The note led me into a particularly desolate stretch of land on the far eastern end of town. It was in an alleyway between two buildings, one a liqueur store and the other some kind of clothing shop, the clothing shop was long abandoned but the booze store was doing pretty well. I wasn't surprised by this, because some things just never change no matter where you go. It was dark between the buildings, partially due to the musky air and partially due to the direction the buildings faced. There was a wooden door that was affixed to the liqueur store, I looked down on my automatic knife, affixed on the inside of my jacket, which was just the way I liked it.

knock twice, two second intervals between each knock. The note in the cigarette pack only had enough space to have that on it, so I followed instructions.

Knock

one one thousand

knock

two one thousand

The door didn't move, but it sounded like something swung open. I turned around, apparently the brick wall behind me was just a cut out. it was close enough to the building to play it off as if it were never there, so long as nopony touched it. Pretty smart should you ask me. The pony who answered the door straddled a shotgun in her hooves, pointed at my chest.

I slowly reached into my pocket, until she motioned for me to put my hooves up, which I did. Two ponies came out from behind her, both armed with knives. They walked around and checked my pockets, they threw the knife to the ground and turned me over to search the front. They pulled the cigarette pack out of my pants pocket. This really didn't look good.

"It's not what it looks like I swear."

"Where'd you get this?" The mare said, staring at the note and cigarette pack.

"News didn't reach you?"

"What news?"

"Whoever had these cigarettes got hit today. SWAT got to em. I don't know what it's got to do with you and I really don't care. I'm just doing my job."

"Your... job?"

"I guess you could say hobby, it works either way. I get paid in the end though."

This was going nowhere.

"Who are you?"

"Would you like the nickname or the real name?"

"I think you know the answer to that... Make it fast."

"Cloud Dasher, I think it goes without saying you'd know me by my other name from what I understand."

"And that other name is?"

"The death bringer."

They were silent, but still. It's like a shockwave when ponies get an answer they don't expect. I took this time to pull my balaclava off the ground and put my knife in my pocket, I put the balaclava on and stared the mare in the eyes.

"I'm here to help, I don't know much about what you're doing but from the looks of it so far you're knee deep in the same shit I am."

"Get inside."

"And so you're the what again?" The mare wasn't quite good at explaining herself.

"We're the Northern Shield."

"Alright yea yea it's coming back, what're you trying to do?"

"We want to take Equestria down and put this country to it's former glory! The glorious Democratic Republic of North Equestria of course!"

The... Democratic Republic of North Equestria? Who are these ponies?

"So you're a rebellion wanting a free state?"

"Exactly. I'm sure you've always fought, always yearned for a nation of the free! A home for the brave! Because of the brave!"

"Well if you put it that way I guess you're right."

"Would you help?"

"Give me some time, I need to look this over. What's your surplus look like?"

She showed me over to a room, there was a closet about ten feet back and fifteen feet wide with AKs all along the walls. They were from varying dates, some as new as 1992 whereas others were dating back to 1961 and 1954. I could already see the S models in one corner. It went along until you had the Romanian models, the Bulgarian, and even the U's. What they had the most of was the AK74N, an older wooden model of the AK74MN.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

"Well, it's something else I'll tell you that."

"What is it then"

terrifying. Who are you supplying?

"It's..."

"It's what?"

"It's meh."

She was a little stunned, to be honest she must've spent a fortune on this stockpile and I'd be sure to make sure that the money is well spend if I join up with these ponies.

"By the way, I've never seen that flag, what's it for?"

"Which one?"

I pointed to the corner, where a flag of a silver sword, surrounded by red hung.

"Oh that, that's our flag for the DPRE."

"Mind if I get a picture of it?"

"I don't, spreading the word of the chosen one is my duty!"

The chosen one? What is she even talking about?
I made my way out the door and said nothing about them after I took that picture. I only spoke to twilight through the gem.

"They're who?"

"They call themselves 'The Northern Sheild' or something. I found it through Applejack's cousin?"

Applejack flung herself from the background?

"Really! Which one!"

Goddamnit.

"The one that wanted to have sex with you..."

Silence, silence all across the board.

"So... none of them?"

"I think his name was Braebern or something. I can't remember."

"I think I'm going to be sick." they said at the same time.

"Oh well he's dead now don't worry."

They were silent.

"You're joking right?"

Looks like the news didn't hit them either.

"Oh, well yea he kinda got killed by the police, most likely has something to do with the Northern Shield."

Applejack was half shocked, half mortified. Guess I was the worst pony to tell her. She slowly stumbled off screen.

Twilight spoke.

"You weren't serious were you?"

"Wish I was."

"Well that's unfortunate. She wasn't supposed to be here now anyway, she just arrived."

"That makes one day ruined. Anywho what do you know?"

"Well they're not on the list, what'd they say to you?"

"They said they're overthrowing Equestria to rebuild some 'Democratic Peoples Republic of North Equestria'."

"I don't think we've ever had a time where we were that..."

"She looked like she had quite the arsenal as well, plus she had some weird flag, I got a picture of it if you're interested."

"It's not a silver sword with a red background is it?"

My blood ran cold, how'd she know? Where had she seen this before?

"Well yea why?"

"Get out of there as soon as you can. Don't believe a word they say and don't do a thing they tell you."

"Why? What's going on with them?"

"They're with Starlight."

It hit me like a freight train. I looked back at what she said.

Overthrow Equestria! Build an Empire! Make a fair and free nation!

The Democratic Republic of North Equestria.

The reason it was 'Our Town' on the map wasn't because that was Ruthsville's actual name! They just never knew what to call it! That's all they heard it called! Maybe they never asked for it's name? I don't know, but maybe this was once the Democratic Republic of North Equestria.

That's why they never heard of it.

"I told you about their weapons right?"

"Yea, that's the worst part, they're stocked up enough to arm the whole town."

"Well look at it, that's probably the idea."

"Looks like they succeeded. Listen Dasher, you must help the guards hold this city at any cost! I don't care what you need to do just do it!"

"Your wish is my command."

She hung up at that.

I sharpened my knife against a rock, it was only time to wait.

Author's Notes:

Just some help for this chapter for people who don't love the glorious AK Rifles (rest in peach Mikhail Kalashnikov)

S= Stands for 'Shortened' In Russian, refers to a folding stock of any kind (whether it's an underfolder, steel side folding stock, Romanian Wire Stock or anything else it will still have this designation either after the AK in the name or at the very end of the name, for instance 'AKS74M or AKMS)

N= Stands for 'Night' in Russian, this refers to a mount for a Russian style optic on the side of the rifle. It will come at the end of the name (For instance AK74MN or AKM0N)

M= Stands for 'Modernized' in Russian. This designation is given to models that were originally produced/invented when wooden furniture was still commonplace on Russian weapons as it indicates their switch over to plastic parts. Newer Russian weapons will not have this designation (Weapons that will not include this are ones with wooden parts or post 1991 weapons such as the PP19, PP2000, AK12, AN94, AEK941, and MP443. Weapons that WILL have it are things like the AK74M and the AKM THE AKM IS A HUGE EXCEPTION, IT WAS MADE IN 1950 AND DOESN'T REFER TO IT'S FURNITURE BUT THE METHOD USED TO MAKE THE RECEIVER. AK'S PRIOR TO 1950 WERE MADE OF MILLED STEEL, BUT AFTER THE AKM THEY ARE ALL STAMPED AND RIVETED. .

U= Stands for 'Carbine' in Russian, refers to weapons that have a full size version but are shortened to meet PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) requirements for length. They are things like the AKS74UN (Never call an AKS74UN which is all short AK74 models an AK74U. That is incorrect.)