I sat on the couch, clutching my stomach with my forehooves in a desperate attempt to numb the pain. It wasn’t particularly effective. It also didn’t help that my mouth felt like it was on fire.

I groaned loudly.

“Hey Diamond. You feeling any better?” Ashes asked as she walked into my living room.

I groaned again.

“She should be fine by tomorrow morning.” Mom said from the kitchen.

Ashes shook her head in irritation. “Can’t believe Clothesline slipped a friggin’ lemon into your sandwich.”

Yet again, I groaned.

“At least you don’t have it as bad as your father. You mostly just get the pain.” Mom trotted over and gently rubbed a hoof across my back. “He had some very… unpleasant symptoms.”

“Kinda wish I’d throw up… I might feel better…” I croaked. “I don’t wanna die. I’m only ten. I have so much to live for.”

“You’re not going to die sweetie.” Mom sighed.

“What does it even do to you anyway?” Ashes sat on the other side of the metal coffee table and quirked an eyebrow.

“Stomach cramps so bad I can’t move… burning mouth… nausea…”

“Wait, wait… can’t move?” Ashes gave me an incredulous look. “Seems like you got here just fine.”

Mom rolled her eyes. “She’s exaggerating again. She does that everytime it happens. ‘Sid did the same thing.”

“It hurts alright! It’s not funny.” I muttered. “It’s just like with heights. Everypony always laughs at me.”

“Sweetie, I know you’re feeling a bit irritable right now, but nopony is laughing at you,” Mom said as she patted my shoulder. “Especially not me, you know, your mother? Who does everything she can to take care of you when you’re sick?”

Ashes frowned. “Mrs. Knives? I just remembered something I wanted to ask you.”

“Hmm?”

“Why do you say ‘nopony’, instead of ‘no-one’?”

Mom blinked in mild surprise. “Uh…”

“I mean, Zeed does it ‘cuz it annoys her mom and ‘cuz she kinda… I guess idolizes you, or something,” Ashes continued. “But most other zebras I’ve met say ‘no-one’.”

“Do I really do that?” Mom asked me.

I nodded, and whimpered as it made my nausea just a little bit worse.

“Huh. I never noticed before.” The heavily scarred mare shrugged. “I guess it must be a habit I picked up from my parents.”

Ashes blinked in surprise. “Why did your parents say it?”

Mom snorted a laugh. “Because they were ponies.”

Now it was my turn to blink. My citrus-induced misery temporarily forgotten, I rolled over to stare at my mother. “What?”

Mom just looked right back at me. “You mean I never told you?”

“Told me what?” I was reminded of how much my body hates all things citrus-y when a sharp pain shot through my guts, causing me to curl back up into a ball. “Ow, ow, ow…”

Mom gently rubbed my back once more. “I was adopted. I seriously never told you that?”

I rolled back over again and gave her a shocked look. “You were what?”

“Huh,” said Ashes. “Really?”

“Yeah. My birth mother was… not in... any state to take care of a foal… due to…” Mom grimaced touched a hoof to the scar that ran from her mouth to her ears. “Not being… uh… due to things I’d really rather not talk about… But when my mom saw me, she decided that she just couldn’t leave me all alone. So, here I am.”

Ashes nodded, as if that explained everything.

“How… How can you be so nonsha… nonchel… uh…”

“Nonchalant?” Mom offered.

“That! How can you be so… that about this?” I cried out. “I mean… Why didn’t you tell me?”

Mom winced. “Diamond, I’m sorry, but I thought I told you. Believe me, if I had realized I never did, I would have done it in a much more serious fashion. As opposed to just, y’know… casual conversation while you’re sick.”

“But-“

“And in all honesty, sweetie, does it really make any difference?” Mom looked me in the eye and smiled her scar-widened smile. “After all, I’m still your mother, and you’re still my little filly.”

“Well… I know… but…” I bit my lip and winced as my guts twisted again. “It’s kinda… I’m... I’m really your daughter, right?”

“Of course.” She nuzzled my neck and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Always have been, always will be.”

I was silent for a moment. “Are you sure?”

Ashes burst out laughing. I shot her a glare.

