“Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?”

Seaddle. Odd that this was starting to feel like home now. I hadn't even thought of Flank as my home while I'd been out east. I wasn't sure what made this place so different, but for whatever reason, I actually felt the stress leaving my body whenever I walked these streets. Which was grand, since I'd been feeling plenty anxious about a few things during the last few days of our trip.

Now though, it was finally time to do away with worries and stress. Windfall had been admitted into the medical center, Foxglove was at the apartment tinkering with whatever it was she wanted to tinker with, and I was left to my own devices. That device being whiskey, and a lot of it. I might even try to score an ampule or two of Jet if it turned out that alcohol wasn't enough to completely take the edge off. Celestia knew that the two syringes of Med-X I was currently riding on was only scratching the surface.

I had considered injecting a third dose, but it turned out that the hospital would only sell me so many of the things. There was a gray market for pharmaceuticals, but their supplies were both limited and expensive. Better to just supplement it with other medicinal substances. And Collard's was my first choice for securing such substances.

“Jackboot,” the green pony standing behind the bar nodded when he saw me walk in, “been a while,” he looked me over briefly, “rough trip?”

“Rougher than most,” I admitted as I walked up to the bar, proud that I managed to do so with only a slight limp. The crowd was what I'd come to expect form Collard's: less than a half dozen ponies and all of them drinking quietly and minding their own business. I'd come to learn the names of a few of the regulars in passing, and a fact or two about their histories. None of them had pasts quite as clouded as mine, but I gathered that they still appreciated the discretion that a place like this offered them, as I did.

“But I survived,” I added with a smirk. Taking a seat at the bar, I fished out a small stack of bits and placed them on the counter at about the same time Collard deposited two glasses, each filled half way with Wild Pegasus whiskey, “I'll be here for about a week this time I guess,” I picked up one of the glasses and took a long sip of the murky brown fluid, relishing the burn as it flowed down my throat. I needed to start bringing a bottle or two of this on trips just in case I found myself off the beaten path for an extended period of time again. I may not drink to the excess that Windfall enjoyed, but a few pulls in the evening to settle myself might keep me a little more level in the future.

The green pony glanced up at me for a brief moment, and then his eyes scanned the other patrons before he leaned in a little closer and cleared his throat, “you might want to see about cutting that short.”

That got my full attention. I set the glass back on the counter and narrowed my eyes at the pony. A hundred different thoughts and concerns swam through my head, all prompted by a single question, “why?” had Foxglove said something after all? Had Collard heard about a warrant out for my arrest already? Fuck that Yellow Bitch and Whiplash both. I knew I should have snuffed her while we still out in the Wastes...

“A mare was in here earlier, asking around about you,” the bartender began.

“Purple unicorn, green eyes?” I prompted.

Collard frowned, “no. Gray earth pony, blue eyes,” a smirk appeared on his lips, “how many ladies did you manage to piss off exactly?” At my glare, he wisely chose to continue with what he'd initially been trying to tell me, “anyway, she came in about two days ago. Asked for you by name. Wanted to know when you'd be back in town.”

“What'd you tell her?” This was concerning. I was frantically sifting through my memory, trying to put a face to any earth pony mares that I knew that fit that description. None came to mind. Granted, I probably didn't remember every mare I'd ever met. Could she be somepony from New Reino? Flank maybe? That bounty the Finders had posted was years old, and I would never have thought it'd still be around, or large enough to prompt somepony to venture all the way out here in pursuit of it.

“Told her the truth,” the green stallion replied simply, “that I didn't know. She offered caps if I let her know when you got here.”

Wait...caps? Didn't most ponies around here deal in bits? Could somepony really have trailed me all the way here from Hoofington after all? How could they have found out I was even here?

Most importantly, had Collard accepted the offer...

The hair on the back of my neck prickled briefly before I allowed myself to relax. He wouldn't be telling me about any of this if he planned on selling me out...unless he was expecting me to make him a better offer. That thought put me right back on my guard again, “how many caps?” I asked in a low growl, mentally calculating how much money I had in this city. I hadn't even gotten around to selling the weapons we'd amassed yet, but I had ballparked their worth at a few thousand.

Sensing the source of my anxiety, the bar owner offered a wry smile and a chuckle, “not enough,” was his response, “I play the long game, Jackboot, you know that. A small pile of caps now at the cost of one of my regulars? Pfft, I'll make double what she was offering in a month off your drink orders.”

His expression grew slightly more serious again, “but I wasn't the only pony she talked to, I bet.”

Probably not. She'd have had to speak to a couple of ponies at the least just to know I frequented this place; and I didn't frequent every bar and club in this city. More than a few ponies wouldn't say no to an offer of caps to help that mare out.

I needed to find out who she was and why she was after me as soon as possible, “what else did she say?”

“Not much,” Collard admitted, “just that knowing when you were in town would be worth some caps.”

“But she also told you how to let her know, right? A name, an address?”

“No name, but she did say where I could find her,” he stopped there, looking at me. Only when I prompted him further did her continue, though it sounded like he was somewhat reluctant, “the Seaddle Arms. She has a suite there. Room two-oh-six.

“Jackboot,” the bartender continued by way of addendum, “I like you. You're a quiet customer, and you always pay your tab by the end of the night. That mare? She's trouble, believe me. I've known enough ponies to be able to sense that sort of thing. Whatever it is the two of you got going on, leave it.”

A wry smile threatened to break out as I considered how accurate Collard's little 'trouble sense' was when it came to his customers. He hadn't sensed it from me in years, and I knew I could be all sorts of trouble for the ponies that stood in my way. This mare was a threat. It didn't matter whether she was from Neighvada or Hoofington, or even Manehattan. She had to be dealt with.

Yeah, I guess I was planning on skipping town in a week or so anyway and never coming back in order to deal with the whole Windfall situation, but if this mare had tracked me here, she'd track me anywhere. She had to be dealt with before she knew I was even in town. If she didn't already that is. I had no way of knowing who else she'd spoken to that had seen me return today. Maybe one of the nurses at the hospital? The pony I was renting the apartment from?

Did she know where I lived?

If I was going to get a good night's sleep, I had to deal with this matter quickly.

“Thanks for the head's up,” I said as I turned from the counter and headed for the door, “see you tomorrow.”

“Ja—ah, nevermind,” I heard the older stallion sigh as I left.

The Seaddle Arms. I'd heard of it, of course. Most ponies from the area had. It was one of the more luxurious places to stay in Neighvada. It had the reputation of the being the preferred location for the Republic's politicos to meet their mistresses and misters and whatever else they had on the side that they didn't want anypony to officially know about. The staff was renowned for its discretion, and the accommodations were supposed to be second to none. A night there cost what I spent in a month on the one-room apartment I lived in now. Whoever was looking for me seemed to have money to spare if that's where they were planning to wait me out.

That being said, showing up dressed like I was would not go unnoticed by the ponies who worked there. I sure didn't look like I was one of their customers. I'd have to fix that. Of course, it was already late at night and anyplace selling fine clothing was long since closed for the evening. I'd have to improvise.

I made my way to the ritzier part of town that offered a night life that was more appealing to the wealthier residents of the city. Mugging was certainly a thing that happened in the city, as the guards couldn't be everywhere. However, I wasn't after a pony's bits or valuables. Leaving them alive would risk them reporting me to the authorities, and killing them had a very good chance of damaging their attire, which flew in the face of my goal. Which meant I had to be a lot less direct about the whole thing.

Ideally, I had to get something that looked respectable, without anypony knowing I'd taking anything. At least not until it was way too late to do anything about it. The first step would be selecting a good location. There were some higher end clubs, but security at those places could be pretty tight. Not just the club's security, but the personal bodyguards of the attendants. Something a little more low key then. A place where you didn't expect drunks to make a scene, or for angry spouses to confront you about indiscretions.

My eyes fell on a large lit sign for La Bonne Pomme. It was a classy restaurant that prided itself on offering genuine produce grown on the local farms. More expensive than you could imagine. Just the place to get my hooves on what I'd need. I just had to get in there first, and it sure wasn't going to be through the front door. This was the sort of place you reserved a table at, and I hardly looked like the type of pony who could with the worn leather jacket that I was wearing. To get in there, I'd already need to look like the sort of pony I was trying to pass as.

I heard a burst of noise from nearby, as a side door of the restaurant opened, and a tired looking buck stepped out hauling a bag of garbage. A plan formed hastily in my mind and I turned down the ally quickly. Staff could get in without anypony giving them a second look...

“Hey, buddy,” I greeting, offering a broad smile as I approached, adding a slight sway to my step and slurring my speech a little, “spare a bit? Damn barpony says I can't get no more drinks on credit. What's with that shit?”

The younger stallion's expression instantly soured and he rolled his eyes, “get out of here you drunk, or I'll call security.”

“Oi, hey,” I widened my smile even further and faked a slight stumble, “hey, now, no need for that. I'm just asking for one bit is all. I'm good for it, swear on my mother's life!”

