Chapter 23-6: Playing The Percentages

Three hundred metres. Pull trigger. Thirty-two kills. Re-sight.

Four-fifty. Pull trigger. Thirty-three. Re-sight.

Two-eighty. Pull trigger. Thirty-f… no, Plottawans don’t count. Thirty-three. Re-sight.

“Cassie?”

The soft voice made me stiffen momentarily. Breeze would have heard her. “What is it, Undertow?” I hadn’t looked up from my scope. Re-sight, damn it.

Stepping up next to me, she remained silent until I took my next shot. “We’ve been looking for you.”

“How’d you find me? Did you use your water tracking spell?” My tone wasn’t kind, but I couldn’t really be around Raiders right now.

“No, I asked the guards if they had seen a Pegasus go by. Then I followed the sound of your shots.”

The downside of a big gun. I knew I should have bought that silencer last year. No, Breeze wanted those new connectors. Sighing and lowering the rifle, I looked across at the unicorn. “Well, here I am. And here you are. Why were you looking for me?”

Undertow pointed, down from the city wall we stood on, towards the main gathering place for the guards, a dozen blocks away. Where Breeze was. “They found a blood donor. Breeze is stable. They’re healing her now.”

My rifle clattered against the concrete. Collapsing in a boneless heap next to it, my hooves pressed against my eyes as the tears came. “She’s okay?”

“Mhm. She’s not awake yet, but they seem confident that she will pull through.” Did I detect happiness in her voice? I still wasn’t sure she really cared about Breeze either way.

First order of business. “Who was it?”

“Um?”

Peeking over my hooves, I stared intently at her. “The donor. Who was it? I have to find and thank them. I should have done so already.”

Before answering, she looked around at the walkway, at the score of spent rounds. “...It was Cept.”

“Cept?” The enigmatic zebra’s stock rose a lot higher in my estimation. “He went that far for Breeze?”

Undertow managed a smile, sitting herself across from me. “He said his injuries could wait, at least until she was safe. I think he’s really taken with her.”

I really don’t care about the ‘why’ right now. There were still pressing matters to resolve. “And the Raider? What became of him?”

“Cept blew his head off with his own shotgun.”

I’m grateful, but… There was a click of teeth as I snarled. “I told him to make it hurt. That was too kind for a monster like that.”

“Naiara told us that Cept did it quickly, so he could get back sooner.” She was rolling a spent round under a hoof, looking down at it and then back up at me over and over.

Closing me eyes, I had to turn away as the shame burned through me. I was only concerned with hurting him. Cept was always thinking about Breeze. Giving a sniffling grunt as a stray mane strand was brushed aside, my hooves found my rifle again. “You said Cept was injured? Is there anything I can do?”

She gave a small wave of her hoof. “No, Cept will manage. He’s on his way here now, with Naiara. He wanted to speak with you. It was a surprise to him that you weren’t with Breeze.”

Another stab, right into my heart. “I-I panicked.” Coward. You didn’t panic. You RAN. “I should have seen the axe, should have seen the danger. Nopony can match my eyes… I should have seen it coming. I should have protected Breeze. It’s what sisters do.”

Pushing the rifle round away, Undertow leaned forwards. “Before, when you said that Breeze… wasn’t your sister. What did you mean?”

Standing up abruptly, my hoof slashed at the air between us. “That’s not for your ears! You or your Raider sister!”

Leaning back, Undertow looked back headquarters, before lowering her voice. “Is it because of what the Raiders did to you and Breeze’s mother?”

Damn you Snowflake. “What has that sister of yours told you about my family?”

Sheepishly, she tapped at her chin in remembrance. “Um… she told me that your parents had come down from the clouds, and that they had been caught by the Raiders. Later, Breeze told her that she and you were… fathered by a non-pegasus.”

She knew that much? “We were born to Raiders,” I growled back. “do not try to soften it. Now tell me this: Do the others know?”

She stayed silent, staring back at me from behind her goggles.

“Do not play with me, Deep Diver! Snowflake obvious has told you my secrets, so did she tell the others?” Secrets that aren’t yours to tell, Red Ice, regardless of whether or not Breeze told you.

