The Enclave wasn’t a particularly pious nation. We had been living under the erratic patterns of the sun and the moon for too long to believe that the Goddesses controlled them. For me, the Goddesses had become simple curse words for when things didn’t go my way, more abstract concepts to pin blame on than actual beings. Sometimes though, my already dire circumstances would reach a new low, and I couldn’t help but feel there was a divine hoof at play enacting some celestial punishment. “I must admit.” Cat O’ Nine Tails said, peering into the crack in the wall we were hiding in. “Never in life did I think I vould find situation so perfect.” She grinned hungrily. “Thief caught like rat in trap, with cheese still in teeth.”

I could feel Clarity trying to press herself away from the slave driver. I didn’t blame her, my own mind was spinning in fear and most of it was for my crystal friend’s sake. But I needed to respond, and quickly. Silence would kill us. “Thief?” I ask innocently. “What did I steal?”

“Her, of course.” Cat O’ Nine Tails said in a sickly sweet tone. Her predatory eyes fell on Clarity, who whimpered softly.

“That so?” I asked, falling back into the short tempered trader persona I had adopted the last time we had met. “The way I remember it, we paid you all ours caps fair and square.”

“That was for freedom.”

“Which you only took because you failed in keeping her under control.” I reminded her. “As I recall, I paid you for your loss of profits, essentially buying her with no guarantee I’d ever see my product.” With a smile, I reached a hoof back and patted Clarity on the shoulder. “Lucky I found her at all, otherwise you’d be the thief, wouldn’t you?”

The slave driver glared at me for a long second. I felt certain that she would order us shot, but instead she smiled, that wide fake smile that failed to reassure me. “Business Mare, as clever as I remember. You speak truth, creestal mare is yours.” I felt my shoulders relax, though I should have known it was too soon. “Come, come from hole. Must be cramped with so many ponies!”

“It’s comfortable actually.” I said, stretching out and resting my head on Clarity. “Nice and cozy. Safe too, those giant monsters can’t reach in here.”

Cat O’ Nine Tails’ grin froze. “Da, but ve can.” The beams of light from her cronies shifted, moving closer.

I raised my hooves placatingly. “Alright, understood.” At least we’ve dropped the pretenses. Slowly, very slowly and carefully, I got to my hooves and began moving out of the crack in the wall. The additional lighting meant I was able to avoid bashing myself against the jutting rocks, though I had to remain stooped. As I extracted myself, I rolled my shoulders and stretched to my full height. Despite my assurances to the contrary, it felt good to get out of that cramped space. I turned to Cat O’ Nine Tails, asking. “You never did tell me, why are you here?”

“Simple reason.” She nodded and before I could react, sharp pain exploded in my head. As I dropped to the rough stone floor, she leaned down and hissed in my ear. “I’m here to restock!”

“Sleet!” I heard Scout’s voice call from the crack in the wall. The sound of a priming firearm swiftly quieted him.

“Stay vhere you are, bodyguard.” Cat O’ Nine Tails ordered him without looking away from me. “I must speak vhith your employer.”

“Restock, huh?” I gasped from the floor. The throbbing from my head reminded me it was stupid to talk back, but I needed to keep fishing for knowledge. The more I knew, the easier it would be to get us away from them. “With what, the yeti? They’re a bit too testy for that, I’m afraid.”

“Ha! No, no, no, Business Mare, I come for rare prizes! You see vhen I find creestal ponies, I vhas, unprepared. Did not expect stiff resistance ‘they are veak!’ I hear, ‘they crumble, like ice in sun!’ Pah!” She spat on the ground next to me. “Nyet, zhey fought, and hard. Now, zho…” She chuckled darkly. “Now, I have plan.”

“Wonderful!” I said with sarcastic enthusiasm. “Mind sharing it?”

The slaver leader kicked me in the gut, forcing me to curl into a ball. “Nyet, is trade secret.”

“So why are you here?” I coughed out. “You know the difference between a yeti and a pony, right?”

“The creestal ponies were deficult enough to find first time.” The slaver mare admitted, circling me like a vulture. “Now I return to cave they hide in, I find empty.” She stopped in front of me. “But now,” She stood on her hind legs and stretched her hooves to the cavern roof in praise. “Fate smiles on Cat O’ Nine Tails! I search caves, and through giants monstors, I find you, the Business Mare with map to gold!”

“And you think I know where the crystal ponies are?” I asked condescendingly, but under I bluster I could feel my gut twisting uncomfortably, and not from being kicked.

Nine Tails must have seen the realization on my face, because she was grinning the widest grin I’d ever seen. “Oh no, Business Mare.” She said, lowering herself back on all fours. Her horn lit up, I felt her magic grab the back of my coat. Slowly she lifted me, hanging limp like a manticore cub in its mother’s mouth. “Not at all.”

“Then what’s the point of this?”

“Because, you have somepony with you who does.” She turned that predatory grin towards the crack in the wall.

“Then why take Sleet hostage?” Scout asked.

“Sleet.” Cat O’ Nine Tails looked at me as she spoke my name, working the word in her mouth, as if memorizing each individual sound. I felt an irrational fear at this monster in pony’s clothing knowing, speaking, my name, as if it gave her some kind of power over me. “That is your name then?” I remained silent. She laughed and turned back to the crack in the wall, where I could see Scout peeking out of the darkness. “I broke leetle creestal mare long ago, but she is not mine now. She need permission from new mistress. However,” she shook me a little with her telekinetic grip “I know her type. She will not want to tell, but she will.” She punched me across the face, hard. “To save own skin, she will”

“I won’t.” I growled. “I’m not like you.”

“Nyet?” She laughed, “playfully” punching me in the shoulder with all her strength. “Ve have done business, friend! Business is like battle, speaks volumes to who ponies are.” She punched me in the sternum, the air rushing from my lungs. “You spend caps without thought, buying body and soul of another for own freedom. Who’s to say you won’t do again, hm?” She telekinetically slammed me, back first, against the stone wall next to the crack. “Sell out more ponies for life?” I was too winded to respond, though how I would I do not know.

