The trip over on the Sky Bandit had been a quiet one. Demo had offered to pull the flying transport.

He said ‘This was designed so that one pegasus could pull it by themself. This one has been modified for two pegasi to pull it. With twice the wing power we can move faster but our maneuverability is decreased. Both pegasi have to move in synchronization for the best results. The good thing about having the ability to let two pegasi pull is that if one is injured the other can take the burden off of the injured flier.’

The Sky bandit was used during the war. The pony who found it restored it to it’s former glory as best he could. Unfortunately as best he could meant that there were still holes in the sides of the transport. The wind howled through the holes as we flew through the sky. Since I’m not a pegasus the wind chill got to me. I was unused to such cold temperatures. Even in the Stable during winter the temperature never dipped as low as we faced.

“How are you enjoying the trip Midnight? I would expect that you aren’t exactly happy. It must be pretty cold back there. Demo and I can take this. If you need us to we can fly lower to the ground. It might not be as cold down there. Then again.. We would be easier to see. Maybe you can use your magic to make yourself warmer.” Onyx called.

Harmony whispered in my ear less than a second after Onyx finished talking. “I know what might warm you up.” She winked at me.

I was glad that I had my helmet on. If it hadn’t of been I probably would have given into Harmony’s flirting. I remembered that the Sky bandit wasn’t ours. If we returned it with rust spots caused by Harmony and I… Let’s just say the owner probably wouldn't be happy.

“We should be passing over Appleloosa about now. We should be to the slave camp in about 10 minutes. Think about it this way Midnight had we walked this would have taken us at least two days compared to the few hours we have taken.” Onyx was yelling just so we could hear.

“Does anypony have a town or something where lots of ponies live? I mean other than Tenpony. I wouldn’t exactly call that a town.” I looked out a window.

Onyx slowed down the chariot.“There are a few strongholds of pony civilization across the wasteland. Not many ponies can be trusted anymore. Settlements are few and far between. Well settlements that won’t murder you if you get to close. Appleloosa once was a great place even in the wasteland. A group of well armed raiders took them down. The group still exists. I think they go by the name of The Brotherhood. Not all of them are bad. Harmony is the one exception I have seen in my time out here.”

Harmony gave a look of disappointment towards Onyx. She looked like she wanted to say something but she kept her mouth shut. It was probably for the best that she hadn’t gotten into an argument with Onyx. We all needed a little bit of time to prepare for the battle that we were heading into.

We flew for a few minutes in silence before Harmony prodded me in the side.

“You are probably going to need this.” A knife surrounded by her cyan aura was floating in front of me. “Stealth works a lot better when you don’t announce your presence with gunfire. If we are going to do this we both need to be as silent as possible. Only resort to using one of your guns if it is absolutely necessary. I would prefer we all get out of this with as little harm to ourselves as possible. If you happen to find the armory grab everything that you can carry. If they have no weapons to kill us with we are at least a bit safer. Your armor will help you to carry more than you usually would be able to but you still have a limit. And as I’ve seen your magic isn’t exactly the strongest so even with that you won’t be able to take everything.”

“Also another plus off that armor is it will keep the aura of your horn from being seen. Makes it much easier to free slaves when you can’t be seen using magic.” Aurora flicked into existence.

I wanted to say that I already knew these things. Before I could speak Onyx spoke up again.

“We are going to land in this field. You will have to sneak into the compound. If we get any closer we will be spotted and they will kill us. Those stealthbucks will last for at most half an hour. So don’t waste time. Get in and free the slaves and then get out.”

The Sky Bandit came to a stop in a field. Harmony and I hopped out and started making our way towards the slaver camp. We had the cover of darkness to make sure we could get closer to the camp without having to use our stealthbucks.

As we approached the camp spotlights became an issue. The guards were very disciplined in the use of the spotlights. Most spots didn’t go uncovered for any more than a few seconds. A few places were safe for around ten seconds every minute or so. Unfortunately those places were armed with mounted guns. We would be torn to shreds before we could even get close.

I noticed a few slaver guards moving towards the spotlight crews. I knew that in a few seconds we would get our one good chance to get into the camp unnoticed. The lights stopped moving.

Harmony and I galloped as fast as we could to where the spotlights would not be able to get a lock on us. We made it just as the lights started there patrols.

We took a second to breath before moving along the wall to one of the open areas in the wall. The openings were big enough for a train to fit through. The tracks that entered the camp were blocked off down the line by a wall. I returned my focus to getting into the base. We had planned for Onyx to make a distraction to try to draw the slavers out of there camp.

The distraction he made was a little more than I thought he would have done. The wall down the tracks exploded. All that was left was a heap of burning rubble. The entire camp lit up with sound. Slavers were rushing around preparing themselves for a battle. Not one of them left the safety of the camp.

