The train slowly came to a stop as it arrived at its station at the top of the skyport. The view from here was like nothing I’ve ever seen, everything seemingly so small. The moment was tarnished by the ponies pointing their antic guns at us. But they had not harmed us yet, so I planned to comply. Even so, I did wish I’d reloaded the Ripper bullet when I had the chance.

“We’ve arrived at the top, captain.” One of the pegasus spoke into a radio on his shoulder. “Yes, we will bring the intruders to you immediately.” He Looked over at me and motioned with his head for me to move.

Metal hooves hit the metal floor, my eyes scanning over the ancient wartime tower. Rust was everywhere, yet this place felt solid, like it could last for even another two hundred years. What was most striking was the Orphic decorations all over. It was much like what the station down below looked like, but here, flags depicting the Platinum Crown were everywhere flapping in the open island wind. They outnumbered two to one that of the symbol of the two sisters, which when it was presented, stood below that of the platinum crown.

Strangely, among the metal, was a combination of stone and would above us, of which other than where the train cart stopped, blocked out the sky. It was like a makeshift fortress, with scrap walls covered in tapestries, giving it a much more lively feeling. The tapestries were made of cloth just robust enough to stand up to the wind, however they were adorned loosely, allowing me to glimpse the stone bricks that peeked out from under some of the rusted metal plating.

“Keep moving.” The five-O commanded.

Not looking for a fight so soon after our last, I trotted further inside. The wind died down, blocked by the sturdy walls that sheltered the upper class here. In the place of the howling ocean breeze, music drifted through the air. Classical music, to be exact.

I rounded a corner, and the source of the music revealed itself to be an old world record player. Such a thing was a luxury only afforded by the extremely wealthy, and for good reason. The music it played was of strings and flues, almost hypnotic in their gentle rhythm. It drew me in so much that I almost didn’t see the ponies sitting around, watching as I entered. They had the same tan uniform as the other guards, but were fitted in lightly armored in plates, and looked like they were conducting maintenance on their weapon’s. Curiously, some of these armored guards were Mirage Ponies, but only ones which retained all their natural limbs.

“It’s the royal guard.” Harp whispered, “What are they doing here?”

“You tell me.” I whispered back. “But I don’t like it.”

We exited the room, and the natural daylight beamed down on us again from a set of vaulted glass ceilings before we entered another room. This time we saw the royal guard hold other guard’s captive. These prisoners wore no armor plates, and were dressed in less clean uniforms. They must have been Golden’s hench ponies.

We were pushed along, once again to the other side of the room and out in the open air. This time we traveled up some stairs and we entered a village… at least, I think that’s what this was. Stone buildings rose up, along the edges of the tower, resembling that of the old photos of Canterlot. The metalwork was mixed in, like it had been on the tower itself. Along the sides of some of the buildings, were old but well maintained landing pads. Surprising and somewhat disconcerting to me, was that some actually had vertibucks parked on them.

“Stop your gawking, were going to the building at the center.” the pegasus pointed down to what looked like a wide stone tower, going up at least four floors high. “Now keep moving.”

As we trotted down a cobblestone path that spiraled towards the center of the tower, many ponies got out of our way. They looked away from us, retreating into their towerside homes and shutting their doors. Lots of deep dwellers, but also Mirage ponies lived up here. Well, healthy mirage ponies like Harp at least. Also, the clothes they had on looked like they were from a far more ancient time, similar to that of the clothes used in a heartwarming eve pageant costume.

As we trotted along, the path started to feel more like a maze wit how all the homes seemed squished together, and bulging out like a fat Rad-Boar. It was strange really, like the artitec took an image of a house from an old breezy tale book, replicated it here, then multiplied it until they had a city. The roads and walls were all uniformed, but one it got one story high, the buildings puffed out, two houses across the street from each other stretching out enough that they connected, making a short tunnel we had to trot under. It all made this little city feel like it closed in on me a bit, where the tunnels felt solid most of the time, this was like there was something always looming above me, staring down on me. The pegasus guard above us didn’t count.

We arrived at what looked like a large tower, on this tower, made of large stone, it gave an exceedingly solid feeling. The guard at the archway to inside were far more relaxed, and gave off a less disciplined feeling, unlike the royal guard did. The archway guarded only needed a salute, and we were taken in, the brightness of the sun being replaced to that of a dimmer light.

It almost felt like we had gone back in time. Well, with the exception of the guard ponies currently pointing very modern magical energy rifles at us. The stone tower we were headed towards was nothing less imposing, and was heavily decorated with statues of unicorns and flags of the platinum crown. Artificial brazier lined the walls, giving off a low but ominous light, but enough light that it was easy enough to see. There were also more ponies in here, some og them having cloths a bit more decorated than the ones outside, though the rest looked to be maids and other staff.

We stopped at a pair of large wooden doors that had two overly dressed unicorn standing guard at it. In truth, they looked like the royal guard from the time before the great war. The pegasus guard that had been pushing me along stepped forward.

“We have the intruders here; the captain has requested to see them.” He spoke up to the door guards, throwing up a quick salute.

The two unicorns simply huffed, and moved out of the way, their horn’s glowing as the large doors opened. We stepped inside, and I have to say, I was impressed.

A large stone hall with a ceiling at least two floors high sat inside, decorated with old paintings and finely crafted tapestries that put the ones outside to shame. At one end was a large fireplace with a roaring flame. Ponies cooking food worked around it, preparing what looked from here to be a feast’s worth of vegetables and various other ingredients. On the other side, was a finely carved stone throne, empty of any pony to sit on it at the moment.

In the center of the room, was a long, grand table. Surprisingly, my friends were already sitting at it, as well was Golden Rule and two other ponies I didn’t recognize. One was an older and portly unicorn, and the other was a pony in ornately decorated power armor that resembled the old world’s pre-war royal guard, but bigger and bulkier, and with a fully enclosed power armor helmet.

“Come, sit.” the power armored pony called out and shifted their massive armored hoof towards a pair of open seats at the table. “I have questions for you.”

I nodded and motioned for Harp and Mayall to follow me to the table.

“So, what’s your first question?” I asked as we took our seats. Merit and Sweet gave me a concerned yet relieved look. While I didn’t know if they had to go through nearly as much trouble as us to get here, it was still good to see them again. Red on the other hoof, was enjoying some tea with what seemed like not a care in the world.

“Before we get to that,” The power armored pony spoke sternly, “You can take off your masks, because as you may have noticed with the others in the room, they are not required up here. The air may be a bit thin, but it is clean enough to breath.”

That did make sense. I removed my mask, and the smell of cooked food hit my nose. Next was Mayall, which drew more than a few gasps from the help in the room. I guessed there was enough light up here for them to see the fact that she wasn’t a pony more clearly than down in the tunnels. Harp was next to take off her mask.

The portly unicorn snorted, and the power armored pony did a double take before giving out a long sigh through their helmet.

