It wasn't a good idea, but it was an idea nonetheless.

"Thank god you can make a shadow that blocks me from view."

"What are you implying?" Octavia responded. I could've worded that better.

"Well, if you weren't standing here everyone would figure this out. Just don't let that happen."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

Oh god, the trick question.

"Yes, yes I am."

Never, EVER, give the enemy the answer they expect!

She made a noise somewhat like a tisk and minded her own business. When she turned around, I was in my combat plate carrier vest over my leather jacket and straddled my weapons at my sides. My boots were thick and the balaclava hid my face perfectly. It was time to play death once again.

At first nopony noticed me walking through the crowd. Not until I got to the front. There was a gate, it was built quickly and the unevenness of it showed that well. The ponies manning the stations were armed, Equestrian Royal Marines. They looked down at the crowd. Telling them to go away, until they saw me.

"Foreigner drop your weapons!"

The immediate change in tone caused a bit of panic, but when the ponies in the crowd saw me something about them changed. They seemed more calm, as if something was fixed.

"I said drop the weapons!"

I put my hoofs up as two Marines came towards me, one with an M16 and the other with a zip tie. They fell for it. The first one tried to zip tie me, his mistake. As soon as the zip ties were about to be put on I shoved him to the ground, the pony behind the M16 didn't see it coming, I dodged under his rifle and swung into his gut. He coughed something as I drew my Cz75 and shot him in the chest twice. The other pony was getting up when I put one in his head.

The guards opened fire.

I grabbed Octavia and pulled her to the shadows. Ponies screamed, some cried, and others just gave up. There wasn't much of a reason to keep struggling. We set up boxes by the wall, and once we had a staircase we made our way into the town. Well, it only took like six boxes, the wall wasn't that high. All I really could think about is what was so important to the guards that they'd kill civilians for it.

I looked off on the other side of the wall and it made a little more sense, the place was in total lockdown. They probably thought that it would be the next target of Starlit Glimmer. It really was likely. I jumped down onto the other side of the fence and took the gear off, stuffing it into the rucksack. If anypony were to see me I'd hate for it to be with the balaclava.

The place was scary and surreal. It was a one street town with houses lining all sides. At least, that's what it was. Now it was a entourage of tents, varying in shape and size, all across the stretch of land. They were probably using the town hall, which was at the end of the road, as a command point. The guess could be backed up by a few things including the guards and the fancier vehicles surrounding the building.

What I needed to get to was the cave, problem is there are two in the area. One was labeled 'the vault', I had a good idea what was there, and 'freedpony cave'. I jumped off the wall, I needed to do things one step at a time. First things first: I needed to get out of sight.

Being seen in my gear would be sure to spark some unwanted attention, so it was imperative that I saw to it to be taken off. Once it was off I straddled my knife to my waist, I suspect that they'll have some form of weapons bans in place (considering martial law and stuffs) so it'd be important to have the literal edge on any aggressor.

I used the alleyways to keep out of sight, I guess some things don't change. I put my headphones on and hit on a random song, it was just so that if I ignored guards they had the illusion that I'd normally respond. The song that came on was 'No Pasaran' By AK47. A Prussian band that was relatively unknown in Equestria.

It gave the city a weird depressing tone to it. It's not like it didn't already feel like this, but it just got worse with the song. I was slow along the streets although I was careful not to arouse suspicion that I wasn't from around here. The military and police were already headed towards the wall, the sound of gunfire had calmed down dramatically.

There was an inn ahead, maybe I could get my head straight. Although I didn't have much money I was pretty sure that the economy here was absolute shit. So as I entered the inn, paid my dues, and rested in a cheap motel.

The next day wasn't quite as hectic as I thought it'd be. It was a slower, slice of life type speed that I wasn't quite used to. I almost forgot how calm and blissful the life of a normal person is. I walked down the road to try to find a place to see what's what in this place. I couldn't get really close so I just dumped my Cz75 in a dumpster, I would need to abandon that sooner or later. It wasn't much longer before I would wind up in another bar.

"Hey, you're not from around here are you?"

That broke the silence of the pony to the right of me. Octavia was on my left, she just wanted a beer or two.

"I guess you could say that. What's it to you?"

"Well I'm sure you heard, that guy showed himself Yesterday."

"Who's 'that guy'?"

"What are you living under a rock, the death bringer came and fucked a few guards up. Ironically no guards died but most had to be sent to infirmaries far away for bullet wounds."

Looks like I need to work on my skills.

"Sounds harsh."

"Hardly! I can't wait for this war to be over."

"I guess, but are you really blaming Equestria for keeping you safe?"

"When you put it that way it sounds a little crazy..."

"Look at something from all angles before you make a judgement, sometimes you only think the bad guys are bad because somepony told you."

He was silent again, it was only then that it occurred to me that I had no idea who this voice belonged to. I looked over and found a small, slouched over pony in a beanie and plaid jacket. He was a classic hipster. It always kinda bothered me when somepony that couldn't do anything tried to criticize everypony that made it possible for him to be sitting where he is.

"So where are you from?"

"Ponyville, you?"

"Well what makes you think I wasn't always here?"

"The voice, you're from the south."

"Nice guess, Appleousa."

"So the west huh?"

"Yea, and you're from Ponyville, you wouldn't happen to know my cousin would you?"

"Maybe, what's her name?"

"Applejack."

"Oh we have an..." I flashed back to the time I beat the shit out of Caramel "On and off relationship."

"Oh interesting. What do you mean."

I nearly killed somepony for cheating on a client of mine for 1,000 bits.

"Oh we saw eachother here and there. Never really thought much about it."

"Well I'm Braeburn, she ever talk bout me?"

"Well, no not that I know of."

I don't know what he was expecting but that really put him down.

"Eh win some loose some."

"You're acting like a mare turned you down, is there something I should know?"

"Well we aren't technically family..."

yes you are

"What are you getting at?"

"I always thought we had something..."

"Okay you got problems."

"Staying in the same goddamn place for weeks will do that to you."

"No, being into your cousin will."

With that he left the bar. Well that happened. It wasn't like it should concern me but damn I felt concerned. I couldn't even sleep that night. Damn I think that guy is Satan himself or something.