Only able to shrug, Undertow continued. “I don’t know. The others have never mentioned it to me, or to Snowflake while I have been around. She told me when it was just the two of us, in a small grotto near Sombra’s Shadow lake. If she told the others, it was not while I was with her.”

Breathing in slowly, I tried to abate my anger through reason. The others have never acted as if Breeze and I are Raider-born, and I would have seen a sign if they knew, based on how often we deal with Raiders. Perhaps they don’t know, after all? The anger was still there, but I could control it, as usual, now. “Can you promise me that this will not go beyond your ears, Deep… Undertow? Not even Naiara, Bosco, Wings, or Schwarzwald can know about this, and definitely not your sister.” I am trusting your word about her, Breeze. If she truly is a victim, rather than another Raider, then this shall be proof.

Blanching, Undertow stood too. “I can’t tell my sister?”

Without blinking, nor breaking eye-to-goggle contact, I slowly shook my head back and forth. “I will not even allow you to tell MY sister. These are my terms. If you cannot agree to them, then you should go now.”

Thoroughly unnerved now, Undertow seemed to consider doing just that. “You are keeping a secret from Aqua Breeze? You?”

“I will kill any who reveal this secret to Breeze. Learning the truth would break her heart. Do you understand me?” Popping my hidden blade did a wonderful job of accentuating my words.

Gaze drawn to my blade, she took a moment to look back at me. When she did, a mute nod was her answer.

How laughable is it that YOU are the one I reveal this to? I could have chosen Naiara, or Cept, or somepony I actually like. Instead, I choose you. What madness holds me these days? “Breeze and I take each take after our mother.”

“The one who the Raiders…”

“Yes,” the words caught in the back of my throat for a moment, but I pushed through. “...and no.”

Pursing her lips, she stared for a moment, before cocking her head to the side. “What?”

Forgive me, Breeze. “Breeze spoke the truth when she told you what happened to Mother… as far as she knows. Stargazer was indeed raped by Raiders, when she and Splash Radius, Breeze’s father, came down to the surface. Do you notice the words I’m using?”

She nodded solemnly. “You’re saying that Splash Radius wasn’t your father by blood, because of the Raiders.”

“No,” I replied, the word drifting lifelessly from my lips. “I’m saying that, because of the Raiders, Stargazer wasn’t Breeze’s mother by blood. She was mine.”

Stunned silence descended, as did Undertow’s jaw.

I ignored it. “I only found this out later, because it seemed ludicrous to think about for those who haven’t met Schwarzwald, but mares are just as capable of rape as stallions. Whichever damnable Raider stallion raped my mother, Stargazer, also had a friend, a mare, who set her sights on Splash Radius, Breeze’s father.”

Downcast, Undertow moved towards me, helping hoof outstretched.

Batting it aside, I repeated my earlier words. “Breeze and I each take after our mother.” Those idiots who saying airing your past is cathartic know nothing. The tears sprang unbidden from my eyes, but I forced myself to not look away. “She’s not my real sister. We aren’t anything, unless the Raiders were the incestuous sort. We share no blood between us. Worse, my blood is actually toxic to her. She almost died once when I tried to give her some of my blood. I would have killed her tonight, if I hadn’t known already.”

“But your parents-”

“...were far kinder than they ever needed to be, two of them at least. I take after Stargazer, while Breeze takes after her mother. It’s why she’s so… boisterous, why she likes explosives, and why our names are so different.”

“I had wondered about that.” Undertow mumbled into her chin. However, she didn’t seem ready to concede the point just yet. “But, you look so much alike. We call you twins.”

“I thank you for your kind words, and curse you for your thoughtlessness too.” I drew myself up imperiously. “And that’s the heart of the matter. Breeze and I were born days apart. We are not twins. We are not sisters. We should have been, but only look alike by circumstance. Breeze should have had a sister, and a mother, and a father. She should have had a loving, living family. Instead, she has a dead Raider mother, a dead father, and a stranger masquerading as a sister. THAT is reason I hate Raiders, including Red Ice.” And I have to live with the guilt of how much it hurts to look at Breeze sometimes, knowing that I lie to her every day.