“Look, I said-”

The stallion's rebuke was interrupted by my head slamming into his snout, which I instantly followed up with a pair of forehoof jabs to his temple. A single hind kick to his chest finished off my assault, and sent the poor fellow into the brick wall of the restaurant. The waiter let out a pained groan that turned into a weak spasm of coughs. He tried to get back up, but I placed one hoof on the back of his neck and used the other to deliver a final sharp blow to his head. I could feel him still breathing, so I hadn't killed him. He wasn't going to be feeling very good when he woke up though.

“I'm going to borrow these,” I mumbled as I started to pull off the white shirt and black tie that he was wearing, “I hope you don't mind,” it turned out the tie was a clip-on. Hmm. Somehow I expected more from a place like this. Oh well. I stowed my leather jacket under the nearby dumpster and headed in through the side door.

I found myself in the restaurant's kitchen. The aroma's that assaulted me set my mouth watering. No time for a snack though...

“Order up!” A mare called out, setting a plate on a nearby counter, “table seventeen,” her yellow eyes shifted to me briefly, “and straighten up that tie.”

“Yes, ma'am,” I nodded, grabbing up the plate in my mouth and heading out into the main dining area. I guess there was time enough after all!

Mesquite spiced carrots and applesauce. The carrots were just a tad undercooked, and the sauce had a lump or two, but I was hardly going to complain. I set the empty plate down on a table that had recently been vacated and continued making my way to the front of the restaurant. When I got there, I tapped the shoulder of the unicorn mare standing by the door.

“Time for your break.”

She blinked, “really? It feels like I just had one...”

“Hey, if you don't want it, I'd be happy to take it for...you,” she was already gone. I placed a smile on my face and turned to meet the next ponies that stepped through the door. A proper looking brown unicorn stallion with a belly that threatened to burst through the buttons of his jacket and his slender yellow earth pony mare companion who seemed to be absolutely enamored with every word he spoke.

“...so I fired him anyway!” the stallion ended his story with a deep throaty laugh that was punctuated with frequent reverberating snorts, “get it?” the mare was positively all a twitter up until the moment her date looked at me. At which point I saw her exhausted look of disgust.

Whatever he's paying you, it's not enough, “may I take your coat, sir?”

The stallion eyed me briefly, and then I saw the buttons of his coat begin to undo themselves with the aide of his telekinetic field, “if I find a smudge, I'll have you fired too,” he looked back at the mare, whose face was instantly aglow again “get it?” another burst of laughter from the both of them.

“Good one, sir,” I smiled, “enjoy you're meal!” I flipped the coat over my shoulder and walked into the coat room. Once inside, I hastily shucked the waiter's garb and stuffed it in a corner, replacing it with the coat, which actually fit me rather well.

I stepped back into the restaurant's foyer, and was greeted by the sight of another pair looking at me with questioning expressions. I put on an appropriately disgusted frown, “it appears to be 'self service' tonight,” I sneered with resentment, “this place has become positively common recently,” I stepped past them and headed outside. I walked away from the restaurant and its patrons with my head held high, casting the proper air of disdain befitting a pony of my supposed breeding.

At least until I was comfortably out of sight, at which point I allowed myself to slouch and limp once more. I really did need to take it easy. Whatever, I had what I needed, and the Seaddle Arms wasn't all that far from where I was now.

The question of how to approach this phase of the plan was what occupied my mind as I came within sight of the hotel. Simply killing her might only solve my problems in the short term. I needed to find out why she was here and what she was after.

Jilted lover? Whiplash mused, prospective lover, maybe?

I highly doubted the latter, but the former might be a possibility...I guess? They'd have to be somepony from Hoofington though. There was no way some mare I'd rutted would be that desperate to track me down after all this time. No, she was looking for me to either settle a score or make a lot of caps. Emotions and money were the only things that I could imagine that would motivate a pony to go through all this.

As I got closer, I began to wonder if this could really be about the old bounty on me. The money this mare was spending just to stay here...She'd be lucky to break even by the time she got back to the Finders to collect. It had to be personal. Which would make her extremely dangerous, and possibly unpredictable. I just wished that I could think of what I'd done to piss somepony off this much.

You do have quite the body-count attached to your name...

Fair point. She could be a relative of somepony I'd killed. Revenge would certainly explain her actions. Was she acting alone though, was the question now. If this was about somepony I killed, was she the only relation, or just the first of many? I needed to know. Which meant I had to interrogate her before I killed her.

Rendering somepony helpless without killing them could be hard enough in and of itself. Doing so while your opponent felt no such need for restraint only compounded the problem. If I was lucky, she hadn't heard that I'd arrived yet, and wouldn't be expecting me to show up. If I wasn't lucky, then I was going to be in for a rough night.

I walked into the hotel's lobby, and made a beeline for the stairway near the back. I offered only the barest of nods to the bored looking stallion behind the reception desk. He returned the gesture and made no move to stop me or ask any questions. I suppose I looked respectable enough to be a guest after all. Good. My eyes scanned the doors, looking for the room that Collard had made mention of. Two-oh-six. It wasn't far.

Knock and let her answer? It was late, who would be coming by? Oh, right, she'd been telling ponies to come by here when they knew where I was. She would actually be expecting ponies to come to this room at odd hours. Let her open the door, and then I'd pounce before she could react. I tapped my hoof on the door and waited. And waited.

I tapped again, louder, in case she was sleeping. Still nopony answered. I frowned. Deep sleeper? Or still out looking for me? Probably the latter, if she was really serious about tracking me down. She might even already be out investigating a tip somepony else fed her about me. If that was the case, it presented me with a unique opportunity.

Sneak in and lie in wait. She'd come back, get comfortable, go to bed, and then I could take her down with hardly any fight at all.

Though I already suspected what I'd find, I tried the handle. Yeah, locked. I mean, I knew it would be, but it didn't hurt to check. I peered closely at the lock. Simple, three tumblers. I didn't have my pick set with me, but I probably wouldn't need them if I was willing to improvise. I looked around and spied a door that identified itself as the janitor's closet. Janitor slash handypony as it turned out. A screwdriver and a coat hanger was all I needed to successfully pick the lock and open the door.

As I did so, I heard the faintest snapping of wood from below and looked down. My eyes fell on the splintered remains of a toothpick. Horseapples. This mare was clever, I had to give her that. I couldn't even tell where she'd had it set, even if I managed to find a replacement to reset her improvised burglar detector. Did she know I was in town already? Or was she just taking precautions in case any of the ponies she talked to liked me more than the amount of caps she was offering? Either way, an ambush was now out of the question. She'd know somepony had been here the moment she opened the door. Great.

Oh well, if an ambush wasn't going to be happening, then I was at least going to learn what I could about this mare. I went inside and closed the door behind me. My eyes scanned the room. It was just about what you'd expect to find in a room being rented by a well-to-do pony of lavish means. Bottles of wine on the night stand. Perfume and jewelery sitting ready on the vanity near the back. The closet door was open, and I noticed a fair few gowns and dresses in decent condition.

That didn't make any sense. Whoever this mare was, she had money, a lot of it. Even if this was about a personal grudge and not any bounty, she could have hired a professional to track me down. Fuck, judging by the kind of assets she had, she could have hired a small team of professionals. Why come here herself and look for me? It didn't make any sense.

Who was this mare?

I pawed through the contents of the night stand and vanity. More of the same high society trinkets and luxuries. Tins of makeup and vials of ancient perfume that I personally felt smelled just awful, and jewelery that was so gaudy that I hardly believed anypony would actually want to be seen in public wearing the stuff. No weapons, no rough-travel gear. Nothing to suggest that the pony here had ever left Seaddle for even a second. Could it actually be a Seaddle native that was after me? Who could I have...

Oh, horseapples. As it so happened, there was a pony I had killed in this city that might have wealthy relatives. It had been so long ago I'd almost forgotten. Then I recalled the night I'd broken into the home of a rather depraved rapist working as a politician. He hadn't been the only pony I'd killed that night, but he was the one who'd have family this well off.

Had somepony managed to link me to his murder? I suppose it was possible. It certainly answered most of the questions I was harboring right now. I made my way over the to closet, glancing over the clothing. Just dresses and lacy clothes that wouldn't last an hour out in the Wasteland. Nothing that could be used for rough travel. She lived here.

A daughter, maybe? He'd probably had a few children. Somepony would have inherited his estate I guess.

But then why ask around for me like they were? If they knew I'd done it, they could just ask for me to be arrested. The appropriate evidence could always be 'found' later. Not like anypony would really question anything or go out of their way to speak up in my defense. Why try and handle this all quiet?

I opened up the door to the bathroom to give that a look over before leaving, and my train of thought derailed.

The smell got me first. A smelly bathroom wasn't really all that startling of course, even in a place like this. Nopony's shit smelled like apples, after all. Except this wasn't a fecal odor. It was the smell of death. The source of which, was obvious. Laying in the tub was an older unicorn mare, the rather striking reversed orientation of her head leaving no doubt as to the cause of her death.

