrified yell, Dissero barreled out of the alley, the sound of his crew’s hooves splashing through the water behind him giving him strength. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he zeroed in on the closest guard, racing to close the distance. In his peripheral vision he saw Zastaflash and Nix doing the same, their faces masks of concentration.

The closest guard turned to Dissero, whose heart jumped as he saw the purple glow already building up around the guard’s guns. They reloaded so fast! He skidded to a stop before the guard, frantically lined up his shot, and magically pulled the trigger.

Bang! The roar of the musket was like thunder at his side as shards of metal flew forth, peppering the guard’s armor. The guard stumbled back with the force of the shot, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

Bang! Bang! Silver and Cleaver were hot on his heels, each one unloading their own hails of shrapnel on the guard. Metal ripped through the weak points in his armor, spraying blood onto Dissero’s face. Although Silver ran past the guard, Cleaver instead opted to gallop straight into him, releasing a mighty roar as he tackled the guard to the ground.

But still the guard seemed unfazed, shoving Cleaver off with a mighty heave and steadily lumbering to his hooves. Dissero scanned the battlefield with wide eyes, seeing that Zastaflash and Nix had properly dispatched their target and were ducking back for the alley. The one unharassed guard was lining shots up on them as they ran, and Dissero’s target began to level his own guns on him. There was no sign of Salvo or Ashfall.

Time seemed to slow down. This wasn’t right, everything was going wrong, this wasn’t how things were supposed to happen. There were still two guards left and they’d fired all their shots. Where was Lupus? Where were the rest of the Hounds?

“Get down!”

Silver slammed into Dissero, knocking him into the ground as two trails of purple flew over him. The slugs embedded themselves in the wall behind him before detonating harmlessly.

“Snap out of it, you idiot!”

Dissero blinked, suddenly aware that he’d just been standing still in the middle of the street. Looking around, he saw everything bathed in a purple glow. Hanging low in the sky was a bright purple star, gently falling. A signal flare, Salvo had called them.

Dissero rolled to his hooves. The chained ponies had together managed to wrestle one of the guards to the ground, pinning him down. Zastaflash, Nix, and Cleaver stood over the remaining guard, the latter’s hooves stained red.

“Did we do it?” Dissero asked.

“Not yet, mate,” Zastaflash said, looking up at the now fading flare. “There’ll be guards swarming all over here in ten minutes. We’ve gotta get your mare and get outta here.”

“Where’s Salvo?” Nix asked.

“Ashfall went after her,” Silver said. “Flew right up to where she was.”

“Fuck, that was Ashfall?” Zastaflash whistled as he trotted over to the pinned down guard, a long shank floating besides him. “He’s a tough nut.”

Dissero followed after him, shivering as the helpless guard was executed. The chained ponies all let out cries of relief, thanks, and confusion.

“What is this place?”

“Who are you?”

“I thought I was done for!”

“Good to see you again, Captain.”

Hearing Stormslider’s voice again, Dissero couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. “Are you alright, Storm?”

The mare nodded. “Looks like it, thanks to you.” Zastaflash began making his way down the line of shackled ponies, picking the locks with his shank and some makeshift lockpicks.

Silver stepped up to the mare, wrapping a wing around her as her cuffs were unlocked. “Fuck, Storm, good to know you’re alright.”

“Let’s not have the reunion yet, mates,” Zastaflash said, tucking his tools away in his mane. “We’ve still got to get before the guards arrive.”

Meanwhile, Nix was speaking with the rest of the rescued ponies. “I’m sorry, but we can’t give you shelter! You’ll all have to make it out of the industrial zone on your own, split up and head for the walls! Go, while you still can!”

Scared and confused, the nine ponies scattered into the city, each heading a different way. Dissero couldn’t help but wonder how many of them would make it to the relative safety of the shanty.

“So where do we go from here?” Storm asked, looking around.

“Back to the hide,” Zastaflash said. “Quickly, before the guards arrive.”

“Where’s Salvo?” Dissero asked.

“Don’t worry about her, she’ll be fine,” Nix said. Her’s ears flicked as the ringing of chainmail echoed down the street, growing louder at an alarming pace. “Let’s move.”

She set off down an alley, the other rebels falling in behind her. Stormslider was moving noticeably slow, gritting her teeth with every step. Dissero and Silver each fell back to lend her a shoulder, Cleaver bringing up the rear.