Mom shook her head, a smile spread across her muzzle. “You know sweetie, you’re right. Maybe you’re not the foal I carried around in my uterus for eleven months.”

Ashes started laughing so hard that she actually fell out of the chair.

I rolled my eyes at her. “Sorry. Dumb question… I guess.”

“No, I understand.” Mom replied with a kiss on my forehead. “It’s a perfectly good question to ask. But like I said… you’re still my daughter, and I will always love you. Just remember that, okay?”

~~~

“Oh come on, let me help you!” Meda whined as she followed me down the street. “You owe me! Do you know how much it costs to get entire teeth replaced in this place?”

“Fuck off.”

“Look, I won’t do anything like that again, okay?” She continued. “I swear.”

“Swear all you want, you’re not helping me.”

“Fine.” She growled. “Then I guess I’ll tell the slavers that you’re trying to-“

I spun around and shot a glare at her.

“Holy fuck… what’s wrong with your eye?”

It took me a minute to realize what she was talking about. I looked at my reflection in a nearby pane of glass. In the darkness, my freaky eye had apparently dilated to the point where it actually looked normal, but now that the sun was shining as brightly as it could through the permanent cloud cover, the pupil was taking on its usual slit-shape. I smirked.

“Lost my old one. Had to get it replaced.”

“Oh…” The zony visibly relaxed. “You went all the way up to fifteen, then?”

I blinked in confusion.

“I’ll… take that as a ‘no’. Blech.” She grimaced. “So that means you’re a mutant, then.”

I frowned at her. “’Scuse me?”

“You don’t even know what a mutant is?”

“Of course I- No. No. I’m not doing this. Stop talking to me.” I turned around with an exasperated shake of the head and resumed my trotting off.

“I will tell the slavers about you.” Meda called back.

“Oooh. She’s got you there, ‘Purity’. Wha’cha gonna do, eh?”

I growled in frustration. “Fine. Just stop talking.”

The blue-maned zony smirked.

Manipulative bitch.

“I think I’m in love!” She started laughing. “Somepony who annoys you in just the right ways!”

“So, we’re looking for your coltfriend, right?” Meda asked.

“I could have sworn I told you to stop… oh forget it.” I let out an irritated sigh. “Stop laughing you fucking nutcase!”

“I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet, actually.” She chuckled. “I wonder how long it will take for you to notice why.”

“And he’s not my coltfriend.” I added hastily.

“Oh, really?” Meda grinned mischievously.

I growled. “Where’s the brothel?”

“Just around the next corner.” She replied. “You’d have to be blind to miss it.”

I grunted in acknowledgement.

“Out of curiosity, you said you never met another zony before, right?” I nodded in response. “Are you from a stable?”

I didn’t answer for a moment, considering my options. “Yes and no.”

“But not Fifteen?” I shook my head.

She hrrm-ed, and much to my joy, didn’t say anything for almost a minute. “For the record, there’s a lot of half-breeds like us around Canturbury. They’re not just in the slaver dens. I know there’s some like you around here too. You know, the ‘lucky’ zonies with wings or horns.”

I stopped. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’ve met a few pieces of canned goods that were halfies. Depressed and lonely, thinking there’s no-one like ‘em.” She snorted. “It’s even sadder when they don’t even realize they feel like that.”

“I suddenly like her a lot less…”

“Do…” I hesitated to ask the question. “Do others like me have weak magic?”

Meda shrugged. “Dunno. Never met a half-unicorn before. I just know they’re around. Sorry.”

I sighed. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Us weirdos gotta stick toether a little bit, right?” She smirked. “I’m still gonna keep buggin’ ya though.”

Oh, joy.

“Okay, it should be- ah! Here it is.” Meda made a dramatic sweeping motion. “Fillies and gentlecolts, I give you, the brothel of Raftwater! The Inferno Block!”

The building in front of me was probably one of the most gaudy things I’d ever seen in my entire life. Built off of what was likely an old hotel, it was painted entirely hot pink, decorated in all kinds of jagged scrap metal painted to look like flames. It had some sort of demon face over what I assumed was the entrance to the building. I couldn’t tell if this was an attempt at taking something way too seriously in the wrong way, or if whoever decorated was just screwing around.

“Why…” I asked. “Just why…”

“Yup. This is where everyone here goes when they’re feeling… anxious… if you know what I mean.” Meda blushed and coughed into her hoof. “Slavers and slaves alike.”

Indeed, many equines were milling about the place, all with varying degrees of… satisfaction on their faces. Some were covered in spikes, some had those colored tags in their ears. While most of them were stallions, there were quite a few mares among their number as well.

