The frigid night air whipped past, my wings sweeping me a long effortlessly. To keep my profile down, I kept to what little cloud there was. I was wearing my black tactical gear, but the white plume still followed me. The mornings papers would probably have something to say about a Pegasus flying overhead, smoke trailing from its nethers. It didn’t matter too much though, Manehattan ponies never looked up. You couldn’t see that much with all the bright lights and there was so much going on, you’d likely trot right into somepony. Quite the lively place really.

In the distance, fireworks popped and banged, someone was enjoying themselves. The smell of sulphur on the air was something I’d always associated with the wonderful displays we used to have in Ponyville when I was stationed there. Some were magical of course, those were amazing, but the more traditional ones still held a magic of their own. Some ponies hated the smell, very much like bad eggs I suppose, but I liked it.

The flashes and bangs were accompanied by long rattles and…

Damn, they weren’t fireworks!

Right on cue, the TED burst into life, “This is agent Dune, Snatch team Alpha, we’re under fire and pinned down! We need back-up urgently, Manehattan watch house.”

“Nox? Brandy, where are you now?”

“I’m just south of the watch house sir, altering course for it now.”

“I’ve got more agents heading out now, you have command when you get there Nox.”

“Yes sir. Dune? Where are you and whats the situation down there?”

“Not good Nox, we’ve got a confused mess here. The watch house has been turned into a fortress, we’ve got at least four dead and six wounded. The bastards expected us, we’re lucky to have any left at all.”

“Whats your location?”

“We made it back outside and are covering the alley behind the bank. I’ve other ponies covering approaches to the watch house, but we’ve not many here. Once they realise that, we won’t be able to contain them, theres at least twenty in there and they’re all heavily armed. Watch your approach too, theres one on the roof with one of those big multi barrelled guns, its taken out two pegasi already.”

“Roger, I’ll make that my first target. Keep your ponies out of range if you can Dune, I know the buildings layout and I’ll do what I can. Backups on its way.”

“Nox? Brandy, don’t go in there on your own, pony, its suicidal. We’ll be with you any minute now.”

“Sorry sir,” I said into the TED calmly, “This was my home, these were my friends. Nopony fucks with the watch.”

The cloud layer, sparse as it was, would be the best cover I could get. The gunner on the rooftop would be busy firing on the alley where Dune and her ponies were pinned down and hopefully not watching the sky.

Flying vertically with as much speed as I could muster, the wind caught at my mane and roared around my ears. I rolled and banking into the cloud layer, twisting into a dive that brought me up behind the watch house gunners position. Landing as quietly as I could, I slipped out the shocker device, ready to incapacitate rather than kill, the mare operating the huge weapon. She was good, too bloody good; she whirled around and kicked the ‘shocker’ from my magics grip and then lunged for me, drawing a short sword. Thank Luna I had mine, or I’d have been filleted on that wicked thing. She swung and stabbed, keeping the blade low and close, it was typical watch training and she’d been practicing. The two of us danced around each other until she tripped and in that instant, I was on her, blade to her throat.

“Brindle?”, I suddenly recognised her.

“Fucking agency pony, you’ll get nothing from me!”

“Don’t need to girl, I know all about you and your pals. One chance…where’s Blaze?”

“Fuck off”, she spat at me.

“Wrong answer”

I brought the old truncheon across her head, knocking her out cold. The cables for the roof gun were next. Initially I’d planned to rip them out until I had a better idea. I hoisted the thing up with my magic and dropped into the back yard of the watch house with a flap of my wings. It was deserted, bodies liberally strewn around testified to the intensity of the fighting here earlier. The ramp down to the cells was dark with blood stains and, by the looks of things, thankfully not covered by anypony with a weapon nearby.

With no key, I tried my telekinesis to force the lock but again and again, the damn thing foiled my attempts. There was only one thing for it, I packed the lock with the explosive paste I’d managed to acquire from the armoury and stuck a length of safety fuse into it. One little flicker from the old Fairlight horn and it was sizzling away nicely.