“What happened to your wing?” Storm asked.

“Just some mare problems, don’t worry about it,” Silver said. He raised his voice, calling out to Nix. “We need to slow down, she can’t take this pace!”

Nix paused, looking back. “Damnit. Everyone reload, we aren’t going to outrun them at this speed.”

“I’m fine, you don’t need to slow down for me,” Storm said, wincing as Silver set her against the side of the alley. The rebels all pulled out their shot and powder, rushing to get their muskets ready to fire under the limited rain protection of the surrounding walls.

“You are poor liar, Stormslider,” Cleaver rumbled.

“Don’t worry,” Dissero said as he closed the breech on his freshly loaded musket. “We’re getting you safe.”

At the front of the line, Nix snapped her second musket shut. “Everyone ready? Let’s move.”

They made their way through the city cautiously, dodging the increasingly more common patrols. The guards truly were swarming around them now, the patrols a net growing ever tighter around the source of the signal flare . More than once they were forced to wait in place for nearly half an hour until it was safe enough for them to advance, and in one case they were even forced to take down a pair of guards that wandered into the alley they hid in.

They were nearly there, Dissero starting to recognize the buildings as those around the hide, when they came across a large patrol of a whole six guards, led by a snarling Ashfall. The dark pegasus had fresh bandages wrapped around one of his legs, and was bleeding from a gash on his cheek. Sharp steel blades were attached to his feathers, one of them glistening red.

Nix made the appropriate hoof signal, and the rebels lowered themselves to the ground, Stormslider hesitating only slightly before catching on. The mare was exhausted now, stumbling forth even slower than before.

Then, from right behind them, came the ringing of chainmail.

A chill ran down Dissero’s spine as he turned around. Two more guards were making their way up the alley, growing steadily closer. Soon they would catch sight of the rebels, and the sound of the fighting would no doubt alert Ashfall’s patrol. They were trapped.

Nix’s hurried whisper traveled across the group. “Okay, take the two in the back first. Then we’ll try to get out that way. If it comes down to it, I’ll stay behind and stall them. Zasta knows the way to the hide.”

Nods traveled around the assembled ponies. The air ponies turned to face the patrol closing in on them, making sure to keep Stormslider firmly in the center of the group.

And then, suddenly, Moon Dream dropped down amongst them, grinning eagerly. “I found Lupus.”

Skystrings and Open Book both fell on the two guards in the alley from above, each one knocking their target down before slipping a shank into the narrow opening under the guards’ neck armor. Book let out a little chuckle as he straightened up. “That should teach them to step into our alleys.”

Not even a second later Lupus’s voice rang through the night. “Get ‘em, Hounds!”

Dissero turned just in time to see Rainy Day jump off the building into the street, trailing a rope behind her. Spindle Silk, Fizzle Snip, and Lupus trailed after her, sliding down the rope dangerously fast. Lupus leapt off the rope halfway down, headed straight for Ashfall.

Ashfall snarled as he flapped his wings, propelling himself into the air and dodging the tackle. Lupus rolled as he landed, jumped over a nearby guard, and shot him point-blank with a rune gun. The guard stumbled, recovered his balance, and was thrown forcibly to the street as the slug detonated, tearing apart his innards.

One down, six to go.

Ashfall dove down on Lupus, the two stallions engaging in a fierce exchange of blades as the five remaining guards turned on the other rebels, guns glowing. Rainy, Spindle, and Snip tackled the closest guard, pinning him and filling him with shot. At the same time Zastaflash and Nix rushed another, peppering his armor with with hot shrapnel, but to no avail. Canus leapt out of the far alley, rushing for Ashfall only to be knocked unconscious by a swift buck to the head.

Dissero turned to his crew, heart pounding. “With me!” He charged out of the alley just as three of the guards fired, the six deadly purple glows streaking through the night. Luckily, none of them were headed for him; it seemed the airponies hadn’t yet been seen.

Cleaver pulled ahead, slamming into the nearest guard and knocking him back. He grabbed the guard, wrestling him to the ground with Silver’s help, and Dissero planted the barrel of his musket square in the guard’s chest before firing. The other two stallions followed suit, and the guard’s body jerked wildly before falling limp.