“So… Raid’s in there…”

“Might be. I’m not sure.” Meda shrugged. “It’s worth a look. If only for… y’know.”

I sighed, and made my way to the entrance. As I came closer, I was a bit surprised to find that it wasn’t as… loud as I expected. In fact, it was fairly quiet.

“Not everypony is as noisy as you, Knives.”

My face suddenly turned a bright shade of burning crimson.

“Are you alright? You seem a bit flustered.”

A bit? “No, no. I’m fine.”

“Whatever.” With that, Meda walked through the door.

I took a moment to regain my composure, and followed her in.

The inside was even more gaudy than the outside. Same motif, just a couple times worse. Numerous desks were in the front room, all holding ponies with pink tags in their ears and very obviously forced smiles. The one Meda took us to was a tired-looking zony buck, with a well-coifed grey mane, a blue coat, and stripes all along his back. I couldn’t see his mark, though, as it was hidden beneath his pinstripe suit.

“Welcome to the Inferno Block, what’s yer pleasure?” He said almost mechanically. “Looking for a stallion or a mare to –“

“I’m looking for a buck, and no not like that,” I interrupted, making damn sure that Meda couldn’t say anything.

The buck quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m trying to find a friend of mine.” I added.

He nodded, wrote something down on a clipboard, got out of his chair, and motioned for us to follow him into a room in the back.

He took us through several hallways of the hotel-made-brothel, all the way into the back of the building, until he brought us to another door leading into a room with a large heart-shaped bed. As soon as we entered, he slammed the door shut and let out a huge sigh.

“You have no idea how refreshing it is for someone to ask for something else in this fucking place.” He frowned when Meda facehooved. “No pun intended. Name’s Bilge.”

“Purity.” I shook his hoof, ignoring her laugh.

“Meda.” She did the same, but with a cocky grin. “Nice place you got here.”

“Why did we have to come all the way over here?” I asked.

“The rooms are soundproofed. Some don’t like to hear others while they do their stuff.” He rolled his eyes. “Bastard slavers try and make this place as ‘nice’ as they can. Interesting method of reward and punishment.”

I quirked an eyebrow.

“Enough people fuck up, they block us all off for a while.” He shook his head and put a hoof to his brow. “Better than what they do in New Tartarus, at least. Leaves less bruises… well… unless you’re into that kind of thing...”

“O…kay… then… uh…” I coughed into a hoof. “As I said, I’m looking for a friend of mine. He was brought in here with me and we got separated.”

“What’s his mark for?”

“Massage.”

Bilge deadpanned at me. “Don’t tell me... it’s the bird.”

“Probably is.” I assumed that ‘bird’ meant ‘pegasus’.

Bilge grimaced. “Poor buck got taken by Mildew. She has a tendency to… abuse the workers. Especially here. They’re usually too ashamed of themselves to say anything about it afterwards.”

I blanched.

“And as an added bonus, she hates pegasi.” Bilge sighed. “More than most, at least.”

I swore under my breath. “So, where are they, then?”

“Therein lies your problem,” Bilge said. “She hates it in here, so she takes them to her own house.”

Meda snorted. “It’s on the opposite side of the city, isn’t it.”

He nodded. “That it is.”

I groaned. “So I came all this way for nothing.”

“Yup.” Meda chirped. “Now you gotta go all the way over there.”

“Ugh. Great.” I growled in frustration. “Now I have to go and rescue him from some psycho slaver.”

I jumped when there was a loud beeping noise from the doorway. I spun to see that there was a large speaker next to the door with a button on it. While Meda laughed at me, Bilge went over and pressed the button.

“What is it?” He said.

“Bosses want to see that mare you went up with,” came the garbled, barely intelligible reply from the intercom.

Bilge glanced at me. I shook my head, and he nodded. “Not here. She got flustered and ran out.”

My jaw dropped and I let out an embarrassed squeak. Meda laughed at me again, as did she.

“Fuck. Any idea where she went?” Came the reply.

“Nope. Sorry.”

“Well, if you see her let me know. They’re gonna search the place. Make sure she doesn’t try and run.”

Just like that, the intercom beeped again.

Bilge looked at me with an amused expression. “We should go find your coltfriend.”

“He’s not my coltfriend.” I sighed.

“Ah. Can’t work up the guts to say anything.”

I blushed. “No…”

“Well, I’m sure you will eventually.” He smiled. “Now let’s get out of here.”

He went over to the window, releasing a blast of sound from outside.

“Wait… we’re going out the window?” I said, my face slowly turning pale.

“Of course. How else would we sneak out of here?” Bilge asked.

Meda happily trotted down the fire escape, looking none the worse for wear.