Fixing her with a hard stare, I motioned for her to take off her goggles, and looked her straight in her orange eyes when she did so. “Breeze thinks you are another Raider victim, like us, merely falling into terrible circumstances. That so, she will decide if you should be called Raider or not.”

Gulping, Undertow ran a hoof over her goggles and rebreather. “But, Snowflake…”

“Snowflake chose!” I knifed in. “She was not born into the Raider life. It’s not her blood. She was given the option, and embraced it. That is her sin, and I will never stop hating her for it. Raiders destroyed what should have been my sister’s family, as well as the lives of countless others. I will NEVER forgive Snowflake, and I will protect Breeze from her forever.” My heart rate was up by the time I’d finished speaking, and I could feel a tightness behind my eyes.

Across from me, wearing a deep frown, Undertow sat quietly. After a full minute, she replaced her goggles over her eyes. “You feel that you’re somehow less of a sister to Breeze, because you don’t have her blood?”

Every day. “Of course.”

One of her eyebrows raised. “So your choice to stay with her, to give her the family stolen from her, to make sure that she was never alone, means nothing? You think she’d stop loving you because you want to be her family?” She had the nerve to chuckle, and ask “Are you so stupid?”

Bristling, thoughts of breaking her teeth her rebreather ran through my mind. “Don’t you dare laugh at my pain, Deep Diver!”

“OI, CASSIE!”

We both jumped. Looking back along the walkway, we could see Naiara supporting Cept as they made their way towards us. He can barely walk! What has he been through? Raising a hoof, I waved them closer.

Also waving, Undertow spoke out of the side of her mouth to me. “I’m not laughing at your pain, Cassie, although I AM going to do everything in my power to change your mind about my sister. It’s the least I can do for her, you, and Breeze.”

“How in the world does that help Br-”

“I won’t tell anyone what we talked about here. It’ll be our secret, until you’re ready to tell her.” Breaking off as the two zebra reached us, Undertow helped Naiara ease Cept into a sitting position, then began tugging at Naiara’s elbow. “Come on, svara, let’s go check on Breeze. Cassie can watch over Cept for a little while.”

Cept and Naiara blinked in unison. “Were you two not speaking a moment ago? I do not want to interrupt.”

Waving him off, Undertow bowed briefly. “No, we’re done. Thank you for everything, Cept. We’ll leave you two to talk in private.”

“But we just got here.” Naiara got a kick to the shin for her complaining. “Ow! Fine, fine. Yeesh.” With a smile, she allowed herself to be led away by Undertow.

Cept and I watched them go. If you ever went full Raider, you’d be very dangerous indeed.

Clearing his throat, the sitting stallion gingerly held his leg as he spoke. “I wanted to speak with you. The Raider is dead.”

All my tension evaporated away. Plopping down next to him, I laid a hoof over his. “I know, they told me. Thank you so much, for everything you’ve done for her.”

Smiling widely, if tiredly, Cept did not object. “She has my thanks as well, for being such a good friend to Naiara. It is the least I can do to repay her for that.”

Oh no, you won’t get out of this so easily. “Was that all this was? Repaying a debt? You did not want to save her yourself?”

“I did not mean that.”

“Then you were here for a reason?”

Nodding, his smile slipped slightly. “I have business with the Bernstein,”

“Oh.” That is not what I wanted to hear.

“..but I had hoped to meet you all again while I am here. I did not expect this situation, but…” He sighed regretfully. “I wish I could have reached her in time.”

That’s better. “Me too, but she will be okay, and she has you to thank for it.”

His smile began to resurface. “I am very glad to hear that.”