Nine Tails approached me, and as she did, she noticed the bandages around my torso peeking under the bottom clasp of my greatcoat. “You are hurt, Business Mare? Did monstor strike you?” I grit my teeth, keeping quiet, as she undid a few clasps on the coat, revealing more of the bandages, though fortunately not my wings. “Da, you are! But how, hm? Does it hurt when I do this?” She poked my left side, nothing. “Here?” She poked my sternum, hard enough to make my broken rib twitch. I couldn’t repress a flinch. “Warmer then!” She said, eyes lighting up. “So, here…”

She pressed her hoof into my broken rib, and my scream echoed off the walls of the cavern. As she held it there, I started to thrashing, tears streaming down my face. My vision became white, as if the sun itself had ignited in my chest and the light was blazing from within me. It felt like it lasted days, though it couldn’t have been more than thirty seconds before another voice cried out. “STOP!” Clarity screamed, loud enough to be heard over me. It was the first word she had spoken since the slave driver showed up.

Cat O’ Nine Tails immediately pulled her hoof back, leaving me hanging there and gasping. My captor cut her magic and I collapsed, crumpled on the rough stone floor, my nerves burning like hot coals. My thrashing had caused the back of my head to slam against the rock wall several times and I felt warm blood soaking into my mane. The shocking cold of the rock brought me to a painful focus, allowing me to hear what happened next instead of fading away from consciousness. The unsteady clip-clop of Clarity’s hooves echoed in my ears. Timid as the day I found her, she emerged from the crack in the wall. “I’ll do it.” She said shakily. “I’ll help you.”

“Ahh…” Cat O’ Nine Tails sighed, and I could hear that snake-oil grin of hers on her voice. “So good to have cooperation.”

Cat O’ Nine Tails gave us a minute to tend to my wounds. I leaned against the wall of the cave as Scout poured a healing potion down my throat, feeling the magic mend me. It didn’t do much for my rib, but I appreciated how it dulled the pain. “How are you doing?” He asked.

“Given our situation, I could be much worse.”

He nodded and glanced at the slavers. While I was being healed, Cat O’ Nine Tails had ordered the perimeter be secured from the yeti, so effectively we were alone. Even so, he leaned in and kept his voice low so as not to be heard. “Think you can get us out of this? You did it once before.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking. “Perhaps. The problem is the disguise has cracks in it now. Clarity agreeing to help Nine Tails without my say-so makes ‘Business Mare’ look weak.” I glanced at Clarity, who had returned to the crack in the wall, hiding. “And I hate to say it, but Clarity not being in a bomb collar hurts the disguise.”

Scout’s mouth twisted into a grimace, but he nodded. “Yeah, she doesn’t look much like a slave.”

Jackpot had remained silent throughout the entire ordeal. The ghoul’s face was inscrutable, especially in the bad lighting. At this, he spoke up. “You mean she isn’t a slave?” He asked.

Scout and I traded a surprised look. “No, not at all!” I said. “The first thing we did was free her!”

“After you bought her.”

Something about the matter-of-factness of his tone irritated me. “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to.”

“But you did.”

“I didn’t have any choice!” I snapped, leaning towards him. The ghoul didn’t react, which only angered me more. “They already had a bomb collar on Scout’s neck and I had no weapon. It was negotiate, die, or be enslaved.” Leaning forward caused my rib to flare in pain. Scout placed a hoof on my shoulder and gently pushed me against the wall again. Easing my breathing, I spoke in a quieter tone, though no less angry. “If there was any other way, I’d have taken it in a heartbeat.”

His tone was one of quiet damnation. “You should have found one.” Jackpot turned and walked away from us.

“There was no other way!” I said, even though he had stopped listening. “None!” Damnit, why wouldn’t he listen? I hadn’t had a choice, and I made the best of it in the end! Clarity was free now, free to do whatever she wanted. She was free to leave and live her own life, she didn’t have to follow me, Hell I didn’t even want her to. But it was her choice, she did it because she wanted to, not because I made her, right?

Right?

Scout nudged me, whispering. “Heads up, she’s coming.”

“Business Mare!” Cat O’ Nine Tails called from further down the tunnel. “You are well, da?”

Shaking my head, I called back with false cheer, “Right as rain.”

“Horosho!” The slaver trotted over to us, grinning. “Then all is in order.” Leaning down, she stared into the crack in the wall, making Clarity pull further into it. “You are ready?” My friend nodded, barely. Cat O’ Nine Tails cackled cruelly. “Excellent, come friends! We have many ponies to meet.” She turned and cantered back towards her cronies.

I stood painfully, nursing my right side, Scout helping to steady me. “Are you coming?” I asked Jackpot.

“Not like I’m given a lot of choice.” The ghoul growled, walking past us.

I bit back my anger before turning to the crack in the wall. “Clarity?” My friend, coat gray and mane limp, stepped carefully from the crack. Her eyes were downcast, but I could imagine them, the colors of her iris frozen and muddied. Placing a hoof on her shoulder, I gave her what I wanted to be a warm smile. “C’mon, we’re getting out of this. Just trust me, and play along.” She stared blankly at me for a long second before nodding. We started walking, Clarity falling in a few steps behind us.

Cat O’ Nine Tails reported that the yeti were maintaining a wide berth, avoiding us rather than attacking. “But why aren’t they rushing us?” Scout asked. “Even with some of them dead, they have more than enough numbers to wipe us out.”

“I think it’s the light.” I said, nodding to the slaver guards and the high-powered beam attached to their helmets. “The yeti can see heat, so they’d be sensitive to bright lights.”

“You seem to know a lot about these monstors, Sleet.” Nine Tails asked.

I bit my tongue so as to not snap when she spoke my name. “I did my research before coming here.”