Ever so cautiously, I stepped over to the window and peeked down. I immediately regretted it, and jumped back. “Goddesses that’s high…”

Bilge raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I… uh…” I swallowed. “I can’t… I can’t go down there. I need to find another way.”

“There isn’t another way. This is the only hidden escape route in the building.”

“Look, I can’t go down there, okay?”

“Do you want my help or not?” He narrowed his eyes at me. “I’m all for doing anything to piss off the Bone Eaters, but I’m not getting caught doing it. What’s your problem?”

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and approached the window. Already I could see images of my own demise flashing through my mind. I tried to push those thoughts away as I carefully stepped through the aperture and onto the almost-two-century-old metal of the fire escape, which began to vibrate as soon as my shaking hoof touched it.

“Get a move on, already. They’ll be here any minute.” Bilge hissed.

I took another couple of careful steps, making absolutely sure not to look down.

“I’ll be okay. I’ll be okay.” I whispered over and over. “I won’t fall. I won’t fall.”

“Oh, Knives. You make me so sad. You can’t even stand a short drop from the fifth floor?” She chortled. “Pathetic.”

I continued taking deep breaths and repeating that mantra over and over.

“Hurry the fuck up, Purity. Goddesses, you’d think it was the most important thing in the world.” Meda groaned from below me.

I swallowed hard, and started down the first set of steps. I heard the metal creak quietly, and my guts instantly twisted around inside me.

I’m not gonna die I’m not gonna die.

The other zony continued berating me for my slowness.

I reached the fourth floor. I was alive. I hadn’t fallen. My fear subsided ever-so-slightly.

I made towards the next set of steps. It felt like it’d been an eternity.

The third floor approached. I took a tentative step out and put my weight on the first step. A loud grating sound emanated from the ancient metal steps, and I jumped back and clung to the wall, hyperventilating and clenching my eyes shut so hard that I thought my eyelids would rip apart.

I heard Bilge casually trotted down the steps and drop to his haunches next to me.

He was silent for a moment.

“You’re scared of heights aren’t you?”

I nodded.

“Whatever. You’ll be fine here until I get back.” He snorted. “I need to make sure I’m here when the assholes come looking for you.”

I nodded again, and he went back up to his room.

Desperately trying to ignore the fact that I was making the whole fire escape vibrate, I slowly made my way towards the last stairway.

I took a step, and was met with the groaning sound again. I made a sound somewhere between a sob and a whimper, and took forced myself to take another one, desperately trying to ignore my instincts to jump through the window and find safety inside the building.

I took another step. Another rusty creaking. Flashes of my broken corpse impaled on the remains of the fire escape. I’m not gonna die. I’m not gonna die. I’m not gonna die. I’m not gonna die.

“Damn, you’re slow.” Meda groaned. “Hurry it up already!”

I clenched my eyes tighter. Another step.

My hoof slipped

I fell.

I tried to scream, but no sound came out of my mouth.

I tumbled down the steps. Everything slowed down and turned into a blur.

Idon’twannadieIdon’twannadieOhgoddessesIdon’twannadie

I landed on the rusty metal floor and smashed into the safety railing. I tumbled over the edge.

I hit the ground in a crumpled heap, and as suddenly as it had all started, everything stopped.

“Purity!”

I sat there in a quivering heap.

Meda’s face appeared in the edge of my vision as I laid there, my eyes wide and streaming with tears.

“Holy shit, are you okay?”

She tried to pull me up, but my shaking legs refused to support my weight, and I dropped back down to my stomach.

She tried again, this time with more success, as I managed to not fall.

Slowly, I forced myself to stumble over to the wall, and lean against it.

Meda regarded me with a worried expression.

Then I threw up. I kept retching until I slumped to the ground again, resting against the wall and clutching my now-empty stomach.

Is it weird that puking my guts out made me feel a lot better?

“Holy… uh… do you want some water or something?”

I shook my head. “Just… just give me a minute…”

I took me awhile to regain my composure, but I eventually managed to stop my body from shaking as violently as it was before. I glanced around me and saw that we were in a mostly closed-off back alley behind the Inferno Block, accompanied by a dumpster that was even rustier than the fire escape and several piles of goo that might, at one point, have been some sort of garbage. There was a wooden fence separating us from the rest of the city, with a chain-link gate leading out.

“So, what the hell just happened?” Meda asked.