“Thank Celestia you're still alive, princess.” The power armored pony spoke as she placed her hooves to her helmet and began to remove it. The helmet gave a soft hiss as it was removed, and it was delicately placed onto the table. The face under the armor was that of a lovely looking mare. Her coat was a dark midnight blue, and her short mane was of a stunning silver and gold color.

“Do you know how worried you had me, filly?” The mare asked, looking at Harp like a disappointed parent would a foal.

Harp Frowned. “I’m not a filly anymore Stratus Dancer, so can stop treating me like one.”

Stratus laughed softly. “Sorry, but you will always be like a little sister to me.”

The portly stallion cleared his throat, sounding very irritated. “Captain, I know that you might have a fond relationship with my niece, but I should not have to remind you to be a professional.” Right, so he was another one of Harps relatives, something that didn’t really surprise me given our current circumstances. His coat was a silvery gray, and his mane was a golden yellow that almost had a metallic sheen to it. I was getting a theme of rare minerals from them, which only made Harp seem more the odd one out than ever before. The portly stallion scanned his eyes over us before he gave a small bow of his head. “Ah, I almost forgot my manners. I’m Minted Coin, and welcome to New Canterlot. This city is currently a work in progress, but given another generation or two, this city will be the gem of Marewaii.”

I can’t say I wasn’t impressed. This was the first time I’ve seen a station… city? Settlement? Whatever, it was the first one I’d seen that worked topside. Which really, only presented me with more questions than answers.

“How is this possible, and where did you get the materials?” I asked. I’m surprised that talk of an above ground city hadn’t been circulated around Orthos at all, or had even been whispered rumors among places like Charon's Stop.

“Ahh, both simple to answer.” The Minted Coin spokes, as a smile formed on his lips. “Well as it was stated, being so high up means that the toxic pollen can’t get up here. Though thin, the air here is perfectly clean. We even have some piping here to provide the station below with that air. As for the stone and masonry work. There’s no shortage of ponies willing to scavenge and mine for a few caps or bits. The big island itself has no shortage of volcanic rock for ponies to gather, and while it’s not quite granite or marble, it’s suitable enough for all of our masonry needs. Though, we do at least have to apply a healthy coat of white paint, or this place would be ever so dreary.”

“Another Question.” I was hit by the urge to shut my mouth, but a stronger urge to ask the question overpowered me. It was a bad idea, but I also had to know. “Did you know what Golden Rule was up to down below?”

Minted Coin rolled his eyes. “Miss, there is little I don’t know about what happens below, and if a few ponies get displaced, then it’s their own fault for not being able to maintain the station.”

I took a deep breath as my blood began to boil. Thankfully before I did something I’d regret, Harp interrupted by with a hoof on my shoulder. I looked over, and she shook her head. With her other hoof, she tapped at glass of water to call attention to her.

“Sorry, noble uncle, but there may be some information you have been deprived of.” She spoke clearly, and sincerely.

“Then speak of what you believe I need to hear.” He responded, “Keep in mind however, that dinner will be served soon, and I wouldn’t want to waste it over talks of frivolous technicalities.”

“Very well.” Harp took a deep breath, and looked over at me. I nodded back to her, hoping it would ease here nervousness. “I have made the alarming discovery that many of the residents of the station below have been brutally executed by Golden. I wish to know why this atrocity has been brought upon our own citizens.”

Minted Coin scanned the table, his eyes landing onto Golden Rule. “Is this true?”

Golden glared back at me, clearly blaming me for this turn of events. “Yes, noble uncle. I had given clear instructions that they were to evacuate the station. The ones who stayed were clearly rebelling and were accepting of any punishment I would dole out.”

“Ah, I see.” Minted Coin resounded calmly, like somepony told him his shipment of oats will be an hour late. “And how was it that they were dealt with?”

“Gathered up and hanged by the neck till dead.” The stallion pushed back his mane, putting it back in place. “The waste was thrown in the old water treatment tunnel, where the Sand-Lurks would clean it up.” That’s not at all what was going on down there!

Minted Coin looked back over to Harp. “Does this sate your curiosity little filly.”

Harp seemed to shrink back a little. “Yes, noble uncle”

“Good, now let’s get onto the important business.” The portly stallion didn’t even skip a beat

Something seemed to twinge in me, like an ice-cold knife digging into my neck. “That’s it?” The words slipped from my mouth. “Innocent ponies die, and that is worth nothing to you?”

Minted Coin sighed. “Miss, now I know you Orthrus ponies have your own values and eccentricities. But here, every pony understands their place. And ponies who can’t follow orders are a detriment to the well being of this great kingdom. And like with a garden of beautiful flowers, sometimes we need to cut down those that only take up the water and sunlight from those around them.”

“Ponies aren’t weeds!” Sweet spoke up, “you can’t just go killing them because you feel like it.”

The portly stallions narrowed his eyes at Sweet. “One more outburst from you, and I’ll have you locked away in the dungeon.” His attention turned back to me. “Now that you have had your say, may we return to a more civilized discussion?”

“On that note.” Stratus Dancer interjected. “May I inquire to why Golden here was gathering an army under your nose? In troubling times like this, one may think that our dear Golden was financing a coup. Which for your sake, I hope is not true.”

A bead of sweat formed on Minted’s brow, which he patted off with a neckerchief.

“By all means no, royal guard captain,” He forced out a dismissive huff and smiled at the armored mare. “I had simply requested for Golden to renovate the old station below. We all know that these old stations needed repair. How he went about it, while far from ideal, was all his responsibility to organize.”

Stratus turned her eyes over to Golden. “Well, what do you have to say? And don’t deny making your own army, we are far past the point of argueing that. In fact, I recognized a few ponies among them, being that I personally kicked them out of the guard.” The mare narrowed her eyes at Golden and leaned toward him ever so slightly. “Tell me, after cleaning up the station, were you planning to kill Rare Pearl?”

“By Celestia, heavens no!” Golden objected. “If anything, I want our dear Rare to take the throne.”

The captain sighed, “Oh, beg my pardon, I completely forgot that she's your twin sister, you two practically joined at the hips since birth, unlike your cousins who were literally joined at the hips. But the lure of power, to write the laws as you see fit, have every pony kiss your hooves, no way you would want to kill your sister over that.” She took a sip from her glass of water, somehow able to hold the delicate glass with her armored hooves. “I men between forming your own little army, I was getting starting to think you were up to no good, sorry for ever doubting you

“Sarcasm is most unbecoming captain.” Golden retorted.

“I don’t know, I think it’s most becoming.” Sweet countered.

A slam on the table came from Stratus Dancer, caused use to jump a little. “Now tell me the truth, or I will pry it out of you, royal or not!” Stratus demanded, meaning she could acctualy accuse Harp’s older brother of wrongdoing and was fine, but when I suggest he slaughtered countless innocents, I’m dismissed?

“Fine, I’ll tell you.” Golden blurted. “I need this army to kill Silver Majesty.”

Both Stratus, and Minted face hoofed. I looked over at Harp, and she seemed to shrink back into her seat even more than before.