“Dammit. I hoped that would have drawn at least a few of them out. Now we have entire base of assholes to deal with. If I wasn’t afraid of getting perforated by a lot of bullets I would usually say buck it let’s kill them all, but since we don’t have that kind of firepower I think we need to stick to the original plan of stealth.” I struggled to keep my voice quiet enough that nopony would hear us.

We snuck around to the other side of the base in hopes that the explosion had at least drawn them away from the other entrance. We were in luck. Most of the slavers had been moved over to the other side of the camp to protect from an onslaught that would not be coming. This side of the camp had bigger weapons but only had two guards on duty.

“Ok let’s take these two out with our knives. Hide the bodies outside after they’re dead.” Harmony nodded and we snuck forward.

The guards had their backs turned to us. One quick motion silenced their talking for good. I used my magic to almost catapult the corpse outside the wall. I realized my mistake after I had made it.

The dead slaver was flung all the way out to where the spotlight could see him. I acted quickly to bring the corpse closer to the wall. I was to slow and the light caught sight of him. One of the guards jumped down off of the wall. He was closing the distance between us quickly. He hadn’t seen us yet but in a few seconds that would change.

A bolt of lightning came down out of the sky. The bolt hit the guard in the chest. The strike was enough to knock him to the ground. Harmony jumped at the opportunity and slit the slavers throat. Even though he was far away from me I heard the gurgle of blood as he tried to gasp for breath. Within a few seconds the gurgling stop and he lay dead on the ground.

I unloaded the turrets to make sure nopony could shoot us. We then continued on sticking to the shadows moving farther into the camp. Most of the slavers were out of the way. The slaves were being held at the center of the camp. One of the guards noticed us before we got to the center of the camp.

“Well look what we've got here. A couple of mares. You two will make for excellent sex slaves. One day we might let you die. But until then I think I am going to enjoy the both of y…” His voice was cut off when a knife lodged itself into his skull.

His death hadn’t gone unnoticed. Harmony activated her stealthbuck. I followed her action and had vanished from sight a few seconds later. The slavers were starting to catch on that no attack would be coming and that somepony was trying to free the slaves they had captured.

It took less than thirty seconds before I was forced to seek shelter inside of one of the many buildings. Slavers were everywhere combing the area looking for the pony responsible for killing some of their friends.

The building I had entered appeared to be where the slavers slept when they weren’t doing whatever horrific thing they usually did. Many of the beds were unoccupied. A motion stopped me dead in my tracks. One of the beds was occupied by a couple of ponies.

I thought for a second before floating the knife over and slamming it through both of them. The sounds of pleasure were silenced and quiet took over. I yanked the knife back out and sheathed it at my side.

I waited for a few minutes before I looked out the door to see if the coast was clear. I was about to open the door when a Pegasus mare burst through the door. Her coat was orange. She looked around the room before her eyes fell upon the two dead lovers. She looked away with a tear in her eye before leaving the building.

Going outside even if I was invisible was a deathtrap. Somepony would run into me before I made it halfway to the next building. Another door was on the other side of the room. I trotted over to it as quietly as I could.

When nopony was in sight I opened the door. The room was empty. I entered the room and closed the door so nopony would be suspicious. The room I entered was dark except for an oil lantern. The room was illuminated in a bright orange glow.

Guns were hung on the wall. Boxes of ammo were separated by caliber. I had stumbled upon the armory. Without thinking I began to stuff my saddlebags with all the ammo and guns that would fit.

After about two minutes of greedily grabbing ammo and guns most of the walls were bare and most of the ammo sat in my saddlebags. One of the guns that still hung on the wall caught my eye. It was a rifle with a large magazine. It was a tan or maybe a light brown color.

A stallion burst through the door. “Where’s my boar rifle?” I barely managed to get out of the way as he made his way over to the rifle hanging on the wall. “Best damn gun in this whole place. I’m taking in it before somepony gets the idea that it belongs to them and not me. You hear that you old bastard? The rifle is mine.”

He reached out for the rifle. A knife that was not my own found its home in the old stallions skull.

Harmony uncloaked and pulled the knife out of the stallion’s skull. “Thought I might find you here. Now hurry up and grab that gun. We might need it before this day is through.”

She disappeared into thin air and the door to the outside world was flung open. I grabbed the boar rifle and followed in Harmony’s tracks.

A few of the slavers lay dead around the entrance to the barracks. I assumed that was the work of Harmony. I turned and started to gallop towards the center of camp. A few slaver guards mingled around the cages.

Inside ponies sat looking at the ground in defeat. Many were unconscious, some were dead. It took all of my strength not to uncloak myself and kill every single slaver in this goddesses forsaken town. A light tap on my shoulder made me jump.