“And why are you here?” She asked as we started moving. “Surely not for same reason as I?”

“The thing I go anywhere for, business.” I said, fudging the truth on the fly. “I knew there were towns up North, so I came for trade. Ended up getting talked into coming here by a paranoid merchant who wouldn’t sell until he knew the yeti weren’t gonna get him.” I snorted in irritation. “We killed one and tore out its tooth as proof, but the rest of the pack managed to find us and we were forced to take refuge in a hole in the wall.”

“And was how you get injury?” Nine Tails asked, smirking at my obviously pained movements.

“Yes.” I growled.

She “tut-tutted”, as if to a filly that made a rudimentary mistake. “Careless. Why not send bodyguard, or ghoul to fight? Why put self in danger?”

“Forgive me for not having a few thousand caps to drop on heavily arming my employees.” I said, sneering. “You’ll recall I made a very expensive payment recently.”

“And you did not make it back?”

“Business requires investment, and I had nothing to invest. Why do you think I’m crawling around caves being attacked by giants?”

“What do you mean you have no investment?” She asked, eyebrow raised. “You may not have caps, but you have capital.” She nodded to Clarity. “What is she, if not worthy investment?”

“Oh, you know, new markets, risk and reward. And I haven’t had the, pleasure of running into any of your competitors since are last meeting.” I didn’t bother hiding my disgust and sarcasm at the word ‘pleasure’.

It didn’t seem to bother her. “Perhaps you are fortunate then. Many in zhis trade less friendly than I.”

I groaned in pain as my rib ached more with each step, I didn’t feel fortunate. “So where are we going anyway?”

“Is good question.” She turned to Clarity, smiling. “Tell me creestal pony, where do rest of your kind hide?”

There was a moment of silence, prompting me to turn to Clarity as well. She didn’t look good, all the color in her coat and mane were gone, replaced by dark, thunderhead gray. She was staring at me, with wide fearful eyes that lacked their usual swirling colors. It took a moment, but I realized she was asked for my permission to speak. Praying that she was just playing along, I gave a jerky nod towards Cat O’ Nine Tails.

“I don’t know…for certain…where they are.” She said cautiously, her voice meek and quiet. The friendliness drained from Nine Tails’ face, replaced by annoyance that Clarity was clearly familiar with. Flinching, she quickly sputtered out, “B-but I think I can find them! I know where the hiding places are!”

“Then ve vill try them, all of them, until I get prize.” There was no argument.

Before we got going, though, Cat O’ Nine Tails disarmed us. With the constant threat of the yeti, she allowed us to keep our weapons on us, but we were forced to empty them of all ammunition.

Scout reported that his radar was picking up yeti blocking the way to the exit. While we certainly had a better chance of fighting them now, with the help of Cat O’ Nine Tails’ forces, we still wanted to avoid the monsters as much as possible. All the bright lights and big guns in the world wouldn’t save us if we got attacked by the whole pack at once, and walking straight towards them sounded like a good way to get ambushed.

Instead, we began looking for a way past them, while sticking to the smaller tunnels. This meant that we often had to travel either single file or two abreast, the lights casting ghastly shadows as our bodies pressed together uncomfortably. As the tunnels grew tighter, I had to swallow my rising claustrophobia. To keep my mind from it, I instead began running scenarios through my head of how we were going to get the Hell away from Nine Tails. The first plan was to get in a skirmish with a few yeti and slip away in the confusion, but without the tarp it would be difficult to escape without at least one monster on our tails. Another was to lose them in the blizzard once we got out of the cavern, I could even use my talent to facilitate it. After all, it would be much simpler to work with the snow rather than against it, and the thought of watching Nine Tails freeze gave me a dark enjoyment.

But unless I was in top form, I wouldn’t be able to freeze them fast enough to prevent us from being shot to death, and with my numerous injuries I couldn’t see myself pulling it off even in those preferential conditions. If we stalled long enough, got a few more healing potions in me, it could happen. The problem would be finding the time, because Nine Tails was growing distrustful. She began taking point, making sure to keep Clarity near her and away from me, meaning I had zero chance to coordinate with her. The guards weren’t about to let me stall us either. Even with my injury, at least one guard was always behind me, herding me forward like cattle.

The tunnels, which had grown wider for a few minutes, were tightening again, forcing us to stop and resume single file. Without the sound of our hooves, I began to hear something. At first, I thought somehow the Enclave had found me and we were under attack, because it sounded like a thousand flapping wings had entered the tunnels. After a minute though I realized that, bizarrely, the sound was coming from inside the walls. I used the time spent sorting out the single file to lean against the wall on the pretense of rest (which I did desperately need). I rested my head on the wall, eyes closed and breathing heavily for effect. With my ear close enough to the stone I more clearly hear the noise, not feathers, but rushing water.

I had to resist the urge to express my surprise. There was an entire river inside the walls! Parallel tunnels, somehow filled with water! Given the fact that I could hear it I guessed there couldn’t be more than a foot of rock between us and the water. Ideas started falling into place like the pieces of a puzzle, my heart racing with giddiness. I had a plan, and it could work, it could actually work!

Somepony roughly poked my shoulder with something cold and metal. Cracking one eye open, I glared at the offender, one of Nine Tails’ cronies. “Do you mind?”

“We’re moving on, get going.” He said dispassionately.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I muttered, pushing off the wall. Looking around, I noted that Scout was still in the wider tunnel, the rest of our little expedition moving further ahead. Good, I needed to talk to him, but alone. I took a few hesitant steps toward the narrow tunnel, hoping the guard would move ahead of me. He didn’t, of course. Well, subtlety will only go so far I suppose.

With a small cry of pain, I tripped and hooked my forehoof around Scouts neck. The survivalist reacted quickly and caught himself before we both fell on the ground, but I still jerked his head down. “Sleet, what the Hell?” He asked.

“Work with me.” I hissed in his ear as I started to pull myself up.

“Quit fucking around.” The guard said, approaching threateningly.