Her mane was done up in an intricate tangle of braids held together with strips of ribbon. Her hooves were polished to a mirror shine. Her coat, though faded with age, was meticulously groomed and seemed to twinkle in the light thanks to the fine flecks of glitter that she had brushed into it.

Now that, that right there, was the sort of pony I could have seen owning the things in this room.

Horseapples.

I hadn't actually learned a Celestia-damned thing about the pony who was coming after me. Except that she had no problem with murdering a bystander in order to secure a base to operate out of. Great. Who was this mare, and what did she want with me?

Two questions that burned in my mind, but that I would get no answers tonight. I needed to get out of here before she got back. An overt confrontation wouldn't end well. Even if I came out on top in the fight between the two of us, the hotel staff would be alerted and the authorities would become involved. Being linked to the scene of this murder wasn't going to do me any favors even if I won the fight.

I left the room, closing the door behind me. When that mystery mare returned, she'd find it unlocked, and her tell-tale in pieces, but there wasn't anything that I could do about that now. I knew she was in town, and that she was looking for me. Hopefully that would be enough to keep me from being caught off guard. I even had a vague idea of what she looked like, and the sort of clothing she had available to her. As long as I could stay off her radar for a few more days, I should be good.

At least until she tracked me down later.

I was going to need to deal with her eventually. Sooner was better than later, but while I was still in Seaddle my hooves were pretty much tied regarding what I could do to her openly. This mare wasn't a moron, she probably wouldn't let herself be caught alone in this place. If I killed her and was still nabbed by the authorities, it hardly mattered, did it? I just wish I knew how much she knew about me at the moment.

A quick detour back to the alley to recover my jacket and dispose of the coat—apparently that waiter had regained consciousness at some point—and then it was off to the apartment. Though this time I did so with a lot more looking over my shoulder and roundabout routes than I remember using in a long time. Uh, I did not need this stress in my life right now. I had enough of it as it was.

Case in point: a violet unicorn kneeling on the floor, surrounded by a sea of disassembled firearms. Tools, she had found in our short time traveling together. Materials, those had been in short supply. However, after a great deal of convincing and rationalizing, I had agreed to allow her to cannibalize some of the less valuable weapons we'd scavenged during our trip. The small pistols and the pieces that looked like they were more rust than rifle already anyway. Foxglove was rather insistent that she have Windfall's new submachine guns finished as quickly as possible so that they could be presented to the pegasus the moment she was discharged.

I grimaced at the sight. This apartment had been 'cozy' enough with just myself and Windfall. Now some of what little space there had been had suddenly been turned into a workshop. Not that it really mattered I guess. This wasn't going to be my home for much longer, was it? Figures that I'd finally get comfortable somewhere only to have to abandon it. All because I let myself forget about what kind of pony I really was. Now I was leaving everything I'd built behind, I was being chased by some unknown mare for reasons I couldn't fathom, there was a minefield of small mechanical parts surrounding the bed, and my fucking joints were killing me!

“Horseapples!” I snarled, slamming the door a lot harder than I'd meant to. Foxglove uttered a startled yelp, looking up at me with wide, surprised, eyes. I stared her down until she looked back at the dissected automatic weapon hovering in front of her and resumed her alterations. Meanwhile I stepped over the bed to get around her and headed for the wardrobe. I stowed my jacket and retrieved a syringe of Med-X from the small cache I'd put together that day. I held the cylinder firmly in my jaws and jammed the needle into my shoulder.

The pain started to ebb away once more, and I let out a sigh that sounded only half relieved. The physical pain was leaving, but the stress brought on by what I'd learned in the last couple of hours still remained. In fact, “did anypony come by today?”

“What?” the violet mare asked, looking up once more.

Perhaps with more venom than the unicorn deserved, I reiterated my question with a slight snarl, “I asked if anypony came by today? Did you notice anypony hanging around outside? A mare with blue eyes?”

“I-no. Wait, why?” an anxious note was creeping into her own voice. The weapon she was working on floated to the ground, momentarily forgotten, “is somepony after you?”

My eyes went wide. I swooped down on the mare, pinning her to the ground with my right arm. She let out a scream of surprise that was choked out quickly by the pressure I was applying to her throat. I felt her struggling beneath me, and I leaned into her throat with more force. Her cries became desperate gasps, her eyes terrified and frantic. I saw her horn begin to glow with a soft green light. Before she could manifest her magic—Celestia knew there were plenty of tools nearby she could use to do real damage—I slammed my left hoof into her temple once, and then a second time.

“No magic, or you die!” I screamed at the frightened mare, holding my hoof up, ready to resume delivering blows if I glimpses so much as a twinkle from her horn, “what do you know? When was she here?!”

The unicorn gurgled and gagged, but I didn't reduce the weight I was putting on her. If she could get enough air through her throat to make noises, she could gasp out a coherent word or two. I slammed my hoof down next to her head hard enough to make some of the smaller pieces of nearby scrap jump up off the floor, “answer me!”

“Plea-” she managed to get out between her desperate spasms for breath, “top...Ackboo...” her eyes were tearing up to the point where I wasn't certain she could even see anymore. If she wanted me to stop, all she had to do was tell me what I wanted to know. If she thought I was going to let up for even a moment, then the unicorn was very much mistaken. I'd killed hundreds; why wouldn't I kill her too?

Be K-

This wasn't the time for kindness! I gave Yellow Bitch a mental snarl. My life could be on the line here. I needed to know what Foxglove had told that mare. She might even know why they were after me in the first place.

Because turning you over to somepony she doesn't know is exactly what Foxglove would do, Whiplash sighed in a bored tone, I mean, she'd love explaining to Windfall how she got you killed right? You know how much she hates that fool pegasus...

I hesitated.

Which was apparently what Foxglove had been waiting for. Her horn burst to life, and before I could react, a torrent of weapon parts was flying at my face. I brought both of my hooves up to block the tsunami of metal, releasing the unicorn. She coughed and gasped as she scrambled to get away, heading for the apartment's door. Her assault was certainly a lot more diversionary than hurtful, and it didn't take me long to recover. I leaped and tackled her to the ground once more. My forelegs found their way around her neck and I rolled her over, her legs flailing in the air.

My hind legs swept up and tucked themselves inside her thighs. I then proceeded to arch my back, forcing her throat into my arms and crushing her larynx once more. Only this time she had no leverage whatsoever to try and escape with. I leaned up next to her ear, “I will have answers,” I hissed as I arched even further, putting far more tension on her neck than I had earlier. The unicorn mare gave one final gurgle before all flow of air was firmly cut off. Her horn glowed, and I felt a few more bits of debris fling themselves into the side of my head, but they lacked to force to do any real damage. In seconds, the green glow faded, and then I felt the mare's body go limp on top of mine.

I remained like I was for a few moments longer, feeling the throbbing pulse in her neck slow. When I was satisfied that she was genuinely unconscious, I released my grip and let her slide to the floor with an undignified thud. She knew that somepony was after me. She could only know that if she'd spoken with the mare that Collard had. Foxglove knew something, and she was going to tell me what it was.

Or else.

I made my way back to the gear stowed in the apartment's wardrobe and retrieved a generous length of rope. I used it to bind Foxglove's fore and hind legs. I didn't need her making another break for the exit; not until I'd decided to let her live. Granted, I wasn't seeing that as being a very likely outcome for the mare right now. Next, I pulled out Full Stop. A deft flick swung the cylinder out and I dumped the rounds held within out onto the night stand. Then I waited. Foxglove was going to need to be conscious for the rest.

It took her about ten minutes to start to come around. She started off rather listless, as though awakening from a deep sleep. I saw her strain at the bindings on her legs lethargically, and then she shot awake rather abruptly. It took her frantic eyes only a moment to find me, sitting nearby with the revolver in my hooves, a single cylinder of brass being rolled around in my lips.

“Not a word,” I mumbled around the bullet as I continued to mull it around in a quasi-random pattern. I watched as her eyes followed the path of the bullet I played with. She remained silent, “we're going to play a game. It's called 'up to six questions'. If you win the game, you get to live and I let you go.”

Foxglove swallowed, “and if I lose?”

I slipped the brass tube into Full Stop and snapped the weapon closed, “then I field a noise complaint from the neighbors,” I held the release and gave the revolver's chambers a firm flick of my hoof and listened to the clicking sound as they spun. I let go of the release, and the clicking stopped suddenly, “round one,” I put the weapon in my mouth and pointed it at her head. The color drained from her face, “did anypony come around asking about me today?”

She shook her head adamantly, “no! Nopony's been here all day!”

My face creased with a scowl, “you knew somepony was after me, you lying bitch,” my tongue depressed the trigger. The hammer pulled back and the cylinder ticked over before there was the loud metallic 'CLACK!' of the firing pin being struck. The unicorn flinched away reflexively, letting out a terrified yelp, “looks like you get another go,” I scoffed, “who was here?”

Foxglove was trembling now, “no-nopony! Jackboot, I swear nopony was here! Please, you have to belie-” CLACK! “Oh, Celestia! Please no!” sobbing now.

“Who. Was. Here?”

“I don't know what you want me to say!” the violet mare cried, her voice dripping with desperation.