“A small army.” Stratus spoke, sounding irritated. “You built a small army of rejects, just to kill that asthmatic, crimped, spoiled brat?” Stratus’s face had a look of intense disappointment on it. “What is wrong with you?” She faces hoofed again and dragged her armored hoof down her muzzle. “I came all the way over here for this. You could have just breathed on the old mare and she would have fallen over like a leaf in the wind!”

“Yet, she has never failed to indulge in her vindictive streak.” His hoof pointed at Harp. “Who do you think set Harp up to be assassinated so far from home? She may be a mistake, but I wouldn’t go and have her killed. Would I lock dear Harp away in the dungeons? Sure, but I would not stoop so low as to have her killed. That exception lies with Silver Majesty.” His hoof hit the table hard. “She’s already gathered half my brothers and sisters to her side, and if you think she will be kind when she moves against us, then you’re a fool.”

“I already know all about that, which is why I have the rest of the royal family under watch.” Stratus waved her hoof dismissively. “And once I return to stable 50, there will be nothing she can do. But, you’re smart enough to already know this. So then, why are you doing this, and do not lie to me a third time.”

“Because...” Golden mumbled as Status glared at him, making him gulp. “Because I can’t bear to see Rare hurt! It’s a delicate time for her.”

“Rare Pearl? Hurt?” Mint spoke up with a snort. “She may be a bit twiggy, but she is not weak and in need of your protection.”

“Well, I would normally be inclined to agree with you, Uncle...” Golden patted a cloth on his head. “But you see, Rare is... Pregnant.”

Stratus’ hoof slipped from the table, and she fell face first into the thick wood. Ouch, maybe she should have kept her helmet on. Wait, what did I care? I was the one having my time wasted by listening to the island’s least entertaining gossip session.

“When? How!?” Stratus stumbled to find a coherent set of words. “That mare doesn’t even go near stallions…!” her hoof slowly came to her face. “Wait, tell me you two were not...?”

“Fine, I admit it.” Golden sat up, regaining a small fraction of his composure. “The foal is mine!”

“You damned fool.” Minted snarled. “I should throw you off this tower myself.”

“One thing only after another.” Stratus spoke with a sigh. “Mint, don’t go throwing anypony over the edge just yet. As is my job, I’ll be taking Golden into custody.” She looked over to Harp. “You’re coming with me as well, young princess. I know things are tense right now princess, but I know I a can convince the other nobles that you would be best to take care of your upcoming niece or niece or nephew. That alone should help keep Silver away from you, if not, you can stay in my room until things calm down”

Harp slowly clapped her hooves together, putting on a mildly excited smile. “Oh, that would be lovely, I finally get to be like a big sis.” I was unsure how Harp felt about all this, but I did get the feeling that Stratus did care for her.

A small bell rang out, and ponies in maid outfits came out with food. The food was surprisingly normal, mostly steamed vegetables, as well as a coconut soup. A plate was put in front of me, and I found that I didn’t have much of an appetite. With a sight, I scooted over to Harp, hoping for some clarity.

“By Tartarus, what’s going on around here?” I spoke at only a whisper to keep the other’s eyes off us. “Why are none of you not disturbed by your brother fucking your sister?”

Harp covered her mouth with a tissue. “Whatever do you mean? Being close to family is normal, is it not?”

“Your uncle doesn’t think so.” I responded back.

“Oh, that.” She spoke back. “That’s only because Rare Pearl is engaged to Uncle Mint. Brother basically stole her from him. Romantic don’t you think?”

I felt almost every muscle in my face droop. “Please don’t tell me you're screwing one of your brothers as well?”

She shook her head. “Goodness no! As one of mixed blood, that would be bad for the royal bloodline.” Again, not the point I was trying to make! “Though I am hypothetically engaged to a cousin of mine, but he’s counter to the idea of being with me. You know, with me not being a proper unicorn.”

“Is your entire family like this?” I said, more annoyed now at the idea of being surrounded by this incestuous family than having my time wasted by being here in the first place.

Harp thought about my question for a moment. “Well, other than uncle Polished Jade, this is common. I mean, Father was mother’s older brother after all. You see, it’s all to keep the bloodline pure, so the royal line can continue as strong as ever into the future.”

I sat back into my seat, looking at the three royals and imagining what kind of birth defects they all might have. At least Harp is free from that problem by the nature of what she is. But her being healthy, and not born from incest makes her an outcast in her own family. Still, I couldn’t believe how Stratus Dancer seemed to be just fine with all this. But then again, that’s probably exactly why she’s the captain of the royal guard.

Clearing my throat, I directed a question to Minted. “So… How do you plan on building up New Canterlot? Sherly the skyport was not meant to house a city?”

Minted patted his mouth after eating a steamed carrot, and swallowed before answering. “Very true. That’s why a superstructure has been built to reinforce the skyport itself. Even if the skyport was built to last, two centuries exposure to the elements does wear even the sturdiest of structures down. I remember my father telling the tales of how he led the royal guard into fights with giant insects that had attacked residents in the skyport. It took him years to clear the skyport out enough for a work crew to even start planning out all the repairs. I of course continued his mission, and after so many years of hard work, New Canterlot can be considered a fully function township. But with a bit more work, it will become a truly great city.”

“It’s truly impressive.” Merit spoke up, his eyes glancing over to me for a second. “Like a seed planted to become a glorious tree. I know if my people were to settle on the islands, they would be more than glad to help build New Canterlot. A bit symbolic really, New Cloudsdale helping New Canterlot.”

Minted Coin’s eye cocked a little. “What’s this now? So, tight lipped before.”

I cleared my throat, gaining their attention. “I think they were just waiting for us.”

“Such Loyal friends.” Mint chuckled. “And here I though they only knew how to sling insults. It’s good to know they can be civil as well. Now that you ponies are willing to talk, would you care to inform me why you’re here, as well as yours names?” I could see that Stratus was now carefully observing us, but from a reserved mindset. He probably wanted to appear to be making no hostile actions against us until we tell him if we’re a threat or not.

It clicked in my mind. This was all for the sake of appearance. Dispite how it looked, and the fact that we weren’t being held at gunpoint, the fact was that this feasting room was being used for an interrogation. I had heard of it before, something the MoM did during the war, using kindness to get information out of a pony. Those who didn’t fully commit to the cause of their nation easily poured out information under the guise of this ‘friendly’ method. Even when equestria started using torture, this method still proved the most effective.

I sighed. Knowing what was going on, I was glad that what information I did know might actually help my situation. Though, I still had to hold back and be selective with what I said. Even if the royals were not equalists, their staff could very much have spies among them.

“My name is Vibraphone Echo, hired by Orthrus to be Harp Melody’s bodyguard. Same for my friend Sweet Sax Solo, we always work together.” Sweet gave a nod as I called her out. Turning, I pointed across the table to our ‘new’ friend. “The Unicorn is Red Steel. She is unaffiliated with us, and simply hired us to escort her to another station.”