“Midnight. It’s okay. We need to get rid of these guards before we can free those slaves. That new rifle of yours has a silencer. Go up to that guard tower and start picking them off. Try to keep the bodies out of sight. We don’t want to get into a firefight. Now go I will wait until most of them are dead before I start unlocking the cages.” Harmony put her hoof back on the ground.

I nodded even though I was invisible.

I climbed the guard tower. The guard was nowhere to be seen. I took position and looked down upon the guards that milled about the cages. I considered using S.A.T.S. to make sure the shots would be perfect, but at this distance S.A.T.S. had a difficult time lining up any sort of shot.

I took aim at the guard farthest from the others. I pulled the trigger. To my surprise the gun was almost thrown out of my grasp by the recoil. The bullet found its home inside the guard's throat.

I took a second to look at the rifle. It had a different style of grip. It was meant to be mouth fired but was supposed to be secured into a pony's shoulder before firing. With this new information in mind I took aim again.

One by one I took down the guards. After the second shot they started to become suspicious. Ten shots later and the center of camp was clear of any guards.

Harmony made short work of the locks on the cages. A few times I saw little chunks of metal fly away. She had broken a few bobby pins in trying to free the slaves but in the end it was worth it.

I made my way back to Harmony and the cages. Most of the slaves were unable to bring themselves to their hooves.Those that could immediately tried to make a run for it. I stopped them before they could get far.

“Everypony stop. We will help you get to safety but you need to do exactly as we say. Now help those who can’t move alone. We will clear a path out of this place. Once everypony can be moved we will lead you out of here.”

Harmony tapped my flank. “Why don’t we allow them to take this camp as their own? It is easily defendable. They would have lot’s of supplies. Plus nopony really dares to mess with any place slaver ponies might inhabit. If we help them out for a few days then leave they will be fine on their own. How does that sound to you ponies?”

A stallion stepped forward. “If that is what you think is best then we will follow your plan. Thank you for saving us. The name is Emerald Ace. I don’t think many of us are fit to lead. I am in the best condition so I will step forward to lead these ponies. Maybe one day we will have a thriving city that doesn’t profit from slave trade.” He stopped and turned to me with a smile. “Nice to see you again Midnight. I wouldn’t exactly call this better terms but I am still happy somepony freed us from those goddesses forsaken slavers.”

“How did you get foalnapped?” I tossed aside my used Stealthbuck.

“I was trying to defend another pony from what I thought was a single slaver. After I knocked the one out his friends came out and held me at gunpoint. After that they brought me here.” Emerald rubbed a hoof on the back of his head. “I guess I looked as though I could do work. I suppose they could have wanted me to help grow food. That is what ponies believe earth ponies are best at, but not me.”

“So what are you good at?” I looked at a few of the other enslaved ponies.

“Well. I’ve always thought my cutie mark meant I would be some sort of gem collector. It is a big emerald. Seeing as I lack unicorn magic I have a hard time with knowing right where they are. However I can tell you we are sitting on top of a giant gem field. I’d say probably enough gems to feed an adult dragon for a year or two.” Emerald looked up for half a second.

Harmony broke into the conversation. “That’s a lot of gems. Maybe you could dig those up and trade them to the caravans. Word shouldn’t take long to spread that this place has been liberated from slavers. A trader caravan should be here with in a week.”

Demo was galloping towards us, Onyx followed a few strides behind. “Where is he?”

Emerald took a stride forward. “Who is it you seek? I know most of the ponies here by name.”

“I am looking for a stallion. He usually goes by the name Stone. His real name is Moonstone. Always hated that name. Have you seen him?” Demo was panting.

“I have seen the stallion you speak of. He was put onto a train yesterday. They were headed for Ponyville. I hear the slave trade up that way is less about profit and more about freeing ponies that end up in places like this. Unfortunately you can’t run a business when you just give away money like that. They could only afford to buy a few of us from these monsters. If you hurry you might be able to catch them. I’ve seen the tracks before. If you could fly fast enough you might be able to catch them before 8:00 A.M.” Emerald pointed a hoof down the tracks.

After Emerald finished talking Demo had bolted in the other direction. I smiled and gave Emerald a wave goodbye before chasing after him. We had just arrived at the Sky Bandit to see Demo had already strapped himself in and was ready to fly.

“Get on. I am not going to lose Stone.” Demo flapped his wings.

“Didn’t you hear Emerald? Stone should be perfectly fine. Ponyville has no reason to harm him. We can take our time in getting to him. I know that is hard to hear. I know what it feels like to want to see your friend alive and well. Trust me on this, you can wait. We don’t have to get ourselves killed in the process of trying to reach him. Now take a deep breath and let’s go find him.” I stepped into the Sky Bandit.

Onyx went up front and got into his harness and we took flight soon after.