“I want the truth!” I snapped around the large pistol in my mouth, “what did you tell her?”

“Her who?!” CLACK! “Aah!”

Tears were streaming down her face now as she wept openly. In between sobs, she pleaded for me to let her go, promising not to breath a word of any of this to anypony. She swore she'd never tell Windfall, or the guards, or anypony. All I had to do was untie her and let her leave. The unicorn repeated her promises over and over while simultaneously swearing that she had no idea what I was talking about and that she hadn't seen anypony all day before I arrived.

I waited for the worst of it to abate, while not taking my weapon away from the side of her head. When it looked like she would be able to answer my questions coherently again, I posed my questions once more, “who is she? What does she want?”

Foxglove's overt sobbing renewed, “I don't know what you're talking about!” she wailed, “I'm telling you the truth, I swe-” CLACK! The unicorn descended into incoherent weeping once more.

“That's four,” I remarked idly, “that means that this next time will just be a fifty-fifty chance for you. Something to think about,” her sobbing grew in volume as she reasserted her innocence through her barely decipherable speech. I pressed the revolver more firmly to the side of her head, “if I can't understand what you're saying, it'll count as a wrong answer,” I said evenly, “just so you know.

“What did you tell her?”

This time the unicorn mare did not answer right away. She swallowed a few times and got herself under control. I allowed her the time to compose herself. If she was going to tell me the truth this time, I needed to hear the details. The mare took a trembling breath and closed her eyes, “nopony has been here,” she affirmed with her quavering voice, “I haven't talked to anypony since you left,” another barely suppressed sob wracked through her body as her body tensed.

“I guess you're feeling really lucky today.”

“No, please!” the mare shrieked, trying in vain to pull away. I depressed the trigger and felt the hammer draw back. The cylinder set itself and the hammer fell. Another echoing CLACK! Another unintelligible wail formed from a string of jumbled pleas for mercy.

“Well, we both know what will happen next time,” I stated calmly as I waited for this latest wave of terror to finish working it's way through Foxglove's body, “it's a miracle you made it this far,” I tapped the barrel against her head, “miracle's over though. Nopony's coming to help you, and we're on chamber number six.

“Maybe you'd like to tell the truth this time. Or is another lie going to be the last thing you say?”

The sobbing died down and soon the unicorn mare was merely sniffling now. She's ceased to struggle against her bonds, and just lay there, “why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Because I need to know,” was my answer, “last chance: what did you tell her?”

There was a long pause this time. When her answer came, it sounded distant and numb, “I didn't betray you, Jackboot,” she said softly. Then she closed her eyes and cringed, waiting for the shot to ring out.

Instead, I pulled the barrel away from her head and set it on the nightstand, “I believe you,” and I did. Whoever that gray mare was, she could not have offered Foxglove anything that would be worth her life. The unicorn had had every reason to believe that I would follow through with my threat to kill her. She knew I was a White Hoof after all; I'd killed a lot of ponies in my life. What was one more?

I stepped away from the mare and headed for the bed. It had been a very long day, and I got the impression that tomorrow wasn't going to be any shorter. That mare was going to know I was after her, and somepony if town was bound to tell her what she wanted to know sooner or later. I pulled back the sheet.

CLACK!

I peered back over my shoulder at Foxglove. She was still lying on the floor with her limbs tied. Her cheeks were soaked with tears, and her eyes were wide. Full Stop hovered in front of her, the barrel leveled at me. The unicorn looked at the revolver and then back at me. I turned away and resumed climbing into bed. I heard the weapon's cylinder being swung open.

“...there wasn't an actual bullet,” the unicorn mare whispered, comprehension dawning on her, “just a piece of spent brass.”

“What could I learn from a corpse?” I offered, still not looking in her direction, “I just had to be sure.”

“You are such an ass!” she yelled at me, apparently well on her way to getting over her terror.

“I want you to think about something though,” I rolled over so that I could now lock eyes with the violet mare as she worked her magic to undo her bindings, “I knew that the gun wasn't loaded when I was pulling the trigger; but you were positive it was,” I was rewarded with a rather stricken expression from the unicorn. Probably more out of fear that I would retaliate than the knowledge that of the two of us, she'd intended to kill somepony during this exchange.

“Anyway,” I went on, by way of changing the subject, “we may have a problem. There's a mare in Seaddle offering ponies money for information on where I am.”

“Did you put a gun to her head too?” Foxglove murmured acidly as she finished untying the last of her limbs.

“No idea who she is. Don't know what she wants. She's bad news though. Already killed one pony in this city,” I stressed the importance of my next words, “I doubt she'll hesitate to kill you or Windfall if she learns you're with me.”

That got the unicorn's attention, “so what are we going to do about it?”

“Nothing yet,” I admitted, “she knows I've heard about her, probably.”

“How?”

“I found out where she's staying, went to see if I could take care of her,” I sighed at the memory of how I'd been so recently thwarted. She was a clever one, that was for sure, “she'll know I was there when she gets back.”

“Wonderful.”

I shifted the covers over me and made myself more comfortable in the bed, “just load the gun and keep it near you. If you hear somepony at the door, shoot 'em,” I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to claim me. I didn't imagine it'd take long; I was exhausted.

“...you trust me with it? Even after-”

“After you defended yourself against a pony who you thought was trying to kill you?” I finished for her, bringing the unicorn's question to an abrupt halt, “you've also been on your own for most of the day. No Republic soldiers were waiting here when I got back. Consider yourself vetted.

“Bullets are on the table right over there,” I jabbed a hoof in the direction of the nightstand and then drew it back under the covers, “goodnight.”

Things were...tense for the next couple days in the small apartment. Foxglove was understandably more wary of my presence. Fair enough. I guess when somepony ties you up and forces you into a sadistic game of Griffon Roulette, you developed a healthy animosity towards them. It's not like I was eager for a string of tedious conversations with the unicorn while we waited for word from the hospital regarding Windfall.

Besides, I had other concerns to think about.

I'd decided to refrain from venturing out more than was absolutely essential in order to limit my visibility in the city. If that gray mare with blue eyes already knew my address, then there was nothing I could do about; if she didn't, then it was best to limit her opportunities to follow me home and learn it.

I really did need to go on the offensive with her, but that would require learning things about her that I didn't know and was at a loss on how to discover. It was unlikely that she was a native of Seaddle, and that meant nopony was going to know much about her, so asking around probably wasn't going to give me much more than a description and the knowledge that she was asking after me. Both of which I already knew.

Windfall might be able to come into play in order to help me with this. I could use the pegasus to tail the mare and find out what her movements were. Get a list of the ponies she spoke to and learn how much they'd told her about me. From what I had gathered so far, this pony was just concerned about myself, and hadn't mentioned either Windfall or Foxglove. I was reluctant to use the unicorn though, since I had no reason to believe that she'd ever followed anypony discretely. There was the likelihood that this gray mare would notice an inexperience tail.

“Load hollow-point,” I heard the violet unicorn say in an authoritative tone. This command was closely followed by the sound of whirrs and clicks for a couple of seconds. Then, “load armor piercing,” another collection of mechanical sounds, “load explosive,” more clicks, “load pulse.”

There was a final chorus of clicks, and then I heard the mare tapping her hooves together in giddy elation, “they work!”

My curiosity finally got the better of me, and I craned my head to look at what the unicorn was so happy about. I saw Windfall's pair of submachine guns, her 'girls', hovering in front of Foxglove, aglow with green auras. Though the pair of them were hardly recognizable as having been her weapons. Once just two typical 10mm submachine guns, they now looked to have large bulging growths coming out of their side. The weapons had not exactly looked particularly sleek before, but now they looked positively fat. I cocked an eyebrow at the weapons.

“Will they actually work? Or do they just make noises now?” I didn't conceal my dubious tone.

Foxglove cast a dark glance back in my direction, “I didn't mess with the firing mechanism,” she insisted, “just how it chambers,” she floated one of the weapons over to me so that I could get a better look at what she had done. I could see now that the bulges on the side were additional magazine wells that had been engineered into the frame, each one a different color, “the bolt now contains a voice-activated servo that rotates the head, stripping a round from the appropriate magazine. Blue is pulse, green is explosive, yellow is armor piercing, and black is hollow-point. The bottom one is for regular rounds, just like before.”

I looked up at the mare, “I've never heard of 'pulse' and 'explosive' rounds being made in pistol calibers.”

“They aren't,” the weapon shifted in front of me and I watched as a pair of retaining pins popped out of place and a small compartment slid open. Inside were a pair of glowing talismans and a rather dazzling collection of tiny crystals, “I stripped the cores from some of the grenades you had,” I narrowed my eyes at the mare, but she went on before I could rebuke her, “just four of them, you still have plenty.

“I've set it up so that they imprint the appropriate spell onto any rounds it fires,” the compartment snapped shut and the retaining pins slammed back into place with a pair of crisp clicks.

“If they copy the spells onto the bullets, then why bother with separate magazines?”