“And it’s turned out to be quite the adventure.” Red smiled and nodded at Minted.

“The Pegasus is Merit Cross,” I continued, “As you already know, he’s an outsider. He is our reason for coming all the way here, so that Orthrus can establish contact with his home.” I looked over to Mayall, unable to think of a proper way to introduce the Crab pon… and she was gone, just gone.

“Is there something wrong miss Echo?” Stratus asked.

“No, not at all. Just remembered that one of us is still missing.” I said, trying not to sound suspicious.

“A shame, I hope they’re found soon.” Stratus said calmly. “Now, about this New Cloudsdale?”

Merit sighed, “It’s an enclave cloud city. About ten years, ago a war broke out on the mainland, and we were forced to move it over the ocean. I and four of my companions were on a scouting mission to see if the Marewaii Islands were at all habitable.”

“Interesting. Is there any way you can verify this?” Stratus asked. I couldn’t blame her for being cautious. A month ago, I’d have reacted the same way.

“On me? No, I don’t I’m afraid.” Merit answered.

“A shame,” Stratus frowned. “The thought of a cloud city does sound nice, but right now, it sounds as fictional as old tales of a pony who travels around in a magical blue box. Without proof, I’m afraid I cannot take your word on that.”

I chewed on the steamed carrot in front of me and almost gagged. The thing was nearly flavorless, and squished in my mouth, not crunched like a carrot should. Who the fuck boils carrots like this? They should have just cleaned it off and served it to me raw.

Carrots aside, even I could have predicted Minted’s reaction. For all the might the Orphic kingdom claims to have, it is well known that they don’t have much in the way of information network outside of their borders. Orthrus has the advantage of their Specters, and the Republic? Well, they know whatever I knew when they jacked into my brain. I shivered at the thought of being back in that machine, but it gave me an idea.

“Excuse me?” I spoke up. “I may have a way to prove Merits claim.”

Eyes fell on me as Stratus picked up her glass. “Go on.” She said, before took a sip.

“It’s more to do with why we’re here.” It was now or never, and probably our best bet in salvaging this operation, as trying to do anything now not approved by the ponies in charge would likely get us all killed. “You see, other than returning Princess Harp as an act of goodwill, Orthrus sent us with a secondary goal in mind. To plant a special… device in the radio tower here to modify the broadcaster and receiver.”

“And why would Orthrus want to do that?” Minted leaned in a little, his eyes fixed onto me. “Did you just assume that we don’t use the radio all that often with most of us living underground? Or was your plan to listen in with the hopes of spying on us?”

“I understand your scepticism, but hear us out.” I looked over at Sweet, and she shrugged, so I looked over back at Stratus. “We recently received a device that greatly amplifies the effectiveness of a radio tower. Orthrus plans on using it to contact New cloudsdale to open up negotiations for an alliance with the islands. We attempted to do this before, but were impeded by the Republic and another outside force.”

“Interesting, So, you’re were planning on using it in our control tower until you got caught.” Stratus scratched her chin. “And despite the absurdity of the request, you now want us to just simply let you do that on the basis of trusting you’re doing something that won’t harm us in the long term?”

“Essentially, yes.” I responded.

“Then what guarantee that this is not a kind of trap?” Stratus swirled her glass of wine with a coy smile on her face. “Orthrus may not be the kind of group to force itself on others publicly, but then again, they are known for removing ponies they deem a problem in more subtle ways. All for the sake of keeping order in the metro, is that, not right?” Taking a quick sip of her wine, she flashed an unnerving smile at me. “Of course, ne way they can do that is placing Harp here on the throne. Not to denigrate my darling little Harp, but with the way my job is, there’s been a few conspiracies I’ve had to put down over the years. Including a few involving her, though, without her consent.”

“Like I told you,” Golden spoke up, “She’s a political clusterfuck. It doesn’t matter that you're no longer with Orthrus, no pony is going to care.” He took his glass of wine, and poured it down his throat, during all of it. “It’s why Majesty wanted her gone, as even the best laid plans can crumble when other pony’s plans step on your hooves.”

“That’s quite enough.” Minted Coin spoke up, taking the attention away from Golden Rule. “Despite my Neisse deficiencies, Silver Majesty is a good mare, and does what she believes is best for this kingdom. She is just a bit more proactive than others. Once your mother has passed the platinum crown on, Silver will fall in line.”

“War.” Everything quieted down as the attention slowly turned back to me. I smirked, feeling a bit more confidant. There was one trump card that we had, that they could not ignore. “The republic is going to war with Orthrus, and like it or not, you’re going to be brought into it. Orthrus sent us with these tasks because we want to form an alliance with the Orphic Kingdom in order for us to work together to suppress the Republic. The council is hoping that by contacting New Cloudsdale, it will force the Republic to act before they are fully established to fight a prolonged conflict. But we’re here because they hope we can help convince your kingdom to take their side on the coming fight.”

“The Republic isn’t as simple as they may appear to you. They have some nasty new toys they’ve developed, and have upped their cybernetic game.” Sweet added. “Not to mention, they have new allies as well.”

“Yes. There’s also the problem of the pirates.” Harp chimed in. “If we can’t resolve our internal issues soon, it might be impossible to get rid of them.”

Merit cleared his throat, taking the attention. “I’ll also add that these pirates have vertibucks of their own. There’s no doubt that this place is in danger. Even with as secluded as you are, eventually you’re going to have to deal with them. You can always fight them on your own, but why do that when you can fight them with friends?”

Stratus furrowed her brow, her eyes drifting over to Red Steel. “And do you have anything to add, miss?”

“No ma’am. I’m not really part of all that.” Red shook her head. “I’m just enjoying this spread. It’s amazing that you can get cheese her, as well as fresh crackers. I was worried you were going to use that dreadful canned food from over two centuries ago. Though the wine might be a bit too vintage.”

“Right.” Stratus said with a sigh. “So to clarify what your saying; Orthrus and the Republic are about to go to war, and Orthrus want’s the Kingdom to take their side. Not to mention, there also happens to be a cloud city floating around out there, of which Orthrus wants to contact on behalf of all the islands, as well as some outsider ‘pirates’ who are also a problem by the virtue that they are allied with the republic? Am I correct in that this is a correct evaluation of what you all have said so far?”

“Yes ma’am, that’s correct.” I nodded at Stratus’s clarification. “And time is a finite commodity right now. The sooner we can both contact New Cloudsdale and set up negotiations with your kingdom, the easier it will be to suppress the Republic once the fighting starts.”

“Swift action is always optimal in such situations like this.” Stratus spoke calmly. “But even though I have authority over the security of this kingdom, that does not mean I can just let you do as you wish without informing, and consulting the Queen.”

“Too true.” Minted Coin spoke, having just finished off his glass of wine, the glass being refilled by a servant as soon as it touched the table. “Orthrus can’t just expect this kingdom to just blindly accept what you say, and follow like some pet expecting a treat. It would be best if Stratus and Harp return to Stable 50, and meet with my sister over this proposition. For the time being, the rest of you can stay here as our guests and wait for Stratus to return with the Queen’s answer.”