I lost my balance again and fell; Scout was braced for it this time. “My rib is broken, jackass.” I spat at him. “It’s kind of hard to move.”

“I don’t care, get going.”

“Why, so you can get a nice look at my flank?” I sneered at him. “Or is your boss just telling you to keep an eye on me?” The guard shuffled uncomfortably, obviously not used to back-talk. “We’ll be right behind you. If your boss gets uppity about it, you can tell her to kiss my ass. Go along now, there’s a good dog.” Snorting angrily, the guard entered the tunnel, leaving Scout and I alone.

“What was that all about?” Scout hissed at me. “Are you trying to get us shot?”

“I have a plan.” I said rapidly. “It’s stupid and hinges on a lot of luck, but I think it’ll work. Can you trust me on this?”

“Is this the only plan you came up with?”

“No.”

“Is it the best one?”

“Yes!” I was getting exasperated. I could hear shouting coming from the tunnel. Apparently Cat O’ Nine Tails had gotten my message.

“Okay, tell me.” I leaned in close and whispered my plan into his ear. I put in as much detail as I could while being concise, I could hear Cat O’ Nine Tails’ hoofsteps growing closer. When I finished divulging the plan, Scout gave me a look that told me I was mad. Frankly, I didn’t blame him.

But now we needed to resume the disguise. I started limping toward the narrow tunnel, and promptly ran into Cat O’ Nine Tails. Stumbling back a few steps, I glared indignantly at the slaver leader. She looked furious, no longer bothering to try and appear friendly. “Business Mare, you are coming, da?”

I snorted in irritation. “You and your employees have the annoying tendency of forgetting that I’m injured. Have you ever had a broken rib? I can tell you now, it’s not pleasant. I told your lackey I’d be right behind you.”

“No, you are not ‘right’ behind.” You are far behind!” She grabbed me by the collar, pulling me close enough that all I could see where her eyes. This close I could finally note the color of her eyes, a sickly green, like vomit. “Listen cyka, Cat O’ Nine Tails knows you. Knows type. Thinks in moment to moment, next transaction, all that matters. I vhas like, once. You know vhat happened?” I shook my head slowly, never breaking eye contact. “I end up near dead, bleeding in alley by business partner from weeks ago. You vill end up same.”

“Maybe.” I said coldly. “But not by you.”

With a roar of anger, Cat O’ Nine Tails threw me into the tunnel. I bounced once, painfully, off of the stone ground before sliding a few inches to a stop. “Then you will lead, if you feel invincible, if I am no threat! Take point, Business Mare! Take point, Sleet! Lead us!”

“Very well.” I said, picking myself up slowly. “But we have a problem.”

“And vhat is that?”

“The map is running out.” I nodded to Scout, who called up his PipBuck map and showed us the screen. True enough, the bright green cartographic lines stopped near the arrow indicating Scout. “We’re going to get lost.”

“Vell, you are leader.” She said, with a wide grin and an exaggerated bow. “Lead.”

“He’ll move ahead of the group. Map out more of the tunnels, maybe find an exit.”

“You fall naturally to zhis role Business Mare.” Cat O’ Nine Tails said sneeringly. “Perhaps I give slave trade over to you.”

I returned her sneer with a wide, bright smile. “Over you’re dead body.”

As I instructed, Scout was sent ahead of the group. He had a piece charcoal which he used to mark the path we would go, and as Cat O’ Nine Tails decreed, I took point. With Scout gone, Jackpot helped support me in the wider tunnels. Clarity, in her current state, was barely strong enough to hold herself up, let alone me. “Is this your plan?” Jackpot asked in a low tone. “Piss off the slaver leader and take over her group.”

“Hardly.” I said. “Just listen.” We came to a fork in the tunnels, one of which was marked by an arrow. “This way.” I announced, heading down the marked path.

And so it continued for some time. We followed Scout’s markings for the better part of an hour. We’d have moved faster, but with me at point and limping as I was our progress was significantly hampered. As time grew long, I began to grow anxious. Not having Scout and his PipBuck nearby made me feel blind. For all I know, some great monster could have been just down the tunnel, or a chute that would send us tumbling to our deaths. And the longer it took, the longer I had to second-guess my plan. Frankly, there was too much that could go wrong. I needed everypony to be completely focused, or else this would all go up in flames.

The tunnels had grown surprisingly wide when the time came, which I was thankful for. Being underground was getting harder and harder to ignore, so I was thankful for any breathing room I could get. I encouraged Clarity to walk beside me, which she did with lifeless obedience. The state she was in tore at my heart, which is why I was happy to see the final marking, set just before a leftward bend in the tunnel.

“Step high on my ready.” I enunciated clearly, nudging Jackpot on one side of me and Clarity on the other. It took the two of them a second to acknowledge that, a second that nearly cost us when I said. “Now.”

The three of us took out next few steps with our hooves higher, so we stepped easily over the tripwire that had been set across the tunnel. “And, halt.” We stopped, the slavers doing the same several steps behind us.

“Vhat is meaning of this?” Cat O’ Nine Tails asked, starting to move forward.

“Don’t take another step if you want to live.” I said calmly, sitting down. “Clarity, do you have a Med-X?” The crystal mare was confused but obeyed, levitating over a syringe to me. “Thank you. Now, you two, run. Fast as you can, down the tunnel.”

Clarity didn’t move, staring at me in deadened surprise. Jackpot took her hoof, muttered “c’mon” and ran, pulling her behind him.

“STOP!” Cat O’ Nine Tails screamed, leaning forward.

“Ah, ah, ah!” I said, raising a hoof. “Look.” I pointed down. Nine Tails followed where I was pointing, for the first time noticing the trip wire. “One step and ka-boom!” I made an exaggerated explosion effect with my hooves. “That’s linked up to quite the batch of grenades.”

“Vhat is point? Vhy do this?” Nine Tails bellowed. “Vhat does blowing up tunnel accomplish? You will be lost in cave in!”