“Because metal is a terrible conduit for magic,” the unicorn replied simply, “maybe that would work if I was using zebra fetishes or something, but pony magic needs gemstones,” she floated over a pair of bullets now. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one was tipped with an emerald, and the other with a sapphire. I didn't need to be a unicorn to know which round was intended for which spell, “I only have a few of these made so far, but I can keep making more with the right gems.”

“How powerful are they?”

Foxglove frowned slightly, “they're not as individually strong as a regular grenade, if that's what you're asking. Not technically. However, a grenade needs to create a big blast, because it's an omnidirectional charge. It doesn't know where the enemy is that you're trying to hit, so the explosion goes everywhere.

“These are bullets, so I tweaked the talismans to imbue them with a 'shaped-charge' version of the spells. They only take a small portion of the total magic in the talismans but yield an overall more efficient result,” she explained, “I calculated that one magazine of thirty rounds can deliver the net explosive force of six grenades, and each talisman can alter three magazines worth of rounds.”

“So you'll need to keep replacing the talismans?” I wasn't sure how happy I was about that. Those sorts of explosives were hard to come by in most places.

“Yes, but like I just told you: one talisman from a grenade can be refined into almost twenty times the killing power with this setup,” she was quick to point out, “and, nopony will be able to just throw them back at you.”

That was a fair point. A grenade that didn't come with a 'return to sender' opportunity was certainly a mark in this arrangement's favor. Besides, what did it matter to me? These were Windfall's weapons, and finding replacement talismans was going to be her problem. I wasn't going to be in the picture at all.

The pipbuck on my foreleg started buzzing. I recoiled slightly, glaring at the device. It hadn't done that before! Was something wrong with it? Foxglove was looking at me with a quirked eyebrow, occasionally glancing down at the pipbuck. I brought up my leg to give it a closer look and see if I could find out what was going on with it, but my knowledge of these devices was still rather limited when it came to things I'd never seen it do before.

“You going to answer that?” the unicorn prompted.

“Answer what? What's wrong with it?”

“Seriously?” the violet mare sighed in annoyance. There was a brief emerald glow around one of the buttons on my pipbuck, and the buzzing sound ceased.

A moment later, I heard the familiar sound of Doctor Lancet's voice, the black unicorn that ran the hospital in Seaddle. He was speaking through the speaker of the pipbuck, “Mr. Jackboot?” then there was silence.

Foxglove stare at me. When I didn't react, she waved her hoof in a motion that suggested I should respond to the voice. Uncertain, I said, “yes?” could these things be used to communicate with? I mean, I knew that information could be broadcast to them; they picked up radio signals after all. I just didn't know that ponies could use them to talk to one another across distances.

Sure enough, it looked like the physician had heard me, “Windfall is waking up. She's asking for you.”

I felt my insides tense at the revelation. It looked like the time was soon approaching when I would have to push her away. Even though it was something that needed to happen, I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. I'd grown to like having Windfall around; and that was the problem, wasn't it?

No help for it though, “fine,” I spoke into the pipbuck, “I'll drop by eventually,” I looked at the device for a moment and then tapped the button that I'd seen glow earlier. Nothing seemed to happen, so I looked at Foxglove for confirmation that I'd ended the transmission correctly. She nodded with a displeased frown.

“Eventually?” she prodded, “why exactly can't we go now?”

“You can go whenever you want,” I informed the unicorn tersely, “I'll drop by whenever I feel like it. Besides, I want to make sure I have enough bits to pay the bill.”

“Right.”

Foxglove hadn't sounded very convinced of my reason for delaying. As well she shouldn't have been. She knew I'd already sold the weapons and surplus gear Windfall and I had acquired during or travels. Somewhere in the realm of four thousand bits was now cluttering up my saddlebags; more than enough to pay for Windfall's treatment. However, she decided to take advantage of my offer to let her visit on her own and started packing away the pair of submachine guns that she had finished modifying.

Without another word, she left for the hospital, leaving me alone in the small apartment. Well, alone except for the ponies in my head, who were all too willing to harass me with their opinions.

Yellow Bitch was rather opposed to my plan of being unnecessarily harsh and abrasive towards Windfall. I supposed she also didn't like the fact that I was planning on blaming her for any minor inconvenience that I could, even though nearly all of them were unrelated to her actions. When did she become such a stickler for the truth anyway? Eight years of pressing me for acts of kindness and now suddenly she was riding my ass about lies too. What a bitch!

Ooh, ooh! Whiplash chimed in, you should totally say something about how you can see why her parents died, with her not being able to stay in a fight anyway, or something like that, the piss-yellow mare snickered as she cracked a ruthless smile, really pluck at her emotional heartstrings.

Of course Steel Bit had to weigh in too with his own preferred brand of abuse, extort sex from her, he suggested, make fucking you a condition of the debt she owes for saving her life. Make sure it's painful for her. Then let her know how worthless she is in the sack.

I'm so glad the two of you are going to enjoy this so much. It'll give us a chance to really bond, you know, as a family. Just like old times.

I ultimately dismissed my father's suggestion, though I had to admit that I briefly considered a few alternate scenarios that did involve an intimate moment with the pegasus. Physical rejection would certainly color her opinion of me and help drive her to want to leave. If nothing else I did worked, then maybe that would suffice as a backup plan.

Something more along the lines of what Whiplash had proposed was what I intended to try initially however. I needed her to believe that I viewed her as worthless and was dismissive of her abilities. Then, when I blatantly and perhaps even publicly disowned her for her failures, she'd accept that I was walking out of her life and not attempt to find and dissuade me. I would also have Foxglove there to back me up and suggest to Windfall that the pegasus would perhaps be better off with somepony who appreciated her abilities. Not some old bitter pony like me.

I rehearsed several scenarios and conversations in my head until I had a good picture of the sort of presentation I needed to make when I met her. Only then did I leave the room and head for the hospital.

My eyes scanned the ponies in the city as I walked, keeping watch for a gray mare with blue eyes that might be following me. I saw a lot of gray ponies, and a lot of ponies with blue eyes. Noticed a couple stallions with both, and a unicorn mare as well. There were a lot of ponies I couldn't get a good look at either. She could honestly be anywhere in the city right now. Maybe she was even waiting at the hospital. A few ponies in this city knew that Windfall traveled with me, and I doubted the staff never talked to anypony outside of work about their patients.

I was going to be a nervous wreck until I finally left this city.

When I got to the hospital, I discovered that 'waking up' was a bit of an understatement when it came to describing the current stage of Windfall's recovery. She was already sitting in the lobby, chatting away happily with Foxglove. I almost found it difficult to believe that this was the same mare who had been unconscious for the better part of a week. She certainly didn't look to have completely recovered though; her wings drooped slightly and I noticed that her neck seemed a little stiff. Still, to be out there talking and laughing again, after the hit that I'd seen her take...

“She's one tough mare.”

I could have leaped out of my skin, flipped in the air, and bolted right back out the door without touching the ground, I was so startled by the words spoken right beside me. As it happened, fortunately, I merely let out a startled yelp and stumbled to the side. I glared balefully at the black unicorn standing beside me. He arched a brow, noting my reaction.

“Wound up a little tight today, aren't we?”

I took a deep breath to settle my nerves. Couldn't leave this city soon enough, “still a little anxious from the trip,” I explained, “that was a pretty big hell hound.”

“So your daughter tells us,” Lancet nodded, “fifty feet tall and could eat a whole pony in one bite.”

A snort I didn't even try to suppress was followed by a mirthless chuckle, “not quite that big, but I'll admit that it was a fight we weren't really ready for,” something I would correct before I left the city. Explosives and armor piercing rounds were near the top of my provisions list. I changed the subject to something a little more relevant, “how is she?” I nodded in Windfall's direction.

The physician's own disposition became a little more sullen as he looked towards the pegasus, “she's lucky to be alive,” he stated bluntly, “I assume you gave her a healing potion or two after she was injured?” I nodded, “it saved her life. She was suffering from a epidural hematoma near her posterior cerebellum,” my eyes must have glazed over, because Doctor Lancet immediately changed tactic with a frown, “she was bleeding into her skull near the part of her brain that regulated her heart and lung functions. The healing potions you gave her stopped it from getting worse, but the pressure was still there. Which was what was keeping her unconscious. Another few minutes of bleeding and she would have died.

“We drained the blood and relieved the pressure,” he explained, “she'll make a full recovery, but she needs to rest. A week at the least. The hematoma was the worst of it, but her spine was severely bruised as well,” he raised his voice significantly, “so absolutely no flying!”

The pegasus' ears perked up and she looked over in our direction. Initially her expression was one of innocence as she endeavored to portray a 'who, me?' air of wounded pride. It was cut abruptly short as she found that the doctor was not alone.

Her sapphire eyes gleamed bright and nearly doubled in size, “Jackboot!” She scampered to her feet and bounded towards me, headless of the disapproving glare from Doctor Lancet and the nurse behind the receptionist's desk.

Moment of truth.

Windfall's gait became more hesitant as she neared, before the pegasus finally drew up short. Her eyes were still wide, but no longer filled with elation and joy. Instead she appeared confused. She was searching my face for any sign of the relief and elation that might have matched her own at the prospect of being reunited. Instead, she found only cold indifference.

