Gilda sense takes us to a ferry terminal along the coast of the Yellow Zone. It’s a large building jutting out into the waters with enough space for a passenger boat to dock inside. It’s built to hold a lot of ponies waiting for their ships to come in, but it’s clear no passengers have visited this place in a while. The windows and front door are boarded up. No one’s bothered to pick up the trash piling up on the sidewalk. It’s not completely abandoned. A few Yellow Zone ponies are sleeping under the trash piles. They look comfy.

A disgusted look crosses Rainbow’s face when we arrive. “What in the world is Pinkie doing in this place?”

“Getting us a boat,” I say. “Is the place not up to your standards?”

“We’re not going to get robbed here, are we?” Rainbow asks. “This looks like the kind of place where we’ll be robbed.”

Huh, I’d thought Rainbow would dive head first into this kind of place to see Pinkie. “Worried you’ll lose all the bits you don’t have?”

Rainbow waves me off with a hoof. “I just don’t enjoy venturing into unsavory places.”

“And yet you picked me as a friend.”

I jump off the roof we’re standing on and land in the street. The noise from my landing wakes up some of the sleeping homeless ponies. They poke out of their trash piles to see what’s going on, then go back to sleep after determining we’re not a threat.

Rainbow lands next to me, though the sleeping ponies don’t bother acknowledging her. Her hoof splashes in a puddle, and she reels back and shakes off the water. “This isn’t water…”

“Welcome to freedom,” I mutter. While I want to get off this island as fast as possible, I think Rainbow just wants to get off this street. I bet she’s dying to get her flight back so she can fly far above this dump.

We come up to the front door of the ferry terminal. It’s a large wooden door with a sign nailed to the front. Trespassers will be violated. Someone must not have read the sign, since the wooden boards nailed to the door have been pried out and tossed aside. The homeless ponies haven’t used the boards to start a fire yet, so they must have come off recently.

Rainbow sticks behind me as I open the door. Together, we walk into a large warehouse room. It’s dark in here, but I can make out some shapes. There are seats and benches placed throughout the area, up until the floor drops off into the water. The back half of the warehouse is cut out to open up to the river, with a large enough space for a ferry to dock. There’s no ferry at the moment. It’s empty right now. The large barn doors for the boats are closed right now, trapping a large pool of water inside the docking bay.

A noise catches my ear and I turn to face the source. There are a couple pony shaped figures working in the dark on the far corner of the platform. They’re doing something next to the boat bay, which I can’t see. One of the figures looks at us and waves. “Hey, who are you?”

Rainbow and I exchange looks. I shrug. I know as much of what’s going on as she does. “We’re Pinkie’s friends,” I call back. “She told us to meet her here.”

Not completely true, nor a complete lie. She told me to find her without giving me a location. Easy to do with my monster sense. This doesn’t seem to bug the mysterious pony, as he beckons us to come over. “So you’re the ones. Close that door and we’ll get you out of here.”

Rainbow closes the door before we head on over to the ponies. The pony who addressed us, he sounds like a stallion, ducks towards the boat bay to talk to someone I can’t see. There are three other guys standing next to him doing their own thing. One of them is on the bulkier side. Other than that I can’t make out the details.

Rainbow leans up to me side and whispers. “Who are these guys?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper back. “I guess they’re Pinkie’s friends or something. She had to get a boat somehow.”

When we get close to the group, the three guys who didn’t talk turn to look at us. My heart skips a beat when they so. Three ponies are looking right at us, and each of them has a pair of blue, glowing eyes.

“I think it’s safe to bring out the light.” The stallion comes back up from the boat bay, holding a magic lantern in his hoof. He flicks it on, and it lights up the surrounding area, including us. “You lot are lucky. Not everyone has a chance to get off this island so”-

The stallion’s sentence dies when sees us. With the light on, I can see him too. Yellow coat, chopped off mane, pegasus. Captain Cole Slaw, with his jaw dropping down. His suit is heavier looking than I remember. It looks like it has a few gadgets hooked up to it now.

“Is this a trap?” Rainbow says. “This looks like a trap.”

All four Blackwatch goons spring into action. Cole Slaw drops the lantern, and the gadgets on his legs light up with electricity. Two of the smaller blue-eyes step next to him and aim their magic blasters at us, while the biggest of them all stomps around in heavy armor and readies up to charge us.

My monster claws level out towards them and I get ready to pounce. Context be damned, I’m getting off this island one way or another. “Where is Pinkie?” I demand.

“Here, I’m down here,” a voice calls out from below the boat dock. A pink hoof grabs a ledge and pulls up a body. With a little yoink, a grumpy looking Pinkie Pie hops up alongside Cole Slaw. “Don’t kill each other, not while I’m alive.”

I lower my claws once she joins the party. She’s not tied up or in a cage. In fact, it looks like she’s working with Cole Slaw. This might be an extension of the whole Quip thing. “Oh. They’re your friends.”

“Yes, they’re my friends,” Pinkie says as she wipes her hooves together. “Pretty good friends, if I say so myself.”