“Oh no, not a cave-in.”

“Vhat are you…”

“Shut up.” I ordered, jabbing a hoof at her. She tried to speak, but I cut her off with a “shhhhhhh…” that slowly tapered off. “Listen.” I whispered. Silence reigned, except for the quiet rushing of water. “Hear that?” She nodded. “Water.” I rapped the wall, grinning. “A whole rushing river in the walls. I trigger these grenades and you take a bath.” As I talked I rolled up the sleeve of my greatcoat and jabbed the syringe in my arm, injecting the painkiller. The agony burning in my ribcage lessened. “Ah, much better.”

“So, you blow wall, you flood tunnels, then vhat?” Cat O’ Nine Tails paced on the other side of the tripwire as I rolled my shoulders, enjoying the freedom of movement. “Then all your friends die!”

“Not quite.” I retorted. “You see, what I’m doing, right here, right now?” Her only response was to glare at me. I jumped up onto my rear hooves, stretching my forelegs to the ceiling. “I’m STALLING!” The slavers looked at me with mixed expressions of shock and confusion. “Keeping you and me here as long as possible, letting everypony else make their great escapes!” I dropped back to all fours and turned to the guards. “You know, this can work both ways. Unless you want to drown…”

At least two of the guards dropped their guns, about faced, and ran. Cat O’ Nine Tails screamed at them in another language as they disappeared into the darkness. I stood patiently, smiling easily. The slavers mare whirled on me, eyes wild with rage and a desperate triumph. “So? Vhat does zhis do? Your friends escape, so what? You die! You are martyr!”

My heart felt like it was leaping out of my chest with excitement as I saw the look of her face as I spread my wings through the slits in my greatcoat. “Actually,” I raised a hoof over the tripwire “I’ll be fine.”

Stomp. Twang! Ping, ping, ping, ping. One. Beating my wings, I took off as the grenades, pins pulled and freed from the trap, bounced on the stone floor. Two. I zipped down the tunnel, fast as I could. Cat O’ Nine Tails screamed for retreat. Three. The sound of galloping hooves began to echo away. Four. For a blessed instant, there was silence save the beat of my wings. Five.

BOOM!

The grenades detonated. A blast wave of compressed air roared down the tunnel, stronger than I expected. I had gotten a decent distance away, but the size of the tunnel meant the explosion had less room to expand, except towards me.

My wings snapped in a direction I didn’t expect, feather ruffling, a few flying off. The force sent me tumbling through the air, my head smacking into the stone floor. I landed funnily on one wing, my vision spinning wildly. So much for my impressive escape.

Standing, I stumbled a bit from the blow, leaning against the wall. At least it was nice and cool, I pressed the sore lump on my head to the stone. So much better. Still, I needed to get going, the water would be coming any second and…

Something was dripping down my forehead and face. At first I thought it was blood, but it was too cool and runny. Looking up, I could just make out a crack in the wall, water spitting from it and getting a little bigger each second. “Fuck…”

Taking wing once again, I flew as fast as I could. But it was growing more and more difficult. I was away from the light, my eyes hadn’t quite adjusted to the darkness and the twists and turns of the tunnel were impeding my progress. On top of that I had sprained my right wing in the fall, which was making flying difficult. In the end though it was still faster than running, I just had to hope it would be enough.

Then there came the crack, the crash, and the thundering rush of water set free. I risked looking over my shoulder and for a split second I saw the white wash foam, just barely visible in the darkness. Cold water swirled around my hooves and I flew a little higher.

Except now the tunnels were growing tighter. My wingtips scraped the walls, and I could feel my mane brushing the ceiling. I was forced to lower myself into the water a bit, except now it was coming up to my knees. I had instructed Scout to only set up the trap if there was a sure-fire exit, but where was it? How was I going to get out? Could I get out? Scout was a survivalist, he’d never go with this plan if there wasn’t a way out! Did the explosion destroy it? Did I miss it?

I was so caught up in my worry I nearly ran into the dead end. I had to throw up my hooves and brace myself against the wall to stop from splatting into it. I felt around desperately in the darkness, the water rising rapidly around me. Where was the escape? This was the end of the line!

“Sleet!” My name, called from directly above me. I looked up and saw a tiny pink light way up in the darkness. “Sleet! Up here!”

A chimney! A way up! Flaring my wings, I flew straight up. For a few seconds it felt fantastic, even in this tight chimney, flying up, towards freedom, felt right. Then, there came another crashing noise, more rushing. Another part of the tunnel had collapsed, allowing more water to flow out. I looked down felt the blood drain from my face. The water was shooting up the chimney, rapidly filling up towards me. “Sleet, hurry!” Clarity screamed down to me. I shot up the chimney as fast as my wings would go, pumping them like mad. The pink light of Clarity’s horn grew brighter as I approached her, but the sound of rushing got louder as well.

Then the cold crashed into me and I was drowning. In shock I took a breath underwater, my lungs burning horribly. I managed to force myself to the surface and spit out the water, sucking in air before I was engulfed again.

I was lost, thrashing in the cold and dark. I banged against the rock wall, some of the air forced from my lungs. I tried to swim, but having been born and raised above the clouds I had no idea how. To make matters worse, my greatcoat with its armor plating was pulling me down. The cold sept into my heart, causing it to thunder in futile desperation. How ironic, born under the sun, I was going to drown so far away from it…

Then something grabbed my hoof and I was being pulled up, up, up until finally I breached the water, gasping and sputtering in the cold air. Unceremoniously I was thrown to the ground, water flowing around me, sloshing out of the hole of the chimney. Some part of me was certain that I had been saved only to have this safe haven fill up and drown me anyway. Fear sent fire through my veins, forcing me up and towards the hole of the chimney. I flared my wings, calling upon my talent and plugged the hole up with ice. The water stopped flowing, settling as a thin layer on the floor.