“Jackboot?” she repeated, concerned.

I held her gaze for a few moments, the corner of my mouth turning up in annoyance. My attention then went to Doctor Lancet, “no flying for a week?”

“At a minimum,” he reiterated.

“So she's useless,” was the conclusion I drew as my eyes returned to Windfall, “great,” I glared down at the mare, “you can't fly, you can't fight, and all of this just cost me a mountain of bits. So what the fuck are you smiling for?”

The white pegasus' ears fell limp. By the look on her face, she was positively mortified by my assessment, “I...I just thought that-”

“You thought what?” I snapped at the mare, “that I'd be happy about ending this trip a couple thousand bits in the hole?” I snorted and stepped past her on the way to the receptionist to settle the bill, “next time I'll leave you for dead.”

Needless to say, I received more than a few unflattering looks from the staff. Doctor Lancet in particular was regarding me with a rather cold pair of eyes. I said nothing to any of them; merely placing the required bits on the table and heading for the door. Foxglove was mumbling something to the distraught pegasus as the two of them followed me out of the hospital.

I directed my path towards Seaddle's principal market. There were more than a few things that we'd need to gather before heading back out into the Wasteland. The other two mares followed in my wake at a fair distance. The two of them were having a hushed conversation with one another that I couldn't make out. At any other time, I'd have been suspicious about what they were talking about behind my back; but given what I was trying to accomplish, I let them be. Foxglove's part of the plan was to convince Windfall that leaving my company was in the best interest of the young flier. To that end, I was going to allow the unicorn all the opportunities that she needed to whisper in her ear.

Instead, I directed my thoughts towards compiling the list of what I was going to need. Ammunition was right at the top of the list. I hardly had anything left for Full Stop, and even my 9mm was running low. Windfall would need a fair number of rounds for her own weapons while she was still tagging along. A dozen grenades wouldn't go amiss either. I also needed to give some thought to another weapon. It was looking like Foxglove was going to be along for the ride for some time as well, and without firepower she was just dead weight in a fight. Not that the mare had shown any particular inclination towards firearms.

Somepony brushed up against me and derailed my train of thought. I whipped my head around to snarl at the offender but I didn't see anything but a crowd of ponies milling about. No clear indication as to whether any of them had been the culprit. So, I was forced to bite back the scathing epithet that I had been planning to issue and simply grit my teeth. I looked back over my shoulder at the others and let loose a sharp whistle. Both mares perked up their heads and looked in my direction.

“Hey!” I snarled at them, “you going to actually start pulling some weight around here, or just keep being useless?”

Foxglove's expression remained one of stern disapproval, while the pegasus winced and closed the distance, “sorry, Jackboot,” she offered, trying to cultivate a reassuring smile to appease my ire. I kept my gaze cold, “what do you need?”

“What you need is to make sure you have bullets for those guns of yours,” I quipped, turning away and walking deeper into the market. Windfall stayed close by, “so if you two are done gossiping, then maybe you can find some time to buy supplies?”

“Oh, yeah, no problem,” Windfall assured me, offering up another smile.

I continued walking, looking around for any merchants that looked to be selling explosives. Then I noticed that the pegasus was still close by, walking at my side. Admittedly, we had often done our shopping together in the past. It was a habit that I needed to break her of, “do I look like I sell bullets?” I snapped.

“What?” the flier balked, looking confused, “but...”

“Oh, I'm sorry, does the little foal need me to hold her hoof while she talks with the scary merchants?” I drawled in a chiding tone. My features shifted into a sneer, “pull your own weight or get lost, you useless filly,” I stormed forward deeper into the market.

I didn't make it three steps before I felt her brush up beside me in what I could only assume was some sort of misguided effort to soften me up. Immediately, I whirled around to warn her away, only to find myself looking at nopony at all. There wasn't anypony beside me, only an older stallion walking by who gave me a puzzled look. Windfall was still sitting where I'd left her, deep in a conversation with Foxglove.

Must have just been my nerves acting up, I guess. Crowds weren't something that I was a huge fan of in general, and I was still a little wary about that mare who was supposed to be out looking for me. Between all of that and snapping at Windfall for every little slight that I could grasp, I had to admit that I was starting to feel a little worn.

“You could probably ease up a little bit,” I was unable to stop myself from jerking a little when I heard the unicorn mare speaking from so close by. I settled for an irritated glare at her while I resumed walking through the market. Foxglove stayed at my side, “she's been through a lot.”

“The sooner you get her to leave, the sooner she stops hearing it,” I remarked acidly as I scanned the nearby stalls, “that was the plan, remember?”

“You hit her with too much of this at once, and it'll break her,” Foxglove warned, “that poor filly is halfway to tears, because she thinks that everything going on right now is her fault; and we both know it ain't. You want to be cold to her? Fine. I get it,” she sighed and stepped around in front of me to make certain that I was paying attention. I frowned, but came to a stop, “but this is just being cruel.”

“So what do you suggest?” I growled.

“Be curt,” she narrowed her eyes, “be distant. Don't just be a fucking ass because it's how you get off.”

“You think I'm enjoying this?”

“Aren't you?” Foxglove replied with mock disbelief before hardening her features once more. I wasn't sure when this unicorn had grown a spine when it came to dealing with me, but I wasn't sure if I was finding it irritating or...well, she was a unicorn, “I saw how you spoke to those-” she cut her sentence short, shifting her eyes to the passing crowd. When she resumed, it was in more hushed tones, “others. Isn't saying stuff like that how you're kind flirt or something?”

It was actually hard not to crack the barest of smirks at that. In fairness, yes, being vulgar and abrasive was often how some White Hooves demonstrated interest. Granted, there were a lot of subtle nuances when it came to such things. After all, you would make similar statements towards ponies that you genuinely hated as well. A lot of care had to be put into facial expressions and inflections on certain words. Otherwise the pony you were trying to spend some quality time with would clock you.

Still, an amusing distinction or not, I wasn't going to let myself get distracted by those sorts of thoughts, “are you saying you'd rather I fuck her?” it was rather gratifying to see Foxglove recoil at my question, which broadened my smirk. Before she could reply, I let my features sour once more to denote my seriousness, “fine, I'll tone it down. For now,” I started to turn away, but then I heard Steel Bit whisper something in my ear that made me smile once more. He didn't always have great ideas, but this did sound like a fun one. My attention returned to Foxglove.

“The next time you open that dick holster you call a mouth,” I whispered low enough so that only she could hear me, “it better be because you want to choke on my cock,” leaving Foxglove stunned into mortified silence, I stepped past her and left the two mares behind.

Yeah, Dad, I didn't act on a lot of your ideas, but that right there? That was fun! Even Whiplash had to concede that it was funny to see the unicorn flush as deep as she had. I'd have to remember that the next time I needed that mare to shut up. The comment, not my dick down her throat. Though, I'd be lying if I said the image that thought conjured wasn't a pleasant one. Her accent didn't do a whole lot for me, but it's not like I'd want her to be doing a whole lot of talking at the time.

I watched Foxglove and Windfall travel deeper into the market as the unicorn took the flier to collect the ammunition that she'd need for her redesigned weapons. The pegasus was upset, and I had the impression that the unicorn's opinion of me was getting less flattering by the minute. Things were progressing the way I needed them to.

Another pony bumped into me. Oh, for Celestia's sake, what was with the ponies in this city? Didn't anypony watch where they were going anymore? I was an armored stallion standing in the middle of the road, it's not like I was freaking invisible here! My head whirled in the direction of the hit, a rather scathing indictment of the offender's observational skills ready on my lips.

My retort died a sudden and violent death as I found myself looking into a pair of deep blue eyes framed by a gray coat, a few crimson wisps of mane dancing above them that had escaped from the braid most of it was tied in. There was a coldness to those eyes, tinged with an unsettling mirth. Then, in an instant, the eyes were gone, vanished behind a passing earth pony.

I looked around, but couldn't see any further sign of those eyes, nor the gray mare that they had belonged to. Had that been the mare that Collard had mentioned? He hadn't said anything about the color of her mane, and blue eyes weren't exactly a rare feature...

There was the sensation of something slipping off my side. Curious, I glanced to my left and noticed that my saddlebag was on the ground. What the...? How had that happened? Had the straps come loose? It wasn't just the bag that had dropped off either, it had brought along a piece of my barding as well. I guess it had taken a descent beating in recent weeks. I'd need to look into getting it repaired I guess. There should be a pony nearby that was capable of such things, given where I currently was. Not that I was thrilled by the idea of yet another in the long line of expenses that had been mounting today.

Then a mare's scream pierced the crowd from nearby, “A White Hoof!”

The scruff on the back of my neck went rigid. I could feel the tension around me spike suddenly as the mood of the throngs shifted. It no longer felt nearly as crowded as it had just a few seconds ago, and I soon discovered why: the ponies around me had suddenly back away, forming a subtle ring. It was then that I realized that the piece of barding laying on the ground with my saddlebags was the segment that would have been covering up my brand.