I blew out a still-shaky puff of air. “I have a fear of heights.”

Meda gave me a ‘what the hell’ look. “That’s it? You freaked out and barfed everywhere because you’re scared?”

“Scared doesn’t even begin to cover it.” I exhaled again, and finally managed to fully relax. “It’s more like absolute, all-encompassing terror.”

“We have to move, now!” Bilge hissed as he rushed down the fire escape, making me jump. “They’re sending Chamomile after you!”

“They’re what?” Meda’s jaw dropped as she stared at me. “They’re sending him after you? What the hell did you do to piss them off?”

“Uh… I snuck in, I guess.”

“WHAT?” Both zonies chorused.

“Why the fuck would you do that?” Meda’s eye twitched.

“We’re trying to find somepony else! Calm down!” I said, holding a hoof up defensively.

“This coming from a mare who just had a height-induced panic attack.” She tutted.

“That’s not important right now.” Bilge interceded before Meda could start yelling again. “We need to go and find your friend as soon as-“

His ear twitched, and he motioned for us to take cover against the wall.

Through the gate, I could see a group of slavers ran past, all apparently in a panic.

“Where the fuck is she?” One screamed.

“I don’t know! Just keep looking!” Yelled another.

“Goddesses, I’d rather deal with Hearteater! At least she’s-“

A third smacked number two in the head. “Don’t fucking mention her, idiot!”

“Oh shut up. It’s not like she’s going to appear if you say her name or anything.” The first snorted

A fourth chuckled. “Hearteater, Hearteater, Hearteater.”

“Dammit, Stain,” whined the third. “You’re freaking me out.”

“Okay, okay… Let’s spread out and search.”

I heard Bilge swear under his breath.

I elbowed him in the ribs to get his attention. “Bilge, Hearteater’s supposed to be invisible, right?”

“Yeah, and so is Chamomile.”

I grinned mischievously and levitated a shard of metal out of my mane. Bilge raised an eyebrow at it and my nearly invisible grey grip.

“What would happen if she were to come here?”

Bilge smirked. “Mass panic. All the slavers would go and hide indoors, just in case she goes after them next.”

Meda snorted a laugh. “Oh, this’ll be good.”

I moved over to the gate and peeked through. Three of the slavers were searching through buildings across the street, but one was getting dangerously close to us, but was just within my magical reach.

I moved the piece of metal behind the slavers neck. With a telekinetic punt, I send the jagged shard towards the back of his head…

And missed.

His head darted to the left at just the right moment to investigate something, and the shard harmlessly went past him, still surrounded by my unseen magic.

I facehoofed, and readied the metal shard once more.

I missed again. The twitchy bastard avoided his fate once more, and he wasn’t even doing it on purpose.

I tried three more times, until my eye started to twitch in irritation.

Stifling a growl, I gave up on an instant and painless kill and just whipped the metal across the stallion’s throat, hoping that it would be enough to scare the others off.

The stallion made a gurgling sound as blood began to flow from the slit in his throat.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho. Oh, that was horrible! How could you do that to another pony, Purity?” She spoke as if she was shocked, but I knew she was only trying to upset me. Still… it didn’t stop a massive ball of guilt from dropping into my guts. “Kinda reminds you of Lockpick doesn’t it… Knives…”

I clenched my teeth together and my eyes shut. A brief flash of a decapitated body in my mind’s eye, the dead filly’s lavender coat spattered with blood.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

I was just in time to see the other Bone Eaters freak out.

“OH FUCK! RUN FOR IT!” One screamed as she ran back the way she’d come.

“PLEASE DON’T KILL MEEE-HEE-HEEEE!” Another broke down in the middle of the street.

I blinked. “Uh… wow… Is she really that bad?”

Bilge smirked. “Oh yeah. I’ve seen some of her work. She kills the target and traumatizes the witnesses.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well, I never saw it myself. She’s attacked here a few times, though, and I’ve seen what it does to some people.”

“So basically she’s the slaver’s boogie mare.” I snorted a laugh.

“WooOOoo, Hearteater’s gonna get’chuuuu!” Meda giggled.

Bilge opened up the gate and trotted out, Meda and myself in tow, both laughing.

We were almost halfway down the street, when Meda was suddenly flung several feet back, crashing into a wall.

I stared in shock. Bilge yelped as the same happened to him.

I could just barely make out a large, vaguely pony-shaped blur in the air. In the distance behind it, there was a flash of golden light, and a familiar golden stallion appeared with a curious smile on his face.

And then I fell unconscious.

…

Again…