With a loud gasp I fell onto my back, wings coated in frost spread out under me. I managed to heave a few good breaths before coughing up water. Somepony walked up and brought their hoof down hard on my chest. I spasmed, twisted to the side and vomited water. “Good, you’re alive.” Scout’s voice said. Propping myself up on an elbow, I looked up blearily and was greeted with the sight of my friend, forehooves bound behind him, with two blades to his throat. “Maybe you can tell them to let me go now.”

The wielders of the blades were a pair of powerfully built earth pony stallions, one on either side of Scout. One held a sword while the other used a bladed spear. That wasn’t what made me stare in open-mouthed confusion though.

It was the fact that they were made of crystal. I slowly looked around, we were completely encircled by ponies. Primarily earth, with only one or two unicorns. All of them stared back with wary, gemstone eyes, their crystalline skin glistening in the faint light. I heard motion next to me, followed by Clarity exclaiming “Daddy!”

There was a surge of light as Clarity, now shining brightly, ran over to the pony holding the sword and embraced him. The guard dropped his weapon in surprise, staring at my friend in amazement. “Clarity?” He asked breathlessly.

“Well.” Jackpot said, walking into my field of vision. “Guess luck was on our side.”

All I could do was stare at him. He shrugged and gave me a bemused smile. I groaned and collapsed, wallowing in my injuries and exhaustion.

The crystal ponies were wary of us. Even with Clarity espousing our good intentions, the majority kept their distance. Mutters of “fleshies” were accompanied by distrustful glances as we walked through the cave. They were downright fearful of Jackpot with most refusing to even look at him, though he wasn’t particularly perturbed by this. “It could be worse. They could be shooting.”

After who we were and why we were here was sorted out, Scout was released from his binds and we were ushered further back into the cave. The crystal ponies’ home was an expansive cavern, much like the one Scout and I had hidden in after we had escaped Stalliongrad for the first time. Light was cast by multitudes of dim crystals embedded in the walls every few feet. They were positioned in such a way that they dispelled almost all shadows. This caused a strange visual effect that made everypony stand out in stark relief. “Where did these lights come from?” I asked, looking around in amazement.

“Equestria is one of the most gem laden lands in the world.” Clarity explained. Ever since we had escaped the slavers and found her people, she had been looking significantly better. Her body had regained its crystal sheen and sparkled under the light. “You can find gems in just about any rock, it’s just a matter of finding and revealing them.”

“And do all of them glow like this?”

“No, that’s just a bit of magic.” To demonstrate, Clarity lit her horn. A nearby crystal shone brighter in response. “We don’t have many unicorns, but each of us knows the light spell.”

“That’s enough, Clarity.” Her father commanded. The crystal stallion was the one leading us. He had put away his sword, though I noticed he kept it loose in its sheath.

Rolling her kaleidoscopic eyes, she retorted. “They’re my friends, Daddy. Even if they somehow concealed a desire to destroy us from me, I doubt telling them how our lights work will give them a huge advantage.”

“Your eyes have been wrong before.”

“Not about them.” She said with a certainty not to be argued with.

“So where are you taking us?” Scout asked.

“To see the Confessors.” Clarity’s father answered. “They will determine your intentions.” Clarity attempted to protest this, but her father would hear none of it. Any attempts on our part to learn who these “Confessors” were met with orders of silence. All I hoped was that they would have a fire, I was still soaked to the bone and though it was warmer in the inhabited cave I was still shivering.

After a minute of walking we came to a dead end of rough stone. We looked around for the Confessors, but saw nothing and nopony. Clarity’s father turned, scanning us with cautious eyes. “Be ready.” He said, stepped forward into and through the wall.

Clarity shook her head sadly before giving me an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about this, but it’ll be fine, trust me.” Then she too stepped through the rock.

Scout, Jackpot and I all traded unsure looks. “So, magic rocks?” Scout asked.

“Probably fake rocks.” I said.

“Probably fake.” Jackpot said, nodding along. Neither of us stepped forward. After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, Jackpot finally took a breath and stepped forward, moving through the rocks as easily as air.

I looked at Scout and he at me. “Well,” I said, sighing. “shouldn’t keep them waiting.” I stepped forward and held up a hoof, touching the rock. It phased right through, with barely a tingle of magic. Holding my breath, I plunged forward and entered a more shaped portion of the cave, worked over by hoof and magic. The walls and ceiling formed a smooth quarter dome inset with veins of gems jaggedly growing out from a central gem in the shape of a heart recessed near the bottom, where floor met wall. The gems shone in a dazzling array of lights, sending sparkling brilliance dancing about the cavern. Inset in the floor was a perfect circle of gems large enough for a pony to stand in that radiated the seven colors of the rainbow, completing the spectacular display.

Scout stepped in behind me, joining Jackpot and I as we gazed in awe at the beautiful chamber. So awestruck were we that it took several seconds to notice the other ponies gathered in the chamber. Clarity and her father where kneeling in front of the circle, a pony clothed in black robes stood on the opposite end. At the edges of the chamber a number of other similarly dressed ponies formed a semi-circle around the group. Unlike the group we had found ourselves in earlier, the majority of these ponies were unicorns.

The robed pony that Clarity and her father knelt before, an old unicorn stallion with a diamond white coat and glittering silver mane, gestured for them to rise. With a kind smile, he said “Clarity, it warms my heart to see you alive. We had thought you lost forever.”

“Thank you, sir.” She returned, smiling just as brightly. “I admit I was afraid of the same thing.”

“But you are here, and your fears have not come to pass!” The surrounding ponies stomped their hooves in approval. After a few seconds the din quieted and the stallion spoke again. “Though I must ask, who are these ponies?” He nodded towards us, and I felt the room’s gaze fall on us.

“That is what I am here to find out.” Clarity’s father spoke up, cutting off his daughter.

“You think they are a threat, Diamond Edge?” The old stallion asked.

“I think my daughter has been gone sometime, and under horrible stress. I trust her judgment, by my gut tells me I must be sure.”