Oh, horseapples...

For a terrifying moment, nothing happened. Everypony simply stared at me with varying degrees of fright and surprise etched into their features. They were in shock. A White Hoof, here? This was the middle of the heart of Luna's Republic. Someplace where they were all safe from the dangerous ponies that lurked in the wider Wasteland beyond. For one of those dangers to be right here, walking among them unknown...

Of course, this was the area of the market that favored weapons merchants and other ponies dealing in wears related to self defense and Wasteland survival. The ponies that tended to do their shopping here were familiar with threats and how to deal with them. They were also rather well armed.

Once those first few overcame their shock, it wasn't long before I heard the chorus of scraping leather and cocking hammers as a dozen different ponies drew their weapons and prepared to deal with the tribal raider in their midst in an expedient manner.

I activated SATS. Time paused.

A ring of rage surrounded me. Ponies from all sides were in the process of taking aim and preparing to fire. Some of them even had pipbucks of their own. Standing and fighting simply wasn't an option if I wanted to survive this, so I didn't even bother reaching for my own revolver. I'd be dead before I could take the first shot.

Fuck! What was I going to do? I had to run. There was no help for it. I wouldn't even have time to collect my saddlebags, to say nothing of stopping by the apartment. I had to get to the ruins as quickly as I could and hope that most would be content enough not to chase me much further. I would also need to get there fast, too. If word reached the guards at the gate that a White Hoof was inside the city, they'd seal me in and trap me here in order to catch me for interrogation.

Assuming this mob didn't just rip me into little pieces first...

I glanced around the crowd, sizing up my opponents. My gaze settled on a smaller, younger, unicorn stallion that looked to have been a little slower on the draw than most. His pistol hadn't even cleared the holster yet. He'd be my best chance for getting out of this dandy little kill zone that I was standing in. With a preparatory breath, I disengaged SATS.

The air was once more filled with the sounds of weapons being readied and brought to bare, but I wasn't paying them any mind. I was pretty strongly banking on the notion that these presumably 'good' ponies wouldn't be so brazen as to simply open up on me while other citizens were in the line of fire. I sprung towards the unicorn stallion drawing his pistol. He tried to avoid me, but he was hemmed in by the other ponies around him who would need to clear out of the way first before he'd have enough room to effectively maneuver. While those other ponies near him were indeed backing off as the dangerous White Hoof charged them, my target wasn't going to get the chance to counter.

My hooves wrapped around the stallion as I leaped onto him. I felt the unicorn tense up as he yelped in surprised terror. I'm sure he thought I was about to do something rather painful and likely lethal to him, but I really didn't have the time to kill anypony right now. My interest was in creating an obstruction to buy me a little time. Once he was in my grasp, I threw my hip into him and heaved with my shoulders, capitalizing on his surprise. The lighter unicorn went up and over as I released him into the empty ring of ponies that I had just vacated. Using the momentum of that throw, I spun and fell into a gallop through the crowd away from the main throughway.

There were a few gasps and anxious outbursts as I came near some of the other bystanders who'd only just now begun to grasp what all of the commotion was about. I ignored them and concentrated on not colliding with anypony as I dashed for a sheltered alleyway. Once I was past the line of vendor stalls, and out of the crowd, I heard the first pops of gunfire. There wasn't anypony else standing around me, so the risk of hitting an innocent was minimal. Maroon eruptions of brickwork and brilliant bursts of sparks spat at me as rounds from a half dozen different weapons skipped off my surroundings.

I probably could have avoided being shot at if I'd chosen to sprint through the crowds in the market, but that would have presented other risks. A well placed hoof would have been enough to send me sprawling to the ground, where it would only take a couple of brave ponies piling on my back to keep me pinned down long enough for the guards to arrive and properly subdue me. If I ran away from ponies, I might at least have a chance of getting out of sight of anypony and losing my pursuit. Maybe I could even sneak out of the city at some later point once night had settled.

A stiff smack to my rump reminded me that I still had a long way to go before I reached that point, as a round struck my barding at an oblique enough angle to be deflected. There'd be a bruise for sure, but I could worry about that later. I hoped.

The alley came to an abrupt end up ahead. The gutted remains of apartments loomed to either side. My eyes fell on a pile of junk and old wooden crates stacked against one of the walls just below an open window. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw at least four ponies heading into the alley behind me, the barrels of their guns flashing as they spat slugs in my direction. I quickly scampered up the pile of crates, while at the same time snagging one of the two grenades that was attacked to my barding. I'd bought nearly a dozen assorted grenades the day before, but most of them had been in my saddlebags. Only a pair of simple apple-shaped fragmentation grenades were at hoof now.

To say nothing off all the ammunition for my pistol and Full Stop that I'd left behind as well. Oh, and I was now completely broke too.

Celestia? Why for must you shit all over my life like this?

I dropped the grenade behind me as I jumped through the window. I hugged the floor, waiting for the imminent detonation. The floor felt like it convulsed when the grenade went off. My ears were ringing a little bit as well. I could barely hear the sound of the pained and outraged cries from the ponies below that had only just avoided the blast. Carefully, I peered out the window. I was pleased to see that my plan had worked, and the crates that I had climbed only a few seconds ago were nothing more than splintered ruins that would offer no purchase to anypony else. They'd have to come up here the long way, which would by me enough time to get away and out of sight.

Oops!

Brickwork exploded around my face as upwards of a dozen rounds of various calibers raked the wall around the window. I pulled away, cringing. Well, that had been close. I should be safe now though, for the moment.

My ear cocked back as the ringing faded away enough for me to hear movement behind me. I looked over my shoulder. That was the thing about moments: they didn't last for very long.

Three ponies were sitting around a on metal barrel holding cards. Upon the barrel was the remainder of the deck, and several piles of a mixture of bits and caps. Their eyes were all locked on me. Then they all glanced at an array of pistols and rifles laying nearby. Then back at me.

Simultaneously, I drew my 9mm, and they went for their weapons. One of them was a unicorn, and so he hadn't even needed to drop his cards as a hunting rifle abruptly grew an amber aura and leveled itself in my direction. I was already running for a window that faced away from the market square, firing my pistol in their direction before any of them could get off a shot though. The rifle discharged, but the unicorn had taken his eyes off me in an effort to get to cover from my own wild shooting, and so the shot wen wide.

I doubted very much that I'd managed to hit any of them, and that wasn't really my goal right now. The longer I delayed up here, the closer those other ponies below would get. I just needed these ponies to be more worried about getting away from me than taking aimed shots at my hide. Please let there be something relatively soft below this window...

Glass exploded outward as I threw myself through what must have been the only intact pane in the whole building. I tucked myself as best I could into a ball so that I could roll with the inevitable impact of the ground. There were something like a hundred dumpsters in this city, and each of them seemed to be filled with all manner of material that would soften a landing from a second floor fall. Most of them tended to be under windows as well.

And indeed, there was just such a dumpster outside of this building. And indeed, it was located beneath the window that had been to the right of the one I'd chosen for my egress. I know this, because the momentum of my roll sent me tumbling into the side of it with enough force to produce a rather poignant CLANG as my head bounced off of its steel frame.

The ringing was back...

So was the stiffness and soreness that was becoming disturbingly constant in my life. Med-X was certainly something that I could have used a dose of right about now. Too bad it had all been in my saddlebags.

Awe, did the little pony hurt himself? Whiplash giggled.

Not. Helping.

I grunted with pain as I rolled back up onto my feet. I tasted something bitter in my mouth and instinctively spit it out. I saw a crimson glob appear on the pavement. Great. It probably had something to do with the pain in my chest. Never had let those ribs heal right, had I? No time for that now. I didn't have any potions on me anyway. Grabbing up my pistol in my mouth once more, I stumbled away from the building...

...and right smack into a mare. I looked up to see a pair of surprised pale green eyes looking back at me. Then I saw her alabaster horn glow and heard the sound of a lever-action rifle chamber a round. I did not have time for this. She needed time to bring her weapon to bare. Mine was clutched in my mouth and pointing at her chest. I bit down on the grip more tightly and tongued the trigger. Three bullets ripped into the mare, dropping her to the ground in a quivering mass. The glow of her horn died a second later. A second after that, she ceased quivering.

My hooves were moving at a gallop pace immediately afterward. I needed to get to a quiet part of the city. Somewhere where I would be out of sight long enough to find a good place to hide. Even if I did make it out of the city right now, I was in no condition to make it very far. No money, little ammunition, and no health potions. On top of that, I was hurting pretty bad. I'd be easy prey for the first radroach I came across like this.

Fuck, this was bad.

Memories of my flight from Flank tugged at the back of my mind. A lot of similarities there. Being chased through a city by an angry throng of ponies out for my blood. I was even worse off this time. Half crippled, only the gear strapped to my barding to survive on. I'd need to leave again, find somewhere else where nopony knew me. Preferably somewhere where nopony knew what a White Hoof was either.

Where was Trottingham from here?

“Jackboot!”