It was always a good idea to keep away from explosives and with myself tucked behind the corner of the main building, I was oddly disappointed by the rather small ‘pop’ that announced the end of the lock. Better to keep things as quiet as possible I suppose, though with all the noise of the gunfire, I could probably have screamed my head off and nopony would have heard. Just as well, as the roller door to the cell area was still as squeaky as I remembered it.

Dumping my heavy cargo, I took out my pulse gun and checked it was ready. It was. Kicking the door open, I found the cell block corridor completely deserted. I expected that everypony was out fighting and this area was deemed secure enough. After all, who breaks IN to a cell block? The cells themselves were all empty bar the last one two that held two uniformed ponies. I recognised them straight away, Corn Ball and Verdigris, two of the relief watch and trusted officers from Mitre’s day.

“Hey! You’re not with the others are you? You with the agency?”, one of them called out.

I stepped closer, wary of possible treachery. They could always have been left in here to lure in unsuspecting ponies then shoot them in the back, “I’m with the CBI, yes. What are you doing in here?”

“Its Blaze, the new watch chief, she’s sold out and turned on the one’s who uphold the law and protect ponies. The first we knew was the agency suits arriving to arrest her. A scuffle broke out and then the shooting started. Those of us who tried to stop it are lying in the atrium, but there may be more. The corruption has spread further than we thought.”

Verdigris walked up beside his companion, looking closely at me, “You seem…familiar somehow, do I know you?”

“Sorry sir, I don’t believe i’ve had that honour. Agent Nox at your service.”

Corn Ball spoke up, “Good to meet you Nox. Now, how about getting us out of here? You’ll be needing help I imagine.”

I shook my head, “No, I need you to hold this area and help any I send back down here. Agency ponies will be heading this way any minute and when they do, feel free to help out. Until then…”

“Okay agent Nox, we get the picture.”

“Yeah, Verdigris, you old fart”, Corn Ball sniggered, “You’ll get in the young fellows way”

“What!?”, his companion snapped back, “I’m miles off retirement yet you ancient mangy git.”

I trotted out, leaving the two veterans behind me arguing. I hoped they’d be okay.

I tapped the TED, “Brandy? Nox. The gate to the cell block is open, and theres two ponies in there on our side. Watch your fire when you go in, they’re sergeants Verdigris and Corn Ball.”

“Received Nox, I’ll pass it on to the assault teams. We’re coming in hard and heavy in five.”

“Understood”

The steps up to the atrium were steep and narrow, with a small fire escape up the back that lead onto the second floor and Mitres old office. Gunfire throughout the building was deafening and continuous. I silently thanked Brandy for allowing me access to the reactive ear defenders and light reactive eye lenses taken from the dead pony we’d recovered from the wharf warehouse. They worked amazingly well, it was no surprise the bloody flash bugs hadn’t worked for us as expected that day.

The rumble of the heavy guns was making the floor vibrate beneath my hooves. When I finally reached the landing, I was able to look down on the ponies below firing from windows and doorways. So far, I’d been undetected but that was going to end now.

I hoisted the huge gun onto the railing and held it fast with my magic. With a deep breath I used a trickle of the spirits power to amplify my voice,

“Ponies of the Equestrian Watch, lay down your arms and surrender. The ponies you are fighting are not your enemy. You have been lied to and used, remember your oaths! Honour, Duty, Loyalty. This is what makes you special, the ponies of Manehattan depend on you, don’t turn on them now.”

“Who the fuck are you?”, one of the ponies shouted up at me.

“Never mind that, just fucking kill him!”, another shouted and all hell broke loose. Shit! So much for that plan…

Bullets ate into the wood around me, splintering and shattering the ancient beams and tearing a chuck of meat from my shoulder. Looked like that concluded negotiations then…Now it was time to do things the old fashioned way.

Releasing enough spirit energy to help knit my wound and shield me from the worst of the direct fire, I ducked behind the huge gun and brought it humming to life. There was a hell of a wind up time on the motor, or so it felt, until a green light popped on showing it was ready. Part of me hesitated, these ponies were my colleagues, my friends. A little voice in my head reminded me that these fuckers had killed their own, killed agency ponies and if they were linked with Blaze and the smugglers, they had no qualms about selling foals for drugs and guns. They had forfeited any right to call themselves the Watch, or ‘friends’.