This is a much easier discussion than the last one. “I’m glad too. Glad enough to discuss you and my sister…”

His smile got a little wider.

~~~~~~

“And make sure that you contact me the very second that she wakes up, you understand? The very second.” Cassie waved a stern hoof at the communicator.

I nickered a little. “You know Cept can’t see you through that thing, right, Cass?”

The communicator crackled, and Cept’s voice came through clearly. “I can hear her, and you, Snowflake. Be at peace. I will not let anyone near your sister, and I will not leave her side.”

Remaining silent for a moment, it was clear that Cassie still considered this a distant second to being there with Breeze herself as she recovered, but the sniper eventually managed a small smile. “I know you will protect her, Cept. I trust you, and I will see you both when we are finished here.”

The communicator crackled again. “Trig roba prefkam saabi.”

The zebra tongue caused our other zebra to stir. Stepping into the centre of the group, Naiara turned in a slow circle, locking eyes with each of us in turn. “I don’t want anybody here to take any stupid risks for this. Not. One.” The slightest tremor ran across her shoulders. “Do what is asked of you, and nothing more. We do this, and then come right back.”

Undertow and Schwarzwald were fixed with withering stares. “This isn’t about boosting our kill contest scores, or fighting whole clans singlehoofedly. This is about stalling them. The moment you think you might be in danger, you fall back. That’s not up for discussion.”

While Undertow just nodded sombrely, Schwarzwald leaned forwards and tapped her forehead against Naiara’s. “Make it up to me later, dahling. I still must have my fun.”

“Only later.” Naiara snapped back. “I’ll fight you all you want when we’re done. You come back in bad shape, and I’ll never let you have fun again.”

Next, she rounded on Cassie. “Be cold, Cass. This isn’t about making the bitch suffer, it’s about taking her out. Trying for angry revenge almost got Cept killed. I won’t allow you to repeat that mistake again.”

Cassie huffed in a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. “You…” Then the fight left her. “...are right, Naiara. I will fulfill my mission. One bullet, then I head back to Breeze. I don’t want to be away from her for any longer than I have to.”

“Wings won’t let any Raiders or slavers through, Cass.” I offered in consolation. The griffon was on the walls, being a visible rallying point for the defenders, while the rest of us went about our plan.

“And if, by some miracle, any of them do get past…” Undertow chirped eagerly. “...my big brothers will be around to stop them from even spotting Cept, let alone Breeze!”

The look Cassie shot my sister was enigmatic, at best. What’s with the face? Undertow’s just trying to help. None of us wanted to see Breeze like that, despite our differences. Not at the hooves of a Raider.

Naiara wasn’t done. This time, Bosco and I were the targets of her tranquil fury. “You two have no excuses, considering you’re with me. If either of you two do anything I don’t agree with, I send you both home and finish this myself. I am NOT losing any more friends in this blasted city, do you understand me?”

Despite shrinking back a little in the face of her intensity, Bosco still managed a rebuttal. “You haven’t lost anyone yet, Naiara. Breeze’ll pull through. Still, you’re right. We’re not here to fight Raiders. That’s the Plottawans’ job now. We’re just here to make things a little harder for both of them. No heroics, we promise.”

We all gave our assent. Naiara still didn’t smile. She just nodded. “Then it’s time to get started.”

Cassie spread her wings, crouching down for a spring launch. Before she could, Undertow rushed in close, whispering in her ear. It was only a few words, but Cassie shot her another almost-confused, almost-worried, almost-repulsed expression. She didn’t say anything back, and instead went skyward.

Since when are you two buddy-buddy, ‘tow? “What was that about?”

“Not now.” Was Undertow’s shut-down response, as she was already on her way with Schwarzwald.

“Um...okay?” What gives? She can tell Cassie, but not me? She doesn’t even like Cassie! As I followed Naiara and Bosco, the thought continued to nag in the back of my mind. A conscious, and not insubstantial, effort was needed to keep on task.

“Keep up, Snow.” Naiara barked. “You’re falling behind.”

“Right, right, sorry. Lead the way, svara.”

~~~~~~

The cold air blew around me as I hovered silently, wings flapping just enough to keep me in place, hundreds of metres above Lethbridle. The scope case felt solid against my eye, reliable. Breeze built me this rifle, and I only need one shot. It won’t fail, and I won’t miss.

