"You really scored big time on this one." Iron Brigade sat in the infirmary, looking through a glass pane window at the mare.

She was a small and petite young mare, eyes resting gently against her head. Her lips were closed halfway, save for the tube that kept her breathing. She was in the Intensive Care Unit, which kept her in a controlled environment. She had gotten the lead removed from her back and was on her way to recovery, so long as nothing went out of hoof.

"What'd she know?"

"Well she hasn't woken up yet, but we expect her to soon enough. The others, however, defected from the TJY back in Whinnyapolis and were seeking refuge when they were recaptured by a group of pro-TJY militants and were being held hostage. You came along just in time to see to it that they weren't executed. The one you shot is a different story, he was what we like to call the 'Muscle'..."

"Yea I know what you mean, the guy that just looks scary to keep hostages in check."

"Precisely, he wanted to look tough and pulled some shit before you off'd him. That's what I heard from the captives."

"That's correct. Could we get names of these ponies though?"

"We have four confirmed names, the mare's is not known at the time. We have Jafieer El-Taferie, Ali Babar, Yasin Elihamir, and Jezrail Tabriz. They're all Yakistani names, but the ponies aren't yaks."

"They could've changed their names in order to get into the organization, that or they were born in Yakyakistan."

"There's another problem with that, they're legal citizens and the names are their birth names. Three of them are immigrants from Yakyakistan and Neighstanbull."

"Where's Neighstanbull?"

"That's in Turkey, it's north of Yakyakistan and borders Prussia across the Red Sea."

"Sounds like I need a geography lesson."

"I'm a fighter not a teacher, quit wasting my time. Now as for the fourth, he's an Equestrian. He's also the only one fluent in Equestrian so you can talk to him."

"When can I talk to him?"

"Don't worry about that, but there's something else I need to tell you. Follow me."

We both walked outside and he led me far behind the building until we hit the concrete wall around the city. He looked around viciously, he was legitimately scared. This wasn't right, I could feel it building in my chest. He knew what he was about to say was going to get him in trouble just as well as I knew.

He looked me in the eyes, his face pale, and his eyes bloodshot. It was like he had taken a strict dose of Cocaine.

"Don't trust Twilight. There's something she isn't telling us."

I processed this for a second.

"What do you mean?"

"I've followed you carefully Cloud, ever since you were still in Ponyville I watched you. You couldn't see me but trust me, I see everything."

"Well, what do you mean?"

"She is lying to you Cloud, I just know it."

"Well what is she lying to you about?"

"Starlight, the information we got a hold of pushed Twilight to make me stop researching the case. She doesn't want us to know something. What she doesn't want us to know probably has to do with why she wants her dead."

"Wait, how'd she react when this happened?"

"Something changed in her. She looked at me like a cat looks at it's food."

That woman with the muffins came to my head instantly. The look she gave me. It was unnatural.

"She isn't right, keep an eye on her."

"Alright."

We moved back inside, where a group of his own men were waiting for him. They gave him the information on the four captives, the one that spoke our language wanted to speak. His cell was close to the bunker, which prompted me to stop by and see Octavia again.

I knocked on the door, and she forced the concrete block open. When she was me she was speechless. Her arms wrapped around me and she wept.

"I thought you were dead."

"I've been dead for years now."

"I can tell. Death's too scared to tell you to get in the ground."

We said our goodbyes and I promised that we'd be back to hunting down terrorists soon. It's a weird promise to make. Once we got to the cell, however, all that emotion faded. There was an audible cry coming from the cell. I opened the door and there was a orange on red pony crying in the corner. His lips were tight sealed, as if he had nothing to say.

I walked towards him.

"What's your name son?"

"My name?"

"Yes, you know your name don't you?" I was being very gentle with this pony, he was on the verge of breaking.

"Ali Babar. Yes, Ali Babar, that's my name."

"Did you forget your name?"

"They don't call me my name..."

"What did they call you and for how long?" I sat down, holding a water jug in my teeth.

"They called me 'Degenerate', they called me that for 3 years. I forgot my name, my family, my children, everypony."

I spread my wing and wrapped it around his shoulder. Captivity is something I never could get used to seeing no matter what side it was on.

"You know, in the end there is no good or evil, no right or wrong."

He stared at me, confused and dumbfounded.

"There's only different perspectives. When dictators kill their people, they think what their doing is right. That's because the path to hell is paved in good intentions. So tell me Ali, why'd you join the TJY?"

"They wouldn't kill my family, I have two daughters and a wife, do you know how they're doing?"

"Lemme check." I stuck my head through the door and looked at the guard.

"What do you know about his family?"

"He says he has two daughters and a wife, the daughters are Ayun Babar and Zoreed Babar. The wife's name is Guljan Babar. That's all he's said."

"Do you know if they're alive."

The guard looked down at me, then called for Iron Brigade. Iron walked down and looked from me to the guard.

"What do you need?"

"Is Ali's family alive?"

"Bad question, no. Their death record were confirmed that they were hung two years ago in Yaziber."

"Well, thanks."

More like 'Well Fuck'

I walked back into the room and sat down, he was chugging the water. I brought a whole gallon in and it was gone.

"I'd hate to tell you, but you never should've trusted a terrorist organization."

"What do you mean? Where are my daughters?"

I looked up to the light on the ceiling, a tear streamed down my cheek.

"It's a bad time for rain." I said quietly.

"We're inside sir..."

"Is that so?"

The tears wouldn't stop, and soon enough he caught on.

"Where are my daughters!" he screamed.

"I'm so sorry Ali, they're dead. They got killed in Yaziber by the TJY."

He was silent, then the tears came down.

"No... They wouldn't do that..."

"I'm sorry, but they would. Ponies aren't always who they say they are."

His head fell between his legs, and the tears dripped to the ground. I couldn't remember the last time I cried.

"He was my brother! How could you do this to me Mohammad!"

"Wait, who's Mohammad?"

"He..." He sobbed between breaths "He's the TJY leader, the head of it, he goes by the name 'Torn Banner.'"

I was confused, then the lines started to connect. The ponies that knocked on my door.

"I'm so sorry, I know the name and I won't rest until he's dead."

"No! Don't kill him!" he shouted so much it cracked his voice.

Why would he defend him? He killed his family, ruined his life, lied to him and put him in this mess. He was just trying to save his family, but got lied to in the process.

"Why not?"

"If you did that, my family would've died in vain. Killing him will give the sect a new leader, one potentially much worse than him. Just bring him in."

Dead. Or. Alive. That was how it was. That was what I was looking at. I was fine with it.

But in the end, I'll have his fucking head on a stick.

I walked out of that, my eyes bloodshot from crying. The guard was about to close the door when the seemingly immobile prisoner ran to the door and tackled the guard. He fiddled with the holster until he could get the handgun out.

"KILL ME!" He screamed, it all happened so fast.

"JUST KILL ME!" He screamed again. I was the only one around and the guard was out cold. I did something I hadn't done in years.

I hesitated.

He put the gun in his mouth, and I screamed as I ran towards him. It was too late. He put a shot through his head. He wasn't dead just yet. He had maybe 30 seconds at best. He spend that time looking at the ceiling as the pool of blood built up on the floor. I ran towards him, but it was no good. There was no saving him.

He said one thing, one thing to me.

"Thank you. I can be free."

Author's Notes:

I really didn't see the need to ponify the name 'Turky' since I'm more then positive that there are Turkies in MLP.