I stopped and looked up. I spied a familiar white mare looking down at me from the top of a building. Windfall hopped from the height, her wings snapping out to either side as she glided down nearby. I saw her wince slightly as she touched down a lot harder than she typically did. Her wings hung awkwardly at her sides. I guess that Lancet had been serious about the whole 'no flying' thing. The pegasus was probably hurting as bad as I was right now.

My mind raced. I hadn't figured her into any of my calculations about getting out of here. Frankly, I hadn't thought she'd want to be anywhere near me after how I'd been treating her. Especially now that she knew what I was...

Wait...she didn't. She hadn't been around when somepony outed me. Had she?

“What are you doing here?” I asked her.

“You're after the White Hoof, right?” Windfall said with a strained note in her voice. Oh, you wonderfully ignorant filly, you, “I'm here to help.”

I could have her go back and get my things, to include the part of my barding that would normally cover my brand. Only the ponies that had been right next to me at the time and a few others would know what I actually looked like. With the brand out of sight, I could once again move through the city relatively freely, especially with the pegasus to vouch for me. Windfall may yet be my ticket out of this mess. Maybe it was a good thing I hadn't ditched her yet after all...

It was about now that I realized that the flier's eyes weren't looking at me anymore, but past me. I turned my head, and immediately saw what had drawn her attention. The unicorn mare that I'd just killed. My mind raced as I worked to come up with a plausible explanation. I was about to shift the blame for the death to the 'White Hoof' that I was absolutely chasing when another group of ponies arrived from around the corner before I could get the words out of my mouth. They all looked in my direction, and I even vaguely recognized a couple as having been some of the ponies nearby me in the market when I'd been outed.

They were blocking my only exit.

Horseapples!

I was trapped. I couldn't run, and I'd never survive a fight. Not from this distance, and not against all of them. My mind raced in an effort to come up with a solution. The peanut gallery offered up their suggestions.

Yellow Bitch suggested I surrender and hope for the best. Some other naïve idiot suggested I tell them I wasn't a White Hoof anymore, and maybe they'd understand. Whiplash suggested I roll over and die. Steel Bit suggested I use the girl.

My eyes went to Windfall, who had looked away from the dead unicorn to the small throng of ponies with their weapon's drawn, her expression one of confusion. Those ponies after me were presumably decent sorts, right? Would they open up on me if it meant risking an innocent?

What did I have to lose?

I lunged for Windfall and wrapped a forehoof around her neck, bringing her head right up against the barrel of my pistol, “don't come any closer!” I yelled around the grip at the others. They came to a stop, glowering at me with clear intent on their eyes. They're weapons were all leveled in my direction but none of them fired. This might just work.

“Jack-ugh!” I tightened my grip forcefully against the pegasus' throat. They couldn't know that she knew me for this to work. They had to think that she was like them, a good pony. Somepony that didn't deserve to die. Once she was quiet, I loosened my hold enough for her to breath.

“Shut up!” I hissed at here, “not one fucking word,” to the others, I delivered my ultimatum, “you all start stepping back, got it?! You get any closer, and her brains will be all over the street!” I received some venomous glares from those ponies, but they all stayed where they were. One or two even lowered their weapons, clearly not willing to risk Windfall's life for the sake of killing me. This just might work.

“I just want out of the city,” I informed them, taking a tentative step towards them, dragging the flier with me. I was pleased to see that they all appropriately backed away, “you all or anypony else try and stop me, she dies!” I pressed the barrel more forcefully against Windfall's head to emphasize my point. The mare cringed, her eyes full of fear and confusion.

I took another cautious step, and once more they backed away, maintaining the distance. Even more barrels dropped away. One of them spoke up, “and once you're out, what happens to the mare?”

“She's all yours,” I assured them, “I sure ain't dragging her through the fucking Wasteland. I just want out of this fucking place.”

A few more steps. It was looking like I was going to make it out of this place after all.

“You're a White Hoof...” the words had been spoken so softly that I probably wouldn't have heard them if Windfall's head wasn't right next to mine. I ignored her, keeping most of my attention focused on the armed ponies nearby, “this whole time, you were one of them?”

“Shut up,” I hissed. The last thing I needed was her prattling right now while my life was still very much in danger. Not to mention that the last thing she needed was for any of these ponies to find out that she knew me as more than anything other than the crazy stallion holding her hostage. If they figured out we were partners, they'd just gun the both of us down.

“...is that why you never want to go after White Hooves?” she asked, her voice starting to tremble with what I took to be apprehension, “because you're one of them?”

“Shut. Up.”

A few more steps. It was slow progress, but it was progress none the less. My ear twitched as Windfall said something that I couldn't make out, even from as close as I was. I ignored her and kept dragging her along in the direction of the main gate. Then she spoke again, this time with an edge in her voice, “I said, is that why you were at my house that day?”

“What?” I was genuinely confused by what she was asking. My eyes even briefly flickered in her direction.

“I...said,” the mare seethed through gritted teeth. Then, suddenly, I felt her abruptly twist around in my grip as she brought her whole body around. Her face was facing mine now, and I felt one of her forehooves wrap itself around my chest as though she were preparing to throw me; which was ludicrous since there was no way for her to acquire the necessary leverage in the position she was in. What was she going to brace herself against?

Then her wings snapped out to either side. My eyes widened with comprehension, but it was too late, “...is that why...” Using the very air itself with a powerful flap of her wings, Windfall lifted me up off the ground and proceeded to pitch me backwards towards the ground. I was forced to release her is I was going to have any chance of recovering from the throw; but that was precisely what the pegasus had been counting on. The moment my arm was off of her throat, she allowed some distance to grow between us before using her wings to spin herself around, “...you were at...” her legs flew out as she completed her midair twist, catching me roughly in the side. There was nothing I could to to dodged them, and the force of her strike sent me sprawling sideways, “...my house!”

I grunted with effort as I struggled back up to me feet. That blow had been expertly delivered, and my already aching ribs hadn't been up to the task of absorbing the hit very well in the first place. I could feel bones shifting around in my chest as I moves. The sensation made me feel a little nauseous. I turned my head back to look at the pegasus. She'd effectively gotten me killed, now that I was away from her. Nothing would stop the other ponies from opening fire now.

My eyes widened with shock as I saw a hoof flying at my face. Instinctively, I brought my foreleg up to deflect the strike. I turned away the initial strike easily enough, only for it to be followed up with a another midair twirl that brought her other hind leg up into the side of my head. The pistol went sailing from my mouth, and for a brief moment, the world was black. The blow sent me rolling once more. Desperately, I tried to scramble up to my feet, only to find another kick dlivered right into my spine. The barding did a little to absorb the blow, but not much. I kicked up with a blind buck hoping to get a little distance between myself and my aerial attacker.

I didn't land a hit, and nor had I actually expected to. I'd only hoped to but myself a few precious seconds to get up on my feet and start running. I didn't know where to, and I didn't even care anymore. I just wanted to get out of Windfall's reach.

Another powerful strike hit me from the side and sent my sprawling. The wind was gone from my lungs, and my vision was fading as darkness tugged at the corners of my eyes. The pain was overwhelming. I could barely even comprehend the mare that was straddling me now, delivering blows across my face as she screamed.

“You killed my parents, you fuck!” Windfall was hollering at the top of her lungs as she pummeled me, “my life! My home! You took everything from me! You lying fuck!” while her blows continued, they started to lose much of their power and vitriol. Her voice started to lose it's rage as well, “I hate you!” her words cracked as a sob found its way in, “you lying...fuck...”

I barely even felt the weight of her leaving me. I didn't feel much that wasn't pain at this point. My other sense were pretty far out of it too. There was the knowledge that a lot of ponies were around me. Something about guard ponies. Was I moving? Maybe, it was really hard to tell.

You're going to die, you know?

Yeah, probably. Whiplash was always such a helpful younger sister.

I learned from the best, Big Brother. But seriously, they're going to kill you. You know that, right?

The thought echoed in my head. The truth of it. I was a White Hoof, in the hooves of Seaddle citizens. There was nothing else for them them to do but kill me really. Somehow, that knowledge didn't fill me with the same dread that it had only a few minutes ago. Curious that. I wondered what had changed since then that had relieved me of my previous ambition to go on living.

Why would you even want to go on living?

At any other time, I'd have thought that Whiplash was just being her usual trite self. It was just the sort of thing she tended to say to me, right? At all those other times, I would have had a retort at hoof. This time?

…

Why did I want to go on living?

Spite? My sister offered feigning helpfulness.

For you? You stopped being worth that kind of effort a long time ago. I'd moved onto better things.

You mean the filly? Well, looks like she's moved on now.

Yeah. Looks like she did. She certainly didn't want anything more to do with me.

So, I ask again: Why would you even want to go on living?

I guess...I don't.

Be Honest...

I was.

…

Wasn't I?

Footnote:...

Thank you so much for reading! As always, a thumbs up and comment are always greatly appreciated

I've set up a Cover Art Fund if you're interested and have any bits lying around! You can see what I'M capable of, heh; professional assistance is clearly needed here!