Please, everyone, bring my target to me. I would remain there as long as I was needed, even if it was snowing.

~~~~~~

Our travel wasn’t exactly rapid. Naiara was taking absolutely zero chances. She only had us move when she was utterly sure we wouldn’t be detected. Is she still kicking herself about those Raiders in the trench when we wrecked the vehicles? That was just a fluke, not her fault. I couldn’t tell her that, unfortunately, as she had forbade all but the most crucial communication. “Unless we’re about to die, shut your stars-damned mouths!” were her exact words.

Still, we made progress, slow as it was, and with any luck we’d reach our target unnoticed. We were going pretty far into the northern quarter, and even with Caber Toss’ death, it was still swarming with Raiders. The Plottawans controlled the west, while the Raiders held the north. Anything we could do to keep attention off the eastern and southern quarters of the city, the better.

Naiara ducked around a corner, with Bosco and I following. As the two of us turned into the street, we came face to face with a Raider.

Rearing back, my gargled exclamation caught in my throat. Where the hell’s Naiara?!

The Raider answered for us, by falling forwards like a sack of rocks. His lifeless body thudded onto the cold ground, and only then did I notice that his neck was twisted into an impossible angle. Bosco and I exchanged a look.

Naiara hadn’t even broken stride.

~~~~~~

“Heeheehee.” My quiet chuckle was probably the kind of risk that Naiara didn’t want me taking, but I couldn’t help it. Watching the diving-suit laden Deep Divers stumble into each other, helped along by my half-second blasts of magical telekinesis, was just plain funny.

I paused for a moment to adjust my goggles, then resumed my efforts. The Deep Divers were the weak link of the Raider forces. They hated the other Raider clans, and weren’t too fond of each other. My initial influence, combined with Caber Toss’ strength, had kept them in line so far, but with the Plottawans so close, and with Caber Toss now dead, we’d hatched our plan.

If I do my part right, the Deep Divers will be, at worst, out of the fight altogether. Or, at best, they might turn on the other Raiders. Either one works, and it’s gonna make that crazy Raider mare really angry.

I spotted another prime target for some trickery. A Deep Diver mare was checking the aim on her harpoon gun. She didn’t have her hoof on the trigger, but she WAS pointing it at another former resident of Soft Swell Lake.

My vulpine grin refused to go away. Let me help you with that, lady. Just a simple arcane squeeze, and the glinting spearhook burst out of the barrel, to the startled cry of the mare holding it.

The flying harpoon shanked another Deep Diver’s air tank, causing the pressurised air within to violently expand. In short, it exploded, and sent all ponies within a five metre radius scurrying for safety.

Except for the owner of the air tank. He just died.

The survivors, rattled and angry, quickly found the ‘culprit’, who was running in the other direction as fast as she could. Half a dozen gave chase. It was but the work of moments to cause a few of the chasers to trip into each other and, soon enough, a mass brawl developed.

While quietly sniggering from my roof, I looked up again, just in time to see a trio of Haylanders corner the fleeing Deep Diver mare. I don’t even have to do anything this time...well, maybe one more push, just to be sure.

Drawing on my focus for one more spell, it was enough to cause the empty harpoon gun’s line, never attached while she’d been testing it, to flip up and slap across the right cheek of all three Haylanders in quick succession.

Okay, now they’re beating her with her own gun. I don’t need to see that. My work here seems to be complete. Time to head back.

As I readied to leave, the other Deep Divers noticed the treatment of the mare by the Haylanders. They didn’t seem happy to be deprived of their retribution. My sister isn’t the only one who can use Deep Diver law against them. I thought up the laws, after all.

~~~~~~

“Stay beautiful, dahlings.” I growled in my masculine affection. Backing out of the building, I tried to move past the fun I’d just had, and to return to my mission. I cannot be blamed if the mares I find do not resist me as I expected them to. This Ballbuster does not know her mares as well as she thinks she does.

Still, My smile grew under my gender-shrouding covers. I must continue until the Woodpecker chief takes notice. Shifting my Barnstormer trappings, taken from a dead stallion, I began the search for my next target.

“WHAT IN THE HELL’S GOIN’ ON HERE?”

Whoops. I casually stepped aside as the moving mountain that was Ballbuster rumbled past.

She was not happy to see the two satisfied mares staggering out of the building, leaning on each other. “Are you two lassies takin’ the piss? Gettin’ off wi’ each other when we’re fightin’ them slavers?”

“Not just each other…” One replied dreamily.

The Raider chief’s eyebrows shot skyward. “Well, who else an’ all?”

Time for me to leave, I think. Dipping around the corner, I swiftly removed the rags which made me ambiguous enough to pass for a stallion.

“Some nifty Barnstormer fella. Had us both at once, so he did.”

When Ballbuster began shouting in earnest, I began running.

I didn’t stop when the thundercrack rifle-shot sounded out either.

It’s a shame that those two girls will be dead soon. They were a fun time.