Three down, just four more left.

Dissero turned, his heart skipping a beat as he saw twin streaks of purple headed straight for him. He dove to the ground, covering his head with his hooves as the slugs hit the building behind him, exploding and showering him with hot shrapnel. He hissed in pain as the shards cut into his flank, easily ripping through his clothes and coat.

Silver rushed to his side. “Dissy, you alright!?”

Dissero grunted as he climbed to his hooves. “I’m fine, it’s alright.”

Rainy Day cried out as a guard’s rune gun, it’s owner now dead, self-destructed before her and scattered shrapnel through her coat. She fell over, cradling her face in her hooves.

At the same time, Ashfall stumbled backwards under the force of a mighty downwards slash from Lupus. He shook himself, scanning the battlefield, snarling as he saw that his patrol of guards had been eliminated. “Fucking rebels!”

“Not just any rebels!” Lupus shouted, charging towards him. “Cell Bloodhound, and don’t you forget it!”

Ashfall leapt out of the way of the attack with a flap of his wings, soared over Spindle Silk and Open Book, and landed directly on top of Rainy Day. A sickening crack! rang through the night, shortly followed by a shrill scream of pain, as the injured mare’s spine was snapped in two.

Zastaflash pulled his shank out of the final guard’s corpse, looking to his sister. “Rainy!” He sprinted for her, the rest of the rebels close behind him, his eyes daggers aimed straight for Ashfall.

But Ashfall was ready. He flapped one wing, pushing himself out of the way of the charge even as his rune guns began to glow.

Zastaflash found himself charging through empty air, clumsily stumbling over Rainy’s unconscious body as he scrambled to avoid stepping on her. By the time he finally came to a stop and turned to face his target once more, it was already too late.

Ashfall’s guns finished charging, the twin rune slugs soaring forth.

For an endless moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Nopony said anything, even the thunder was momentarily silent. Rune guns made no noise when they fired, leaving only the falling rain to fill the void.

The spell was broken as Zastaflash screamed, one slug punching into his leg as the other sliced into his flank. The force of the impacts threw him to the ground, where he lay gasping in shock, the rain slowly staining red beneath him.

He rolled onto his side, his eyes refocusing as he looked to his allies, wide with terror. He opened his mouth, weak voice barely audible. “H-hel—”

With a muffled pop the slugs detonated. Zastaflash’s leg was propelled clear across the street, while his chest simply burst like an overfilled balloon. Dissero flinched as hot blood splattered across his face, and when he opened his eyes he saw Zastaflash’s torn and mangled body sprawled upon the street, both forelegs blasted away, a chunk of flesh missing from his chest, and his eyes empty, staring into nothingness.

Dissero nearly fell over, his legs going weak at the sight of that dead stare. He just managed to catch himself as he dropped to his knees, tearing his eyes away as he looked up to the dark sky of Harmony City. In the distance he saw a dark-coated pegasus flying away, discernible for just a moment before fading into the night.

Silver Feather’s good wing flared, his eyes set on the spot where Ashfall had disappeared.. He crouched down as if getting ready to take off, snarling, “What’re we waiting for? Let’s get ‘em!”

“We can’t,” Spindle Silk spat bitterly. “The instant any pegasus flies more than a few feet above the rooftops they’re shot out of the sky. There’s no cover up there.”

“She’s still alive!” Nix called, looking up from Rainy Day’s comatose form. “We need to get back to the hide, now.”

“Let’s head home, Hounds,” Lupus said, his voice quiet yet commanding, somehow clear through the rain and thunder. He levitated Canus onto his back as he started back towards the hide, and Spindle Silk did the same for Rainy Day. Fizzle Snip gently grabbed Zastaflash’s broken corpse in her magic, laying him across her back.

Casualties accounted for, they resumed their trip home. Chainmail echoed in the distance, further than before but growing steadily closer. With the guards’ search net broken, the rebels slipped into the night, leaving only death in their wake.

They left the guard’s bodies behind, the rain slowly washing the redness away. The mess had already been cleared away by the Baron’s ponies when laborers passed through the street the next morning, leaving no sign that anything had ever happened.

Author's Notes:

No, I totally didn't almost forget to update today. That certainly didn't slip my mind until just now.
It's an experiment. Experimentally late updating.

Don't look at me!