“Hm.” The old stallion nodded gravely. “You wish them to stand trial?”

“Yes.”

“Trial?” I asked. “What trial?”

“The Trial of the Confessors.” The old stallion said. “A magical rite that will reveal the truth as well as your intentions towards the exiles of the Crystal Empire.”

The truth, something I had been having a spotty relationship with. What I had said to Scout not two days ago came back to be. I’m the liar. I had said it as a joke, something to try and lighten his mood, but ironically it rang true. I was a liar, and now I was to face a ritual that brought out the truth? The chamber’s lights now seemed blinding, rather than welcoming.

“Then you will face the Trial?” The stallion asked.

I turned to Jackpot and Scout. “Well? How do we handle this?” I asked in a whisper.

“I say do it.” Scout said under his breath. “We have nothing to hide and the sooner we prove that the sooner they’ll stop wanting to attack us.” He glanced around the room at the semi-circle of Confessors. “Most of them are showing up red on my E.F.S., and the radar is picking up a large cluster on the other side of the rocks. I think Clarity’s presence is the only thing keeping us alive.”

“I agree.” Jackpot said, giving me a sideways glance. “Besides, I’m curious how this will turn out.”

“Fine.” I said, straightening my shoulders with a sigh. I turned back to the Confessors . “I’ll stand your Trial.”

“Very well, step forward into the circle.” I did so. At the command of the older stallion, the unicorns surrounding the walls lit their horns, with the few earth ponies muttering under their breath. As they did, the light glared painfully bright for a second before fading back to normal levels. I felt a tingling under my coat, most powerfully in the back of my throat. I tried to swallow the feeling away, but it refused to budge. “You have been placed under geas, should you speak anything less than the truth, we will know.” I nodded in understanding, standing at attention as my father and brothers had taught me. “Then we will begin. What is your name?”

“Sleet Gray.” The uncomfortable tingling receded to the point where I could no longer feel it.

The old stallion nodded. “A pleasure to meet you, Sleet Gray, I am Looking Glass. Now, the second question. Where are you from?”

The first problem question. Jackpot didn’t know I was ex-Enclave and I didn’t want to drop that bit now. After a moment of silence, the answer came to me. “St. Ponysburg.” It was a half-truth, and the magic obviously knew it, as did Looking Glass.

“Is that so?” He asked.

“Well, technically I don’t have a home.” I said easily. “But St. Ponysburg is where I got me start, so it’s the only answer I have.”

I expected the questions of my origins to end there, but they didn’t. “You say you don’t have a home, what about the place you were born?”

I scoffed. “That place was hardly a home. I’m glad to be anywhere but there.” I was slightly surprised at how true that felt. I expected to at least somewhat miss Coltarado Heights, but I didn’t. The twisting in my gut that thoughts of that place brought had nothing to do with homesickness. Just guilt.

“Why do you feel guilty?”

I tried and failed to not let my surprise show. “What are you talking about?”

“You felt guilt at the mention of your home, why is that?”

I wanted to say something along the lines of ‘none of your business’ or ‘that’s not what this trial was about’, but I couldn’t. I tried to form the words, but my throat felt blocked, jammed by the geas. “I…I…” I choked on the words, physically unable to say them. Slowly, painfully, the truth was dragged out. “I…killed..my family…” The blockage was gone, I could breathe and speak again, but I couldn’t stop going, I had to tell the whole truth. “My brother was going to kill me so I had to defend myself. I froze them all to death, all save my father and one brother who escaped.”

The confession done, I felt short of breath. There was a deep, grating pain in my chest, as if something had been torn out of my heart. But it didn’t last, the pain numbed rapidly leaving me feeling lighter. Not better, or more content, just lighter.

I composed myself and met Looking Glass’ gaze. There was no judgment in his eyes, just simple acceptance, and a small smile. “Feels better, doesn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t quite say that.” I said, rolling my shoulders as if that could stretch the ache out.

“It will, in time. I would like to know more, but I sense you would like to get back to the matter at hoof.” I nodded and he continued. “Then the next question, how did you meet Clarity?”

“Scout and I found her hiding in some old ruins not long after she escaped her captors. As I recall, she nearly killed me by trying to drop a slab on concrete on my head.”

“In my defense I was scared out of my wits.” Clarity chimed in without a hint of remorse.

“You escaped all on your own?” Diamond Edge asked her, looking surprised.

“I never did ask, how did you pull that off?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at her.

“It wasn’t hard to make Cat O’ Nine Tails believe that she had completely broken me.” Clarity answered. “Once she thought I was cowed enough for her not to have to watch constantly, I ran.” Her eyes lost focus as she idly rubbed her neck with a hoof. “I didn’t get far before the collar started beeping though…”

“Collar? What collar?” Diamond Edge asked, a note of anger coloring his voice.

“A bomb collar.” I explained. “It’s what the slavers use to keep their products in line.” My mouth twisted in disgust at the word “product”.

“Where is this collar now?” Looking Glass asked, getting the Trial back on track.

“We had it removed as soon as possible.” I said reassuringly. “We left it with the bomb tech who took it off. He knows how to dispose of things like that.”

“Then she is free?”

“Yes.” I said immediately, with complete finality.

I expected the geas to accept that, especially since it was the first real truth I had willingly given up other than my name. But it didn’t. I felt a pins and needles sensation on my heart that only amplified at the stormy look on Looking Glass’ face. “Tell me again, under what circumstances did you meet?”

“I told you, we found her hiding in some ruins after we escaped.”

“We?” Looking Glass asked, raising an eyebrow. I blinked in surprise, had I said that? “Who were you escaping from?”

“We weren’t escaping from anyone. I misspoke.” It wasn’t a lie, technically I had negotiated for our freedom. Even so the geas reacted to the discrepancy in my story, making my throat feel constricted.