~~~~~~

The three of us paused for a moment, as the sound of Cassie’s shot reached our ears. Exchanging intrigued glances, we took a moment to huddle under an overhang.

“Think she got her?” Bosco kept his voice at whisper level, but his lips were trending upwards regardless.

Naiara nodded, also dropping to hushed tones. “Only one shot. She didn’t need a second.”

Straining my ears, I listened to the sounds of the city. “No other gunfire. Not yet anyway. I think the others got away with it.”

Switching back to all business mode, Naiara waved us out from under the overhang. “Then it’s our turn. Come on.”

Continuing our trip, it struck me as just how different this place looks than the last time I’d been to our destination: Lithu’s apartment.

We faced no more Raiders until we found ourselves waiting in an alley, across from Lithu’s apartment building. It still held the scars from McCoy’s attack on Dent: The destroyed windows keyed us in as to which was Lithu’s floor, and the three Raiders, armed with what looked like commandeered Plottawan weaponry, guarding the ground floor entranceway confirmed that this was the place.

Bosco, flattened against the side of a building, with his eye peeking around the corner, pulled his head back. “They don’t look like they’re going anyway, and if we take them on in the open, it’ll bring any of their buddies inside running. I could take out one from here, but the others would notice. Do you think you two can do something about the others?”

Naiara was looking higher than the entrance way. “I might be able to get up to that gap on the upper floor from the outside. So long as those three don’t look up.”

I gaped at her. “You can’t do that. One slip and you’ll fall five stories!”

“We are in a warzone, you know. It wouldn’t even be the most dangerous thing we’ve done today.”

“Well, yeah, but…” I looked up at the suddenly-very-high-up gap in the building. “...weren’t you the one who told us not to take unnecessary risks?”

She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. Bosco gave a wheezing laugh. “Outsmarted by Snow, HAH!”

“Are we just gonna sit here and wait, or are we gonna figure out a way to get in?” Naiara’s blustering didn’t hide her blush.

Bosco was still smirking, but nodded. “I can kill one from here, do you think that you can get the other two if Snow and I keep them in the doorway and stop them from going for help?”

Naiara gave a quick glance around the corner, then her eyes unfocused for a moment, tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. After half a minute or so, she snapped out of it. “I can do that. We’ll be alerting the others inside the building, but that’d happen anyway. There’s no cover in there, from what I remember.”

Exhaling through my nostrils, I mulled over the plan. “And we’re pretty sure they won’t just kill Lithu and run?”

“Depends if these guys have heard that Latvi’s out of the city or not. We really won’t know for sure until we get up there. Though, if they were gonna, they probably would have done so already.”

“So we might be fighting over an empty apartment?” Fun times for a pony we don’t know.

Bosco shook his head. “They wouldn’t need to guard this place if they’d already killed her. They’d have gone back to the main group.”

He turned to our zebra… or would have, if she was still there. “What the?”

“Psst. Hey guys.” Naiara poked her head around the corner, causing us both to jump.

Trying to control my heartrate, I held a hoof over my eyes. “Where did you go?”

She shrugged. “Killed all three of them. Door’s clear now. Let’s go.”

Quick and quiet as we could, we rushed into the doorway and up the stairs to Lithu’s floor. There were only two guards outside her door, and they looked really bored. At Bosco’s direction, I sent a Cryo Serpent around the outside of the building, then in through the gap in the wall. Snagging the leg of the guard closest to the hole drew the attention of the one closer to us, who Bosco promptly shot in the back of the head. The guard who was in the process of freezing was dispatched by a Stompeii Emboli kick to the throat.