Shouting wordless, I turned the weapon onto the ponies below and pulled the firing lever. The horribly familiar noise of humming and screeching filled the atrium with smoke and death. Those that didn’t run were turned into crimson paste, others tried to take cover finding that desks and chairs would provide no sanctuary from the stream of bullets tracing their way through their midst.

The spirit inside me shouted in joy, revelling in the sight and sound of battle. Torn and bloodied ponies lay strewn across the floor, walls dripping with blood and entrails. A few moments of firing and the gun was empty, I took out my beam weapon and headed for Blazes office. Sporadic fire erupted from farther back in the building, a stray shot clipping my hind leg sending me sprawling. A quick shake and I was off again, the wendigo spirit had a truly remarkable way of handling injury and pain i’d noticed…it ignored it.

Channelling energy into the wound, I could feel its sting ebb away almost as fast as it had come. My beam gun ripping through a watch pony who appeared with a raised weapon from an office to my right. He shrieked and fell back, I didn’t see if I’d dealt him a mortal wound. As much as the spirit enjoyed the experience, this time, I was all too aware I was killing ponies I’d worked with not all that long ago.

Occasionally I saw a pony lay down their weapons and raise their hooves in submission. These I left be, the agency would collect them and I had a destination anyway, the watch chiefs office. Two ponies charged me, swords drawn as I reached the edge of the balcony in front of the office. My first swing gutted the nearest pony, sending flying gore across his fellow who tried to spit me with his own weapon.

I danced away, bringing my blade down on the hapless stallions neck, severing his spine and nearly decapitating him. The other lay writhing on the floor until I put a shot through his head to end his suffering.

The smell, heat and intensity of the fighting set my soul on fire. Bullets zipped and howled around me, my own answering back, killing and maiming ponies that dared to challenge me. The spirit was in a rage now, screaming nearly out of control. It cried out for satiation, for a source of life energy it knew was near.

I kicked open the door and stalked in, sword low, beam gun slung. Blaze was shouting into her comms device until, slowly, she lowered it and turned to face me, her face ashen.

“Hello Fairlight, I had a feeling you’d be back. Returning from the dead seems to be a habit of yours.”

“Blaze…”

I could hear ponies outside getting nearer and threw up a wall of ice, effectively locking the two of us inside the office.

“Quite the trick Captain, I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage”, she raised her hooves, “no magic…see?”

“Wanting to surrender Blaze?”, I growled, my teeth itching furiously, “you disappoint me.”

“Oh fuck you, Fairlight. You know that’s not my style, I expect you’re wanting an exclusive interview with me now are you? A big expose on the crime family?”

“Not really, I know what they do and I know what you did, but I’m guessing you don’t hold any love for Gates and Melon Patch though.”

“Of course not, those bastards are the ones who commit all the depravity. I never agreed with that, making drug money sure, but I didn’t involve myself in selling ponies for the sex trade.”

“Not what your little pal, Jingo told me”

Her eyes narrowed for a moment…just a moment which told me all I needed to know.

“Ha! Well, you got me there, no kidding you is there Captain?” she sighed, “I guess you’ll be wanting your showdown here then?”

My resolve was strong but as I looked into her sad eyes, I felt my heart waver.

I lowered my guard, foolishly perhaps, but…”Why Blaze, for the goddesses sake, bits? I know the pays crap, every watchpony knows that, but you were one of the best…how the hell did it turn out like this?”

I saw a single tear roll down the big pegasi’s cheek, “I told you before Captain, Equestria is sinking into a pit of its own filth and all I wanted was to take what I could before it was so far gone, it took me down with it.”

I drew my sword and channelled my energy into my body, strengthening my muscles and joints.

A wave of emotion passed through me, memories of happier times, of Blaze and Dawn laughing and playing cards while we bet on who would win. They were both loved dearly by the ponies on her shift, if not by the whole of the Manehattan watch.