This annoyed me. Though Harp was going to meet her mother, without contacting New Cloudsdale, whatever she was going to say would not have the same weight behind it.

“I have to….” I tried to speak up.

“No more!” Minted interrupted me. “We have heard you out, so we are done here. Now, I won’t be putting you all in a cell, but I do expect you all to stay where we put you.” The stallion eyed me, looking less than pleased. “That is, after my servants give you a wash. You all are filthy, and it would be a shame to get the stink you’ve dragged in all over the guest chambers.”

I wanted to feel insulted, but I had a strong feeling that I smelled of death. Also, there was little I could do. Outnumbered and outgunned, it all just made me feel helpless.

“Come with me, Harp.” Stratus spoke up as she walked around the table. “You need to wash up as well. We can’t have you going back to the stable looking like you’ve been rolling around in the mud, now can we?”

Harp looked over at me, and I nodded at her. She got up and joined the royal guard captain, leaving with a look of dissapointment across her face. Soon after she was gone however, the servants ushered us out of the large room, as it looked like Minted was receiving a second plate of food.

“So...” Sweet asked. “What the fuck happened to you?” Though blunt, I could tell she was genuinely concerned.

“The long short of it, I had to kill a lot of ponies.” I rubbed at my neck. The strange chill around it had subsided, but it still worried me. “Other things happened too, but I rather not talk about it right now.”

“Shit.” Sweet shook her head. “Well, let’s hope that’s all over now. I’d rather just go back to shooting at oversized bugs than have to do more of this bullshit.”

“With our luck, it’s going to be another paradise dragon.” I added, and we both laughed. With Sweet here, some of the tension I was feeling lessened, if only a little.

“Miss?” A Mirage pony mare trotted up to me. “I’ll take you to the wash room. After you’ve been cleaned, I’ll escort you back to the others.”

I waved at Sweet and Merit as we separated, and in the back of my mind, I hoped that wherever I was being lead to was not a bath...

Luck shined on me, and the wash part of the wash room was a simple bucket of water. Fill it up, and pour it over myself like a manual shower. While annoying, it was the kind of thing that could help me relax a bit here. Taking off my cloths, it was now very apparent of how dirty I had become. Other than mud and grime, blood had soaked through everything, even my panties.

Looking back at the door out of this room, I was a little worried at first, thinking that the two stallion guards escorting me were going to open it and watch me undress like any number of ponies in the metro strived to do with any chance they got. But they politely kept the door shut and stayed outside the room, leaving me with the mare. I guess chivalry wasn’t dead here in the kingdom after all.

The Mirage pony mare took my soiled clothes, placing them in a bucket. She was a plain looking mare, with a brown mane, and tan coat. Which also happened to also be the colors of her clothes, an old fashioned skirt and blouse that framed her as quite the simple mare.

“Let me help you with the wash, miss.” The mare spoke up meekly. I nodded, and let her pour the water over me. The cold water sent a shiver down my spine while washing away the blood and grime. I’d prefer the water to be warmer, but at this point, being clean was a bit more important that simple comforts.

“So, I didn’t expect to see Mirage Ponies in a place like this. Are you all servants?” I asked.

“Aside of the nobility and the wealthy families, yes. Most of the mirage ponies are here to build this city.” She answered in a flat tone. “Having an active source of power helps keeps things running smoothly, of course.”

“I see.” I replied as another bucket of water was poured over me. “No matter how much the deep dwellers complain about us mirage ponies, they still need us to keep most of the technology running.” My mind flashed back to the mirage ponies on the trains, and I was reminded how disgusting the kingdom can be, even if mirage ponies like this mare looked to be treated slightly better. I looked back over at the mare, seeing that she was getting a bar of soap ready. “Do you have a name?”

“Kaossilator.” she said as she started to scrub me.

“Nice name.” Having the mare scrub me felt a bit odd for me, but I was just going to let the mare do her job. If anything, it was a good opportunity to get some more information about this place. “So, Kaossilator, what’s it like living here?”

“It’s work.” she responded flatly. “I guess the scenery is nice, at least, that’s what everypony says.”

Uhh, right. This mare seemed a little off. “Anything you do around here for fun, maybe a bar where I can get a Dakari?”

Another bucketful of water poured over me, washing away the suds. “There are a few places, but they’re not for the peasants. We do have one place we can go to drink, though there are no Dakaris there.”

“A shame, though maybe I can find the ingredients to make one myself later..” I responded. “I have an odd question for you, so don’t answer it if you don’t feel comfortable about it. But If I were to slip away, what’s the best way to do it?”

“The window, all you need to do is jump.” She said, still in the flat tone.

“Uhh, you do know our wings don’t work, ri..!” I gasped as I felt some kind of thread wrap around my neck. In an instant, it was tight enough that I couldn’t breath.

“I know, that’s the joke.” Kaossilator spoke, still in her flat tone as she strangled me. I flailed, my grappling leg, reaching back to strike at her, but somehow, she was able to hold me back and still pull on whatever was around my neck. “Now stop struggling, this will be over soon. And don’t blame me, this was only bad luck on your part. Sometimes killing the messenger is necessary for true equality to take place.”

Oh, fuck me! Of course she’s a fucking equalist. If only I had my gun. I did my best to resist, but my everything was getting cold, yet my chest was burning. I couldn’t even call for help.

*Thud*

I fell forward, hitting the ground, and gasping for air.

Getting up on all four hooves, I looked back to see my attacker. Kaossilator was sitting on her flank, her left hoof missing, no not missing, a thin wire loosely draped from her stump, to her right hoof, of which her left hoof was on. It quickly became clear that the left leg and hoof were fake, the stup where the wire came out of, was metal. I had seen it advertised before, custom prosthetic that looked like a normal pony leg, that had to be it. But then that could not be all, yetI didn’t see any other signs of cybernetics.

“How did you do that?” She looked up at me and blinked, making audible shutter sounds with her eyes. “You currently do not possess any talisman’s at this time.” Her voice was still flat, but I could sense some confusion in it. She tilted her head as her left hoof retracted back onto her leg. “Is it possible you have some sort of phase talisman inside your body? I’ll have to cut you open to find out.” Kaossilator shimmered, and her cybernetic body was revealed. Looking more like a pony who was cut up, and then put back together with metal connectors, it was obvious now that she was just Theremin and Blaster Beam. Lifted her right leg as a slot opened up on her chest. Oddly, a handle of a knife poked out from it. Grabbed it with cybernetic digits of her right hoof, she slowly pulling out a mean looking combat knife from the cavity.

The feelings of rage and frustration bubbling out of me. “Oh, come on, you’re a Reaver!?” I shouted, my voice sounding muffled to my own ears.