Booting the door to Lithu’s apartment open, we were treated to a sight quite different that what we expected to see. No Raiders were present, and Lithu herself stood in her kitchen, wearing a frilly apron and levitating a tray of sugary treats from the oven.

The bleach-blonde mare barely blinked when the three of us entered, instead putting on a welcoming smile. “Oh, hello. I wasn’t expecting company. I hope you’ll excuse the mess.”

The hell? “You’re Lithu, right?” I surreptitiously waved Bosco and Naiara to check the rest of the apartment.

Still smiling, the scientist mare set the tray down, and began dusting the cookies with powdered sugar. “That’s me. A pleasure to meet you. Who might you and your friends be?”

My friends both gave me an ‘all clear’ sign. Fighting against my surprise, I answered her warily. “That’s Bosco, she’s Naiara and I’m Snowflake.”

There was a clatter as Lithu instantly dropped the sugar dispenser. Eyes wide, she pressed herself back against the counter. “You’re Snowflake?”

Helpless, I looked over at Bosco, who had no answer. “Yes? We’ve actually met before.”

“LIAR!” She shrieked suddenly. “Everything you say is lies!” Looking desperately at the open door, she began screaming for help.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Take it easy.” Naiara tried to approach the hysterical mare, but kitchen utensils began to fly, forcing her back.

“Leave me alone! Haven’t you done enough to my husband and I?” Lithu clambered up onto the counter itself, wedging into the corner.

“Look, I’m sorry about what happened to Dent, but-”

“WHO IS DENT?”

What? Utterly lost now, I could only stand there as Lithu continued to build a wall of frying pans and rolling pins. “Your husband? Deputy Dent?”

Her telekinesis stopped for a moment, with all items clattering to the floor, as she drew herself up in her corner. “I don’t know any Dent, or any deputies! My husband is a scientist, not some guardpony!”

“Dent’s not a p-” A lead weight settling in my stomach forestalled my words. “Did you say scientist?”

Watching the door, Bosco looked back. His grey brows creased. “You’re not talking about… Latvi, are you?”

Lithu found the time to roll her eyes. “No, I’m talking about the zebra over there. Who else would I be talking about when I say my husband?”

“Since when?” I questioned. I don’t believe this. How could you marry that idiot after what he did to Dent?

The white-furred scientist’s hoof found her wedding band and clutched it tight. “Since years ago! We’ve been together since we were foals, after all.”

She stopped shaking for a moment, and looked me dead in the eyes. “I’m not surprised that YOU decided not to remember, Snowflake. You’ve always been jealous of my husband!”

Sputtering on my own spit, I could barely get the words out. “I barely know Latvi, except for when he’s trying to kill me!”

“Kill you?” She laughed. “YOU are the one my husband warns me away from. He spent so long trying to keep you from tracking me down, trying to keep me from danger and worry. You’re a danger to everypony around you!”

“Latvi was the one who killed Dent. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

Apron held out out like a shield, and eyes squeezed shut, she shook her head. “My husband has never raised a hoof to anyone, and he takes care of me. Stop saying these horrible lies, and get out of my home!”

“Look, Lithu, I don’t know what kind of crazy cocktail you’ve been throwing back while you sit and wait for your ‘husband’, but-”

The dropped items rose off the floor again, held in her white glow. “Stop talking like that! I see what you’re doing here. You’re trying to take my Latvi away from me! Well, you can’t have him, and your sabotage didn’t work. Claiming that I would never love Latvi because he had ‘too little ambition’, have you no shame?”

What in the hell is she talking about? I mean, yeah, I think I did say something like that to Latvi, but that was when he tried to kill Dent! How can you not remember THAT part?

Readying myself for another round of arguing with the delusional mare, we were interrupted by a gasp from Bosco. “Snow, wait!”

“What, Bosco?” I near bellowed, not willing to take anymore jabs like the one from outside.

Naiara replaced him at the door, while he trotted over and whispered into my ear. “Didn’t you say Latvi’s magic is based around memory?”

Cold spread through my entire body. You’re not saying what I think you’re saying… “He wouldn’t.”