“No,” Looking Glass admitted after a second. “Perhaps you weren’t escaping, but something happened before you found Clarity. What was it?”

You just had dealings with slavers! You should have found another way. You bought your way out! I shook my head, trying to clear the accusatory memories. “W-we, I…” I tried to speak, but couldn’t string two sounds together, not unless I told the truth. But how could I? After how Jackpot reacted how could I tell them what I had done? I needed something, an out, some kind of loophole.

“Sleet Gray.” Looking Glass commanded. “Answer the question, what happened before you found Clarity?”

Before…before… That word stuck in my head, and in a flash of inspiration I knew what my answer would be. Sighing, I smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. With everything that happened, including the circumstances of how we got here, my mind isn’t in the proper place.” As I talked my mind shot down chains of logic, mapping out what I would say and the possible reactions of Looking Glass. I now knew where I wanted this Trial to go, and more importantly how I would get there. “I was wrong earlier, we were escaping from someone.”

Mutters and shuffling came from the surrounding Confessors. They obviously doubted what I was saying, but I could tell by the loosening hold of the geas that what I was saying was coming up truthful. Looking Glass appeared equally perturbed, but continued. “Then who?”

“The forces of the Shadow King.”

Tension in the room spiked. I hadn’t put any spin on the words, nor had I tried to be intimidating with them, but they still had an effect. The murmurs grew in volume and soon the chamber was echoing with worried voices. Looking Glass stomped his hoof three times, bringing the chamber to order. “We don’t know who this ‘Shadow King’ is, Sleet Gray.” He said in a warning tone. “We have not interacted with the outside world in some time. So tell us, who is he?”

“I didn’t know either, for the longest time.” I said. “Even after I invaded his territory I never saw him. I thought he was just the grandiose leader of a small army of psychopaths, that is, until I met him.” I sighed, hanging my head. “I’m afraid he’s far worse than that.”

“Stop dancing around the question!” One of the Confessors ordered. “Who is he?”

I took a deep breath, bracing for the hammer drop. “King Sombra.”

The lights of the chamber shifted. Shadows swayed wildly across the walls as all the assembled crystal ponies broke out into panicked chatter. Some shook their heads in disbelief, others jabbered rationalizations that they had heard me wrong. At least one screamed for my immediate execution. Looking Glass stomped his hoof again, magically enhancing the noise to be heard over the din. “Silence!” At the thundering command the Confessors fell into an uneasy quiet. Throughout the outburst I hadn’t moved or flinched, despite my stampeding heartbeat. So far, things were going similar do how I predicted.

It was only when total silence once again reigned in the chamber that Looking Glass spoke again. His voice held a clear, powerful quality demanding attention, like each syllable flicked the trigger of a gun. “You know the significance of that name? Of what it means to the crystal ponies?” I nodded once. “Then you know why some would be rightfully reluctant to believe you.” Another nod. Looking Glass sighed and closed his eyes, concentrating for a bit. When he opened them again to speak, everything about him radiated an uncomfortable acceptance. “But the geas tells me you speak the truth, or at least you believe you do.”

“He enjoyed it when Clarity recognized him.”

“You saw him as well?” The Confessor asked Clarity. She must have given some indication to the affirmative because he hung his head. For a second he lost all color, appearing gray and limp, then just as quickly he returned to normal. Once again meeting my eyes, he asked. “And why did you meet with him?”

“Because he had a job offer for me.” I said quietly, like speaking too loud would collapse the beautiful chamber. “He wants me to find a way to purge the Crystal Empire of radiation so it can be inhabitable again, and he can take over.” I paused for a second to breathe, to think about what to say, how to say it, to jump down the train of logic and pray I’d set the right course. “I took that job…”

“Kill them.” Looking Glass ordered.

A hiss of steel cut through air as Diamond Edge drew his sword. My companions cried out in protest, but all assembled knew he wouldn’t heed them. I did have some time though, he would still need to take a step forward to swing. As he did, I intoned the rest of my sentence like magic words that would shield me from the dropping sword. “so I could betray him!”

“Wait!” Looking Glass exclaimed, his horn lighting up. A loud clang rang disturbingly close to my right side as the Confessor blocked Diamond Edge’s sword with a blast of magic.

“She admitted to working for our greatest enemy!” The guardpony protested around the hilt of his sword. “She is a corruption that cannot stay here!”

Looking Glass ignored him, instead addressing me. “How will you betray him?”

“I have a plan that will purge the radiation from the Crystal Empire.” I said, trying not to think too hard about how close I’d come to death. “When it is safe for ponies once again, I will tell Sombra of my success. He will come to claim his prize, and that’s when we strike.”

“Strike. How.” His voice made it clear if he did not like my answer then Diamond Edge would get his chance.

“Simple, when he is in range of the Empire then the remaining crystal ponies will charge the Crystal Heart with the light and love it is supposed to have. The blast destroys him, and the Empire is put back in the rightful hooves of the crystal ponies.” I smiled easily as Looking Glass, who was taken aback by my plan, a quick glance around the room revealed similar looks on the other Confessors. “So, what do you say?” I asked, feeling like my chest was about to pop from my hammering heart. “Can you help me?”
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Footnote: Level up!
New Perk, Light Step: You are remarkably light on your hooves, or maybe you can just fly. Either way, you no longer set of ground-based traps.

Author's Notes:

AHAHAHA! YES! IT IS DONE! Holy Celestia and Luna, I had such trouble with this. I waffled on and completely rewrote like three scenes multiple times. I usually just make a call for general comments here but this time I want to know, what do you guys think of the Trial scene? That's what I was stuck on the longest and any feedback would be awesome!

On a side note I'm in the back half of this semester, so final projects will eat my time. I'll still try and get the next chapter out promptly, but I'm afraid I cant give you a time table.

Anyway, thanks go out as usual to those who make this possible, like Kkat for making Fo:E and Mobius for proofreading, no matter how slow and inefficient he is at it. Until next time, I hope you all enjoy!