“Friends with questions,” Cole Slaw says. Neither he nor his buddies loosened up their combat stances. Lightning is still crackling from his gadgets. He’s still ready for a fight. “What in Tartarus is Zero doing here?”

“I can say the same thing to you,” Rainbow says. “What in Tartarus are you guys doing at our escape?”

“Providing us an escape,” I say. “Oh right, you have no idea what Pinkie’s been doing, do you?”

“Neither do I,” Cole Slaw says. “Pinkie, please explain why you got Patient Zero the boat. I know you can be strange at times, but what reasoning do you have to give this mass murdering monster a ride to the mainland, where the rest of Equestria lives?”

“Because she’s a long time friend,” Pinkie says. “I’m not going to abandon a friend in need. Not now, not ever.”

“Cool,” Rainbow says. “And are you friends with Blackwatch too?”

“Yes, they are,” Pinkie replies. “And Rainbow.”

“Yes?”

Pinkie turns into a blur as she rushes up to Rainbow. Before the pegasus can do anything, the party mare grabs her in her arms and hugs her. Rainbow looks stunned as Pinkie starts crying on her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

Rainbow stays frozen for a moment, but she breaks her stun when she pats the mare on the shoulder. She doesn’t say anything, just pats.

“Okay, while the girls have their moment,” I say, turning to Cole Slaw, “let’s have ours. How’s it going Cole?”

The gadgets on Cole Slaws legs let out a few sparks. “How’s it going? I just spent several hours fighting a giant Blacklight monster, one that called itself the Stone Quarry Gang. Sound familiar?”

I nod a bit. “Rings a few bells.”

“It took unparallel coordination from every one of my guys in the Yellow Zone to take the beast down. Even with the best of teamwork, many ponies gave up their lives to stop its destruction. Even then, when we finally cornered it, it just slipped away into the sewers. We’re trying to find it before it does any more damage.”

“Sounds like a pain,” I say. “One of your supersoldiers came after me. He’s in my belly now.”

“Did that happen around the same time the daycare collapsed, because that was great news to hear after fighting tooth and nail with the embodiment of Blacklight.”

“You sound bitter.”

“Extremely,” Cole Slaw seethes. “And now, to top it off, I find out Zero is trying to leave the island, using Pinkie Pie no less. It’s been a great day, great day indeed.”

“You might want to seek out a therapist,” I say. “Blackwatch doesn’t want you to come into work one morning and shoot up the place.”

“I appreciate the thought, but I’ll pass,” Cole Slaw grumbles. “I’m too busy to be sane.”

One of Cole’s lackeys, the biggest of the three, steps up. “You could call command,” the big guy says. “She’s here. Backup can arrive in minutes.”

Hey, I know that voice. It’s Budge! Didn’t recognize him with the armor.

Another familiar voice speaks up from below the boat dock. “No, don’t call anyone! She’ll eat us long before back up arrives.” A purple head topped with a white, floofy mane pops up from below the ledge. I recognize that guy, it’s Pillow Talk, from the daycare. Feels like it's been years since I last saw him. “A few minutes are enough for her to eat us.”

“Grow a pair, Pillow,” Budge says. “If you called Command yesterday, we wouldn’t have to worry about any of this.”

“Yeah, like Command could do anything,” Pillow says, rolling his eyes. “You heard the radio. The griffon tore through HQ. What do you think she’s going to do to us?”

“Because you didn’t give them the chance to strike when we had it. Captain Slaw, please tell me you’re going to make the call.”

Cole Slaw doesn’t look at them. Instead, he looks over at Pinkie. “Pinkie, are you sure what you’re doing is right.”

Pinkie, who looks like she’s been having a conversation of her own with Rainbow Dash, faces Cole Slaw and nods. “Yes, I am completely sure.”

The captain lets out a sigh. “Then I’m sorry I have to do this to do this. I can’t live with myself if I let this monster go. Too many lives are at risk. Budge, call command. I’ll keep Zero distracted.”

There it is! I was wondering when one of Pinkie’s Blackwatch buddies would snap. I’m surprised it took this long. My money was on Cherry.

I raise my claws up just as Cole Slaw takes flight. He sticks his forelegs out, which crackle with electricity. Oh, those are going to be a pain in the ass to-

A blue streak crosses my vision and slams into Cole Slaw’s side. Rainbow Dash knocks the captain to the ground and pins his fore legs down. “No, I’m not going back!”

Cole Slaw tries to push Rainbow off, but she’s too much for him to lift. The others seem ready to pounce, but there’s a little confusion between them. They hesitate on what to do.

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Rainbow says. “I don’t know if your Pinkie’s friends or lap dogs or what. I don’t know because Genicorn held me in a box for this entire Blacklight fiasco!”

The goons look between each other, not knowing what to do. Pinkie looks like she’s about to jump someone, but she’s not sure who to jump.