Inclining his head, Bosco grimaced. “I think he did.”

“With her? He’d go that far?” It was nearly impossible to believe. Latvi was insane, but this was the mare he loved. It defied belief.

“He’s the head of a coalition of thieves, rapists and murderers. You really think he wouldn’t get his hooves wet?”

Lithu apparently took offence to our whispering. “Whatever lies you two are saying about my Latvi, you need to stop right this instant!”

Shifting my gaze back and forth between her and Bosco, it felt like fireworks were going off in my brain. “W-what do we do? We can’t just leave her like this.”

“Guys,” Naiara called from the hallway. “the gunfire’s picking up again. I think the Plottawans noticed that we got Ballbuster. They’re making a push.”

Instantly, Bosco was all business. “Right, we do what we came here to do. We get Lithu, and take her back with us. After that, we contact Esto, and get her some help.”

“If you think I’m going anywhere with the likes of y-”

Bosco’s pistol butt to her temple put an end to her complaining. “Sorry, but I’m not asking. We’re out of time.” He grabbed a limp hoof and slung it over his shoulder. “Snow, help me carry her. Naiara, lead the way.”

~~~~~~

When we arrived back at the southern quarter, I was still nauseous at the idea of Latvi’s manipulation of Lithu’s memories, and not in the slightest bit happy that the inspiration might have come from me. Did I really push him to this when I goaded him back then? Is she like this because of me?

Wings, Undertow, and Schwarzwald were waiting for us when we returned. After making sure that Lithu, while restrained, was taken to the medical ponies, the six of us reconvened to swap notes.

“How’d it go?” Wings was cleaning her revolvers as we talked, tongue sticking out the side of her mouth. That’s kinda cute.

Undertow seemed exuberant. “Mission accomplished. I didn’t have to do much. A little prodding, and a lucky appearance by some Haylanders finished the job for me.”

Schwarzwald was downright orgasmic. Forest green eyes half-glazed, she huskily recounted her part in the whole plan. “I had much more fun than I thought I would, oh yes. Also, I looked at the Plottawans on the way back. They noticed our efforts.”

Nodding, Naiara sat down next to Undertow. “We noticed. Had to speed things up a little at the end because of it. Latvi-”

“...needs to die.” I interrupted, clenching my molars. “I can’t believe he did that to her.”

Along with an eyebrow raise from Schwarzwald, Wings and Undertow looked at us for an explanation. Bosco saved me the effort of explaining it. “The mare we brought back with us? She’s Lithu, used to work with Latvi. He was in love with her. Too bad she had a boyfriend. Too bad again that Latvi had him killed, then used his magic to completely overwrite her memories.”

“She was a scientist!” The words came out of my mouth halfway between a growl and a roar. “He turned her into a damn housewife! He was supposed to love her, not… this! Is this what he thinks love is?!”

“C’mon, Snow,” Wings tried to lay a claw on my shoulder, but I shrugged her off. “it’s not the best outcome, but at least there’s a chance to reverse it, right? Just like with Breeze. Nobody died, and we’ll help them both.”

“I… yeah.” She’s right. I don’t like that it happened, but Lithu’s still alive. Esto should be able to help her. We’ll just keep trying until we break the spell. I relaxed a little, and leaned against Undertow.

Grinning a little now, Wings addressed the others. “So what’s next? The Raiders have no leaders left; Latvi’s out of the city, and with Caber Toss and Ballbuster dead, they should be easy pickings for the Plottawans. Well, hopefully not TOO easy. If they keep killing each other down to nothing, that works too.”

Naiara chuckled. “Heh, should we just go ahead and let them?” We all laughed along with her.

Schwarzwald’s communicator crackled. “Come in, Schwarzwald.”

Fishing it out of her gear, the mercenary mare spoke warmly. “Amber-dahling, so nice to hear from you.”

“We do not have time, unfortunately. I need you to get back to me as soon as possible. I literally mean sprint.”

The good cheer faded immediately. “Amber, what is wrong?”

I froze up at Amber’s next words.

“Peanut contacted me a moment ago. He is on his way here.”

~~~~~~