~~~

Green rubbed her sore face with one of her wings and huffed in irritation. The healing potion had taken care of the damage, but the pegasus filly could swear she still felt the needles in her face.

“Ah! There’s the town up ahead!” Wretch called out. “We should be there in about an hour.”

Green looked over the sand dune to see the Mall, separated from the wasteland desert by a ring of ancient city-scape.

Green grumbled to herself, her ears flattened back against her head, and followed the older pony.

Wretch looked back at the pegasus and frowned. “Are you okay, Green? I know the cactus needles must have hurt but-“

“I’m okay,” The verdant filly interrupted, not even looking up as she continued walking.

“Green if there’s something wrong, you can tell me,” Wretch offered.

Green only hastened her pace.

“Green? I’m serious, what’s wrong?” Wretch ran after the filly until she was trotting alongside her.

Suddenly, Green stopped, and turned to fix an angry stare at Wretch. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Green, you look like you’re trying to blow my head up with your mind. Are you mad at me for something?”

The pegasus was silent for a moment. Eventually, she turned away and stared at her hooves. “Yes.”

Wretch tried to put a hoof on the filly’s shoulder, but Green shrugged it off. “What for?”

Green sniffled. “I… I don’t know. You… I’m just… You killed Bark. You don’t ask me to do anything. It feels weird. I… It doesn’t feel right.”

She sniffled again. “I’m scared. I don’t know what to do. I… I hurt another pony! I didn’t even think about it, I just threw that plant into his face because I saw him hurting you and I got so mad, I just…”

The small verdant pegasus filly burst into tears. “I’m a bad pony!”

Wretch blinked at her in confusion, surprised by the sudden change of mood and unsure of how to respond.

Green continued to sob, her ears down and her wings drooping.

Eventually, and with a sad smile, the pink mare knelt down, and wrapped her forelegs around Green. The young pegasus returned the hug, buried her face in Wretch’s fur, and cried until she fell asleep.

--------

Footnote 1: Diamond Purity Darkwater-Knives

EXP 50%

~~~

Footnote 2: Zeed Kazdri

Exp: ???%

~~~

Footnote 3: Raid (???)

EXP???%

`

To-Do List:

Active Quest:

Where For Art Thou?:

-Find Raid

Other quests:

Layin’ Down The Rails:

Find a way to remove bomb-collars

O’ Father, Where Art Thou?:

Infiltrate or assault the Bone Eaters’ base near Bladesville.

Sifting through the dust:

1) Find information on the location of Ashes.

2) Find information on the location of Obsidian Knives

3)–Find information on the location of Nezan Kazdri

Author's Notes:

(Author’s notes)

Nothing much to say, really.

Thanks to Kkat for Fallout Equestria, and Somber for Project Horizon. Thanks to Matkingos for making sure this doesn’t suck as much as usual. Thanks to whomever reads this, and again, critiques are very much welcome.