“Yes, that I am. Also, don’t try and call the guards, I come equipped with a bubble of silence, they can't hear us.” She tilted her head the other direction. "Now to business, trying to get the Orphic to allie with Others... This vindicates why I must kill you now. Your lips must be sewn shut so that true equality may shine. Which for me, is a rare joy. So long has it been since I have been able to snuff out a life for our glorious goal. You’re but a stepping stone for what truly matters.” Her lips curled, and her eyes widened. “One more obstacle that separates me from my beloved. But when they know that a specter died by my hooves, they will give him back to me. And we shall be happily together, once again!”

I took a step back. She was armed with a large and presumably incredibly sharp knife. And of course, I didn’t have anything, let alone any clothes to protect myself with. This cybernetic bitch had me cornered, and like her joke before, the window was looking like the only promising way out of this. I looked around to see what saved me from her first attack, but there was nothing. Fuck, there wasn’t even anything else in this room around me other than the bucket of water! How the fuck didn’t I get strangled to death?

“Is that fear I see in your eyes?” She tilted her head, much like an old doll that could no longer be smoothly moved, but all attempts to move it where jerky and unnerving. Why did grandma think her old dolls would not give me nightmares? “Good, now give in and accept what needs to happen.”

The smile on Kaossilator face looked both genuine, and fake at the same time. Like she was happy, yet didn’t know how to smile at the same time. It was what unnerved me the most about her, and the republic as a whole. The fake emotions covered the same true emotions, but in doing so it took away their meaning. I don’t know why, but I could feel it. Her glee hid a calm annoyance, like she was mentally inverted, far too calm to properly predict.

All I could do was fall back to my training. Positioning my hooves, I sat watching her movements, and remembering what I can do. I had to admit, knife fighting was where I was weakest in basic training. But still, I had a feeling that she had fucked up when she played her hoof. Even with her cybernetic hoof, attacking with her forehooves did not come naturally for a mirage pony, and the back legs was where the real power was at. If she was going to come at me like this, I just needed to predict her movements and act accordingly with my own.

Her knife jolted at me, and I deflected it with my right foreleg, the metal of my grappling leg was strong enough to deflect the blade with only taking a scratch. And another stab straight came at me, not as fast as before, giving me time to back up and dodge the attack. She went in for a third strike, and I saw my opening. Having lost her momentum, I managed to use my grappling leg as a counter, clamping down on the knife tightly. Now if she wanted to have it back, she would have to take the whole damn leg.

“Bitch, you think that trick will save you!?” Kaossilator spat at me, her voice sounding a little frustrated as she tried to dislodge her blade.

“Yes.” I said, putting a wide smile on my face. “I just needed you to stand still as I blasted you to peace’s.” The hidden compartment on my leg opened, and the ripper gun popped out, aiming at her face. It was still empty from the last time I used it, but I was betting that she didn’t know that.

She let go of her blade, and bolted to the side in a bit to put some distance between us. As intense as she was, she was a fucking amateur. Her intent to kill was strong, so much so it was scary. But with this one move, I had her made.

Whoever she was, she was still green when it came to a real fight. I was still garbage in a close in fight, but even I knew not to let go of my weapon. I had seen too many dead ponies from three-inch homemade shives to underestimate any weapon, and this knife was a five inch professional killers blade. Which she had now so kindly gifted me.

I flipped the knife in my grapling hoof and pointed it at her. “Thanks for the knife.” she scowled back at me, and I returned her look with a smile. “If you’re going to try to kill a pony, rule one, never let go of your weapons.” I waved the knife in front of her. “And rule two, always have a backup. Personally, I use an enforcer for this. Never been good with knives and other short range weapons.”

Predictably, she charged straight at me in frustration. It was almost too easy for me to plunge the blade into her as she tried to use brute force to bowl me over. Almost unsurprisingly, and as something I should have seen coming, the knife became stuck in her chest. She was a fucking cybernetic abomination, so of course stabbing her would do nothing. My attempt to kill her only gave her an opening, and she grabbed me in her hooves. With a yell, she used her enhanced cyberstrength to toss me to the side, where I landed near the open window with a thud on the floor.

“You are most interesting, miss Echo,” She spoke confidently. “But tragically, you attempted to escape, and fell to your death. Out that very window I warned you to stay away from.” Her face gave away no emotion, as though her robotic parts were more to her nature than her biological self. “I’d ask for you to accept your fate, but I’ve now learned that a pony like you strives to be difficult.”

I rolled my eyes at Kaossilator. “Oh bite me you equalist constructed monster, I’ve come too far for one of you to kill me.” A show of confidence was all I could do. The revere had me made, and I felt lucky to have survived this long. Seriously, were those fucking door guards deaf!? Looking around again, I needed something to use as my advantage. I looked back at the window, and a thought occurred to me.

“Fine then.” Kaossilator spoke, bland and monotone as before. Yet, another hollow smile formed on her face. “If you won’t jump willingly, I’ll just have to kill you like the other mares who’ve gotten between me and my love.” She shook her right hoof, and another blade came out. I was taken aback by it, but not all that surprised. More importantly, she gave me key information.

“Your love? Who would ever love you?” I spoke loudly, taunting her. “Some psychopath like you, you doesn’t know what it is like to love.”

“Shut up!” She slashed the ground, making spark’s shoot up from the stone floor. “What would you know, old mare?”

I chuckled. “Enough to have fucked a stallion twice now, and you think our wings would be useless in the act, but fuck if that’s a misconception.”

“You know nothing!” Kaossilator stomped on the ground. “My love is not some cheap thrill! He is my heart, my everything. Unlike the whore of a stallion who would sleep with the likes of you.” Her knife leg pointed at me, shaking like it was some sort of vibrator.

Orthrus had dipped their hooves in vibroblades before, but the strength that cybernetics gave diminished any benefit that vibrations would have to make cutting easier. Though I will say that the found use in the seedy underside of the metro as tools of intimidation. Unfortunately for Kaossilator, I’d spent too many years down there to be intimidated by such basic tactics anymore.

All I could do was laugh at her, nearly losing my composure. “Yet you’re here. I bet right now, he’s balls deep in some other mare, one who is not trying to kill other ponies for some bullshit group.” I saw her eye twitch, so I pushed further. “I bet right now, your stallion has found and already slept with a dozen better mares than you in every way. I mean, it’s not like there’s a shortage of mares to pick from.” I gave out a little chuckle, grinning at the reaver. Come on, bitch. Get angry, make a mistake for me. “By Tartarus, that’s an excellent idea! You know, I might check this stallion out after we’re done here.”

She screamed at me “I’LL KILL YOU!” and charged me. In her rage, she did not see me ready myself.

Throwing the knife I’d stripped from her, she blocked it. But that knife was useless to me, better as a distraction to what I wanted to happen. She got close, swinging her blade hoof near my face. But I had entered tactical S.A.T.S. And cued up a simple roll backwards. In the slow motion augmented time of the spell, I saw her face turn from rage, to confusion. And then from confusion to fear as I laid on my back halfway through my roll, ready to show her the true power of cybernetic rear legs.