“I want you to all know it was your side that had me trapped in that box,” Rainbow says, pointing a hoof at the goons. “It was Genicorn who held me captive, cutting me open and experimenting on me day in and day out. It was Genicorn that kept me in the dark, the painfully boring dark! This griffon,” she points to me,” broke me out of that dark. Just a short time ago, she risked her life to grant me my freedom from your people! She nearly died to get to me. Your people nearly killed her, and if they did, I would never see the light of day ever again! ”

The goons now look more confused than before. Cole Slaw isn’t struggling under Rainbow anymore, so I think her words are getting to him.

“I’m the fastest pegasus in Equestria. If you try to call anybody, you won’t even see me come and stop you. I will fight all of you at once so I never have to go back into that box.”

“Maybe you were in that box for a reason,” Cole Slaw says.

Rainbow Dash looks down at the yellow pegasus. “I will be damned if I let you live to drag me back to that hell.”

Rainbow gets off the captain and steps off the boat dock and drops below. I don’t hear a splash, so I think she landed in a boat instead of in the water. I figured everybody here was gathering around a boat. I just don’t see it from this angle. From the way Pillow Talk is bobbing up and down, there definitely is a boat hidden below.

Cole Slaw sits up, and he looks even more confused than his boys. “This is insane,” he says. “All of this is insane!”

“All the better for you,” I say. “You’re too busy to be sane.”

Pinkie walks up to the captain and puts a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s alright. It’s going to be alright in the end.”

Cole Slaw doesn’t say anything. Pillow Talk, however, takes point to chime in. “I’d put my faith in Pinkie Pie. She’s never wrong.”

“You let this go,” Pinkie says, “They’ll disappear in the mainland. They won’t cause any trouble. You’ll never see them again. You’ll be able to focus on more important things, like protecting the Yellow Zone.”

Cole Slaw is still silent. After a minute, he gets up from the ground, and walks towards the door without looking at any of us. “Insane. I’m going for a smoke. Find me when you’re done with this mistake.”

When he disappears out the door, the smaller Blackwatch goons turn to follow him. Budge remains, though. “I’m not letting you out of my sight,” the big guy says.

“Hey, if you can swim, you’re welcome to join us,” I say. I turn towards Pinkie Pie, and smile at her. “So this is it, I can finally get out of Manehattan.”

“Yeah,” she nods, “This is the moment. Make sure you find somewhere where Blackwatch can’t find you.”

She glances at the boat, where Rainbow is. They had their own conversation while I was talking with Cole Slaw, but I don’t know what they said to each other. Must have been deep. “Does Rainbow seem different to you?” she asks.

“Eh, kind of,” I say. “You’re different too with the whole plague thing going on. Of course Rainbow would end up different too.”

Pinkie shakes her head. “No, I don’t mean that kind of different. I mean a different kind of different. She’s different different.”

“I guess so, maybe. I have no idea what you’re getting at.”

The pink pony sighs. “Just keep on eye on her.”

“You sound stressed out,” I say. “You should come with us. Las Pegasus is a fun place this time of year.”

“No, I’m needed here. There are still ponies I need to help in Manehattan, even if Blackwatch command wants me in prison.” She comes up to me and pats me on the shoulder. “The suitcase is in the boat, in the trunk. I didn’t forget it.”

I press my claw against her hoof. “Thanks.”

It feels like an eternity before she lets go. “Goodbye, Gilda. Keep an on Rainbow for me.” With that, she turns for the door.

Am I going to miss her? Probably. I’m sure as heck not going to miss this city. Manehattan can burn for all I care.

“And watch out for the laser sharks,” Pinkie calls back before she disappears around the door. Laser sharks? Eh, it’s just Pinkie being Pinkie. Good to see she still has a sense of humor.

I walk over to the ledge where the boat is and see our vessel for the first time. It’s an inflatable motor boat, large enough for six or eight ponies to sit tight together. The rubber is black, and it has the Blackwatch logo on the side. No doubt this is used to patrol the coasts when in use.

Rainbow and Pillow Talk are sitting in it already. Rainbow is leaning back at the tip of the boat, snug against the corner and laying her forelegs off the edges. Pillow Talk is stationed at the back motor of the boat, holding the throttle and steering. There’s also a metal trunk the same color or the boat taking up one side of the seats. That’s where the blue suitcase must be.

Pillow Talk waves for me to get in. “All aboard the S. S. Rubber Ducky, the most comfy ride Blackwatch command has to offer.”

I hop into the middle of the boat, and it rocks around in the water when I land. “Are you coming with us?”

Pillow Talk shakes his head. “I’ll drop you off and head back. Pinkie still needs me. But that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy the ride. My uncle was a sailor. I took some love of water from him.”

I plop my butt opposite of the trunk and kick up my legs. “Fair enough. Set sail, sailor.”

Pillow Talk revs up the motor. It sputters to life, then the boat glides forward. We glide towards a hole in the doors I didn’t notice earlier. Looks like a rock crashed through the wood. The boat exits through the hole, and we go out into the open waters of the night.

Finally, I’ve escaped Manehattan.

Author's Notes:

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