I breathed in deeply, “Is there no other way…Blaze…if there is, please, tell me…”

The big Pegasus mare shook her head with a little smile on her face, “Sorry Fairlight, I’m not surrendering and you wont let me go. I’ve gone too far down this path now…you’ll have to do what you have to do.”

“Please Blaze, don’t do this…”

“Don’t do what?” she laughed, she actually laughed, “All good things come to an end, perhaps all the bad things do too. Tell me, Captain, whats it like, on the other side?”

“Its all sunshine and wheat fields, Blaze. The suns on your back in a crystal blue sky, the trees are heavy with ripe fruit and birdsong lulls you to sleep on a warm afternoon.”

She smiled, tears falling onto the debris strewn floor, “Sounds wonderful…” Blaze took a sword down from the wall rack and gave it an experimental sweep, “Will Dawn be there?”

I nodded, trying to hold back my own tears, “She will be”

“Good”

Blaze suddenly charge me howling and swinging her sword. She was practiced too, a flourish sending me back with a gash across a foreleg. She thrust forward and I blocked, dodging away as her next attack pressed in. Back and forth we clashed until the opening I was hoping for appeared.

Blaze reared, her sword held high and she dived down on me screaming, eyes wild and wings flared.

It was over in a moment, the tip of my sword plunged through her defenceless breast and into her heart. The Pegasus collapsed on top of me, her sword clattering to the floor. I grabbed her and carried her down, holding her as I did so. Blaze, former Manehattan watch chief, lay dying on the floor of her office. She shuddered and reached out a hoof toward the ceiling like she could see something I couldn’t, “Dawn? Dawn!”, she gasped and went limp as her life escaped her.

I watched silently, as her life energy seeped away. She would be with the herd soon and flying once more with her beloved Blaze. The whole terrible scene was heartrending but oddly, I felt a tinge of jealousy. I was still stuck here in the mortal world, tainted by the spirit and stained with the blood of countless ponies. At least Blaze and Dawn would be with the eternal herd, I wondered if I would ever be with my Meadow and Sparrow again.

Banging on the outside of the room caught my attention and I lay Blazes head gently to the floor, placing a spare overcoat over her face. She didn’t need to see any more.

“Nox! Its agent Dune, we’ve taken the watch house. Are you alright? We can’t get you on your TED.”

Shit, I’d knocked the damned thing off in all the fighting. My horn flared with a magic aura and the ice began to melt around the door. Dune shoved hard and stumbled in as it gave way, “Damn…Nox are you…oh…”

She took in the scene and stood to one side in silence. I picked Blazes body up and placed her on my back. “Put all the dead watch together Dune, Blaze should be with her ponies. I want proper burials for them too, I think the city can spring for that, don’t you?”

She nodded, “I’ve got contacts Nox, leave it to me.”

“Thanks, my friend, I owe you one.”

Brandy was in the Atrium whilst I placed Blaze’s body with those of her comrades. He looked stricken, “Fuck it Nox, I don’t see how we can keep this quiet, the place is a frigging bloodbath. Innocents got caught in the crossfire and we’ve got dead ponies all over the damned place. It going to take more than a few memory wipes to put this right.”

“Yes sir, is there anything I can do?”

“No, I don’t suppose there is”, he looked down at Blazes body, “Wouldn’t give up then, eh?”

I shook my head.

“I’m sorry Nox, I didn’t know her personally, but…I know what its like to…”, he sighed, “you know what I mean”

“I do sir”

“Off you go, grab a shower and see to that orange mare of yours. I suspect you’ll be in for your own interrogation when you get back.”

I smiled and trotted out to where Loofa was waiting with the sky chariot,

“I’m heading back boss, jump in, you look dead on your hooves”.

I paused to look back at the watch house. The walls were pockmarked with bullet and beam weapon holes. Splintered wood and smashed glass covered the ground like a carpet. For Celestia’s sake, what the hell had all this been for? What?

“Boss?”

I climbed into the chariot and lay back, closing my eyes, willing the images away, “I’m tired Loofa, I’m so…so tired, let go home.”

“Right you are boss”.

We lifted off the ground and flew through the still darkened sky back to the facility and the waiting Tingles.