This mare, though obviously good enough at what she did to get all the way into this castle at the upper echelons of the Kingdom, was still too green at actual combat. As her belly made contact with my back hooves, I continued my roll back even more, kicking her up and over me. Without a chance to save herself, she sailed right out the open window. Before she vanished from view, her face was filled with shock and fear. She was taking the express way down. A drop no pony could survive, not even a cybernetically enhanced psycho like her.

Getting back to all fours, I looked out the window, but all I could see was a speck that soon vanished into the canopy of the forest below. The sound of the door slamming open pulled my attention to the entrance, the two guards from outside had burst in, there javelin launchers pointed in my direction. About fucking time you useless asshats.

“Halt right there!” one barked at me, as the other narrowed his eye. “What happened to the maid!? What have you done with her?”

“You mean the Republic assassin who I had to fight off no thanks to you?” I just sighed. “She decided she wanted to take a closer look at the forest floor.”

The guard who had barked at me, I could see his eyes drifting down a little. I used my tail to cover my more private parts, but the rest of me was still bear for them to see.

“Now, if you’re done intruding on the mare who just did your job for you,” I snapped at him, forcing his eyes back up to my face. “Could you give a mare some privacy?”

The two looked at each other, one coughing into his hooves. “Right.” One spoke up, “I’ll go and report this incident, and send another maid to help you.”

“Good.” I huffed back. “And make sure that this one is not a republic agent this time.”

The guard’s ears twitched a little as they left the room.

Sighing, I rummaged around for some clean clothes, but this place was a bit empty of anything to put on. Other than an extra maid’s outfit that bitch had left behind. She must have had it ready as a backup incase things had gotten messy with me. Still, her backup was my only option.

Everything was here; the back dress with white frilled trim, an apron to cover my backside like a saddle. The long white socks, shiny black hoof shoes, a white bowtie, white cuffs with black buttons. Even the white frilled black cap that old world maids wore on their head. There was no way I was going to put it on now, but maybe I could sneak it out of here and save it for when things go back to normal. At the very least, it’d make an entertaining gift to give to Sweet. Though knowing her, she’d probably actually find some use out of it with the stallions she got with.

The doors opened once more, and three mares trotted inside. Two of which had the same outfit as Kaossilator. The first was a creamy white unicorn with a vibrant pink mane, the other a dark blue Pegasus with a gray main and a bright white stripe. The third mare trailing behind the two mades was a purple pony with a vibrant red mane, and a… sailor's outfit on. Great, it was Mayall.

The two maid seemed to be having a friendly chat and they trotted up to me, Mayal behind them listening intently. “I’m not jesting, I saw her myself! The mirage pony princes, covered in blood and mud, holding some sort of rifle.” The unicorn said while holding a fan in her magic, that covered her mouth.

The pegasus waved her hoof. “That’s nothing. Well not nothing, scary really. But one of the ponies that came up by the elevator had the biggest gun I had ever seen. If the royal guard wasn’t here, I don’t know how much damage they could have done.” The three of them stopped only a few hoof steps away, sizing me up as their eyes looked over my body.

The unicorn sighed before speaking up. “Lady, even after a wash, you’re a mess.” She looked around the room, her face having an annoyed scrunch to it. “Where did that filly go? I know she may not be the best one of us here, but to run out is not at all professional.” Her gazes turned back to me. “Sorry to have to ask, but do you know where Ko ran off to? I’m going to give her a right scolding when I find that filly.”

At this point, I didn’t give a shit. I was still naked, had almost been killed, and I still didn’t know how I got out of that choke hold.

“She ran out the window, after tying to kill me.” The two mares paused, one giving the other a nervous chuckle. “Also, just so you know to not try anything, Golden rules fuck toy maid bodyguards? I killed them too in self-defense. So before you make the same mistake, please just don’t try anything because I am not going to deal with any more shit today.”

A gulp came from both of the mares as they got to work. Sadly, they had not brought a spare change of clothes with them, meaning that the only thing they had was the maid outfit.

“who… who’s uniform is this?” the Pegasus asked.

The unicorn scrunched her nose. “I think it must be Low Fog’s, she always like keepin’ her spares in places like this.”

“Well, I guess she won’t be needing it anymore.” The pegusus shrugged.

All I could think of was that I deserved this punishment. Maybe I should of just knocked out those maids, and just killed golden instead.

The dress was a bit of a tight fit, but the two maids made it work. They even put the stockings on my back legs, along with the shoes. It did feel nice to have a cute dress on, and the shoes too, but I still I had better things to do then play dress up. Oddly, they even put the cuffs on my front legs, though much higher up do to both legs being a tad thicker near the hoof. I probably should buy some normal front legs after this is all over, so I can properly wear clothes if I needed to.

I felt them put the maid's cap on my head, but I gave them a glare, and they took it off.

“Sorry, you can put it back on. It’s not like I’ll keep it on for long anyway.” I grumbled. The cap went back onto my head, and a ribbon was tied under my mane.

“Here you go.” The unicorn spoke up, using her magic to turn me towards a full lengthen mirror. “What do you think?”

I looked… horrible. My mechanical legs stood out far too much, and my small wings and horn made me look like I was some fake unicorn or Pegasus. Worse yet, my mane didn’t have the same fluffy qualities like the other maids had. It was just not me.

“I do…” I tried to begin.

“Thee behold so cute!” Mayall spoke up, causing the two other mares to jump.

The two quickly turned around to face Mayall. “How long have you been here miss?” The pegasus gasped in surprise.

“Did the guards let you in?” The Unicorn added as she looked over Mayall’s peculiar getup.

“Well thee two hath seemed so nice, so I just hath followed the both of thee.” Mayall said, seeming not understanding the danger she was in here.

With a sigh, I trotted between the two maids, booped Mayall on the nose… claw things… whatever they were. Crab ponies are wired. Still, at least her disguise talisman was working again. We seriously didn’t need ponies in a panic after seeing what she really looked like.

“You need to stop wandering off.” I looked back at the two maids, and gave them a less than convincing smile. “Sorry, she is with me. And don’t worry, she’s mostly harmless.”

The two nervously chuckled to each other before the unicorn spoke up. “May we escort you to your room now?”

I nodded, but a slight gust of wind caressed my backside. “Ahh, one last thing. Is there any way you can send some underwear to the room? I’m not comfortable going commando like this.”

The unicorn chuckled, but this time it sounded mischievous. “I’m not sure if you want this, but Low Fog seemed to have an interesting choice in undergarments.” I raised an eyebrow at first, but when the unicorn lifted a black strip of cloth, with white frills, I felt the blood rush to my face. The thing was one part string and one part cloth that just covered enough of my privets, and tied together just above my my hips. “Is that better?” the unicorn asked.

“I feel like about to walk onto a fetish film set.” I looked that the Unicorn. “Can we switch?”

The unicorn diverted her gaze from me. “Sorry, that’s a no can do.”

The Pegasus sighed. “Trust me on this, you’re better with what you got. Best if you don’t ask any questions you might not want the answer to.”

“And you?” I asked the pegasus.

“Don’t have any on.” Her eyes shifted side to side. “If you don’t tell anybody about that, or well anything just now, I’ll get you a few clean pairs of normal underwear”

“Fine, nothing strange going on with you two.” I replied flatly. The pegasus only nodded and held her hoof out to the door. “Good, now let’s get going.”

Mayall and I trotted to the door, stopping after a loud slap came from behind us. Looking back the unicorn’s face was bright red, she trying to look normal, but I could tell she was ever so slightly biting her lip. The pegasus was behind her, snickering.

“Damnit, Thunder Crackle” The unicorn blurted out. “That’s not funny, I almost… ehh, umm, kicked you.”

It was awkward to say the least, but I had agreed to keep tight lipped, though it was none of my business what ponies with each other in private.

On our way to where we were going to be held, I prodded the two maids for more information. With the guards right behind us, I kept the questions quieter and more private. The Pegasus’ name was Thunder Crack, and much of her family supposedly worked up in this settlement as metalworkers, finding weak points in the skyport and fixing them.

The Unicorn’s name was Strawberry Yogurt, and her family were masons. They crafted the stone into the right shape, and were paid well to make this whole settlement look as close to the original Canterlot as possible. The maid work they did was only part time work, and mostly just so they could work together and make a few extra bits.

“So,” Strawberry spoke up. “You’ve been hanging around princess Harp Melody? What’s she like?”

I shrugged. “A bit ignorant about the world, impressionable, and more than willing to put herself in dangerous situation to get things done. Overall, a normal pony for her age.”

“Don’t downplay it because you think you’re protecting her.” Thunder chuckled, “You can tell us everything. Everypony up here already knows that the royals have their secrets.”

A guard grunted, but Thunder just stuck her tongue out at him.

“She’s very magical.” Mayall blurted. “I mean, she made light shoot out of my eyes, which was… an illuminating experience.”

“Ignore her.” I sighed. “And if she does have secrets of her own, it’s not my place to tell others.”

We stopped at a doorway, and one of the guards spoke up, and loudly. “Chit chat is over. Now get inside.”

The doors creaked open, and as soon as we were inside, they slammed shut behind us. Inside was a lovely room that really did look like it was from another era. Smooth stone floors, hoof carved wooden furniture, and colorful sheets and tapestry’s that adorned almost every inch of the walls. Red Steel was sitting on a couch reading a book, while Merit and Sweet were both playing a card game.

Trotting up to them, I pointed back at the crab pony in disguise. “First off, found Mayall, again. Second, how are going to get ourselves out of this mess?”

They looked over at me, and each one snickered. Red Steel was the first to speak up, after shutting her book. “I’d like to order a fresh pot of tea, and a finely fluffed pillow.”

“Coffee, black.” Sweet spoke up.

“A Metro-Cola, ice cold, and maybe something to warm my bed tonight.” Merit jested at me.

I frowned, and pointed at Red. “Make your own damn tea, and fluff your own pillow.” Pointing at Sweet next, I glared at her. “I doubt they even have coffee all the way up here.” And of course, lastly at Merit, but I couldn’t help but smirk at him. “Keep that up, and you might just get what you ask for. And believe me, I won’t be gentle.”

“Is that a promise?” Merit smirked. “Then I better tease you more.”

I just rolled my eyes at him. “So, back to the mission at hoof.”

“A work in progress.” Sweet answered, “They got some pegasus guards outside, so Merit here can’t just fly out of here. No weapons, or real openings outside the doors you in came from. This room may look nice, but it might as well be a prison cell.”

“I get it.” I said with a huff. “So then how did you get out from the station below?”

Sweet pointed at Red Steel. “Turns out she’s really good at hiding her little guns. Goldens Goons didn’t even see it coming. When they took her into interrogation, she used it as her opportunity to eliminate them. After that, we picked up our gear from the next room over, and hightailed it to you. Sadly, too many guards were in our way, so plan B had been to trigger the MoM bug, and have them bring you to us.” She then looked at me, her cybernetic eyes focusing at me. “How did you end up getting away?”

“Turns out I’m really good at improvised ass kicking.” I said coyly. “Had a little meeting with Golden, and flipped the table at him and his person entourage. After that, Harp and I kept low and snuck around his goons. Things happened, we met up with Mayall, and took the train up here.” I plopped down on the couch, my dress flipping up, forcing me to push it down. “So back to business. Does anypony have any ideas on how we’re going to move forward? I know we’re locked down, but there’s got to be something. At least getting our gear back would be a good first step.”

I looked around, but no pony seemed to have an answer. It was irritating, having gone through all this crap, blood, and whatever else the fuck happened to me, all just to be put in a fancy lockdown. If only we had somepony who can slip past the guards, and distract them.

“Well, they’re keeping all our thing near their armory.” Mayall spoke up as she started chewing on some kind of granola bar. Her disguise flickered a bit as her real mouth moved out of sync with the holographic mouth.

“How do you know that?” Sweet asked, I sharing the confused feeling.

She tilted her head back as she finished what she was eating. “Oh, at which hour those gents confiscated all our stuff, I just hath followed those folk. I mean, how rude to just take the belongings of others.” She patted herself down, and my revolver fell out of her shirt, along with my two cartridge holders. “I picked this up because I knoweth how important tis to thee.”

I immediately hopped over the couch, and grabbed my Lunar Eclipse. The revolver was still in good condition, and with a quick check, it was still fully loaded. Along with the cartridge holders, I had thirty rounds on hoof. It wasn’t a lot, but enough to be a threat if I wanted to be.

“This, this is a start.” I nodded and felt like I could hug the crab pony, though, maybe that should wait for later.

A loud whistle came from Merit who was behind me. “You know, I still don’t get the whole underwear thing you ponies do.” He gave a wink at me. “But if I see more like that, well you can consider me onboard with it.”

I quickly flipped my dress back down. “Did anyone else see?”

“A side knot thong? Nope, didn’t see that.” Sweet said mockingly. “Why do you ask?”

“Don’t worry, I have a few like that myself.” Red added. “For… special occasions only, of course.”

“Celestia, damnit!” I sat up and placed my revolver in one of the pockets, and the cartridge holders in another. “Right, so I think I might have an idea.”

“If it’s to shoot our way out, then I’m in.” Sweet said with a smile, before shaking her head. “But I’d still advise against it.”

“No, no, nothing like that, I hope.” I responded. “There’s two maids coming by to drop off some panties for me. That’s when we can make our move.” I looked over at Mayall, and looked back at me a bit confused, then pointed at herself, I responded by nodding. “Were counting on you on this one.”

Footnote:

Item obtained: Combat Maid Uniform (What’s black and white and red all over, the maid after she stabbed a fool. Gain %25 to stealth check when concealing any small weapons)

Addiction status. Normal